Jodie Marsh has been left devastated after a fire at her animal sanctuary killed two animals.
Local fire crews were called to her farm, Fripps Farm in Essex, on Saturday, following reports of a fire. Two marmosets died in the fire, which started on the first floor at around 5pm on Saturday. The blaze is said to have been accidental and started by an electrical item.
A spokesperson for Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said: “Firefighters were called at 4.56pm to a fire in Lindsell, Dunmow. On arrival, the property was full of smoke and crews discovered a fire in the upstairs bedroom. Crews worked hard to extinguish the fire and stop it from spreading.
There has been a fire at Fripps Farm in Essex ( LDRS)
“The cause of the fire has been recorded as accidental, started by an electrical item.” Nestled in the countryside, Jodie’s animal sanctuary is a five-acre property within striking distance of the historic market town of Saffron Walden. The farm consists of hundreds of animals, most of which the former reality television star says have been rescued.
The animals include emus, llamas, alpacas, goats, sheep, cows, pigs, and deer. There is also an enclosure full of peacocks and chickens, with geese and ducks roaming around.
Beyond the more common farmyard animals, there is a large cage full of marmosets, a small monkey more usually found in South America. There are also enclosures for foxes, meerkats, skunks, and wolf-dogs, and snakes, Essex Live reports.
The fire is believed to have been sparked by an electrical item ( LDRS)
Jodie claims she spends £25,000 a month to keep Fripps Farm going, paying for her two full-time staff and five part-time workers and all the costs of looking after her animals. The 47-year-old ex-glamour model also has 15 volunteers helping her keep her small zoo of animals going.
She says she pays for some of this through social media, particularly the somewhat controversial OnlyFans platform. However, the farm has sparked controversy as campaigners have accused Jodie of animal cruelty, mistreatment, and having poor living conditions for the animals.
Critics also claim that Jodie buys most of her animals, alleging that she only says she rescues them as an excuse to keep exotic pets that wouldn’t usually be allowed in the UK. However, she denies these allegations.
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Call the Midwife icon Max Macmillan delighted viewers when he returned as Timothy Turner for the Christmas specials.
The 23-year-old actor first appeared on the much-loved BBC period drama in 2012 when his character was introduced during the first-ever festive episode as Doctor Patrick Turner’s (Stephen McGann) mischievous, though kind-hearted, son.
During his Call the Midwife debut, Timothy is a young schoolboy who waits for his dad in a car whilst he attends to an older lady in dire need of medical attention.
He was also a Boy Scout who got involved in Nurse Chummy’s (Miranda Hart) Christmas nativity, giving his dad a look of pride as he performed the violin in a memorable heart-warming moment.
Timothy, who was first seen during the 2012 festive episode but he disappeared off-screen for season 14, which aired last year. It was here that Dr Turner made no secret of his missing eldest son, Timothy, who was away working as a junior doctor in Edinburgh.
However, during the recent festive specials, which aired on Christmas Day and Boxing Day 2025, Timothy returned to Poplar and reunited with his family. The tense episodes included an explosive plot abroad as the nuns and nurses embark on a rescue mission.
Set in 1971, the plot kicked off with Fred (Cliff Parisi) and Violet Buckle (Annabelle Apsion) leaving Poplar, East London, and travelling to Hong Kong to spend Christmas with her son, Derek (Nicholas Atkinson).
However, tragedy struck when the Hong Kong Branch House collapsed, and there were multiple fatalities. A rescue mission was hastily organised, and a team from Nonnatus House made emergency plans to head out to Hong Kong to do what they could to help.
Call the Midwife fans have seen Timothy grow from a young lad to a young man as he follows in his father’s footsteps and becomes a doctor.
Who is Max Macmillan’s mum?
Away from the BBC drama, Max isn’t the only star in his family as his mother is the internationally bestselling author Gilly Macmillan, who writes thriller books. She has eight published novels, including The Manor House, The Perfect Girl, The Nanny, The Long Weekend and The Burning Library.
The proud mum has previously reshared photos posted on the official Call the Midwife Facebook page. Reposting a snap of Max on the drama’s set with his co-star Daniel Laurie, who plays Reggie, Gilly penned back in 2017: “My boy Max on set at #CallTheMidwife.”
