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The Vivienne honoured posthumously at Attitude Awards as sister breaks down in tears

By in Entertainment News, News

The UK’s first RuPaul’s Drag Race winner The Vivienne – whose real name was James Lee Williams – tragically died aged just 32 in January this year

The Vivienne has been honoured posthumously at the 2025 Attitude Awards, which took place in London last night.

The annual ceremony honoured the family of the late RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star – whose real name was James Lee Williams – after their death in January this year aged 32 following a cardiac arrest caused by ketamine.

Since Vivienne’s death, their family has campaigned to raise awareness of the dangers of ketamine, while addiction centre The House of The Vivienne has been set up to help those in need.

Their sister Chanel Williams broke down in tears as she accepted the Inspiration Award at the 2025 Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards, powered by Jaguar.

READ MORE: ‘Heartbreaking’ BBC documentary Dear Viv leaves viewers in tears after tragic death

She said: “It’s an honour to be here tonight and to be receiving the very award that The Vivienne received in 2022. By definition, to be an inspiration is to use your actions, character and story to encourage others to do or achieve something – and The Vivienne did just that.

“She paved the way for the art of drag within the UK, she opened up doors that had never been opened, and she was proof that dreams really do come true.

“But above all, she stood fiercely with her community. A community that I am so proud to be an ally of – a community that, through the most difficult of times, has taken us in, supported us, protected us, and shown us the best parts of humanity.”

Chanel added that her whole family was “extremely honoured” by the recognition as they have spent months trying to “reduce stigma around addiction”.

She continued: “I stand here tonight as James’ sister, and on behalf of our family, extremely honoured to be recognised for this award.

“Since James’ passing, as a family we have campaigned to reduce stigma around addiction, to push for systemic changes, and to continue The Vivienne’s work in helping others.”

Concluding her speech, she added: “In 2022, The Vivienne accepted this award – and tonight, I accept this award on behalf of James, my brother, and my inspiration.”

During the ceremony, Bimini, Tia Kofi, Bentley Robles, Eden Hunter and Janethan performed new song Your Light Will Shine in memory of The Vivienne. Elsewhere on the night – which was hosted by Grace Kelly hitmaker Mika – Russell Tovey was named Man of the Year with Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies presenting the prize.

Naked Attraction host Anna Richardson presented Elizabeth Hurley with the Honorary Gay Award, while Josh Cavallo gave Dannii Minogue the Ally Award.

Other winners included Gok Wan with the Icon Award, Campbell Addy (Creator’s Award), Luke Evans (Book Award), Tom Allen (Comedy Award) and Tiara Syke (Drag Award), while What It Feels Like For A Girl star Paris Lees and the rest of the cast received the TV Award.

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Kate Garraway admits Celebrity Traitors ‘really affected’ her due to hidden struggle

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Good Morning Britain presenter Kate Garraway has opened up about her stint on Celebrity Traitors and how one aspect stood out compared to other shows

Kate Garraway has confessed one thing about appearing on Celebrity Traitors “really affected” her. The TV personality says the show had a profound impact on her, having decided to participate in the celebrity version of the popular BBC series.

Kate, who has also graced the dance floor on Strictly Come Dancing and braved the jungle in I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, mentioned that on those shows, “you sort of knew” how the other contestants felt. Celebrity Traitors, though, was a different kettle of fish.

In a chat with the Sun’s Fabulous, Kate revealed: “The whole experience really affected me. When I came out, I felt like my hard drive had been wiped.

“It took quite a few weeks for me to get back to myself or even contact people from the castle, because it felt like: ‘Wow, this was massive.’I’ve no idea if the other celebrities hated me or loved me.”

Kate entered the Scottish castle still mourning the loss of her husband Derek Draper, who passed away in 2024 due to complications from long Covid. The Good Morning Britain star was accompanied by a slew of other famous faces, including comedian Alan Carr, singer Charlotte Church, TV presenters Stephen Fry and Jonathan Ross, and Olympic champion Tom Daley.

The result of the show, which premiered last night (Wednesday October 8) and runs for just over three weeks, is still under wraps. Kate, 58, described her participation in The Traitors, hosted by Claudia Winkleman, as an “incredible experience”.

