The BBC has said Gregg Wallace is not “entitled to any damages” in response to his High Court claim alleging that the broadcaster and one of its subsidiaries caused him “distress and harassment”.
Last week it was revealed Wallace, who was sacked from BBC’s MasterChef earlier this year, is claiming up to £10,000 in damages from BBC and BBC Studios Distribution following his axe from the show. The former TV chef has claimed they allegedly caused him “distress and harassment” by failing to disclose to him his personal data.
He was dismissed from the show following an independent investigation into historical allegations of misconduct. The report found 45 allegations of misconduct were substantiated, including inappropriate language and humour.
In its defence filed at the High Court, Jason Pobjoy KC, for the BBC, said: “It is denied that the claimant has suffered any distress or harassment as a result of the responses of the BBC.”
He continued, according to PA: “It is denied that the claimant is entitled to any damages, interest or other relief, whether as pleaded or otherwise.”
The broadcast also denied that Mr Wallace has “suffered any distress or harassment” as a result of its responses. While documents also allege Wallace failed to give the BBC prior notice of his intention to file legal proceedings.
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Robert Irwin is taking part in the current series of Dancing With The Stars where he has wowed judges with his impressive dance moves
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Steve died in 2006(Image: @robertirwinphotography/Instagram)
Robert Irwin has revealed the sweet final message his dad Steve sent him before his sudden death. Steve Irwin died on September 4, 2006 when he was pierced in the chest by a short-tail stingray barb as he was filming in the Great Barrier Reef with Philippe Cousteau Jr.
Robert was just two when his died died but has now seen a message that Steve left from him via a video. The 21-year-old has followed in his dad’s footsteps as he is now involved in running the family zoo in Australia.
The 21-year-old broke down in tears when he appeared on a podcast this week and was showed the video of his dad before he passed away.
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Appearing on The Viall Files, Robert explained how emotional the clip was for him to see. He said: “For me watching that, it’s like he gave me this gift – it’s there, it’s material, it’s in writing. I’m watching him looking through the camera and telling me, ‘I’m not always gonna be here’.”
The clip shows Steve explaining that he was trying to build a legacy to leave to his two children. Robert went on to explain on the podcast that his dad was “creating something that you can continue and that’s what I want you to do”.
Robert said: “He said, ‘My whole mission is to leave a legacy that my kids can continue.’ He said that years before he passed.” Robert has had an emotional week as he had viewers in tears with his routine on Dancing With The Stars this week.
The theme of the special show was Dedications and Robert and his dance professional dance partner Witney Carson chose an emotional dance to the Phil Collins song You’ll Be In My Heart.
The wildlife expert dedicated to his mother Terri. Robert spoke about his mum to camera before taking to the dancefloor.
He said: “She’s an absolute hero to me, because I was two when I lost dad. As I got older, [I] started to realise just how hard it would have been for her to be there for us, and all the while continue dad’s legacy that her and dad built together.
“I’ve never been able to capture the feeling of gratitude I feel for her. At every milestone, when I just wish that my dad was there, she was there. That was enough.”
The crowd was surprised by mum Terri appearing towards the end of the routine. Robert became emotional as he hugged his mum in front of viewers.
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Terri was just as emotional as her son as she fought back her own tears when the dance ended. Robert managed to bag a huge 35 out of 40 points from the judges.
Freddie Flintoff has paid tribute to Ricky Hatton and spoken about the ‘guilt’ he feels over the late boxer’s death.
On Piers Morgan Uncensored, he gave an emotional interview and said: “There’s almost a guilt… How people didn’t know? And the one thing I found in recent years, over the past few years, it’s happened to more and more people.
“With Graham Thorpe in cricket who [was an] absolute great man, someone who is thought of so dearly by everyone who played with and everyone he’s coached. You just feel like, if only we would have known. But you know it’s terrible.”
Freddie opened up about Ricky’s death on Piers Morgan Uncensored ( Piers Uncensored)
He also added that Ricky’s death hit “quite close to home”, as they’ve known each other for years. “It’s quite close to home in a lot of ways. Ricky, one of the great men, you know, I met him years ago.
“We did a thing for Sky Sports and I went on the pads and he started hitting me and I was a fan as well… He’s charming, he’s funny, our careers run parallel with each other at the height, at the same time. I went to his fights… We had nights out in the Press Club in Manchester and we’ve sung karaoke together and I never knew all these things that he was struggling with until we sat down.”
