Category Entertainment News

The Only Way Is Essex star Sophie Kasaei has given a candid update into her pregnancy with Jordan Brooks, and fans think they know what she’s having because of one key symptom

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Sophie Kasaei has left fans convinced they know the gender of her unborn baby after she opened up about her first-trimester pregnancy symptoms. The Geordie Shore-turned-The Only Way Is Essex star and her partner Jordan Brook are currently expecting their first child together after a difficult two-year IVF journey.

The 34-year-old reality star and Jordan announced the happy news on Sunday (December 7), describing it as “the most magical gift” in an emotional video on Instagram, which also involved their beloved pet dog Bella. The montage of clips included footage of them looking at their positive pregnancy test before unwrapping a “Baby Brook Coming 2026” blanket gift-wrapped in Christmas paper.

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In a new video posted to her TikTok this week, which she filmed when she was six weeks pregnant, Newcastle-born Sophie discussed some of her early symptoms – leaving many fans convinced they now know the gender.

After explaining that she was still very early in the pregnancy and was “so grateful”, Sophie told her 680,000 followers, “My symptoms are so bad right now. My skin… you can see the breakout. I can’t eat, I look in the fridge… I just want beige,” adding that she was craving “chips and curry sauce” from the chippy.

“I feel so nauseous. But, obviously, I’m just so over the moon that this is happening, so all the symptoms are just such a blessing to us right now. But it’s hard and I am struggling because nobody ever talks about this bit. And nobody ever speaks about this bit, because everything is kept so secretive until obviously about 12 weeks. My life right now is just sitting on the sofa trying to not vomit, thinking about what I can eat but not hungry.”

She also said she was struggling to sleep at night and experiencing intense thirst, and as a result was “going to the toilet for a wee every second”.

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Writing in the comments, one fan said: “Deffo having a little girl! Feel like nausea is always worse with girls!”, and another added, “I was so sick with my daughter I really went off food like meat. My go to was coco pops. I think your having a little girl.”

Although not everyone voted pink, with many others adding comments such as “Mine was worth with boys”, and “Mine worse with boys and I loved chippys and curry/gravy.”

Speaking exclusively to The Mirror at the summer’s National Television Awards, Sophie and Jordan, who started dating in November 2022, spoke about how badly they wanted to start a family after going through their difficult fertility journey.

“This Christmas is all about family and we’re actually going to be spending it abroad for the first time in a long time,” Jordan told us, before Sophie added “Our dream is just to wake up on Christmas Day and just have a little bump. That is all I really, really want in life. So I’m praying it happens this year. And it will, it will.”

Nemo became the first non-binary performer to win the Eurovision Song Contest last year, but has now said they are returning their trophy in protest over Israel’s continued participation in the event

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Last year’s Eurovision Song Contest champion, Nemo, has announced they are handing back their trophy in protest at Israel’s ongoing participation in the competition.

The 26-year-old Swiss performer claimed there was a “clear conflict” between Israel’s involvement and the contest’s proclaimed values of “unity, inclusion and dignity”. Eurovision Song Contest director Martin Green expressed that the organisation was “saddened” by Nemo’s choice whilst acknowledging their right to hold such views.

Israel’s participation in Eurovision has become an increasingly contentious issue due to the Gaza conflict and voting disputes that emerged during this year’s competition. Five nations – Iceland, Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and the Netherlands – have declared they will shun next year’s contest in response to Israel being permitted to take part.

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Israel has previously hailed the decision to retain its place in the competition as a “victory” against detractors who sought to silence the country and promote animosity. Nemo made history as the first non-binary artist to claim the Eurovision crown with their track The Code, which chronicles their journey to understanding their non-binary identity.

Following their triumph, Nemo spoke to the BBC about the difficulties they encountered during the contest and their belief that organisers had fallen short in supporting contestants embroiled in the controversy surrounding Israel’s 2024 inclusion.

“I felt very alone. I really hope they have things in place for the next year,” Nemo remarked at the time, leading to the introduction of several new safeguarding measures to protect participants’ mental well-being. The well-being of Eurovision’s artists and staff has been called into question.

In a statement shared on Instagram, Nemo expressed their disappointment with the European Broadcasting Union’s (EBU) decision to allow Israel to participate in the event, stating it contradicts its core values.

“Israel’s continued participation, during what the UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry has concluded to be a genocide, shows a clear conflict between those ideals and the decision made by the EBU,” they said, referencing a report released in September.

