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In this Wednesday’s Mirror Daily Digest, we’ve pulled together the biggest stories of the day from Kate Middleton missing Royal Ascot to a British mum dying of rabies and ITV brutally axing a Loose Women star

Welcome to the Mirror’s Daily Digest, where we pull together all the best stories of the day from our News, Showbiz, Sport teams and more. This Wednesday, we’re featuring everything from Princess Kate’s cancer update after pulling out of Royal Ascot to a mum dying of rabies she caught abroad and a Loose Women star’s ‘devastation’.

It had been expected that Kate Middleton would join Prince William at Royal Ascot today, however, it was confirmed that she would miss the event as she continues her gradual return to duties following her cancer treatment. Elsewhere, a Brit mum has died from rabies after being scratched by a puppy in Morocco and Nadia Sawalha has shared her heartbreak after her co-star was axed.

Kate Middleton cancer update as Princess pulls out of Royal Ascot appearance

Earlier this Wednesday, our Royal team broke the news that the Princess of Wales had pulled out of an appearance at the Royal Ascot despite being expected to attend. Kate appeared to drop out of the second day of the race meeting as she continues to find the right balance following her cancer treatment

The princess was said to be disappointed at not attending the famous social and sporting occasion in Berkshire with her husband and the King and Queen. Racegoers had been hoping to see Kate as Prince William is named as one of the figures awarding race prizes during the second day of the meet.

Her name had also been included in the official programme as taking part in today’s carriage procession in the second carriage alongside William. But just minutes after the carriage list had been released, Kensington Palace confirmed she would not be there.

Read the full story here.

Brit mum dies of rabies in UK after being scratched by stray puppy on holiday

Since the news broke of a Brit dying of rabies earlier this Wednesday, our news team have been tracking down full details of the heartbreaking story. The mum, who contracted the disease after being scratched “very slightly” by a puppy in Morocco, has now been named and pictured.

Yvonne Ford, from Barnsley, was diagnosed in Yorkshire and The Humber after returning home from the trip and developing mild symptoms that eventually worsened, resulting in her losing her ability to walk, talk and swallow. Her devastated loved-ones wrote in a post on Facebook: “Our family is still processing this unimaginable loss, but we are choosing to speak up in the hope of preventing this from happening to others. Yvonne Ford, Ron Ford’s wife and our Mum, died of rabies.

“She was scratched very slightly by a puppy in Morocco in February. At the time, she did not think any harm would come of it and didn’t think much of it. Two weeks ago she became ill, starting with a headache and resulted in her losing her ability to walk, talk, sleep, swallow. Resulting in her passing.”

Read the full story here.

Loose Women star ‘absolutely devastated’ as co-star axed from show in brutal ITV cull

ITV’s announcement of major daytime TV changes took many by surprise. However, after the news broke our showbiz team have been chasing down any further information of ITV regulars leaving the channel, leading them to break the news that Nadia Sawalha had revealed she was “devastated” to learn that a co-star and friend had been axed from the show.

Nadia, 60, opened up on her latest YouTube channel about how the changes were affecting her and how one of her close friends no longer had a job. Speaking with husband Mark Adderley, she said: “From next year there will be no Loose Women audience.

“I am totally devastated by this fact, I can’t get over it at all. Not only because the audience is so important for the show, but also my dear friend Lee who I work with every day.”

Read the full story here.

Couple booted off Ryanair flight after money-saving trick goes wrong

A holidaymaker discovered that a common method to save money on Ryanair flights backfired – when he was booted off without a refund as he ‘hadn’t reserved a seat’.

Scott McCormick and his girlfriend Helena Boshwick, both 33, were due to fly from Birmingham Airport on May 1 to Palma de Mallorca, Spain, for a week-long holiday and gym-mentorship event. Scott said they had not paid to reserve seats – which typically costs between £4.50 and £33 per seat – because it was a short two-hour flight and they didn’t mind if they didn’t sit together.

Everything went as normal, with the couple the first in the boarding queue. Then, a Ryanair staff member approached them and asked if they would step aside while the rest of the passengers boarded. The staff member reportedly told the couple the flight was full and that there was only one available seat left.

Read the full story here.

Premier League 2025-26 fixtures in full as 20 top-flight clubs discover schedules

After allegedly being ‘leaked’ yesterday, the fixtures for the 2025-26 Premier League season were released this morning. While the 2024-25 Premier League season only ended last month, eyes are now firmly fixed on the next campaign.

A sizeable portion of the calendar is subject to the TV scheduling gods so some matches will be shifted about. The timings for matchweek one have been decided, though, and there are some eye-catching fixtures.

