Archive June 28, 2025

Strictly Come Dancing star Michelle Tsiakkas injured in horror London street phone robbery

Michelle Tsiakkas, the star of Strictly Come Dancing, has revealed on social media that she was the victim of a startling mobile phone robbery while out in broad daylight in London.

Michelle Tsiakkas has recalled being mugged in London(Image: Instagram)

Strictly Come Dancing professional Michelle Tsiakkas has recounted being mugged for her phone in the streets of London. The 29-year-old dance expert has appeared on the hit BBC show since 2022.

In the 2024 matchup, she and EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick placed seventh. The TV star posted a spooky account of being mugged in broad daylight on social media at the end of the week.

In a video message shared on her main grid, she stated, “This was a few days ago, and I’ve just about mentally recovered from that. On the day, it was quite traumatizing.

It wasted my entire day, leaving me feeling terrible, helpless, and scared, and hopeless, and I don’t want this to happen to you. My phone was taken. My phone was taken.

“I mean, I see it happening all the time, but it’s just one of those things you never think it’s going to happen to you,” I say. Then it happens.

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When a criminal whizzed past her on an electric bike and took her phone from her hand, she continued to say that she was just going about her day. She recalled that it was early in the morning. In London, I was traveling by car to the dentist.

The streets were extremely quiet because Covent Garden was close by. I looked up my phone and looked up the directions to my dentist, which I believe I was the only person present.

What happens when I walk into the dentist’s actual street? A man approaches me, passes me, and grabs my phone as he passes behind me on a bike.

Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas on Strictly 2024
Michelle was paired with Jamie Borthwick on Strictly in 2023(Image: PA)

Michelle continued, “So he’s grabbed my phone. She claimed she was hurt in the incident. My heart just fell for him because he’s riding an electric bike. I attempted to reach for it, but I was induced to slam my knees against the floor and graze it.

You can tell that my reflex was simply to swear and then scream and give me back my phone, which obviously didn’t work. He abruptly left. There was no way on earth I could have followed him because he was wearing a mask and was moving so quickly on an electric bike that he was wearing.

She continued, “Thankfully, there were two incredibly lovely and helpful women there who had seen my distress.”

Unaccustomed Londoners have been misled by the alarming rise in mobile phone theft. Over the past four years, 231, 000 phone thefts and robberies have been reported in the city according to new statistics released this weekend.

St James’s Park, where Piccadilly and Haymarket meet Pall Mall and Clarence House, as well as some of the West End, were identified as hotspots in London thanks to an analysis by The Times.

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Figures released by Scotland Yard figures show a 20 per cent year-on-year increase in robberies – with 81,256 mobile phone crimes were recorded in 2023. The stats also showed that roughly 37 people have their phone snatched on the streets of the capital every day.

EastEnders star Samantha Womack slams ‘rejection’ from soap bosses and explains exit

Samantha Womack, the actress who left EastEnders, revealed it wasn’t her choice to end her beloved Ronnie Mitchell role.

Samantha Womack has opened up on her brutal soap exit(Image: BBC/Jack Barnes)

Samantha Womack has hit out at soap bosses for being “rejected” as she reflected on her exit from EastEnders. The actress, who won over fans with her portrayal of Ronnie Mitchell, made her debut on the BBC soap in 2007.

She teamed up with Rita Simons, who played Roxy, her close sister. After Ronnie’s second wedding to Jack Branning, the dearly beloved sister duo were brutally murdered.

Sean O’Connor took over as executive producer, making the decision to leave Albert Square with Ronnie and Roxy. Samantha now admits that it wasn’t Rita’s or her choice to leave the soap and that she felt “rejected” by the new boss.

Ronnie and Roxy
Ronnie and Roxy were killed off the soap(Image: BBC)

She acknowledged that she had no idea what transpired because one producer was leaving and another was coming in. Samantha struggled to accept life without Walford, as she described herself as “losing a family.”

Samantha compared the loss to a “bereavement” and revealed it made her lose “stability”. “But the thing that was the most painful – and it really was painful – was that me and Rita loved feeling like we belonged there,” she told the Daily Mail.

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Then to be rejected, which hit us both so hard, I understand that’s emotional, but that’s what it was. Samantha has since been able to see it differently in the course of time.

She claimed that leaving the soap opened doors for new opportunities. The actress has focused on her acting career and has since taken on a number of high-profile roles.

She also appeared in the musical The Addams Family and appeared in The Girl on the Train in the United Kingdom in 2019. Since then, she has relocated to Valencia.

Samantha Womack
Samantha has reflected on her time on the soap(Image: Getty Images)

However, things haven’t been easy for Samantha as she underwent gruelling treatment for breast cancer after being diagnosed in August 2022, which has changed her outlook on life.

“I feel so much more enlightened,” she told the Mirror. “I know myself better, I feel humbler, I feel calmer.” Samantha added: “After my year-and-a-half of treatment, I started turning down a lot of stuff – and I didn’t have the bank balance to match that confidence, trust me.”

