Category Entertainment News

Leah Taylor starred in the ITV2 dating show in 2023, initially coupling up with Sammy Root before being dumped from the villa alongside Montel McKenzie following a public vote

Former Love Island star Leah Taylor has revealed she was hiding a devastating secret during her time on the show after opening up about her “first love” in emotional social media video.

Leah, 29, who starred on the ITV2 dating show in 2013 alongside the likes of Molly Marsh and Kady McDermott, revealed to her followers that it had been 10 years since she lost her boyfriend in a fatal motorbike accident at just 19-years-old.

Dancer Leah had dated Elliott Xavier Campion when they were in their teens but Elliott, a breakdancer who had worked with Britain’s Got Talent star George Sampson, died in the crash in 2015. Opening up about the loss, Leah said: “I went to put some flowers down [for the 10 year anniversary] and it made me realise that I feel completely different to how I did at the time.”

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She adds: “I remember feeling like I was never going to be able to feel happy again or find love again. I felt so cold and empty. Now, 10 years on, it’s so nice to be able to go to his grave, put flowers down, and be able to feel happy about the time I got to experience with him as my first love.

” It was such a great first love. I remember when it happened, I was so young at the time. I felt like I had nowhere to turn to. It was a hard thing to cope with at the time. I’m so proud of how far I’ve come. “

Tragically, Elliott’s last Instagram post was a tribute to Leah shared just weeks before the accident on June 23, 2015.

Alongside a picture of Leah, he wrote:” The prettiest girl I know and she’s mine! Missing you so much, cant wait to join you in LA! Until then, the gym is my bestfriend. “

Following his death, Leah commented on the post, writing:” How someone could love me so much I will never ever understand. “

Leah entered the Love Island villa as a bombshell and briefly looked set to couple up with Sammy Root, but he changed his mind at the recoupling ceremony and decided to stick with Jess Harding.

She then coupled up with Montel McKenzie, making it through Casa Amor before being dumped following a public vote.

The couple decided to” just be friends “shortly after leaving the Love Island villa, with the pair still following eachother on Instagram despite cheating rumours at the time.

In her tribute to her” first love “Elliott, she added:” You overlooked my every flaw, mistake and imperfection cause you always made me feel like to you I was just perfection.

“I want you back ell, you made me feel like no one ever could”.

Leah was in LA when the accident happened. Elliott ran a weekly dance club and classes for school kids in Manchester, had had even performed with BGT winner George Sampson.

He shared a picture of his motorbike on Instagram just weeks before his crash, writing: “There’s nothing quite like it”.

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Amanda Holden looked ace as she sizzled in the sun as she brought he own take on the famous Tennis Girl image after taking a quick tennis-inspired trip to Majorca

Cheeky Amanda Holden served up a tennis treat as the age-defying TV and radio star gets ready for the second week of Wimbledon.

The 54-year-old Britain’s Got Talent recreated the famous Tennis Girl poster as she appeared to brush off recent Ofcom complaints over her daring wardrobe on the ITV show. She showed off some skin as she lifted up part of her pink skirt under the sun in Majorca during a photoshoot.

Her snap, already liked by over 40,000 fans on Instagram alone, saw the star on court as she promoted Revive Collagen. She captioned the upload: “Cheeky? Are you enjoying Wimbledon?” Some of the stars to give her some love were Piers Morgan and Scarlett Moffatt.

The legendary Tennis Girl image was captured by photographer Martin Elliott and it featured his then girlfriend, 18-year-old Fiona Butler, back in 1976. Athena sold more than two million copies – but the model, who went on to become a mother of three and freelance illustrator, did not receive any royalties.

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She said: “I was very naive and was paid nothing, and I think it’s the biggest-selling poster ever. My mother has a very faded copy in what used to be my father’s study and I just have it in the form of a very small postcard”. Ms Walker was not a keen tennis player and borrowed her tennis dress from a “friend of a friend”, her father’s plimsolls, and used “the dog’s” tennis balls for the image.