“Even though I am immensely grateful for the community around this contest and everything this experience has taught me both as a person and artist, today I no longer feel this trophy belongs on my shelf.”

Nemo also shared a video of them packing the trophy into a cardboard box, ready to be returned to the EBU’s headquarters in Geneva.

Responding to Nemo’s actions, Martin Green told BBC News: “We’re saddened that Nemo wishes to return their trophy which they deservedly won in 2024. We respect the deeply held views Nemo has expressed and they will always remain a valued part of the Eurovision family”.

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The controversy surrounding Israel’s inclusion has sparked the biggest crisis Eurovision has ever faced. This year’s competition was further marred by voting controversies and allegations that Israel’s government attempted to sway the public vote.

This led to some competition rules being revised and tightened, after which a “large majority” of members agreed there was no. The EBU has confirmed that there is no need for a further vote on participation and that Eurovision 2026 can go ahead as planned.

Israel’s President Isaac Herzog has lauded the decision to let the country compete, describing it as an “appreciated gesture of solidarity, brotherhood, and co-operation”.

Addressing the boycotts, Nemo clarified that their decision to return the trophy was not about “individuals or artists”, but rather what they perceived as the use of Eurovision to “soften the image of a state accused of severe wrongdoing”.

“When entire countries withdraw, it should be clear that something is deeply wrong,” they added. “If the values we celebrate on stage aren’t lived off stage, then even the most beautiful songs become meaningless.”

Matt Wright, star of Outback Wrangler and Wild Croc Territory will serve time behind bars after being found guilty of tampering with evidence following a fatal helicopter crash

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A Netflix star dubbed the ‘real life Crocodile Dundee’ has been jailed for 10 months for tampering with evidence after a helicopter crash in Australia that killed his co-star and left the pilot paraplegic.

Outback Wrangler and Wild Croc Territory host Matt Wright – whose shows have been shown on both Netflix and Amazon Prime – was found guilty of lying to the police about the amount of fuel in the helicopter when it plummeted to the ground in a remote part of Darwin in February 2022.

He was also convicted of trying to pressure a witness and asked pilot Sebastian Robinson, who survived but now has life-changing injuries, to falsify flying hours.

Prosecutors argued this was because Wright was worried investigators would find out that he regularly changed the official flying hours of a chopper to avoid costly maintenance.

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The jury could not agree on a verdict for a third charge that alleged 46-year-old Wright asked someone to “torch” the helicopter’s maintenance record after the crash, which cost his fellow presenter Chris ‘Willow’ Wilson his life.

Multi-millionaire Wright was not in the helicopter at the time it crashed but was one of the first on the scene. The court case does not relate to the cause of the crash, the death of Mr Wilson or Mr Robinson’s injuries, only the tampering with evidence.

The maximum sentence for the charges he faced was up to 15 years behind bars. But Justice Alan Blow handed Wright a 10-month prison term, which will be suspended once he has served half of it. So effectively, he will only be in prison for five months.

Justice Blow said Wright had “shown no remorse” but was “very unlikely to reoffend in any significant way in the future.” He was also fined £2,500 by the Supreme Court in Darwin.

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It is thought that Wright’s legal team may try to appeal the guilty verdicts and sentence. Deceased Mr Wilson was just 34 when he died and left behind wife Danielle and their two sons. His devastated wife said her boys would soon spend their fourth Father’s Day without their father, adding: “Once again there will be an empty seat at the table, a constant reminder of all that has been taken from us.”

Injured Mr Robinson’s brother Zac Chellingworth read out a statement on his behalf saying the verdicts had brought some closure for the family, adding: “But the scars of the defendant’s conduct are huge and permanent.”

He said the trauma for his family had been relentless as he learned to live in a wheelchair with his recovery made worse by the trial, the defendant’s cover-up and failure to tell the truth.

Mr Robinson shared: “I also faced a malicious and sustained campaign of lies aimed at destroying my reputation and that of my family. The jury saw the truth.”

Ms Wilson is now reported to be pursuing a civil case against Wright and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority over the crash that killed her husband.

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The comedian, 59, explained how he ended up in such a state in broad daylight on Hollywood Boulevard as his worried friends rushed to his side to try and revive him

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Earlier this week, in truly shocking scenes, famous comedian Andy Dick was spotted collapsed on a Hollywood pavement following an apparent drug overdose.

