South Africa lock Eben Etzebeth says the incident in which he made contact with the left eye of Wales back row Alex Mann was “a mistake”.
The 34-year-old double World Cup-winner was handed a 12-week ban last week after an independent disciplinary panel decided he was guilty of an eye gouge.
It was Etzebeth’s first red card in 141 internationals for the Springboks, which occurred in the 73-0 win over Wales in Cardiff on 29 November.
“Now that my hearing is done I think I owe everyone an explanation,” Etzebeth said on social media.
“First of all, this is not a post to show that I was not guilty, I accept guilt. I made a mistake and I’m willing to serve a suspension which I deserve.
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Etzebeth had come on as a second-half replacement in Cardiff but was shown a straight red card in the 79th minute by French referee Luc Ramos after a fracas between the two sets of players.
Along with his explanation, the Springbok great also posted a video of the incident, claiming his part in the altercation came as a response to being struck by Mann and his own actions were not intentional.
“I’d like to answer the question – why did you do such a thing?” Etzebeth added.
“It was a mistake caused by my reaction and other factors that played a role.
“[Referring to the video] Slide 1: The scuffle was basically over when Wales number 7 struck me with an open hand to my chin/neck area, you can see me looking at the assistant referee and waiting for a reaction from him (it happened fast and it’s understandable that he didn’t see it) without reacting yet, I got another pull on my jersey, before I go in with the similar type of action.
“Slide 2: You can clearly see my first point of contact is against his shoulder with an open hand, just like he did, except he got me on the chin. Another thing worth mentioning, when he struck me, I was standing still with not a lot of movement or players trying to get involved.
“When I went for the same open hand towards his shoulder, you’ll see two Welsh players changing the dynamic of the entire picture as well as one of my team-mates pulling Wales number 7 around his neck away from my hand and where my force is going.”
There was another slide and different camera angle provided as Etzebeth outlined why he had posted his explanation.
“To try and show people how everything happened and that it was never intentional,” said Etzebeth.
“I would never do something like this on purpose, I know what the consequences will be after playing rugby for a few years.”
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World Rugby’s sanctions for eye-gouging – described as “intentional contact with the eyes” – run from a ban ranging from 12 weeks at the low end, to a maximum of four years.
The panel found that contact with the eye was intentional and a “mid-range” entry point of 18 weeks was appropriate. Mitigating factors, including Etzebeth’s previous disciplinary record, meant that was reduced to 12 weeks.
Etzebeth said: “Thanks to everyone that stood by me and thought the best of me. I’m sorry for letting you and the game down. That was my first red card since I started playing. I want it to be my last.
Meghan has released a blistering statement after spending days desperately trying to get in touch with her estranged father – Thomas Markle, who is reportedly gravely ill
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Meghan and her father have a turbulent relationship(Image: Netflix)
It’s no secret that Meghan’s relationship with her father has been sour for years, but now experts have revealed just how painful and deeply complicated the broken bond is for the Duchess.
Their estrangement stems all the way back to 2018, when Meghan was thrust into a global spotlight in the build-up to her wedding to Prince Harry, but now there’s been a new development in the sad fall-out.
After suffering a spate of health issues over recent years, including two heart attacks and a stroke that saw him needing speech therapy, Thomas was rushed to hospital earlier this month in the Philippines as his health took a worrying turn. The pensioner had to endure gruelling surgery to have his leg amputated, which resulted in his son Thomas Junior – Meghan’s half-brother – to plead with her to “reach out” and show “compassion”.
Despite initial claims that Meghan had failed to contact her father, it has now emerged that she desperately called round local hospitals to try and find out more details about her estranged father’s health. Her spokesperson then confirmed she had “reached out” by delivering a letter to her dad. But the mystery deepened when Thomas claimed he was “confused” by reports that his youngest child had tried to get in touch with him.
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With speculation ramping up about whether Meghan had managed to get her olive branch message to her father in his hospital in Cebu, her spokesperson has today released a blistering statement in an attempt to clarify the conflicting reports. “It has been exceedingly difficult for the Duchess to contact her father privately, despite her efforts over the past several days,” it read.
“With the support of reliable and trusted contacts, her correspondence is now safely in his hands.” Meghan has previously been candid about the breakdown of her relationship with her father, and the huge amount of emotional distress it has caused her over the years, admitting she “lost her dad” and was “grieving”. She also told her dad in a letter back in 2019 that her heart was “broken into a million pieces”.
And now as the delicate situation unravels behind the scenes, family counselling expert Dr Jane Halsall has told the Mirror just how tough these types of strained relationships can be, especially when they are playing out on the public stage.
