Archive October 15, 2025

Vernon Kay receives ‘tonne of grief’ after huge blunder live on air

By in Entertainment News, News

BBC Radio 2 star Vernon Kay has decided he won’t discuss a popular TV show on air after a huge blunder

Vernon Kay has been on the receiving end of a “tonne of grief” from BBC Radio 2 listeners after he inadvertently let slip a spoiler for their favourite programme. The 51-year-old has since decided to refrain from discussing Celebrity Traitors live on air.

The popular murder-mystery series will continue its run on BBC One tonight (October 15) and will be back tomorrow. The subsequent two episodes are scheduled to air next Wednesday and Thursday.

However, many fans will likely catch up with the show on BBC iPlayer over the coming week. This has led Vernon to decide against discussing the show to avoid any potential spoilers for his Radio 2 audience.

While on air, Vernon clarified: “I’m going to avoid Traitors, I’m going to avoid it because people watch it on catch-up don’t they? So I’m not going to talk about it on the radio.

“It’s not like I’m going to avoid it, I’m going to watch it, I’m going to consume it, but I’m not going to talk about it because people get really tetchy.

“I gave away the winner of Dress the Nation on Sunday, [I] congratulated the winner, oh my gosh, I got a tonne of grief.”

Imitating an irate listener, Vernon exclaimed “I’ve not watched it yet”, before adding: “I always forget about catch-up, I’m a little bit old-school like that. I like watching it. There’s a service on your digital broadcasting system where you can pause the football, go make a brew and you pause it.

“You never play it from where you paused it. If you play it from where you paused it, you’re a psychopath.”

On Sunday, retail assistant Casey Dillon, 23, was crowned Dress the Nation champion. The ITV show is presented by both Vernon and AJ Odudu.

It marks the newest chapter in a television career spanning three decades. Vernon secured a position on Channel 5’s The Mag in 1998 before transitioning to Channel 4’s T4 in 2000.

It was during his time on T4 that he encountered his future spouse, Tess Daly, who was hosting SMTV Live on ITV at the time. Vernon subsequently went on to front programmes including All Star Family Fortunes and Splash!

Tess meanwhile hosts Strictly Come Dancing. Tess and Vernon encountered each other at a gathering in the early 2000s before their romance flourished.

They exchanged vows in Horwich in 2003 before having daughters Phoebe and Amber. Tess has previously spoken candidly about their “explosive” beginning to their romance.

Speaking to Fabulous magazine, she revealed: “It was all quite immediate, really, because we instantly had such a blast together. I couldn’t imagine having more fun with anyone else. It was pretty explosive, I tell you.”

Six years ago, Vernon whisked Tess away to the romantic landscapes of the South of France, where, without her knowledge, he had secretly organised a vow renewal ceremony-complete with several wardrobe choices for his unsuspecting wife.

Article continues below

Speaking about the moment when he appeared on I’m A Celebrity..Get Me out of Here!

, Vernon revealed: “I booked a weekend in our favourite hotel in the South of France and I spoke to her stylist at the time and I said I needed four dresses.”

General Hospital star will be undergoing brain surgery for aneurysm in ‘next two weeks’

By in Entertainment News, News

General Hospital star Kirsten Storms announced on her Instagram page she will be undergoing a brain aneurysm coiling procedure in the ‘next two weeks’

General Hospital star Kirsten Storms announced she will be undergoing a brain aneurysm coiling procedure in ‘the next two weeks’ after doctors discovered a cyst in her brain. The 41-year-old star, who is known for her role as Maxie Jones in the ABC drama, first underwent a craniotomy to remove a cyst in 2021.

When she had a follow-up scan in January, she revealed she was “majorly freaked out” when the doctor found a ‘squatter’ cyst on the right side of her brain stem. In a lengthy post shared on her Instagram page, she said: “After my surgery in 2021, my amazing neurosurgeon has been monitoring the cyst that he left on my brain, when he removed one that was causing me problems

“The January scan happened because I had symptoms that the doctors thought could’ve been brain-related. Okay, when I say that I was shocked when doctors told me they found an aneurysm on the right side of my brain… Welp, I basically launched into a standup comedy routine.”

READ MORE: Loose Women star Denise Welch’s huge return to iconic soap role after 15 yearsREAD MORE: Steven Spielberg and George Lucas pay tribute to late film poster artist Drew Struzan

Kirsten underwent a procedure that same weekend, explaining how the doctor thread a camera from her leg to her brain.

“Anyways, Neurology stuff makes me feel a bit of nervousness, so now – here I am with Emma, in St Louis. And we are crocheting the most beautiful sweaters, while my coiling procedure is being scheduled for sometime in the next two weeks,” she continued after praising her co-star and best friend Emme Rylan for being by her side the entire time.

