Category Entertainment News

The reality star was diagnosed with both ADHD and autism in 2023, after years of struggling with his attention span while at school. Sam says the label made him feel ‘so much better’

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Made in Chelsea star Sam Thompson has opened up about how being diagnosed with ADHD and autism completely changed his life for the better.

Sam, 32, is best known for his appearances on reality shows like Made in Chelsea and I’m A Celebrity, which he went on to win. He is also the proud co-host of hit podcast Staying Relevant, alongside his best friend Pete Wicks.

While fans have always loved Sam’s outgoing nature, away from the spotlight, he has been going through a deeply personal journey related to that part of his personality.

READ MORE: Strictly’s Ross King had ‘secret romance’ with high profile BBC star after marriage splitREAD MORE: Celebrity Traitors’ Paloma Faith suspected Alan Carr leaked her split before ‘betrayal’

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In 2023, just before his 30th birthday, Sam was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and autism. He has admitted this took “a massive weight off [his] shoulders”.

To commemorate ADHD Awareness Month with British charity ADHD UK, the star has spoken about how his diagnosis brought him relief after years of being misunderstood at school.

“When I was first diagnosed, I felt this massive weight off my shoulders. Hearing the diagnosis made me feel so much better about myself,” Sam said.

Sam is now an official ambassador for ADHD UK, and uses this platform to encourage others like him to embrace their differences.

He added: “I like to tell kids it’s a superpower because I genuinely believe it can be. If you can channel your ADHD into doing something you love — whether that’s a subject, industry or a hobby — it can be incredible.

“Having said that, I think the struggles people have are very real and it’s about trying to balance that conversation with not feeling ashamed.”

Sam’s journey to diagnosis was featured in Channel 4 documentary Is This ADHD? in 2023, which helped spark nationwide conversations about the condition.

His time on I’m A Celeb also had a similar effect. He has now revealed: “When I came out of the jungle, the biggest surprise I got was the community that surrounds neurodiversity.

“The number of parents who came up to me saying their child had been ashamed of having ADHD, but after watching that part on I’m A Celebrity, their perspective completely changed.”

Sam added: “If I could do that just once — make one child feel better about who they are — that’s enough for me. I’ve never felt a community like that before.”

As part of his ambassador work, Sam recently visited Oaks Park Secondary School to talk to students about ADHD, and encourage those of them who are diagnosed to see the positives in their condition.

He told pupils: “To my younger self I’d say: you’re not feeling this way alone. There are so many other people feeling exactly the same way — and you’re in it together.”

Sam has recently spoken about whether or not he would ever follow in the footsteps of his pal Pete Wicks by taking on the challenge of being featured on Strictly Come Dancing.

In a chat with The Mirror, he admitted: “I don’t know. I’ve never been a talent guy. I don’t really have a talent. That was the reason I’m A Celebrity was so good for me, I didn’t have to do anything. I just had to go and make friends.”

Paloma Faith was the first person to leave the first ever series of Celebrity Traitors this week, with Paloma not too impressed with how it happened

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Paloma Faith shared her suspicion pal Alan Carr leaked her split before his Traitors betrayal. The singer has admitted she doesn’t know if she can trust her friend after thinking he could’ve betrayed her twice.

Speaking in a resurfaced clip from her Mad, Sad and Bad podcast, Paloma recalls when she was convinced that Alan has told the press about her relationship news, despite not telling anyone about it herself.

The 44-year-old star was joined by the comedian where they discussed how bad they thought it was to gossip. Paloma started off the topic by asking Alan: “Do you think gossip’s bad?'”

READ MORE: Paloma Faith’s daughter ‘bans’ Alan Carr from house after brutal Celebrity Traitors murderREAD MORE: Traitors bosses look to cash in on show’s success with unusual business move

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He then answered: “I gossip about people all the time.” While Paloma replied: “You think it’s okay?” Alan confessed: “I don’t like people… I mean, I’m a pure hypocrite. I love gossiping, but I hate people gossiping about me. I’m a complete gossip hypocrite.”

Paloma went on to then ask if Alan thinks gossiping is a “guilty pleasure”. Alan said: “It’s a guilty pleasure. If people are d***s, you’ve got to talk about them, haven’t ya.”

Reminiscing about her breakup, Paloma said: “Do you remember when I called you, we went out one night, we went to the Halloween party, and the next day it was in the paper that my relationship had ended, but I hadn’t told anyone.”

Alan instantly defended himself denying that he would leak the news. Paloma added: “But do you remember I called you and asked if you knew, if you’d mentioned it by accident, you were like no, no, no.”

