Archive June 15, 2025

Abbey Clancy has a very busy household with husband Peter Crouch and their four children – but as she reveals, she’d quite happily have another baby – she just might just have to convince her husband first

Abbey Clancy has secrets hopes for a larger brood – except her husband, retired football star Peter Crouch, doesn’t quite agree. The couple, who tied the knot 14 years ago, have been entertaining fans for years with their hilarious honesty and true affection for each other on their The Therapy Crouch podcast.

And as Abbey, 39, tells OK! in an exclusive interview, life may be pretty chaotic with the couple’s children Sophia, 14, Liberty, 10, Johnny, seven, and Jack, six – but she’d be quite happy to add some more chaos into the mix, if she had her own way, now the kids are all out at school every day.

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Revealing the best thing about parenting at this stage, model and former Strictly champion Abbey says: “We’re not walking round with two prams and two nappy bags! I love them when they’re babies but with my sister and brothers and their partners and kids, we’ve got a proper ready-made little gang now.”

But asked if she doesn’t need a fifth ‘baby’ then, she replies laughing: “I’d have 10 kids if I could, but Pete is like, “absolutely not”. I think he said he’ll leave me if I bring another living thing into the house. All the kids are in school now, so I could easily have a newborn, but my husband says “no way”.”

So, who will win the baby battle, does she think? Abbey confesses that she normally gets her own way – but he doesn’t think she will on this. – as she reveals she’s actually just got a lovely new addition to the family. “I’ve actually just got a lovely new baby who’s 18 hands – Enzo, my horse. He’s five minutes from the house but I’d like him to live in my garden and sleep in my bed, but that’s not possible either!”

And speaking of fifth babies, Abbey thinks it’s hilarious, some of the stuff that gets written about her and Peter, out of things they say on their hit podcast. “Well, it’s very inconsistent, isn’t it? One minute we’re living separate lives and the next we’re having a fifth baby! I don’t read the stories though, I only learn about them when I get a call from a relative asking, “Are you and Pete splitting up?” or “Are you having another baby?”

But she admits, people love it because it’s ‘authentic’: “ None of our friends listen to the podcast because they say they get enough of us anyway, because that’s totally who we are! I’m actually glad about that though, it means we can talk about them all on the podcast and they’ll never know!

“When we decided to do it we said it has to be unfiltered and real, and if you look at anything in life, the things that are authentic are the things that last, and work. It’s like therapy for us because it’s a great way to connect and talk about life, experiences and memories.

With occasionwear season officially here, we’ve found the perfect stylish and subtle midaxi dress that will take you through the summer from Marks & Spencer

Marks & Spencer is back taking online orders after the cyber attack, and as always, their current spring/summer collection is filled with stylish and elevated pieces that will really up your fashion game. One dress in particular that caught our eye was the Pure Cotton Bubble Hem Midaxi Dress.

With summer basically here, plus the races and weddings looming, finding the perfect dress you can wear to these different occasions is no mean feat, but we think this midaxi is the versatile summer dress to get your hands one. And at £49.50, this dress definitely isn’t breaking the bank.

Combining two trends in one, this black dress features a stylish bubble hem detail, as well as a flattering drop waist. Despite featuring more micro-trendy elements, the sleek black colour and classic silhouette mean this dress will last in your wardrobe for years to come.

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To style this midaxi, we suggest keeping it simple with a pair of gold or silver mules (depending on which you prefer), and a matching clutch or grab bag, and minimalist jewellery. Additionally, if you’re more of a maximalist, you could team leopard or zebra print accessories to make the look pop.

We’re not the only ones who are loving this versatile dress, shoppers are already leaving their reviews, praising the piece for its high quality and flattering fit. One shopper wrote: “Couldn’t resist this dress despite having to try on several sizes before finding best fit (it’s on the small side). The design quality becomes apparent once on with a drop waist, great if you are tall and long in the body, and the bubble hem. It’s also nicely lined and the cut out back still enables you to wear a bra. Please continue to provide such design quality please M&S.”

