Having done a turn on the box or the big screen goes your political prospects no harm at all – but as we can see here, not everyone makes it into the House of Commons.
There was a time only a select few were capable of making the switch from showbiz to politics, with titans of industry grabbing all the political power while TV and movie stars stayed in their lanes. America led the way with the likes of actors Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger being elected to high office.
Now, having done a turn on the box or the big screen goes your political prospects no harm at all. Tory MP Esther McVey started out on GMTV alongside Eamonn Holmes, Robert Kilroy-Silk went from politics to TV and then back to politics and of course US President Donald Trump (who?) rose to stardom on The Apprentice’s US edition while his opposite number in Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky was a TV comedy star who won the country’s version of Strictly Come Dancing.
Coronation Street’s Lisa Swain has had her fair share of drama and heartbreak on the cobbles, and the same can also be said for actress Vicky Myers’ real life
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Coronation Street Lisa star’s real-life heartbreak after ‘bitter’ divorce from partner
Coronation Street’s Vicky Myers has had to deal with her own heartbreak over the years away from the ITV soap.
Actress Vicky shot to fame playing DS Lisa Swain, who made her first appearance in 2021 to assist with the Amy Barlow (Elle Mulvaney) rape case.
Since then, the copper has become a major part of the Coronation Street cast and a firm favourite with the show’s loyal legion of viewers. She has also played a part in several big storylines, including the recent Corriedale episode.
From uncovering murders and putting villains behind bars, to even becoming a murder suspect herself, Lisa’s time in Weatherfield has not been short of drama.
What’s more, Lisa, who shares a daughter, Betsy (Sydney Martin), with her ex-wife Becky (Amy Cudden), has also found love again with soap legend Carla Connor (Alison King).
However, the pair’s love story hasn’t been plain sailing, as Becky has recently managed to come between Lisa and Carla. And following the catastrophic Corriedale episode this week, Becky finally got her comeuppance when she was arrested for her crimes.
However, fans hoping to see Carla and Lisa reunite were left heartbroken as things are still not good between the pair. In Thursday’s episode (January 8), Lisa shared a heart-to-heart with Kit Green (Jacob Roberts) about her relationship with Carla.
Away from the soap, though, Lisa actress Vicky has had to deal with her own share of heartbreak. In 2010, her life was turned upside down when she became a single mum. Just a few months later, doctors noticed a suspicious mark by chance while she was taking her nephew for a medical check-up.
Doctors ended up finding out she had skin cancer, and her ex-partner helped take care of their daughter, Meghan, while she got better from reconstructive surgery.
Talking to the Mirror in 2024, Vicky reflected on the difficult years and said: “I don’t know if it’s my previous medical history, but I am so proud to be here and just to be living each day to the full.
“When my husband and I split up, I was quite down, bitter and vengeful, and when I was told I had [cancer], I remember thinking, ‘If this is it for me, I’ve missed out on all this time with my daughter, and I haven’t really been the best person that I wanted to be.’
“The diagnosis re-centred me and made me focus on what is really important and what makes me happy. Now, every time I go into work and see the Coronation Street sign, it’s quite overwhelming.”
Rylan Clark’s newly-renovated flat, full of plush detail including a wooden four-poster bed and quartz kitchen tops, is a luxurious homage to the presenter’s favourite London hotel
Telly favourite Rylan Clark has given fans a tantalizing glimpse at his posh new Central London flat with stunning before and after snaps of the home renovation he’s been quietly working on for the past year.
The TV and theatre star said the death of her long-term partner was ‘by far’ the most difficult thing she had ever been through as she opened up about the lessons she has learned from grief
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Jill said losing Matt was the ‘hardest’ thing she has ever been through
Former EastEnders star Jill Halfpenny has described the death of her partner Matt Janes from a sudden heart attack as “the hardest thing she’s ever gone through”. The Gateshead-born actress, 50, also lost her father around 40 years earlier, when the 36 year old suffered a similar attack during a game of five-a-side football, when Jill was just four.
Reflecting on how she has coped with the compounded grief since losing Matt, 43, in 2017, the mum of one said she has tried to turn her emotions into something positive. “I guess what I’ve learned from it is that if I can get through that, and if I can try to come to terms with it and accept it, then… it’s not that I feel indestructible, but I feel I’ve worked a muscle, and I’ve learned something about myself,” she says in a new interview.