“Emotional support when going through times in life that cause worry is crucial. Aneurysms (obviously) can be caused by stress. Brain cysts? I believe that is possible too…

“And since the January scan showed a new, but very small squatter (aka cyst) on my brain stem – it was clear I needed change some things in my life asap. For my own personal reasons, no longer living in Los Angeles was very important to me.”

Kirsten said her daughter Harper, who she shares with ex-husband Brandon Barash, was a huge reason for the move along with her mental heath.

In the caption, she wrote: “I wanted to post this because even though my brain seems to be sorta lowkey rebelling against me, it does allow me to understand that we’ve all got times when things aren’t great. If we can, we will do our best to do what is best for ourselves and loved ones.

“Since I knew what an aneurysm was, the scan in January majorly freaked me out. A few days after I was discharged from the hospital, someone created a blog post that said I was in the hospital that weekend because I tried to “unalive” myself.

“I couldn’t understand why a person would makeup something that terrible, when they had no idea why I was really there.

“There are a few really bad apples out there. We all know that…but there are people in my life who I am truly thankful to know. One of those individuals just made a s**t load of sweaters with me. They are glorious.”

Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

Article continues below

READ MORE: Best value pre-lit Christmas trees to invest in now– and that can save households £875READ MORE: ‘Best’ Charlotte Tilbury product sells ‘one a minute’ and is ‘brilliant for mature skin’

Four-time Olympic medallist Carlin retires after losing ‘spark’

By in News, Sports News

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.

Richard Winton

BBC Sport Scotland

Team GB track cyclist Jack Carlin has announced his retirement after feeling unable to “ignite that spark again” after last summer’s Olympic Games.

The 28-year-old claimed team sprint silver and sprint bronze in Paris last August – and the same in Tokyo three years earlier – among a haul of 19 international medals.

However, after taking time to recover and decompress with partner Christie in Australia, New Zealand and south east Asia last winter – following a horrendous crash in his final Olympic event – the Scot found his appetite to go again was lacking.

Carlin – who has had a “creeping realisation” that his career was drawing to a close for some time – says he is “daunted but excited” by his decision and finishes his career “content” with what he has achieved in a “whirlwind 10 years” at the top of the sport.

He plans to spend the day with his phone on ‘do not disturb’, potentially immersing himself instead in his rediscovered love of golf at his local club in Paisley.

“It’s a decision that wasn’t taken lightly, but also it is a relief,” he told BBC Sport Scotland. “Even going into Paris, my motivation was dwindling. I had injuries leading into the Olympics and it took a lot to get to that start line.

“After that, I took myself away from the high-performance environment and tried to search for the fire to go until the next Olympics. But it never came back.

    • 23 September
    • 6 August 2024
    • 30 July 2022

‘Glasgow 2026 is elephant in room’

Less than a month ago, Carlin spoke of his excitement about the Commonwealth Games returning to Glasgow next summer. Not least because he is now living near the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, where the cycling will be held.

But his decision to quit had already been made and retrospective examination of what he said at the time shows a vagueness about his ambitions for that event.

As a potential poster boy for the reimagined event – as a kid he sat rapt in the tribunes in 2014 and won medals at the next two Games – was it a wrench to walk away from the chance of a glorious career conclusion?

“It’s been the elephant in the room,” Carlin said of Glasgow 2026.

“People I’ve told have asked, ‘what about Glasgow?’ but it’s less than a year away and I’d be doing myself and the jersey a disservice if I decided to try and put it round my back again when I’m just not in the shape to do it.”

Carlin does not need that elusive gold medal or one more wave of adoration from a home crowd to validate his achievements.

They are achievements that place him fourth in the list of all-time Scottish Olympic medal winners, behind only Duncan Scott, Sir Chris Hoy and Katherine Grainger.

As he says, plenty of his competitors will leave the sport without ribbons around their neck and precious metal in their hands.

Like him, they will have memories, experiences and friendships, and it is those – as much as the medals – that the Scot will cherish when he reflects.

“It’s rare that someone steps away when they’re still rubbing shoulders at the top,” he adds. “But you have to be able to give 100%.

“I can come away from this saying ‘I gave everything I could, I gave my whole body to this sport, and I’m satisfied’. I couldn’t do anything more. So I can’t be upset.

“I started this journey when I was 14 years old and my mum and dad gave up time and money that we didn’t have to let me chase that dream.

What do you do when you retire at 28?

The challenge Carlin now faces is in establishing a new identity. As of today – and for the first time in his adult life – he is no longer ‘Jack the cyclist’.