While a second shared how the dress got them heaps of compliments when they wore it. They added: “So many compliments wearing this dress. The dress is beautiful, I felt really nice in it, and lots and lots of women asked me where it was from.”

As briefly mentioned above, a few people criticised the sizing of the dress, claiming it runs rather small, so we suggest sizing up from your usual size, especially if you are in between.

Brooklyn Beckham has failed to publicly congratulate his dad on his knighthood after saying he ‘chooses’ his wife Nicola amid the family feud

Victoria Beckham has been seen for the first time since her husband was knighted in the King’s Birthday Honours. The former Spice Girl singer turned fashion designer, 51, took daughter Harper on a girls’ night at the ballet.

Victoria, who is now Lady Beckham, attended the Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland ballet in London with her Harper. The mum described their trip as a ‘special night’ as she and Harper, 13, took photos in the their box at the Royal Ballet & Opera house.

The sweet mother and daughter trip came hours after dad David was made a Sir for his services to sport and charity.

In a post shared on Saturday on Instagram, Lady Beckham said: “You’ve always been my knight in shining armour, but now it’s official. Sir @davidbeckham!!! What an honour, I couldn’t be prouder of you. Your dedication to the things that matter most — your country, your work, your passion, and most of all, your family — has never wavered. The way you’ve touched so many lives over the years with kindness and humility speaks volumes about the man you are and continues to inspire us everyday.

“But above all else, I’m so, so proud to call you mine. I love you so much xxxx.”

The football star, who was formerly appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2003, responded to the post by expressing his love for his family, mentioning each of his children and adding “I love you all”.

David has since been inundated with congratulations from his famous friends and former teammates from Gordon Ramsey to Gary Neville. But one person notably absent from the celebrations has been his eldest son Brooklyn.

While brothers Cruz and Romeo were quick to share how proud they were of their footballer dad, big bro Brooklyn remained silent on the matter alongside his wife Nicola Peltz.

Brooklyn is said to be embroiled in a feud with his family after marrying and moving to Los Angeles with billionaire heiress Nicola. He was also not seen at his dad’s 50th birthday celebrations last month.

The eldest of the Beckham boys alarmed fans when he posted that he was ‘choosing wife Nicola’ and described her as his ‘whole world’. It has since been reported that Brooklyn has ‘cut all ties’ with the Beckhams and only learned of his dad’s knighthood when he read about it in the press.

Despite the fallout, David appeared to offer an olive branch to his son when he said he wanted to share the emotional moment with his family.

In a statement to the PA News Agency, Sir David said: “Growing up in east London with parents and grandparents who were so patriotic and proud to be British I never could have imagined I would receive such a truly humbling honour.

“To have played for and captained my country was the greatest privilege of my career and literally a boyhood dream come true.

“Off the pitch I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to represent Britain around the world and work with incredible organisations that are supporting communities in need and inspiring the next generation.

“I’m so lucky to be able to do the work that I do and I’m grateful to be recognised for work that gives me so much fulfilment.

Gemma Atkinson has revealed that she believes one of the reasons she hasn’t walked down the aisle yet is because her dad won’t be there – and getting married means losing the ‘last tie to him’

Gemma Atkinson has opened up about why she is yet to marry her Spanish fiancé, Strictly professional dancer Gorka Marquez, with whom she shares children, Mia and Thiago. Opening up in a deeply moving open letter to mark Father’s Day, to her beloved das David, who tragically died of a heart attack at just 52, when Gemma, now xx, was just 17.

As she markes her 24th Father’s Day without the man she thinks of ‘every day’, Gemma, in support of the palliative care and bereavement charity Sue Ryder, admits that the thought of tying the knot without him by her side is almost too much to bare – and his painful absence is one of the reasons it hasn’t happened yet.

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She said: “I’m getting married, Dad! One day, anyway. I think one of the reasons we’ve not done it yet is because of you. We’ve come close many times, but something stops me. I’m now the last Atkinson in the family line and if I give up my name, there’s no more of us. I don’t want to lose that remaining tie to you. Not having you walk me down the aisle… maybe I’ll just stay engaged for a bit longer.

