A shortlist of six contenders has been announced for the 2025 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, with some unhappy that Napoli midfielder Scott McTominay has not made the cut.
The nominees are England footballers Hannah Hampton and Chloe Kelly, rugby union player Ellie Kildunne, darts player Luke Littler, golfer Rory McIlroy and Formula 1 driver Lando Norris.
‘A bone of contention for Scotland fans’
Journalist Henry Winter posted on social media his surprise at the Scotland midfielder not being nominated for Sports Personality.
“Scott McTominay a surprise omission from SPOTY short-list?” he wrote. “Won Scudetto, voted Serie A Player of the Year, nominated for Ballon d’Or, helped Scotland qualify for World Cup, scored vital/spectacular goal against Denmark that’s surely a Puskas Awards contender. Amazing year.”
Scottish Daily Express editor Ben Borland added: “Can any of [the nominees] really say they’ve had a better year than McTominay? The inclusion of two members of the Lionesses team, heroic and ‘inspiring’ as they may be, will be a particular bone of contention for Scottish football fans – and indeed football fans worldwide.”
The shortlist is based on sporting merit and is selected by a panel chosen for its breadth of expertise and representation across the sporting landscape.
What has made it a year to remember for McTominay?
McTominay has been in fine form since joining Napoli in the summer of 2024 from Manchester United.
He was a key player as the Italian side won the Serie A title in May 2025 scoring 13 times in 36 appearances including a spectacular scissor kick against Cagliari on the last day of the season that sent Napoli on their way to winning the league.
He was named Serie A player of the year and was then nominated in the top 20 best players in the world at the Ballon d’Or.
Last season’s success was only the fourth Serie A title in Napoli’s history and McTominay became the face of manager Antonio Conte’s revolution.
A stunning goal and World Cup qualification for Scotland
The 29-year-old has also impressed on the international stage for Scotland, netting the opener with a stunning overhead kick as they beat Denmark 4-2 to seal a place at next summer’s World Cup – Scotland’s first since 1998.
At the time, Scotland boss Steve Clarke referred to his goal as “the best overhead kick I’ve ever seen.”
Other prizes awarded on SPOTY night include Young Sports Personality of the Year, Team of the Year, Coach of the Year, Lifetime Achievement and the Helen Rollason Award.
George Martin will be followed by more signings in the coming weeks as Saracens aim to restore their glory days, says director of rugby Mark McCall.
England second row Martin’s arrival from Leicester for the start of next season was confirmed on Tuesday, while Saracens have been heavily linked to Gloucester scrum-half Tomos Williams, whose contract at Kingsholm expires in the summer.
With Tom Willis bound for Bordeaux-Begles, back rows Jac Morgan and Hoskins Sotutu have been mentioned as possible reinforcements.
However, according to reports, Gloucester lead the race for Morgan, as Newcastle do for Sotutu.
“I think the last time we had this scale of a rebuild was around 2015 and we managed to keep that group together for a while.
“But, like any group, it gets to the end of their life cycle, with the likes of Sean Maitland, Mako Vunipola, Billy Vunipola leaving the club.
“We’re about 18 months into this next group… we’ve got plenty of youngsters that you’ve seen this year coming through – Jack Bracken, Tobias Elliott, Angus Hall, Noah Caluori, Nathan Michelow, Charlie Bracken – we are excited by the players we are producing.
“We want to build from within as much as possible, but occasionally you just need to go to the outside as well.”
Last season was Saracens’ first since 2009, excluding those affected by the club’s 2020 demotion to the Championship for salary cap breaches, in which they fell short of the play-offs.
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McCall says Martin’s ability to play at blind-side flanker, his physicality and his desire to win those top prizes motivated Saracens’ move for him.
“He’s the perfect age, he’s 24, already with a lot of experience behind him, both at club level and international level. He’s a real tough abrasive hard-hitting back-five forward,” McCall said.
“We were super impressed with him when we met, just what he wants to achieve in the years ahead and how hungry he is.”
Martin has been out since February with a shoulder issue and missed six weeks with a knee injury at the start of 2024.
However McCall says Saracens have done their “due diligence” before investing.
“We’ve talked to all the people that we needed to talk to, be assured that everything’s going to be fine for that point,” he said.