Reigning champions Liverpool will kick off the new campaign when they host Bournemouth in Friday Night Football on 15 August. Manchester City’s visit to Wolves headlines the Saturday, while Arsenal’s first game comes in a trip to Manchester United.

Read the full story here.

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Esther Rantzen’s daughter has issued a heartbreaking update on her health as she appealed for the public and MPs to grant her mum’s birthday wish by supporting the assisted dying bill on Friday

Dame Esther Rantzen’s daughter is imploring the general public and MPs to fulfil her mother’s birthday wish by backing the assisted dying bill, with a pivotal vote lined up just before the legendary presenter rings in her 85th birthday this Sunday – a milestone she once doubted she’d see.

Rebecca Wilcox, 45, shared with the Express: “If the bill passes [Friday’s] vote, it will be an absolutely wonderful 85th birthday present for my mother and our family – and will give hope to thousands of terminally ill people today and for years to come.

“Please help to grant this wish for everyone in the future who would benefit from a more compassionate law by writing to your MP and reminding them that the majority of the public supports this crucial change. MPs, please listen to those you represent and give us choice over our deaths.”

Having recently disclosed that her “wonder” cancer medication had ceased to be effective, Dame Esther has since started another treatment regimen.

Rebecca relayed to Sky News on Wednesday that her mum is “coping” amidst her health struggles, adding: “This has been a long slog and we’re hoping that we can maybe have a rest this weekend, particularly as it is her birthday on Sunday.”

Amidst the challenges, she expressed immense gratitude: “We are so grateful and so appreciative of all the time that we have with her, particularly as she turns 85 looking rather fabulous.”

Rebecca is set to join a major rally in Parliament Square on Friday morning, where supporters will gather to back the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill ahead of a crucial third reading.

The outcome is expected to be tighter than the second reading in November, when MPs supported the legislation by a majority of 55. However, at least 20 MPs have publicly indicated that they will change their votes, with most now opposing the bill.

Broadcaster Rebecca expressed her confusion about the situation, saying: “It’s completely confusing and discombobulating to know which way we should be feeling about it” as the vote approaches.”

She added: “We are really hopeful that we have the numbers. We obviously want people to keep writing to their MP, saying that they support the bill, because we know that nationally the numbers are with us.

“When every county has been polled, the majority do want a change to the law, the majority do want an assisted dying law that is safe, that respects the end of life care, that has dignity for those that are dying.”

Childline founder Dame Esther revealed in December 2023 that she had registered with Dignitas following a terminal lung cancer diagnosis.

The veteran campaigner said she did not want her family to be left with painful memories of the end of her life because “that memory obliterates all the happy times”. Her frank remarks struck a chord with millions across the UK, turning her into an unexpected champion for a renewed campaign to legalise assisted dying, a cause championed by the Express’s Give Us Our Last Rights movement.

Rebecca hailed the bill put forward by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater as a “really clever, safe piece of law that will stop the cruel status quo that exists at the moment”.

She emphasised that her mother is no longer advocating for her own right to medically assisted death, but for future individuals who will face similar plights.

She explained: “This bill was never going to be something that would come into effect to help my family. This is for everybody out there in the future.”

Rebecca also countered the “scaremongering” critics who propagate false claims about the bill’s reach and the implications of amending the legislation.

When questioned on whether the legalisation of assisted dying might alter perceptions of suicide, especially among those with mental health challenges, she shared: “I have had my own mental health struggles.

“I would never want somebody at their lowest ebb to think that this bill is corroborating suicide. It isn’t. All it is doing is shortening death.

“You are already dying, it is those last few days, those last few hours, and it gives the patient some ease. It is not saying, ‘we as a country think suicide is an admirable thing or a viable response to whatever it is you’re going through’.

“It’s saying, ‘you’re dying, palliative care is no longer helping, drugs are no longer helping, this is the only thing that will ease your suffering – this is the humane, dignified choice that you are being offered at the end of your life’.”

Rebecca, who serves as deputy president for Childline, also pondered the future if the bill is defeated on Friday. She acknowledged that it would represent “an absolutely fair process” and “democracy in action”.

Yet she vowed to persist, commenting: “I have appreciated every single moment that I have had the privilege to be part of this campaign, to witness the fantastic MPs in Parliament standing up on both sides of the debate and giving such impassioned and careful, calm reasons for why they believe one way or the other way.

“If this doesn’t go the way I really want it to go on Friday, I’m not giving up. Thousands of people out there are going through things my mother is going through right now.

“There is no way I can give up, it’s not something I think is available to me, as much as I would love to have some time off.”

History shows campaigns to legalise assisted dying resurface in Parliament every 15-20 years.

