Pauline Ferrand-Prevot claimed the leader’s yellow jersey on the penultimate stage of the Tour de France Femmes with a stunning victory on the spectacular Col de la Madeleine.
Ferrand-Prevot, carrying French hopes of a home champion, produced a devastating performance on this year’s queen stage to replace Kim le Court at the top of the general classification standings before Sunday’s finale.
The eighth day of racing featured more than 3,500m of climbing, including the third-highest summit finish in the race’s history at 2,000m above sea level.
Olympic mountain bike champion Ferrand-Prevot was motivated to return to road racing after seven seasons away to win the yellow jersey.
That goal is now within reach after she crossed the line one minute and 45 seconds clear of Sarah Gigante, who moved up to second overall – two minutes and 37 seconds behind Ferrand-Prevot.
The general classification competition was finely poised before Saturday’s dramatic action, with the top five riders separated by just 35 seconds.
Le Court, of team AG Insurance-Soudal, held a 26-second advantage over Visma-Lease a Bike’s Ferrand-Prevot, while defending champion Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney and Vollering were both within 31 seconds of the lead.
Le Court suffered a crash on a descent and lost around one minute to the peloton earlier in the day, but managed to catch the main group with more than 45km to go.
Following that recovery, rather than riding to protect the yellow jersey she claimed in winning stage five on Wednesday, Le Court pushed the pace on the Col de la Madeleine to set up an attack by team-mate Sarah Gigante.
However, Ferrand-Prevot was able to follow Gigante and launched a counter-attack to make her way to the front of the race 7km from the summit.
Only Fisher-Black and Yara Kastelijn remained from the day’s breakaway and Ferrand-Prevot soon proved too strong as she powered clear to the finish.
On a gruelling final ascent of the hors categorie Col de la Madeleine, lasting 18.6km at an average gradient of 8.1%, the 33-year-old, who rode to victory solo at Paris-Roubaix in April, put herself in a dominant position with one day of racing left.
Pauline Ferrand-Prevot claimed the leader’s yellow jersey on the penultimate stage of the Tour de France Femmes with a stunning victory on the spectacular Col de la Madeleine.
Ferrand-Prevot, carrying French hopes of a home champion, produced a devastating performance on this year’s queen stage to replace Kim le Court at the top of the general classification standings before Sunday’s finale.
The eighth day of racing featured more than 3,500m of climbing, including the third-highest summit finish in the race’s history at 2,000m above sea level.
Olympic mountain bike champion Ferrand-Prevot was motivated to return to road racing after seven seasons away to win the yellow jersey.
That goal is now within reach after she crossed the line one minute and 45 seconds clear of Sarah Gigante, who moved up to second overall – two minutes and 37 seconds behind Ferrand-Prevot.
The general classification competition was finely poised before Saturday’s dramatic action, with the top five riders separated by just 35 seconds.
Le Court, of team AG Insurance-Soudal, held a 26-second advantage over Visma-Lease a Bike’s Ferrand-Prevot, while defending champion Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney and Vollering were both within 31 seconds of the lead.
Le Court suffered a crash on a descent and lost around one minute to the peloton earlier in the day, but managed to catch the main group with more than 45km to go.
Following that recovery, rather than riding to protect the yellow jersey she claimed in winning stage five on Wednesday, Le Court pushed the pace on the Col de la Madeleine to set up an attack by team-mate Sarah Gigante.
However, Ferrand-Prevot was able to follow Gigante and launched a counter-attack to make her way to the front of the race 7km from the summit.
Only Fisher-Black and Yara Kastelijn remained from the day’s breakaway and Ferrand-Prevot soon proved too strong as she powered clear to the finish.
On a gruelling final ascent of the hors categorie Col de la Madeleine, lasting 18.6km at an average gradient of 8.1%, the 33-year-old, who rode to victory solo at Paris-Roubaix in April, put herself in a dominant position with one day of racing left.
Frank Skinner, a songwriter for the Three Lions and David Baddiel and the Lightning Seeds, has spoken about earning money from the anthem.
Frank Skinner has spoken about making money from Three Lions(Image: Getty Images)
Three Lions co-writer Frank Skinner has spoken about the profits from the football anthem following the Lionesses’ victory in the Euro 2025 final last week. He’s dismissed the “myth” that he has made “loads of money” from the song.