She said: “You couldn’t think about anything else, as you didn’t have your phone or access to the internet. You couldn’t even watch TV, which was strange for a news junkie like me!”.

“The Celebrity Traitors was a deliberate reset moment for me.” The enforced period of time to herself has helped Kate come to terms with how she feels about her bereavement, and she says that she’s considering starting grief therapy.

Kate said another reason she signed up for the show is because she wanted to meet her fellow celebrities, some of whom were “heroes” of hers. The telly presenter revealed she isn’t quite prepared to begin dating again, though she doesn’t wish to spend “the rest of her life without love”.

She explained: “What Derek and I loved was our home life and just pottering around, and we had 21 years of that, so mentally I am still in that zone.” However, away from the cameras, pals of the television personality are said to be urging her to give romance another go.

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An insider told The Mirror: “There is someone who’s interested – and her friends are encouraging her just to explore that and see how it makes her feel. But Kate isn’t really ready for anything more than friendship right now. It’s still too soon, so no one is trying to force things.”

Palestinians in Gaza worry and wait for Israel to implement ceasefire

By in News, World News

Deir el-Balah, Gaza – A cautious relief seems to hover over central Gaza’s Deir el-Balah as people stand outside their tents, talking to each other about the ceasefire that is set to come into force after approval by the Israeli cabinet.

Some people are celebrating, while others are worrying that this respite will prove brief and incomplete, like past ceasefires that Israel violated.

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This ceasefire has been touted by United States President Donald Trump as a lasting solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, and Israel has said it will cease bombing Gaza 24 hours after being approved by the Israeli cabinet, which is meeting on Thursday to discuss it.

‘I think he’ll go with it’

Nasser al-Qernawi, 62, sat cradling his radio on the bed in his family’s shelter, patched together from plastic sheeting and a bit of blue tarp.

He has listened to it every day for the past two years, and seems almost in awe of the latest news he heard coming through it.

“Yesterday the news was tough, in the morning. But now, it’s better,” he said. “I feel it’s closer, but he didn’t say the word ‘peace’, Netanyahu didn’t. The others said the word ‘peace’, but he didn’t.

“So we’re still not sure what he’s thinking, but I think he’ll go with it… if Trump comes and he signs it, that’s it.”

Many hopes seem to be riding on Trump, either due to confidence in the US president’s diplomatic skills or to a deep distrust in the motivations and actions of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“I have doubts about this, about 90 percent, because Netanyahu is a dirty traitor,” Khamis Othman, who has been displaced from Bureij camp, told Al Jazeera.

“He just thinks this is a winning card for executing his missions. The [Israelis could] take what is theirs and attack us again.”

In January, Hamas had released 33 Israeli and five Thai nationals who were held captive in Gaza as part of a ceasefire deal.

However, Israel unilaterally violated the ceasefire in mid-March, resuming its genocidal war on Gaza.

“If they truly cared about their captives,” Othman exclaimed, “they wouldn’t have attacked them along with the resistance fighters.”

Khamis Othman, 42, in Deir el-Balah, Gaza, on October 9, 2025 [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]

Regardless, he seems at least willing to wait and see what happens next: “From what we last heard, they’re saying Friday is when it happens, so hopefully, on Friday, it’ll start.”

‘We can’t go back home’

Ilham al-Zaanin (Umm Mahdi), 60, has been displaced with her five children and 10 grandchildren since the war began, and has mixed feelings about this announcement.

On the one hand, she told Al Jazeera, she is filled with relief that the bloodshed may now stop, yet on the other hand, she is mourning the fact that they cannot go back home.

Umm Mahdi and her family are from Beit Hanoon in the northernmost governorate of Gaza, a zone that will remain occupied by the Israeli army during the first phase of the ceasefire, so the family will be displaced, and she doesn’t know for how long.

“We went back to our house in Beit Hanoon during the [January] truce,” Umm Mahdi said. “Our home was gone, though, everything was gone. So we came back here and are staying with my husband’s family.

“Everything is destruction, loss … God compensate and help everyone; everyone has their own affliction … honestly, we’re hurting,” she said sadly.

