Category Entertainment News

Author Sophie Kinsella has sadly died, aged 55, after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer, her family has said. The mum-of-five, famed for her books Confessions of a Shopaholic, whose real name was Madeleine Sophie Wickham, received a diagnosis of glioblastoma in 2022.

A statement posted to her Instagram account read: “We are heartbroken to announce the passing this morning of our beloved Sophie (aka Maddy, aka Mummy). She died peacefully, with her final days filled with her true loves: family and music and warmth and Christmas and joy. We can’t imagine what life will be like without her radiance and love of life.

“Despite her illness, which she bore with unimaginable courage, Sophie counted herself truly blessed – to have such wonderful family and friends, and to have had the extraordinary success of her writing career.

“She took nothing for granted and was forever grateful for the love she received. She will be missed so much our hearts are breaking.”

Last year, Sophie, who amassed millions of fans around the world with her Shopaholic series, which follow protagonist, Rebecca Bloomwood, wrote a semi-autobiographical book, exploring her battle with cancer.

The author, whose books were made into a film starring Isla Fisher, announced in April 2024 she had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer.

Sophie wrote on Instagram at the time: “At the end of 2022 I was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a form of aggressive brain cancer.

“I did not share this before because I wanted to make sure that my children were able to hear and process the news in privacy and adapt to our ‘new normal”.’

She also shared that she had been receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Paying tribute to Sophie following the news of her death, fans praised the “literary genius” as one said: “I am so sad to read this. Her books have given me so much joy over the years – real laugh out loud moments. Rest peacefully you literary genius.”

Another wrote: “So sad to hear this news. Adore her books. Sending condolences to Sophie’s family and friends.”

Meanwhile, a third penned: “She was an incredible lady. I can’t believe there won’t be another new world for us to get lost into, but her work and the worlds she created will continue forever. Thank you Sophie Kinsella, for providing an escape.”

Susanna Reid is the latest Good Morning Britain host to offer some elegant outfit inspiration, with her classy printed shirt dress now on sale with a huge £60 off

The Good Morning Britain presenters have been giving us some serious outfit inspiration recently, and Susanna Reid is the latest host to wow with a showstopping dress. On Monday’s episode (December 8), Susanna wore a beautiful waist-cinching printed dress from Coast, and we’ve managed to track down the exact one.

Her Short Sleeve Jacquard Shirt Dress is still available to shop at Coast, and currently has a hefty 40% discount, bringing it down from £149 to £89.40, saving you almost £60. It is, however, selling quickly, so you’ll need to be quick if you want to copy Susanna’s look while it’s on sale.

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The Short Sleeve Jacquard Shirt Dress is both timeless and modern thanks to its bold blue and silver abstract print, whilst the jacquard material adds a feeling of luxury to an otherwise classic silhouette. The midi length skirt has an elegant A-line silhouette, and it features a coordinating waist belt that’s fully adjustable to accentuate your waistline.

To keep it fun and not too stuffy, it has short puff sleeves which bring some drama and help balance the fullness of the skirt. A collared neckline ties the silhouette together, making it smart and classy, so you can wear it almost anywhere.

Perfect for special occasions, the Short Sleeve Jacquard Shirt Dress could be worn for weddings, a day at the races or formal evening events, but it could just as easily be worn to the office – particularly in the festive season. Simply swap heels for loafers or knee high boots, and add an oversized tote and longline coat for easy work-ready style.

It’s worth noting that currently the Coast dress is out of stock in sizes 14, 16 and 18, although you can still snap it up in sizes eight, 10 and 12 if you’re quick. You can, however, pick up a purple version of the dress which still has more sizes available and brings more of a playful, party feel.

Alternatively, Phase Eight’s Mandi Abstract Shirt Dress has a similar silhouette and style, and is currently on sale for £79 down from £139. The light beige and cream colour combination makes this a great pick for holidays and summer occasions, and it’s currently stocked in sizes six to 26 with a petite length available.

