White and Black farmers still bear the scars of Zimbabwe’s land grabs

Harare, Zimbabwe – Guy Watson-Smith felt hurt and betrayed when his 5,000-hectare (12,355-acre) farm in Beatrice, in Zimbabwe’s Mashonaland East province, was violently invaded by three armed men in the early 2000s.

The then-51-year-old white commercial farmer was not just losing his land; he was leaving behind hundreds of workers and their families, many of whom he had known since childhood.

“We cried,” the 75-year-old told Al Jazeera.

On the morning of September 18, 2001, Watson-Smith, his two farm managers, and his unwelcome visitors sat at a table on the patio.

Watson-Smith’s wife, Vicky, offered them a cup of tea.

But the message was simple: leave or die.

His family was given two hours to pack.

They fled to the capital, Harare, 54km (33.5 miles) away, seeking refuge at his father-in-law’s home in the Avenues, an inner-city suburb.

Watson-Smith’s ordeal was not an isolated incident.

Across the country, war veterans armed with pistols led similar land grabs, together with their children and with assistance from the police’s elite units.

The invasions were part of the chaotic Fast Track Land Reform Program (FTLRP), launched under President Robert Mugabe in 2000 to reclaim land from about 4,000 white farmers and redistribute it to landless Black Zimbabweans.

But instead of redressing past injustices, Zimbabweans say it fuelled economic and land insecurity as mainly governing party loyalists benefitted from the reclamations.

More than two decades on, a struggling agricultural sector haunts Zimbabwe, leaving the question of land ownership unresolved, even as the government has begun to pay compensation to white farmers.

Guy Watson-Smith with workers at his farm in Zimbabwe before it was taken in a land grab [Courtesy of Guy Watson-Smith]

Colonial land invasions

When land was seized from white farmers in the early 2000s, it was forcibly and sometimes violently taken, with at least seven people killed in the process.

However, Zimbabwe’s land struggles did not begin with Mugabe’s FTLRP or even the country’s independence in 1980. The tensions stretch back over a century to the arrival of white British settlers in 1890.

When the British arrived, they invaded Mashonaland areas and took mining rights from the locals under agreements that the local leadership did not understand.

They then expanded control, violently displacing Black people from their fertile ancestral lands.

Forced into barren areas with poor soil, low rainfall and tsetse flies, Black Zimbabweans struggled to farm or raise cattle.

By the 1950s, land was formally divided along racial lines, with white settlers holding the most fertile areas.

This deep injustice fuelled the liberation struggle.

Revolutionary groups like ZANU and ZAPU took up arms, and from 1964 to 1979, land was at the heart of the Rhodesian Bush War – also known as the Second Chimurenga, during which Black Zimbabweans fought for independence from the white minority government.

The 1969 Land Tenure Act, which escalated Black land evictions, was a breaking point.

For many fighters, reclaiming the land became not just about survival, but about identity and economic freedom.

The war ended with the Lancaster House Agreement drawn up and signed in London in December 1979, setting the stage for Zimbabwe’s first democratic elections.

On April 18, 1980, after Mugabe’s victory, Zimbabwe gained independence from Britain. The Lancaster agreement barred Mugabe’s government from forcibly seizing land, allowing only voluntary transfers under a “willing buyer, willing seller” system from 1980 to 1990.

Many war veterans felt betrayed.

They had fought for liberation, expecting immediate land redistribution, but years of slow negotiations left them frustrated. From 1990 to 2000, land reclamations took place by the government compulsorily buying land from white commercial farmers using funds from donors, including Britain.

However, the process became politicised as some senior politicians and elites redistributed land among themselves instead of to the poor. Some of the funds were allegedly loaned to ruling ZANU-PF party loyalists and not used for the intended purposes of land redistribution. This raised accusations of corruption, causing some donors to cut funding.

Britain, which had initially committed 20 million pounds ($26.6m at the current rate) to fund the land reform programme, withdrew support in 1997.

The United Kingdom said it could no longer accept responsibility for colonial injustices and would not fund a programme plagued by corruption and elite capture.

Donor funding helped the Zimbabwean government buy land from white commercial farmers, enabling about 50,000 Black farmers to receive land. But the programme was ultimately underfunded and fell far short of the targeted 8 million hectares (19.8 million acres).

Zimbabwe land
Though land reform was necessary to redress past injustices, the way it was implemented benefitted only the elites, many Zimbabweans say [Farai Matiashe/Al Jazeera]

Mugabe-era land grabs

In February 2000, under mounting pressure from furious war veterans, Mugabe attempted to amend the constitution to allow land seizures without compensation.

When the referendum failed, the war veterans and their families took matters into their own hands by invading farms. Soon, Mugabe officially followed suit by launching the FTLRP.

At that time, the minority white population, which made up about 4 percent of the country, owned more than half the land in Zimbabwe.

For months, Watson-Smith’s land, where he grew tobacco, maize, paprika, groundnuts and Rhodes seed for export, remained untouched until the day a powerful war hero with the ZANU-PF set his sights on it.

