Category News

ITV’s Sorry I Didn’t Know in shake-up as host quits and EastEnders star joins line-up

By in Entertainment News, News

ITV and production company TriForce Productions have announced this week that Jimmy Akingbola will be replaced by Chizzy Akudolu as the host of Sorry, I Didn’t Know

There will be a change to the line-up on an ITV panel show for its new series, it’s been announced(Image: PA)

ITV has announced a change to the line-up of a panel show that is set to film another series later this year. It’s been revealed this week that the host won’t be returning and that a former soap star will be joining the on-screen teams.

Sorry, I Didn’t Know, described as the first ever quiz show centred around Black history, launched as a pilot on ITV2 in 2016, before its first series aired in 2020. It returned for its fifth series last year, and it has now been renewed once again.

The show had been hosted by Jimmy Akingbola, 47, who is also an executive producer, since it began. His former Holby City co-star Chizzy Akudolu, 51, had been a team captain, with her having appeared in her role since the pilot episode too.

It’s been announced that Jimmy won’t host the upcoming sixth series of Sorry, I Didn’t Know, though. His departure from the role is attributed to filming commitments in the US for the final season of Peacock’s Bel-Air.

Chizzy will instead take over as host for the upcoming series, as announced this week. It’s teased that she will be “hoping to keep a tight rein” of returning team captain Eddie Kadi, 42, and her own replacement on the panel show.

Chizzy Akudolu, in a pink suit, Jimmy Akingbola, in a blue suit, and Eddie Kadi, in a white top, cream jacket and dark trousers, on the set of Sorry, I Didn't Know.
Jimmy Akingbola (centre) won’t host the new series of Sorry, I Didn’t Know, with Chizzy Akudolu (left) taking over from him and Eddie Kadi (right) remaining as a team captain(Image: ITV)
Article continues below

It’s been announced Richard Blackwood, 53, will replace Chizzy as a team captain in the new series. The actor, who is known for roles like playing Vincent Hubbard on EastEnders, has previously appeared as a guest on the show.

The news about the sixth series, set to be filmed over the summer, has been announced by ITV and production company TriForce Productions. It’s been said that the renewal means Sorry, I Didn’t Know has broken its own record for the longest-running show from a Black-led production company.

Executive producer for TriForce, Fraser Ayres said: “Chizzy has been part of the SIDK family since our pilot in 2016 and was amazing when she hosted an episode last series, so it’s great to see her in the hosting seat. And in Richard we have the perfect sparring partner for Eddie.

“They’re long-time friends and he has already shown he’s a brilliant and hilarious guest, so we are thrilled he will be joining the team on the regular. Chizzy will have her work cut out keeping them both in line but we have full faith in her to keep things on track and with her particular brand of chaos in the mix as well, what could possibly go wrong?!”

Richard Blackwood in a white top, navy jacket and jeans at a film premiere in 2025.
Richard Blackwood will be replacing Chizzy as the other team captain on the ITV show(Image: James Manning/PA Wire)

Katie Rawcliffe, Director of Entertainment & Daytime Commissioning at ITV, added: “Sorry, I Didn’t Know is infectiously funny and that is testament to the series returning for an impressive sixth series. This season, Chizzy is stepping into Jimmy’s hot seat, and I can’t wait to see her take the helm.”

Richard will be the latest team captain on the panel. Jo Martin had been one of the team captains for the pilot, with Judi Love then taking over from her in the first two series. Eddie has been in the role since the third series in 2022.

The team captains oversee a panel of guests each episode who have their knowledge tested. Guests in the last series of Sorry, I Didn’t Know included Bridgerton’s Adjoa Andoh and comedian Munya Chawawa.

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

Article continues below

READ MORE: Stacey Solomon’s new ‘Sunshine Spritz’ shimmer mist drops in time for festival season

Fight for the Pacific – Episode 4: Rising Tides, Shifting Powers

By in News, World News

The role Pacific people play in shaping their future amid growing environmental and geopolitical challenges.

Rising Tides, Shifting Powers delves into the poignant reality of Pacific islanders grappling with the existential threat of climate change and the complex geopolitics involving the United States and China. The episode opens with Millicent Barty, a climate activist and entrepreneur, whose daily life exemplifies the immediate dangers faced by Pacific communities. As sea levels rise, their cultural heritage is at risk, mirroring the precarious future of the entire island nation.