Meanwhile, Jamie Theakston says Amanda has been a ‘key part’ of his recovery following a battle with stage one laryngeal cancer, which he was given the all clear for in January. The Heart Breakfast presenter, 54, told Mirror: “Amanda has been fantastic, she’s been a part of my recovery. So, yeah, it has brought us closer as friends.”

Jamie was diagnosed with stage one laryngeal cancer back in September 2024 after listeners noticed a difference in his voice – initially putting it down to a mere sore throat. The broadcaster has since undergone three surgeries and revealed in January that he was cancer free.

And giving an update on how he’s feeling now, five months after getting the all clear and returning to work, Jamie said: “I’m feeling great, my family are all really great too.” Jamie shares children Sidney, 17, and Kit, 16, with his wife of almost two decades Sophie Siegle, with the presenter admitting that his family are all ‘relieved’ and happy to have him back in healthy form.

While Jamie and Amanda may be tight-knit friends, he revealed that the early morning wake up calls don’t always have them on the right side of the bed. “We can be moody sometimes”, he laughed.

“But we just argue it out on air and then it’s fine”! I personally celebrate my 20th year]on Heart] this year – I was only meant to do two! So I don’t quite understand how that happened, but, no, I love it, I love going in every day. It’s a great job. Here’s to twenty more. “

Amanda is no stranger to showing off her incredible figure. She sent fans wild last month as she stripped down to a tiny pink bikini as she enjoyed the sunshine. Matching pink heels to strut around a swimming pool on the Spanish holiday island of Majorca, she was quick to let everyone know she was having a great time.

And fans couldn’t quite believe what they were seeing, as one wrote in the comments:” Imagine being in your 50’s and looking that good in a bikini, “as another replied:” Right? “As many more posted heart and flame emojis, a third said:” Looking fabulous!!! “A fourth declared her” perfection”, as a fifth commented” what a body. “A sixth joked:” Look amazing, wish I could walk in those shoes! “

Her celebrity pals were equally in awe. Ex-EastEnders ‘ star Jo Joyner wrote:” You’re ridiculously hot “followed by a flame emoji”. There she is, “said former The Only Way Is Essex star Sam Faiers. Vicky Pattinson simply wrote:” AMANDA!!!! “with four flame emojis. While her Heart FM co-star, former Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts commented:” Jheeez. “

In a lengthy letter, Dave Grohl paid tribute to Taylor Hawkins, the band’s late drummer, in a special mention.

Dave Grohl penned an emotional letter to mark the 30th anniversary of the Foo Fighters. The band’s frontman pieced together a six-page letter to make the occasion and paid tribute to late bandmate Taylor Hawkins with his words.

Dave continued, “And Taylor. You are always in everything we do, wherever we go, forever, despite the fact that sometimes your name is accompanied by tears or a smile.

He continued, “Your beautiful soul’s enormity is only rivaled by our endless longing,” adding that. Beyond words, we all miss you. Taylor Hawkins will remain a Taylor Hawkins until we reach our destination in all of Foo Fighters’ musical selections.

The duo were in the iconic band together, but Taylor sadly died three years ago at the age of 50. He was found dead at the Four Seasons Hotel Casa Medina Bogota in Colombia with traces of 10 substances in his body, including heroin, opioids, and benzodiazepines.

According to a statement released at the time, the musician is said to have experienced “chest pains,” which precipitated a medical emergency. They confirmed that an ambulance had arrived on the scene, but a medical professional from EMI was already present and handling the situation.

Hawkins was declared dead at the scene despite attempts to revive him. Taylor’s 17-year-old wife Alison and their three children, Taylor, and his son Shane, who is now 18 years old, also followed his father’s drumming footsteps.

Josh Freese was also given a special mention in Dave’s tribute, along with other musicians. Josh left the band in May after three years with them following Taylor’s passing.

Without the unending fervor of William Goldsmith, Franz Stahl’s seasoned wisdom, and Josh Freese’s thunderous wizardry, this story would be meaningless, Dave wrote.

We therefore express our sincere gratitude for the time, music, and memories we each shared over the years. I appreciate it, ladies.