Meanwhile at Karen Millen, the Georgette Belted Blur Print Woven Shirt Dress is a gorgeous pick for the Christmas period, coming in a bold red shade with voluminous long sleeves, a belted waist and a flowing midi-length skirt. It’s currently on sale for £69.30 down from £99, making now a great time to snap it up.

Opera star Jubilant Sykes was tragically found with ‘critical injuries consistent with a stabbing’ on Monday

Grammy-nominated singer Jubilant Sykes was found stabbed to death in his home in Los Angeles on Monday before police arrested his son in connection with the murder. Opera star, Jubilant, 71, who was nominated for a Grammy in 2019 for Best Classical Album, was found with “critical injuries consistent with a stabbing” according to an official report.

It came after officers from the Santa Monica Police Department rushed to the scene at around 9:20pm after a 911 call reported an assault in progress. The star’s son, Micah Sykes, 31, was discovered inside the home and taken into custody as a suspect. Lieutenant Lewis Gilmour of the Santa Monica Police Department said: “I can confirm the suspect was booked for homicide.” Officers added that evidence is being processed and a weapon was recovered at the scene.

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“The circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation,” authorities added, saying: “This appears to be an isolated incident occurring within a private residence, and there is no ongoing threat to the community.” The Mirror has contacted the Santa Monica Police Department for further comment.

Jubilant grew up in Los Angeles, where he enjoyed performing as a boy soprano before finding fame as an opera star. However, despite his obvious early talent, opera wasn’t initially part of his plans.

He told CSUF News in 2019: “Initially, I had no dreams of becoming an opera singer. But that changed when I was at Cal State Fullerton. I had teachers who poured their lives into me. I had everything I needed right on campus to prepare me for my career.”

The star went on to perform with a host of big names, including Christopher Parkening and other artists, and appeared at such venues as the Metropolitan Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, London’s Barbican Centre, the Apollo Theater, Hollywood Bowl, New Orleans Jazz Festival, and hundreds of other major venues around the world.

In 2009, Jubilant was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Classical Album for his performance as Celebrant on the recording of Leonard Bernstein’s Mass, a nomination he shared with conductor Marin Alsop and album producer Steven Epstein.

Simon Cowell has a new series on Netflix called The Next Act and from there he has created a new boy band in similar style to The X Factor

Simon Cowell’s new boyband have been unveiled and will be called December 10.

The British seven-piece boyband have signed to EMI/Universal and their first promotional shot has now been released. Their name is the same date that the new Netflix series about their creation has been released.

The lads consist of Cruz (19), Danny (17), Hendrick (19), John (17), Josh (17), Nicolas (16) and Sean (19). They are from Chorley, Rochester, Dublin, London, Lisbon and Walsall, and between them Irish, Brazilian, Indian, Nigerian and Jamaican heritage.

Viewers will see the come together during an audition process on new Netflix series Simon Cowell: The Next Act which dropped on Netflix today. The band were amongst the guests at a premiere for the series in London on Wednesday night.

On the series Cowell admits since creating global smash hit boyband One Direction he has not signed or created another huge act, but he feels now the time is right.

But Cowell is feeling the pressure and he tells the cameras: ““If I can’t get it right,“I’ll have to accept that I’ve lost whatever I had before.” The band are set to fully launch with new music in 2026.

* Simon Cowell: The Next Act is available now on Netflix globally, across all territories worldwide.

Social media influencer Goda Problema was left red-faced after sharing a video of a man she believed to be former Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo – but it was actually an Italian man playing along with the mix-up

Cristiano Ronaldo is undeniably one of the most recognisable faces on the globe. With the highest number of Instagram followers worldwide, the Portuguese football icon has a fan base spanning all six continents.

His face (and physique) are instantly recognisable to billions. However, even A-list status couldn’t prevent a hilarious mix-up involving an overly optimistic and rather inebriated influencer hoping to score some social media points with a celebrity selfie.

