Loose Women’s Charlene White broke the news of her family member’s tragic death during a post on Instagram last month, admitting “two weeks ago our lives changed forever”
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Charlene White has revealed how she ‘burst into tears’ as she returned home following the tragic loss of one of her family members(Image: Getty Images for BAFTA)
ITV News presenter Charlene White has opened up on the outpouring of love and support she has experienced following the tragic death of her dad, who took his own life earlier this year.
Last month, the Loose Women panellist took to Instagram to share the saddening news, speaking of the “hurt, pain, shock [and] grief” that she and her family had been going through.
Now, in her latest column for The i Paper, she opened up about the support of family, friends, neighbours and even school parents in the days and weeks that followed the loss.
Addressing the tragedy, she wrote: “My body and mind haven’t really accepted what has happened, and it will probably be some time before I am able to express how I feel or the impact on our family.”
However, while she is still struggling to come to terms with the huge bereavement, she added that one thing has brought her huge comfort: “But what I can share is how much the outpouring of kindness from those near and far has helped my family navigate this collision course.”
Recalling how she stayed at her aunt’s house in the days following her dad’s death, she explained how she was overcome with the amount of love and support that her friends and neighbours provided, saying that they brought a “constant stream of freshly cooked food, drinks, snacks and alcohol” to help comfort her and her family.
After finally returning back to her home address for the first time, she recalls how she was hit with a wave of emotions once again: “Six days later, when I finally went to my own house for the night, I burst into tears.
“I was standing in a kitchen full of flowers from friends and colleagues, and cards written with words that hit my heart in so many different ways. Frozen food was delivered by neighbours and families from school.”
Over the years, Charlene has become an ever-present star on our screens having presented news coverage on ITV since 2008.
She has also made history by becoming the first black woman to present the ITV News at Ten.
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Meanwhile, Charlene also regularly appears on Loose Women after first landing the position back in 2021. She has also tried her luck on reality TV, appearing in I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2022.
Strictly Come Dancing presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will be replaced on the show next year, after revealing that the current series will be their last
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Amanda Holden shared her thoughts on Strictly’s potential new presenters(Image: Instagram/Heart Radio)
Amanda Holden has shared her thoughts on the rumoured names in the mix to replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman on Strictly Come Dancing. Last month, the presenters announced they will be leaving the show after co-hosting together for over 10 years.
Since then, many famous names have been put forward as potential replacements including Bradley Walsh, Zoe Ball and Alex Jones.
Sharing her thoughts about the latest predictions, Amanda appeared apprehensive about Bradley, before insisting she’d prefer the replacements to be females.
Speaking with her co-stars Ashley Roberts and Jamie Theakston on Heart Radio Breakfast, she said: “I like the idea of Alex Jones, and I love Zoe and I also love Bradley, I don’t know, I still keep thinking girls more than boys.
“I quite like the idea of Alex Jones, she’s funny. I’m enjoying the sort of lottery of people, I’m enjoying it, the guess work.”
Previously discussing the topic on an earlier edition of the show, the 54-year-old said replacing Tess and Claudia will be “tricky”.
While she didn’t name anyone specifically, the presenter went on to say that some of the names mentioned so far were “just boring”.
“I’m like, think left-field, think of somebody that can dance, that’s been on the show,” she said.
In response, her co-star Ashley, who competed on Strictly in 2018, said: “Could it be me? Let’s toss my name in the mix.”
Amanda replied: “I’ll tell you the other thing, as well, is it’s a big commitment, there’s, you know, lots of weekends taken up, but I think you’d be alright.”
Ashley went on to say she’d “absolutely love it”, though confirmed Strictly bosses “haven’t reached out yet”.
Tess and Claudia announced that this series will be their last in an Instagram video. As part of a joint statement, they said: “We have loved working as a duo and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream.
“We were always going to leave together and now feels like the right time. We will have the greatest rest of this amazing series and we just want to say an enormous thank you to the BBC and to every single person who works on the show.”
They went on to say: “We will cry when we say the last ‘keep dancing’ but we will continue to say it to each other. “Just possibly in tracksuit bottoms at home while holding some pizza.”
Tess has been fronting the show since the very beginning, firstly with the now late Bruce Forsyth followed by Claudia.
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The latter joined the main show 2014, having hosted Strictly’s sister show It Takes Two since 2004.
For now, the pair continue to front the current series, where nine dancing duos remain in the hope of winning the Glitterball trophy.
Loose Women presenter Ruth Langsford has opened up about her overwhelming concerns over being diagnosed with a devastating condition, which could run in her family
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Ruth Langsford has shared her health fears
TV star Ruth Langsford, 65, has admitted she constantly feels “really frightened” about her health after her late father, Dennis Langsford, started showing “signs” of dementia when he was in his late sixties.