He has not been on a track in more than a year now, and does not miss squatting obscenely heavy amounts in the gym and endless hours indoors on static bikes.

He has, however, rediscovered his childhood love for simply riding a bike – if not quite one with a basket, bell and streamers.

Golf is scratching his sporting itch at the moment – his handicap is down to single figures – and even watching Scotland’s footballers toil against Belarus at Hampden has not unduly affected his sunny disposition.

But 28 is young to retire. So what now?

“That’s the question I’ve been sitting thinking about myself, to be honest,” he says, suggesting a visit to the Jobcentre was not entirely out of the question.

“Sport’s taught me a lot of life skills and given me a lot of experiences. I’ve probably done more in 10 years than some people do in 40 in the normal business world.

Related topics

  • Olympic Games
  • Cycling

‘New play perfectly depicts being a Brown girl in Western media – I finally feel seen’

By in Entertainment News, News

The play is about four brown girls sharing their different experiences, growing up in London, using a mix of spoken word, dance and acting showcasing a variety of emotions but ultimately sisterhood

The media and its portrayal of people of colour (POC) has always been, to some degree, questionable. Throughout the years; shows, movies, news and entertainment, often depict certain POC with negative stereotypes.

POC often depict the side character as opposed to the main character, take Ivy from Disney’s Good Luck Charlie, or Dionne from Clueless. They do not really have their own storyline, but instead support the main character’s development.

In particular, South Asian women are seen rarely in the media, and if and when they are; they are portrayed with “humorous” but often harmful clichés.

The stereotypes vary but can include: the smart and academic best friend with strict parents, like Baljeet from Phineas and Ferb. Or the gossiping Asian Aunty, like Mrs Malik from the hit sitcom, Citizen Khan.

The Asian that’s forgotten their roots, in other words, a “coconut”. A step further, is the white saviour trope, where the brown girl needs rescuing by the white man, ultimately liberating her. An example of this, is the Nadia-Guzman relationship from the Spanish series, Elite.

READ MORE: ‘Love Island is different for women of colour – Shakira Khan isn’t the first to prove it’READ MORE: Youngest-ever British Museum trustee appointed for the first time in 272 years

All of these damaging notions of colonialism, inferiority and exoticism are flipped on its head with this powerful play, ‘Brown Girl Noise’. The play that tackles these clichés whilst educating and celebrating British South Asian culture.

I watched the show at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith. Kaya Uppal, wrote and starred in the play intertwining comedy, drama, love and more all in one.

The play begins with four South Asian girls waiting in a casting room, to audition for the role of Priti Patel. As they wait to be called in, they share their opinions on the labels that have been placed on them throughout their careers.

The quartet are four distinct characters all with contradicting personalities. All characters that resonate with brown girls in society.

Like, the comedic brown girl, hiding her upset with abruptness and wit; the timid brown girl not wanting to step out of line; the sassy, spiritual brown girl concealing her feelings of “not being brown enough” with rudeness; and the outgoing, sociable brown girl who wants everyone to feel welcome, whilst battling her own traumas.

The play then continues from the girls bonding and disagreeing over the typecasts they have faced, to introducing multiple chapters of different underrepresented South Asian stories.

Some of the chapters include: Snow Brown, reimagining the Disney tale Snow White. The characters allude to the problem of unrealistic, Western beauty standards in this chapter.

They also perform their own version of Love Island; highlighting the use of POC in the show as mere tokenism. In addition, they take on Horrible Histories; spotlighting unknown but yet powerful brown women in history.

Behind every chapter was a moral and message to the real issues that brown girls face, like colourism, tokenism, and racism. One emotional chapter was on consent and trauma with the concept of shame and silence interwoven in that segment.

For more stories like this subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Weekly Gulp, for a curated roundup of trending stories, poignant interviews, and viral lifestyle picks from The Mirror’s Audience U35 team delivered straight to your inbox.

Whilst every chapter had its own message, the transitions between the audition room and the role play could have been tighter. The audience at times were left a bit confused with some of the underdeveloped chapters. The ending was met with a realisation from the four heroines, but did feel slightly rushed.

However, the piece still delivers a compelling and essential outlook. The performance embraced the highs and lows of British South Asian culture. The consistency was clear with brown girls needing to let go of negative stereotypes and reclaim their identity with strength and hope.

Whilst the show has now finished, I do hope it returns for another run.