Jarring footage showed the star, 59, slumped over and seated on steps outside his building in broad daylight on December 9. Dick, wearing checked pyjama trousers and black Crocs, was seen with his glasses lying on the ground before him alongside a yellow can of drink.

Andy’s friends rushed to his aid in an attempt to rouse him, shouting “wake up!” One of his concerned friends then says he’s going to “call an ambulance.” While one witness said Andy was given Narcan on the scene, a nasal spray often used to counteract opioid overdoses.

The clip, shared on TMZ, was followed by another video showing Dick being interviewed the day after his ordeal, along with his two friends. In it, he explained how he met a “depressed” guy a similar age to him who was sat down on the pavement.

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After sitting with the stranger, Dick said: “He whipped out some crack and I’m like, you know what, I might need a little bit of that. I wanted to see what he was doing, and also, I don’t mind doing a little bit of crack every now and then.”

One of his friends clarified that he had been livestreaming that day when the incident unfolded and wanted to keep on filming so it “was on record because that doesn’t usually happen”. Dick, dressed in black suit and tie, then refused the suggestion of going into rehab.

Drug struggles

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Dick has been candid about his battle with addiction. Despite his words this week, in 2016 he revealed he had sought rehab more than 20 times for his drug dependency. He told Vice: “I would always say that I didn’t have a problem with drugs and alcohol. But I would drink when I was happy, when I was sad, when I was anxious.

“Without drugs or alcohol, I was depressed, frustrated, angry. Honestly, it just stopped being fun when I was crawling around on the floor to find the phone, not able to dial because both my hands were shaking.

“When I would get ahold of one of the recovery centres, they would hang up when they found out it was me. No one wanted to help me because I was unhelpable. Why would they bring me in just to have me die in their bed?”

Groping allegations

Back in 2019, he was required to sign the sex offenders register after inappropriately touching an Uber driver in the genitals. Dick entered a not guilty plea but was found guilty and spent 90 days banged up.

Along with registering as a sex offender, he was ordered to compensate the victim financially and attend mental health counselling, Alcoholics Anonymous, and Sexual Compulsives Anonymous. Then in 2021, he was arrested for felony assault with a deadly weapon and walked free from jail the following day after posting bail.

He was arrested on two occasions in 2022, first for felony sexual battery and then for felony burglary. Last April, he raised alarm bells in Los Angeles after a witness claimed the actor “was sitting and talking to himself” and “seemed incoherent.”

While January 2023, he was nicked in Lake Elsinore, California after allegedly causing a scene at a local bar. He was booked into the county jail for alleged public intoxication and failing to register as a sex offender, which he was required to do due to his earlier groping conviction.

Jon Lovitz feud

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The comedian also has a long-running feud with fellow comic and actor Jon Lovitz. Once castmates on the hit sitcom ‘NewsRadio’, their friendship soured after the death of performer Phil Hartman in 1998.

Lovitz was close to Phil and has long been frustrated with Dick’s role in events leading up to the tragedy. According to long-established reports, Lovitz believed Dick gave Phil’s wife cocaine at a Christmas party in 1997, leading to a relapse after she had been sober for years.

In 1998, she fatally shot her husband while he slept following an argument between the pair. Soon after she shot and killed herself, leaving their two young children without any parents.

Tensions between Dick and Jon first exploded publicly years later when, in early 2007, the former allegedly confronted Lovitz at a Los Angeles restaurant, saying he had put a “Phil Hartman hex” on him and that he would be the “next to die.”

Lovitz was left stunned by the remark. The simmering resentment finally boiled over on July 10, 2007, at Hollywood’s Laugh Factory comedy club when he demanded an apology for the hex comment.

EastEnders star Shona McGarty’s sister shared snaps of her cuddling up with rapper Aitch at the I’m A Celebrity wrap party, though both stars insist they’re just friends

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Shona McGarty’s sibling has posted a photograph of the actress and rapper Aitch embracing at the I’m A Celebrity afterparty following speculation about their jungle connection.

Shona’s sister Camilla has already endorsed Aitch – though both celebrities have dismissed romantic suggestions. Following her jungle exit, Shona revealed she felt protective towards Aitch due to his openness, but firmly rejected any romantic speculation, describing their bond as familial.

She explained: “We’ve had a similar sort of upbringing – I just felt like an older sister and I wanted to protect him.” Nevertheless, their jungle bond developed after the Manchester-based musician confessed he harbours a “soft spot” for Shona.