Alan replied: “Oh, now you’ve lured me in saying ‘are you a gossip?’ And I’ve gone ‘yeah’, and you’ve gone ‘yeah, because someone’s gossiping about me!'”

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Paloma found the discovery amusing as she denied Alan’s theory. The pair’s friendship was at risk once again this week as to Alan ‘murdered’ Paloma on BBC’s Celebrity Traitors this week.

The show, which started this week, saw a cast of 19 celebrities enter the famous Scottish castle with Claudia Winkleman – who chose her three Traitors.

Claudia chose Alan Carr, Jonathan Ross and Cat Burns as the three Traitors and their first challenge was to murder in plain sight.

During the episode it was revealed that Alan had chosen to ‘murder’ his best friend Paloma Faith by sneakily touching her face.

Paloma has made it no secret that she was disappointed to be leaving the show, and she’s not the only one as she revealed her daughter told her the Chatty Man is ‘banned’ from their house following the betrayal.

Paloma revealed on The One Show: “He went out so he didn’t have to watch it. But I’m sure he’ll be fine, because everyone loves him. By next week everyone will forgive him because he’ll just be funny again.” However, it looks like Alan won’t be forgiven by Paloma’s four year old daughter, as she revealed the savage comment she made after watching the episode last night.

“This morning, she woke up, shook me and said, ‘Mama, I don’t like Alan anymore. He can’t come to our house. You can’t invite him to our house again,'” she laughed.

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Strictly Come Dancing star Ross King is reported to have had a secret romance with a ‘high profile’ and ‘glamorous’ BBC presenter following the end of his marriage to Brianna Deutsch

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Strictly Come Dancing is known to ignite passion and romance amongst some of its contestants on the BBC show, but it’s now been reported Ross King enjoyed a secret romance with an unidentified BBC presenter years before his show stint.

Lorraine presenter Ross, 63, is reported to have had the under-the-radar fling following his split from his ex-wife Brianna Deutsch, who he was married to from 2015 until 2022.

It has been claimed Ross’ ex-wife reportedly feared the romance started before they filed for divorce, but it has been insisted that there was no crossover between his marriage and the casual romance.

READ MORE: Telling signs show Strictly’s Wynne Evans is in bitter fallout with Katya JonesREAD MORE: Strictly’s Thomas Skinner fears daughters, two, face life-changing diagnosis after seizures

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A source has claimed: “They had been friends for a while, but nothing happened until long after he and Brianna were separated.

“They kept it out of the public eye because of their profile. Neither of them wanted the pressure of people talking.”

“Afterwards, Brianna questioned whether there was crossover and obviously had her suspicions. But Ross is very clear things only became romantic after his marriage had broken down,” they added to The Sun.

However, the romance is said to have “fizzled out” and now Ross is “happy dating” his gorgeous new girlfriend Bridget Siegel, 43, who has even been seen supporting him on the Strictly sidelines.

Things are said to be “going well” for Ross in his new relationship, following the breakdown of two previous marriages. Ross, who is partnered with Jowita Prystal on Strictly, was previously married to Charley King from 1999 to 2006 and Brianna Deutsch from 2015 until 2022.

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Ross has been having a ball on Strictly, but admitted he almost backed out of his dance after receiving a record-low score.

Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, Ross revealed: “At least I can say I got a 10 on Strictly Come Dancing in my first week,” with a laugh.

On his first live performance, the judges marked him the lowest since Quentin Wilson took to the floor back in 2004 and scored eight. However, while he told us he “got through it” he found the routine so difficult he didn’t know if he’d get through it.

Ross admitted: “At one point I thought I may have to put my hands up and just say ‘maybe this is not for me’.

“I was disappointed because I had done it better. And I think the slide was a little bit slippier than I realised. As we were dancing, Jowita was actually going, ‘Are you OK?'” Ross, 63, was extremely happy to get to the end. “But I did genuinely have fun. For me, it’s a TV show, it’s not a competition.”

Despite receiving a record-low score, Ross is still in the competition and will dance again this evening alongside Jowita.

Molly-Mae is riding high with ahead of the second instalment of her hit Amazon Prime doc – but there is something that still keeps her up at night when she thinks of the future

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Molly-Mae Hague has sparked fresh speculation about her and Tommy Fury, admitting that while she and her fiancé might be back together, their future is far from certain. Speaking on the trailer for the eagerly awaited second series of her Prime Video reality show, Molly-Mae: Behind It All, the star gives fans a glimpse of the challenges ahead, saying, “Tommy and I are back together, yes. But I never know what tomorrow is going to bring.”