After their opening-round Champions Cup win over Clermont Auvergne last weekend, Saracens take on South Africa side Sharks in Durban on Saturday.
While Sharks suffered a 56-19 defeat by Toulouse last week and have won only once in their first six games in the United Rugby Championship, South Africa captain Siya Kolisi and a clutch of his international team-mates are available once more.
Grant Williams, Andre Esthuizen and Bongi Mbonambi could all feature.
“They’ve got one of the best squads in the competition, man for man,” said McCall.
The Paralympic star swimmer talks Strictly shockers, Christmas kisses, and the complexity of becoming a mum as someone with a disability
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Paralympian Ellie Simmonds MBE
Cosying up on the sofa with her family this Christmas Paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds will be tuning into the Strictly Special. She hopes by then that she will also have something to celebrate – as she has been rooting for her pal Karen Carney to win. Ellie, 31, says: “A fellow sports star! She’s doing incredibly. She’s literally the kindest, loveliest person ever. She’s so sweet, and then, from being a footballer to what she’s doing now on the show, is just phenomenal. Her couple’s choice blew me away.
“She got through to the semi finals this weekend, so I’m rooting for her. I think she’ll win. But you never know, because even last weekend, there was a shock exit with Lewis. I was so surprised.! Everyone expected him to be in the finals. That’s the thing with the show, you never know, and it’s all about the votes. I got my friends all to vote for Karen on Saturday and probably will again this weekend.”
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When hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman announced they would be departing from Strictly at the end of this series, no one was more shocked than Ellie, who came 10th when she was on Strictly in 2022 . “They’ll always be part of the Strictly family and I’m sure whatever they do in the future will be incredible. Claudia’s doing phenomenally well, isn’t she, with, The Traitors and The Piano on Channel 4? She does so much stuff.
“I think it’d be really interesting to see who replaces them. It won’t be me for sure – I’m happy to be watching. I’ll leave it to the professionals. I may enjoy making a documentary, but live TV is a different beast.” A fierce supporter of the show, she praises Strictly for championing disability. “We’ve seen the likes of Chris [McCausland] last year with visual impairment, winning it and just showing the country that you can do anything, no matter what,” she says. “Then Rose [Ayling-Ellis] won in the past. Then this year, the likes of Ellie (Goldstein).”
She also praises ITV’s The Assembly, which sees 35 autistic, neurodivergent and learning disabled people interview well known British personalities. Ellie says: “TV is a powerful platform to educate society on different disabilities, is amazing, and it’s doing a good job. More can always be done. One day wouldn’t it be amazing for anyone ever to watch TV and see someone like them front and centre.”
Family means everything to Paralympic swimmer Ellie, who is looking forward to spending Christmas at home in the Midlands with mum Val and dad Steve. Her sisters Katie and Pauline will be there too, along with her brother Steven. Sadly, Simmonds’s eldest sister, Georgina, died in 2013 at the age of 45. In 2008, aged just 13 Ellie swam her way into the history books at the Beijing Paralympic Games, as the second youngest Paralympian in British history to win a medal. She went on to win two gold medals in her first Games. The next year, in 2009, she became the youngest person ever to receive an MBE.
“That’s what I love about Christmas – it’s all being together, you know? No one is working. There’s no emails. You can just relax for a bit and just eat lots of lovely food, watch lots of good TV,” says Ellie, who was born with achondroplasia (dwarfism). I’m obsessed with the King’s speech. The Strictly special will be on too, and Call the Midwife.”
Steve will take charge in the kitchen, says Ellie, 31, who is single and lives in London. “My dad, he is the cook of the house. A couple of days ago we were sent the menus for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. He takes it very seriously. We just leave him to do it because it makes him happy.”
Time spent with family makes her look forward to having her own brood one day. Ellie addressed wanting to be a mother in the ITV documentary, Should I Have Children?, which aired in May this year. She says: “For me it is complicated. I would love children. But if I met someone who also has dwarfism, we would be in danger of something called a ‘double dose’ if I got pregnant. This means that we might both give the baby the dwarf gene. And that means that there’s a possibility that the baby couldn’t survive.”
While most people are supportive, she’s been horrified by some reaction to her saying she wants to be a mum one day. “People are sort of surprised when people with disabilities want to have kids,” says Ellie.
