I’m A Celebrity hopeful Shona McGarty made a telling comment after touching down in Brisbane ahead of this year’s contest in the Australian jungle
As this year’s I’m A Celebrity campmates starting arriving Down Under, EastEnders star Shona McGarty had a few choice words. The actress, 34, who is best known for playing the part of Whitney Dean between 2008 and 2024 has landed in Brisbane ahead of next week’s start date.
She touched down wearing a bright pink shirt, black cycling shorts and a baseball cap after the long haul journey. However, there was one noticeable omission from her outfit.
Shona was clearly not wearing any engagement ring following a rumoured split from fiance David Bracken. The pair got engaged last year but are said to have called it quits due to apparently “wanting different things” and being “better off as friends”.
READ MORE: I’m A Celeb’s Kelly Brook’s secret food stash ahead of jungle stint in AustraliaREAD MORE: EastEnders’ Sam Mitchell to make shock return to Walford this year
Now, in a telling comment at Brisbane airport, Shona told us there was “not a lot” she would miss about the UK during her stint in Australia. She went on to joke: “I’ve got on the wrong flight.”
With the star still not officially able to confirm her I’m A Celebrity appearance, she said she must now ask for directions to get back home. She then admitted she would love to see a kangaroo. “I’ve never seen one in my life,” she said.
Shona’s arrival comes after Kelly Brook was also spotted at Brisbane airport. Speaking to the Mirror, the model and presenter said: “It was a long flight.
“I am going to miss my dog Teddy and my husband Jeremy, and my food in general. I am looking forward to seeing my Auntie Sheila and distant cousin – I haven’t seen her for a long time.”
The 45-year-old star added: “I am not sure how I feel about sleeping under the stars – hopefully I will have a spare room. I am looking forward to seeing koalas and the kangaroos.”
Taking part in the show marks a huge U-turn in her thoughts process. Kelly previously said in 2018 that there would be “a million” things she would rather do than head into the jungle.
Speaking on her Heart radio show at the time, she said: “I don’t want to eat eyeballs or sheep testicles and all the things they have to eat on there. Even if I had a huge tax bill and I had to pay it really urgently, I still wouldn’t do it.”
Emmerdale’s Lisa Riley has also already arrived in Australia, while other famous faces set to take the long trip Down Under include YouTuber Morgan Burtwistle, known as Angryginge. Musician Martin Kemp, comedian Ruby Wax, TV presenter Alex Scott and Jack Osbourne are also in line to feature.
They are expected to be joined by comedian Eddie Kadi, rapper Aitch, and presenter Vogue Williams. The formally announced line-up is set to be confirmed by ITV in the coming days.
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As per usuals, two names will be missing from the announcement. This is due to the latecomer selection that always rocks the camp days into their new adventure.
Sunderland earned a point against Premier League leaders Arsenal on Saturday with a dramatic late equaliser.
But while Brian Brobbey’s acrobatic 94th-minute strike took the headlines and Gunners boss Mikel Arteta talked of the “chaos” caused by Sunderland’s direct approach, one of the hosts’ more unusual tactics also caught the eye.
The Black Cats attempted to limit Arsenal’s threat from set-pieces – specifically long throw-ins – by moving the advertising hoardings to give the Gunners less room for their run-ups.
“It might have been the wind,” Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris joked after the game.
It didn’t stop Declan Rice trying to hurl the ball into the box, but given that the visitors didn’t score from a throw-in and the game finished all square, Sunderland can certainly argue it was a worthwhile ploy.
It is not the first time the tactic has been used, with Sunderland doing the same against Coventry in last season’s Championship play-offs, while Stoke’s long-throw specialist Rory Delap accused clubs of giving them the same treatment.
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Norwich’s pink away dressing room
There is more to winning a football match than just what goes on on the pitch – at least that is the theory Norwich went with in the 2018-19 season.
In a bid to get the edge over their Championship opponents, the Canaries painted the away dressing room “deep pink” because the colour is said to lower testosterone levels and have a calming effect on people.
“Pink has an effect, not because it is pink, but because it’s linked to childhood experiences,” said Dr Alexander Latinjak, a lecturer in sport psychology at the University of Suffolk.
“If it is true that pink lowers testosterone levels, then the coach should know exactly how to use that advantage tactically.”
It was an idea they took from the University of Iowa’s American football team, and while Norwich lost two of their first three home matches, the season ended in promotion to the Premier League. So maybe it worked?
The many tricks of Cambridge
Perhaps the masters of the dark arts, dirty tricks or marginal gains, depending on how you view such things, were Cambridge United in the early 1990s.
Under manager John Beck, there was little they wouldn’t try to give themselves the edge over their opposition, including making his own players take freezing cold showers before games.