Article continues below

Holly Willoughby reaches out to old pal Fearne Cotton after paedo ex Ian Watkins dies

By in Entertainment News, News

After a ‘wobbly’ Fearne Cotton posts about shame in the wake of her former lover, child sex offender Ian Watkins’ ‘murder’ in prison, her old bestie Holly Willoughby offers her love and support

Presenters Holly Willoughby and Fearne Cotton were thick as thieves for many years. The best friends first met when they were teenagers and their parallel careers in the spotlight saw them working together on many occasions, most famously on Celebrity Juice.

The pair are believed to have reconnected last year after drifting apart for some time and it seems they are now more determined than ever to support each other during difficult moments..

When the pair rekindled their friendship, Holly was on a sabbatical from her TV work after she became the target of security guard Gavin Plumb’s plot to kidnap, rape and kill her. Fearne is notoriously open about her struggles with mental health and in the wake of news her ex Ian Watkins died in prison, and has recently posted about shame and feeling ‘wobbly’, with Holly sending out love to her pal.

READ MORE: Ian Watkins ‘murder’: One of accused killers refuses to attend courtREAD MORE: Ian Watkins’ sick life in jail with groupie visits, daily attacks and killing just a ‘matter of time’

On Tuesday, Fearne, 44, shared a clip on social media with her fans about the things she’s learned this week. Her Instagram caption read: “Four life lessons from this week. I’m not sleeping well. My brain is a bit wobbly at the moment but I’m grasping the lessons life is chucking my way. Which of these interests you the most or rings true?”

In an accompanying video, the mum-of-two talks about her Happy Place podcast and a chat she had with Charlie Mackesy. She recalls how the author of The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse discussed the topic of shame, which she says she “greatly appreciated”.

“The one reminder that I had from that episode was that so many of us feel shame,” she shared, “but we assume it’s just us because that is what shame does. It wants you to believe that it’s just you but it’s not…” Underneath the heartfelt post Holly, also 44, commented: “Love you cotton chops,” with a red heart emoji.

Content cannot be displayed without consent

The stars first met many years ago after they both entered the world of showbiz as teens. Holly was scouted as a model aged 14 and Fearne became a kids’ TV presenter for GMTV’s The Disney Show’s at the age of 15. With so much in common they became firm friends and co-hosted their own show in 2007, Holly and Fearne Go Dating, where they matched singles up together.

Fearne was bridesmaid at Holly’s wedding to TV producer Dan Baldwin the same year and the pair landed the team captain roles on Celebrity Juice with Keith Lemon just after. The outrageous but hugely successful show saw them at the helm together for 10 years until the self-confessed, socially anxious Fearne quit in 2018.

It was then that they are said to have drifted apart as their lives took them in different career and family directions. When Holly left her role hosting ITV ’s flagship show This Morning following the stalking ordeal, she became more holistic in her outlook, which is something Fearne had been focusing on for some time.

A source at the time told The Sun: “Fearne started ­living holistically, concentrating on self-care while Holly was still on TV. But then Holly went down the same path and started meditating and appreciating and researching holistic ­therapies. When she set up her wellness brand, Wylde Moon, she and Fearne were back on the same page again.”

Fearne’s recent post comes just days after former Lost Prophets frontman Ian Watkins was found dead in prison. He and Fearne briefly dated around 2008, although she has never publicly commented on their relationship.

The sick pervert was serving a 29-year sentence for multiple sexual offences, including against children and babies. It was claimed the paedo rocker may have been killed because he refused to pay protection money to other lags. He was found severely injured in his cell at HMP Wakefield in West Yorkshire after allegedly being attacked with a knife, but staff could do nothing to save him and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

A source told The Mirror: “It looks like it happened just after unlock, they have walked into his cell and he ends up dead. He got attacked in 2023 and that was because he refused to pay (protection). He has always paid for protection but every so often people just reminded him that he needed to pay it so they gave him a good hiding. The guys that have done this are no heroes. It is not like they are some kind of shining Knight.”

Detectives were questioning two prisoners over the brutal death. Rashid Gedel, 25, who was referred to as Rico Gedel, and Samuel Dodsworth, 43, were arrested and charged with murder after the 48-year-old was discovered just after 9am on Saturday.. On Tuesday both men were due to make their first appearance before a Crown Court judge.

Article continues below

Dodsworth appeared via video link from HMP Wakefield, but Leeds Crown Court heard Gedel had refused to attend remotely. No bail applications were made during the hearing and both men were remanded in custody until their next appearance at the same court for a plea and trial preparation hearing on November 12.

Does cycling have a safety problem?

By in News, Sports News
Getty Images
Matt Warwick

BBC Sport Senior Journalist

It’s just over a year since Swiss teenager Muriel Furrer died after suffering a serious head injury at the UCI Road World Championships.

