Category Entertainment News

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were reportedly ‘tipped over the edge’ during the final Christmas with the Royal Family, leaving them certain they needed to make their ‘own path’

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When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle last celebrated Christmas as part of the Royal Family, they were reportedly left ‘furious’ over a snub by the late Queen Elizabeth in her annual address. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex sensationally quit their royal duties in January 2020, after one particular moment was the “final straw” for them just weeks earlier.

In 2019, Harry and Meghan, with seven-month-old Prince Archie in tow, spent the festive period in Canada with Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland and they were allegedly ‘tipped over the edge’ during the late Queen Elizabeth’s Christmas broadcast. As the monarch addressed viewers, family portraits were clearly visible on her desk, however, one was missing as there was no picture of Meghan and Harry with their then-newborn son.

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In the book Finding Freedom, authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand claimed the Sussexes believed the Royal Family were “conspiring against them” with the move, as they said the couple felt they had “long been sidelined by the institution and were not a fundamental part of its future”.

They wrote: “One didn’t have to look further than the family photos displayed during the Queen’s Speech on Christmas Day. In the Green Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace, where the Queen delivered her address, viewers glimpsed photos of the [Waleses] and their children, Charles and Camilla, Prince Philip, and a black-and-white image of George VI.

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“Noticeably absent was a photo of Harry, Meghan, and their new baby, Archie.” The authors explained the Palace’s reasoning behind the snub, as royal sources insisted the photos were chosen to represent the “direct line of succession”. However, Omid and Carolyn said Harry and Meghan felt it was “yet another sign that they needed to consider their own path.”

During the 2019 Christmas period, the royal couple missed the Queen’s pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace and were not present for the traditional royal family gathering at the monarch’s private Sandringham estate on Christmas Day.

It was the second time Prince Harry has missed spending December 25 with his immediate family, the first being when he was on a tour of Afghanistan while in the Army in 2012.

In 2020, the couple decided to step back from life as senior royals and moved overseas to America, where they still live today with their children Archie and Lilibet.

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A year later, the couple sat down with Oprah Winfrey in a 2021 bombshell interview where they discussed their reasons for quitting royal life, while also hurling damning revelations and accusations at the Royal Family.

Since then, relationships between the Sussexes and the Royal Family have been fractured, especially after the release of their Netflix docuseries in 2022, followed by Harry’s memoir Spare in 2023, and a string of candid jabs at the Firm during public appearances over the years.

Gemma Collins has given a candid update on her feelings towards Christmas after her mother Joan’s recent health issues, as she looks forward to 2026

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Gemma Collins says she’s “not feeling Christmas one bit” in a candid update. The former The Only Way Is Essex star has admitted she can’t wait for this year to end as she shared her festive struggles.

The reality star has confessed she isn’t looking forward to the holiday season due to her mum’s poor health. Thankfully now Gemma may be able to get into the festive spirit, after her mum was allowed to return home from hospital.

Speaking exclusively to The Mirror recently, she said: “I’m not feeling Christmas this year. I don’t feel that there’s any magic in the air. My mum’s in hospital at the moment. Until she’s home, I can’t really think about it. I am not feeling Christmas one bit.”

Whilst her mum is now doing better, Gemma is struggling with one other thing this festive season. Admitting it’s been tough for her to see everyone so ‘over the top’ on social media, Gemma wants people to keep it real.

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“Thankfully I feel that it’s become, this year, just very grotesque – so much over-the-topness on Instagram. People are losing the meaning of Christmas. It’s about who you’re spending time with and who’s around your table, not the presents. I think everyone needs to calm themselves down and remember what Christmas is actually about,” she said.

For Gemma, Christmas is all about her family and loved ones – as she prepares to wed her fiancé Rami Hawash next year.

Favourite Christmas memory? I think it’s always about being with your loved ones. For me, I’ve always cherished family and quality time, so it’s never about the presents for me. I think people do really need to remember that it is about who you spend the time with.