“We’d make the away dressing room either as hot or as cold as possible,” former Aston Villa striker Dion Dublin, who played under Beck at Cambridge, told The Times in 2015.
“We’d put all their warm-up balls in the bath so they were heavy and horrible to kick about.
“We’d put as much sugar as we possibly could in their tea so they couldn’t drink it. We’d lock the dressing room so they couldn’t get in for ages.”
Beck also had ground staff keep the grass in the corner of the pitch longer to aid his side’s long ball tactics.
Crazy Gang kick up a stink
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Wimbledon were known for their various antics during the Crazy Gang era of the 1980s, finding all sorts of ways to try to intimidate more vaunted opposition.
It was enough to take them all the way to the 1988 FA Cup final, where they would face a Liverpool side who had swept all aside to win the league title.
A crunching tackle from Vinnie Jones on Steve McMahon early in the final is often cited as a signal of Wimbledon’s intent, but the distraction tactics had started long before.
Striker John Fashanu said the Wimbledon players did not shower or brush their teeth for a week before the game in an attempt to put Liverpool off with their stench.
Souness narrows pitch
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Forget moving the advertising hoardings, Graeme Souness brought in the actual touchlines.
In September 1987, during his time as Rangers manager, the Scot decided he needed to take drastic action after his side were beaten 1-0 at Dynamo Kyiv in the first leg of their European Cup first-round tie.
Souness, who was never shy of a tackle during his own glittering playing career, thought a physical approach might be the way to beat the Ukrainian side at Ibrox.
What better way to make it a more physical game than by making the pitch smaller and more condensed?
“At that time, the pitch didn’t have to be a fixed width as long as it was above a certain minimum. So I made it the absolute minimum,” Souness told FourFourTwo.
Not only that, he waited until after the Kyiv players had trained on the regularly sized pitch before changing the dimensions on the day of the game.
“It wasn’t purist stuff but it was within the rules,” Souness added.
West Ham made our bus park a mile away – Gerrard
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Liverpool travelled to West Ham in April 2014 with dreams of ending a then 24-year wait for a league title.
But while the Reds claimed a 2-1 win courtesy of two Steven Gerrard penalties, the Liverpool skipper felt there had been a few dirty tricks from the Hammers.
“They tried everything to upset us. A hot dressing room, a dry pitch and the bus had to park a mile away,” he said.
However, then West Ham chairman David Gold responded to the claims on Twitter, writing: “Mr Gerrard nobody force your bus driver to park a mile away from the ground, it was his choice.
Mourinho grows grass to thwart Guardiola
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Jose Mourinho has never seemed too concerned about upsetting opponents if it leads to victory.
The spring of 2011 saw the height of the rivalry between his Real Madrid side and Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona with four Clasicos in 18 days.
Before the first of those meetings, Mourinho is alleged to have instructed the ground staff at the Bernabeu to let the grass grow longer to combat Barca’s quick-paced, short passing style.
The game ended in a 1-1 draw but the incident just added to the bad blood between the sides going into the next three games.
Another nemesis of Mourinho’s, Arsene Wenger, has also had his issues with long grass.
Hundreds of protesters gathered to demand government action on the worsening air quality and pollution in India’s capital New Delhi. Protesters say the government must come up with a time-bound plan to address the pollution crisis.
Five year investigation uncovers police mistakes, court comments about a lamp ‘myth’ and Caroline’s final words in note
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The new documentary goes through the final weeks of Caroline Flack’s life with new unseen documents(Image: Lia Toby/Getty Images)
Christine Flack has been investigating the circumstances around her daughter Caroline’s death for over five years.
The former host of Love Island took her own life at the age of 40 in February 2020 after learning that prosecutors were going to press ahead with an assault charge. In a new Disney+ documentary her mum, friends, agent and lawyer explain how she was let down and left feeling helpless. Also there is powerful new evidence mistakes were made by police and the Crown Prosecution Service.
Here are the new facts, details and important moments raised in the documentary which also dispel some previous media reports which contained errors….
The night of the incident
On the night of December 12, 2019, Caroline and boyfriend Lewis Burton had both been out, separately.
Mum Christine says in the doc: “They got back, and Carrie said, funnily enough, their cabs drew up at the same time, and they came in, and they’d both had a bit to drink. So she said we were laughing and joking. And they went up to bed, and she said Lewis fell asleep, but then his phone went. She picked the phone up, and there were texts from another woman.”
Caroline’s lawyer Paul Morris then takes up the story: “Caroline had found out that there were messages from a third party on the phone. She was upset. She was holding on to the phone. It was the confirmation of her worst fears, and she kept it in her hand, and with that, she’s trying to wake Lewis up.
