Archive July 11, 2025

Christine Lampard’s ‘stunning’ white midi dress was designed by Michelle Keegan

Christine Lampard wowed fans during her appearance on Lorraine this week, with a flowing white midi dress that hails from Michelle Keegan’s very own fashion line

Christine Lampard wore the white dress on Lorraine(Image: Christine Lampard/Instagram)

Lorraine viewers were thrilled when they tuned in yesterday (July 10) and discovered Christine Lampard was appearing on the show. They were even more impressed with her chosen outfit for the show, which was a beautiful flowing white midi dress which Christine later revealed on Instagram was part of Michelle Keegan ’s collection with Very.

Her exact dress was the Pleated Corset Sleeveless Dress , which is currently on sale down from £70 to £56 saving you £14. The structured shape and soft white colour were a great nod to the Wimbledon whites trend that’s still dominating as we head towards the end of the tennis tournament, and would make a great last minute outfit if you’re planning on attending any Wimbledon events.

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Christine said she was “loving” the dress, and a quick look reveals it’s still available in all sizes from a six to a 20, with Very recommending you take your usual size. It has a midaxi length which measures approximately 54.5 inches and is designed to land somewhere between a midi and maxi dress, although where it falls depends on your height.

The fit and flare shape of the Pleated Corset Sleeveless Dress also makes it flattering on all body shapes and sizes, with a fit and flare silhouette which is fitted on the top before flowing out around the hips to create some movement. The corset-inspired bodice and dropped waistline also help accentuate and create the illusion of curves for a feminine shape.

Christine Lampard Lorraine white dress
Christine Lampard wore the white dress on Lorraine(Image: Christine Lampard/Instagram)

Although its structure and shape are what make the dress such a statement, it can make it lean a little more formal than you might want for everyday wear. For a slightly more casual look, this White Sleeveless Tiered Charlie Midi Dress from Nobody’s Child is a great alternative, and it’s also on sale down from £85 to £72.25.

It keeps the same fitted on top, flowing midi skirt silhouette, but rather than a corset bodice, it has a stretchy shirred top with a tiered skirt that keeps it more laid back whilst still looking elegant. For something a little more holiday-ready, the Sleeveless Crochet Patch Maxi Dress from ASOS is £40 and has crochet detailing on the top, with a maxi length skirt that has less volume than Christine’s Very one.

Very shoppers have been loving the quality and fit of the Pleated Corset Sleeveless Dress , however. One called it a “Lovely dress” and added: “I am so pleased with this dress. The neck is slightly tight but as over all it came a little large for me so I won’t be sizing up. It’s a very heavy dress so fits nicely and hangs well.”

Another shared: “I wore this dress to a funeral, it was very beautiful.”

Very X Michelle Keegan white midaxi dress
The white dress hailed from Very’s Michelle Keegan collection(Image: Very)

The main issue most found was with the neck with one saying: “I originally ordered a size 12 that fit like a glove but strangled my neck. So I ordered a 14, as I love the dress and really wanted it, so I thought the neck wouldn’t be as tight. The neck was the same on the size up aswell. I’m gutted as I really wanted to wear this to Royal Ascot. All sent back.”

And another agreed: “The dress is very pretty and fabric feels decent quality, but the neck it quite high, stiff and tight which makes it uncomfortable.”

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However others loved it despite the snug fitting neck, with one saying: “This dress is absolutely stunning! The quality for the price is amazing, considering I nearly bought a very similar dress for £198 I was so pleased I came across this. Only problem is the high neck felt like it was choking me. The zip is very delicate so had to size up so it didn’t break. Hoping once the bigger size arrives the neck area is solved as I can’t wait to wear it. If your curvy I would suggest sizing up.”

EastEnders’ Jake Wood breaks silence as he confirms return to iconic role

Actor Jake Wood will return to EastEnders to reprise his role as Max Branning, it has been announced.

The character last appeared on screen in February 2021.

Wood said: “I’m over the moon to be coming home to Walford. Max has got lots of unresolved drama with many characters, so I’m sure he’ll be busy.

“I’m excited to see what he’s been up to, and what is next for the character, but if his last 15 years in the Square are anything to go by, I’m sure there will be plenty of chaos.”