Simultaneously, Suluafi Brianna Fruean, a Pacific Climate Warrior, represents the voice of young Pacific Islanders on a global platform. She campaigns for the urgent need for climate action for the Pacific.

The episode weaves together these personal stories with the broader themes of superpower competition, revealing how the Pacific islands, while small and geographically distant, are at the forefront of major global issues. The finale of Rising Tides, Shifting Powers leaves viewers reflecting on the resilience of Pacific peoples and the critical role they play in shaping their destiny amid rising environmental and geopolitical challenges.

Queen Camilla reveals holiday reading list as she makes surprise book awards appearance

By in Entertainment News, News

Queen Camilla dropped into an event ahead of the 30th annual Women’s Prize for Fiction awards, where she met authors as well as book lovers and let them know what she had been reading

Queen Camilla surprised authors and book lovers at a literary event in London where she turned up unannounced and praised the efforts of female authors(Image: PA)

The Queen has surprised shortlisted authors and book lovers ahead of the Women’s Prize for Fiction’s 30th annual awards ceremony. Avid reader Camilla dropped in at the event’s open-air venue in Bloomsbury, central London today to congratulate finalists and hail the founders of the award for having “brought the female voice from the margins of the literary world to its very centre”.

Founder and author Kate Mosse, who invited Her Majesty to attend the anniversary event, said her presence had been kept secret: “Nobody knew, which is why people were so surprised. If you’re going to lay on the Queen, if it’s not Beyoncé, it’s got to be the actual Queen.”

Queen Camilla surprised authors and book lovers at a literary event in London today
Queen Camilla surprised authors and book lovers at a literary event in London today(Image: PA)

She added: “You can tell when someone has read your book genuinely and when they’ve been given a briefing sheet. And she’s a reader, a genuine reader, and someone who genuinely champions women.” Camilla arrived unannounced at the pop-up venue in Bedford Square and was greeted by Kate and Women’s Prize executive director Claire Shanahan.

In the Green Room area, she was introduced to the six authors shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, including Nussaibah Younis, whose novel Fundamentally tells the story of an academic who travels to Iraq to deradicalise a teenage Islamic State recruit.

She joked that the competition was stiff between finalists, telling Camilla: “We are trying to take each other out. The Champagne glasses are spiked – there could be one less standing by this afternoon!”

Article continues below

The Queen recognised Yael van der Wouden, author of The Safekeep, telling her: “We met at the Booker [Prize]. Good to see you again.” And turning to Tell Me Everything writer Elizabeth Strout, she said: “I have read your books, they are lovely. Good luck to you all,” she told the group. “I shall be thinking of you.”

Camilla arrived unannounced at the pop-up venue to the delight of royal fans
Camilla arrived unannounced at the pop-up venue to the delight of royal fans(Image: PA)

Camilla was then introduced to the six shortlisted authors for the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction, including singer-songwriter and rapper Neneh Cherry, whose debut book, A Thousand Threads tells the story of her career.

“I wrote a memoir, a book about my life,” she told Camilla. “It took more than four years to write it and I’m still slightly recovering. It’s out there now, I have let it go, it’s out in the world.”

The Queen told Claire Mulley, whose Agent Zo tells the story of the Polish wartime resistance fighter Elzbieta Zawakca: “I think I will put that on my holiday reading list.”

And she delighted author Chloe Dalton by telling her she had read her memoir Raising Hare about swapping the rat race for a rural life. “Thank you so much, I am honoured,” she replied.

Queen Camilla gave a speech at the event where she praised the hard work, talent and dedication of female authors
Queen Camilla gave a speech at the event where she praised the hard work, talent and dedication of female authors(Image: PA)

The Queen was then reunited with Girl, Woman, Other author Bernardine Evaristo, winner of The Women’s Prize Outstanding Contribution Award – a special one-off award for the 30th anniversary year.

There was a quick stop off in a pop-up Waterstones tent, where authors had been signing their books and Camilla was told the bar was kept open late for those queuing to meet their favourite writers. “Quite right,” she agreed.