The new season will focus on her flourishing business empire, but is also expected to delve into the highs and lows of her relationship with Tommy, which dramatically broke down last year amid the boxer’s struggle with alcohol abuse. Despite the couple appearing to be back on track after reuniting in May, a source tells OK! that Molly-Mae, 26, is still haunted by the past.

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“Molly is worried that things will go wrong again. She’s scared Tommy can’t give her what she needs, consistently, and the uncertainty can be tough,” our insider tells us. “She hoped that getting back together would make things feel normal, but it’s not always that simple.”

Teasing the new series – which drops on 18 October – on Instagram last week, the star hinted at the drama ahead, writing, “I’m so excited for you all to see what’s been going on behind the scenes. Things have been crazy!”

The trailer also shows Molly-Mae in mum mode, looking after her and Tommy’s 21-month-old daughter, Bambi, as she juggles parenting with her career as an influencer. “The balance, at the minute, of work and Bambi is just so full on,” she says. “We’ve got the busiest summer yet coming up. I’m absolutely exhausted.”

Molly-Mae and Tommy met on Love Island in 2019, where their romance captured the nation’s hearts. Since then, they have become one of TV’s most high-profile couples, going on to welcome Bambi in January 2023.

Later that year, they were engaged, after Tommy got down on one knee in Ibiza. However, there have since been several bumps in the road and in August 2024, they sensationally parted ways, with Tommy later confirming that his drinking contributed to the split.

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In a tell-all interview with Men’s Health magazine earlier this year, he said, “We broke up because I had a problem with alcohol and I couldn’t be the partner that I wanted to be any more.”

Despite whispers suggesting a third party might have been involved, the star stressed that infidelity was not a factor in the break-up and branded the rumours “completely false”.

Tommy hit the bottle after a hand injury left him unable to box. Opening up in his BBC Three docu-series, Tommy: The Good, The Bad, The Fury, he said, “I couldn’t train, box, lift weights… that was all gone. I‘d lost my whole identity, lost my life.”

He went on to reveal that he would down 20 shots a night, adding, “I used to drink to get blackout drunk and that is what led to me not being the ri

ght partner to Molly.”

Despite the challenges she’s faced, the mum-of-one – who earlier this month made her Paris Fashion Week catwalk debut – has continued to build her brand and is rumoured to be worth an estimated £6 million.

The Prime Video trailer highlights her work on her clothing line, Maebe, as well as her modelling commitments and public appearances. But our source says that despite her many successes, Molly-Mae still struggles with the pressures of living her life in the spotlight.

“Molly is really proud of how far she’s come and is trying not to get sucked in to the negatives,” says our source. “This is a really exciting chapter and a big time for her. She is really proud of what she is achieving in her career. The people around her are making sure she remembers how amazing this all is.”

Described as “raw, relatable and inspiring” by Prime Video, the new series of Behind It All also promises to reveal “the insecurities and hopes of a young mum balancing fame and family”.

Last week, Molly-Mae shed more light on what fans can expect in a Q&A session on Instagram stories. “You guys know I’ve always shared highs and lows of my motherhood journey and it wasn’t going to be any different with this,” she wrote. “I want everyone to see another layer in the doc and to share the things I normally struggle to share.”

She also said that Bambi had “kept the film crew entertained” during shooting and when asked to name her favourite episode, warned that number three is “intense”.

With filming taking place over several months, Molly-Mae has vowed to give a warts-and-all view of her home life, promising a glimpse of the “drama that I normally deal with in private”.

And despite voicing her fears that her and Tommy’s future won’t be “plain sailing”, she has previously hinted more kids are on the cards. “The dream is still the same… that we will all be happy in that house together and have more children,” she said at the end of the previous series. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted for us.”

Series two of Molly-Mae: Behind It All drops on 18 October on Prime Video

Darren Jefferies played Sam “O.B.” O’Brien in Hollyoaks from 1997 to 2008, before returning to the soap in 2016

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Hollyoaks star Darren Jefferies looks completely different from his beloved soap character after his final exit in 2017.

The 43-year-old performer joined the Channel 4 drama as Sam “O.B.” O’Brien in 1997, swiftly winning over viewers with his on-screen chemistry with Max Cunningham, portrayed by Matt Littler.

The Hollyoaks duo experienced plenty of highs and lows throughout the series, including a major falling-out over Clare Devine, portrayed by Gemma Bissix, before mending their relationship.

Yet when besotted Max discovered romance with Steph Dean (Carley Stenson), their joy was short-lived following a devastating mishap that left O. B devastated, reports the Manchester Evening News.

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During July 2008, Max and Steph’s big day finally came, but catastrophe struck when the bridegroom shoved his younger sibling, Tom Cunningham (Ellis Hollins), away from an oncoming vehicle.

