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Jai McDowall skyrocketed to fame when he wowed the judges on Britain’s Got Talent in 2011 with his rendition of Anthem and he went on to clinch the series title. Now, some 14 years later, Jai’s floating on a wave of singing success and seriously, you’d hardly recognise him. In 2022, Jai revealed an operation to remedy problems with his previously-broken nose. The Scottish crooner needed surgery for a deviated septum – which resulted from him breaking up a pub scuffle.

But some fans were dubious about his reasons, leading Jai to clear the air directly from his hospital bed in 2017. In an honest video, Jai said: “The amount of times I’ve been asked if I have a cocaine habit and that’s why I have a deviated septum in the first place has been unreal”. He made it crystal clear: “I don’t have a cocaine habit, just in case anyone is wondering”.

Speaking to the Daily Star after his surgery, Jai described the experience: “It was a really nice procedure. Obviously, I had black eyes for about three weeks and big bandages and stuff, but it was worth it”.

But life gave Jai more curves than straight lines post-BGT. He spoke to The Sun about his monetary woes after parting ways with the record label Sony, which nudged him perilously close to financial ruin. Jai confessed: “I didn’t do it because, thankfully, I’ve got a brilliant support network. But I did get to a point where I was like, ‘ Is this it, is this over? ‘”

He continued: “I moved in with my parents at the time. I did have property but I had no money. That took a long time and a lot of grit and determination for me to get back out of that”.

The singer spoke to the Mirror when he recalled standing in the final alongside Ronan Parke. “I know genuinely it does sound sort of out there but I envisioned the finale of that show and I knew it was going to be me and Ronan. Not going to lie, I thought he was going to win”, Jai told us. “That way I was like, ‘ No, keep positive thoughts and keep going ‘ and genuinely I thought that really helped and it’s one of those things. Life is up and down – it’s a roller coaster and you can’t always be positive all the time. I genuinely feel like if you can keep yourself in a better mental state with that you can – magic happens sometimes”.

He was forced to give up his singing career during the coronavirus lockdown. “I genuinely know I couldn’t give singing up because the only time I had to was during Covid and it was terrible, genuinely the closest I’ve ever been to being really, really sad. And I genuinely missed it”, Jai admitted.

Kristina Rihanoff has been flooded with support after the heart-wrenching news of her split from Ben Cohen.

The Strictly Come Dancing star, 47, and former England rugby player, 46, first met on the BBC show in 2013, when they were struck by the infamous “Strictly curse”, which had resulted in Ben separating from his wife, Abby.

In the wake of their split, Kristina took to social media to share a picture with one of her students, reposting it on her Instagram stories. The photo had originally been shared by the student as a tribute for International Women’s Day. In the caption, they wrote, “Keep inspiring, supporting, and growing each other. Happy International Women’s Day”!

Ben and Kristina welcomed their daughter, Milena, into the world in 2016. And in November 2022, the couple took a major step in their relationship, getting engaged during a romantic getaway in the Maldives.

However, sources reveal that their split is largely due to financial problems, with their joint business, Soo Yoga, left in significant debt after the pandemic. In addition, Kristina faced a driving ban for driving without insurance, adding even more stress to their already struggling relationship.

A friend close to the pair told The Sun: “It’s like the curse in reverse. This will be like karma for Abby, she was so upset when Ben left her. It’s like he has got his comeuppance”.

They added: “The past six months have been hell for them and it has torn the love they had apart. For the sake of their family, they have chosen to go forward as separate individuals. Those close to them who know them as a couple had hoped they would be able to work things out but for now it’s over and it looks like there’s no going back”.

The couple has reportedly opened up about their financial difficulties over the past year. They have put their £1.75 million Northampton home on the market, and Ben has stepped down as a director of their shared yoga business.

In September, Kristina appeared in court regarding her driving ban, and Ben later spoke out about the financial strain they have both been enduring. He revealed the emotional pressure he’s under, stating: “I get up every day and I fight not to lose everything – to lose my cars, my house, and my relationship. I’m so overdrawn”.

When asked about the strain on his relationship with Kristina, he admitted, “We’re still living together. We’re in it financially. We’re in business together, so the problem is that we opened the business before Covid, and we got the worst severities of it. Honestly, this is just another problem for me to deal with”.

The dad-of-one went on to explain the depth of their financial struggles, adding: “I’ve got credit cards that are overdrawn. I’m overdrawn in both accounts. We have a business debt because of Covid. It’s just another problem”.

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