County Down owner Philip Polly won the first Grade One stakes in a thrilling Savills Chase on Sunday at Leopardstown thanks to Affordale Fury.
The seven-year-old, who was Noel Meade’s trainer, started and successfully completed the three-mile race.
A rematch of the Cheltenham Gold Cup match, which Inothewayurthinkin denied to Galopin Des Champs for a third consecutive victory, was the focus of the pre-race narrative.
Instead, those in red and black gathered to cheer as Sam Ewing led Affordale Fury (7-1) to a decisive victory.
What a week it’s been, Polly exclaimed to RTE Sport, “I can’t believe it.”
“We won the Bumper on Boxing Day, and now we’ve rocked and won the Savills.”
As Affordale Fury stepped out in front of a crowded field, Champ Kiely was an early faller on the flat.
When favorite Galopin Des Champs made a move, the field remained open until the final two hurdles.
The Willie Mullins-trained favorite was forced to settle for third, where Affordale Fury won with a 50-point lead over 2024 Grand National winner I Am Maximus.
Ewing’s stellar two days came to an end thanks to Favori De Champdou and Solness’ efforts to win in the Grade One on Saturday.
Going into the first and seeing where we landed, Ewing said, “I wanted to be positive and good.”
Teahupo wins the Christmas Hurdle with a strong performance.
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Second favorite Teahupo (5-2), who won the Christmas Hurdle, defeated Bob Olinger (11-1) at their March meeting in Cheltenham.
Gordon Elliott, who won two big victories at Leopardstown on Saturday, came away with yet another Grade One triumph.
Rocky’s Diamond opened a gap on Ballyburn’s chasing pack before the second hurdle, when Teahupo, ridden by Jack Kennedy, jumped into the lead.
Bob Olinger, a challenge from Henry de Bromhead, was in charge, with race favorite Ballyburn (13-8) coming in third.
He performed fairly well when we jumped at the front at the last second and I put him on the straight, according to Kennedy.
A long-time friend of Bradley Walsh has revealed what he really is like when the cameras stop rolling in response to claims that he “corpses deliberately” on The Chase.
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Bradley Walsh hit back at claims of him faking reactions on The Chase (Image: ITV)
Bradley Walsh’s friend and former colleague has revealed what it’s been like to work alongside the presenter of The Chase for more than 40 years. The ITV quiz program has been under the leadership of the 64-year-old host since its launch in 2009.
Bradley has a tendency to laugh at the chasers and contestants and has been known to be hysterics over funny questions and responses. He has never been one to take things too seriously.
When he couldn’t contain his laughter over a question about German skier Fanny Chmelar, one of his most memorable moments occurred.
Bradley clarified his position by saying he doesn’t know what will happen next after some viewers accused him of fake reacting.
He explained that “I actually play the game, not I do them,” and that I do it as it is. It’s much better if I get a response, not worse.
During an appearance on Laura Hamilton’s Mile Fly Club podcast, he added: “I’ll read what’s on the autocue and half the time, I don’t realise what I’ve said,” reports the Express.
Bradley continued to discuss the infamous Fanny Chmelar incident by saying, “And people still believe I’m corpsing deliberately but I’m not, that’s actually me laughing, I had no idea that was]coming] up.”
Joe Pasquale, a long-time friend, claimed that The Chase host and host are the same on and off the screen.
The comedian made it clear that Brad is what you see and that he does what he says he will. What you see is what you get with Brad, according to the comedian.
We’ve been dating for 40 years, and I’m a couple with Shane Richie and Brian Conley, and we all started out together, which is great about the Prat Pack tour.
Bradley recently appeared on Beat The Chasers as the new quizmaster, which off course coincides with their joint touring.
Joe became known as Maverick after appearing in a special one-off episode.
Joe was given strict instructions before revealing his true self to the Chasers, audiences, and especially Bradley.
He explained how he had traveled extensively while wearing a disguise and how he had known Bradley for 40 years. Practically just before filming, we had been on the road together. He is aware of my movements and inner workings.
The producer instructed me to remain calm because I speak very slowly and am physically aggressive. “Don’t move, just keep really still and talk very slowly so he doesn’t think it’s you,” he said. So I had to work it out.
The comedian, thankfully, was able to keep his identity a secret, leaving the presenter “genuinely surprised” by his revelation.
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When questioned about whether the host’s deception was true, he responded, “He’s like my big brother. He’s never angry with me.”
Joe is appearing in Swansea Grand’s Aladdin until 4 January 2026. The Chase: Celebrity Christmas Special broadcasts tonight at 5.35pm on ITV.