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The actress, who became a household name playing Nicola Dobson in the coming-of-age series Byker Grove, has previously shared that she first discovered Matt had died during a gym session after he failed to return home on time. After arriving at the gym, she discovered Matt lying on the studio floor. He was taken by ambulance to hospital but attempts to resuscitate him with a defibrillator were unsuccessful.
Jill said the first person she called was “her mam”, and she was very aware of triggering her own grief. “I could hear the fear in my mam’s voice. I was ringing her with the news about Matt, but I was still thinking about her, that she knows exactly how this feels,” she told The Sunday Times in 2024. “And I could hear it in her voice, I could hear that she knew I was about to go on that same journey.”
She continued, “And as we heal, and as we talk, and as we communicate, and as we connect, then the space around the stone starts to get a bit bigger. I don’t think the stone necessarily gets smaller; I think the space around it does. Tiny, incremental wins happen, and then you go to bed that night, and you think, ‘Oh, maybe things are going to be alright’.”
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Jill, whose recent TV credits include main roles in the TV dramas The Cuckoo, The Drowning and Everything I Know About Love, also previously revealed that she and Matt were trying for a baby at the time of his death. She also has one son, teenager Harvey, from her marriage to actor Craig Conway, who she divorced from in 2010.
She is now in a relationship with partner Ian McAllister, after revealing that Matt once made her promise she would “meet someone else and find love again”. Speaking about the relationship in 2024, Jill said: “It sounds so cheesy, but I think Ian and I met at the perfect time. After Matt died, I didn’t know if I’d ever meet anyone again, but Ian is my cheerleader – I know I’ve met somebody who I love and who loves me.”
Some viewers are convinced the players are all connected by the family tree and working in pairs
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Many of the Traitors cast appear to be related in some way(Image: BBC)
The twists and turns in this year’s series of The Traitors just keep on coming, with Ross and Ellie’s secret relationship exposed during Wednesday night’s episode of the hit BBC show.
The bombshell followed on from the news Judy and Roxy were also mother and daughter before the child liaison officer became the first player to be banished from the castle.
And now viewers think more contestants could be secretly connected – with some convinced Reece, Maz and Jess are all keeping information under wraps. One theory is that the players are all connected by the family tree and working in pairs, because they’re all linked together on different branches.
One fan commented: “Beginning to think that the 22 that went in each have a ‘relationship’ with one of the others. Maybe that’s why they keep showing the who’s who book. I think there is a mother and son, a father and son, at least one more couple as well.” Many have questioned the relevance of the family tree, with one claiming they could all be “linked”.
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Reece & Fiona
After Wednesday night’s show, one viewer wondered if Reece could be another player’s son – with some pointing out the resemblance between him and Amanda. But others pointed towards Fiona. They wrote: “So Reece is Fiona’s son, right?”
Another added: “Does Fiona also have a secret son on the show? She gave her daughter’s name but not her son’s.”
Harriet & Hugo
Some believe Harriet and Hugo are siblings, or at least know each other through working as barristers. While she was the driving force behind his banishment last week, her actions would speak to the Latin quote that sits about the family tree portrait in the castle.
It reads: “Beware whom you trust as your own blood. The sharpest knives are often handed to the table by faithful servants. Among intimate friends lurk the most secret enemies; take care not to let your confidence become the cause of your downfall and agitation.”
Maz & Faraaz
More sleuths pondered whether Maz was related to Faraaz – which Maz’s family have denied – or Jessie and Jack. They said: “I think the next family tree is definitely Maz and Faraaz”.
Another wrote: “Hugo is Harriets brother Judy is Roxys mother Ross and Ellie are dating Maz is Farazz uncle.”
Jessie & Jack
Another viewer added: “Jessie and Jack, brother and sister, and Fiona and Reece mother and son. Surely.” A fourth commented: “I think Jessie and Jack are related or in a relationship.”
Some are also convinced Rachel and Matthew could be linked because of their Northern-Irish connection.
After Ross’ banishment, he spoke about his secret romantic relationship with Ellie, which was discovered by eagle-eyed fans in the days leading up to this exit. The pair had already been exposed as a couple in the real world after fans found a picture of them together on a work trip in 2024.