Rebecca concluded: “I’ll be a little bit older, a little bit greyer, but no less vocal and strong-willed that this needs to happen. This country needs to catch up with the rest of the world.

Esther Rantzen’s daughter has issued a heartbreaking update on her health as she appealed for the public and MPs to grant her mum’s birthday wish by supporting the assisted dying bill on Friday

Dame Esther Rantzen’s daughter is imploring the general public and MPs to fulfil her mother’s birthday wish by backing the assisted dying bill, with a pivotal vote lined up just before the legendary presenter rings in her 85th birthday this Sunday – a milestone she once doubted she’d see.

Rebecca Wilcox, 45, shared with the Express: “If the bill passes [Friday’s] vote, it will be an absolutely wonderful 85th birthday present for my mother and our family – and will give hope to thousands of terminally ill people today and for years to come.

“Please help to grant this wish for everyone in the future who would benefit from a more compassionate law by writing to your MP and reminding them that the majority of the public supports this crucial change. MPs, please listen to those you represent and give us choice over our deaths.”

Having recently disclosed that her “wonder” cancer medication had ceased to be effective, Dame Esther has since started another treatment regimen.

Rebecca relayed to Sky News on Wednesday that her mum is “coping” amidst her health struggles, adding: “This has been a long slog and we’re hoping that we can maybe have a rest this weekend, particularly as it is her birthday on Sunday.”

Amidst the challenges, she expressed immense gratitude: “We are so grateful and so appreciative of all the time that we have with her, particularly as she turns 85 looking rather fabulous.”

Rebecca is set to join a major rally in Parliament Square on Friday morning, where supporters will gather to back the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill ahead of a crucial third reading.

The outcome is expected to be tighter than the second reading in November, when MPs supported the legislation by a majority of 55. However, at least 20 MPs have publicly indicated that they will change their votes, with most now opposing the bill.

Broadcaster Rebecca expressed her confusion about the situation, saying: “It’s completely confusing and discombobulating to know which way we should be feeling about it” as the vote approaches.”

She added: “We are really hopeful that we have the numbers. We obviously want people to keep writing to their MP, saying that they support the bill, because we know that nationally the numbers are with us.

“When every county has been polled, the majority do want a change to the law, the majority do want an assisted dying law that is safe, that respects the end of life care, that has dignity for those that are dying.”

Childline founder Dame Esther revealed in December 2023 that she had registered with Dignitas following a terminal lung cancer diagnosis.

The veteran campaigner said she did not want her family to be left with painful memories of the end of her life because “that memory obliterates all the happy times”. Her frank remarks struck a chord with millions across the UK, turning her into an unexpected champion for a renewed campaign to legalise assisted dying, a cause championed by the Express’s Give Us Our Last Rights movement.

Rebecca hailed the bill put forward by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater as a “really clever, safe piece of law that will stop the cruel status quo that exists at the moment”.

She emphasised that her mother is no longer advocating for her own right to medically assisted death, but for future individuals who will face similar plights.

She explained: “This bill was never going to be something that would come into effect to help my family. This is for everybody out there in the future.”

Rebecca also countered the “scaremongering” critics who propagate false claims about the bill’s reach and the implications of amending the legislation.

When questioned on whether the legalisation of assisted dying might alter perceptions of suicide, especially among those with mental health challenges, she shared: “I have had my own mental health struggles.

“I would never want somebody at their lowest ebb to think that this bill is corroborating suicide. It isn’t. All it is doing is shortening death.

“You are already dying, it is those last few days, those last few hours, and it gives the patient some ease. It is not saying, ‘we as a country think suicide is an admirable thing or a viable response to whatever it is you’re going through’.

“It’s saying, ‘you’re dying, palliative care is no longer helping, drugs are no longer helping, this is the only thing that will ease your suffering – this is the humane, dignified choice that you are being offered at the end of your life’.”

Rebecca, who serves as deputy president for Childline, also pondered the future if the bill is defeated on Friday. She acknowledged that it would represent “an absolutely fair process” and “democracy in action”.

Yet she vowed to persist, commenting: “I have appreciated every single moment that I have had the privilege to be part of this campaign, to witness the fantastic MPs in Parliament standing up on both sides of the debate and giving such impassioned and careful, calm reasons for why they believe one way or the other way.

“If this doesn’t go the way I really want it to go on Friday, I’m not giving up. Thousands of people out there are going through things my mother is going through right now.

“There is no way I can give up, it’s not something I think is available to me, as much as I would love to have some time off.”

History shows campaigns to legalise assisted dying resurface in Parliament every 15-20 years.

Rebecca concluded: “I’ll be a little bit older, a little bit greyer, but no less vocal and strong-willed that this needs to happen. This country needs to catch up with the rest of the world.