Making a speech in the Woolf tent in Bedford Square, Her Majesty said the launch of the women’s only prize in 1995 had “brought the female voice from the margins of the literary world to its very centre,” and she hailed it for having “transformed the literary landscape for women.”

She said: “Three decades later, your achievements are impressive. Budding authors have benefitted from the wisdom of those who have trodden the same path. Careers have been launched, bestsellers have flown off the shelves into the hands and hearts of the public, and each year you distribute 3,000 books to people in need. And you have forged a community of 16 million readers who love, in your own words, “original, accessible and brilliant” literature.

Article continues below

“In short, you have transformed the literary landscape for women. If I might return to Virginia Woolf – who never won any kind of award for her work, but who did have this tent named after her – and misquote her, “A woman must have a prize of her own if she is to write fiction.

“Happy birthday, congratulations and thank you to every one of you who has been involved over the last 30 years. And the best of British luck to all our wonderful finalists tomorrow!”

Hafsoh Lawal: How I Dismembered Kwara Final-Year Student —Suspect

By in News, Nigeria News

Abdulrahman Bello, the prime suspect in the murder of a final year female student of the Kwara state College of Education, Hafsoh Lawal, told the court on Wednesday that he single-handedly carried out the cutting of the deceased into parts after taking alcohol.

Testifying before Justice Hannah Ajayi of the State High Court, while opening his defence, the suspect said that his co-defendants did not have a hand in the incident.

Abdulrahman Bello also told the court that he used the knife and cutlass found by police detectives in his two-room apartment at Olunlade area of Ilorin, the state capital, to dismember the body of the deceased.

The suspect, who denied killing the deceased, said that Hafsoh died when she gasped during sexual intercourse due to an asthma attack.

“I went out to get an inhaler for her when I noticed that she was gasping because she had asthma. By the time I came back into the room, she had died. So, I left my place to take alcohol and returned to cut the body parts into pieces,” he told the court.

READ ALSO: [Alleged ₦5.2b Fraud] Court Dismisses Ex-Jamb Registrar Dibu Ojerinde’s No-Case Submission

During cross examination by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), the prime suspect also confirmed to the court that he did not call any of his neighbours to the incident, nor did he report the matter at the police station or took the body of the deceased to hospital, “because I was afraid of her father”.

The DPP put it to the suspect that the drained blood and human parts of the deceased found in his place had not decomposed after five days of the incident, because they were immersed in alcohol for preservation.

The suspect, however, denied keeping the blood and the hand, purposely, for money-making rituals.

He said he regretted all the actions he took over the incident, adding that he was deeply sad.

The prime suspect, who insisted that he did not kill the deceased, said that he loved her, “because I can’t ever meet her kind. She cared for my life. Even, I told the Police that she made me take the 2024 NABTEB examination. And that she made me take the JAMB form in preparation for the just concluded exam. She was exceptional in my life”.

He said he was tortured by the police to say in the video evidence, presented in court, that he poisoned the food taken by the deceased and that he strangulated her to kill her.

All four co-defendants in the matter denied knowledge of the killing of the deceased when testifying before the court.

Meanwhile, all the defence counsels, unanimously, proposed seven days to file their written addresses, concurrently, before the court, while the prosecution counsel asked for 10 days to file his, after the defence counsels would have served theirs.

Concacaf in ‘close communication’ with LA authorities over Gold Cup

By in News, Sports News
Getty Images
Dan Roan
Sports editor
@danroan

Concacaf says it “remains in close and ongoing communication with local authorities, host venues, and the participating national teams regarding the evolving situation” in Los Angeles before the opening match of the Gold Cup in the city on Saturday.

The governing body for football in North and Central America and the Caribbean is preparing for Mexico versus Dominican Republic at the SoFi Stadium.

LA has seen a fifth day of protests and hundreds of arrests over US President Donald Trump’s immigration raids.

On Sunday, the city is also due to host the first of the six Club World Cup matches to be played at the Rose Bowl, Pasadena over the next fortnight, with Paris St-Germain facing Atletico Madrid.

Fans association Football Supporters Europe (FSE) told BBC Sport it is “deeply concerned”.

Concacaf said: “The safety and wellbeing of all participants, fans, and stakeholders is the Confederation’s highest priority.

