Category Entertainment News

JLS singer Aston Merrygold has shared his gratitude towards the doctors, nurses and hospital staff as he updated fans on his condition after undergoing surgery

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Aston Merrygold posed in his hospital bed as he gave an update on his condition with fans.

The 37 year old JLS singer revealed earlier this week he needed to have an operation following a serious injury that he sustained during an accident. Aston has now gone under the knife and shared an update with fans as he posed with his thumbs up while sporting a hospital gown and laying in a bed.

Other snaps in the Instagram share show Aston with his wife Sarah and their children Grayson, Macauley and Riley. In the caption he told fans: “Done, done & done! Thanks for all the love and support everyone.. Thankfully everything went to plan in surgery Shout out to the incredible Dr’s, nurses and staff at the hospital!! I’m home with my favourites so the rest and recovery starts now”.

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He was met with well-wishes from fans as one wrote: “Glad it all went okay enjoy some much deserved R&R now”, while his bandmate Marvin Humes wrote: “My guy! Over the moon everything went well”.

“Rest well & praying for a speedy recovery for you!,” a third added. Shortly before the operation, Aston shared a photo of himself looking in high spirits as he stood wearing a hospital gown while sporting crutches. “Here we go,” he wrote as he shared the image on Instagram.

Last week, Aston revealed he required surgery on his injured ankle. “So, I had a bit of an accident on an injury and basically it requires surgery. So they’ve given me these really cool crutches,” he said on TikTok.

Despite the painful injury, which he also showed off on a post on his TikTok showing his swollen ankle, Aston continued to perform with his band while on crutches. He joked, however, that backflips were “on hold” for the meantime as he sported a black denim jacket with the words ‘Backflips on hold’ bedazzled on the back.

Aston has been touring with his band, which kicked off in Glasgow at the Hydro Arena. He revealed at the first gig of the group’s comeback tour that he had been advised by his team to postpone, the Daily Mail reports, but said there was ‘no way’ he could let his fans down. Aston also reportedly praised his bandmates for their support as he battles with the injury.

The group, which is comprised of Oritsé Williams, 38, JB Gill, 38, Aston and Marvin Humes, 40, first formed in 2007 before they auditioned for The X Factor in 2008 and gained huge popularity. They were the show’s runners-up of that year, missing out on the top spot to Alexandra Burke, but still landed a record deal in 2009.

The continued to perform before announcing their decision to split in 2013. However, they reunited this year to perform a limited amount of shows across the UK.

Pretty Little Liars actress Shay Mitchell has faced a backlash after she launched a beauty brand aimed at children aged three and above

With 35 million Instagram followers, Shay Mitchell’s latest business venture was likely to be a huge success. However, her latest project – a beauty brand for toddlers – has been hit with fierce criticism.

A Hollywood star with a lot of influence, Pretty Little Liars actress Shay – who played Emily in the mystery thriller drama series – and Esther Song have created rini, a beauty brand they claim marries gentle skin care and play for children aged three and above.

A mum herself, Shay, 38, – who has daughters Atlas Noa, six, and Rome, three – says she was inspired to create her new range by her children’s constant requests to be involved in her beauty routine. When she wore face masks, they’d ask what it was and beg to use it and she would hand them deodorant with a lid on just so they could be part of her routine.

It was from here that rini was born – with Shay adamant she wants her kids to enjoy skincare like she does to “create healthy habits and have that self-care time”. They write on their website: “Our mission is simple: to nurture healthy habits and spark confidence”.

READ MORE: ‘I’m a beauty editor – these are the best make-up and skincare brands for teenagers’

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The new brand sells everyday facial sheet masks with Vitamin E made to look like pandas, puppies and unicorns. Made with 93.5% natural ingredients, they contain Glycerin, Beta-Glucan and Allantoin to hydrate, strength and soothe and also feature White Tremella Mushrooms, which holds up to 500 times its weight in water to hydrate and calm the skin.

The second range of products are hydrogel masks, which include Vitamin B12, Glycerin & Red Algae Extract. The hydrogel mask is also infused with Vitamin B12 and costs £6 each, marketed for daily use. The after sun mask is infused with Aloe Vera and Chamomile as well as Wild Yam, which is said to “calm, heal, and hydrate delicate skin in harmony”.

The products might have been approved by dermatologists and clinically tested in the US, but the controversial brand has not sat well with celebrities and fans alike. Vicky Pattison – Strictly Come Dancing star – branded it all a “step too far”.

Speaking on a recent podcast she said, “I think it’s manipulative to position it as self care for kids. For me, an hour in the bath at the end of a busy day with a face mask on, that is my self care, but why does a three-year-old need that self care? They don’t. Their lives are, as they should be, care free.”