Frank, 68, and David Baddiel, 61, released the song with the Lightning Seeds in 1996 in celebrate England’s participation in the UEFA European Championship that year. The two comedians, who hosted Fantasy Football League together, co-wrote the song, which has since been re-released.
Although it’s topped the Official Singles Chart in the UK four times since its first release almost 30 years ago, Frank has said it hasn’t made him as much money as some people may suspect. It comes after England’s Euro 2025 winners to lose major chunk of prize money after return home.
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Frank Skinner (right) and David Baddiel (left) collaborated with the Lightning Seeds in 1996 for the football anthem Three Lions(Image: TV Times via Getty Images)
On a recent episode of Frank Off the Radio, Frank was questioned about Three Lions, which is known for its “it’s coming home” chant. A fan posed a query regarding the song’s royalties after the announcement.
Has David Baddiel inquired about any recent increases in royalties since reading out the question from a listener? Frank responded to the question with a sense of the circumstances.
Frank responded, “Um… I… no… I’m not sure what’s going on with the. “. Instead of saying anything, he told Emily, “As I always say, it’s a myth that we made a lot of money out of Three Lions,” without finishing his previous comment.
You once told me how much money you made, Emily said. Although he didn’t specify when and if it was just his share, Frank continued to claim that the profits from Three Lions were estimated to be worth £38, 000 over a four-year period.
Comedian Frank has spoken about making money from the chart-topping song over the years(Image: Getty Images)
He added, “I believe it was about… It cost about 38 thousand, as I believe it to have been released. more than four years. That’s a lot of money, not to get me wrong, Frank continued: “Don’t get me wrong! However, as you know, you might be thinking that people will receive four Number Ones.
However, his co-star Emily said she had anticipated more from the track from him. Sara Barron, a guest on the episode, made similar comments and questioned why that wasn’t the case.
I’ll be honest, Emily said, “I thought it was about $ 4 million.” Sara then questioned, “Yeah, why isn’t it £4 million?” during the podcast discussion. Have you met my manager, Frank continued to make fun of it?
It isn’t the first time that Frank has spoken about the financial impact of Three Lions. Asked about it on Radio X last year, he told Chris Moyles: “Honestly, I would say I made about £50,000 out of Three Lions.” He added: “Seriously.”
At the time, Frank claimed to own a quarter of the company’s profits. He also said: “I do, yeah, I do. I still get a kick” out of it when football fans sing Three Lions.” They sing it more on the terraces than they did [though]”!
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Katya Jones, a single Strictly Come Dancing star, explains her journey to finding the man she wants to be and to return to the BBC program.
Katya Jones shares which Strictly couple’s relationship inspires her(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)
When it comes to finding love, Strictly Come Dancing star Katya Jones is an eternal optimist. The Russian star still hopes to waltz off with the man of her dreams… and become a mum.
I might meet someone today, Katya, 36. You wake up without knowing who you might encounter. I must look good; I must be upbeat and ready. However, the dancer believes some men may be too apprehensive to approach her.
During her 10 years on the hit BBC show, Katya has made headlines both and off the dancefloor. It comes as former Strictly stars Helen Skelton and Gethin Jones split as he joins a notorious dating app on a lads’ holiday.
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Katya Jones gives the latest on her love life and baby plans(Image: Getty Images)
In 2017, Katya lifted the famous Glitterball trophy when she won the series with Holby City actor Joe McFadden. And three years later, she made history when she was paired with boxer Nicola Adams, becoming the first same-sex couple to ever compete in the show.
But she has had her fair share of scandal, too. Last year, a “private joke” with her opera singer partner Wynne Evans backfired. And in 2018, Katya was pictured kissing her dance partner, comedian Seann Walsh, in the street.
The clinch – which came after a boozy afternoon – ended her six-year marriage to fellow Strictly dancer Neil Jones and also wrecked Seann’s relationship with his then-girlfriend. Katya has said of the kiss: “I wasn’t thinking and it was a one-off mistake after drinks.”
Katya and Wynne Evans on last year’s Strictly Come Dancing(Image: PA Archive/PA Images)
The dancer has since been linked to William Abbotts, a former football player and property mogul. Before going on a date, it is said that the pair had gone on a few dates in 2023.
