The Loose Women star’s recipe only requires just six ingredients
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Ruth revealed her hearty ‘comfort food’ recipe on Instagram(Image: Dave J Hogan, Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
Ruth Langsford has revealed her favourite recipe for cosy ‘comfort food’ that’s ideal for crisp autumn evenings. Beyond its scrumptious flavour, the Loose Women presenter explained it fills her home with the ‘most amazing smell’ and needs only six essential ingredients to create.
“Hi everybody,” Ruth said in an Instagram post last month. “Well, autumn is upon us – it’s sweater weather. I do like autumn, actually. I love the cosiness of it and all the colours changing. And I love a stew and a casserole, and that’s what I’m going to make today.”
The 65-year-old TV star kicked off her demonstration by showcasing large bowls containing the following ingredients:
Lamb – a mixture of leg and shoulder (diced)
Carrots (very chunky but sliced)
Leeks (very chunky but sliced)
Chopped potatoes
Lamb stock (Ruth likes Knorr stock pots)
Flour seasoned with salt and pepper
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Ruth began by tossing her cubed lamb into a bowl of seasoned flour, ensuring it was completely covered. She then transferred portions of this lamb to a hot pan to sear them in batches.
Once the lamb appeared golden brown on the outside, she set this aside on a separate plate. Meanwhile, she softly sautéed the sliced leeks and carrots in the same pot, according to the Express.
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After a few minutes, she returned the lamb to the pot alongside the potatoes and stock. Instead of bringing the ingredients to the boil, Ruth recommended simply increasing the heat slightly before transferring everything to the oven.
“I don’t do tiny pieces or it turns to mush,” Ruth wrote. “Everything goes back in the pot with a lamb stock pot, a gentle simmer (don’t boil!), and then into the oven at 170°C for 20 mins, then turn it down and let it slow cook for about 1hr 45 mins.”
The Loose Women presenter hailed her dish as the perfect ‘meal-in-one’ thanks to its satisfying blend of ingredients. She wrote: “It fills the house with the most amazing smell and is just perfect for these dark Autumn evenings, Enjoy!!”
Ruth’s recipe was quickly showered with compliments from fans and celebrity friends alike. Katie Piper, who also frequently appears on Loose Women, said: “Yum.”
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Meanwhile, Lucy Alexander, known for previously starring on Homes Under the Hammer, said: “Love the top and can’t wait for supper – see you soon!”
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The Donald Trump administration has used Sabrina Carpenter’s Saturday Night Live appearance in a new immigration video, editing her words to say “illegal”
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Sabrina Carpenter poses at an award ceremony this year(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Pop sensation Sabrina Carpenter’s attempts to distance herself from the White House’s controversial immigration messaging have backfired spectacularly – with officials now featuring her in person rather than just her music.
The singer had previously condemned the administration as “evil and disgusting” after a Trump-era clip on X used her track ‘Juno’, with the lyrics “Have you ever tried this one?” soundtracking footage of ICE agents detaining undocumented migrants.
The most recent video, titled “PSA: If you’re a criminal illegal, you WILL be arrested and deported”, features Sabrina’s appearance on Saturday Night Live. In the clip, she quips: “I think I might have to arrest someone for being too hot,” but the phrase “too hot” has been replaced with “illegal.”
She appears alongside SNL performer Marcello Hernández, an American of Cuban and Dominican heritage, who extends his arms as if ready for handcuffs, declaring: “Well, I turn myself in.”
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Following their brief appearance, the footage cuts to scenes of ICE conducting arrests, set to the heavy beats of Gucci Mane’s “I Get the Bag”, reports the Daily Star.
The original video featuring her chart-topper ‘Juno’ similarly showcased ICE operations, with agents pursuing and apprehending undocumented individuals in Chicago, whilst ridiculing demonstrators attempting to obstruct the unit’s activities.
“Have you ever tried this one? Bye-bye” accompanied the initial clip, which was shared on Monday. However, the 26 year old artist hit back forcefully at the video, branding it “evil and disgusting”.
“Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda,” she declared. The White House fired back with a nod to her ‘Short n’ Sweet’ tour.
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Spokesperson Abigail Jackson stated: “Here’s a Short n’ Sweet message for Sabrina Carpenter: we won’t apologise for deporting dangerous criminal illegal murderers, rapists, and paedophiles from our country.
“Anyone who would defend these sick monsters must be stupid, or is it slow?” The phrase “Stupid or is it slow” comes from Sabrina’s track ‘Manchild’.
