Archive November 7, 2025

Jeremy Clarkson issues emotional Top Gear statement honouring his longtime pal

By in Entertainment News, News

Former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson was visibly emotional as he issued a touching tribute to an “incredible” man as he reflected on his Top Gear days with producer Andy Wilman

TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson has shared an emotional video in honour of his longtime pal he branded “a television genius.”

The Clarkson’s Farm star took to Instagram this evening to reflect on his Top Gear days. The BBC’s hit motoring series Top Gear on our screens from 2002 until 2015, and saw Clarkson alongside Richard Hammond and James May discuss all things cars.

Recounting the early days, Jeremy paid tribute to the producer Andy Wilman, who is lovingly dubbed by fans as “the fourth member.” In an emotional video Jeremy appeared to be holding back the tears as he shared: “I just want to talk, if I may for a moment, about Top Gear.

READ MORE: Waterloo Road star reveals dad has taken his own life in heartbreaking post

READ MORE: The Wanted’s Siva opens up on new fears in wake of tragic pal Tom Parker’s death

“It started out as a regional programme about cars and became, in quite short order, the most successful, most watched show in the world, every week, 350 million people tuned in.” The star continued: “You talk to people today in their 20s and 30s who describe it as the sort of Sunday night wallpaper of their childhood, a very important show, actually, it really was.”

Honouring his pal, Jeremy said: “The man responsible for it is an incredible success, a man called Andy Wilman, he was there right at the beginning when he had to pay audience members out of his own pocket a fiver to stay to the bitter end because they were so bored.

Content cannot be displayed without consent

“He was there when we ended it in Zimbabwe, he was the producer, he was the editor, he had to deal with James, Richard and I.

“He had to deal with Ofcom, he had to deal with the BBC, he just ran the whole thing and then of course he was there when the frakka happened and then he had to start all over again in a broom cupboard with oen assistant and build it all up again from scratch and now of course, he’s busy editing the farm show.”

The TV star praised Andy as “a television genius,” as he plugged the presenter’s new book called Mr Wilman’s Motoring Adventure. Jeremy shared: “It’s a fantastic book, it really is, I’m just overflowing with joy that he’s put it all on paper. So here’s a suggestion: after you’ve read my new book, The Farmer’s Dog, do get this. It really is worth your while.”

The man himself, Andy Wilman, replied in the comments saying: “I do NOT deserve that much praise, (mind you I’ll take a bit of it.)You were the one responsible for making that show a success and everyone who worked on it will say the same. That aside, we are entering the Yuletide gifting period, and the book is available in all good bookshops.”

Strictly’s Thomas Skinner commented: “I love you Mr. Clarkson and I love you Mr. Wilman. You are absolute legends that made my Sunday evenings the absolute governor when I was younger. I love cars because of Top Gear. I’ve bought cars because of what I’ve seen on TopGear. Best TV show of all time in my opinion. Bosh.”

Article continues below

This post was also inundated with support from Top Gear fans who praised the presenter for his work on the motoring series. One wrote: “It was three blokes doing what blokes do. We all felt like we knew you and were all apart of your circle. Thank you for the memories!!!!”

Another fan wrote: “The best show ever! You guys literally created the playbook for the whole automotive storytelling industry.”

Andrew Mountbatten Windsor dealt huge blow involving Eugenie and Beatrice

By in Entertainment News, News

The man formally known as Prince Andrew has been dealt another huge blow and will now have to bow to his daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, according to an expert

Daniel Bird Assistant Celebrity and Entertainment Editor

Andrew Mountbatten Windsor now faces a major change with his daughters. The man formally known as Prince Andrew is currently eighth in line to the British throne, despite being stripped of all his royal titles.

Earlier today, it emerged that the King had officially stripped the man of his Royal Highness status and his Prince status, which he was born with. Charles, Andrew’s older brother, made the historic move via Letters Patent. It comes after Andrew has been engulfed in a scandal due to his links with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

He issued a Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm – a legal document authorised by the monarch. It was published in The Gazette, the UK’s official public record, by the Crown Office and shows that Andrew is no longer entitled to be a prince or hold the style ‘Royal Highness’.