Now, Katya thinks that dating is too awkward for them to even start talking to her. She claims that because women have fought to be so independent and powerful and do our own thing, it might send them ambiguous messages like, “Can I approach or can I not?” I fully understand why they might be hesitant at times, but I’m always open and ready to get in touch with them.
Despite being on dating apps, including the A-list favourite Raya, Katya is yet to strike gold – but she is still hopeful her Prince Charming will sweep her off her feet. Inspired by her good friend and It Takes Two host Janette Manrara, who welcomed daughter Lyra with fellow Strictly dancer Aljaz Škorjanec in 2023, Katya says she would love to start a family one day.
Katya and ex husband Neil split in 2019. The pair still dance on the BBC show together(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)
I want to have children with a good-looking father, but I have nieces I can spend my time on right now, or the children of my friends, like Janette. It is really inspiring to watch her do everything and become a mother as well. It just proves that having the willpower to do it all.
For Katya, it is interesting to hear about women who have frozen their eggs so they can have children in later life. She continues, “I’ve spoken to women who have done it, which is surprisingly surprising. I still believe in meeting people naturally, though. That would be lovely.
Katya is still good friends with her ex Neil, 43, who is dad to daughter Havana with his fiancee, former Love Islander Chyna Mills. Neil and Katya often work closely together on Strictly – and even share their dogs. Katya says of the arrangement: “They had them for some time. Now it’s my turn.
Katya made history with boxer Nicola Adams as the first same sex couple on the show(Image: PA)
“We’re absolutely still on good terms. We knew each other since we were 18 and started dancing. We lived a life together… it was me and him against the world, chasing our dreams. We were the only people there for each other so of course there is a much more profound connection there. You can’t just throw that away.”
When she was just six years old, Katya, who was born in Saint Petersburg, began dancing. Tatiana and Andrey, her parents, Tatiana and Andrey, encouraged her to make a star-studded move, and they both studied Latin and ballroom.
Katya is currently rehearsing for Strictly, and this will be her tenth season. Katya anticipates this year’s production by saying, “I’ve done it for ten years and had a lot of characters. I’d like to believe I did it well. So I’m just there to make sure everyone I meet has a great time.
Katya is back in rehearsals for the next series of Strictly (Image: BBC/Ray Burmiston)
Katya recently left Belgium and competed on Dancing with the Stars in the past. She claims, “I’ve worked in this [industry] for a long time as a choreographer, creative, and professional dancer. I’ve been subjected to criticism, and I feel like having been criticized before and also having had my own world championship experiences. I am aware of what they are going through.
Katya claims to be in good shape and is enjoying being in her 30s as she prepares to hit the dance floor once more. She claims that she has loved her 30 years. I’m currently the most active and healthy. In my 30s, I can only now perform the splits. Gymnastics was a struggle for me when I was younger because I was so inflexible, but now I can do it with consistency and joy.
“I’m into my padel [a racquet sport] and boxing. I love movement so I’m feeling on top of the world, to be honest.”
*Strictly Come Dancing will return to BBC1 in September
Jess Wright, a former TOWIE star, openly admits that she frequently has doubts about whether she’s doing well enough and compares her success to Mark Wright, her famous brother, and her other siblings.
Jess Wright says she is constantly doubting her own success(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images for Matalan)
Reality TV star Jess Wright has revealed that she constantly doubts her own success when comparing her career to that of her brother Mark Wright. Jess first shot to fame when she appeared on The Only Way Is Essex back in 2010 and has managed to secure a number of career successes since leaving the show the show.
But due to the harsh nature of the TV industry, the star claims that she is constantly worrying if she is doing as well as her famous sibling, who co-hosts his Heart radio show alongside singer, Olly Murs. This comes afterJohn Torode’s wife Lisa Faulkner breaks her silence after his MasterChef sacking.
Jess once said, “My family drives me quite a bit. Everyone has a lot of ambition, and Mark has a lot of success, too. Joshua accomplishes his goals successfully. Natalya is destroying her home with her possessions. So you’re constantly asking, “God, am I doing enough? ” “I’m really rough with myself,” I say. I constantly believe my health is deteriorating.
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Jess and Mark Wright first found fame back in 2010 while on TOWIE(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
She revealed to The Sun that she frequently wakes up in the morning “thinking about my career” in one of her most open conversations to date.