Earlier this week, Gemma revealed that her mum was finally coming home after five weeks in hospital with pneumonia.

Taking to social media, she shared: “This day I will never forget. Thank you to EVERYONE AT BROOMFIELD Hospital the LAST 5 weeks from reception to tea lady to Physios doctors nurses its an Absolute MIRACLE.

“Thankyou to everyone Whos come up to me contacted me prayed for my mum ! Ive been blow away by the amount of people who hugged me in the shops and everyone who would ask me how mum is I APPRECIATE you more then you will ever know. My Closest friends people Who cooked me dinner the lovely Lambas it meant so much. GOD is GOOD @nhsengland.”

In a plea to others, she added: “Please make the most of loved ones this Christmas not the presents not the matching pyjamas, just who is round the table,” as she reminded people to focus on their loved ones this festive season.

In partnership with Gemma Collins, AliExpress See the Signs 11.11 campaign encourages shoppers to tune into symbols of renewal and self-belief, whether that means manifesting goals for the year ahead or recognising the right moment for a savvy buy.

Weight-loss injections have sparked rapid transformations among the famous, but experts warn that the after-effects are becoming harder to ignore

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The rise of celebrity weight-loss injections shows no sign of slowing – but the after-effects are becoming harder to ignore. From Hollywood red carpets to UK TV studios, rapid weight loss has become the defining body trend of the decade, with famous faces leading the way. Serena Williams has spoken openly about using weight-loss injections, while a growing list of stars have sparked speculation with dramatic transformations in a matter of months.

But now, as the pounds continue to drop, experts warn that the impact on the face is catching up – and some celebrities are starting to sound the alarm. Singer Robbie Williams recently admitted he experienced serious health concerns after using weight-loss jabs, while fans have expressed worry over the increasingly gaunt appearances of stars, including Meghan Trainor, who has discussed her dramatic weight loss publicly.

Other celebrities have been widely reported or rumoured to have used injections following rapid slimming, though many have never confirmed it themselves.

READ MORE: ‘No wrinkles’ says Medik8 fan after snapping up ‘instant glow’ skincare set

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And according to one of Britain’s most in-demand aesthetic specialists, the trend is leaving a visible mark. Roy Cowley – the man behind the faces and bodies of some of the UK’s best-known stars — says he is seeing a sharp rise in what’s become known as ‘Ozempic face’, a term used to describe the hollowed, sagging look linked to rapid weight loss.

Roy, founder of 3D Aesthetics, has worked with celebrities including Christine McGuinness, Amy Childs, Olivia Bowen and Danielle Lloyd, and says the problem has surged alongside the popularity of weight-loss injections.

“Robbie Williams is quite a famous one at the moment — and Meghan Trainor too,” Roy told us. “Really, anyone you see who’s had very rapid weight loss, generally it’s down to these Ozempic-type fat-loss jabs.”

He says the look is instantly recognisable. “It’s the gaunt appearance — sunken cheeks, hollow eyes, sagging skin and more prominent wrinkles. That’s really what defines it. The key thing to understand is that it’s caused by rapid weight loss. Any form of fast weight loss can create the same effect.”

According to Roy, celebrities were the first to set the trend — and the first to experience the consequences. “Everyone rushed to celebrate the weight-loss revolution,” he said. “But nobody stopped to think about the aftermath. Skin doesn’t always bounce back, especially when weight drops quickly.”

Weight-loss injections were originally developed to help people manage diabetes, and are now increasingly used off-label for weight loss. NHS guidance recommends losing around 1–2lbs a week, warning that faster weight loss increases the risk of muscle loss and loose skin.

“When weight comes off too fast, you don’t just lose fat,” Roy explained. “You lose muscle and volume in the face. That’s why people can reach their dream weight but feel older, tired and unrecognisable.”

He added that the emotional toll is significant. “I’ve had clients in tears. They’re slimmer than they’ve ever been, but they don’t like what they see in the mirror. That can be devastating.”