She and all her siblings were adopted by Val and Steve. Ellie herself was adopted when she was about three months old, shortly after her diagnosis of dwarfism was made. The couple also fostered 70 children. In 2023 an incredibly moving documentary, Finding My Secret Family, showed Ellie finding her birth mum. She said: “My birth mother expressed regret and guilt, but was overwhelmingly relieved that I have led the life I have.”
And speaking to the Mirror Ellie says: “Since speaking about my adoption and my journey and my story, so many people have come up to me and said they’re adopted. That’s something I’m super, super proud of. I’m opening up a whole conversation. And it’s crucial that we do talk more about children with a disability being adopted.
“So many children with a disability are still stuck in the care system. People want that ‘perfect’ baby, even when they’ve got a choice of so many more. There’s so many children, and not just those with a disability, looking for a family. Children in a sibling group, kids older than seven, those who maybe have a different race or ethnic minorities, they’re seen as harder to place as well.”
Ellie continues: “Perfect is a horrible word – what does it mean? Many people want these Instagrammable photos of baby showers – and then the babies. For mums to be as well, I want them to know that if your baby will be born with a disability – it’s not the end of the world. You’ll love them no matter what. They may need more hospital appointments, they may need some more care and all that, but it can be done. A baby is a baby at the end of the day.”
Ellie is living testament that all you need is love, not perfection. She was recently unveiled as an ambassador for Dogs Trust, and hopes to fulfil a lifelong dream of owning one soon. “Sadly my dad is super, super allergic to dogs. So we could never have a dog growing up. We had everything else: guinea pigs, birds, cats. We had a horse. And I always said to my mum I really would love a dog. Can we not trade dad for a dog? I so wanted one.”
But while she might find a dog under the tree this Christmas, a kiss, she says, is firmly off the cards. “Sadly not for me this year… I’ll be happy just to spend this Christmas with my family. I’m very into plants at the moment too, so I’m hoping for some of those on Christmas Day. preferably ones that I can’t kill. Pyjamas and slippers too.”
*Ellie Simmonds is working with Dogs Trust to launch their Happy Place campaign. The charity has released a new report – The Happy Place Index – following research which spoke to 5,002 dog owners across the UK to establish the great lengths we all go to in order to keep our dogs content and happy. To read the report, and for tips on how to increase your dog’s happiness, see HERE
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Liam Payne died last year after he fell from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires in Argentina and his girlfriend at the time has spoken out about her partner since
Liam Payne girlfriend has shared a video where she cam be seen sobbing as she issued a warning to her future boyfriends. The former One Direction star died last year when he fell from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Kate Cassidy has now released a clip where she has said her future partner will need to accept that she will always love Liam. The pair had been on holiday together in Argentina before Kate returned to their Florida home to look after their dog just two days before Liam’s fall.
She has regularly updated her fans since about her grieving process by sharing videos and photos. In a new clip uploaded to TikTok, Kate broke down on screen as she responded to a troll who said they looked forward to Kate meeting someone else so she would stop discussing Liam.
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Kate wore a pink top as she had her blonde hair slicked back and said: “I want to make something clear. Whoever I end up with in my future will have to accept the fact I will always love Liam, I will always talk about Liam I will always laugh about Liam, I will always cry about Liam.”
She said that she usually ignores any negative comments but she had to reply to this one. The star explained that Liam wasn’t “just this famous figure” to her. She said: “Let me tell you something, Liam Payne was my boyfriend. He wasn’t just this famous figure to me.
“It hurts so bad because I am just criticised all the time for speaking about my boyfriend that passed away, the person that I loved and still do love. I would never settle for anyone in this lifetime who did not feel comfortable enough with me speaking about Liam.”
Kate said that any future romances in her life who isn’t comfortable with Liam being a part of her life won’t be the one for her. She added: “Liam was a very big part of my life. He was my best friend, somebody I really thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with and, obviously, I know one day I’m going to have to move on.
“I want to get married one day. I want to have kids.” Kate went on to tell her fans that she believes that “when a person dies, they die twice”.
She said that “once when they actually die and the second time when you stop speaking about them”. Kate said she isn’t going to let this happen and she is going to continue to “I will love him forever”.