Watson-Smith was in Harare, where he worked as the Mashonaland East provincial chairman of the Commercial Farmers Union, a body representing white commercial farmers, when he learned that his farm had been invaded by retired General Solomon Mujuru, a former commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces and top ZANU-PF figure in the province.

Efforts to move their assets like tractors and vehicles went in vain, Watson-Smith said, as the invaders allowed only his wife to take their personal belongings, like photographs and furniture, from the house before leaving.

Even the courts offered little protection.

Though Watson-Smith won a High Court ruling to reclaim his assets, Mujuru’s thugs chased away the sheriff sent to enforce the order.

Watson-Smith and his family were lucky to escape their farm unharmed. But they were still afraid. On December 21, 2001, they fled through the Beitbridge border post to South Africa, later moving to France to start a new life.

Zimbabwe land
Siphosami Malunga at his farm in Matabeleland North in 2021, before his land was seized [Courtesy of Siphosami Malunga]

Even Black farmers not safe

Before the farm invasions, Zimbabwe produced enough to feed itself and for exports to Southern Africa and Europe. Agriculture was the backbone of the economy, employing much of the country’s workforce. Some Black Zimbabweans had also risen to the top, managing farms.

Initially, Mugabe’s land expropriation programme was meant to redistribute land to disadvantaged Black Zimbabweans to boost equity and agricultural development.

But under the cover of correcting colonial injustices, powerful officials seized productive farms from both white and Black farmers.

Kondozi Estates in eastern Zimbabwe was one of the farms seized by senior ZANU-PF figures in 2004.

The land in Manicaland province was co-owned by Black Zimbabwean Edwin Moyo and the white de Klerk family.

At the time, it was a vital exporter of fresh produce, particularly high-quality beans, gooseberries, corn, mangetout and sugar snaps to European retailers like Tesco and Sainsbury’s.

It employed hundreds in Mutare, and its destruction was a death blow to the local economy.

The same pattern repeated itself on other farms, locals say, with Black owners without strong ties to the ZANU-PF continuing to face evictions.

In 2021, human rights defender and lawyer Siphosami Malunga lost his farm to ZANU-PF secretary-general Obert Mpofu.

Though Zimbabwe’s lower courts later ruled in his favour and he is back on his farm awaiting a High Court decision, the battle over its ownership rages on.

“Land reform was necessary,” 53-year-old Malunga told Al Jazeera.

“The colonial project dispossessed Blacks, pushing them on to barren land while whites took the best farms. But the way reform was handled enriched the elite while leaving ordinary Zimbabweans with nothing.”

Mugabe once campaigned for a “one man, one farm” policy. Yet his allies ignored it. Even his wife, Grace Mugabe, amassed at least 15 farms.

Most of the beneficiaries of the FTLRP were ZANU-PF loyalists, experts note.

Rejoice Ngwenya, a political analyst based in Harare, said Mugabe’s land reform was not about Black empowerment.

“It had motives: firstly, to pacify war veterans that were agitating for more recognition; secondly, to punish white commercial farmers who were supporting the opposition. The man was insecure,” he told Al Jazeera.

“If you promise to not expropriate Black-owned farms, you should not touch Moyo or Malunga’s farms. But ZANU-PF does not care,” he remarked.

Vivid Gwede, another Harare-based political analyst, said land ownership has been used as a tool to punish disloyalty or reward loyalty to the governing party.

“On account of politics, some Black farmers have had their land invaded,” he said.

Zimbabwe land
Many Zimbabweans survive on food handouts from donors [Farai Matiashe/Al Jazeera]

Compensation and rejection

Unlike white commercial farmers who spent decades learning the land, most of the ZANU-PF-aligned farmers who took over had no farming experience.

The new owners were people who had spent most of their lives in the bush fighting against white colonialists, experts note, while many Black farm workers who had experience managing white-owned farms did not benefit from land reclamations.

As a result of the chaotic and violent invasions, knowledge of agricultural practices was also not passed on.

Soon, the Southern African nation with a once-thriving agricultural economy began to face a food crisis, later compounded by climate change.

For years, many Zimbabweans have depended on food aid from donors like the United Nations World Food Programme. In April 2024, the government declared a national disaster as a severe El Nino-induced drought left more than half of Zimbabwe’s 15.1 million people facing hunger.

The crisis exposed the country’s collapsed agricultural sector. Before land seizures, white commercial farmers and Black farmers like Moyo had irrigation schemes to mitigate droughts. ZANU-PF dismantled these systems, leaving the country vulnerable.

Zimbabwe’s collapse in agricultural productivity stems not just from poor planning, but from a deeper culture of impunity, experts say.

Across the country, though court orders were issued to stop farm invasions and evictions of white commercial farmers, these were ignored. Since 2000, former farmers have filed hundreds of legal cases, trying to reclaim their assets, with little success.

The 2013 constitution promised compensation, but only for farm improvements, not the land itself.