Freddie added that when they started talking, Ricky was very honest about his mental health and the cricketeer could “relate” to that. “When we started talking, obviously, he was so honest about what he had been going through and what he felt. And then, as he was talking, I was, like, relating to it. I’ve felt like that, that’s what I’ve been like. Then it just turned into a chat about two blokes being really honest. I suppose that documentary changed and I wasn’t going to give as much away about myself but then felt obliged to actually if he’s doing this.”
“He’s this working class hero from Manchester who goes into the ring, he fights, all heart. He’s funny. You see him like doing stand up routines at press conferences and he feels like this. And then obviously what’s happened over the past two weeks, it’s been devastating. For obviously his friends, his family but anyone who has been in contact with Ricky.”
An inquest was opened into Ricky’s death opened with coroner Alison Mutch telling the court Hatton was found unresponsive in his bedroom by Mr Speak, who was due to accompany the fighter to Dubai the same day for a press conference to officially announce his comeback fight.
Ricky Hatton passed away in September ( PA)
Police coroner’s officer Alison Catlow told the court Hatton lived alone and was last seen by his family on September 12, when he ‘appeared well’. Hatton did not show up to a scheduled event the following day before But Mr Speak found him “unresponsive” on Sunday, September 14.
A post-mortem examination was carried out and although the full results are not yet known, a provisional cause of death was given as ‘hanging’. A full inquest will take place on March 20.
Last week, thousands of mourners lined the streets for Ricky’s private memorial service. It was attended by Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher, Wayne Rooney, Tyson Fury and Freddie himself.
Following his death, his family gave an emotional statement that read: “Richard was so much more than a world champion. To us he was simply ‘Richard’, our son. A loving father, grandfather and brother, and a true friend to many. He had a heart as big as his smile and his kindness, humour and loyalty touched everyone who was lucky enough to know him.”
Watch Freddie’s full interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored, YouTube on today
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Vicky Pattison’s dance partner Kai Widdrington has poked fun at her for looking like ‘David Brent from The Office’ when she attempted to do a sultry Samba shake
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Kai Widdrington has teased Vicky Pattison for her Samba shake(Image: PA)
Vicky Pattison is trying to swot up on the Samba – after looking “like David Brent” with her first attempts at being sexy for Strictly Come Dancing this week.
Appearing on her own podcast with her pro partner Kai Widdrington, the pair spoke about training this week and on their new dance routine they are learning.
Kai, 30, said: “Vicky gave me a demonstration. And I’d like to say that she was playing up to the cameras, but I don’t think she was. I said ‘give me your best Samba shake’. It was giving David Brent from The Office. I just wanted her to never do that again so we could find the shake.”
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Thankfully things are improving and he added: “She’s actually good. Yeah, I’m not duping her this week. She said to me today, after we did the routine, she was like, I actually like this one, which I never thought I’d hear. She seems to be, like, growing in confidence.”
Vicky, 37, responded saying: “As a woman, I’ve spent the last 30 years of my life trying to make my bits not shake when I move. Like, all my lumps and bumps have been, like, just sucked so nothing’s moving.
“And like, now all of a sudden you’re being told to make them move. Yeah. Like, that’s very unnatural for me, and I like me, things where they belong. I don’t want them shaking all over the shop.”
The samba routine follows last week’s Charleston which Vicky admits was a “disaster” where they managed 25 out of 40 and received some criticism from judges.
But the final performance was much better than things could have been if viewers had seen their final rehearsals.
Vicky explained: “Saturday was just like a disaster from start to finish. You know me little headdress thing, obviously I had a wig as well. Yeah. So they put that on. We were dancing at the dress rehearsal. And obviously there’s a move where my head goes down and comes up, and the head piece just totally detached from the wig and fell over me face.
“And I kept trying to shove it up, and it just kept falling back over my eyes. Kai’s going ‘continue carry on’. And, honestly, I was so stressed out and angry, I tried to stop.”
“And then when I was finished, that is in the official dress rehearsal, Tess goes ‘Oh, you had a bit of stress there with your head piece there’. I said, me f**king wig fell off.”
The full interview with Vicky and Kai is on the latest episode of the Get A Grip Podcast, out now.
Celebrity Traitors is currently airing on BBC and BBC iPlayer and the celeb contestants are trying their best to win £100,000 for their chosen charity
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Ruth is known for her acting career(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan Cherry)
Ruth Codd had an unconventional rise to fame and several huge acting roles before joining the first series of Celebrity Traitors. The Irish actress is currently starring on the iconic BBC show where she is trying to win £100,000 for her chosen charity.
The star was very vocal during Wednesday night’s episode where she accused Jonathan Ross of being a Traitor – which, as viewers will know, she was right about. However, she thinks her days are numbered on the programme as she said she has put a target on her back as the next celebrity to get “murdered”.