The hurt is afflicting all generations in Gaza, her cousin Itidal al-Zaanin (Umm Mohammad) said, pointing to her grandchildren whose future, she fears, is already lost.

“My son’s children, instead of dreaming of what they want to be when they grow up or playing with toys, they’re walking around with knives, carrying heavy water jugs over long distances to sell.

“Some days they come and tell me and their mother about the human remains they see flung around after attacks … ‘Grandma we found them in pieces,’ they would tell me,” Umm Mohammad shook her head.

“Tomorrow we’ll be shocked by the real numbers of the martyrs and the wounded and the missing, those under the rubble,” Umm Mahdi said.

“Over these two years, I’ve seen everything imaginable, everything painful. We saw slaughter, death, trucks full of dead people, animal carts.”

To trust or to doubt?

Everyone who spoke to Al Jazeera expressed happiness and relief that, at the very least, the bloodshed would stop and some people would have an opportunity to return to their homes, or what remains of them.

Othman is going to wait and see.

“You hear it so often … there’s been an accomplishment, then it fails … optimism is something that sits in the shadows,” he said.

Reactions to declaration Gaza ceasefire October 9 2025
Itidal al-Zaanin (Umm Mohammad), in Deir el-Balah on October 9, 2025 [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]

Umm Mahdi is also waiting to see: “[Israel] cannot be trusted. You see, in Lebanon, they bomb them every day. We hope that the mediators will intervene to preserve our safety.

Even in the best-case scenario, Umm Mohammad isn’t sure anything will be the same again.

“My sisters lost their children, and our homes were destroyed. Our lives and our whole future have been lost. There’s no true joy in our hearts, but at least the bloodshed stopped,” she said.

“We’ve been begging Arab nations, foreign countries and Muslims who share our faith for two years, but no one cared about us or our children, children who saw bodies torn apart near Al-Aqsa Hospital, and who saw children like them, martyrs.”

Al-Qernawi held on to his optimism about as tightly as he held his radio, which has kept him company in more ways than one through two years of genocide.

“People come to listen with me sometimes, my daughters, or our neighbours,” he said.

“God willing, people will go back to their homes. God willing, the war is over,” al-Qernawi insisted.

“The whole purpose of the war and resuming it was all about displacement.

Charlotte Hawkins is ‘stunning’ on GMB in ‘comfortable and classy’ leopard print dress

By in Entertainment News, News

Charlotte Hawkins has been hailed as ‘stunning’ by fans after wearing a multicoloured leopard print dress on Good Morning Britain, and you can still shop it for under £60

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During Tuesday’s episode of Good Morning Britain, Charlotte Hawkins brought a little bit of fun and joy to the news day with her colourful leopard print midi dress. Fans were quick to praise the look on Instagram, with one viewer writing: “So stunning lovely dress.”

Fans of Charlotte’s dress will be pleased to know it not only won’t break the bank, but it’s also still in stock in all sizes. The Love & Roses Purple Animal Puff Sleeve Midi Dress is just £59 at Next, and you can still snap it up in sizes eight to 22, as well as petite and regular lengths.

READ MORE: Princess Kate shows support to Victoria Beckham in ‘bold’ trouser suit in trending autumn colour

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The dress blends shades of pink, red, blue and purple with a bold leopard print pattern from head to toe. It’s also the perfect dress for autumn, with long sleeves and a midi hemline that’ll keep you warm and cosy, but a more lightweight fabric that’s breezy and stops you from getting too hot.

As well as bringing some colour and playfulness to your wardrobe, the Purple Animal Midi Dress has a wonderfully flattering fit. It nips in around the waist with volume around the bust, and skims out over your hips and tummy for an easy and comfortable silhouette. Voluminous sleeves also add a little balance and drama to the dress without being too over the top.

You could just as easily pair the Purple Animal Midi Dress with a pair of heels and a clutch bag for formal events, or style it with trainers or ballet flats for a more casual look. You could even wear it with some knee high boots and a blazer or coat for the office, making it something that’s going to work mega hard in your wardrobe.