Roy says the aesthetics industry has undergone a dramatic shift. “Two or three years ago, fat-loss treatments were huge. Then everything flipped to injections. Now clinics are flooded with people asking how to fix loose skin, sagging faces and what’s being called Ozempic face.”

Having worked in the industry since 1989, Roy says he spotted the problem long before it hit the mainstream. I saw the skin-laxity crisis coming about a year before it peaked,” he said. “So I started building a solution before people even realised they’d need one.”

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The result is 3D ReFIRM, a non-invasive treatment designed to tackle the visible effects of rapid weight loss by combining radiofrequency skin tightening with electromagnetic muscle stimulation. “It’s like a pillow and a pillowcase,” Roy explained. “You shrink the pillow, but the case stays the same. You have to treat both.”

Roy says clinical trials show improvements of up to 80 per cent in skin firmness, with significant increases in collagen and elastin production over six months. Treatments typically involve several monthly sessions and start from £1,000, depending on the protocol. “This isn’t about chasing a quick fix,” he said. “There’s no single miracle cure. It has to be a combined approach — muscle, skin, nutrition and lifestyle.”

Roy, who has previously collaborated with Lord Sugar-backed clinics and worked with high-profile celebrity clients over decades, says demand has shifted dramatically. “In our clinics, fat-loss treatments used to make up around 60 per cent of bookings. Now it’s skin-tightening procedures. That tells you everything.”

He believes awareness is still lagging behind reality. “There’s a gap between people losing the weight and realising there is a solution for the loose skin that follows,” he said. “A lot of people only start looking for help once the damage is already done.”

Roy stresses that prevention matters just as much as treatment. “Gradual weight loss, balanced nutrition, enough protein, hydration and exercise all help reduce the risk,” he said. “Aesthetic treatments can support the process, but they work best alongside healthy habits — not as a last resort.”

As celebrities continue to drive beauty and body trends, Roy believes the conversation needs to be more honest. “The injections did what they were supposed to do,” he said. “But people deserve to feel confident at the end of their journey, not disappointed by what they see.”

And in true showbiz fashion, he had one final message. “If Robbie Williams is reading this — I’m here to help,” Roy joked. “Let me entertain you.”

Ozzy Osbourne ‘hated’ Christmas and once drank 28 gallons of alcohol as the day drew near – as he died in July, this Christmas the first one his wife Sharon, and children will have to spend without him

Ozzy Osbourne “f***ing hated” Christmas – but his family are still struggling as the first holiday without him approaches. The late rocker once said he drank 28 gallons of alcohol to get through December as he disliked the festive period so much.

Speaking on I’m A Celeb in November, Jack Osbourne talked about getting close to Christmas without his father. He said: “The saving grace is, my dad hated Christmas.” He described his father as a “curmudgeon” and mimicked his father’s lack of enthusiasm about the day. According to the podcaster, Ozzy didn’t like that he had to “buy gifts for people I don’t even like”.

READ MORE: Kelly Osbourne hits back at ‘sick’ comments about her appearance saying ‘I am ill’READ MORE: Sharon Osbourne makes moving admission about King Charles after Ozzy’s death

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“My dad was a bit of a bah humbug Christmas guy,” Jack said in the Bush Telegraph. “He didn’t love it. He wasn’t mean on Christmas, he just wasn’t dressing up as Santa. He was more Ebenezer Scrooge. But not in a tight way, he was just more, ‘Eh who gives a s***?'”

Last year, the Black Sabbath frontman told The Sun: “I f***ing hate Christmas”. He shared that when he was still drinking, he bought 28 gallons of alcohol and drank it so quickly, he was “drunk before Christmas f***ing Eve”.

Despite Ozzy’s dislike of the holiday, he still seemed to get involved. Towards the end of November, his daughter Kelly posted a heartbreaking video of her father helping to put up the Christmas decorations. In the video, the rockstar swore as he tried to untangle a string of fairy lights, before eventually walking away.

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Over the video, Kelly wrote: “We are meant to be putting up the tree today! It won’t be the same [crying emoji]” Ozzy died in July this year after suffering a heart attack.