The entry, published on Wednesday, read: “THE KING has been pleased by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm dated 3 November 2025 to declare that Andrew Mountbatten Windsor shall no longer be entitled to hold and enjoy the style, title or attribute of ‘Royal Highness’ and the titular dignity of ‘Prince’.”

Now, a royal biographer, Robert Hardman, author of Charles III: New King, New Court, The Inside Story, has shed light on how Andrew will now have to treat his family. When asked whether he will now have to bow to his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, he claimed: “Yes, he probably will.”

He added that Andrew is allegedly unlikely to bow “happily” and is most likely dreading the moment that he will be publicly addressed as simply Andrew, without his Prince title. Since he is no longer a prince or duke, protocol dictates that Andrew, as a private citizen, should bow to members of the royal family who retain their titles.

Speaking on the Daily Mail’s Palace Confidential Show about Charles’ titles move, Robert said: “The King has exercised his Royal Prerogative with parliamentary and government approval; he’s talked to the Prime Minister about this.”

He described Charles as “the fountain of justice,” adding that the monarch’s action had been taken after consultation at the highest level. Despite the scandal surrounding Andrew, Beatrice and Eugenie’s titles remain unaffected due to their birthright.

“They are still Princesses and HRH because they are the children of the son of a reigning Monarch,” Robert said. He added: “All along, the King and other members of the family have been concerned that the sins of the family do not befall them. They are blameless, they have led a pretty upright life and are level-headed and very nice young women.”

But Beatrice and Eugenie are less likely to take on royal duties, unless called upon by His Majesty, as they are “essentially private citizens who are related to the King and occasionally turn up at royal events.” Their titles, he said, are protected under King George V’s 1917 Letters Patent.

Andrew stepped down as a working royal in 2019 after he was accused by Virginia Giuffre of having sex with her in March 2001, when she was just 17. She alleged she had been trafficked by Epstein and his girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell. Virginia claimed that Epstein and his girlfriend had taken her to Tramp nightclub in London, where she met with Andrew and later had sex with him that night.

She claimed that Epstein had paid her $15,000 after sleeping with Andrew. During an interview with BBC’s Newsnight in 2019, Andrew vehemently denied the allegations and told host Emily Maitlis he had no recollection of meeting Virginia. Andrew vehemently denies all allegations made against him.

Article continues below

How long will the US government shutdown last?

By in News, World News

The federal government shutdown is now the longest in US history.

America’s longest government shutdown is becoming more painful by the day.

At least 40 million Americans are struggling to get food, more than a million federal workers haven’t been paid, health insurance premiums are rising, and flights are getting disrupted.

Recommended Stories

list of 3 itemsend of list

Congress has been locked in a standoff over a bill to fund government services, with Democrats demanding tax credits that will make health insurance cheaper for millions of Americans and an end to federal agency cuts.

Democrats won decisive victories in state and local elections this week. President Donald Trump is blaming the shutdown for this setback to the Republican Party.

So, will he now be willing to negotiate? Can the two sides agree to a comprise?

Presenter: Bernard Smith

Guests:

Mark Pfeifle – Republican strategist

Jeremy Mayer – Professor of political science at George Mason University

UNSC votes to drop sanctions on Syria’s al-Sharaa ahead of Washington visit

By in News, World News

The United Nations Security Council has voted to remove sanctions on Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and his Interior Minister Anas Khattab following a resolution championed by the United States.

In a largely symbolic move, the UNSC delisted the Syrian government officials from the ISIL (ISIS) and al-Qaeda sanctions list, in a resolution approved by 14 council members on Thursday. China abstained.

Recommended Stories

list of 3 itemsend of list

The formal lifting of sanctions on al-Sharaa is largely symbolic, as they were waived every time he needed to travel outside of Syria in his role as the country’s leader. An assets freeze and arms embargo will also be lifted.

