Category Entertainment News

Former Made In Chelsea star Sam Thompson, who suffered a calf injury during his five-day challenge, shared a health update with followers on Instagram

Sam Thompson shared an update on his health after suffering a calf injury ahead of the annual Soccer Aid match. The former Made In Chelsea star sustained an injury during his five-day challenge, during which he raised money for Unicef and surpassed the £1 million mark while getting through 260 miles.

He tore his calf in dramatic scenes during the challenge. While he tried hard in the last week to get his health back to normal, he still isn’t able to play football the way he wanted. On Saturday afternoon, he took to his Instagram Stories to share an update with a picture of him his football kit during a training session.

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The radio star captioned the post: “Joined training today…” before sharing another picture of him on the sidelines looking defeated while talking to the coaches.

“Then had to rejoin the coaching team,” he added in the caption. Speaking on This Morning this week, he explained how he’s doing as match day loomed closer.

Sam said: “I’m still very sore, still got the torn calf, however I am here at Soccer Aid HQ and it does not get better than this. We’ve still got the management team of England, we’ve got Vicky McClure, Tyson Fury , who’s stepping into some new shoes and Harry Redknapp …

“But also because I’m not going to be able to run around, you’ve also got me, part of the management team. Come on baby!…

“I came here with high hopes and went to see Gary the physio and I can kick a ball from a standing start, but when it comes to like general chaos of playing competitive sport there’s just no way.

“I cant really run properly so yeah. They were very kind and said we still want you to be a part, so I get to go on the dark side with Tyson Fury.”

Sam has documented his injury and his recovery so far. “On the first day I did the first marathon and on the last 2k I felt like I’d been shot in the back of the leg and I’ve completely torn the calf muscle but it’s fine I’m strapped up!” he revealed of his injury at the time.

“We were absolutely drenched, and my back was aching, but having Chris there kept me going. I can cope with the bad conditions and the aches and pains, but my leg keeps letting me down.

“I was told at the last pitstop I could try and run the last few kilometres to test my leg and my recovery, so I cycled out the pitstop determined to make it as far as I could towards the stadium and tried to run into Villa Park.

“If I have to get up at 4am every morning for the rest of the week to complete this, I will. I’m going to make it to Manchester by Friday. I am so grateful to everyone that has supported me already and donated – that’s the one thing keeping going.”

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In a change from last year, the Princess of Wales watched Trooping the Colour on the parade ground alongside the King and Queen – and royal expert Jennie Bond says it was highly significant

The Princess of Waleses’ subtle change at Trooping the Colour sent a powerful message about her future, according to a royal expert. After enjoying a carriage ride down the Mall with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, Kate watched the military parade in a different position this year.

While George, Charlotte and Louis joined other members of the royal family, including the Duchess of Edinburgh in the former office of the Duke of Wellington, Kate took her place next to the King and Queen on the dais, in her role as Colonel of the Irish Guards. Her role with the Irish Guards is a symbolic position and her position on the parade ground was one she was unable to take up last year because she was receiving cancer treatment, and instead watched the ceremony with her children.

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And for former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond, Kate’s position at the parade was highly significant. She told the Mirror : “I also thought it was highly significant to see Catherine on the dais alongside the King and Queen.

“She was there not only as a very senior member of the Royal Family but as Colonel in Chief of the Irish Guards as they marched by. It was a very powerful image of our next Queen alongside her father-in-law who has made no secret of the respect he has for Catherine, especially after the cancer journey they have shared. It certainly gave you the feeling that royal life is pretty much back on track after the scary past 18 months.”

Another change at Trooping this year was the fact that William stood next to his father King Charles on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the RAF flypast. Last year Kate was invited to stand next to His Majesty.

And Jennie added: “I think the fact that William stood next to his father on the balcony was a signal that things are returning to normal. Last year was an exception, with the Princess of Wales taking on her first public duty since her cancer diagnosis, and I think the King was showing his special support for her by asking her to stand alongside him. But today it was the correct order and, in a way, that was quite reassuring.

“I’m not sure that George enjoyed the long carriage ride quite as much as his siblings, but he came to life as soon as the flypast began. He’s obviously very keen on aircraft and has already had a flying lesson.

“I thought William, and particularly Catherine, were very careful to watch over the children, tell them what was happening next and make sure there were no embarrassing moments. And there weren’t. Everyone was on their best behaviour and, in the glorious sunshine, it was a treat for the huge crowds who turned out to see the pageantry and the Royal Family on parade.”

She continued: “It was genuinely joyful to see Catherine looking so well, so dazzlingly elegant and so happy with her children in the carriage.

“Ever the mum, she put a reassuring hand on Charlotte’s knee as the carriage rolled down the Mall from the Palace. But the young Princess also looked full of confidence and smiles, she seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the parade.

“Louis was on his best behaviour and George looked rather serious. He seemed rather like a young lad who was thinking ‘been here, done it, got the T-shirt!’

“But he has a whole life of this sort of thing ahead of him, and I’m sure he’ll enjoy it all the more when he’s on horseback escorting his father, or indeed, heading up the parade himself.”