Max was struck by the motor driven by intoxicated rival Niall Rafferty (Barry Sloane), and despite Tom, Steph, and O.B’s desperate attempts to rescue him, he died.

O.B was shattered when his closest mate passed away in his embrace, prompting him to abandon the village permanently and seek a fresh start in London.

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During 2016, Darren made a comeback as the cherished O.B to the programme, but departed once more in 2017.

Discussing his character’s temporary return at the time, Darren remarked: “Being back without Max will be strange for O.B.”

He continued: “But his death gave O.B a new perspective on life. I think he’s got more of a seize the day kind of attitude now.”

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Since his departure from the soap, Darren has maintained his acting career, making a cameo in the BBC series Doctors in 2017 and returning six years later to portray a different character.

In 2022, the former soap star made a comeback on the telly in the comedy series Brassic. Darren also featured in the short films Lone Wolves (2024) and I Know A Place (2023).

Off the small screen, Darren is also a shining star on stage, having appeared in several productions such as: The Borrowers in Lancaster, Abigail’s Party at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, and For the Grace of You Go I at Theatr Clwyd in Wales.

But Darren’s talents extend beyond acting, as he also works behind the scenes. He recently showcased his skills during a project for Everton Football Club.

Darren is also happily married to Stephanie, owner of a Fashion House Agency, with the pair tying the knot in Manchester in 2016. The couple are proud parents to two children.

Strictly Come Dancing star Thomas Skinner has revealed doctors have warned his twin daughters may face a life-changing diagnosis as he shared an update on their health

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Strictly Come Dancing star Thomas Skinner has shared an update on his twin daughters after they both suffered seizures and were taken to hospital this week.

The axed Strictly contestant, 34, revealed earlier this week on social media that his twin daughters Roma and Darla, two, were rushed to hospital for treatment after having two fits each.

Earlier this week, Thomas penned on X: “We are having a proper s**t time recently. My twins have spent all night in the hospital. Thank you to the wonderful NHS for looking after them. Back home with them now. They’ve both now had 2 fits each and it is so so scary.”

READ MORE: Strictly’s Alex Kingston reveals secret cancer battle and diagnosis after haemorrhaging on stageREAD MORE: Strictly star Thomas Skinner’s twins rushed to hospital after suffering fits in scary ordeal

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Thomas, who became the first axed Strictly contestant this year, later tweeted: “I hope you all had a wonderful Thursday. My kids are tucked up in bed, me and Sinéad have stuck a film on and relaxing. Thank you all the lovely messages, The twins are a lot better tonight. It’s a very scary time when the little ones have seizures. Good night & God Bless. Bosh”.

Now, Thomas has revealed fears his daughters, who were born prematurely weighing 3lbs each, may face a life-changing diagnosis. Thomas and wife Sinead are awaiting test results.

He has explained his daughters were unwell with a cold before their temperature suddenly rose and they both had ‘febrile convulsions’, one in the morning and the other in the evening.

The NHS states febrile seizures can “sometimes happen when a child has a high temperature”. They are “not usually serious”, but the NHS advises parents to get medical help if their child has a seizure.

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Thomas explained to The Sun: “They’re at risk because they were born prematurely weighing just 3lbs.

“A sudden rise in temperature can bring on fits in infants and they’re more susceptible.

“It can be linked to epilepsy so doctors have tested them and we’re waiting for the results, but we’re hopeful that’s not the case.”

Thomas added that his daughters are back home and “happy and playing” while also “getting lots of cuddles” but admitted the ordeal was “incredibly scary”.

After Thomas’ initial post, users on X were quick to share well-wishes in the comments. One wrote: “So sorry to hear that your beautiful girls have been unwell. I’m glad that the NHS were able to make them well enough to return home. Sending you all hugs xx”.

The scary new comes on the week his BBC Strictly adventure came to an abrupt end. He became the first contestant to be eliminated from the 2025 competition after landing in the bottom two with rugby player Chris Robshaw.

But he insists it’s not the end of his dancing adventure. On X, he said that he was “gutted” to be out of Strictly – having filmed his final interview on It Takes Two with Amy earlier in the week.

He said on Tuesday’s upload: “Happy Tuesday, you lovely people! Back where I belong, in my trusty Ford Transit van! Been up early, grafting away. Picked up a cracking parcel of men’s designer jumpers this morning, stopped by my local pub and sold a load already!

“Absolutely gutted not to still be on Strictly, but what an amazing experience it was. Met the incredible Amy Dowden and my whole family loves her. She’s an inspirational woman and a proper diamond.”