This came only a few weeks after his band, Black Sabbath, performed their final show in their hometown of Birmingham. His son, Jack called it the “ultimate mic drop”. On I’m A Celeb, he said: “It was the ultimate mic drop, he did a massive big gig and was like, alright I’m done … He’d be so supportive of this … I’m still navigating it all, it’s been three nearly four months and so it’s still pretty fresh.”

Ozzy’s wife, Sharon, has also shared how the death has affected her and what she keeps doing to stay close to him. Talking to The Sun, she said she visits the apple tree he was buried under everyday.

She told The Sun: “Everybody goes down there and has a chat with him. It’s never without candles by his pictures. He’d want to be missed. And he is, so terribly. I mean, it’s not even missed. It’s an ache that you wake up with, and you can’t get rid of that ache. It’s like a big hole inside of you, and the kids feel exactly the same way.

She also told Piers Morgan that her children, Kelly, Jack and Aimee, have been instrumental in helping her get through the loss. “I would have just gone with Ozzy, definitely. I’ve done everything I wanted to do. You know [my children] have been unbelievable, just magnificent with me, all three of them.”

Royal expert and author Tom Bower explains to the Mirror why he thinks this festive period is crucial for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s future success and happiness

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As the royals prepare for a cosy Christmas at Sandringham, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are out in the cold for what will be their seventh year away from the family celebrations. Despite some signs this year that a reconciliation could be on the cards, particularly for King Charles and Prince Harry, royal biographer Tom Bower claims Christmas is shaping up to be a nightmare for the Sussexes.

“Harry clearly met his father with the hope that he could ingratiate himself back into the family, but it isn’t going to work, there is just no way back for him,” Tom told the Mirror. “Harry himself said he didn’t know how long his father has got, and I think that hangs over him, but I don’t think he’s that high up on Charles’ list of priorities.”

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He continued, “And Meghan isn’t reconciled with her own family and she never wants to come back to Britain, so her relationships with both families act against Harry’s own instinctive interests. The result is they are left in a very isolated place at Christmas.”

Harry, 41, and the King, 77, met for just 54 minutes at Clarence House in September in what was their first in-person meeting for over 18 months. But any hopes for a reconciliation were dashed when details of the event were allegedly “leaked”, and Harry’s team claimed there were “sources intent on sabotaging” the reunion.

According to Tom, the so-called leak was not the only thing that hurt any signs of progress. “He was granted those 54 minutes with the King by the skin of his teeth, but was told that not a word must be spoken about it,” he told us. “And then he gets on the train to Ukraine and tells a reporter that he has no regrets for anything he said in Spare.”

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Another major obstacle has been Harry’s fight to get security for his family while in the UK. He was “devastated” after losing a court battle earlier this year over the decision to downgrade their protection, and said later he couldn’t “see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK at this point”.

But last week The Sun reported he had “won a Home Office review” into the threat level, which, if it goes Harry’s way, could lead to a long-overdue reunion for King Charles and his grandchildren, who have only met once.

Even so, Tom said, “The King is not only battling for survival, literally battling to live, but he wants a legacy and he wants to have a good transition to William, and Harry just gets in the way.”

It’s also highly unlikely the Sussexes will spend Christmas with the Markle side of the family, due to the estrangement on Meghan’s side too. Her relationship with her dad, Thomas Markle Sr, started to crumble around the time of her 2018 wedding to Harry. Thomas had to admit he lied to his future son-in-law about accusations he had staged paparazzi photos for cash a few weeks before the big day.

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However, Meghan, 44, reportedly “reached out” to him via email last week after hearing about his emergency limb amputation in the Philippines, but it wasn’t clear whether the email had landed in Thomas’ inbox.

Following a claim that Thomas, 81, was “confused” by reports Meghan had tried to contact him, People magazine said it understood Meghan’s email “did not generate an error or bounce-back notification” and “efforts to obtain updated contact information for Thomas” were ongoing.