The chartered counselling psychologist explained that for adults like Meghan who are estranged from their parents, it can be challenging to navigate the delicate balance between self-protection, and their fundamental care and concern for their parent, particularly if they become unwell as Thomas has.
“Estrangement between adult children and parents is emotionally painful, often arising from boundary violations or disappointment,” the expert explained. “Depending on the dynamics, adult children may worry for their parent, while needing to protect themselves, which leads to them experiencing both grief and ambivalence.”
Thomas’s repeated public criticisms of Meghan might only make things harder for the Duchess to manage, especially when she has been clear over the years that his comments to the media are definitely not welcome.
“Public statements against their wishes, as in this case, can intensify this tension,” Dr Halsall warns. “Healing relies on respecting boundaries, careful communication, and therapeutic support. If there is estrangement within a family, then it takes time to heal and resilience—the effort to balance love, concern, and self-protection while maintaining psychological well-being for yourself.”
Ahead of Harry and Meghan’s wedding, Thomas staged papparazzi photographs of himself getting a suit fitted in order to make some money, something he later called “stupid and hammy”. He suffered a heart attack shortly before the nuptials, when he was living in Mexico, and it claimed by the Palace that this was why he would not attend.
For her part, Meghan later claimed she found out from the press that Thomas was not coming to her wedding, with King Charles stepping in and walking her down the aisle. She also said in the Sussex’ Netflix documentary that she asked her father if he had been speaking to the media, and he denied it initially.
She also alleged that when her father text messaged her around this time, she started to believe his phone had been “compromised” because the messages did not match his usual writing style, and he called her “Meghan”, not the usual nickname of “Meg”.
Meghan also opened up about her estranged father during the Sussexes’ explosive sit-down with Oprah Winfrey in 2021. “I grieve a lot,” she confessed, before adding: “I mean, I’ve lost my father.”
Despite Thomas and Meghan’s mum Doria breaking up when the duchess was just three-years-old, Meghan always had a close relationship with her father while growing up in California. She lived with Thomas between the ages of 11 and 18 while her mum travelled, and even called him “thoughtful, inspiring, hardworking” in a 2014 social media post.
But her mother, Doria, blasted her ex for his actions of staging the photos and talking to the press, saying in the Sussex’s documentary that she was “absolutely stunned” by his behaviour, adding that “as a parent, that’s not what you do. That’s not parenting.”
Thomas did not stay quiet over the years that followed about his daughter, repeatedly taking part in further interviews about her. He dubbed their exit from royal life the “dumbest thing they could have done”, and due to the estrangement, has never met his grandchildren, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four.
Harry has opened up about his own feelings on the strained relationship, indicating to some degree he blames himself. “She had a father before this, and now she doesn’t have a father,” he said in the documentary.
But despite the ongoing turmoil, Thomas has said he will love his daughter forever. Appearing on Good Morning Britain back in September, he claimed: “I’ve always been here for her, I love her, I’ll love her forever. I want her to reach out to me and let me see my grandkids and let me have a little peace. It’s been five years.”
More recently, Thomas make a painful reflection when he experienced a “terrifying” earthquake in the Phillipines, leaving his 19th-floor apartment swaying. He said: “If we die tonight, do you think Meghan will come to my funeral?” Then, apparently with a chuckle, he added: “Will I get a better funeral because my son-in-law is fifth in line to the throne?”
Amanda Holden has been showing off her ‘fabulous’ satin pyjamas that are the perfect set for the Christmas period – and we know where to shop your own
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Where to shop Amanda Holden’s satin Christmas pyjamas that have fans ‘obsessed’(Image: Amanda Holden/Instagram/Their Nibs)
TV personality Amanda Holden is always one for sharing her latest fashion favourites, and this week is no different as she took to social media to show off her stunning Christmas PJs. In a group photo with several girlfriends, all of whom wore the same pyjamas, Amanda Holden donned the satin set in a candy-cane striped print that makes it ideal for the holiday period.
And if you’re keen to emulate Amanda’s festive look, you’re in luck, as we know exactly where to shop for Amanda’s “fabulous” PJs. But you’ll need to act fast, as they’re selling out fast.
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The set Amanda praised this December is from Their Nibs, a brand that has a range of covetable Christmas-ready nightwear, including Amanda’s preferred set.
Touted as the brand’s signature oversized pyjamas, this set is described as relaxed, roomy, and effortlessly stylish. Featuring a short-sleeved top with scallop collar detail, paired with full-length trouser bottoms which have an elasticated waistband and practical pockets, this pyjama set is sure to be the ideal choice for lounging in comfort and ease this holiday season.