On screen, Ellie was shown saying: “The traitors have done their work because they have framed Ross. I’m really sad to see him go, especially because Ross is actually my boyfriend!”
They were then shown pretending to meet for the first time on the train to the castle and she added: “What I’ve got to do now is avenge his death. I’ve got to work a lot harder. I want to catch a traitor for him.”
Speaking afterwards, Ross told the Mirror he thought Ellie might even be a traitor and that she was very much playing her own game.
He said: “Hiding the relationship with Ellie was the easiest thing ever. Any time we had an interaction, I was happy to see her because I was under pressure the whole time, so Ellie was my safe space in the game. However, I thought she was a Traitor, because every time we had a moment together, she would not speak to me. I’m very proud of her though and I’m glad she’s still in there holding it down for the household.”
Fans wondering how Zara McDermott keeps her sensitive skin flare-up-free are in luck, as she just shared exactly which LED face mask has earned pride of place in her skincare routine
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Zara McDermott swears by this LED face mask for banishing dermatitis flare-ups(Image: Zara McDermott/Instagram)
Beauty buffs who are eager to copy Zara McDermott’s skincare routine for sensitive skin will want to take note, as last week Zara revealed the LED face mask she’s been using to tame flare-ups this winter. And what’s more, we know where to shop your own.
Described as an advanced LED mask with four treatment modes for varying concerns and InstaChill Cold Technology, the Shark Beauty CryoGlow Mask is designed to target signs of ageing and blemishes, while working to smooth and strengthen the skin’s texture.
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Said to bring a spa-like experience to your at-home self-care routine, Shark Beauty’s CryoGlow Skincare LED Face Mask targets the appearance of fine lines, blemishes, puffiness and sagging with LED light therapy. The device offers four different modes: Under-Eye Revive, Better Ageing, Blemish Repair and Skin Sustain, allowing users to address specific skin concerns with every treatment.
The Shark LED mask features 480 LED lights that utilise red, blue, and infrared light in three distinct combinations, providing multi-action benefits with each use. Additionally, the mask’s InstaChill Cold Technology provides a refreshing wake-up call to tired-looking eyes, visibly de-puffing and firming the contours around them for a well-rested appearance.
And in case you’re concerned about comfort during use, this mask has been designed to sit comfortably on the face without causing discomfort. It features padding around the forehead and temple and adjustable straps for a seamless fit.
The Better Ageing Mode declares that, in a clinical trial, most users experienced an improvement in fine lines, a reduction in wrinkles, and more radiant, luminous skin within 4 weeks. Likewise, the Blemish Repair Mode also showed improvement in blemishes and skin roughness in 4 weeks.
Zara’s go-to face mask retails for £299.99 at Lookfantastic and from Shark’s own website. For shoppers looking to add LED benefits to their skincare routine without breaking the bank, the Stylpro Wavelength LED Face Mask is a great option, currently available for the more affordable price of £99.99 at Boots. Or, head over to Debenhams to find this Erth Beauty London Skin Retreat & Renew Light Therapy Face Mask on sale for £60, down from £150.
It isn’t just Zara who adores this face mask, as plenty of 5-star reviews pile up on Lookfantastic’s website. One buyer beams: “Really great purchase, I’ve been using my mask for 2 weeks now, and my skin feels much tighter and looks brighter. I love it!”
Another shopper shares: “Better than Cher at turning back time! Makes skin so soft after a few days, glowy skin, the eye cooler is absolute heaven, especially first thing in the morning, no puffiness.”
Further praise comes from this reviewer, who raves: “Excellent product. Super easy to use. Results were seen very quickly. I was even getting comments from loads of people about my skin. I used the better ageing setting for 4 weeks and have now been using the blemish repair for 1 week. Super satisfied. The price feels like a commitment, but the simplicity of use makes it easy to add it to my daily routine. I look forward to and enjoy using it every day.”
Though one shopper does knock one star off writing, “Great product, easy and comfortable to wear. The only downside so far is that the battery life is shorter than I hoped. I can use it for 3-4 days based on 1 session a day.”
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But more praise comes from this commenter, who says: “Best thing I have bought in years!!! Amazing product.”