“We will continue to actively monitor developments as we work towards delivering a world-class tournament that highlights the best of our sport in a safe, inclusive, and enjoyable environment for all.”

The Gold Cup is Concacaf’s top competition for national teams.

The Mexico team has already changed its hotel in LA because of safety concerns amid the disturbances, according to the Associated Press.

SoFi StadiumGetty Images

Meanwhile, the immigration raids that triggered the protests last Friday have continued, with deployed National Guard troops now protecting border control agents on enforcement operations.

An overnight curfew is in force after violence in downtown LA. Elsewhere, much of the protest activity has been peaceful. Demonstrations have been confined to relatively small pockets of LA, while also spreading to other US cities.

Trump’s row with state officials ramped up after he deployed troops to LA. The president has now vowed to “liberate” the city, but has been accused by California Governor Gavin Newsom of an “assault” on democracy.

On Tuesday, Trump defended his decision to send 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines, saying it was to prevent the city being “conquered by a foreign enemy”.

However, European fans group FSE said: “The current policing approach in the US is wholly unfit for international sporting events.

“The continued use of excessive force against peaceful protestors is especially alarming. Fifa must act now.

“It has a responsibility to use its influence to ensure that the human rights and civil liberties of all attending fans are protected and respected.”

It also criticised Trump’s immigration policies, claiming they “pose a direct threat to the safety and wellbeing of visiting fans”. As well as PSG and Atletico Madrid, LA is due to host Inter Milan, who play Mexican team CF Monterrey at the Rose Bowl next week.

The order contains an exemption for participants in major sports events such as the 2026 Fifa World Cup and 2028 LA Games. However, it is not clear if the Gold Cup and Club World Cup are covered by the exemption.

Those 12 countries include Haiti, who play Saudi Arabia in the Gold Cup on Monday.

Andrea Florence, executive director of the Sport & Rights Alliance, said: “If sport governing bodies turn a blind eye to the escalating rights violations in the US, sporting events risk not only reflecting those abuses – but actively deepening them.

“In LA, where major football matches are about to take place, protesters are being criminalised, journalists unlawfully targeted, and immigrant communities subjected to enforced disappearances and arbitrary detention.

“It is the duty of sporting event organisers to conduct thorough and ongoing human rights risk assessments and take immediate, concrete action to ensure that human rights won’t be sacrificed for the sake of the game.”

Why are people protesting in LA?

The demonstrations began on Friday after it emerged Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers were carrying out raids in areas of the city with prominent Latino populations.

Raids have stepped up after Trump returned to the White House and pledged to crack down on illegal immigration.

The BBC’s US partner, CBS News, reported that recent operations took place in the Westlake district as well as in Paramount, south of LA – where the population is more than 82% Hispanic.

There were also reports of an ICE raid at a Home Depot shop in Paramount, which officials told the BBC were false.

Where are the protests in LA, and what’s happened?

The protests have been limited to certain areas of the city.

Downtown LA has been declared an “unlawful assembly” area by police, and the mayor has imposed an overnight curfew in a zone of about one square kilometre after days of clashes.

In this area, protesters have been accused of attacking or looting buildings, setting cars on fire and blocking roads. Law enforcement officers in riot gear have responded with flash-bang grenades, rubber bullets and other non-lethal tactics.

The downtown Federal Building has been a particular flashpoint after it emerged that ICE detainees were allegedly being held there. ICE accused “over 1,000 rioters” of surrounding and attacking the building on Saturday.

A Home Depot shop in Paramount, roughly 20 miles (32 km) south of downtown LA, has been another site of confrontation between authorities and protesters.

Across the city, at least 338 people have been arrested since Friday, according to the latest figures provided by the city’s police chief, Jim McDonnell, on Tuesday evening.

Related topics

  • Football

Concacaf in ‘close communication’ with LA authorities over Gold Cup

By in News, Sports News
Getty Images
Dan Roan
Sports editor
@danroan

Concacaf says it “remains in close and ongoing communication with local authorities, host venues, and the participating national teams regarding the evolving situation” in Los Angeles before the opening match of the Gold Cup in the city on Saturday.

The governing body for football in North and Central America and the Caribbean is preparing for Mexico versus Dominican Republic at the SoFi Stadium.