Love Island: All Stars contestants Harriett Blackmore and Ronnie Vint are reportedly giving their relationship another try – after getting together and breaking up twice in the past year

The love that was lost between Harriett Blackmore and Ronnie Vint has been rediscovered – as the Love Island stars are a couple once again. The duo were contestants on the spin-off series Love Island: All Stars at the beginning of the year.

And while they did not win the show – they were dumped from the Island just before the final – they managed to navigate a romance once they were away from the villa. Harriett, 25, and Ronnie, 28, were previously a couple after starring on the main ITV reality show during season 11 in 2024, and were stunned to see each other in the All Stars villa this year.

And it appears their on-off approach to romance is continuing as they are an item once again after breaking up just a week ago. They had deleted evidence of their love from social media and reports had suggested the break up was “bitter”.

But now love is said to be re-sparking for the couple and they are back on the path to romance. A source told The Sun: “Harriett and Ronnie are speaking again and getting back together.

“They’re so on and off – it’s like they row when they’re together but can’t live without each other.” The Mirror has contacted representatives of the couple for comment.

The pair are following each other on social media, but are yet to break their silence on their reconciliation. The development comes after fans were left fearing the couple had split.

But Ronnie had hit back at the speculation, saying: “This is clearly a set up. Edited because we are sweet and I haven’t commented a thing. Thank you.”

The couple have had an on-off romance over the past year. After first falling for each other on Love Island in June 2024, they broke up three months later.

Harriet confirmed that she and Ronnie had called time on their romance. She told The Sun at the time: “Ronnie and I have split and these things happen.

“I love him so much but it just didn’t work as a relationship and that’s fine. We shared the most amazing experience together and I always have so much love and respect for him. I’m not saying no, but for now we’re taking a break from the relationship.”

After reconnecting on Love Island: All Stars in January this year, the pair enjoyed a deeper romance. Harriett shared updates on their relationship whilst speaking to the Mirror earlier this year.

She teased in the interview, published in April, that it feels “completely different” with Ronnie now, compared to when the couple were together months ago.

She told us: “Me and Ronnie are really good. He’s such a changed person this time so I’m just enjoying the new man.” She shared: “Even though it’s the second time round, it kinda feels like the first of how it actually should have been.”

Asked if it feels like they have taken things to the next level, and are in a different phase of their relationship, compared to last time, Harriett said: “Yes, definitely and I just feel like y’know before we never actually… We were together but we didn’t have the girlfriend and boyfriend label.”

She added: “I think it actually is quite a big deal. We never really crossed that path. Now it’s … we’re girlfriend and boyfriend. It’s just … yeah, it’s just completely different. But I love it!”

One Direction singer Louis Tomlinson is getting ready to play for England in the Soccer Aid match alongside his girlfriend Zara McDermott’s recent ex Sam Thompson

Louis Tomlinson revealed he is feeling nervous ahead of the Soccer Aid match alongside his girlfriend Zara McDermott’s ex Sam Thompson. The One Direction star is now dating Zara, just months after she split from Sam at the start of the year.

In an awkward twist of fate, both Louis and Sam are on the same team as they take part in the charity football match for Unicef. The pair crossed paths earlier in the week as they took part in a training session together with former Made In Chelsea star Sam insisting there’s ‘no hard feelings’.

However, the meeting is likely to be a bit awkward as he was with Zara for over five years. Louis and Zara’s budding romance came as a surprise to their fans as they grew close to each other in March.

Ahead of the match, Sam and Louis are having to spend time together as they make sure they’re as prepared as they can be. It seems Sam may be wanting to keep an eye on Louis as when the singer took part in an interview, the reality star could be seen hovering behind.

Louis revealed being part of the team was “an incredible opportunity to play with some amazing players and do it all for an amazing cause”. Yet, he admitted in all his years performing for millions of people, he is still nervous for Sunday’s game.

He told TalkSport: “I used to play in charity games a little bit more often when I was a bit younger and there’s no comparison. Don’t get me wrong I get really nervous doing a gig but that’s my job, so to speak, but every football fan… you want to be decent, so you put that pressure on yourself.”

While Louis was chatting away, Sam could be seen standing behind him in an awkward moment. All eyes have been on the lads as training takes place while Sam revealed he will now not be playing the match but will be on the management team instead, becoming Louis’ boss.

Before the meeting, Sam discussed the expectations and attention around the pair being in the same room together. While on his Staying Relevant podcast, he recalled an interview where the focus turned to his impending encounter with Louis.

Sam shared: “At the end of the interview, he goes, ‘Look mate, I’ve got to ask the question that everyone wants to know. This is sort of the big question really, the elephant in the room, What’s it going to be like with you and Louis? Obviously he’s doing Soccer Aid too.”

Sam chuckled as he recounted the strained moment: “Mate, you should have seen the room, everybody, it was silent then everyone goes ‘Woah, Woah Woah, end the call! End the call!’ and I have just gone ‘No, no guys, I’ve got this, I’ve got this.’ I held my hands up to say just relax.”

He clarified: “I think I did alright and I meant everything I said as well, that it’s not about me or Louis or who anyone is dating, it’s f**king Unicef and charity and everyone is going to be there for the exact same reason. And if he has anything about him which I’ve heard he does, he’s going to sit there and say the exact same thing.”