Speaking of her future husband, Gemma also said poignantly that she felt her late father would be a huge fan – as well as of the two beautiful children they have welcomed, children she reflects, sadly, it breaks her heart he will never see . “I think you’d be really happy with my choice of fiancé. You’d get such a kick out of Gorka being a professional dancer – you loved to dance – and I know you’d adore your grandchildren. Just like you adored me.

She continued emotionally: “I wish you’d got to meet him. There have been many times where he would have benefitted from your advice. You travelled so much for work and Gorka needs to be away a lot too. I remember when Mia was born, he had to leave for a tour when she was three days old. It broke his heart but I know you’d have helped him. I can hear your voice, saying, “I get it pal, I had to do the same. You’ll get through it.” I often feel sad that he never got to shake your hand. You only ever met my high school boyfriend. That’s hard for me.”

But the former Strictly star and radio host admits, she keeps her dad’s memory very much alive, when it comes to her little family. “I talk to Thiago and Mia about you all the time. They call you GanGan David. We’ve got a picture of you in the house and Mia thinks GanGan David lives on the moon and you can’t get out. She always asks us how we can rescue you. When our dogs died it was devastating, but Mia took comfort in the fact you were looking after them somewhere. I really believe you are.

Back in January, Gorka issued a wedding update, reassuring fans that his and Gemma’s big day would happen, when little Thiago was more independent. “We will do it, it’s just not at the moment. We are very good like this, especially with having the kids. Thiago is not independent yet so we don’t want to go into the wedding and be carrying him or halfway through the wedding he starts screaming that he only wants mummy, you know?!”

Palliative care and bereavement charity Sue Ryder offers a range of grief support. Visit sueryder.org/GriefDeservesBetter. Gemma Atkinson is the host of the Hits Drivetime show, airing weekdays at 4pm

This Father’s Day. TV star and radio host Gemma Atkinson shares precious memories of her father and the pain of his passing in this heartbreakingly beautiful tribute, in her own words

Gemma Atkinson was just 17 when her beloved dad David died of a heart attack at just 52. Here, as she marks her 24th Father’s Day without him, Gemma, in support of the palliative care and bereavement charity Sue Ryder, pens an incredibly moving open letter to him in which she tells him just how much he meant to her and how she and fiancé, Strictly professional dancer Gorka Marquez and their children, Mia and Thiago, continue to keep his memory alive…

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Happy Father’s Day, Dad.

I’ve lived through so many of them without you now, but it never really gets easier.

It’s been so long since I last saw your face and I still think about you every single day. But I know you’d be proud of me and the things I’ve achieved. I think you’d be really happy with my choice of fiancé, too. You’d get such a kick out of Gorka being a professional dancer – you loved to dance – and I know you’d adore your grandchildren. Just like you adored me.

You were born to be a dad of girls. You were very tuned in emotionally and right from the off you taught me and (my sister) Nina how to be tough and stand up for ourselves. You were the first to tell me, “If someone hits you, you hit them back harder,” but also the first to let me know that when I needed a cuddle, you’d be there. We were so lucky to have a dad with both a hard and soft side.

I remember the last time I saw you. April 27th, 2002. You were sitting in your hospital bed and you asked me to get you a Mars bar from the vending machine. It was four days since you were taken in after being found slumped at your desk. You’d been experiencing chest pain for days, but brushed it off as indigestion, blaming the dodgy burger you’d eaten at the Caterham Super Seven race we’d all gone to.

It was so typically you: your leg would have to have been hanging off for you to go to the doctor. It’s something I see in myself now. I’m a “get on with things” person, but how I wish you’d had it checked out.

You were in the hospital because you’d had a stress-induced heart attack. You collapsed on Friday and I visited the following Tuesday. I told you off for wanting the Mars bar, but you really craved one, so I got it and sat on the end of your bed as we shared half and half. “It’s bloody lovely, that,” you said. And then it was time for me to leave. You winked at me, smiled that irresistible smile, and that was the last time I ever saw you.