Max will return briefly in autumn, before making a permanent return later in the year.






Max Branning’s affair with daughter-in-law Stacey was revealed in an iconic EastEnders Christmas Day episode
(
BBC/Kieron McCarron/Jack Barnes)

During his first stint on the soap Jake became a fan favourite of viewers with his character Max being at the heart of several huge storylines.

The Christmas Day episode where it was revealed that Max had an affair with daughter-in-law Stacey Slater, played by Lacey Turner has become known as one of the most chaotic festive specials ever.

Max will return to Albert Square to find his daughter Lauren (Jacqueline Jossa) expected to marry into the Beales, Stacey widowed, and a secret daughter with ex-lover Linda yet to be discovered.

Speaking on the Scott Mills Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2, Wood said his return to the show was “quite emotional” and added it felt “like a very warm hug”.






Max Branning on EastEnders


Jake Wood said it was ’emotional’ to be back on set
(
BBC/Kieron McCarron/Jack Barnes)

He said: “I just felt like it was the right time.I spoke to so many people there, they’re just loving being there at the moment, I had a meeting with the new executive, Ben Wadey, back in January, and we went for lunch, and he just sort of outlined all of his ideas.”

He continued: “There’s just so many characters that Max has got drama with, so it felt like the right time to go back and mix things up a bit.”

Wood went on to say his character’s return would be “high, high, high drama” and added that it would not be “friendly and warm”.

EastEnders executive producer Wadey said: “I’m delighted to welcome the immensely talented Jake Wood back to the role of Max Branning.

“Whilst his character has only been away from Albert Square for four years, Walford, and the lives of those who live in it, have changed immensely.

“Max has a lot of unfinished business, but whether he is welcomed by his family remains to be seen.

“However, with a past as chequered as Max’s, it’s fair to say that many Walford residents will not be pleased to see him, putting the Brannings back at the heart of the square, and the drama, this year.”

Max previously left EastEnders on February 19, 2021 bringing to an end a 15 year run on the show.

.Max left Albert Square after burning bridges with many of his family and friends, and he joined his daughter Lauren and grandson Louie in New Zealand.

Since Jake’s final EastEnders scenes aired in early 2021, the popular actor has certainly been keeping himself busy – launching a podcast and starring in West End show 2:22: A Ghost Story.

Gunmen in Pakistan kidnap, kill nine bus passengers, officials say

Nine bus passengers have been killed after gunmen kidnapped them in Pakistan’s restive southwestern Balochistan province, officials have said.

The passengers were taken from several buses on Thursday evening, the provincial government spokesman, Shahid Rind, said on Friday.

The bus was travelling from Balochistan to the central region of Punjab. It is thought the travellers were targeted due to their Punjabi ethnicity, officials said.

The bodies of the victims, riddled with bullet wounds, were found in the mountains overnight, another government official, Naveed Alam, said.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed the incident and strongly condemned the killings. “The blood of innocent people will be avenged. The killing of innocent citizens is an open act of terrorism by India-sponsored terrorists,” Sharif said.

There was no immediate reaction from India to his statement. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), separatist Baloch fighters, have in the past been involved in such incidents, killing passengers after identifying them as coming from the eastern Punjab province.

The BLA is the strongest of a number of groups involved in a rebellion, who have for years operated in the area bordering Afghanistan and Iran, a mineral-rich region.

Bale makes ‘brand new offer’ to buy Cardiff

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Wales great Gareth Bale says the consortium he leads has submitted a “brand new offer” to buy Cardiff City.

The former Southampton, Tottenham, Real Madrid and Los Angeles player is fronting a group of investors who are seeking to purchase his home club.

It was confirmed in June that the group had formally approached the Bluebirds, with reports suggesting a £40m offer was made, and Bale says club owner Vincent Tan now has a fresh proposal to consider.

“It’s exciting news, we have a brand new offer on the table, it’s recently just gone in,” he said on Front Office Sports Today.

“We think it’s very fair, if not more than fair, and it’s something we hope the current owners will take serious.

It is thought Malaysian businessman Tan has little interest in selling Cardiff, the club he has invested £200m-plus into since buying in 2010.