During a chat with The Mirror back in May, Sam spoke excitedly about the prospect of encountering Louis: “I’ve never met Louis, but the moment I see him, I’ll be like, ‘mate, how amazing is this what we’re doing, and hopefully we can make as much money as possible. And I imagine – from what I hear is a really lovely bloke – I imagine the reply will be exactly the same.”

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Soap star Ryan Thomas shares Scarlett with Tina O’Brien but insists his daughter isn’t ‘getting a free ride’

Ryan Thomas insisted his ‘nepo baby’ daughter Scarlett ‘won’t be getting a free ride’ as he discussed her role on Waterloo Road. The 40-year-old actor shares Scarlett with Coronation Street star Tina O’Brien, with Scarlett also having Love Island’s Scott Thomas and Emmerdale’s Adam Thomas as her uncles.

Scarlett has been a hit on BBC’s Waterloo Road and even has almost 150,000 followers on social media where she updates fans on her life. Speaking in a new interview, her father Ryan said of her TV role: “She worked damn hard to get that job, and people need to recognise that she’s a talented girl – she’s up against other people and she’s not getting a free ride.”

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He added to The Sun : “She has to go through the same process as everyone else – it was between her and somebody else. It wasn’t like, ‘This is a Thomas, she’s going to get this job’.”

Back in April, Scarlett hit back at the ‘nepo baby’ claims with a short video on TikTok.

The daughter of the soap star took to her social media page to share a carefree video of herself riding the passenger seat of a convertible car in the sunshine as she lip-synced to the 1977 hit song Easy by Commodores.

In the clip, She wore oversized sunglasses, and gold hoop earrings and rocked an off-the-shoulder jumper. Over the clip, Scarlett typed out a comment she receives from trolls, which is: “You only got these opportunities because of your family.”

In response, Scarlett wrote: “God forbid a girl takes the chances she gets.” Fans shared their support for the teen in the comment section, with one user writing: “Girl it’s jealousy! You enjoy every bit of it.”

Another said: “You have talent, regardless of your family.” One fan posted: “God forbid a girl who has opportunities and doesn’t waste them.”

Scarlett also has a large legion of fans on social media who love her content, which includes behind-the-scenes clips of her life with her famous family.

Experts in the industry believed she would be able to bag a cool £2million from her content before she turns 18.

PR expert Lynn Carratt told The Sun: “It’s clear they’re a close-knit family who understand how to use social media effectively to build their careers. They capitalise on TikTok trends, and each member is talented in their own right.

“From a PR perspective, the family TikTok videos are an excellent platform for displaying the family’s talent to a huge audience.”

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Will Young has reflected on his coming out experience in a new interview for Pride Month. He was pressured into revealing his sexuality after winning Pop Idol in 2002.

Will Young has paid tribute to those who came before him to fight for equal rights while reflecting on his own coming out story. The 46-year-old singer shot to fame in 2002 when he starred on, and won, ITV’s singing talent show Pop Idol.

After winning the show, Will enjoyed huge success, with debut single, the double sided Anything Is Possible / Evergreen, becoming the fastest-selling debut single in UK history. His first album also topped the charts – with all of his subsequent records making the top five, including three further number ones and three at number two.

Shortly after winning Pop Idol, Will came out and he told fans he had no shame about his sexual identity and that he had not hidden it from those in his life. In a new interview with Metro, the singer has reflected on this moment from 2002 and shared his thoughts on how the world has changed.

He told The Metro: “It’s like chalk and cheese now. I don’t often really remember the sort of mini traumas that would occur being openly gay and a public figure in the early 2000s. It was so different then.”

He continued to highlight the ways the country has changed since he burst into the spotlight. He said: “There was no legal support, you couldn’t get married.

“You just operated within how it was then, which was like, ‘Well, I’m going to get shouted out, I’m going to get threatened. No one’s gonna care.’ That was a given, which seems bonkers now to think like that.”

And paying tribute to equal rights campaigners, he added: “We have to remember those people and those before them, because they were pretty seminal.”

Will first opened up about his sexuality in March 2002 in an interview with the since defunct News of the World. He told the publication: “I feel it’s time to tell my fans I’m gay.

“It’s totally no big deal, just part of who I am. For me it’s normal and nothing to be ashamed about. I’m gay and I’m comfortable with that. I really don’t know what the fuss is about.”

It has been over two decades since the singer found fame and he continues to enjoy chart success. His 2024 album, titled Light It Up, peaked at the top of the downloads chart and reached number 5 on the official albums chart.

He embarked on a tour in support of the record last September – with extra dates added due to demand. More recently, Will has been sharing gardening tips with fans and uploading videos of his green work to social media.

Over the decades, the star has become a campaigner for mental health, winning praise from fans for sharing his own struggles and spotlighting resources so others can get help.

He also, tragically, lost his twin brother, Rupert, to suicide in July 2020. He shared his story and grief as well as the life of his brother in the acclaimed Channel 4 documentary, Will Young: Losing My Twin Rupert.