Al-Sharaa led opposition fighters who overthrew President Bashar al-Assad’s government in December. His group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), began an offensive on November 27, 2024, reaching Damascus in only 12 days, resulting in the end of the al-Assad family’s 53-year reign.

The collapse of the al-Assad family’s rule has been described as a historic moment – nearly 14 years after Syrians rose in peaceful protests against a government that met them with violence that quickly spiralled into a bloody civil war.

HTS had been on the UNSC’s ISIL and al-Qaeda sanctions list since May 2014.

Since coming to power, al-Sharaa has called on the US to formally lift sanctions on his country, saying the sanctions imposed on the previous Syrian leadership were no longer justified.

US President Donald Trump met the Syrian president in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, in May and ordered most sanctions lifted. However, the most stringent sanctions were imposed by Congress under the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act in 2019 and will require a congressional vote to remove them permanently.

In a bipartisan statement, the top Democrat and Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee welcomed the UN action Thursday and said it was now Congress’s turn to act to “bring the Syrian economy into the 21st century”.

We “are actively working with the administration and our colleagues in Congress to repeal Caesar sanctions”, Senators Jim Risch and Jeanne Shaheen said in a statement ahead of the vote. “It’s time to prioritize reconstruction, stability, and a path forward rather than isolation that only deepens hardship for Syrians.”

Al-Sharaa plans to meet with Trump in Washington next week, the first visit by a Syrian president to Washington since the country gained independence in 1946.

Kazakhstan, which already recognises Israel, to join ‘Abraham Accords’

By in News, World News

More than 33 years after establishing official diplomatic ties with Israel, Kazakhstan says it will join the so-called Abraham Accords, which formalised ties between Israel and several Arab countries.

The announcement came on Thursday ahead of a meeting between United States President Donald Trump and the leaders of Central Asian countries.

Recommended Stories

list of 3 itemsend of list

“Our anticipated accession to the Abraham Accords represents a natural and logical continuation of Kazakhstan’s foreign policy course – grounded in dialogue, mutual respect, and regional stability,” Kazakhstan’s government said in a statement, according to the AFP news agency.

Earlier in the day, US envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff had announced that another country would join the normalisation deals without identifying it.

“Abraham Accords are big. I’m flying back to Washington tonight because we’re going to announce, tonight, another country coming into the Abraham Accords,” Witkoff said.

It is not clear how joining the accords will affect the already established Kazakh-Israeli ties. The countries established diplomatic relations in 1992, shortly after Kazakhstan gained independence from the Soviet Union.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Kazakhstan in 2016, and the two countries have several bilateral agreements.

The announcement comes at a time when Trump is promoting himself as a peacemaker after brokering the tenuous ceasefire in Gaza, despite the daily deadly Israeli violence against Palestinians and the escalation of Israeli attacks in Lebanon.

Kazakhstan appears to be pushing to deepen its ties with the US as its President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev visits Washington. On Thursday, the two countries signed a cooperation deal over critical minerals.

During his first term, Trump brokered the Abraham Accords, a series of deals that formalised ties between Arab countries – the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco – and Israel.

The push shattered Arab states’ consensus over the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, which conditioned recognition of Israel on the establishment of a viable Palestinian state.

Netanyahu has categorically rejected that “land for peace” framework, pushing instead for deals with Arab countries that bypass Palestinians.

Former President Joe Biden, who succeeded Trump, made expanding the deals a priority in his approach to the Middle East early on.

But the agreements – brokered between countries that were never at war – did little to resolve the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians and the decades-long occupation that leading rights groups say amounts to a system of apartheid.

Still, the normalisation deals withstood the two-year war in Gaza, which saw Israel flatten much of the territory and kill more than 68,800 Palestinians.

The UAE and other countries involved in the agreements have maintained their trade and security ties with Israel.