Bale recently said it would be “a dream come true” to purchase the Bluebirds, outlining his desire to take the club to the Premier League.

Speaking to Sky Sports in June, he said: “We’ve been speaking about it [a takeover], trying to engage with Cardiff, but more news will come out on that in the future and hopefully we can get something done.”

The 35-year-old was heavily linked with a move to the Cardiff City Stadium prior to joining Los Angeles in the summer of 2022.

Bale went on to help the Major League Soccer side win the MLS Cup by scoring a last-minute equaliser in extra time of the final as LA went on to beat Philadelphia Union on penalties.

He featured in each of his country’s group-stage matches against the USA, Iran and England at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar before retiring from football in January 2023.

Cardiff – now led by former Manchester City elite development squad boss Brian Barry-Murphy – are preparing for a first campaign in the third tier since 2002-03 having finished bottom of the Championship last season.

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Pick your combined England-Wales team

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England and Wales meet at Euro 2025 on Sunday as they play their final Group D match in Switzerland.

England will reach the quarter-finals with victory, while Wales need to win by at least four goals.

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Pick your England starting XI to face the Netherlands

Who makes your starting XI for England against the Netherlands at Euro 2025?

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Escaping ‘rat race’ to warm up Wimbledon’s stars

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Over the Wimbledon fortnight, Adam Jones turns into a tennis impersonator.

Each day the 27-year-old Briton is asked by the world’s leading players to mimic the style of their next opponent on the All England Club practice courts.

Jones is ranked 1,513th in the world in the singles, a bit higher in the doubles at 619th, but has one of the most important jobs at the Championships.

As a Wimbledon hitting partner, he has been the go-to guy for semi-finalists Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Amanda Anisimova and Belinda Bencic this year, as well as British number one Emma Raducanu.

“It’s a great gig and a fun way to earn some money,” Jones told BBC Sport at the Aorangi Park practice courts.

“Whoever they’re playing you try to copy their style.

“With Carlos, before he played Jan-Lennard Struff, who has a massive serve, I was standing a metre inside the baseline nuking serves.”

Standing across the net from the stars is quite the change from what Jones is used to.

The Birkenhead-born player, who trained in Wrexham and Bath before moving to the United States, travels the world to play on the ITF Futures Tour – the lowest rung of the professional ladder.

It is hard to make ends meet on what he calls the “grind” of trying to climb up the ranks.

Jones describes having to sleep in a tight tent pitched on a golf course, and a sweaty 15-man dormitory, because he cannot afford a hotel.

Sitting for six hours in a train toilet between London to Glasgow was another way to save cash.

“The Futures tour is a rat race – the finances are absolutely brutal,” Jones said.

“If you lose in qualifying you get no money. A couple of weeks ago I won $37 after losing in singles quallies and then lost first round doubles – the minimum for a hotel was $150 a night.

“You’re losing money every single week. When people see you’re a tennis player and see you’re at Wimbledon, they think you have loads of money and live a luxurious life.

“You don’t – it’s the complete opposite.”

With the constant necessity to make ends meet, Jones returned to Wimbledon this year as one of their in-house hitting partners.

Several are employed during the championships, with players believed to be paid a daily rate of about £120 – whether they are asked to hit for one hour or several hours.

They are also provided with a food allowance at the club, while also able to use the racquet stringers and physios.

Jones first took up the role in 2022 and enjoyed the experience so much that he returned the following year.

Last year, he was employed by Croatia’s Donna Vekic – who reached the SW19 semi-finals – as her full-time hitter.

He travelled on tour with the world number 25 and her team for six months before leaving to continue his own playing career.

“It’s funny because when I was travelling the world with a top star, staying in the nicest hotels and using the best facilities, I actually missed the Futures.

“I wanted to go back to the jungle and the hellholes. You’ve got to remember where you came from. Remember the grind.”

The hustle will restart after Wimbledon.

Jones, who lives in California with his girlfriend, is going back to the US for a three-week stint at Futures events in Illinois.

Improving his doubles ranking in order to gain entry to the ATP Challenger Tour, and eventually the ATP Tour, is his ambition in the coming months.

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