When Emmerson Mnangagwa took power in a 2017 military coup, he inherited a shattered economy, abandoned and poorly managed farms, food shortages, and soaring unemployment.

Desperate for solutions, he reached a $3.5bn compensation deal with white farmers in 2020, hoping to mend relations with the West and lift US economic sanctions imposed in 2001. But the plan stalled.

In October 2024, the government set aside $20m to compensate a handful of foreign white farmers from Denmark, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Germany whose investments were affected by the land reform programme.

This month, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube announced that the government had paid $3.1m to white former farmers who lost land during Zimbabwe’s land reform.

However, the Compensation Steering Committee (CSC), a domestic body representing white farmers, criticised the compensation as a token gesture and rejected the deal, saying it wants negotiations instead.

“We’re willing to talk, but they [the government] are not talking to us,” Ian McKersie, chairman of the CSC told Al Jazeera.

In response, Nick Mangwana, permanent secretary in Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Information, told Al Jazeera there are “factions” among the white farmers. “If they speak, they are speaking for themselves, they do not represent the mainstream,” he said. “It is preposterous [to reject the deal]. It does not make sense.”

Mangwana also denied that there are ongoing land seizures, such as the case of Malunga, whose farm was taken in 2021. “These are just disputes … It is not a land invasion. There is no land invasion in Zimbabwe,” he said.

Zimbabwe land
Farm workers on Malunga’s farm in Matabeleland North in 2021 [Courtesy of Siphosami Malunga]

Untended farms and uncertain futures

Now in France, Watson-Smith runs a real estate business.

But back in Zimbabwe, his once-productive Alamein Farm has fallen into disuse; its land is now less vibrant than it used to be.

After General Mujuru, who was one of Zimbabwe’s most feared men, seized Watson-Smith’s farm, he turned it into a hunting ground. Following Mujuru’s death in 2011, his wife, former Vice President Joice Mujuru, kept the land but struggled to maintain it.

Meanwhile, Kondozi Estates, the major part-Black owned farm taken by ZANU-PF elites, also fell into decay. A visit this year revealed abandoned equipment and overgrown fields.

Across the country, seized farms remain untended.

During the land reform, farms were given long-term leases. But banks refused to recognise these leases as collateral, making it impossible for farmers to secure loans.

In late 2024, President Mnangagwa ordered the Ministry of Lands to stop issuing permits and leases in favour of title deeds. But experts warn this is problematic as it does not address the land dispute between resettled farmers and dispossessed white commercial farmers.

“If the government issues title deeds on land already under existing historic title deeds, it’s unlawful,” Willie Spies, a lawyer assisting dispossessed Zimbabweans, told Al Jazeera

“A legitimate process requires compensating former farmers fairly before transferring ownership.”

New farmers have already benefitted from state subsidies, including a 2007 mechanisation programme that distributed tractors and harvesters without repayment.

Zimbabwe’s debt now stands at $21bn, according to the World Bank – $13bn owed to international creditors and $8bn in domestic debt. Some of the domestic debt is a result of the agricultural subsidies, which ended up benefitting political elites and not the poor rural farmers.

Corruption runs deep, said Malunga, who is still awaiting a final court decision about ownership of his farm.

“Agricultural subsidy programmes were hijacked by the elite, enabling grand corruption and theft of billions,” he said.

While title deeds could offer land security to the new farm owners, he warned: “This risks creating a privileged Black landowning class.”

Watson-Smith notes that although title deeds helped farmers like him by “open[ing] the doors to credit for irrigation, dams and every farm improvement”, giving title deeds to new farm owners without addressing past injustices is meaningless.

“It might impress Zimbabwean banks, but international lenders won’t recognise stolen property,” he said.

Once the backbone of Zimbabwe’s economy, agriculture is now crippled by corruption, mismanagement and political greed, farmers say.

Meanwhile, the scars of the land grabs remain, both for displaced former farmers and a nation still grappling with the fallout.

As many white farmers live in self-exile abroad, many common Black farmers are in limbo, facing off against senior politicians in the battle for land ownership.

For now, Malunga is back on his farm, growing tomatoes and other crops. But he remains unsettled.

Where original Holby City cast are now – Hollywood star and co-star wedding

After being controversially axed by the BBC, Holby City’s final episode aired in 2022. Here’s a look at what happened to the original members of the cast who started 23 years ago

The original Holby City cast back in 1999(Image: BBC)

After 23 years of births, deaths and nail-biting operations, Holby City finally came to an end in March 2022. Viewers were left devastated when the BBC announced it was axing the popular medical drama.

“We are incredibly proud of Holby City but it’s with great sadness that we are announcing that after 23 years, the show will end on screen in March of next year,” announced the BBC in a statement. “We sometimes have to make difficult decisions to make room for new opportunities and as part of the BBC’s commitment to make more programmes across the UK, we have taken the difficult decision to bring the show to a close in order to reshape the BBC’s drama slate to better reflect, represent and serve all parts of the country.