In an exclusive interview, the star, who became a household name while hosting ITV’s This Morning alongside her estranged husband Eamonn Holmes, explained that when she has a “complete and utter blank” and can’t remember someone’s name, she always fears the worst.
Ruth’s concerns quickly escalated when her mother, Joan Langsford, was also diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. When asked about whether she worries about a potential genetic link, Ruth admitted: “All the time, literally all the time, if I ever have a senior moment where I go, ‘what’s her name again?’, somebody that I know quite well, and I have a complete and utter blank, it really frightens me.
“I’m 65 now, my dad was officially diagnosed when he was 72. But looking back on it, we think he was displaying signs, we just didn’t know what they were – but he was in his late 60s and I’m 65.
“And so I do have those moments, and I just, I tell myself, ‘no, no, it’s just because you’re busy, or mind’s busy’. You never know, and I don’t want to know, actually.”
The Loose Women presenter went on to insist that she would refuse to take a test to find out if she’s at risk of developing the condition, as there’s no cure.
Ruth explained: “They all say, ‘if there was a test, would you take it?’ I go, ‘why? What’s the point unless there’s a cure?’
“If I could take a test, and they said, ‘if you take the test, we could stop it happening’, 100% I would take the test, but they can’t, and I know what’s ahead.
“Of course I worry about it with both parents having had dementia, but I just think, what will be will be.”
The mum-of-one went on to say that she tries to do everything she can to boost her cognitive health as she gets older.
Ruth shared: “I do crosswords and things like that. And I’m very active because I’m still very busy with work, they say that helps. So, yeah, I do worry.”
According to the Alzheimer’s Society website, the majority of dementia is not inherited by children and grandchildren. In rarer types of dementia there might be a strong genetic link, but these are only a small proportion of overall cases.
Strictly’s Vicky Pattison and Kai Widdrington have had quite the journey already. Here they open up about their special bond, Kai’s bromance’ with Vicky’s hubby and her big plans for next year
We’ve watched Vicky Pattison go from a self-confessed nervous wreck to offering up some fabulously assured dance routines on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing. And her pro partner Kai Widdrington – the caring, perfectly measured match to Vicky’s sparky energy – tells us he truly believes she “has the tools to go all the way”.
He clearly feels like he’s won already as he calls warm, straight-talking Vicky “the beating heart of the celeb group this year” during their glamorous OK! shoot.
READ MORE: Cat Deeley wows in £46 M&S skirt that’s ‘perfect for the Christmas season’
It’s already been quite a journey. Vicky, 37, who married businessman Ercan Ramadan last August, has battled severe anxiety since stepping out onto the fabled dance floor. But she happily tells us she’s “turning a corner” – and she hopes she’ll inspire others to be a bit braver.
She admits with a giggle that she could have been doing something very different with her Saturday nights this year (clue: it involves nappy changes). “At the start of this year, I said to Ercan, I’m either gonna do Strictly , a second series of Honesty Box or we’re going to have a baby. When I got the call for Strictly he was over the moon,” she laughs.
While readily admitting they’ve had less quality time together since she joined the Strictly juggernaut, seeing how caring he’s been while she juggles it all, has convinced Vicky he’ll make an amazing dad.
“So yes, kids are definitely on the cards next year. I think he’s looking forward to it now. He probably thinks I’ll be at home a bit more, which he’s thrilled about,” she says.
She recently admitted that Sundays at home with hubby are “sacred” to her right now. So how is she coping being away from Ercan and their two beloved pooches? “Going home to Ercan and the dogs, I’m so grateful for that,” she says. “I can snap out of whatever steps are flying around in my head and be with my family. I need that moment.”
Ercan recently flew to see his family in Cyprus for a week – the only time he’s missed seeing her perform live – and his absence hit her hard. “I told him to go. I said, ‘All I’m doing is coming home and whining that I’m tired, then I go to bed.’ But the minute he left, I realised how much I missed him and needed him. He’s my anchor and he spoils me rotten.
“He wakes me up every morning with my electrolytes, my collagen, ready to go to Strictly school. He texts about what I want for dinner and he’s being the best dog dad. There’s a real sense of role reversal, in the traditional sense, right now. It’s progressive and it takes a special man to do that.”
Southampton-born Kai, who started dancing at the age of nine, the same year Strictly first aired on telly, has struck up a lovely bond with Vicky’s other half, too. Apparently they spend most of their time talking about football, alongside Ercan’s lookalike brother. “Kai and Ercan have a little bromance going,” Vicky tells us. “He’s gone down a storm with my family and friends and I love his gorgeous girlfriend Chloe.”
They even talked about going on a double date – before realising it would be nigh on impossible with a brand new dance to learn every week. “We were so full of it at the start of this process,” Vicky admits. “A double-date, what?! Nobody’s got time for that!”