‘Teacher’ O’Neill with work to do as Celtic taught another lesson

By in News, Sports News
Getty Images
Amy Canavan

BBC Sport Scotland

On Sunday, it was about avoiding looking like the outlaw Robin Hood. On Thursday, Martin O’Neill took on a different role as teacher.

The Celtic interim manager cut an exasperated figure on the sidelines in Denmark as he watched a magnificent Midtjylland teach the Scottish champions a lesson.

Although the final deficit was only two goals, the 73-year-old said “it could have been any sort of score” against the team top of the Europa League table.

Three goals in eight blistering first-half minutes had Celtic struggling for air.

Three was kind, something of a robbery. There had been nine shots on goal and a further six off target.

It was a hefty crash back down to earth for all invested in the Glasgow club’s fortunes. O’Neill had managed to build momentum and almost mute the myriad of issues at the club. But only momentarily.

“The goals that we conceded weren’t good,” he said in the aftermath of his first defeat since his return.

“It sounds from here as if I’m like a teacher telling them, but I will try and teach them the game as quickly as possible.”

In the aftermath of Sunday’s League Cup semi-final extra-time victory over Rangers, O’Neill said he had aged 20 years.

    • 1 day ago

‘Some things don’t change’ – O’Neill

Just over a month ago, O’Neill watched Midtjylland gatecrash Nottingham Forest’s European return with an enthralling 3-2 encounter.

The veteran boss said he took heed of that performance against his former club and was prepared for a physical meeting with “a very, very good side”.

While he might have taken note of Forest’s failings, his players didn’t seem to.

Mikel Kruger-Johnsen scooped in a scrumptious second, but the two goals the 19-year-old sandwiched were not so unstoppable. But Celtic couldn’t prevent them.

Anthony Ralston failed to prevent Kruger-Johnsen’s routine clipped ball to the back post for the opener, before the teenager weaved through for the second.

Celtic as a team failed to clear their lines from a throw-in for the hosts’ third.

“In terms of defending, I’ve just said to the players in there, some things change in the game, other things don’t change,” explained O’Neill.

CELTIC GRAPHICSNS

“Then in the second goal, we had a 2v2 situation, and we allowed the player just to come inside and bend it into the net.

“So from our viewpoint, not good defending, really.”

The need for O’Neill to explain the concessions in such layman terms speaks volumes. Damning volumes.

While Midtjylland were majestic, Celtic didn’t exactly make them work hard for their money.

“The third goal almost puts it beyond you, so was I surprised? I don’t know whether I was surprised [or] disappointed, just disappointed in the concession of the goals,” the Northern Irishman added.

“I think just to play football at the top level, not only do you need ability, but you need mentality, and mentality sometimes overrides ability as well.

“It sounds from here as if I’m like a teacher telling them, but I will try and teach them the game as quickly as possible.

‘Nothing was solved at the weekend’ – McGregor

Tom EnglishSNS

The overriding questions remains, though. How long will O’Neill have to improve Celtic?

His return, alongside assistant Shaun Maloney, has brought back a feelgood factor but that was only going to last so long.

The laughs had over O’Neill’s matchday fit have faded, while Celtic’s deep-rooted problems have returned in stark fashion.

Captain Callum McGregor was at the heart of the happiness on Sunday, scoring in the extra-time win, but he was quick to assure no-one had got carried away.

“Nothing’s been solved after a really good game at the weekend,” the midfielder said after defeat in Denmark. “We know that we don’t get too up or too down.

“We come away here against a really good side, a good club, who do a lot of good things and they know what they are.

“There’s a lot of growth still left in our team as well. We know where we are and we know where we want to get to.”

It appears Celtic are far from the latter, and it’s lined up to be an almighty task to get them there, for whoever is charged with taking them there.

On a sobering night, it’s not the interim manager who will take the heat. It’s not even the players being taught by him.

Get in touch

Contact form

Related topics

  • Celtic
  • Europa League
  • Scottish Football
  • Football