“Holby has been a stalwart with audiences, delighting millions of viewers each week and winning hundreds of awards with a compelling mix of cutting edge medical stories and explosive personal stories.

READ MORE: The Brookside cast now – from heartbreaking death to major X-Factor success

Holby City cast
The cast evolved over time (Image: BBC)

“We look forward to working with the team over the coming months to ensure that when it ends, Holby goes out on a high.”

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When Holby City first aired in 1999, it drew impressive average audiences of 9 million. However, as the original cast members began to depart, ratings gradually started to decline.

The drama began with a core cast of 11 characters but gradually expanded to include as many as 20 in later seasons.

The casting team behind Holby opted for actors who were already well-known, many of whom had previously appeared in popular British soaps such as EastEnders, Coronation Street, and Brookside.

Since leaving the show, many of the former cast members have enjoyed significant success, ranging from winning MasterChef and finding love, to becoming Hollywood film stars.

Let’s take a look at what happened next for the cast of Holby City…

Lisa Faulkner

Lisa Faulkner had a grisly end to her time on Holby
Lisa Faulkner had a grisly end to her time on Holby(Image: BBC)

After gaining fame on Brookside, Lisa Faulkner was cast as house officer Victoria Merrik in Holby City. Victoria was a surgeon with great potential but struggled under the intense pressure of performing operations. As a result, she was reassigned to the paediatric wing.

Her character met a tragic and grisly end when she was stabbed to death by an angry father who blamed her for the death of his daughter. In an interesting twist, it was actually Lisa who requested for her character to be written off with a “gruesome death” after two years and 45 episodes on the show. Reflecting on the decision later, she admitted: “It’s only afterwards that you really realise it means you can never come back, even if you wanted to.”

After Holby City, Lisa went on to star in Spooks, where she faced an even more horrifying death – her character, Helen Flynn, had her face and head burnt in a deep-fat fryer before being shot in the head.

Lisa is married to MasterChef's John Torode
Lisa is married to MasterChef’s John Torode(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)

In 2010, Lisa won Celebrity MasterChef and later began a relationship with judge John Torode. The couple eventually married, and they went on to host their own ITV cooking show on Sunday mornings. In 2017, Lisa also made an appearance in EastEnders as Fi Browning.

In 2019, Lisa reunited with her Holby City co-star Nicola Stephenson for a stint on Celebrity Gogglebox, providing fans with a glimpse into their off-screen friendship.

Michael French

Michael French
Michael French went back for a special appearance in Holby(Image: BBC)

There is a lot of crossover between Holby and EastEnders – and no one epitomises that more than Michael French.

After spending three years in Albert Square playing David Wicks on EastEnders, Michael transitioned to playing cardiothoracic surgical registrar Nick Jordan in Holby City. Nick was a ladies’ man who balanced romance with his passion for saving lives, having several love interests over the course of his time on the show.

Michael left the role after two years but returned briefly in 2006 before being persuaded to join the sister show Casualty in 2008. Reflecting on his move, Michael explained: “The BBC came up with the idea. At first, I wasn’t sure about him moving away from heart surgery, but we soon thrashed some ideas around, and I realised it would work. It’s certainly great to play Nick again, and I’m having a fantastic time on the show.”

Michael starred in Casualty from 2008 to 2013, though he made a guest appearance on Holby City in 2010. He also returned to EastEnders when his on-screen mother, Pat Butcher, died in 2012, and reprised the role once again between 2013 and 2014.

Angela Griffin – Jasmine Hopkins

Angela Griffin as Jasmine Hopkins December 1998
Angela Griffin as Jasmine Hopkins December 1998(Image: BBC)

Popular actress Angela Griffin began her career with a small role in Emmerdale before gaining widespread recognition as hairdresser Fiona Middleton in Coronation Street.

In 1999, Angela took on the role of Jasmine Hopkins in Holby City, a character who quickly rose through the ranks to become the ward sister. Jasmine’s storyline was filled with drama, including being engaged to IT support technician Carl, only for their relationship to take a dark turn when he hit her.

She then nearly lost her life after being stabbed by youths attempting to steal from a drug store, requiring Nick Jordan’s help to save her. Later, she began an affair with a married nurse, but ended the relationship when his son found out, leading to her departure from the hospital.

Angela chose to leave Holby City after the third series in 2001, as the next series was set to be longer and would demand more filming time.

Angela Griffin pictured in 2025
Angela Griffin pictured in 2025

Following her time on Holby, Angela appeared in several BBC dramas, including Cutting It and Down to Earth, before taking on the role of teacher Kim Campbell in Waterloo Road. She has since become a staple of British TV, with roles in Hustle, Mount Pleasant, Ordinary Lies, Midsomer Murders, and, more recently, in Netflix’s White Lines.

Fans were delighted to see Angela back on screen in the revived series of Waterloo Road.

The star has also now dipped her toe into the world of directing, most recently working on BBC police series Blue Lights.

