Archive November 8, 2025

Man Utd ‘flat’ but Skinner will not ‘overemphasise’ defeat

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Pride comes before a fall, as the proverb goes.

Marc Skinner was bullishly singing the praises of his Manchester United players for their eye-catching start to the season a few days ago.

Intoxicated by the joie de vivre of their play as much as the free-scoring which has seen them top of the goalscoring charts, he declared they were “playing better football than we’ve probably ever played”.

United’s 1-0 defeat by Aston Villa and a lacklustre performance in the Women’s Super League (WSL) later and the United boss’ tune was inevitably more sombre.

“Flat. It was very flat,” Skinner succinctly put it to BBC Radio 5 Live.

A face like a wet weekend in the autumnal sunshine as those in red shirts trudged off the pitch at the Leigh Sports Village, Skinner knew this was an opportunity missed for United.

Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal meant United would have gone top had they beaten Villa. Instead they are three points behind the defending champions.

Will it be one that Skinner laments later in the season when the margins between success and failure might be more acute? Possibly.

“To think about the table now is a bit crazy. We don’t really look at other teams so we don’t care about other results,” insisted United captain Maya le Tissier.

But whereas Skinner, arguably, got carried away with their start – based on his public comments at least – he was adamant there will be no overreaction to this result.

It was a tepid performance, an off day, but United have shown in the seven WSL games which preceded this one they have the potential to be in the mix this season.

“You are going to have flat performances. But I don’t want to overemphasise the situation,” he explained.

“Sometimes these [results] happen. I thought Villa’s goal was a scrappy, scruffy, goal from a set-piece. It happens and sometimes it goes against you.”

Skinner felt United needed to be “cleaner in our actions and our techniques” which he wanted his “players to own as well”, while Le Tissier acknowledged they “didn’t do our basics well”.

This was far from an ideal start to what could be a pivotal week in their season for United, of course.

Paris St-Germain visit Old Trafford in the Champions League on Wednesday. Then there is the small matter of the derby against Manchester City on Sunday, 16 November.

“As a collective we’ll move forward and be better going into the PSG game,” Skinner added.

Ellen White, Jen Beattie and Ben Haines

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Gordon Ramsay’s daughter Holly’s lavish hen do ahead of wedding to Strictly star

Holly Ramsay looked delighted as she celebrated her upcoming wedding to Olympic swimmer Adam Peaty with her family and friends in a lavish trip

Holly Ramsay has kicked off her Hen Party ahead of her wedding to Strictly Come Dancing star Adam Peaty. The stunning daughter of celebrity chef Gordan Ramsay looked the spitting image of her mum Tana Ramsay as she wore an all-white wardrobe to celebrate her upcoming nuptials.

Holly, 25, will tie the knot with Olympic swimmer Adam, 30, later this year in a festive-themed bash. She was joined by her mum and her siblings as they enjoyed her Hen at the swanky Soho Farmhouse. She looked every inch the blushing bride to be wearing all-white clothing, including her coat and trainers.

She also sported a white sequinned bow in her hair to hold her hair in a half-up half-down style while mingling at the exclusive celebrity hotspot. Holly also held hands with Tana, 51, while they explored the surrounding area, before enjoying a yummy looking dinner of chicken and vegetables.

The gathering had all angles covered, with guests treated to including personalised Moet and Chandon Champagne bottles and pastel-coloured sippy cups, as well as bride squad badges. Holly also shared a picture on her Instagram where she posed with Tana, her sister Tilly and Adam’s sister Bethany, and another friend in their dressing room.

On her Instagram Stories, Holly shared images of the group smiling and laughing while wearing masks with Adam’s face on, while a life size cardboard cut-out of him in his speedos was close to the table as Holly ate dinner. She also re-posted a picture of Adam wearing a T-Shirt with her face on and the words: “Wife 2 Be.”

Holly and Adam announced their engagement in September 2024 while they were enjoying a lavish holiday in Dubai. The pair held a lavish engagement party after they returned to celebrate the big moment with their friends and family.

Adam – who is dad to son George from a past relationship – and Holly first met when her sister Tilly was a contestant on the same Series of Strictly as him back in 2021. The couple eventually became Instagram official in June 2023 before getting engaged a year later.

Announcing their engagement on Instagram Holly wrote: “I am marrying my best friend. I truly cannot put into words how I am feeling right now. I still remember how big my smile was the morning I got home from my first date with you.

“Thank you for letting the little girl inside of me feel loved, seen and happier than ever. I love you & I cannot wait to be your wife.”