Kai admits he had zero preconceptions about former Heart Radio presenter Vicky before they met, other than knowing she was a total novice at dancing. He is visibly delighted by how much she’s progressed. “If I’d shown her what she’s achieved in our most recent dances, she wouldn’t have believed it. But why stop now? We might as well go the whole way,” he says confidently.
Vicky agrees, saying it’s “mindblowing” when she recalls how she struggled to even clap on time during the first group dance. Since then, she’s performed a beautiful American Smooth, the Couple’s Choice dance to Cheryl Cole’s Fight For This Love and even the notoriously tricky samba.
“Oh man, the samba. If you’d told me seven weeks ago I’d love that dance, I’d have called you a liar. Yet here I am. A big, samba-loving Geordie,” she laughs.
The fact that Cheryl – who she’s idolised since she was a teenager – sent her a personal message of support is something she’s still coming to terms with. “That was one of the best moments of my life. I might only top it when I have my first kid,” she says.
Vicky remembers Cheryl once walking into the clothes shop where she used to work on Saturdays in Newcastle. “She came in with a little black top and a baseball cap on, the most beautiful creature I’d ever seen and dead polite. She said, ‘Have you got this in an extra small?’ and we ran away looking for it. But the minute she left, we lost our minds! I met her after I did the jungle too – she’s so sweet and humble.”
Throughout our chat, it’s clear what a lovely synergy Vicky and Kai have. “He sussed out early doors how to get the best out of me,” she says. “I’ll work hard, but I need my little breaks, a bit of craic. Outside of this incredible experience I’m just a human being, trying my best.”
She hopes the two of them will be friends for life. “Kai’s got really good previous, to be fair. He just went to Angela Rippon ’s 81st birthday. Maybe he’ll be at my 81st birthday party too. I don’t feel like it’s far off, the way my body’s feeling at the minute,” she jokes.
And Kai, who’s been a pro on the show for five years, explains that after two months of dancing together he knows what makes Vicky tick. “I know what to say, what not to say, when to give her space. And unlike her, I’m never worried. She always pulls it out of the bag.”
She’s certainly come a long way since the start of her Strictly journey. Despite being a mega-fan whose dream for years was to do the show one day, even she was shocked by how crippling her anxiety was ahead of her first performance.
“It was such a huge step out of my comfort zone. That’s a very scary place to be,” she admits. “I’m an open book, so I don’t regret being so transparent about how tough it was. But I was really shocked at how all-consuming it was at first. I’d be visibly shaking and… yeah, there were a lot of tears.”
She admits to being a “nervous girlie” and says her anxiety is getting worse the older she gets. “When you’re younger, you’re completely fearless. I’m definitely not any more. I’m afraid of almost everything.”
But she’s ready to change the narrative, she says. “Maybe watching me do this, though I’m really scared, will give people faith that they can do amazing things if they go outside their comfort zone, you know?
“And Kai does this lovely thing – he turns to me before we go out on the dance floor and says, ‘We’re just dancing. Just me and you – just dance with me.’ It’s so powerful and so lovely. The outside noise just drifts away.”
Kai has never seen anyone quite like Vicky when it comes to sharing the other celebs’ triumphs.
He says, “Sometimes, watching the others, you’re aware it’s a competition and seeing a couple smash a dance, you’re happy but there might be mixed feelings. I’ve never seen someone as genuinely happy for others doing well as Vicky. Every other celeb this year would say that, I think. But she’s so good at making other people feel better, she sometimes forgets about herself.”
Vicky admits the other celebrities already feel like family, and says each elimination is “a heartache”. “We’ve all got a special bond, but my favourite people are George [Clarke], Bavinder [Sopal] and La Voix. I really miss Chris Robshaw, he was like my big brother. Lewis [Cope] is a lovely lad, and I love his girlfriend. And Caz [Karen Carney] is always checking in.”
Vicky also credits her bestie Pete Wicks for being her rock. Pete reached the semi-final of Strictly last year with Jowita Przystal. “He’s been my biggest cheerleader,” Vicky says. “He’s been to see us twice and he calls me every show day to check in.”
Vicky and Kai’s series is already proving to be a historic one, as Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman made the bombshell announcement that this will be their last outing as hosts. How do they feel about it?
“The pair of them have done so much for women in television,” Vicky says. “ Strictly will continue to be this sparkly piece of TV that brings joy to millions, but it is the end of an era. They deserve a chance to enjoy their Saturday nights though.”
Her own stint on Strictly is far from over, but taking part makes Vicky feel like the sky’s the limit. “Every time I do something, whether it’s eating kangaroo balls in the jungle or being thrown out of a helicopter on Celeb SAS , I’m scared,” she says. “But coming out the other side, you feel incredible. If I can dance on Strictly , there’s nothing I can’t do.”