George Irving – Anton Meyer

George Irving as Anton Meyer Cardio-Thoracic Consultant and Clinical Chairman.
George Irving as Anton Meyer Cardio-Thoracic Consultant and Clinical Chairman.(Image: BBC)

George Irving was one of the longest-standing members of the original Holby City cast, remaining on the show until 2002.

He portrayed cardiothoracic consultant Anton Meyer and played a significant role in shaping the character. Originally, producers had envisioned him as an Iranian surgeon, but George suggested making him a Hungarian who had emigrated to the UK.

The sarcastic, arrogant surgeon became a fan favorite, involved in many dramatic storylines, including performing surgery on his own sister and losing his spleen after being shot in a road rage incident.

Despite his success on the show, George chose to leave because he found it difficult to separate the character from his personal life, which began to affect him outside of work.

The actor has since stated that he will never return to Holby City, as he wants to preserve the memory of Anton Meyer in its original form.

After leaving the series, George starred in the BAFTA-winning short film Antonio’s Breakfast and has appeared in several notable TV shows, including The Sweeney, The Bill, Inspector Morse, Doctors, and EastEnders.

Phyllis Logan – Muriel McKendrick

Phyllis Logan played Mrs Hughes in Downton
Phyllis Logan played Mrs Hughes in Downton(Image: ITV)

Phyllis Logan played Muriel McKendrick, a character who appeared in the first nine episodes of Holby City. Muriel was a strict, no-nonsense figure, often clashing with Anton Meyer and going behind his back to get things done.

Phyllis is perhaps best known for her role as Mrs Hughes, the stern housekeeper in Downton Abbey, a character who, much like Muriel, was never afraid to speak her mind.

The actress, who won the BAFTA for Most Promising Newcomer for her role in the 1983 film Another Time, Another Place, appeared in every series of Downton Abbey and in the subsequent film.

Phyllis Logan
She’s come a long way since Holby(Image: PA)

In addition to Downton Abbey, Phyllis has appeared in Doctor Who, ITV’s Girlfriends, and portrayed Maggie Smart in The Good Karma Hospital.

Luke Mably – Paul Ripley

Luke Mably’s time on Holby City was short-lived, as he appeared in just the first three episodes.

His character, Paul Ripley, was at the centre of the first major storyline, where he was caught kissing an unconscious girl in the high dependency unit. As a result, the ward clerk was fired for misconduct and ordered to leave the hospital immediately.

After his brief stint on Holby City, Luke went on to have roles in EastEnders, NCIS: New Orleans, and the iconic zombie film 28 Days Later.

Nicola Stephenson – Julie Bradford

Nicola Stephenson on Holby City in 1999
Nicola Stephenson on Holby City in 1999(Image: BBC)

Julie Bradford, a single mum struggling with mounting debts, found herself overlooked for a promotion and resorted to lap dancing at night to support her daughter.

Her secret was exposed when a member of the club was admitted to the hospital, leading to her reprimand. However, things took a turn for the better when her ex-husband returned, begging for another chance. They remarried and left to start a fresh life with their daughter.

Nicola is still all over our screens
Nicola is still all over our screens

Actress Nicola Stephenson was already well-known for playing a key role in British TV history, as she was part of the first pre-watershed lesbian kiss when her character kissed Anna Friel’s in Brookside.

After two years on Holby City, and a few guest appearances in Casualty, Nicola went on to star in Hotel Babylon, Emmerdale, and Waterloo Road.

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In 2019, she reunited with former Holby co-star Lisa Faulkner to appear on Celebrity Gogglebox.

READ MORE: ‘I tried Whisker’s Litter-Robot 4 to see if it could end the daily cat litter nightmare for good’

Katie Price reveals dramaticly stretched appearance after string of tweakments

Katie Price showcased her ever-changing looks during a day out ahead of returning to her pantomime work as she and her beloved dog enjoyed the Welsh seaside

Katie Price showcased her new looks while on a day out in Rhyl(Image: BACKGRID)

Katie Price revealed her constantly changing looks as she took a break from her packed work schedule. The former glamour model, 46, is no stranger to going under the knife and has most recently had procedures done, including a facelift and having her ears pinned back during a trip to Turkey.

This week though, the telly star is keeping herself busy and is touring England and North Wales in an Easter pantomime but she made sure to take time out of her day to spend it with her young puppy and made the most of the refreshing sea breeze in Rhyl, North Wales.

Mum-of-five Katie looked glamorous despite her casual appearance along the sea front. She opted for a white crop top while completing her wardrobe with a pair of grey tracksuit bottoms and long fleeced black jacket as the temperatures dropped slightly.

READ MORE: ‘I tried Whisker’s Litter-Robot 4 to see if it could end the daily cat litter nightmare for good’

Katie walked her puppy before heading to work
Katie walked her puppy before heading to work(Image: BACKGRID)

Katie swept her glossy raven hair into a high pony tail as she walked around a car park close to the waterfront with her 20-week-old spaniel puppy, Rookie. Katie’s fresh new look also saw her showcase her eyebrows after revealing that they had started to flake off, as the star recently had a treatment to remove the tattooing.