In a tale that’s sure to bruise the former Madrid player’s ego, a Lithuanian influencer mistook a random bloke for the real CR7.

Taking to Instagram, Goda Problema shared a video of herself enjoying a drink at a lively club with a man she mistook for the footballing legend.

She captioned the post: “Yesterday I got so drunk I thought I met Cristiano Ronaldo” – and the video she took on the night is as funny as it sounds.

The random man plays along – despite bearing no resemblance to the real Ronaldo.

At one point, he seems to convince himself that he might indeed be the ex-Manchester United star because he starts referring to the influencer as ‘Georgina’, the name of Cristiano’s partner.

Incredibly, the power of social media managed to identify the opportunistic Milanese chap who fancied a night pretending to be Ronaldo.

Stefano Boscolo, a motorcycling enthusiast and whiskey fan, even left a comment on the Instagram post.

He quipped: “It was a pleasure to meet you, see you in Milan! Greetings from Ronaldo of Temu”. The comment has since garnered thousands of likes and comments.

Predictably, the internet didn’t miss the opportunity to poke fun at both the influencer and Stefano. One user jibed: “Ronaldo SHEIN version.”

Meanwhile, another chimed in that he had “no shame” in playing along with the mix-up.

However, there were some who seemed convinced this could be the beginning of a romantic liaison between the faux CR7 and the Lithuanian influencer.

‘He’s hot who cares”, one user penned, rather bluntly. Meanwhile, another slightly more starry-eyed Instagrammer added “Please marry him!”

The fact that Ronaldo isn’t actually out partying in Milan should have been a significant clue. That’s because he’s still an active footballer!

After leaving Good Morning Britain, Piers Morgan said he still didn’t believe what Meghan Markle said in her Oprah Winfrey interview, and refused to apologise

Piers Morgan insists he has no regrets about leaving Good Morning Britain, almost five years on from announcing his exit. In March 2021, the presenter revealed he had left the show following a row over comments he made about Meghan Markle.

Piers has long voiced dismay over claims made by Prince Harry and Meghan about their time in the Royal Family, but expressing his true opinions on air and subsequently refusing to apologise ultimately cost him his job.

Following the pair’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, Piers said he didn’t believe a word they said, including Meghan’s admission about having suicidal thoughts.

During a discussion about the topic on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, the 60-year-old clashed with his co-star Alex Beresford in a heated row and ultimately stormed off the set.

Although the situation appeared to settle before the programme ended, Piers later announced his departure from the show, citing his refusal to apologise as the reason.

Now almost five years later, the outspoken journalist insisted he stands by his decision. “It was one of the most sickening attacks on our Royal Family, a monarchy, that I have ever seen,” he said of the pair’s interview.

“I was not going to grovel and apologise to the people that perpetrated that attack. So I told them you can take your job and shove it where the tiaras don’t shine.”

Addressing his departure at the time, ITV said in a statement: “Following discussions with ITV, Piers Morgan has decided now is the time to leave Good Morning Britain. ITV has accepted this decision and has nothing further to add.”

Ofcom received more than 50,000 complaints about the episode, many of which argued that comments about mental health and suicide were harmful and highly offensive. However, in September that year ITV was cleared by Ofcom.

Reflecting on what he described as a “brutal” schedule, he added to the publication: “I did it for five years getting up, and managed to negotiate my way to a 4.30/5am start by the end, but it is brutal.

“And then you do two-and-a-half or three years of live television, that takes all the adrenaline out and is really hard on the body, you get to midday and you’re absolutely exhausted!”.

Following his exit, Piers went on to host his TalkTV show Piers Morgan Uncensored from 2022 to 2024, before leaving the network and moving the programme to YouTube.

Since September 2025, a weekly highlights show from the YouTube episodes has aired on Channel 5.

Additionally, while he stepped away from his role, he hasn’t turned his back on ITV entirely.

Earlier this year, he re-joined his former co-presenter Susanna Reid and Ed Balls on Good Morning Britain to discuss an interview he did with US President Donald Trump.