As Max started his acting career on Call the Midwife, the actor has not appeared in many other series.
However, he did star in a short film called “The Night to Come.” In 2019, Max appeared as Peter Stemp alongside Tim Roth and Clive Owen in The Song of Names, a film about two boys who form a bond over their shared love of music.
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Away from acting, Max is a man of musical talents as he can sing and play instruments. He can be seen playing the piano on Call The Midwife, and he has also performed several concerts in real life.
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He is also a keen photographer, and you can find Max Macmillan’s photos on his Instagram page: @lazydonkey27.
Countryfile presenter Adam Henson has shared his heartache over a saddening change he’s witnessed over the years in Gloucestershire, where his Cotswolds Farm Park is based
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BBC’s Countryfile presenter Adam Henson has spoken of his heartbreak at the falling number of orchards near his farm, where he lives with wife Charlie.
Speaking about the tradition of wassailing, an ancient winter tradition involving singing and dancing on the Twelfth Night (January 5), Adam said he was glad that despite the falling number of orchards in Gloucestershire, wassailing was still taking place.
Writing in Cotswold Life about nature in winter, Adam said: “In days of old, the sheer number of fruit orchards dotted across Gloucestershire made the county a prime place for wassailing.
“The Twelfth Night custom of blessing the trees in hope of a good crop later in the year dates back to pagan times.
“I can’t guarantee that chasing away the evil spirits always worked but I do know that every self respecting wassail involved singing, dancing, the lighting of bonfires and drinking plenty of farmhouse cider.
“It’s heartbreaking that so many orchards have been list in recent decades but it’s good to know that there’s renewed interest in wassailing. Gatherings now take place all over the region.”
Adam’s concerns over the loss of many orchards in the Cotswolds come as the Gloucestershire Orchard Trust warns that changes in buying habits and infrastructure are impacting the number of orchards in the county.
In a statement, they said: “Traditional orchards have unique ecological, genetic, heritage and landscape value that we need to conserve and celebrate.
“Changes in agriculture and in the way supermarkets buy and sell fruit have meant that Gloucestershire has lost over 70% of its orchards in the past 50 or so years and what was once a familiar part of the landscape is now increasingly rare.”
This isn’t the first time Adam has talked about the importance of trees, in an article for the official BBC Countryfile website, he discussed about what people get wrong about them, especially old veteran trees, and how they’re so much more than they appear.
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He explained: “You might think that a tree that is full of holes, cavities and crevices is no use to anyone but, in fact, veteran trees are incredibly important for biodiversity and nature conservation.
“For starters, fungi and lichen provide a free home for insects, food for animals such as squirrels and voles, and nesting material for birds.
The Traitors star Amanda Collier has shared how she is lucky to be alive after being involved in a freak bike accident while on holiday in France, which almost saw her break her neck
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Banished Traitors star Amanda Collier has revealed how she almost broke her neck after a freak bike accident on holiday.
The 57-year-old former Met Police detective was voted off the BBC show last week after failing to pick a box at the roundtable that contained a shield, which would have protected her from elimination.
It came shortly after Amanda, from Brighton, shared her secret identity with castle best friend and Traitor Rachel Duffy and made her the seventh player to leave the latest series of The Traitors, which kicked off on New Year’s Day and is set to conclude on January 23.
Now the show legend has spoken out about the horrific injury she sustained while on holiday with her wife, Caroline. She shared: “We were having a lovely time on a camper van holiday in the Loire Valley countryside and were on a bike ride on the last day.
“Out of the blue, Caroline accidentally clipped my wheel. The freak accident sent me headfirst into this flint wall. Even though I was wearing a helmet, I realised I had to turn my body, or I would break my neck.”
READ MORE: Banished Traitors star Amanda makes heartbreaking admission about late brother
Amanda continued to The Sun: “It all happened in a split second, but my shoulder smashed into the hard rock, and I couldn’t breathe, and I had badly winded myself. It was just awful. Thank God for this lovely French jogger who appeared. He was able to help direct the ambulance, as we didn’t know exactly where we were.”