She continued: “I promise to always be there with you and George, I’m so greatful to be in his life and I cannot wait for more.”

Adam wrote in his own update: “I can’t believe you’re going to be my wife. I’m truly the luckiest man on earth to have such a gentle, caring and beautiful woman by my side. You fill my heart to the brim and give my soul peace.”

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Australia see off England for Ashes whitewash

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Rugby League Ashes – Match 3 of 3

England (8) 8

Try: Williams Goal: Smith Penalty: Smith

Australia (12) 30

After scoring Australia’s third try at Headingley, where the tourists completed a ruthless 3-0 series victory on Saturday, Harry Grant booted the ball into the crowd.

It was a show of defiance towards the boisterous Leeds crowd, and a symbol of the Kangaroos affirming their authority.

Once again, this was not to be England’s day.

More than in any other match in this Ashes series, Australia were made to work hard against dogged and defiant hosts. But the result was the same, a flurry of points came Australia’s way late on, and the whitewash was complete.

Having also won 3-0 in the previous series in 2003, this means Australia have completed clean sweeps in successive Ashes for the first time since 1986.

The breakthrough came after just five minutes. Having started slowly in the first two Tests, Australia raced out of the blocks here.

A looping pass from Cameron Munster out to the left wing found Josh Addo-Carr as the extra man and he crossed in the corner.

Joe Burgess – playing his first England game in 10 years – conceded a knock-on to turn over possession in a dangerous area, although replays showed he may have been stripped in the tackle.

Australia coach Kevin Walters had promised his team were “all-in” on this supposed dead rubber, and a team bearing only one change from the second Test – captain Isaah Yeo returning from concussion – threatened to run riot.

It went from bad to worse for England as full-back AJ Brimson suffered a shoulder injury just 10 minutes in. He was replaced by Mikey Lewis – a talented player but out of his depth in an unnatural position for him. He was targeted by Australia throughout the match.

And it looked like the game might be done and dusted when Australia went 12-0 ahead. Another England mistake – Morgan Knowles knocking on – gave the Kangaroos possession 20 metres from the line. They made it count, Munster with the grubber kick grounded by Hudson Young as Lewis failed to cover.

When England attacked, it was for a long time the same scenario seen at Wembley and in Liverpool where they scored only one try in two games – plenty of effort but a lack of creativity.

That was until Jez Litten kicked them into gear with a stunning break following a rare Reece Walsh error, followed by a moment of quick thinking as he kicked through under pressure for captain George Williams to chase and score.

England ended the half stronger and narrowed the gap to four points with the final action of the half, Harry Smith threading a penalty.

As in the previous two Tests, Australia started purposefully after the interval and thought they had a third try as Addo-Carr shrugged off a Lewis tackle to score, but it was disallowed for offside.

England then played like a side given a new lease of life. Suddenly the play was creative, high tempo and risky.

The partisan Headingley crowd responded, with fans from the rugby league heartland of Leeds showing their appreciation.

Australia were suddenly rattled. Melees broke out and golden boy Walsh claimed contact from an England knee.

But Australia are the number one team on the planet and reigning world champions for a reason. Another England error – Lewis adding to his bad day with a loose tackle – led directly to Grant touching down under the posts.

Line-ups

England: AJ Brimson, Joe Burgess, Herbie Farnworth, Harry Newman, Tom Johnstone, George Williams, Harry Smith, Mike McMeeken, Jez Litten, Matty Lees, Kallum Watkins, Kai Pearce-Paul, Morgan Knowles.

Interchanges: Mikey Lewis, Alex Walmsley, Morgan Smithies, Mikolaj Oledzki.

Australia: Reece Walsh, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Kotoni Staggs, Gehamat Shibasaki, Josh Addo-Carr, Cameron Munster, Nathan Cleary, Patrick Carrigan, Harry Grant, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, Angus Crichton, Hudson Young, Isaah Yeo (captain).

Rugby League Ashes

25 October, 1 November, 8 November

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Kim Kardashian defends All’s Fair amid Rotten Tomatoes score backlash

Kim Kardashian has hit back at critics of her new legal drama All’s Fair, sharing a series of social media posts that both acknowledged and mocked the show’s harshest reviews

Kim Kardashian has fired back at critics slamming her new Hulu legal drama All’s Fair. The 45-year-old reality star and businesswoman shared a string of social media posts that both acknowledged and ridiculed the programme’s most brutal reviews, uploading them to Instagram after All’s Fair premiered earlier this week.

