Archive April 21, 2025

Inside star-studded Women’s Football Awards as England duo to the receive special honours

The Women’s Football Awards will see some of the biggest names in the game come together to celebrate the achievements and contributions of those in women’s football

Jamie Carragher with Love Island star Gemma Owen at last year’s star-studded ceremony (Image: Abigail Shii 2023)

England Women’s midfield dynamos Keira Walsh and Georgia Stanway are set to be honoured with prestigious accolades at the 2025 Women’s Football Awards next week. Both players will be bestowed with Special Recognition Awards in a nod to their remarkable contributions to football, both on home soil and internationally.

The glitzy ceremony, which gathers some of the most prominent names in football, will be jointly hosted by BBC presenter Gabby Logan, football icon Jamie Carragher and ex-Lioness Eni Aluko. Sponsored by Shein, VISA, and ScottishPower, the annual bash is the biggest of its kind in Europe and applauds extraordinary achievements and contributions to women’s football.

Walsh, a true pioneer in the sport, will be acknowledged not only for her impressive playing career but also for her dedication to nurturing grassroots girls’ football.

 Keira Walsh of England celebrates scoring her team's fifth goal during the UEFA Women's Nations League
Keira Walsh of England will be honoured at the star-studded event (Image: The FA via Getty Images)

The highly-respected Lioness played a crucial role in establishing the Rochdale Girls Development Centre in 2023, which offers gifted young players in the region access to top-notch coaching and facilities.

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Last year, Walsh personally financed kits and equipment for a female talent programme that supported 35 girls throughout the year. On the field, Walsh has carved out an exceptional career, instrumental in Manchester City’s BWSL triumph in 2016, scooping up three Vitality Women’s FA Cups, and lifting the Continental League Cup four times over, before making the jump to Barcelona in 2022.

After a spell abroad, she returned to the home turf in the Women’s Super League with Chelsea during the January transfer window. Meanwhile, Georgia Stanway’s journey has been equally stellar, with her footballing prowess seeing her at Manchester City, Bayern Munich, and on England’s national squad. Off the pitch, her dedication to enriching the sport’s future is unwavering.

Georgia Stanway of England celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the UEFA Women's EURO 2025
Georgia Stanway has been a trailblazer both on and off the pitch(Image: The FA via Getty Images)

Football legend Jamie Carragher, who played a key role in launching the Women’s Football Awards in 2023, lauded both players, saying: “Keira Walsh and Georgia Stanway have had outstanding careers so far, marked by incredible success on the pitch.

“This year’s awards will rightly celebrate their footballing achievements, but we’ll also be recognising the brilliant work they do off the field, especially their exceptional commitment to improving access to grassroots football for women and girls. I’m really looking forward to honouring Keira and Georgia, alongside Gabby Logan and Eni Aluko, at the ceremony next week. “

The coveted awards will be dished out in London on the 1st of May, with some of the other hot-shot nominees being Chelsea’s very own Lauren James, Manchester City’s explosive talent Bunny Shaw, and Arsenal’s Alessia Russo.

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The event will also showcase categories like Grassroots Initiative of the Year, with nominees such as the Chelsea Foundation and the Premier League. Adidas, EA Sports, Three UK and Barclays are also contenders for awards.

The Women’s Football Awards is backed by prominent online fashion retailer Shein, financial services behemoth VISA, and energy supplier ScottishPower. Global sports nutrition and wellbeing brand Applied Nutrition is also one of the event’s sponsors.

Fearne Cotton reveals she felt ‘lost’ at the height of BBC Radio 1 fame

Fearne Cotton has opened up about falling into a depression and struggling with fame after leaving her Radio 1 job back in 2015, admitting she suffered an identity crisis

Fearne Cotton has opened up about falling into a depression and struggling with fame after leaving Radio 1

Fearne Cotton says she almost gave up on showbusiness after failing to reach the flying success of presenting idols Ant and Dec – recalling how she struggled with fame and felt confused about what was next.

The former Radio 1 presenter, who split from her husband Jesse Wood in December last year, admitted in a new episode of her Happy Place podcast to feeling ‘lost’ in her early thirties, despite having become a household name through her role as a TV presenter.

She said, “I got to this point where I found myself just really not liking what I was doing, finding the feedback loop of being on the radio and in the public eye, excruciating. I started to inflate other people’s view of me with what I knew to be true about myself. Which is dangerous, really dangerous. “

Fearne Cotton
Fearne says she felt ‘lost’ and struggled with self identity before beginning her podcast and writing career(Image: Instagram)

“I thought every negative thing said about me was true. I left radio and I just thought, ‘What am I doing? What is the point of any of this? ‘

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“And I honestly thought at that point, ‘Maybe I just quit everything because it’s all too painful’. And I wrote a book called Happy, and that was the first time I really spoke about anything remotely real, because you can’t really do on the radio,” continued Fearne.

“This is the first time where I said, ‘Actually this is what’s going on’ rather than me just saying ‘morning’ and playing some happy music. It was like, actually, I’m going home and I’m crying and I don’t know who I am anymore. I was in a real period of proper depression and on antidepressants”.