Samantha explained that when I said she was cancer-free in December 2022, “it was me saying the word “no” and my bank account started to creak.”

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’ve forgotten to do, maybe some things I’ve forgotten.” “

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.

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People living with cancer and their loved ones can receive private support from The Macmillan Support Line. If you need to talk, call us on 0808 808 0000.

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Warrington beat Hull FC to boost play-off hopes

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Betfred Super League

Warrington Wolves (12) 24

Goals: Sneyd 4; Josh Thewlis, Jake Thewlis, Powell, Fitzgibbon

Hull FC (10) 10

With a 24-10 victory over Hull FC, Warrington Wolves increased their chances of placing in the top four of the Super League this year.

Josh Thewlis, Jake Thewlis, Sam Powell, and Lachlan Fitzgibbon scored in their closing contests to close the gap on the sixth-placed Black and Whites.

Following their last-gasp defeat by second-place Huddersfield Giants, Wolves were significantly improved with four goals scored by Marc Sneyd.

After five minutes, Josh Thewlis ducked past two Hull players to run clear from within his own 22 and make a fantastic solo effort. Warrington took the lead.

When Matt Dufty’s catch-and-pass led to Jake, the younger of the Thewlis brothers, scoring, gave them the lead.

When Roderick Tai, a Warrington centre, was found to have fouled the ball in-goal before Jordan Rapana dotted down, the try was declared invalid in the 22nd minute.

On the second half-hour mark, when Sezer’s outstanding line break unselfishly chose Barron to take the visitors off the board, Hull started to ratchet up.

Sezer fought his way past some sluggish Warrington defense eight minutes later to keep his team within two points at half-time.

However, Warrington quickly responded after the break when Powell ran over a gap in the Hull defense to score his first Super League try this year. Sneyd’s straightforward conversion made the game a two-score affair.

Dufty dummied to break past some subpar defending as Hull started to tire, and his inside pass set up Australian second-row Fitzgibbon for the home side.

Sam Burgess, a coach at Warrington, told BBC Radio Merseyside:

“It turned out well today,” I said. I believed we had the upper hand in the majority of the game, so I’m happy for the players that we’re back in the winning circle and can regain some momentum.

The players will take a little time out of it because it has been a while since we’ve led from the beginning, which was pleasant.

On Josh Thewlis’ attempt:

John Cartwright, the coach of Hull FC, told BBC Radio Humberside:

“Too many simple errors, just too many.” We anticipated that they would be very quick and powerful.

We were only two points down on the back of a lot of errors in the second half, but we only became happier in the second half.

Warrington Wolves: Dufty, Josh Thewlis, Wrench, Tai, Jake Thewlis, Williams, Sneyd, Yates, Crowther, Vaughan, Stone, Fitzgibbon, Currie, and Josh Stone.

Powell, Thomas, Harrison, and Ratchford are the others.

Rapana, Barron, Briscoe, Litten, Martin, Cust, Sezer, Ese ‘ese, Bourouh, Knight, Hardaker, Aydin, Chamberlain, and Hull FC.

Ashworth, Charles, Eseh, and Fash swapped.

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Tyrone overcome Dublin to reach the last four

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In the Saturday All-Ireland Senior Football Championship quarter-final, Tyrone held their resolve to defeat Dublin 0-23 to 0-16.

In a game in which both teams struggled with shooting, Malachy O’Rourke’s Red Hands won the game for the first time since the 2021 All-Ireland final.

Both sides put everything into what turned out to be a bloody battle, but Dublin’s failure to take their chances once more came back when they missed as many chances as they scored.

Tyrone determine their range’s separation.

In the first 35 minutes, they would benefit from their long-range shooting with the breeze at their backs, so a two-pointer from a Kieran McGeary free would be the start of things to come.

It was Peter Teague’s turn to split the posts from outside the arc after Stephen Cluxton responded from a 45 that came after Cormac Costello saved with a fingertip.

Early on, Dublin struggled with their shooting because shots were diverted short or strewn, but Costello, who was not one of the guilty parties, landed from both free and play.

Peter Harte scored a two as a result of Tyrone’s long-range ability, but Brian O’Leary, a late addition to the Dublin team in place of Lorcan O’Dell, kicked his first score in county colors and was so impressed that he was sent back for another score, bringing the score to 0-6 at halftime.

Before Niall Scully gave Dublin the lead for the first time, only for Tyrone to regain the lead through a second two-pointer from Harte, it was nip and tuck heading into the break. Darragh Canavan and Costello traded scores before the pair exchanged scores.

Tyrone's Brian Kennedy escapes a tackleImages courtesy of Getty

In the 42nd minute, Dublin’s Cormac Costello tapped a gilt-edged goal chance past the post, and both teams snagged some respectable scoring opportunities in the opening period.