The series, crafted by Ryan Murphy, also features Glenn Close, Niecy Nash-Betts, Sarah Paulson, Naomi Watts and Teyana Taylor. It centres on a group of women who abandon a male-dominated law firm to establish their own practice.

Kim kicked off her post with a snap of herself donning a purple fur-trimmed crop top before sharing a picture of her alongside Ryan. She then posted a screenshot of a tweet displaying the programme’s Rotten Tomatoes rating at 0%, paired with a supporter’s reaction stating: “Immediately pressed play.”

READ MORE: Why Davina McCall had twice the risk of breast cancer as some other womenREAD MORE: Kim Kardashian shocks fans with naked dress after TV show backlash

Kim subsequently shared an image of herself chuckling with Ryan and her fellow cast members, before uploading another tweet declaring: “Some of the worst acting I’ve ever seen in my life alongside the most predictable storylines and the most ridiculous styling. I’m obsessed, I need 14 seasons. #AllsFair.”

Kim also featured screenshots of critiques from The Hollywood Reporter and the BBC. There was also a photograph of comedian Amy Schumer recreating their viral 2015 Time 100 Gala moment at a screening of the programme.

One tweet she shared read: “All’s Fair on Hulu dares to ask the question ‘Does a show need to be good?’ And the answer is no, it doesn’t.

“We have legendary actresses here giving the worst performances of their careers, it takes a special kind of talent to pull that kind of inability out of them. Amazeballs.”

The post concluded with Kim spotlighting more favourable reviews and captioning the snaps: “Have you tuned in to the most critically acclaimed show of the year! ? ! ? ! ? All’s Fair streaming now on @hulu and @disneyplus.”

Her co-star Glenn Close also got involved, sharing a sketch of the cast alongside a pot labelled “Critic-Bunny Stew” – a cheeky reference to her notorious role in Fatal Attraction, where her character boiled a pet rabbit alive in revenge for being rejected after a one-night stand.

Director and executive producer Anthony Hemingway has stood by the programme in a chat with The Hollywood Reporter.

He remarked: “You’re not going to please everybody. You may have certain criticisms, while there are a million others who love it. I think the show holds a mirror up to each person who watches it. It’s just about: Can you connect to it or relate to it, and see yourself?”.

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Chatting to People magazine ahead of the show’s launch, Sarah Paulson revealed: “I had the best time, I really did.” Glenn added: “Sarah and Kim sometimes could not look at each other without laughing.”

Fresh episodes of All’s Fair drop every Tuesday on Hulu until 23 December.

Molly-Mae Hague feeling the ‘pressure’ to have second child as she shares regret

Molly-Mae Hague has said she felt ready to have a baby when she fell pregnant with her daughter Bambi, but in hindsight, she wishes she had waited a little longer

Molly-Mae Hague has said she feels under “pressure” to have a second child while admitting that if she could go back in time, she would wait longer before having a baby.

The former Love Island star, 26, welcomed her daughter Bambi with Tommy Fury, also 26, in January 2023. The social media influencer often talks about motherhood on her YouTube and isn’t afraid to share the challenges she faces.

In a new interview for the cover story of the December/January issue of Cosmopolitan UK, Molly-Mae has shared further details on what being a mum means to her. She said she felt ready to have a baby at the age of 23 as she had travelled and built a career, but admitted that reflecting on it in hindsight has made her realise that she would have possibly wanted to wait longer.

READ MORE: Molly Mae’s ‘real shock’ over latest parenting backlash

She told Cosmopolitan: “I felt like I’d lived so much life by 23, I felt really ready for a new chapter. Tommy and I were in an incredible place and to have something that was half him, half me, just felt really special. I’ve never had any regrets about starting a family young.

“But if I could go back and maybe go again, would I have waited a few more years? Potentially. I would love more days to just sit and do absolutely nothing. They were great for my mental health.”

Molly-Mae also touched on the possibility of having another baby and admitted that expanding her family is constantly on her mind. She said: “I think about it a lot, and I feel a real pressure around it because I’m desperate to give Bambi a sibling.”

The Maebe founder said one of the reasons why she hopes to give her daughter a sibling is the strong bond she shares with her older sister, Zoe. She said: “My life wouldn’t have been the same without my sister. I want that for Bambi.

“But I would never want to do it just for her – I would also want to do it because it is something I want to do. At the same time as being a mum, I also have huge career ambitions and when I fell pregnant with Bambi, my biggest goal was that I didn’t want to lose my identity – I didn’t want to lose myself and my goals and my dreams and my business ambitions because I was becoming a mum.”