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Strictly Come Dancing continues on ITV on Saturday at 6.25pm
Former EastEnders actress Shona McGarty is heading to Australia to take part in this year’s I’m A Celeb but took time to share an emotive post before she jets off
Former EastEnders star Shona McGarty has shared a cryptic post on social media ahead of her stint in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! The actress recently split from her fiancé David Bracken and appears to be doing some reflecting on life before she jets out to Australia.
Shona, 34, posted a black and white video to her Instagram where she is seen applying her make-up while giving an emotive silent performance and removing the makeup again before the clip turns to colour. Shona shared a long caption alongside the clip, with lyrics from her new song Unapologetically Me.
She wrote, “I’m finally learning to just be me, no filters, no apologies, no shrinking to make others comfortable. It’s a new beginning, and this time I’m stepping into life with open arms and an open heart. I’ve spent too long second-guessing, dimming my light, trying to fit into spaces that were never meant for me.
“But now, it’s about freedom, being comfortable in my own skin, owning my story, singing LOUD, with all my flaws, and my fire. This is the start of really living, fully and authentically. From here on out, …I’m .. ‘unapologetically me’.”
Shona is one of the stars who is rumoured to be heading to Australia for I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here’s upcoming series.
Shona – who is best known for her portrayal of Whitney Dean on the BBC soap – reportedly split from David after a year-long engagement. The pair got engaged in the summer of 2024 but have now apparently called off their engagement.
A source told The Sun, “They are on amicable terms, but have ended their romantic relationship. There are no hard feelings, they realised they wanted different things and are better off as friends. Shona is now focusing on her music and career.”
The pair met on TikTok just over two years ago and David, who is best known as a member of Blessed, popped the question during a romantic picnic in that took place in Kensington, West London. Although, at the time, things almost went awry when the police turned up.
At the time, David said: “I went over to the police, who said, ‘Sorry we are just closing up the park’. I said, ‘Would you mind giving me five minutes as I am about to propose to my partner?’
“He looked at his watch and said, ‘Of course, and best of luck!” So, I told Shona to go stand at the waterfall in the park. I then put on our favourite song and had a dance with her before getting down on one knee.”
Shona then noted that she was none the wiser about how David’s proposal was almost scuppered at the last minute. She said: “David went over to speak to them and I had no idea what he said because I was just eating cheese and crackers.”
In an exclusive joint interview with OK! announcing their engagement, Shona and David said that the location of the proposal made it even more special.
David had picked a tranquil corner of the park called Kyoto Garden – somewhere that means a lot to Shona.
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She explained: “I love Japanese culture and the spirituality of it. He brought a picnic which was really sweet. It was lovely, I was in my element but I didn’t think he was going to propose at all.”
Disney+ is launching a two-part documentary examining the tragic story of the late TV presenter through the eyes of her mum Christine.
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Caroline Flack took her own life in 2020.
The tragic story of Caroline Flack will be examined in a documentary launching later this month. Across two episodes, Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth will examine the shocking story of the former Love Island presenter.
After her arrest in 2019, she became the target of a relentless media storm. She was vilified in the press and online, causing her world to spiral and end in tragedy when she took her own life in February 2020.
Now a powerful documentary will follow Caroline’s mother, Christine, as she investigates the truth about her daughter’s final months. In it, she uncovers shocking new details, asks difficult questions, and exposes the misrepresentations.
The documentary also shares the pressures and failures from institutions and decision makers that shaped Caroline’s final days. With access to powerful testimony from Caroline’s inner circle and those who were there, the series tells the story she never got to share and reveals an unprecedented look at what really happened to Caroline.
Search for the Truth is executive produced by Dov Freedman, Charlie Russell and Jessie Versluys for Curious Films. The same production company behind the 2021 documentary Caroline Flack: Her Life and Death.
It follows a string of other successful documentary and reality series, including Netflix’s Victoria Beckham and Prime Video’s Molly-Mae: Behind It All. Here’s when UK viewers will be able to tune into Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth.
When is Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth released?
Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth will premiere Monday, November 10, with both episodes available from launch.
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How to watch Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth
Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth will be streaming exclusively on Disney+, which now starts at £5.99 for a monthly subscription that can be cancelled at any time. Members can get the equivalent of two months free by paying for a year upfront on the Standard or Premium plan, providing 12 months for the price of 10.
Disney+ has racked up hundreds of reviews on Trustpilot, where one member says: “Very good selection, friendly support and easy to cancel if you need to. Very easy to navigate their site, and the openness and transparency they show should be a model for others.”
Another said: “I’ve been a subscriber since the very beginning, and I have to say that I am absolutely in love with this service. Over the years, Disney+ has consistently delivered high-quality streaming content, from classic Disney movies to new releases, along with a wealth of popular TV shows and original content.”
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Despite their five-star review, this member said: “Too many ads while watching a show.” While another glowing review says: “I had reason to ring customer service with tech issues and I was very impressed.