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The star revealed that she had been subjected to vile comments from social media bullies over her appearance and her brows flaking away. “My eyebrows; I get a lot of trolling and that about my eyebrows. I already know what my eyebrows look like – where I’ve had the face done they sort of go up and woo into my forehead,” she said on her podcast.

The former glamour model showcased her ever-changing appearance
The former glamour model showcased her ever-changing appearance(Image: BACKGRID)

Katie added: “And, over the years, where I’ve had micro-blading and tattooing, they’e kind of half faded, I want to re-start them all again. So instead of lasering I’ve tried the micro-needling and they put a solution on it that really stings but it’s to take all the pigment out so I’ve had my first session today and they look lighter already, but it’s a bit sore there. So my face will start looking a bit more normal without slug looking eyebrows.”

But while she’s currently performing in the spring panto of Pinocchio, alongside Bobby Davro and Casualty actress Amanda Henderson, the “naughty adults only” theatre show has failed to rake in as many tickets had initially been expected. The show, which has been branded a “hilarious Easter panto with no strings attached,” saw those attending able to purchase a second ticket for half price.

It comes after the star revealed her eyebrows had been flaking off
It comes after the star revealed her eyebrows had been flaking off(Image: BACKGRID)

Although the production has recently been to towns including Northampton, Clacton, Sevenoaks and Buckinghamshire, seating maps for the tour have displayed a large selection of empty seats in the auditoriums. Last month, Katie announced that both of her bankruptcies have been discharged.

Katie, who has fronted various Channel 4 and BBC documentaries about her life, was declared bankrupt for a second time last year over an unpaid tax bill worth more than £750,000.

Her first bankruptcy from 2019 was discharged earlier this year, after a hearing at the Insolvency and Companies Court. A representative for the mum-of-five confirmed at the end of March that the second bankruptcy has been discharged.

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Speaking to The Sun, Katie said: “Im so happy. I can finally move on and put these bankruptcies behind me and now only focus on the positive. Thank you to everyone that has supported me through this process.”

Her solicitor Chris Keane, from Fieldfisher LLP, went on to add to the publciation that Katie had been “fully compliant with her Trustee in Bankruptcy and has been discharged from both bankruptcies in short order”, after attending a private interview.

Manhunt under way in Kashmir after deadly attack on tourists

Security forces have launched a manhunt after gunmen opened fire on tourists and killed 26 people in Indian-administered Kashmir’s worst attack on civilians in almost a quarter of a century.

All those killed in Tuesday’s attack were listed as residents of India, except for one man from Nepal.

A statement issued in the name of The Resistance Front (TRF), which is believed to be an offshoot of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the attack.

The statement linked the attacks to the thousands of residency permits being handed over to Indian citizens, allowing them to settle in Kashmir. Al Jazeera could not independently confirm the statement’s authenticity.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the attack had been “much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians” in recent years.

The bodies of those killed were brought to Srinagar by a fleet of ambulances on Wednesday as military helicopters soared overhead, searching the forested mountain flanks for signs of the attackers.

“This attack on our visitors is an abomination,” Abdullah said in a statement.

The killings led to global condemnation.

United States President Donald Trump called Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to offer “full support to India to bring to justice the perpetrators of this heinous attack”.

China, which neighbours the troubled region, offered its “sincere sympathies” to the families of those killed.

Authorities in recent years have promoted the mountainous region as a holiday destination for skiing during winter and to escape the sweltering summer heat elsewhere in India.

Olly Murs stuns fans as he shows off dramatic body transformation after baby announcement

Olly Murs has left fans feeling hot under the collar after he activated ‘beast mode’ while unveiling his ripped transformation days after announcing his wife’s pregnancy

The singer activated ‘beast mode’ with his transformation(Image: ollymurs/Instagram)

Olly Murs has activated “beast mode” as he took to social media to reveal a very dramatic transformation. The pop singer, who is due to go on tour later this week, has been busy in the gym, putting himself through the paces before taking to the stage.

The musician has also undergone a dramatic diet transformation as he prepares to perform to sold-out audiences for two hours each night in various cities. It comes just days after the Dear Darling hitmaker announced that his wife Amelia, 32, was pregnant with their second child.

But it was Olly’s latest social media post which had fans and even his celebrity pals feeling flustered as he shared a video documenting his transformation and the graft he put in at the gym. In the video, which has been liked over 12,500 times, the cheeky chap, 40, looked ripped as he stepped foot in a boxing ring.

Olly Murs revealed his dramatic transformation on social media
Olly Murs revealed his dramatic transformation on social media(Image: ollymurs/Instagram)

The clip showed Olly carrying out a variety of exercises, including sparring and weight lifting as he ramped up the amount of weight he was lifting on the dumbbells. “I’m ready,” he said in the clip. Olly had been training with former Team GB boxer, Harvey Horn who he also tagged in the clip.