Last month, Molly-Mae faced yet more mum-shaming for some of the content in the latest instalment of her docuseries. An early episode of Molly-May: Behind It All series two included footage of the mum struggling to encourage Bambi to use the toilet, with a blurred shot of the youngster in the bath. The scenes caused a storm online, with some people saying it was “wild” and “concerning” that Molly-Mae and the production team had decided to leave in the images, especially given that she’s going to grow up in the public eye herself.

Our source told us that the backlash has hit the former Love Islander particularly hard because Bambi’s welfare is and always will be her number one priority. “She’s had a real shock with this backlash,” they claimed. “Stardom sort of landed on Molly’s plate when she went into Love Island but she’s had to accept over the past few years that the reality of that fame isn’t always an easy life.

“She really trusts her filming team but I think she’s realising that there’s more to a reality show than just filming random scenes from your day. Viewers expect more, and of course they’re going to critique every scene – it’s the same with the Coleen Rooney and Victoria Beckham shows. No one is immune to that critique and Molly can’t afford to take her eye off the ball. When you film a show like that you need to be in control and examine every little thing that’s going out.”

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Strictly star’s defiant response to ‘advantage’ claim after ‘hard’ time from judges

Former Strictly Come Dancing star Kimberley Walsh opened up about her own experience on the show, following controversy over contestants with a performing background

Kimberley Walsh has defended Strictly Come Dancing contestants who join the BBC show with performing backgrounds. Every series, famous faces who’ve previously graced the stage are often perceived as having an unfair advantage over competitors lacking such expertise.

This series, Love Island star Amber Davies and Emmerdale actor Lewis Cope have faced the brunt of these accusations, given their West End credentials. Nevertheless, both are flourishing in the contest alongside their professional dancing partners.

Kimberley, who took part in 2012 and returned for the 2017 Christmas edition, dismisses suggestions that having performers on the programme is unjust.

Looking back at her own journey, the pop star said she faced criticism too when she signed up, due to being a member of Girls Aloud. “I did get a little bit [of stick] and I think a lot of people who have done shows, or have been on the West End, or have come from my background, they do,” she revealed.

“They’re just like way harder on us, I think the judges were quite hard on me as well, I was like, ‘Yeah I’ve performed in a girl band but I have no idea how to do Ballroom and I’m doing my best’,” reports the Manchester Evening News.

Accustomed to delivering high-energy routines with the band, the 43-year-old said she could “fake” the Latin numbers somewhat, but struggled more with Ballroom.

“They’d be really hard on me and I’d be like, ‘No I really am trying my best’,” she concluded. “You feel the reward when it starts to click into place, the people who have dance training, they push them way more, so they’re still being pushed to their hardest.”

Kimberley also reckons performers can find it “harder to learn” the routines, as it can mean unlearning skills they already know.

“It’s really weird it’s like unteaching your body, it’s quite hard but it’s true they [past contestants who have said it’s harder] are not just saying it.”

She continued: “I don’t know if it’s unfair, but I can see why people think there is an advantage because if you’ve performed for a living, it’s obviously going to be easier to perform.

“So, that side of it I get, but I think sometimes you don’t realise how difficult some of the routines are that they’re doing, like for them they’re still really hard.

“And also it’s Strictly, let them just have a dance and enjoy themselves, do we have to pull people down? No,” she defiantly added.

Lewis, who Kimberley is supporting for the win, has previously starred in the West End production Billy Elliot and on the programmes Got To Dance and Britain’s Got Talent.

Since joining Strictly, he has been one to watch, but reached new heights last weekend when he secured the series’ first perfect 40.

As for Amber, while she is also flourishing in the competition, she found herself in the dance-off against Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink last month, but was saved by the judges.

The 29-year-old has previously defended her West End past, asserting that musical theatre is “world’s apart” from Ballroom and Latin.

During a chat on This Morning, she added: “I do understand where they come from, because I can perform. “But, there’s a great example. [When] we were doing our American Smooth, and even just walking left right, left right, brought me to tears.

“It’s so much more complicated than you can imagine.”

Lewis also told The Metro: “I don’t really know where all that came from, to be honest, I trained as an actor, I danced a bit when I was a teen, but haven’t since.”

Kimberley is supporting McDonald’s BBC Children in Need campaign.

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In a move to help children express their emotions and start meaningful conversations, McDonald’s is temporarily replacing its iconic red Happy Meal box with a blank, doodle-friendly design this November.

Millions of limited-edition boxes and crayons will be available in UK restaurants from 5th to 18th November.