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She says parents should be the one to shield their kids from these expectations. Vicky added: “It’s up to the parents to set those boundaries and to say, ‘This is something for when you’re older. It’s just for me now. I think we’re blurring the lines there. I personally think it’s all a little bit dark and a bit of a shame. Let kids be kids.”

This is a view shared by many people online, who have called the new business venture “tone deaf” and “harming”. Dr Ranj Singh – a doctor who has regularly appeared on This Morning – dubbed the sheet and hydrogels masks an “awful idea”.

Speaking exclusively to The Mirror about the brand’s products, he says: “Children and young people have a generally healthy, developing and sensitive skin barrier. So when it comes to any skincare, as a general rule, less is more.

“Unless they have specific medical needs, they simply don’t need active skin products – simple washes and moisturisers (if necessary) are absolutely fine for the vast majority. And any reputable Dermatologist would agree with this. I’d like to think that most of these brands are genuinely looking out for children’s bests interests, but we also need to remember that they are businesses.”

He fears products like these can have a wider impact on children into the future and said: “We have to be mindful that, even with the best intentions in the world, these products may be sending the wrong message to young people from an early age: that somehow their skin is not good enough, that they have to obsess over their appearance, or that they need these products to look or feel good.

“This is simply not the case – and we must make clear that behaviour adults might show are not always applicable to children. When it comes to kids’ skin, the emphasis should be on looking after yourself from the inside – not what the world sees or what you might do on the outside.”

READ MORE: Save £40 on beauty tool Vogue Williams wanted to smuggle into I’m A Celeb jungle

After mixed reviews for her Netflix Christmas episode of With Love, the Duchess of Sussex is struggling to match Kate’s magic, an expert tells us

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The Duchess of Sussex and the Princess of Wales have both kicked off the Christmas season in style, and a royal expert tells the Mirror the rivalry between the pair is still alive and well. Last week, Meghan delivered the festive special of her Meghan, With Love Netflix series just a few days before Kate hosted her star-studded Together at Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey.

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams says the two events could not have been more different and he suspects Meghan, 44, may now retire her lifestyle show altogether. “Meghan is secretly battling to emulate some of the magic that Kate clearly creates, but it is not working,” he told us.

READ MORE: Stacey Solomon praises ‘incredible’ under-£90 Shark vac-mop for cleaning up after kids and pets

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He continued, “She displayed almost relentless positivity, which actually becomes weary to watch. It seems that she’d like to be a sort of Californian Mary Poppins, practically perfect in every way, and therefore her show just does not have the same level of substance as Kate’s carol concert.”

The format of Meghan’s Holiday Celebration followed her earlier shows, with cooking demonstrations, DIY tutorials for wreath making, the odd cameo from husband Prince Harry and a few celebrity friends such as tennis ace Naomi Osaka.

The show landed in Netflix’s Top 10 TV Shows in the UK within 24 hours of airing, but critics were less than impressed. The mostly one or two-star reviews in British newspapers described it as “bizarre” and one reviewer said it was “quite mad and a little bit sad”.

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Not everyone agreed though, and many viewers took to social media to show their support. Writing on X, one said it “lifted their spirits” and another wrote they loved the “charming show”.

However, Richard suspects it is the last we’ll see of the series, and Meghan and Harry will have to bring something big to the table if they want to keep Netflix on side.

“The trouble is that in the position she is in with their downgraded Netflix deal, which isn’t an unusual position to be in, she needed a big name,” he told us. “While Naomi Osaka is very big in her field, there will be many people who didn’t know who she was. So if viewers are Googling the names of her guests, it’s not looking particularly good for their future with Netflix, so this may well be the last episode we get of the series.”

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The episode also added to the list of so-called diary clashes between the Sussexes and the royal family, airing on the same day as King Charles and Queen Camilla hosted the German state visit, and a few hours after Kate released a personal letter to guests attending the carol concert.

In it, Kate talked about Christmas being a time that “speaks of love taking form in the simplest most human ways” and “invites us to remember the power of reaching out to one another with generosity of heart, understanding and hope”.

Her service included readings by Prince William and Titanic actress Kate Winslet, along with musical performances by Katie Melua and Griff.

Richard says there is a widespread belief that Meghan still feels “rivalry” with Kate, 43, which dates back to their time as the Fab Four with princes Harry and William.

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The result, he claims, has been a number of diary clashes over the years, including Megxit being announced on the eve of Kate’s 38th birthday in 2020, and Harry publishing the paperback of his explosive memoir Spare while his father and mother-in-law were on a royal tour of Australia.

“If we look at the timings of many of the things the Sussexes have done, there is often a clash with William and Kate,” Richard said. “Recently, for example, there was Harry’s visit to Canada at the same time as William’s Earthshot trip.