In a statement revealing Josh had been sacked from his position, the drummer said he supported the decision. He took to social media to share his thoughts on the call. “The Foo Fighters called me Monday night to let me know they’ve decided ‘to go in a different direction with their drummer,” he said.

Despite that, I enjoyed spending the past two years with them, both on and off the stage, and I back whatever they think is best for the band.

He continued, “I’ve never been let go from a band in my 40 years of drumming professionally, so I’m just a little shocked and disappointed. However, it seems as though Josh is trying to see the humorous side of the situation because, as most of you know, I’ve always had a free time between bands. Stay tuned for my “Top 10 possible reasons” for Josh’s removal from the Foo Fighters. “

Glastonbury typically offers small checks to stars, but the worthwhile Farm festival offers much more than just a pay check. However, the festival promises to bring in a lot of exposure and a hefty fee for one star.

Charli XCX pocketed a jaw-dropping £900,000 for her explosive and divisive Glastonbury set, making her the festival’s highest-paid performer ever.

The Essex-born pop star brought her Brat era to Worthy Farm on Saturday night, headlining The Other Stage and drawing such a huge crowd security had to shut entry to the field. Fans packed in to hear her party anthems, but her performance sparked fierce debate online, with many slamming her for “overusing” auto-tune.

One TikTok user wrote, “Lip syncing to a backing track with auto tune… sad to see this sh*te at Glasto.”

Charli was retaliating with a cheeky clapback, “Baby! Lip sync with autotune is not possible! Give that a second a thought.

She later expressed regret on X (previously Twitter) by saying, “Really enjoying these boomer-like comments on my Glastonbury performance. I find it to be extremely fascinating.

The most boring take ever is the idea that singing in deliberate autotune makes you a fraud or that not having a traditional band suddenly means you must not be a “real artist.” I’m sorry, but I just slept through it.

“But to be honest, I enjoy the conversation,” she continued. The best art frequently develops into a truly interesting culture rather than just being “ok,” “understood,” and “somewhat forgettable.” It is divisive and confrontational.

The pop princess has a long history of self-awareness, and she has never made it public, even admitting that she feels “lost” performing without it now.

She admitted last year on The Tape Notes podcast that she had always been able to sing in tune, but she’s since realized that she’s become so lazy because I sing in auto-tune all the time.

Her staggering payday caused shock because it was higher than the previous headline costs. For his 2023 Pyramid Stage set, Sir Paul McCartney and Coldplay reportedly made an estimated £250, 000. Charli was undoubtedly the only person who had consistently argued they couldn’t ever pay more than £500k for a headliner.

Meanwhile, Sir Rod Stewart reportedly performed at a loss this year despite receiving less than £300,000 from his set for his coveted Legends Slot on Sunday.

Charli’s contentious but triumphant Brat era has made her a more well-known celebrity. For her hit Von Dutch, the culturally influential album won her three Grammys earlier this year: Best Dance/Electronic Album, Best Recording Package, and Best Dance Pop Recording.

While Charli was one of the few acts to receive a respectable salary, many Glasto performers were simply given free weekend tickets, some were still left disappointed that she didn’t as it was claimed. However, many people called her performance one of the best of the weekend and demanded that she take the Pyramid Stage the following time.

Fans loved everything about her performance, judging by Saturday’s packed-out field, and the singer continues to face a wave of ‘boomer’ backlash online over her style and sound.

Fans referred to Zandra McDermott and Louis Tomlinson as “coupe goals” after they were spotted dancing with their arms around each other during Sketpa’s set at Glastonbury.

During Sketpa’s set at Worthy Farm, Zara McDemortt and Louis Tomlinson were seen dancing in the crowd and packing on the PDA. in a fresh photo from the busy weekend of music, mud, and singing.

In a new video posted to TikTok, Louis could be seen with his arms wrapped around Zara who rested her head back on his chest as they danced to the music. The Love Island star, 28, and One Direction singer, 33, looked very much a happy couple as the video was shared on social media.

The video’s creator on TikTok wrote, “Glastonbury is mad because you can dance to Skepta and boom Louis Tomlinson is next to you.” Many fans emailed in with mixed reactions.