After writing her 2017 book Happy, Fearne says she began to come out of the depression and found a love for work again, having since expanded the book into a Happy Place lifestyle brand.

It’s not the first time Fearne has spoken about her battles with depression and mental health, often drawing on her own experiences when interviewing fellow celebrities on her podcast.

Fearne Cotton and Jesse Wood
The presenter recently split from her husband of ten years, Jesse Wood(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)

Last year, Fearne split from her husband of ten years Jesse Wood, whom she shares children Rex and Honey with.

While Fearne nor Jesse have shared why they ended their marriage, they did share a statement at the time which read: “It is with a heavy heart that I let you all know that Jesse and I are ending our marriage. Our priority has been and always will be our children. We please ask that you respect the privacy of our family at this time.”

The break-up came five years after Fearne opened up about marital troubles they had faced in the past, writing in a column for Red Magazine at the time: “Love takes hard work – and no one wants to hear that. This year, Jesse and I hit a rough patch – he was away, touring relentlessly, [with his band, Reef].

“I was trying to keep my own career going while looking after our kids and we were both desperately clinging on to our marriage. “

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A Place In The Sun star ‘in talks to join Strictly Come Dancing’ after health struggles

Former This Morning star Craig Rowe is currently in talks to join Strictly Come Dancing as the presenter gushed over the ‘gold standard’ BBC dance competition

This Morning star in talks to join Strictly Come Dancing following health battle(Image: PA)

A former This Morning star is currently in talks to join the upcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing. TV star, Craig Rowe, is keen to show off his skills after getting in shape following a recent health battle that saw him change his lifestyle.

The A Place In The Sun presenter was told he risked getting diabetes because of his weight. Doctors warned the star he was at risk of Type 2 Diabetes, so he overhauled his life by cutting back on sweet foods, sugar, and alcohol and started to focus on exercising six times a week and healthy eating.

Speaking of the warning he received from doctors, he said two years ago: “I know firsthand sadly how diabetes can affect you as my late grandad had suffered from diabetes, as had his brothers.

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Craig Rowe
TV presenter Craig shared his hopes of joining Strictly(Image: craigrowetv/Instagram)

“I’ve now learnt that diabetes is two to four times more likely to affect Black or Asian people as it does white people. ” Determined to get his blood sugar levels down, he completely changed his diet.

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“Four months on after first going to the doctors, I went back to get my blood levels checked again and they had gone right down to 30, which is the normal range, albeit at the high end. I was so pleased. “

And now, he’s hoping to make an appearance in a reality show, revealing his agent is ‘talking to all of them’.

He said to The Sun: “There’s definitely been a little bit of a rumble that I felt from some of them.

“We’ve spoken to Strictly and nothing’s happened yet, but talks are very much happening. Obviously, Strictly is the one that is gold standard. “

Craig Rowe
The star said his agent has been talking to reality shows about him signing up(Image: Instagram)

Craig, who is of Welsh and Jamaican heritage, featured on QVC, Sky Travel and CBBC during his television career, and previously worked behind the cameras in production at the BBC.

He grew up in Bristol and moved to London in his twenties with his younger sister, but is very much attached to his home city.

The star told Bristol Live in 2022: “Even though I left Bristol a long time ago, it’s still very much part of my life.” Sharing how he took his partner to the vibrant and lively city for the first time in 2022, Craig said: “We had a really good weekend, and he really fell in love with the city as well which is brilliant.”

And before landing his A Place In The Sun role, he gushed about his dream role at Channel 4, revealing: “I know it’s a cliche to say but A Place in the Sun is a dream job because I’ve always liked travelling, I’ve had an interest in property since my mid-20s and obviously I’ve worked in TV, so it was like the three things coming together.”

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‘Smart’ Bianca Censori’s next steps after Kanye ‘brought her down with him’

Bianca Censori is said to be inundated with offers to sell her story amid her split from rapper Kanye West after the controversial rapper seemingly confirmed their relationship status

Bianca Censori is said to be planning her next steps

Bianca Censori could be set to reveal all about life with Kanye West for a huge pay day, according to reports. the Australian architect, 30, has reportedly been bombarded with offers to dish the dirt in a no-holds-barred chat about her life with the controversial rapper, 47.

The duo tied the knot in December 2022, not long after the musician now legally known as Ye finalised his divorce from Kim Kardashian. However, after a number of shocking appearances, including at this year’s Grammys, it’s thought Ye and Bianca are no longer together.

And it’s led to Bianca seemingly being urged to spill on their time together. It’s claimed she is currently pondering her future, but is said to be worried about Ye’s “cult-like control” and what damage it may have done – and continue doing – to her reputation.

Kanye West and Bianca Censori
Kanye West and Bianca Censori are said to have split(Image: Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

Speaking to Radar Online, a source said Bianca had had her eyes opened when the pair first met, with Ye promising her the world. They said it initially seemed like that would be the case, until Ye “completely self-destructed”.