‘Juno’, featuring the lyrics “Have you ever tried this one?”, references the provocative dance moves the pop star showcased during her Short ‘n’ Sweet tour performances. The song went viral on TikTok as fans recreated their own cheeky choreography to the tune.
However, Sabrina Carpenter joins an extensive roster of musicians who’ve objected to Trump’s unauthorised use of their music.
The comprehensive list, running from Abba through to French songwriter Yoann Lemoine, features the Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Ozzy Osbourne, and Phil Collins.
Meghan Markle contacts dad Thomas as he undergoes leg amputation – The Mirror
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Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, has reached out to her dad Thomas after it emerged that he was requiring life-saving treatment after undergoing an amputation of his leg
Daniel Bird Assistant Celebrity and Entertainment Editor
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Meghan Markle has reached out to her father, Thomas Markle Snr
Everything you need to know as Meghan Markle reaches out to dad Thomas
Earlier this week, it emerged that Meghan’s estranged father, Thomas Markle Snr, had been rushed to the hospital and was receiving critical care. Thomas, who now lives in the Philippines, was left concerned after his leg turned black due to a blood clot after he fell ill at his home.
Shortly after his son, Thomas Jnr, confirmed that Markle Sr. was receiving treatment, it emerged that he had undergone a three-hour operation to remove his leg below the knee. Doctors had warned that if they had not carried out the major operation, there was a high chance that it could have been fatal for Thomas. Thomas Jnr said: “I was told the leg had to be removed, and it was a case of life or death. One of his doctors said the next two or three days are critical.”
Doctors are now monitoring Thomas Snr around the clock to watch out for any signs of infection, as they had been worried about sepsis or gangrene, as his flesh was “black and dying”.
The Markle family have requested privacy for Thomas Snr as he recuperates from the major surgery before he is discharged and allowed to return to his home in Cebu, Philippines, where he moved to in 2025.
Meghan has not had any contact with her father since her wedding to Prince Harry in May 2018. Thomas had been set to attend the wedding at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, but was unable to travel due to suffering two heart attacks on the eve of the wedding.
Thomas later suffered from a stroke in 2022, which left him unable to speak for some time. However, he regained some speech after undergoing extensive therapy, but his health has continued to decline in recent years.
But despite public pleas to his daughter and son-in-law, Thomas has never met Harry nor his grandchildren, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet and has had no contact with the Duchess until now. The breakdown in relations followed his decision to pose for staged paparazzi photographs ahead of the ceremony. Meghan later cut him off after a heated phone call with Harry while Mr Markle was recovering in the hospital.
Thomas previously said he felt “disrespected” by Harry and Meghan as things that the couple had allegedly said “hurt him” after Harry is said to have told him that he was in the situation after ignoring repeated messages not to speak to members of the press.
Thomas had previously said his “only wish” was to meet Meghan and Harry’s two children, who are sixth and seventh in line to the throne before he dies.
On Friday night, a spokesperson for the Duchess of Sussex confirmed that Meghan had “reached out to her father.”
READ THE FULL STORY: Meghan Markle reaches out to dad Thomas as he fights for life after leg amputation
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I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and Emmerdale star Lisa Riley is the latest female contestant to leave the Australian jungle, following Martin Kemp’s exit
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Lisa Riley has been open about her personal struggles(Image: ITV/Shutterstock)
Emmerdale’s Mandy Dingle star Lisa Riley has been open about her personal struggles over the years, which has included difficulty with conceiving with her fiancé Al Benkovic.
During her stint in the Australian jungle, she has continued that openness, often sparking deep and heartfelt conversations with her fellow I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! campmates.
As she prepares for the real world again following her exit, we take a closer look at some of the challenges Lisa has not shied away from discussing in recent years.
Fertility struggles
During a recent conversation in the jungle about having children, Lisa said she believed 33 was the perfect age to become a parent. In her case however, the actress is unfortunately yet to become a mother due to problems with conceiving.
Previously speaking to Hello! Magazine about her struggles, the actress said she found fertility treatment “emotionally draining” and has since come to terms with not having children of her own.
“My body was being pumped full of hormones to get my egg readings, and in the end they weren’t good, it messes with your head and I just couldn’t do that to myself anymore,” she shared.
“The past few months have been really hard, emotionally draining, and we just decided that enough was enough.”
She went on to say: “Finding out that I was unlikely to get pregnant was a blow. But I refuse to be defined by that.”
In a separate interview, Lisa said she “wouldn’t be able to cope” with adopting, fearing the child might want to return to their biological parents.
“There are enough lovely people in this world that would like to adopt, but no, we are past that now,” she told The Sun. “I am 48 and I feel like an unfinished jigsaw — that is the truth of a woman who doesn’t have children but who is okay with it.