“Literally, Zara is well in this,” a fan wrote. One person remarked, “LOL,” and another, “It’s so funny.” “Couples goals,” was a third phrase.

Their appearance at the festival also led to them becoming Instagram official as Louis shared a sweet snap of the couple in his Instagram reel from this year’s festival. Captioning the post: “Glasto 25,” Zara also gushed in the comments: “Best weekend ever.”

Before a performance, Zara and Louis were seen posing with a group of pals in the video. While holding a beverage cup, Louis was seen sporting a red baseball cap, a baggy t-shirt with Hopeless Romantic on the back, and black trousers. In a white crop top and black pants, Zara stood close to Louis. She paired it with a black baseball cap and shades of black.

Before heading to Somerset for the festival, Zara also broke her silence on her split from Sam Thompson, 32, after they went their separate ways at the beginning of the year, after five years together.

The couple, who shared a cat with their two cats, resided together in London. Zara and Louis were photographed having a date in March after their split.

In a seemingly awkward exchange, Louis and Zara’s ex, Sam, first faced off at Soccer Aid last month. Despite the pair holding “peace talks,” Louis reportedly let down Sam following the game at Old Trafford.

Zara recently stated that her life is not “glitz and glamour,” and that she is “totally different” from when she was in her early 20s.

She told The Sun : “The only thing in my life worth writing about is the work I do. I don’t care about social media as much as I used to, or about the aesthetic or the image, I value so much real relationships and real support around me, and being that to other people”.

The former Love Island star said: “I’m a totally different person to the one I was when I was 21 years old and stepped into what appeared to be a glitzy world of showbiz, my day-to-day life is not at all glitz and glamour.”

The TV gardener’s experience of welcoming wildlife into his garden seems to have both positive and negative effects.

Gardening legend Alan Titchmarsh has made an incredibly alarming discovery. The television personality who is known for his love of horticulture admits being gobsmacked when a fish in his pond appeared to be a creature.

Although he didn’t anticipate large creatures like otters in the wildlife pond he dug about 15 years ago, Alan, who will be gracing our TV screens this Sunday on ITV’s Love Your Weekend, did look forward to hosting “Newts and dragonflies, damselflies, and perhaps the odd kingfisher.”

In a brief chat with BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, Alan revealed that for a while, he enjoyed a bustling enclave of miniature beasts skimming his pool’s surface – until an unexpected development occurred. “But then, from somewhere,” he reminisced, adding: “Probably on the webbed feet of a visiting duck, roach arrived.”

Roach are small yet resilient freshwater fish, which can grow up to 14 inches and survive under challenging conditions. Notably, scientists have found that roaches are often the last survivors as rivers or ponds succumb to pollution, reports Gloucestershire Live.

Roaches have voracious appetites, but they are also durable enough to satisfy my needs. “Thinking it was just another species of wildlife to gleefully add to my list, I bought some fish food,” Alan said.

Before Alan said, “Whenever I sprinkle it on the water, the surface turns into something reminiscent of that scene in the James Bond movie where the baddie is eaten by piranhas,” he said. Before all the food disappears, the once limp pool transforms into a foaming cauldron for the entire 30-second period.

Unfortunately, Alan’s roaches have also ravaged the insect population that initially delighted him, not just the occasional banquet of fish food.

In an effort to rebalance his aquatic ecosystem, Alan has even encouraged the growth of an alder tree over the pond in an effort to entice kingfishers to eat the roach.

The destruction of Alan’s beloved cherry blossom was the most depressing of his wildlife encounters. He recalls how “my small, but now 20-year-old plantation of the pure-white “Shirotae” cherry typically causes gasps in early April.

“We spent the weekend away this year just before the festival was scheduled to open.” We left our barn and hurriedly walked around the anticipated view. “.

However, the scene Alan and his wife Alison encountered was “pathetic”. Wood pigeons had decimated the welter of buds.

He lamented that the only blossoms left were those on the slender branches, which were too fragile to support a peckish wood pigeon. He called it “heartbreaking.”