For a similar look, you could pick up Scamp & Dude’s Pink Leopard Blouson Sleeve Midi Dress for £66 (down from £110), with Alison Hammond spotted wearing a similar dress from the brand recently. Also on sale is Whistles’ Mottled Leopard Midi Dress which is now £65 down from £169, and has a flattering wrap dress style that belts at the waist.

Finally at Boden is the Alexandra Jersey Midi Dress which was originally priced at £99 but is now £69.30. Rather than leopard print it features an all-over heart print that mirrors animal print, and comes in a bottle green and navy colourway for something a little more subtle.

However at Next, the Love & Roses Purple Animal Puff Sleeve Midi Dress has an almost perfect rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars, with one saying the dress is: “Very comfortable and classy.”

Another wrote: “A lovely dress with a comfortable fit. Nice fabric and beautiful colours. Would benefit from a back tie to cinch it in a little.”

Whilst a third agreed: “Very flattering, fits perfectly, so feminine.”

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The only non-five star review still granted the dress four stars, and wrote: “Pretty, bright print. Good fit and flattering style.”

Liz Hurley lifts lid on Billy Ray Cyrus romance and their unusual hobby

By in Entertainment News, News

The actress shares details of their tender moments and the special present he bought her

Elizabeth Hurley says Billy Ray Cyrus spent the summer wooing her with love songs as she lifts the lid on their blossoming romance. From touching romantic gestures to their shared love of nature, actress Liz, 60, details tender moments they shared at her Herefordshire farm as they fell for each other.

She also revealed the sweet gift the country music star bought her for birthday. “He’s definitely more romantic than me; he spent the summer strumming his guitar under a tree, composing love songs as I strimmed and chainsawed around him,” Liz said of their idyllic courtship. “But he gave me a giant tepee for my birthday and we snuggle up in that and it’s extremely romantic.”

Speaking on This Morning today, Liz told Cat Deeley and Ben Shepherd that Achy Braky Heart singer Billy – dad of Miley Cyrus – had written a song about finding happiness with her. “He has written a song,” she said. “I don’t know if it’s about me but it’s for me.”

Liz and Billy, 64, went public with their relationship in April, hard launching their love with an Instagram post of Billy planting a kiss on Liz’s cheek. The pair have been inseparable of recent months and couldn’t keep their hands off each other at last month’s National Television Awards.

”Billy and I have so much hair between us that we’re in constant danger of choking on hair balls,” laughed Bedazzled and Austin Powers actress Liz to Attitude Magazine.

The couple had co-starred in film, Christmas In Paradise, released in 2022 – the same year he divorced wife Tish after almost 20 years. Dad-of-six Billy married singer Firerose, real name Johanna Rose, in 2023 but that was short-lived and ended in divorce less than a year in.

Liz has had a number of high-profile relationship over the years. She dated actor Hugh Grant, was married to Indian businessman Arun Nayar and was engaged to Australian cricketer Shane Warne. She had son, Damian, with film producer Steve Bing.

Damian, 23, is said to be a big fan of Billy’s and has given his seal of approval to his mum’s new man. “Being a parent is all consuming and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” said Liz about motherhood. “I’ve put bringing up baby ahead of everything.

“Billy and I watch birds of prey through our binoculars most days and see them build nests, hunt to feed their babies and then prepare them to go out into the big, bad world and fly solo. While I’m not ripping up squirrels with my talons to feed my son, I would if I had to. There’s nothing like parenthood to bring out the call of the wild.”

Picking up the Honorary Gay Award at Wednesday night’s Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards at the Roundhouse in Camden, Liz spoke of her pride at being an ally to the community. “You have stuck by me through thick and thin and even when I have been at my absolute lowest ebb it has always been you who have come in like the cavalry and stood by side,” she said accepting the award.

She said she’s always felt at home with the LGBTQ+ community. “A true diva must love sequins, very high heels, 80s disco music and have lots of best gay friends,” she said. “I tick all the boxes. However, I’m relatively low maintenance so I may need to start shouting at people to really join the ranks.”

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Other winners on the night included Dannii Minogue, Luke Evans, Gok Wan and Tom Allen. The Williams family accepted the Inspiration Award on behalf of late drag icon The Vivienne. Scissor Sisters performed on the night.

Read Liz’s full interview in Attitude magazine.