Archive March 8, 2025

Britain’s Got Talent’s Connie Talbot, who melted hearts as a six year old in the show’s first series, has grown up to be quite the sensation. The now-24 year old from Sutton Coldfield, who once brought the judges to tears with her angelic voice, boasts an impressive following of over 307, 000 fans – a a far cry from her debut on BGT back in 2007. In a recent Instagram post, Connie looks stunning as she poses in a black swimsuit, bathed in warm sunlight as she appears to be on holiday.

She’s best known for her stunning performance of Over the Rainbow from The Wizard Of Oz, which left Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, and Piers Morgan in awe during the final. Connie was neck and neck with opera singer Paul Potts to win the title. Simon Cowell had nothing but praise for Connie, calling her “pure magic” and even suggesting he’d help her make “£1 million-plus this year”. Despite having no professional training, Connie’s initial audition won over the judges and garnered international media attention.

Post-BGT fame saw Connie release her first album, Over the Rainbow, which sold 250, 000 copies and charted at number 35 in the UK, while topping the charts in Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan. She followed up with a Christmas album and two more albums by 2012. Connie made a comeback on BGT in 2019 for The Champions series, although she didn’t reach the final. She later took part in America’s Got Talent: The Champions where she performed the single live on stage.

Connie – who last year revealed her stalker hell – continues her singing career and released an EP, Growing Pains, in August 2023. Another track, Wonderland Skies, Connie’s take on a Christmas single, was released last December. And she recently told fans she’s going out on tour with the US cover band, Boyce Avenue. Posting to Instagram alongside a beautiful rendition of the ABBA hit Slipping Through My Fingers, she said: “A friendly reminder that I’m proudly supporting @boyceavenue on their Europe tour. I am so excited don’t let tickets slip through your fingers … (dad joke) they’re in my bio can’t wait to see you there”.

Fans thronged to support her latest venture, with one person saying: “Amazing, you’re each day with the most beautiful, perfectly wonderful voice. Another said:” This is one of my favourite ABBA songs and you have done an amazing cover of this beautiful song, love it!! Keep up the good work, you’re fantastic at what you do. “A third added:” Can’t wait to see you in Manchester and Oxford! “

After what seems like a string of setbacks in Annie Kilner ‘ s tumultuous marriage to footballer Kyle Walker, the 33-year-old appeared to be dealt another blow after Kyle was snapped partying until the early hours with two women in Milan. However, a source tells us the mum-of-four is standing by her man and the couple are giving their marriage another go.

But the WAG has made it clear that Kyle, 34, needs to stay on the straight and narrow. “Annie has decided she’s going to give it another go but he needs to realise he has to be incredibly careful because even the most innocent things can come back to bite him”, they claimed to OK!.

The couple haven’t had an easy ride over the years, after Kyle also fathered two children with Lauryn Goodman. He first had a fling with the influencer while Kyle and Annie were on a break in 2019, which led to Lauryn falling pregnant with son Kairo. Kyle and Annie quickly rekindled their relationship and appeared united, but it was revealed in January 2024 that he had been unfaithful with Lauryn, 34, and fathered her second child, daughter Kinara.

At the time, Kyle released a public apology to his wife and family, admitting, “What I’ve done is horrible and I take full responsibility. I made idiot choices and idiot decisions. I can’t begin to think or imagine what Annie is going through. I’ve tried to ask her but there’s pain and hurt.

” My actions have caused a lot of pain to a lot of people. I’m sorry because, as a family, this isn’t meant to happen. “But it seemed that the apology fell on deaf ears because in October 2024, Annie filed for divorce from the defender. However, by Christmas, there was a complete change of heart from Annie and the family spent the festive season together. Making a clear statement, the couple shared a cosy snap of themselves and their four sons wearing matching pyjamas.

Currently, Kyle is on loan from his home team Manchester City and is playing for Italian side AC Milan, meaning Annie and the children have been making visits from the UK to support him. But last week, just hours after his wife returned to Britain from visiting Kyle with their brood during the school holidays, he was spotted partying with two mystery women at one of the city’s top nightclubs Tocqueville 13 until 4am.