“It’s a firm gesture, but the phone’s in the hand. He was frustrated that she’d accessed his telephone. She was upset at what she’d seen on the phone.” After noticing his head was bleeding Lewis threatened to call the police and then did call 999. Caroline was screaming “if you call the police I’m done” he allegedly argued back and called 999.
Caroline’s friend Mollie Grosberg said: “I don’t know if he really meant to do that(call 999) but it was a very charged situation, and they were absolutely wasted.”
Very sadly Caroline also told Mollie at that moment she felt her boyfriend was “gone” and her career could also be over and so she deliberately self harmed before the police arrived. This meant there was blood in the room and on their bed.
Police bodycam picks up what was REALLY said
Police came onto the scene and Lewis was initially confused about what Caroline hit him with and said a lamp and then a fan. When the policeman replied ‘what that fan?’ Lewis said: “I don’t know what it was.”
The only object taken by police as evidence was his phone, which now had a cracked corned, possibly caused during the row. Lewis later would confirm on social media that it was a phone used.
On the bodycam Caroline said: “It’s all me, I did it. I didn’t know my phone was going to hit him in the head.”
Lewis then tells police: “I love her. I don’t want this to be in the press. She’ll harm herself, I’m telling you.”
He did not require medical attention but Caroline did for her injuries. After being hospital overnight she then had to go to a police cell.
The Detective Inspector on duty that night overruled the CPS who initially suggested giving Caroline a caution. This was unusual.
Christine Flack explains: “I’ve managed to get my hands on the original decision from the Crown Prosecution Service, and it says ‘I do not believe that the case is in the public interest to prosecute as the injured party does not support the allegation. There is no domestic violence history between the parties. The suspect is 40 years old and has no previous convictions. The cut the injured person did not require medical intervention’. Therefore, they just wanted to carry a caution.”
Pleas to halt case fall on deaf ears
In late December after she was charged, Caroline was not coping well and her agent and legal team made the decision for her to see a psychiatrist.
Lawyer Paul Morris says: “It was evident that there should have been a greater mental health assessment and the impact that a prosecution would have on her mental health. For that reason, a psychiatrist was instructed in order to prepare a report and the decision was made to disclose that to the prosecution.”
But despite this new information coming to light, there was no change to proceedings, and not even a delay.
Caroline’s agent Louisa Booth said: “So we sent a psychiatric report to the CPS saying she is not fit and well mentally to go through this. We had professional analysis. And that was ignored.
“We were so taken aback actually, that they dismissed the report from the psychiatrist. You’re screaming into a void and no one is listening. So if that’s how we felt as management, how did she feel?”
On this decision mum Christine told the Mirror : “It was shocking. The whole thing has been shocking. They were going to pursue the case, whatever. They wouldn’t let anything change their minds.
“And that’s what Caroline knew in the end, there was no way out. She just couldn’t see one.
“Everybody was telling her it’d be all right. It was an accident.
“There were no charges brought against her by Lewis. She couldn’t have done anything more, people around her couldn’t have done anything more.
“But they were going to take it to trial. And I think they were saying about showing body cam of her being so distressed. She couldn’t take that and she just couldn’t see her way out in the end.”
Nightmare evening before first court appearance
After failing to stop the case continuing, Caroline then could have died the night before she was due in court as she felt her life spiralling out of control. The documentary reveals she took pills and drank the minibar dry, afraid of what would happen next.
The photos of her entering court that day were of a woman pushed to the edge and who had an hour’s sleep. And yet worse was to come.
Court comments at odds with what really happened
The prosecution lawyer in court, Katie Weiss, told the court Lewis had been hit with a lamp and that police said the scene was like “a horror movie”.
Caroline maintained throughout that she hit Lewis with a phone as it was still in her hand when she was using her hand to wake him. Lewis thought she used a fan or maybe a lamp but admitted he didn’t know. Later he confirmed it was a phone. Somehow this initial comment recorded on body cams was taken as fact and said in court which changed the entire narrative.
And rather than being a “significant” head injury with lots of blood at the scene as was inferred by Weiss, the blood at the scene was Caroline’s own. One of Christine’s main wishes from speaking to her in recent days is to dispel the “myth” of the lamp being used in the altercation by her daughter.
Heartbreaking unseen videos
Caroline opened up about the impact of her arrest in unseen footage she was planning to use for her own documentary. It showed the impact the charges were having on her.
In a video taken after her arrest, Flack said: “I’m doing this because I want to remember what I went through and what my family went through, what my boyfriend went through, what his family went through. It’s three days after I’ve been arrested for having a fight with my boyfriend. I’ve always co-operated with the police since they arrived. I was put in a cell.
“I was promised that I was anonymous and this wouldn’t be going further, and it was a really private situation.