She has become a stand-out contestant on Celebrity Traitors but she didn’t have a conventional rise to fame at first. Ruth is best known for her Netflix role in thrilling series The Midnight Club.
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Despite this being her first professional role, Ruth already had a large following on TikTok beforehand. She managed to gain a huge 670,000 followers before appearing on our TV screens, meaning she already had a collection of fans for a completely different reason other than acting.
Ruth was able to gain her followers during the coronavirus pandemic when she was laid off from her job as a barber. She would use her social media account to post makeup and hair tutorial videos.
It was thought her TikTok videos that Netflix producers discovered Ruth and approached her to be on The Midnight Club. She posted videos as a comedic nun and on disability awareness which kickstarted her acting career.
Ruth has starred as Anya in The Midnight Club and Juno Usher in The Fall of the House of Usher, both on Netflix. She has also appeared in an episode of horror series Creepshow and the second series of ITV comedy The Dry.
In 2024 Ruth finished in third place on E4’s Celebrity Cooking School before starring in her first film, the live adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon. Ruth has her right leg amputated below the knee in 2023 due to complications from a serious foot injury she got while playing football in 2015.
She now uses a prosthetic leg and has learned to walk on it. Speaking to The Irish Examiner, Ruth said: “It never healed correctly so until I was 23, I was on and off crutches, getting loads of operations.
“Because of nerve damage and chronic pain, I chose to get it amputated. It took eight years of my life, constantly going in and out of hospital. For years, I didn’t see it getting any better. I was stuck in a really bad mindset and I was p**sed off at life.”
She added: “When I made the decision to amputate it, things finally started to turn around. It was a relief. I could get on with my life.”
Vernon Kay has gushed over his daughter online as he celebrates her 21st birthday, telling Phoebe she is ‘the best any parent could ask for’ alongside a family portrait
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Proud dad Vernon Kay took the opportunity to gush over his daughter(Image: PA)
BBC Radio 2 star Vernon Kay has taken to social media to wish his eldest daughter Phoebe a very happy 21st birthday in a rare family snap with his beautiful wife Tess Daly.
In the photo, all three of them are beaming for the camera while dressed to the nines. Phoebe can be seen wearing a glamorous glittering silver dress, while her mum opted for an off-the-shoulder gold and white number.
Vernon, 51, rose to the occasion with a white shirt, smart black trousers and a matching black bowtie. The image highlighted just how much Phoebe looks like her famous mother.
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The presenter’s post also included a series of snaps of himself with Phoebe as a baby and teenager. Vernon, 51, captioned the post saying: “HAPPY BIRTHDAY @phoebekay 21 Today!! The celebrations are gonna be epic!! You’re the best any parent could ask for.”
Followers flocked to the comments to congratulate the dad, with one writing: “You are not old enough to have a daughter of that age! But congratulations to you, Tess and most of all Phoebe!”
Another chimed in: “Oh the genes! Sending positive happy birthday vibes to your lovely daughter.” Meanwhile, a third added: “Aaah beautiful photos, stunning family, have a very special day all of you.”
The birthday celebrations coincide with an exciting weekend for Vernon, who is set to be honoured with the prestigious Variety Club Silver Heart Award 2025 for Outstanding Contribution to Radio on Sunday night.
The award recognises his two decades of work at the BBC, including his popular weekday mid-morning show on Radio 2, which he took over from Ken Bruce in 2023.
Vernon’s radio journey began on Radio 1 in 2004, where he hosted his own show until 2012. He then moved to commercial station Radio X in 2015 before returning to the BBC in 2021.
Despite his extensive experience on the radio, Vernon has had to tread carefully in recent weeks after inadvertently spoiling a major moment on Dress the Nation.
While on air, he admitted: “I’m going to avoid Traitors, I’m going to avoid it because people watch it on catch-up don’t they? So I’m not going to talk about it on the radio.”
The presenter explained that viewers can be very particular about spoilers: “I gave away the winner of Dress the Nation on Sunday, [I] congratulated the winner, oh my gosh, I got a tonne of grief.”
Away from work, Vernon seems to be enjoying his family life with his wife Tess and their daughters. The couple met in the early 2000s while Tess was hosting SMTV Live and Vernon was working on Channel 4’s T4.
They got married in 2003 and went on to have two daughters, Phoebe and Amber. Tess cheekily described their early romance as “pretty explosive” in a chat with Fabulous magazine.
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Six years ago, Vernon secretly organised a vow renewal in the South of France, and surprised Tess with multiple wardrobe choices and a heartfelt card to commemorate their second wedding day.