“Harry reportedly made an offer to share diaries earlier this year to avoid clashes, but if the offer was accepted, nothing appears to have come from it.”

A day after Meghan’s show aired, there were reports that her estranged father, Thomas Markle Sr, was in intensive care in a hospital in the Philippines, where he lives.

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The 81-year-old has battled poor health for some years, and his son Thomas Jr told a newspaper last week he was “fighting for his life” after emergency surgery. Meghan’s dad is also reported to have had a leg amputated.

While Meghan’s festive special was likely filmed months ago, Robert says the unfortunate timing of its release has done her no favours.

“It is a decidedly dysfunctional situation to have Meghan on television talking about love and family while her father is said to be fighting for his life in hospital,” he said.

“I don’t imagine it has been received in the way Meghan would have hoped, so she and Harry will need to think very carefully about what they do next.”

The star, who recently returned to our screens after a horrific rape and kidnap plot, has found herself at a crisis point after admitting to driving without due care and attention via post

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She was once the nation’s sweetheart and dubbed one of the most powerful women on TV, with telly bosses fighting tooth and nail to lock her in as the new face of hit shows. But now Holly Willoughby seems to be a shadow of her former self, having faced one crisis after another.

When Holly first demanded to part ways with her scandal-hit This Morning co-host Phillip Schofield in 2023, things looked hopeful. She was distancing herself from the nightmare Schofield found himself in – and the dreaded queue-jumping row – and found herself lapping up lucrative sponsorship deals, while juggling other TV work, her own beauty business Wylde Moon, and the production company she co-owns with her husband Dan Baldwin. Her business empire was estimated to be worth a cool £10 million, but fast forward two years later and her professional life has seemingly taken a downward turn.

The beloved TV star’s return to Dancing on Ice was short-lived, with the show axed from screens just a year after she made a comeback, and earlier this year she quit ITV’s game show You Bet! after just one series. Another one of her gigs, Celebrity Bear Hunt with Bear Grylls, was axed this year. Meanwhile, her lifestyle business Wydle, once predicted to make the star between six to £12 million, reportedly had just £1,885 in reserves last year.

READ MORE: Holly Willoughby pleads guilty to knocking man off bike while drivingREAD MORE: Tess and Claudia’s Strictly replacement breaks silence as race to host show heats upREAD MORE: Kelly Osbourne fumes after brother Jack Osbourne’s ‘snub’ on I’m A Celebrity

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Her personal life has been no less complicated. Holly was the victim of a terrifying rape and kidnap plot last year, where former security guard Gavin Plumb crafted a detailed and sinister plot to target the star in her family home. Harrowingly, Plumb had also planned to attack Holly’s husband and their children. In October, the depraved stalker tried to appeal his sentence, likely causing fresh anguish for the TV star.

And now Holly has pleaded guilty to knocking a man off his scooter while driving her £25,000 Mini Cooper near her £3m London home. The victim was sent crashing to the ground when Holly turned right into a side street without indicating, and suffered a fracture to his neck and a broken toe, the court heard.

The victim, driving a Piaggio scooter, was overtaking her at the time at around 20mph. Mum-of-three Holly, who didn’t attend in court, was this week handed six points on her licence and fined £1,653. The presenter was also ordered to pay £130 in prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of £661.

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Aisling Byrnes, defending, said the TV host had suffered a ‘momentary lapse judgement’ during the incident in August, telling the court: “She has full remorse for this. This was not aggravated by excessive speed or anything with the weather conditions. However, this error is one which is completely out of character, she has an entirely clean driving record and is otherwise of exemplary character. She is extremely remorseful, she left her vehicle, she offered him her phone and water and she remained there until responders arrived.”

And now, as the car crash nightmare throws fresh light on the crisis-hit star, a PR expert has warned of key signs that Holly’s once-mesmerising TV magic is fading with fans. “Holly’s guilty plea for careless driving is without question a serious moment for her,” Maya Riaz, a PR to the stars, tells The Mirror. “Public sympathy naturally sits with the victim and that means Holly must tread carefully. This is not a story she can front out with a smile. It requires humility, accountability and a long period out of the spotlight to rebuild trust.”

With all eyes on who is set to replace Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly on Strictly, rumours quickly spread that Holly could be a key contender. But BBC bosses have remained painfully silent on the matter. Explaining Holly’s professional predicament, Maya adds: “For years Holly was seen as the nation’s sweetheart. Recently she has become a lightning rod for criticism.

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“The Strictly rumours and the lack of primetime opportunities are signals that broadcasters are nervous about divisive figures, especially ones who have had a run of negative headlines. TV executives rarely say it out loud, but they all naturally ask the same question of whether a person is still worth the risk?”