He admitted from his hospital bed last week he was “open to reconciling” with his daughter, and wanted to meet her children, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four, adding, “It might be nice to meet her husband too.”

Meghan’s other big headache, according to Tom, is her reality TV career and lifestyle brand, As Ever, following the largely negative reviews of her latest Holiday Celebration edition of With Love, Meghan, which launched on 3 December.

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“This Christmas is make-or-break time for Meghan because there are two main problems – money and profile,” he told us. “Her lifestyle shows are clearly not taking off. She put on a great show in terms of looking great and pretending nothing is wrong, but the reality is it’s not a great success, to say the least.

“It hinges on how much Meghan can sell at Christmas and if it doesn’t sell, she has a real problem. Are people prepared to pay $32 for a jar of honey from the Duchess of Sussex? If it doesn’t work this Christmas, they have a real problem about what they will do in 2026.”

Tom also describes Harry as a “declining asset” in the family, as his list of official roles shrunk when he stepped back from the Sentebale charity in March amid reports of a fallout with its staff.

“The fate of Sentebale is OK without him, so what’s he got? The next Invictus Games is in 2027, so what is he going to do for a year?” Tom said. “There’s just no easy solution to the problem they have.”

Frankie Bridge has shared the secret device behind her glowing skin, with her go-to LED face mask said to be a ‘game changer’ for conditions like acne and rosacea

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If you’ve noticed that party season is already taking its toll on your skin, or just want to start the new year with a brand new skincare routine, then an LED mask is a must-have. The at-home device is one of the easiest ways to bring some salon-worthy treatments into your regular routine,

But if you’re not sure which one to go for, Frankie Bridge has shared her favourite one to use at home after a follower asked for her recommendation. Frankie shared that the CurrentBody LED Blue Light Mask: Series 2 is her LED mask of choice, which she said is: “So good if you use it consistently.”

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The LED Blue Light Mask: Series 2 uses both blue and red light to tackle plenty of different skin complaints, and is said to clear skin and calm irritation in as little as six weeks. There are two precise wavelengths that the mask uses, and the silicone material makes it comfortable to fit around your face to make sure you get even coverage.

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Blue light helps get rid of spot-causing bacteria, which not only gets rid of existing blemishes but it helps prevent future breakouts from occurring. Meanwhile the red light boosts your collagen production and helps support skin repairing to reduce redness and even out your skin tone.

As this is the series 2 version of the LED Blue Light Mask, it comes with additional features like an added chin strap and head strap which gives extra support and coverage. There are more LED lights, too, which help make sure you get more coverage and an effective treatment.

There’s even a belt clip on the controller so you can attach it to your clothes whilst wearing the LED Blue Light Mask: Series 2, to make it extra portable and easy to wear. You can pick up the mask for £399.99 direct from the CurrentBody website, but if that’s a little out of budget for you, there are some others available for less.

The Shark CryoGlow LED Mask is £299.99 and has under-eye cooling patches and LED lights to help reduce signs of ageing, banish blemishes and repair skin. Meanwhile the Silk’n Facial LED Mask 100 LEDS is £99.99 down from £160 if you’re looking for an ultra-affordable pick.

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However the LED Blue Light Mask: Series 2 has gotten rave reviews from shoppers who have found it helped everything from acne to rosacea, with no reviews giving it less than four stars.

One said: “My wife has been using the mask for a while now and it’s definitely helping to control her rosacea. Also, she no longer has to take antibiotics, which is fantastic.”

Another wrote: “I had been struggling with hormonal acne for 2+ years and had tried everything – skincare, treatments, diet etc. This device was a game changer for me! Six weeks and no severe breakouts.”

With a third raving: “After 1 month my skin is brighter and smoother. Easy to use and very comfortable.”

And finally a fourth added: “I had so much inflammation in my face that I ended up with this mask. After 3 days of use, I noticed a visible difference and the inflammations were already a lot smaller. Now my skin has calmed down again and the inflammations are almost gone. Very happy with my purchase.”