Mistakes were starting to dominate as the greasy conditions started to add to the problem, but Paddy Small’s fifth and final goal was scored with a Dublin point, but Canavan had to nudge Tyrone ahead right away to make the most of the situation.

The lead remained open until Con O’Callaghan, who had been playing for the Dublin bench for the final 20 minutes, made an immediate impact with a score as Ciaran Daly and Niall Devlin scored.

Tyrone always had an answer with Ciaran Daly responding, even though Ciaran Kilkenny narrowed the gap to one.

In the 59th minute, Dublin had a chance of scoring again thanks to Paddy Small, who read the danger and passed Costello in front of the lingering Costello. Luke Breathnach chose to square instead of fisting over.

Both teams committed poor misses, but Dublin was even more so as a result, with 10 shots past the post and six into Morgan’s hands being a major factor in their failure. However, the gap only extended to the final five minutes when Tyrone broke for home as a substitute Ruairi Canavan set up a six-point run that included a two-point free from Morgan at the death to propel Malachy O’Rourke’s men into the final four.

Dublin: S Cluxton (0-1, 1×45), E Murchan, D Byrne, S MacMahon, B Howard, J Small, L Gannon, P O’Cofaigh-Byrne (0-1), K McGinnis, S Bugler, C Kilkenny (0-1), N Scully (0-1), P Small (0-2), C Costello (0-6, 2f), B O’Leary (0-2).

Subs: C Murphy for K McGinnis (44), C O’Callaghan (0-1) for B O’Leary (50), L Breathnach (0-1) for N Scully (57, head injury), T Lahiff for P O’Cofaigh-Byrne (59), R McGarry for S Bugler (65), T Clancy for E Murchan (68)

Tyrone: N Morgan (0-3, 1x2pf, 1×45), C Quinn, P Hampsey, N Devlin (0-1), P Teague (0-2, 1x2p), R Brennan, K McGeary (0-2, 1x2pf), B Kennedy, C Kilpatrick, S O’Donnell, M Donnelly, C Daly (0-2), D McCurry (0-2, 1f), P Harte (0-4, 2x2p), D Canavan (0-3).

Subs: B McDonnell for R Brennan (44), E McElholm (0-1) for D McCurry (52), A Clarke for C Quinn (56), C Meyler for P Teague (59, head injury), R Canavan (0-2) for P Harte (63), M O’Neill for K McGeary (68)

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Gittens to have Chelsea medical after £55m bid accepted

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Borussia Dortmund accepted a £55 million offer for Chelsea’s winger, and the winger is now scheduled to undergo a medical there.

The 20-year-old Englishman earlier in June, made a seven-year deal with Chelsea.

On June 10, Dortmund rejected a bid for Gittens worth 42 million, with the German Bundesliga side known to be putting up a £60 million offer.

After returning to Manchester United after completing a loan spell that cost the Blues a £5 million penalty fee, he was identified as Chelsea’s main target to replace Jadon Sancho.

Mykhailo Mudryk also has a temporary suspension after being accused by the Football Association (FA) of breaking anti-doping regulations by failing a drug test.

Because he has played for Dortmund, Gittens would not be able to compete in the upcoming Club World Cup.

With midfielder Andrey Santos returning from his loan spell at Strasbourg, he would be Chelsea’s fourth summer signing, along with striker Liam Delap, midfielder Dario Essugo, and defender Mamadou Sarr.

After winning the Club World Cup with Palmeiras, Estevao Willian, 18, will join Chelsea.

Chelsea will next look to add a versatile forward, with Brighton’s Joao Pedro included among those on the wish list. Newcastle is one of the Premier League clubs that is believed to be interested in the Brazil international, with Brighton rejecting two offers from Premier League clubs.

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Tearful Pogba signs Monaco deal after doping ban

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Paul Pogba, who had received a doping suspension, signed a two-year contract with Monaco that made him eligible for play football again.

After Juventus’ opening game of the 2023-24 season against Udinese, the 32-year-old former Manchester United and Juventus midfielder was randomly tested.

Following an appeal, he later received a four-year ban that was voided to an 18-month ban.

After writing the final word on the Monaco deal, an emotional Pogba thanked the audience for their support and capped his own announcement video with the words “La renaissance,” presumably promising fans a career revival.

He and Juventus mutually terminated their contract in November, and he has since started playing free agent since March.

In the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas), it was established that Pogba had unintentionally taken dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a substance that boosts testosterone and was put on the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) banned list.

Crucially, the decision only applies to females, though it is important to note.

Pogba made his debut at Manchester United before moving to Juventus, where he won Serie A in each of his four seasons, including two Doubles.

In his first season at Old Trafford, he won the Europa League and the FA Cup before earning a world-record $89 million at Old Trafford in 2016.

Pogba, who has 91 caps for France, then scored in the final of the 2018 World Cup victory over Croatia in Russia, helping Les Bleus to victory.

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