Having had a long stint within TV, Jess went on to say that she is aware of all the new faces that are coming through thanks to shows including Love Island. And TV bosses are always looking for the next big thing.
But Jess is now set to join Jack Osbourne, Natalie Cassidy and Ekin-Su Cülcüloglu as they star in Cooking With The Stars, which is set to air later this evening.
It has also been reported that Mark, who recently became a father for the first time, will also be appearing on Celebrity Bake Off, despite the fact that she is scheduled to host a cooking show.
Jess Wright pictured with the entire family(Image: instagram.com/jesswright77)
If all is true, Mark will work alongside JoJo Siwa and Molly-Mae Hague. Mark has had his hands full raising a new child, according to a source close to the publication. Because it’s all for the Stand Up Cancer charity and Mark is a huge fan of the show, it’s very close to his heart.
They added: “It won’t air until next year so fans will have to wait a good few months to find out how he fares in the tent.” Despite being a father for the first time, it seems as though both he and Michelle Keegan have taken to parenthood with ease.
Jess described her brother as a father in OK! “We’ve got Palma who will fit right in, oh, that’s obvious.” She is adorable! Palma is an angel, and they all adore each other. She is so lovely and sweet. The boys are very gentle with her and she is in their love.
She continued, “It’s lovely to see Mark and Michelle as parents because I knew they would be incredible parents, and they are.” We always have each other to share stories and always tell jokes about how important it is to each other when having babies. Such a new territory, really.
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Conor Phillips and Meghan Forte Clarke, who were dumped from the villa this week, have shared their thoughts on the other couples on Love Island.
Megan Forte Clarke has shared her thoughts on the remaining couples in the Love Island villa(Image: ITV)
Former Love Island star Megan Forte Clarke has shared her thoughts on the couples still in the villa following her departure. She was dumped in a public vote alongside Conor Phillips this week, just days ahead of the live final.
Megan, 24, recently reconnected after being initially removed from the villa earlier in the series. After that, she and co-star Conor, 25, rekindled their romance, but they received the least votes in the most recent poll and their exits were broadcast last night.
After leaving the villa for a second time, Megan gave her opinion on the remaining couples, including teasing that she didn’t expect one of them to still be together. It comes after Top Gear host admitted he ‘never got along’ with Jeremy Clarkson as he made a bold statement.
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Megan Forte Clarke has said she found it a ‘shock’ that Harry Cooksley (left) and Shakira Khan (right) are together on Love Island(Image: ITV)
Speaking to ITV, Megan said that it was a “shock” to see Harry Cooksley, 30, and Shakira Khan, 22, together. They are now coupled up once again after having been in a long-running love triangle with now-dumped Helena Ford, 29.
Helena ended things with Harry last week, bringing the love triangle to a close, too, shortly after Megan returned to the villa. In the final episode, he informed Shakira that he was choosing whether to leave with or without her.
When asked if any couples had changed during the period leading up to her return, Megan replied, “I don’t think any couple has changed.” Although I didn’t expect it, I think Harry and Shakira are really sincere.
Megan teased that she believes the villa’s couples have the potential for a long-term relationship, further sharing her opinion. She stated, “I think all other couples have long-term potential; it all makes sense.”
However, Megan revealed that she hopes to win Love Island with a particular couple. Before the series’ live final, which will take place next week, she chose Yasmin Pettet, 24, and Jamie Rhodes, 26, as her choice as the winners.
She’s instead rooting for Jamie Rhodes (left) and Yasmin Pettet (right) to win the latest series of the ITV2 show following her exit(Image: ITV)
Following her departure this week, Megan responded to the question, “I’m really rooting for Yasmin and Jamie this time around.” She continued, “They perfectly balance each other out,” while further discussing the couple.
Megan also revealed that, compared to her first exit, she was feeling “much better” about leaving the villa with Conor. She remarked, “I left on very good terms.” She continued, “I’m very happy and it was a nice way to leave.”
She continued, “Everything happens for a reason, and I took a big risk coming back because I could have easily been pied.” The islander added that the experience was “completely different.”
It was much more relaxing and lovey-dovey, according to Megan. The second time around, I believe, was completely different, and the villa was completely different from the first time, where everyone was swapping wives.
Tomorrow night on ITV2 and ITVX, Love Island will air at 9 p.m.
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