Instead, Lisa prides herself on being an auntie. Ahead of going into the jungle, she said of her stint: “Forget the NTAs and BAFTAs, the fact I am going into the jungle means I am hopefully the best auntie in the world to my nephews Jakey and Joshua, and niece, Everlyn. I can forever say to them I tackled the jungle head-on. It is going to be ace!”
Challenges with fame
Lisa is best known for playing the role of Mandy Dingle in the ITV soap Emmerdale. The actress first stepped into the Dales in 1995 before making her initial exit in 2001.
At the time, Lisa said she struggled with fame, which included regularly being on the front pages of magazines. She told Woman Magazine: “I remember being in the supermarket, and I was on the cover of every magazine with the Mandy and Dave Glover storyline.
“I felt claustrophobic and started to have panic attacks. Me, [and EastEnders stars] Patsy Palmer and Martine McCutcheon were the tabloid ‘faces of soap’ and were followed everywhere like pop stars. Initially, it was hard.”
Lisa said she didn’t feel as though she needed therapy at the time, but instead credited her, now late, mum for helping her through the process.
After taking a break from the Dales to focus on other roles, she returned in 2019 with newfound confidence.
“I pride myself on being grounded and haven’t had a panic attack for years,” she added. “Now the young’uns at Emmerdale come to me for advice.”
Dealing with grief
Lisa was left devastated in 2012 when her mother Cath died following a battle with breast cancer, which later spread to her ovaries and pelvis.
Speaking to Express in 2022, Lisa said the pain was still very much with her. “I always say that mum was the oxygen in the room. Mum made me look timid and that’s not an exaggeration,” she shared. “Mum loved the colour yellow and whenever I see it, I think of her and feel her with me.”
In the same chat, she revealed that she was facing more grief following the death of her mother-in-law.
On how she’s dealt with losing a loved one, Lisa credited her supportive family and claimed talking to those in the same situation had also helped.
“Especially with my family, we now know each other inside out, back to front, and with that in mind, it’s taken ownership of how individual we are,” she shared.
Lisa went on to say that portraying Mandy had also been helpful with hiding her true emotions.
“Some days I can put Mandy’s wig on and put the lashes on, the full make-up and the fabulous clothes, and I can kind of live vicariously through Mandy and that helps me get though the days when, you know, I’m really struggling,” she added.
Weight loss turnaround
The Mandy Dingle star recently opened up about her weight loss during a conversation with campmates in the jungle. As part of the chat, she admitted to undergoing a breast uplift after shedding the pounds and revealed: “I’m now a size 16-18, but at my biggest I was a size 28.”
She went on to say: “My absolute guilt for years and years was blindness to portion control… I’ve completely cut out nibbling. I’m never lazy, I think it’s hereditary, I really do.”
The actress is said to have 12 stone over the past decade through a combination of diet and gym workouts. This lifestyle change came following many years of trying many fad diets that “didn’t work” for her.
One of the biggest changes she made was giving up alcohol, which she has successfully avoided for the past 10 years.
Previously opening up about her diet changes, she said on This Morning: “My vice is crisps – that’s the one thing I find it hard to say no to. Alcohol was my comfort blanket. The Malbec I love would be accompanied by feel-good food the next day – bread that was swimming in butter.”
Lisa has since become more aware of her portion sizes and is said to have ditched junk food for more nutrient-dense and fresh options.
As part of her exercise regime, she is also believed to be a fan of yoga, cardio and HIIT.
Shedding the pounds wasn’t always plain sailing for Lisa however. In her ITV documentary Lisa Riley’s Baggy Body Club, she showcased the results of her operation to have her loose skin removed.
“For the first time in years, father and daughter are no longer separated by bitterness. They are connected again by something far more human.”
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Meghan Markle with her estranged father Thomas(Image: Netflix)
For seven long years, the relationship between Meghan Markle and her father has played out in headlines, interviews, recriminations and a deep, unbroken silence.
Now, at last, that silence appears to have been pierced by crisis. As Thomas Markle lies in hospital after having his leg amputated below the knee following a life-threatening blood clot, his daughter has reached out.
After years of distance, it has taken the most brutal of turning points to force open a door that once seemed permanently sealed. For all the royal trappings that came to define Meghan’s life after marrying Prince Harry, the story of her estrangement from her father has always been a painfully ordinary one: pride colliding with hurt, mistakes hardening into resentment, and time turning misunderstandings into permanent scars.