The TV star explained how her collarbone was jutting out at an angle, narrowly avoiding breaking her skin. Though she was taken to a hospital in France following the freak accident in 2022, it was agreed that treatment would be better if it happened in the UK.
However, this meant she had to endure an agonising 15-hour journey home through the Channel Tunnel.
“I’ve never been in so much pain,” Amanda said as she detailed how every time their camper van went over a bump was “torture”. At one point she even asked her wife to pull over to side of the road and leave her as she felt she “couldn’t go on”.
Of course, Caroline ploughed on and got Amanda hone. Once they were back in the UK, Amanda had an operation to have a metal sheet inserted into her body to help fix her bones back into place. She then spent two months recovering at home.
Sharing how she’ll never take her health for granted again, she added: “I’m so grateful not to have any lasting effects from the accident. I was fine doing all the physical challenges on the Traitors, but sometimes I still get twinges in my collarbone from time to time.”
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While appearing on the hit BBC game show earlier this month, Amanda revealed more heartbreak as she told how it was painful for her be up against Reece Ward at the roundtable – because he reminded her so much of her late brother.
After her elimination, she said: “I was sadly up against Reece, who reminded me of my brother who sadly passed away in 2011 at the age of 32. He just looked like him, so it made it more difficult because I had a really good friendship with him. He was like a little brother.”
READ MORE: Man who struggled to lose weight sheds 7 stone and gets abs after spotting Instagram ad
Katie Price has grand plans for the year ahead – including a trip to Las Vegas with her son, Harvey, where she hopes to take him clubbing, but he is unsure about knocking back beers
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Katie Price has joked about taking her son Harvey out clubbing and on a trip to Vegas as she makes plans for the year ahead. In a YouTube video shared yesterday amid reports she’s split from JJ Slater, the glamour model and mum-of-five – including 23-year-old Harvey – told her son about what the had planned for 2026.
Having celebrated Christmas with those closest to her – including her mother, Amy, who she brought to tears of joy when she gifted her a mobility scooter – Katie, 47, outlined her plans for the upcoming 12 months.
In the video with Harvey, Katie marvelled at the fact that her eldest child is set to turn 24 in May and suggested fun things they could do together. Katie brought up the idea of going to night clubs, heading to Las Vegas as well as drinking beer. Harvey, who has complex needs and is autistic, has ADHD, is blind and has Prader-Willi syndrome which causes a constant feeling of hunger, was far from enthusiastic about the suggestions. Katie quickly clarified that she was joking.
READ MORE: Man who struggled to lose weight sheds 7 stone and gets abs after spotting Instagram ad READ MORE: Katie Price’s cryptic comments as she breaks silence after split from JJ Slater
While filming with her son, Katie asked him during her YouTube update: “Guess what? It’s New Year’s Eve. Do you know what that means? Tomorrow would be the first of January, the start to a new year, 2026.” As Harvey nodded along, Katie continued: “You’ll be 24. You are such a man. I think we need to take you to nightclubs this next year.”
Katie continued: “Do you know I could take you to Vegas? You’re old enough. I could take you anywhere now. You’re 24 you’ll be 24. Do you want to try your first beer?”
Harvey was quick to decline the offer – with Katie noting he prefers orange squash and water. Instead, the mother and son proposed a year of health ahead. Katie remarked: “Okay, what we’re gonna do this year is get very, very healthy. So you could get on that roller coasters for your birthday.”
As she continued with their chat, Katie revealed that Harvey is set to move closer to her in the coming months, and they discussed their shared hope that he will be able to reduce his weight over time. Noting that they will soon be living a mere 15 minutes from each other, Katie suggested she and Harvey – who currently lives at the National Star College – should join the same gym and work out together.
As they continued their chat, Katie candidly opened up about daily life with Harvey, revealing that it can sometimes be difficult to get him up, showered and dressed as he can be in a “bad mood” which can limit their success. They went on to discuss some of their favourite activities together include baking and holding hands.