Available in sizes XS to 3XL, Amanda’s opted-for pink and red colourway is already sold out in sizes XS and S, so you’ll need to act fast if you want to secure your own this festive period before they’re gone.
Elsewhere, from Their Nibs, you can find the same design in candy-cane-inspired red and white stripes, with all sizes, from XS to 3XL, still available to shop online. These sets retail for £46.
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For similar sets that come with a slightly more affordable price tag, check out Boux Avenue’s Striped modal pyjama set in Red and Pink, which is now on sale for £36.40, down from £52.
Devastated by news of the One Direction singer’s untimely death, for former boyband singers Five the tragedy had a chilling resonance.
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Five are back – and better than ever
Rocketed to overnight fame by their 1997 hit Slam Dunk (Da Funk), the next four years brought a whirlwind of success and scandal for Abz Love, Ritchie Neville, Jason ‘J’ Brown, Sean Conlon and Scott Robinson. Eleven top 10 singles, four top 10 albums and a BRIT Award came with a price for the now middle aged men, who have just completed a 25 date reunion tour, playing to more than 250,000 fans.
Now 46, Scott tells The Mirror: “Liam Payne is an absolute tragedy.” Liam died, aged 31, on 16 October 2024, after falling from a fourth floor hotel balcony in Argentina. Richie, also 46, adds: “It did resonate. And I think it affected us slightly differently than perhaps it would somebody ‘normal’, because we’re in a band – and it was in a hotel room.”
READ MORE: Simon Cowell recalls calling Liam Payne’s parents after heartbreaking death
They certainly understand how easily partying can tip over into alcohol abuse, as the pressures of fame saw Five (also known as 5ive) earn a reputation for wild behaviour off-stage. Richie and J, now 49, were arrested and charged after a drunken brawl in Dublin and they once attacked each other with baseball bats and took mentor Simon Cowell’s car for a joyride.
In 2001, with over 20 million records sold, the band split, after “serious mental health issues” for Sean, now 44, while Scott “had a breakdown”. But today they are very grown-up versions of their former selves.
Scott who instigated the reunion in late 2024, recalls: “I phoned Abz [now 46]. And the five of us met up to speak as friends. Too much time had passed, where I would look at Abz or J’s number on my phone and think, ‘Why haven’t I called? Once upon a time they were my brothers’.” Richie adds: “It was 24 years since we’d all been in the same room at the same time.”
Originally signed to RCA Records when J was 20, Abz, Richie and Scott were 17, and Sean was just 15, in quick succession, Five released hits When The Lights Go Out, Keep On Movin’, Everybody Get Up and many more. ‘It was a hot, fast, rocket that took off. It ended abruptly, and proceeded for the next two decades to completely affect our lives,” says Richie.
J says: “It’s better this time around in all respects. We’re all in a different headspace, individually and collectively. We’re older and crucially we all 100% actually want to be in it this time. We’ve got brilliant people around us. “The first time around we were fending for ourselves a lot. We were young kids. We didn’t have any idea about where we were. We were thrust into fame, taken out of our lives, put in a house together and thrown into this crazy thing. We were given half an hour’s media training above a pub in Primrose Hill with [TV presenter] Kate Thornton.”
Sean interjects: “I was 15 years old, straight from school. “To go from that to instant fame, with no space away from it or days off was wild.” Richie agrees, saying: “Problems were going to arise, someone was going to crack. Or go nuts.” Having too much of everything too soon, J feels they were destined to implode. Unlike bands like Boyzone, who at least did school tours and slowly built a fan base, they had no warm up, according to Scott.
He says: “We signed our record deal, did a Radio One Roadshow as our first ever gig, and then the very next gig we did was the Smash Hits Pollwinners Party, which we won. We were playing arenas from the get-go, it was just mental. I left the band at 21, still a baby, I’d travelled the world and had a breakdown. No wonder it took us so long to get us back onto the stage. We had to fix our broken minds for 20 years. Piece ourselves back together.”
But they have clearly healed and their strong performances are matched by a strong mental outlook. J says: “The first time around it felt like one big fight, the five of us against each other sometimes.” The reunion has helped Richie to make sense of the past. He says: “My memories of Five would have always had a jagged edge if we hadn’t got back together. I’d have always thought, ‘what was that and why did it happen to me?’ Now it makes sense.”