Even though you should’ve been coming home the next day, you’d had another heart attack in the night. I remember Mum, in the early hours, coming up to my bedroom and standing in the doorway. I could only see her silhouette. And she just burst into tears. You guys were no longer married – she’d moved on and married Peter years before and you were with Janet – but you’d co-parented brilliantly and her pain was palpable. “I’m so sorry, Gemma,” she sobbed. “Your dad’s gone.”

For a long time I was angry. I was angry at you for dying. Angry at the doctors for telling me you’d be able to come home when you never did. Angry at myself for not staying longer. I’d cry myself to sleep at night.

Anger turned to heartache around my 18th birthday. I’d thrown myself into work at Hollyoaks – pretending to be someone else for 12 hours a day was a way to escape the pain – then we had a big party. All the family were there, everyone but you. I looked at Grandma and remember thinking it was so strange that she was there while you weren’t, how that just wasn’t the natural order of things.

But she kept smiling, trying to keep it nice for me on my big day. Now, looking back through the eyes of a mother, my heart breaks for her – the thought of my kids going before me petrifies me. For Grandma, she was living that nightmare. She buried her child and yet I never really understood it back then.

I really think you’d be proud of the mother I’ve become. I sobbed when I found out I was expecting Mia. Not because I wasn’t ecstatic – I was – but because you weren’t there to share our joy.

I talk to Thiago and Mia about you all the time. They call you GanGan David. We’ve got a picture of you in the house and Mia thinks GanGan David lives on the moon and you can’t get out. She always asks us how we can rescue you. When our dogs died it was devastating, but Mia took comfort in the fact you were looking after them somewhere. I really believe you are.

It’s funny how kids pick up on things. When Gorka’s away, working on Strictly , Mia asks me when Papa’s coming home. I tell her he’ll be back but twice now she’s said to me, “But your papa didn’t come home.”

I explain that her daddy is much fitter. That we have FaceTime and mobiles now. I let her know she can get hold of her papa anytime she wants. We often visit your grave but we always keep it positive. I don’t want to give her a fear of death. You wouldn’t want that.

You’d adore Thiago too. He looks exactly like you did as a baby. That’s the first thing everyone said when he was born. People joke that Gorka has no genetics in our children whatsoever. It’s because both of them are so like me and you.

Speaking of Gorka, I wish you’d got to meet him. There have been many times where he would have benefitted from your advice. You travelled so much for work and Gorka needs to be away a lot too. I remember when Mia was born, he had to leave for a tour when she was three days old. It broke his heart but I know you’d have helped him. I can hear your voice, saying, “I get it pal, I had to do the same. You’ll get through it.” I often feel sad that he never got to shake your hand. You only ever met my high school boyfriend. That’s hard for me.

But I’m getting married, Dad! One day, anyway. I think one of the reasons we’ve not done it yet is because of you. We’ve come close many times, but something stops me. I’m now the last Atkinson in the family line and if I give up my name, there’s no more of us. I don’t want to lose that remaining tie to you. Not having you walk me down the aisle… maybe I’ll just stay engaged for a bit longer.

Finally, I want to remind you of the pact you made with Tyler, Nina’s son and your second grandchild. When he was gravely ill with meningitis as a baby we went to visit him in intensive care after doctors warned us he would likely die. I remember so vividly how you pressed your nose to his, tubes coming out of him, his little face blown up like a puffa fish, and you said, “If anyone’s listening, if there is a god, please take me and save Tyler.”

You were gone just a couple of months later. Tyler made a complete recovery and is now healthy and thriving. You left this earth so he could stay. That was how selfless you were, 100% always a family first man. I know you live on through him, through all of us.

I wish you were still here, Dad, but while I’ll never truly get over losing you, I’ve learnt to live without you. It’s my new “normal”.

And I really do believe I will see you again. Until then…

Gemma. x

Palliative care and bereavement charity Sue Ryder offers a range of grief support. Visit sueryder.org/GriefDeservesBetter. Gemma Atkinson is the host of the Hits Drivetime show, airing weekdays at 4pm