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Olly’s dramatic 12 week transformation has seen him become “super disciplined in every aspect of his life”. Captioning his post, Olly wrote: “Tour starts Thursday… I’m pumped,” alongside a tensed bicep emoji and a face pulling a tongue. The comment section of his uploaded was soon flooded with compliments.

The singer had been putting himself through the gym for the past 12 weeks
The singer had been putting himself through the gym for the past 12 weeks(Image: ollymurs/Instagram)

“Beast mode activated,” gushed Rak Su singer Myles Stephenson. Olly’s wife Amelia wrote: “You’ve hit a new kinda level and worked your absolute a**e off to get there! So proud of you. Does this mean we get to eat the same dinners again now?” “Right. I’m going gym,” joked Mark Wright.

One fan gushed: “Looking fit is. Can’t wait to see you in Brighton on Saturday.” A second penned: “OMG Olly you look incredible.” “Looking ripped Mr Murs! So excited to see you twice in May,” said another. Last year, Olly opened up about his fitness and told fans that he had spent 18 months learning the basics of boxing.

It's been quite the transformation for Murs
It’s been quite the transformation for Murs(Image: ollymurs/Instagram)

“It’s been a hard slog, so f**it, I’m posting it, learning to box from scratch is hard work,” he said. Last week, Olly joked it had :been a week” following the revelation that his family was growing. Speaking to pal Mark on their Heart FM radio show, he said: “You know you have those weeks where you just can’t tell anyone? And it’s been really exciting news for us both, a shock, we didn’t expect it to happen this quick, but amazing!”

Sharing the news, Olly took to social media to share a black and white video of himself, Amelia and their daughter Madison, one, walking alongside a path. As he lifted his daughter and put her on his shoulders, the words “Big Sis” could be seen on the back of her top.

Fans were left flustered by Olly's post
Fans were left flustered by Olly’s post(Image: ollymurs/Instagram)

“We’re so egg-cited to share this..… Another Baby Murs on the way,” he wrote. To confirm the news, Amelia revealed a set of baby scans. The announcement came just days after the couple had celebrated Madison’s first birthday. To mark the occasion, they posted a series of heartwarming photos of the big day.

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They first announced baby Madison’s birth on April 16, 2024 after revealing they were set to become parents back in December 2023, just five months after the couple tied the knot on July 15, 2023.

Holly Valance now – billionaire husband, far-right horror, and millions in legal fees

Holly Valance broke into music with her raunchy videos after appearing on Neighbours, but now the conservative mum is more likely to be spotted at a Reform UK rally than a Hollywood bash

Actress and singer Holly Valance once wore the hammer and sickle – but now she’s all for Donald Trump

British-Australian star Holly Valance started out as a model when she was just a teen, following in the footsteps of both her Southampton-born mum and her Serbian dad. After a few years of modelling, the star soon had her lucky break, and joined the long-running soap Neighbours when she was 16.

The actress left her strict Catholic school and joined the show as Felicity ‘Flick’ Scully in 1999, winning over a legion of fans before quitting the show and moving to the UK in 2002 – when she was 18 – to focus on building her music career. Holly, now 41, was an instant hit, and went straight to the top of UK charts with her first song Kiss Kiss.

At the same time as her star was rising, however, her net worth was dropping. When she was 19, her former manager Scott Michaelson accused her of firing him over the phone 15 months before his contract was due to end. Michaelson sued Holly and won, with the starlet ordered to pay him £150,000. Her plans to buy a house for her mum were dashed, and she also lost her heart for music after her second album State of Mind didn’t even make it into the top 50.

READ MORE: ‘I tried Whisker’s Litter-Robot 4 to see if it could end the daily cat litter nightmare for good’

Holly Valance in Neighbours
Holly Valance was just 16 when she joined the cast of Neighbours after some years of modelling(Image: BBC)

Holly said of her huge legal case to the Sunday People: “The case also cost millions of dollars in lawyers’ fees. I was not all that wealthy, either. I had to think of it as a new beginning. I thought, ‘It is just a number in a bank account – now you see it, now you don’t.’

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“I would have been really disappointed had I already bought the house for mum then had to give it back. But I did not grow up with money so knew I could live without it.” Determined to start over, Holly decided to take a leaf out of the book of Australian actresses Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts and try her luck in Hollywood.

With no work lined up, she bravely booked a flight and vowed to say ‘yes’ to every opportunity that came her way. She explained: “When I talked about moving to Hollywood, Mum said, ‘Yes, go for it.’ So I got on a plane to LA. I hired a car, looked at a map and drove myself to a place I’d rented.

“I thought, ‘Get to know your way around.’ I decided to accept every invitation for functions, dinners and balls and threw myself in the deep end.” Her bold move paid off and the film and TV roles started coming in. Holly appeared in CSI: Miami, Entourage, Prison Break, and Liam Neeson’s hit 2008 movie Taken while enjoying the anonymity of Los Angeles. But a chance meeting with British billionaire Nick Candy in 2009 changed everything.