And digging into the star’s business flop, the PR guru explains: “The Wylde Moon figures speak for themselves. It seems the audience has disengaged. It is less about the business model and more about Holly’s cooling influence as a lifestyle figure. When the public stops buying into your image, it shows up in your commercial ventures first.”

But where did it all go wrong for the star who once captivated millions of Brits across the country? “Holly’s turning point was the moment she moved from relatable to remote,” Maya warns. “The queue jump row, the fallout around This Morning and now this driving case have all chipped away at the girl next door image that made her so bankable. Familiarity used to be her superpower but today that is her biggest challenge.

Celebrity chef James Martin opened up on his “attention to detail” as he was pressed on whether he is “a bit of nightmare to be around” in the kitchen and on the TV set

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TV chef James Martin admitted ‘that what my girlfriend says’ as he revealed that he’s “obsessed with everything”.

The 53-year-old is one of the nation’s most renowned celebrity chefs, fronting Saturday morning television shows for almost 20 years while also running a number of restaurants across the UK.

He puts his success down to his “obsessive” nature, a trait he joked that even his partner has recognised.

When quizzed about his unique brand and attention to detail on Good Housekeeping’s My Life in a Biscuit Tin podcast, James said: “That’s what my girlfriend says.”

James was then pressed on whether he is “a bit of a nightmare to be around”.

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He responded: “Not really. I’m obsessed with everything. I see everything. Worse now I’ve had my eyes done. So you know you’ve had your eyes done? I had full refractive lens surgery, so I had the lenses taken out and had new ones put in. It’s scary, I can see around corners now.

“People are now scared at work because I can see stuff a mile off. I see veins on a tree. I can read without glasses. It’s amazing.”

James met his long-term partner, TV producer Louise Davies, in 2011 when he competed on Celebrity Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

The celebrity chef attributes his “attention to detail” due to the industry he works in where “detail is everything”.

He continued: “So can I stop that attention to detail in terms of the industry, always wanting to be better every single day.

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“And can I when I walk into a TV production do the same. I think you can have that attention to detail. It still matters to people watching, it matters that you care, why shouldn’t you care. And every day should be better or as good as the day before. We all have a meeting at the end of the day. What worked, what didn’t work. What could be better, what couldn’t be better.

“And we all have a meeting in the morning, what’s coming up. That’s what we do in the restaurant business. It’s a chef thing. You have to be it to understand it. Joe Bloggs on the outside won’t know, you don’t get it.”

James went on to say that he would always come in early to work in a bid to improve and “learn more”.

Kerry Katona is prepared to continue creating saucy content for her OnlyFans account ‘until she’s 101’, as she reveals one famous face ready to join the adult-only platform at almost 70

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Kerry Katona has revealed proudly in her latest exclusive OK! column that she is ready to continue creating OnlyFans content well into retirement age.

The singer and TV personality, 45, who became an OnlyFans creator in 2020, discussed her booming business acumen as she teased a famous senior citizen could be about to join her on the adult content platform.

And while, laughing, she admits that it’s not something she would ever want her kids doing, she insists defiantly that she is a “grown-up – and it’s my choice”.

READ MORE: Cat Deeley takes style notes from Kate Middleton in Boden knit that ‘fits perfectly’

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And as she tells the Mirror, she teased some jaw-dropping news that will be coming to light very soon about a certain well-known personality getting on board with it, too.

“I actually have some very interesting news that is gonna be coming out very soon about a certain celebrity pushing 70 who wants to do OnlyFans.

Aa for her own journey on the controversial adult-only content platform, she admits, things are going better than ever. “My OnlyFans is going strong – in fact, I’ve got a discount there at the minute. Treat yourselves!”

For Kerry, she explains – it’s all about female empowerment, and ignoring the haters: “For me, this is all about women celebrating themselves and their sexuality without shame.

“This is not just about young people. I get that some have a bad opinion about it – but I’m a grown-up and it’s my choice. Would I want my kids to do it? Absolutely not, haha!”

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As she opened up about her delight that Mary Poppins star Dick Van Dyke is turning 100 on December 13, the devoted mum-of-five confessed that she has hopes to live to a ripe old age – and still be making content.

“I’m gonna get to 101. I’m going to be in my rocking chair, looking as glamorous as anything, still doing Only Fans, putting my big fat fingers up to all the women who hate me!”

Opening up candidly in her column back in November 2023, the former Atomic Kitten star celebrated going into her fourth year on the platform – admitting that it had saved her from huge financial difficulties.

She said at the time, “Next year will be my fourth year on OnlyFans and I’m still absolutely loving it. I’ve made a lot of money from it and it really saved me from financial ruin when I joined during lockdown. I’m eternally grateful.

“I was so nervous when I joined – I felt sick and thought my career would be over. But these days it’s so much more normalised and I’ve been able to build so many businesses from it. I’m living my life and doing what I want to do.