Liam was just 31-years-old when he died in 2024. An autopsy revealed he died of polytrauma, with traces of alcohol, cocaine and prescription antidepressants found in his system.
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Charlotte Church shared the reason why she likes to have her cleavage on display during an interview where she also talked about some of her other bodily habits
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Charlotte Church has explained why she likes to have her boobs on display(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
Charlotte Church has revealed the reason why she embraces wearing revealing tops that show off her cleavage during a recent candid interview. The singer and Celebrity Traitors star, 39, opened up about some of her personal habits during an appearance on the Walking The Dog podcast with host Emily Dean.
As the pair took a stroll together, Emily remarked that Charlotte smelt “lovely”. The musician was taken aback, replying: “Do I? That’s surprising. I never smell nice.” Charlotte went on to explain she has ditched deodorant altogether. She shared: “I don’t wear any deodorant or anything, so I generally stink. I don’t shave anymore. I don’t shave anything.”
The reality star went on to admit that she stopped shaving “probably about 18 months ago” and gradually gave up deodorant too. Her concerns about exposing her body to chemicals played a big role in this decision.
She added: “I’m just not sure about sticking all of this chemically stuff in these pores, cos your skin is so…you know, it’s the largest organ in the body. Everything we put on our skin goes into our bloodstream.”
The former classical star also spoke honestly about why her cleavage is often on display. “I’ve got my boobs out for the majority of the time,” she said, describing them as a kind of social filter – or, as her husband jokes, a “Titmus Test”.
Charlotte explained: “It really separates out the pervs immediately…but it also separates out those who are maybe deeply conservative or deeply religious.” She finds the whole thing freeing, and added: “It’s so liberating…I feel much sexier.”
The star has lived a very public life since the age of 11, when she shot to fame after singing Pie Jesu on television. Her early years were marked by extraordinary success.
She sold millions of records, went on tour globally, and was told she had the voice of an angel – but behind the scenes she was helping support her mother Maria through long-term mental health struggles, including bipolar disorder, anxiety, self-harm and alcohol misuse.
As she grew older, Charlotte moved away from classical music and started making pop songs instead, before turning to a career in television, and later activism.
Her turbulent relationship with rugby star Gavin Henson made headlines throughout the 2000s. Although they got engaged, the pair eventually split, admitting their lifestyles had become too different for them to stay together.
Charlotte initially said she felt “overjoyed” when Gavin proposed, but both ultimately “had a change of heart”. They had two children during their time together: a daughter they called Ruby, and their son Dexter.
Charlotte is still on good terms with Gavin, and they have continued to co-parent their now-teenage children. Charlotte went on to marry musician Jonathan Powell in 2017, welcoming a third child, Frida, in 2020.
In recent years she has stepped back from celebrity life to pursue more spiritual ventures, which mainly includes running her Welsh wellness retreat The Dreaming.
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The centre offers nature-based experiences, sound healing sessions and even a five-day Witch retreat. Though the business has faced financial challenges, Charlotte says the work aligns more closely with her values than being a pop star did, and gives her a sense of purpose.
A judge in the United States has ordered the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from immigration detention.
The ruling on Thursday from US District Judge Paula Xinis is the latest turn in the case of Abrego Garcia, who was wrongfully deported by the administration of US President Donald Trump to El Salvador in March.
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The Maryland resident was later returned to the US, but the Trump administration has continued to seek his deportation to another country.
“Since Abrego Garcia’s return from wrongful detention in El Salvador, he has been re-detained, again without lawful authority,” Xinis wrote in her decision. “For this reason, the Court will GRANT Abrego Garcia’s Petition for immediate release from ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] custody.”
Abrego Garcia entered the US as a teenager without documentation and has resided in Maryland with his wife and children for years.
An immigration judge in 2019 ruled Abrego Garcia could not be deported to El Salvador because he faced danger from a gang that targeted his family.
The Trump administration’s violation of that order became a rallying point for critics of the president’s mass deportation campaign.
Authorities have since been seeking to deport Abrego Garcia to a series of African countries.
The Maryland resident has filed a lawsuit in federal court claiming the Trump administration is illegally using the deportation process to punish him due to the attention his wrongful deportation created.
Since his return, federal authorities have also filed charges against Abrego Garcia for alleged human smuggling related to a 2022 traffic stop.