Katie’s beer swilling plans in Las Vegas come amid reports that she and Married At First Sight star JJ Slater have broken up. Reports this week suggested the star and her 32-year-old lover split over disagreements about marriage and the strain of their 15 year age gap. However, the reality star did feature in footage from Katie’s latest YouTube update which was filmed late last year.
Later in the video, Katie rounded up her hopes for her eldest son – and reiterated her excitement over the fact he is moving closer to her. She said: “My hopes and dreams for Harvey this year, it’s not a hope and it’s not a dream, because it’s happening. He’s moving nearer home.”
She explained: “He’s got a brand new flat. I’m going to make it home from home. I can’t wait for Harvey to be nearer me. I can’t wait for Harvey to start the Monjaro, losing some of that weight, to give him a better quality of life. And for the fact of him being nearer home, I’ll be able to do lots more activities, get him out and about more independent skills.”
Elsewhere in her video update, Katie expressed her relief over the fact her mother Amy, 73, is still alive. Back in 2017, Amy was diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) – a terminal lung disease which usually leaves those battling the condition with just three to five years to live.
Katie has since revealed that Amy underwent a transplant to help her, and last month they spent Christmas together. She gushed: “Mum has made it to 2026, so happy, another year. So let’s hope we got another year with my mum.”
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Updating her fans on how her life has changed since she gifted her a mobility scooter, Katie went on: “I bought her a scooter that would be a new lease of life for her. And as you can all see, she’s a lot more frail than she used to be. But don’t let that fool you, because her head’s still very much screwed on.”
The soap legend who played loveable cabbie Charlie Slater in EastEnders has sadly died aged 92, with his family by his side. He once opened up about his son’s struggle that shaped how he played his role on-screen
Ellie Fry Assistant Head of Features (Audience) and Daniel Bird
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Derek Martin captured the hearts of the nation as devoted patriarch Charlie Slater in EastEnders, and it turns out his personal family struggle inspired his protective role on screen.
The soap legend, who has sadly died aged 92, was best known for playing Charlie on the BBC soap opera, a role he held from 2000 to 2011, with occasional appearances in 2013 and 2016.
Derek’s heartbroken family described him as a “truly an amazing person who was very talented in the filming industry and many other thing” in a statement issued. It’s understood that he passed away in hospital on Saturday night, with his loved ones by his side.
The former East End butcher, born Derek William Rapp, started his TV career as a stuntman on Doctor Who. However, after breaking his collarbone while filming Elizabeth R, he made the decision to focus on acting. And after appearing in the likes of Law & Order, King and Castle and Eldorado, he soon found himself appearing in The Bill, Only Fools and Horses and Little Britain – as himself. But to millions, he was known as the loveable London cabbie, Charlie on EastEnders.
READ MORE: Derek Martin dead: EastEnders’ Charlie Slater legend dies aged 92
Derek celebrated his 90th birthday in 2023, ringing in the special milestone with his two lookalike sons, David and Jonathan. The soap star spoke candidly about his own son David’s struggle with depression in the past as his EastEnders character dealt with a similiar issue on screen.
Back in 2016 on Albert Square, Charlie’s great-niece Stacey Branning suffered from depression and postpartum psychosis. And her troubles felt close to home for Derek. He said at the time: “At work I had the Stacey storyline. Then, I got home and there was my son, who I’d been worried about during the day, suffering from severe depression.”
Charlie first appeared in the soap in September 2000. Derek, however, had originally auditioned for the roles of Den Watts and Frank Butcher in the 1980s and made the shortlist for both.
When he auditioned for Charlie, he was offered a contract with a minimum term of three years, with the potential to stay for a longer period of time. Of the role of Charlie, Derek said it was like putting on an “old coat, and he had hoped to remain on the show until he died.
His character was known for being the glue which held the Slater family together and was “positive as long as his family was around him.” Nine years after he first arrived in Walford, it was announced that Derek would be taking a break from the show.
In 2016, Charlie was killed off from EastEnders after the character suffered a heart attack, but the actor said it had been “wonderful.” Speaking of his departure, he commented: “I spoke to Dominic, the executive producer, and he explained [the storyline] and said he’d give me a good send-off. In a way, it’s closure, after 11 years, which for an actor is wonderful.”