It was reported that he had treated his female guests to a” £5, 300 Super VIP “club extravagance, following a private dinner at the five-star Casa Cipriani Hotel. However, a source later cleared up any speculation, claiming that their relationship was purely platonic and that both women have long-term partners. They said”, Kyle enjoyed a late-night dinner with his agent at the private members ‘ club Cipriani restaurant. The Casa Cipriani Hotel is totally separate to the restaurant and Kyle was not there. “

They continued”, They were later joined by a big group of people who were known to Kyle’s agent. The girls pictured have long-term boyfriends and it would be wrong to link them to Kyle, or any of the other men there, in any other way than purely platonically. “

It was also said that Kyle was keen to chat about the weekend he had spent with his family and is looking forward to the future, both personally and professionally. And while this instance may have been entirely innocent, our source claims that Annie is cracking the whip with Kyle and his image.

Kyle and Annie have been together 12 years and tied the knot in Cheshire back in November 2021. The couple have sons Roman, Riaan and Reign, and Annie was pregnant with their fourth child, Rezon, when she found out that Kyle had also fathered Lauryn’s daughter, Kinara.

Despite the chaotic chapters in her marriage since Rezon’s birth, our source says Annie is prepared to put the work in to protect her family, but only time will tell whether Kyle has done enough to make it work long-term. They added”, Annie isn’t a walkover, and she’s got a lot to think about. Her boys are her priority so she’s prepared to see what can happen with their family, but it won’t be at any cost or at the expense of her own happiness. “

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Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman died of natural causes about a week after his wife’s death, a medical examiner said Friday, ending more than a week of mystery surrounding the death of one of Hollywood’s most beloved stars.

The bodies of “The French Connection” star and his wife were found on February 26 in their home in New Mexico after emergency services were called to their property.

“The cause of death for Mr. Gene Hackman, aged 95 years, is hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer’s disease as a significant contributory factor”, Heather Jarrell, the chief medical examiner for the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator, told reporters.

“The cause of death for Miss Betsy Hackman, aged 65 years, is hantavirus, pulmonary syndrome. The manner of death is natural”.

Neither body showed any sign of trauma, nor any indication of carbon monoxide poisoning, which had been an initial suggestion.

Hantavirus presents as a flu-like disease, with symptoms including fever, muscle aches, cough, sometimes vomiting and diarrhea that can progress to shortness of breath and cardiac or heart failure and lung failure, Jarrell said.

“This occurs after a one- to eight-week exposure to excrement from a particular mouse species that carries hantavirus”.

Jarrell said data from Hackman’s pacemaker showed its last activity over a week before his body was found when maintenance workers were unable to access the couple’s sprawling Santa Fe property.

“Based on this information, it is reasonable to conclude that Mr. Hackman probably died around February 18. Based on the circumstances, it is reasonable to conclude that Miss Hackman passed away first, with February 11 being the last time that she was going to be alive”, said Jarrell.

First responders found the door unlocked and open, and pills scattered next to Betsy Hackman’s body, which was in the bathroom.

Gene Hackman’s body was found in another room, fully clothed, with sunglasses nearby, indicating a sudden fall.

Investigators suggested it could be the case that the elder Hackman had not realized his wife was dead in the bathroom, given his advanced age and neurodegenerative disease.

“He was in an advanced state of Alzheimer’s, and it’s quite possible that he was not aware that she was deceased”, the medical examiner said.

A Hackman family spokesperson had previously denied reports of his Alzheimer’s disease.

In addition to the deceased couple, a dog was found dead in the bathroom, and two other healthy dogs were at the house.

Along with the autopsies, the investigation had focussed on piecing together a timeline of the couple’s last days, which detectives said had been complicated by their low profile and their preference for privacy.

Hackman, a two-time Academy Award winner, &nbsp, was credited for intense performances inspired by his troubled upbringing, notching up dozens of movie credits extending into his 70s.

He is perhaps best known as vulgar New York cop Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in the 1971 crime thriller “The French Connection” — for which he won an Oscar for best actor.