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The source claimed the musician “brought her down along with him”. It appeared to be a jibe at the duo’s behaviour.

They added: “She’s a very smart person with so much more to offer than being Kanye’s sex toy — but now it’s unclear if she’ll ever get a chance to shine.

“She’s wondering how she’ll be able to move on and find work as an architect or model in this tainted climate. “

But the publication claims Bianca has been “inundated with money-spinning offers” to spill her side of the controversial pairing. It appeared as though the couple had gone their separate ways earlier in the month when lyrics to one of Ye’s new tunes dropped.

In the lyrics for the track, which is part of Ye’s new album WW3, he alleges his wife had “ran away” after she tried to have him “committed”. In the chorus of the tune, according to lyric website Genius, he pleads for the couple to rekindle.

He said: “Bianca, I just want you to come back/Come back to me/I know what I did to make you mad”, implying Bianca was the one who ended their romance.

Elsewhere in the tune, Ye raps:”She’s having a panic attack and she is not liking the way that I tweeted/Until Bianca’s back I stay up all night I’m not going to sleep/I really don’t know where she’s at. “

The Gold Digger rapper also claims his wife’s family got involved as he went on to sing: “Her family, they want me locked up/

“They want me to go on retreat/They want me to run and meet/They want me to [? ]”.

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Chelsea Manager Maresca Gets Touchline Ban

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca will be missing from the dug-out for their home match against Everton after being banned for one game by England’s Football Association for receiving three yellow cards, the BBC reported Monday.

The 45-year-old Italian was booked for his celebrations following Pedro Neto’s sublime goal in added time which gave Chelsea a 2-1 win over Fulham on Sunday.

Victory propelled Chelsea into the fifth and final Champions League spot, above Nottingham Forest on goal difference.

READ ALSO: Leeds, Burnley Promoted To Premier League

Forest can go back above them if they avoid defeat against Tottenham later on Monday.

Maresca, whose two previous bookings this season were against Newcastle and Bournemouth, can return for the following game, also at home, against leaders Liverpool on May 4.

Assistant manager and former goalkeeper Willy Caballero could replace him on the touchline for the Everton match at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Leeds, Burnley Promoted To Premier League

Leeds United and Burnley won promotion to the Premier League on Monday as faltering Sheffield United were forced to settle for a place in the Championship play-offs.

Leeds, who last played in the top division in the 2022/23 season, humbled Stoke 6-0 at Elland Road, with Joel Piroe scoring four goals.

Daniel Farke’s men knew that if Sheffield United failed to beat Burnley in the later kick-off, they would be back in the Premier League.

Captain Josh Brownhill scored twice for Scott Parker’s Burnley, who have made an immediate return to the top flight.

Leeds and Burnley both have 94 points and neither can now be caught by Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United (86), who have won just one of their past five games.

Leeds, who suffered the agony of defeat to Southampton in last season’s Championship play-off final at Wembley, made short work of Stoke.

Dutch forward Piroe, who had not scored since late February, returned to form with a vengeance, celebrating a hat-trick in the 20th minute.

Junior Firpo made it four and Piroe, the club’s leading scorer this season, netted his fourth goal shortly before half-time.

The game was already long over as a contest but Wilfried Gnonto nodded a sixth goal in the 59th minute.

Farke and his players celebrated in front of their passionate fans at the final whistle but the champagne is still on ice.

The German, who has previously managed in the Premier League with Norwich, praised the way his team had coped with the pressure.

“To deliver such an emphatic performance is really amazing and all the credit goes to the boys for the way they have handled the situation and the spirit they have shown in recent weeks,” he told the BBC.

“It’s the fate of a striker that sometimes you have a dry period or a dip in form. Joel had this but he has worked so hard and got himself out of it.

“In the last few weeks his performances were better but the ball didn’t want to go in the net. It’s a bit like shaking a bottle of ketchup — all of a sudden everything comes out and that was a bit the case today. ”

Leeds wobbled from the start of March, winning just one in six games, raising fears that they would again have to settle for a place in the play-offs.

But the league’s top-scorers, with 89 goals, have now won their past four league games.

READ ALSO:  Chelsea Manager Maresca Gets Touchline Ban

Solid Burnley

Burnley are nowhere near as prolific as their closest rivals, whom they will battle for the Championship title, but their superpower is their defence — they have conceded just 15 goals all season.

Brownhill broke the deadlock at Turf Moor in the 28th minute when he pounced from close range but the visitors were level just nine minutes later through Tom Cannon.

But Brownhill put Burnley back in front from the penalty spot before half-time and they held on to extend their unbeaten run to a club-record 31 games.

Burnley’s players celebrated on the pitch at the final whistle — matched by the watching Leeds team at Elland Road.

“I’m speechless. All that hard work this season,” Brownhill told Sky Sports.

“We’ve been written off so many times, people calling us boring. We’ve bored our way to the Premier League.

“It takes a whole team — it’s not just a back four, a goalkeeper, it takes everybody. ”

Sheffield United are guaranteed to finish third but face a battle to secure a spot in the Premier League through the play-offs.