Holly Valance and Nick Candy
The actress met British billionaire Nick Candy at a dinner party in 2009, and soon joined his royal circles

When the pair first crossed paths at a dinner party, the Melbourne-born star had no idea who the property tycoon was. “I didn’t know anything about him. I just thought ‘Corr, if I didn’t fancy you so much, we’d be the best of friends. Instead, I just want to make out with you all the time’,” she told the Daily Mail.

And she ‘freaked out’ and almost ended things when she discovered just how wealthy he really was, admitting it was ‘just too much’. In a panic she rang her mum, who convinced her to give Nick, now 52, a chance, and she moved back to London to be with him. “I was used to razzle dazzle and meeting lots of famous people, but I wasn’t used to super-yachts and private jets,” she said of adapting to Nick’s lifestyle. For one birthday he gifted her a £20,000 Rolex Daytona watch.

“I am a spoilt brat. My friends and my sister say: ‘I hate you!’ when I show them what he’s bought me,” she added. But on top of the homes in Monaco and London and the private plane, it was Nick and his brother Christian’s £50million super-yacht Candyscape II that really blew her mind.

She added: “When I saw the boat for the first time, I was stunned and said “Oh dear God! It’s a mansion on water. It’s incredible.” After Holly finished in fourth place on Strictly Come Dancing in 2011, Nick whisked her off to the Maldives and popped the question on the beach in front of flaming torches that spelt out ‘Will you marry me’.

Nick Candy and Holly Valance
Nick got down on one knee on a Christmas break to the Maldives, and the couple now shares two daughters

They tied the knot in a lavish outdoor ceremony in Beverly Hills in 2012, at a reported cost of £3million. The happy couple apparently paid Katy Perry £1.2million to perform for guests that included Simon Cowell. The following November, Holly gave birth to their daughter Luka, followed by her little sister Nova in September 2017. These days, Holly and her family still call London home. They’re friends with royalty and were guests at Princess Eugenie’s wedding.

Holly seems to have shelved her showbiz career since getting married, with her last proper filming occurring in 2013 aside from a brief cameo appearance in Neighbours in 2022. Instead, she’s become deeply embroiled in right-wing politics.

The former actress first announced her support for the Conservative Party, and in February was spotted on the front row of a right-wing Tory event by the Popular Conservatism group. The Aussie star was seated alongside MPs like Lee Anderson, Jacob Rees-Mogg and the failed former PM Liz Truss.

Holly explained of her politics at the event: “I would say that everyone starts off as a leftie and then wakes up at some point after you start either making money, working, trying to run a business, trying to buy a home and then realise what c**p ideas they all are. And then you go to the right.”

When asked who her favourite speakers were, she added: “The speakers were fantastic. I thought Liz [Truss] was really interesting to listen to, Jacob [Rees-Mogg] for prime minister, the MP for Ashfield [Lee Anderson] was awesome, love a northerner, straight to the point and very sensible.”

Holly Valance and Nick Candy pose with Nigel Farage and Donald Trump
Holly and Nick are now the poster children of the far-right, hanging out with Trump and throwing their support behind Reform UK(Image: Instagram/Nigel_Farage)

Her billionaire husband was also a prominent Conservative party supporter and donor. He backed Tory Shaun Bailey’s unsuccessful campaign to be Mayor of London in 2021 – and was pictured at the notorious lockdown rule-breaking Christmas Party held in Conservative HQ that December. In 2022, Nigel Farage shared a picture of him and Holly having dinner with the former UKIP leader and Donald Trump.

Last summer, Holly and Nick went even further right, developing their friendship with Farage and throwing their support behind his party Reform UK. During a rally in Clacton-on-Sea in Essex after announcing he would stand for election in the constituency, Holly insisted she encouraged him to run. She told GB News: “I have been whispering in his ear for a long time. He is the face of Reform. Richard [Tice] has done a great job and they are a great team.”

Last December, Nick took a job as Reform UK’s treasurer, and pledged to bring in “more money than any political party in the UK has ever raised”. Holly has helped in the task, attending plenty of Reform UK events and helping to raise £1.5million within the first days of Farage’s return to leadership – £100,000 of which came out of her own pockets. During an appearance on GB News, she also slammed the climate crisis and called Greta Thunberg a “demonic little gremlin high priestess of climate”.

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Alongside her controversial politics, Holly has also become more conservative in her dress after admitting that Nick nearly ‘had a coronary’ when he saw some of her raunchy pop videos. However, she’s not giving up on the perfect figure. Having fluctuated between a size 8 and size 14 over the years, the star recently revealed that as a busy mum, she relies on exercise to stay balanced. She told the Made By Mammas Podcast: “[I do] very little, but gym has become something I have to do for my mental health. My husband doesn’t understand if I get upset if I can’t go to the gym – it keeps my energy up, it keeps my endorphins going, and I panic a bit if I can’t get to the gym.”