LA has seen a fifth day of protests and hundreds of arrests over US President Donald Trump’s immigration raids.

On Sunday, the city is also due to host the first of the six Club World Cup matches to be played at the Rose Bowl, Pasadena over the next fortnight, with Paris St-Germain facing Atletico Madrid.

Fans association Football Supporters Europe (FSE) told BBC Sport it is “deeply concerned”.

Concacaf said: “The safety and wellbeing of all participants, fans, and stakeholders is the Confederation’s highest priority.

“We will continue to actively monitor developments as we work towards delivering a world-class tournament that highlights the best of our sport in a safe, inclusive, and enjoyable environment for all.”

The Gold Cup is Concacaf’s top competition for national teams.

The Mexico team has already changed its hotel in LA because of safety concerns amid the disturbances, according to the Associated Press.

SoFi StadiumGetty Images

Meanwhile, the immigration raids that triggered the protests last Friday have continued, with deployed National Guard troops now protecting border control agents on enforcement operations.

An overnight curfew is in force after violence in downtown LA. Elsewhere, much of the protest activity has been peaceful. Demonstrations have been confined to relatively small pockets of LA, while also spreading to other US cities.

Trump’s row with state officials ramped up after he deployed troops to LA. The president has now vowed to “liberate” the city, but has been accused by California Governor Gavin Newsom of an “assault” on democracy.

On Tuesday, Trump defended his decision to send 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines, saying it was to prevent the city being “conquered by a foreign enemy”.

However, European fans group FSE said: “The current policing approach in the US is wholly unfit for international sporting events.

“The continued use of excessive force against peaceful protestors is especially alarming. Fifa must act now.

“It has a responsibility to use its influence to ensure that the human rights and civil liberties of all attending fans are protected and respected.”

It also criticised Trump’s immigration policies, claiming they “pose a direct threat to the safety and wellbeing of visiting fans”. As well as PSG and Atletico Madrid, LA is due to host Inter Milan, who play Mexican team CF Monterrey at the Rose Bowl next week.

The order contains an exemption for participants in major sports events such as the 2026 Fifa World Cup and 2028 LA Games. However, it is not clear if the Gold Cup and Club World Cup are covered by the exemption.

Those 12 countries include Haiti, who play Saudi Arabia in the Gold Cup on Monday.

Andrea Florence, executive director of the Sport & Rights Alliance, said: “If sport governing bodies turn a blind eye to the escalating rights violations in the US, sporting events risk not only reflecting those abuses – but actively deepening them.

“In LA, where major football matches are about to take place, protesters are being criminalised, journalists unlawfully targeted, and immigrant communities subjected to enforced disappearances and arbitrary detention.

“It is the duty of sporting event organisers to conduct thorough and ongoing human rights risk assessments and take immediate, concrete action to ensure that human rights won’t be sacrificed for the sake of the game.”

Why are people protesting in LA?

The demonstrations began on Friday after it emerged Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers were carrying out raids in areas of the city with prominent Latino populations.

Raids have stepped up after Trump returned to the White House and pledged to crack down on illegal immigration.

The BBC’s US partner, CBS News, reported that recent operations took place in the Westlake district as well as in Paramount, south of LA – where the population is more than 82% Hispanic.

There were also reports of an ICE raid at a Home Depot shop in Paramount, which officials told the BBC were false.

Where are the protests in LA, and what’s happened?

The protests have been limited to certain areas of the city.

Downtown LA has been declared an “unlawful assembly” area by police, and the mayor has imposed an overnight curfew in a zone of about one square kilometre after days of clashes.

In this area, protesters have been accused of attacking or looting buildings, setting cars on fire and blocking roads. Law enforcement officers in riot gear have responded with flash-bang grenades, rubber bullets and other non-lethal tactics.

The downtown Federal Building has been a particular flashpoint after it emerged that ICE detainees were allegedly being held there. ICE accused “over 1,000 rioters” of surrounding and attacking the building on Saturday.

A Home Depot shop in Paramount, roughly 20 miles (32 km) south of downtown LA, has been another site of confrontation between authorities and protesters.

Across the city, at least 338 people have been arrested since Friday, according to the latest figures provided by the city’s police chief, Jim McDonnell, on Tuesday evening.

Related topics

  • Football