Bonnie Blue and her family enjoyed a much quieter Christmas thanks to her legal issues in Indonesia, which included roast potato accidents and a typically divisive breakfast.
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Bonnie Blue invited fans to follow along with her family’s Christmas festivities (Image: Tik Tok)
Bonnie Blue has settled in for the holiday season by sharing her unusual Christmas Day routine with fans after a dramatic year, even by her standards.
After receiving fines for traffic violations, the controversial adult film star, who has gained notoriety for her extreme sex stunts, was recently deported from Bali and prohibited from entering Indonesia for ten years. Bonnie, who goes by the name Tia Billinger, appeared unfazed by her recent legal issues when she documented her December 25th on TikTok, starting her day with a breakfast of leftover Chinese takeaway.
Bonnie, 26, made the insult of many in the comments section when she showed off the carton of food to her followers. Then, Bonnie, who donned pajamas, could open presents with her family and make fun of a talented T-shirt with the message “I’d dropkick a child for a PepsiMax.” A Highland cow teddy, a skin serum, “delectable” pyjamas, a fluffy robe from her grandma, and more gifts were provided.
READ MORE: Bonnie Blue made her feelings on Andrew Tate very clear after filming with him
Then it was onto the Christmas dinner prep, with Bonnie seen bantering with her sister Summer as she rustled up some roasties. Joking that Summer “had one job, roast potatoes”, Bonnie revealed: “So far, the oven has broke, and Summer was meant to boil the potatoes for 10 minutes, she did it for an hour so now they’re now a little bit mushy.
She continued, “She had one job. We’ll be able to continue with this because we ordered enough Chinese last night. And we now have to bring our Christmas dinner to people’s homes so they can prepare it for us.
However, Bonnie openly acknowledged she had “nothing” to add to the family feast despite her quick criticism of Summer for her culinary cliches. Bonnie’s family was left dealing with all sorts of ordinary Christmas Day chaos as a result of their disastrous roasting attempt, just like many families across the nation.
Bonnie remarked, “What else has gone wrong? ” Two left feet are grandmother’s shoes. Dad became ill and nearly cried after we tricked him into believing the bathroom had fallen through.
Although the family eventually sat around the table for a “beautiful” dinner, Christmas dinner initially appeared to be “unlikely.” Then, while visiting her uncle, Bonnie humorously posted a picture of a small dog quipping and staring at her through the window. “Do you ever feel like you’re being watched? “
Bonnie, who had been cooped back up at home, was seen using what appeared to be a fun craft kit to make her own bouncy ball. She then finished her video by letting her fans know, “I’m going to watch Homeland and go to bed.” Everyone, Merry Christmas.
Her most controversial stunt of the year ended with her finding herself imprisoned in Bali earlier this month. Despite just being faced with potentially lengthy prison time, the 26-year-old was seen smiling in photos following her arrest and even being heard making jokes about consuming her content. And it’s thought that her ongoing campaign to stoke outrage may include this startling reaction.
All attention is fuel, according to criminologist Alex Iszatt to the Mirror. Bonnie Blue’s operation thrives on this simple, unwavering formula. The brand is actively amplified by each public complaint, news cycle, and social media debate. Even legal issues are used as promotional material, whether to deflect criticism or direct instructing the audience to “subscribe and find out” as Bali Bali.
She has shown to be clever enough to dance along the line of the law without vehemently violating it, and her quip that “people are so stupid” is less of a boast than a diagnosis of her method.
Mayah Riaz, who also offers her personal branding expertise, PR to the stars, said, “From a PR standpoint, Bonnie’s choice to take her brand of shock content to Bali feels like someone playing with fireworks and acting surprised when they go off.
“She knows exactly what she is doing. Bali’s strict laws are no secret, which is why this looks less like an accident and more like calculated chaos. For someone whose entire career is built on outrage, the risk was part of the performance. In her world, scandal is not a setback; she uses it as a sales tool.”
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Meghan Markle has been named on a list that includes other “disliked celebs” and is no stranger to receiving criticism from the public.
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Meghan has been named on the list(Image: Netflix)
Meghan Markle has been featured in a humiliating end-of-year poll, which is another embarrassing circumstance. She has been named one of the most “disliked celebrities” of 2025, according to reports.
After appearing lower down the list in previous years, The Duchess of Sussex has been placed first. The 44-year-old’s fate is decided by the results of the public’s votes, which is a huge blow.
Meghan has been in the top 10 on the list since 2023 however it seems she has moved further up over the years. She and Sean Combs have moved in and out of first place during this time.