“Five minutes after I left the station, they’ve gone to the press, all the details, everything. Since then, I lost my job, the job I’ve worked all my life on. I’m living in a hotel. I’m receiving so much abuse.”
Flack, who is also seen crying in the video and wearing a burberry scarf, added: “It was a fight. I’ve never hurt anyone in my life, the only person I ever hurt is myself.”
Final days
Caroline had some good days in February and moved home to avoid photographers and she also stopped drinking, walking her dog Ruby and hanging out with friend Mollie and her twin sister and mum.
But she was clinging to the idea the case would still be dropped. She found out it would definitely go ahead on Feb 13.
She messaged her friend: “They won’t drop the case. My life is over. The bodycam. My head is throbbing.”
She went into a meltdown, trashing her flat and friends including Mollie rushed there and had to call for an ambulance, but she eventually calmed down and managed to go to sleep. However she then urged friends to go home the next morning as her sister would be coming to the flat later on February 15.
But her sister Jody arrived at a locked door and the sounds of Caroline’s dog barking. Once inside she learned that Caroline had died.
In a final note Caroline left in her flat when she died, she wrote: “Please let this court case be dropped, and myself and Lewis find harmony.”
Former CPS Boss says ‘Charge makes no sense’
Former CPS chief crown prosecutor Nazir Afzal studies the police documents gathered by Christine and is in no doubt she should have only been given a caution for what happened.
He tells her: “Having looked at all your evidence I can’t understand why they rushed the judgement. This was a case where there is no previous history, no coercive behaviour. Mr Burton never wanted this case and was adamant. This was a one off occasion where she lost her temper and did what she did, which she accepts. For all of those reasons, the very worst thing that should have happened was a caution.”
He added: “I have prosecuted thousands of these cases, none of this makes sense. Almost immediately in the cold light of day, prosecutors would have formed a view this case is going nowhere and they should have stopped the case. They are required to stop the case where there is insufficient evidence. I can’t think of any reason to proceed, unless they were scared of what the media were going to say about them. It is not about losing face, this is about justice. My take on it is Caroline would still be with us if certain decisions weren’t taken in that month or two.”
Christine also speaks to Jess McDonald, a former police Detective Constable who was working in London at the time of the incident, including in a safeguarding unit which deals with domestic violence.
Jess says: “I’ve been through all the paperwork in Caroline’s case, and there’s just so much that shouts out to me as abnormal treatment and mishandling.”
She goes on to highlight an email sent by the detective inspector to challenge the decision to only caution Caroline, where the DI insists there is not a clear admission of guilt.
Jess adds: “Caroline admits guilt consistently. She never denies that she hit Lewis with the phone.”
* Both episodes of Caroline Flack: Search For The Truth premiere on Disney+ today.
In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. Refuge is the largest domestic abuse organisation in the UK and can be Contacted free 24/7 on 0808 2000 247.
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Lewis Crocker’s manager Jamie Conlan feels the outcome of Saturday’s middleweight rematch between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn will have implications for the IBF welterweight champion.
Eubank won a gruelling first fight between the pair in April and they are set to do it all again at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this weekend.
Crocker won the IBF world title with a split-decision win over Paddy Donovan in their own rematch at Belfast’s Windsor Park in September, and a first title defence against Benn has been floated as one of his main options.
However, should Benn suffer a second-straight loss, it would prove a major stumbling block for that match-up to take place next and Conlan says that while they will be keeping a close eye on events in London, there are other options including a possible unification with WBC champion Mario Barrios.
“Our plans are still to do Croc and Benn, but we have also had two or three other conversations including Mario Barrios for a unification,” Conlan told BBC Sport NI.
‘I want to help develop the next crop of fighters’
Conlan was speaking at Belfast’s Devenish Complex after a nine-fight card that was topped by Cookstown’s Teo Alin’s victory over Lee Gormley to capture the BUI Celtic super-featherweight champion.
Although Crocker is his team’s standard bearer, Conlan is keen to develop the next crop of prospects and has plans to promote an event that will see title opportunites for Belfast flyweight Conor Quinn, Tokyo Olympian Kurt Walker and Coleraine’s Matthew Boreland.
“We have had tentative talks with the Waterfront Hall for a Commonwealth title fight for Conor Quinn, and Kurt Walker in a Commonwealth silver, Matty Boreland in a Commonwealth silver,” he confirmed.
The Ashes returns on 21 November and to get you in the mood we thought we’d Test your knowledge with a quiz.
Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff was a legend in the competition, being named player of the series for the 2005 Ashes, and captaining England in an unsuccessful defence down under.
He dismissed 17 different Australia players in Ashes Tests across his career. Can you name them all?