And it has helped to Abz to appreciate their talent. He says: “I am starting to truly believe that we are the best band ever. We rock, we’re so good.” But their wilderness years saw them take quite diverse paths. J threw himself into archaeological studies, Richie opened a restaurant, and the others remained in the music industry, writing and performing as solo artists – although Abz was the only one to release a solo album.
Scott says: “I always thought it was my fault we had broken up, I carried that for years. I spent a long time afterwards trying to get the band back together. But it was never the right time. It would never have worked.” They did get back together briefly in 2013 – although without J – for the Big Reunion Tour, which also featured nostalgic bands 911, Atomic Kitten, Honeyz, Liberty X, Blue, and B*Witched. J says: “I never thought I’d do anything like this again. I’ve spent 25 years going in probably the furthest direction anyone could ever imagine from Five. I was so tainted against the music industry. I was disgusted by it and hated what it had done to me and my friends.”
Meanwhile, Richie spiralled into a drink problem when Five split. He says: “I was enjoying a lot of drinking. Then I got depressed. Then I drank every day to forget. Three years I did that for. I’d sit and think, ‘what are you going to do next?’ Like J, I didn’t want to get back into the music industry. Simon Cowell rang and said he wanted me. I just couldn’t do it. It was the wilderness years. I was completely and utterly lost. My partner at the time said to me, ‘Rich, I have never seen anyone as lost as you’.”
When Five announced their return back in February, with all five members on board, fans went wild. They were not disappointed, with the band’s 2025 tour winning five star reviews. Sean says: “The songs have stood the test of time. People love them now.” He also thinks the band members are now better equipped to appreciate each other. “When we met up for the first time, I instantly felt this magic,” he says. “We appreciate each other now. In the 90s we couldn’t, we were so young. Rabbits trapped in the headlights. Our management definitely made mistakes in the past, but one thing they got right was putting us together. We’ll always thank them for that.”
And there is no danger of them being silenced any time soon. On Sunday, they were the surprise guests at Capital’s Jingle Bell Ball at London’s O2 Arena, while this weekend they will perform on Strictly Come Dancing. Richie adds: “We enjoy each show like it’s the last one we’ll ever do. Because it could all end. The first time around I didn’t ever consider that.”
Sean adds: “But nobody anticipated what our songs would mean to people so many years on. The industry got that wrong.” Some of their most loyal fans have grown up with Five. Scott says: “We once gave a group of girls some yellow blankets outside a hotel, because they were freezing and in the rain – and they came back to see us this year. They were 16 then – this time they brought their kids. It’s crazy.”
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READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE: Iconic boyband Five reveals how mental health issues tore band apart
The music mogul’s new series follows the entrepreneur as he attempts to create a new boy band.
Simon Cowell’s new documentary series, Simon Cowell: The Next Act is on Netflix and it follows the TV personality as he risks everything to find the next hit boy band.
He has already made some candid admissions in the six-episode series, sharing how he misses his early career, saying the “most successful” act he had worked with “by a long way” was One Direction, adding: “Everyone fell in love with them and they became one of the biggest bands in the world.”
He continued: “But since One Direction decided to split up I haven’t signed a successful boyband and I miss it, I miss it so much.”
The Britain’s Got Talent and X Factor star, who is now 66, founded the British entertainment company Syco Entertainment in 2005.
After starting his career as a record producer in the 80s and 90s, he started to become more widely known in 2001 as a judge on Pop Idol.
From here, he created the X Factor and the Got Talent franchise and has worked with huge music stars like Little Mix, Olly Murs, Westlife and Leona Lewis.
He has been named numerous times in Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
He did not always have an easy career as straight out of school he took a few menial jobs, including working as a runner on the 1980 horror film The Shining.
His dad, who was an executive at EMI Music Publishing, managed to get him a job in the mail room. From here, he would go on to set up his own record label.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, the star’s current net worth is $600 Million (£450million).
The website also stated that his annual salary regularly exceeds $50 million (£37.5million), with his peak salary for American Idol being $33million (£24.7million) per season.
As for his personal life, he has been in a relationship with Lauren Silverman since 2013 and they have a son, Eric, together.
In 2022, Simon proposed to Silverman in Barbados, where they first met. The proposal took place during a family holiday, in the presence of their son.
When he was presented with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2018, he paid tribute to his partner, saying: “Lauren, you’ve been my rock for the past few years, put up with everything I put up with.”
He also opened up on the joys of being a father and how he would love for his son to take over his empire, telling Extra TV: “I actually think it’s probably the best incentive I’ve ever had to keep everything running as well as I possibly can over the next few years.”