READ MORE: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ‘make redundancies’ after major unexpected changeREAD MORE: ‘I helped Meghan Markle before she suffered family tragedy but her next move surprised me’
According to Yahoo Entertainment, the list is also a blow for Meghan’s husband Prince Harry who is also placed in the top 10. Users vote in real time which means that the celebrity positions can often change.
Meghan and Harry’s relationship reportedly ended with their 11th publicist in just 5 years, according to reports.
It was revealed last week that Meredith Maines, who worked for the couple for less than a year, will be “pursuing a new opportunity” in 2026 after a year of “inspiring work” with the couple.
Harry and Meghan have also parted ways with US-based PR agency Method Communications, which was hired in June this year to promote the couple’s business and philanthropic endeavours.
In March 2025, Maines began working for the Sussexes as their chief communications officer (CCO). She claimed that the pair’s CCO oversees “all external communications.”
This includes Meghan’s media production company, Archewell Productions, and their joint charity, Archewell Philanthropies, as well as their first-ever launch of Meghan’s lifestyle brand As Ever in April of this year.
It appears that a briefing dispute has broken out since her resignation, with some claiming that Maines’ departure was brought on by a dispute over the deletion of Sussexes’ photos after they attended a party hosted by the Kardashians.
One source told the Daily Mail: “Her tenure has been an absolute disaster. If she did in fact quit then she’s getting out to save face before it gets worse… She’s telling others that she is helping with the transition but this does not scream amicable to me.”
Another responded, saying, “She really enjoyed her time there, but eventually it’s time to leave.” They asked her to continue overseeing the Archewell Foundation transition and other transitions. To accomplish that, she stayed.
Meredith believes she succeeded in her goals. She launched the website, brand, and show. She also persuaded Harry to visit his father in September, which they set out to accomplish.
After a year of inspiring work with Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and Archewell, Ms. Maines stated in a statement: “I will be looking for a new opportunity in 2026.” The couple and the team do a great job doing the world, but I have the utmost respect for them and respect for their efforts.
A total of 34 lawyers were chosen to serve as judges of the Federal High Court of Nigeria (FHC), but they were disqualified from the race because they failed the integrity test.
The National Judicial Council (NJC), led by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has approved the new guidelines to prevent people with doubts from being acquitted in court.
The 34 legal professionals were chosen from among the 62 candidates for the Federal High Court’s bench, but during the integrity test, various petitions against them tried to deceive them.
Only 28 nominees who passed the integrity test, according to sources at the NJC, will now face the Council’s interview panel the following month.
The Federal High Court sent 62 applicants their names to FJSC after they passed the Computer Base Test (CBT) examination.
Read more about Federal High Court Shortlists 34 for Judge appointments.
However, the FJSC was alleged to have used the policy of integrity test approved by the current Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, to provide public feedback on nominees by publishing the names of the 62 applicants in accordance with the established procedure.
Members of the public were asked to provide feedback on nominees’ integrity, reputation, and suitability for judicial appointments after their names were published on September 17, 2025.
A female nominee was alleged to have bribed someone while performing her official duties in one of the public feedback petitions, and she was then referred to the Police Service Commission (PSC) for investigation.
The Police Service Commission concluded that the female nominee had demanded and received a million naira bribe during a court proceeding that took place at her place.
The FJSC ended up up upholding the nomination of only 28 names, forwarding the same to the NJC, and dropping the remaining 34 because they had failed to pass the integrity test on the basis of the established facts of the petition written by a lawyer against the female nominee and several others.
The NJC will receive the honorable 28 nominees at its meeting scheduled for January 2026, according to Channels Television’s information.
The source predicted the meeting would take place in the second week of February and the 28 nominees will face an interview panel from the NJC.
The NJC Director of Information, Kemi Ogedegbe, confirmed that the Council would meet between January 13 and January 14 to discuss issues involving the shortlisted candidates’ appointments as Federal High Court judges.
The 28 nominees’ meetings will take place on Wednesday and Thursday, according to her, and they will likely be on Monday and Tuesday.
Ogedegbe, who criticized specific petitions filed against some nominees, argued that the NJC is completely determined to keep the entry point bar open regardless of who is involved.
Former US ambassador to Iran asserts that Israel has destroyed every chance for peace.
Iran is once more in the spotlight as a result of Israeli pressure on US President Donald Trump over Tehran’s ballistic missiles, which came after it was attacked by Israel and the United States.
After five rounds of negotiations between Washington and Tehran, veteran Iranian diplomat Javad Zarif claims that “everyone lost any faith in diplomacy.”