The Mancunian artist, whose real name is Harrison Armstrong, hinted at potential jungle romance during a conversation with fellow campmate AngryGinge.

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Aitch revealed: “I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for Shona, me.” His mate and co-star Angry Ginge responded: “I think she’s really nice, if that’s what you mean, yeah..” Aitch confirmed: “Yeah, that’s what I mean.” The pair were frequently spotted being playful together, with presenters Ant and Dec even suggesting that Shona and Aitch had “found love.”

In one photograph posted by Shona’s sister Camilla yesterday evening, the EastEnders actress looked radiant in a stunning floor-length floral dress whilst standing beside Aitch.

He wrapped his arm around her as they both grinned at the camera. Another charming moment captured Shona enjoying a dance with Aitch’s sister, Hattie. Camilla has already welcomed Aitch into the family fold.

Following Ruby Wax’s suggestion to the Mirror that Aitch wasn’t Shona’s “type”, another former campmate, this time, Vogue Williams, has aired her opinion.

Speaking on her podcast about whether it was real or a ‘fromance’, Vogue said: “I’m trying to be very politically correct in talking about them because I do think that they got on very well. But I don’t know if it’s anything romantic, because I don’t know if either of them are in that situation to get into anything romantic.

“I’m not suggesting anything. I’m sure that they will talk when they come out, but there was nothing, like, romantic about them in there.” Vogue’s comments echo those of fellow former campmate Ruby Wax who claims that Shona confided in her. She said: “He’s not her type at all. She said she likes hunky, bigger men so that she feels female, so he wasn’t on the list at all.”

Despite this Ruby said she had high hopes of the two getting together, she explained: “I wanted her to marry him. I thought we could have children and we’d live in the forest forever.

“But she said that’s not her type. I thought we would have the next generation living in the forest, but no go. I just saw the two youngest people, and they both sing. Why not? I was doing mating rituals. But then she wasn’t interested. He wasn’t either. No, I think he just liked her. She’s into big guys.”

Whilst one jungle relationship has been ruled out, another has been strengthened with Vogue and her husband Spencer Matthews extolling their love and support for each other.

The pair have been unable to be together as Vogue has been in the jungle and Spencer has been completing a triathlon challenge. Whilst they were apart Spencer wrote Vogue a letter that was read out in the jungle, one which made Vogue emotional in front of her campmates.

Meanwhile, following the completion of his seven triathlons, Vogue took to social media to express her support for him. She said: “Waking up here and to the best news that Spenny has completed his seven triathlons in seven continents all in aid for James’ Place, which is such an amazing charity for male suicide prevention.

“I’m so proud of him. I’m so proud of him – it was such a tough thing and he did it. He now has two new World Records so, yeah, I mean he’s difficult to compete with, isn’t he? So proud of him. He must be wrecked. I can’t wait to see him!”

Listeners to LBC on Thursday night were concerned for Andrew Marr as he appeared breathless

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Listeners to Andrew Marr’s LBC show feared the presenter was seriously ill after listening to him struggle on Thursday night.

In a clip which has been shared widely on social media and heard by more than 140,000 people, Marr appears breathless and anxious, but bravely battles through reading a section about prisons in Alabama.

The audio, at 6.35pm, has led to fears he may have suffered a serious medical issue, with a number of people who heard the clip on X replying “I hope he is OK”.

But the Mirror can reveal Marr is absolutely fine aside from suffering from a heavy cold.

A source who works with Marr told the Mirror: “Andrew has had a stinking cold all week. He finished the show and is fine and will be back on air on Monday.”

Marr was due to be off air today anyway, as Tonight with Andrew Marr is on LBC Monday – Thursday from 6-7pm.

The three day weekend will hopefully give him time to rest up and sound more like his usual self next week.

Concerns from fans for former BBC veteran Marr were genuine and also reflect the fact he suffered a stroke in 2013.

In November 2021 he announced he was leaving the BBC to “get his voice back” and host a more opinion led show. He had joined the broadcaster as political editor in 2000 and presented a Sunday morning programme from 2005-2021. Born in Glasgow, Marr, 53, began his career in journalism on The Scotsman newspaper in 1981, later moving to London to become its political correspondent.

He was part of the team which launched The Independent in 1986, later becoming its editor. He joined the BBC as political editor, in May 2000.