Furrer, 18, crashed during the junior road race in Zurich. Investigators quickly established there were no witnesses to the crash, and that Furrer had been found unconscious by a race marshal. How long that had taken remained a key question.

As a result, the UCI – cycling’s governing body – introduced GPS trackers for this year’s event in Rwanda, so the whereabouts of all riders were known at all times.

It was something the CPA – the cyclists’ union – believed should have been introduced years ago, and would have avoided injured riders being unaccounted for.

“It’s such an easy solution,” CPA president Adam Hansen told BBC Sport.

The investigation into Furrer’s death by Zurich police and the city’s public prosecutors’ office continues. It is something Hansen and the CPA “wish could go faster”.

Muriel Furrer tribute at the 2024 Road World Championships in SwitzerlandGetty Images

Do riders worry about safety?

It’s not necessarily obvious to those outside of the sport just how dangerous road cycling is, but descending speeds that can exceed 60mph, limited protection against impact with hard or sharp objects on courses set up on the road, and a sense of the need to push the boundaries of risk in order to win underline the potential issues.

“A lot of the time we are in control of our own safety – the speeds we go, and when we brake,” says Tom Pidcock – a British winner of road races who is famed for astonishing descents on the bike.

“But we’re not racing F1 cars, where we’re protected, you’ve got a seatbelt and a helmet on, and someone fixes your car for you. If we crash, we’re the ones who take the hit.”

Kim le Court – an elite rider from Mauritius – injured her back in a big crash at this year’s Tour of Britain Women in Hartlepool.

Le Court, who developed her riding in South Africa in conditions she says were – at times – “bad”, hit the deck as riders jostled for position during a frantic start to stage two in wet conditions.

“We see it everywhere – it needs improvement,” she said. “For me, it’s hard to understand how it’s not safe in Europe. In Great Britain, the negative thing I saw was probably the potholes and lack of signs on the road.”

Le Court said there had also been issues during the Tour de France Femmes, referring to “some places where road islands were not pointed out” that was “really scary”.

“I can imagine how hard it is for them to get it perfect,” she said. “There are things that should change, and perhaps it’ll come in the near future.”

Briton Cat Ferguson, who won the race during which Furrer crashed, said safety had been “more on my mind than my legs hurting” during a recent event.

Why did it take so long to have trackers?

The trackers used in Kigali last month were dedicated to promoting safety for riders.

Trackers had been in operation last year in Switzerland, but were used mid-race for motorbikes to identify riders in groups focused on for television coverage, and only picked out those in the immediate vicinity of the motorbike.

And while Furrer’s transponder may have shown up on certain equipment, no-one was tasked with looking for ‘lost’ riders.

One of the reasons for delays in implementing an all-encompassing system was the ‘fight’ over riders’ data – which often includes crucial performance metrics such as power, heart rate and cadence. It is heavily protected intelligence when it comes to team strategy.

Some teams were reticent to lose control over data if a centralised system was able to harvest it.

That came to head in August, when five Women’s World Tour teams were disqualified from the Tour de Romandie Feminin after refusing to test the new trackers after an imposition from the UCI.

Tadej Pogacar crashes before recovering to win the 2025 Strade Bianche one-day race in ItalyGetty Images

What do governing bodies and organisers say?

A British Cycling spokesperson said: “We work closely with local authorities and the UCI to ensure safety is paramount when staging major races like the Lloyds Tour of Britain.

“This includes carrying out detailed route reconnaissance in the lead-up to the events and working closely with local authorities to ensure the field of play is safe and that street furniture is appropriately flagged or removed.”

ASO, which organises the Tour de France Femmes, chose not to comment.

The UCI has been contacted for comment.

What needs to happen?

Trackers are one thing that can improve safety, but levels of anxiety among riders are obviously high.

One promising German rider – Louis Kitzki – even retired at the age of 21, citing the sport as too dangerous.

“The more chaotic a race became, the more brutally I broke down mentally,” he told Cycling Weekly.

Crashing and the resulting injuries are difficult to prevent in some circumstances, but in others they can be.

In 2023 – after the death of Swiss rider Gino Mader – the UCI introduced the SafeR – an initiative to improve all areas of safety in the sport.

But staying one step ahead of the game is harder than it needs to be, according to Hansen.

“The bigger races are generally very good,” he says. “But we need to be looking more forward in course design and get course [plans] ASAP to see the red flags and corners that are asking for trouble.”

A minimum budget for the smaller races to avoid the sort of cost-cutting that could result in cars and the general public straying into the path of the peloton would be a good start, according to Hansen.

He said some race organisers were trying to “hold their ground” and only when a crash happened might more input from the union be accepted.

Related topics

  • Cycling