What began as a bitter row around the time of the wedding became a frozen standoff neither side seemed able to thaw. Words were traded through column inches rather than across kitchen tables. Each year that passed made the gulf feel wider, colder, and more final.
READ MORE: Meghan Markle reaches out to dad Thomas as he fights for life after leg amputationREAD MORE: Prince Harry issued stark warning after mocking Donald Trump in TV sketch
Now fate has intervened in the starkest, most physical way.
Thomas Markle’s sudden collapse, the scramble to save his life, and the devastating decision to amputate his leg to prevent death have stripped everything back to raw human reality.
This is no longer about palace politics or tabloid disputes. It is about an 81-year-old man who could have lost his life and will now live permanently changed. It is about pain, vulnerability and fear.
Faced with that reality, Meghan did what many children would do when the unthinkable happens: she reached out to make contact. It is a moment heavy with emotion and symbolism.
Whatever misjudgements were made on both sides, this was once a devoted father who raised his daughter through reported long stretches of single parenthood, who encouraged her ambitions, and who believed fiercely in her long before the world knew her name.
This illness has exposed, in the harshest possible way, the cost of seven lost years. A wedding unattended. Grandchildren never met. A relationship reduced to public statements and silence.
Thomas now faces recovery with part of his body gone. Meghan faces the knowledge that reconciliation delayed too long can come at a terrible price. Whether this moment leads to true healing remains uncertain. Severe illness does not magically erase years of hurt or betrayal. Old wounds do not disappear overnight.
But crises have a way of stripping away pride and noise.
When life hangs in the balance, only what truly matters remains: family, forgiveness, time and the terrible truth that time is not guaranteed. Thomas Markle’s fight for life, and the permanent injury he now carries, may yet become the moment that finally breaks the cycle of silence.
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After seven years of estrangement, it is hope born of tragedy. Whether it becomes a new beginning or merely a momentary exchange in the shadow of loss is still unknown.
Court documents have disclosed the reason why Brennon and Alexa Lemieux got divorced after they announced their split publicly this week, telling fans it was a ‘difficult decision’
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Court documents have revealed Brennon Lemieux filed for divorce from Love is Blind co-star Alexa in November(Image: mrsalexalemieux/Instagram)
The circumstances behind Love Is Blind stars Brennon and Alexa Lemieux’s split have been revealed in court documents that have recently come to light.
According to records, Brennon filed for divorce on November 5, almost a month before the pair publicly announced the end of their marriage.
The petition cites that “the marriage has become insupportable because of discord or conflict of personalities” between Alexa and Brennon, that “destroys the legitimate ends of the marriage relationship and prevents any reasonable expectation of reconciliation”.
The filings, obtained by PEOPLE, also note that the couple intend to reach a written agreement outside of court regarding custody of their 17-month-old daughter, Vienna, as well as the division of their community property. Brennon requested to retain any assets he obtained prior to the marriage.
Alexa opened up about the split on Instagram on December 3, telling fans: “After much reflection and many heartfelt conversations, we have made the difficult decision to end our marriage.
“This choice was not made lightly, and it comes with a great deal of care, respect, and appreciation for the time we’ve shared.” She continued: “While our journey as a married couple is coming to an end, we remain supportive of one another, devoted to our daughter, and committed to navigating this transition with compassion.”
The couple first met during season 3 of Love Is Blind and got married on-camera in June 2021. Three years later, they welcomed their daughter, Vienna. When interviewed by media outlets in 2024, both Alexa and Brennon repeatedly credited the reality series with bringing them together.
“I don’t think Brennon and I would have met outside the show, although I’m hopeful that fate would’ve intervened,” Alexa said, adding that the show allowed them to learn how to communicate and put themselves out there.
Before their separation, the pair had shared their hopes of celebrating milestone anniversaries with their family. Just last year, Alexa explained that she envisioned renewing their vows on a beach for their fifth anniversary – and would love to get their children involved in that celebration.
Brennon added: “Have a little flower girl, a ring bearer…Guess we got to have more kids!” The couple did face significant challenges in the run-up to becoming parents.
Alexa previously opened up about her difficult pregnancy journey, explaining that she and Brennon had been trying for over a year and a half before they finally conceived.
The businesswoman went through multiple fertility treatments, got acupuncture weekly, and made significant lifestyle changes before eventually getting pregnant.
Once the couple had reason to celebrate, Alexa told followers: “This journey has been one of the hardest things I have ever been through, but it was worth the wait.”
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Their daughter, Vienna, was born on July 31, 2024. Despite the public nature of their split, both Alexa and Brennon have emphasised that their daughter is still their priority and made it clear that they want to handle the divorce amicably.
