Category Entertainment News

Soap star Ryan Thomas shares Scarlett with Tina O’Brien but insists his daughter isn’t ‘getting a free ride’

Ryan Thomas insisted his ‘nepo baby’ daughter Scarlett ‘won’t be getting a free ride’ as he discussed her role on Waterloo Road. The 40-year-old actor shares Scarlett with Coronation Street star Tina O’Brien, with Scarlett also having Love Island’s Scott Thomas and Emmerdale’s Adam Thomas as her uncles.

Scarlett has been a hit on BBC’s Waterloo Road and even has almost 150,000 followers on social media where she updates fans on her life. Speaking in a new interview, her father Ryan said of her TV role: “She worked damn hard to get that job, and people need to recognise that she’s a talented girl – she’s up against other people and she’s not getting a free ride.”

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He added to The Sun : “She has to go through the same process as everyone else – it was between her and somebody else. It wasn’t like, ‘This is a Thomas, she’s going to get this job’.”

Back in April, Scarlett hit back at the ‘nepo baby’ claims with a short video on TikTok.

The daughter of the soap star took to her social media page to share a carefree video of herself riding the passenger seat of a convertible car in the sunshine as she lip-synced to the 1977 hit song Easy by Commodores.

In the clip, She wore oversized sunglasses, and gold hoop earrings and rocked an off-the-shoulder jumper. Over the clip, Scarlett typed out a comment she receives from trolls, which is: “You only got these opportunities because of your family.”

In response, Scarlett wrote: “God forbid a girl takes the chances she gets.” Fans shared their support for the teen in the comment section, with one user writing: “Girl it’s jealousy! You enjoy every bit of it.”

Another said: “You have talent, regardless of your family.” One fan posted: “God forbid a girl who has opportunities and doesn’t waste them.”

Scarlett also has a large legion of fans on social media who love her content, which includes behind-the-scenes clips of her life with her famous family.

Experts in the industry believed she would be able to bag a cool £2million from her content before she turns 18.

PR expert Lynn Carratt told The Sun: “It’s clear they’re a close-knit family who understand how to use social media effectively to build their careers. They capitalise on TikTok trends, and each member is talented in their own right.

“From a PR perspective, the family TikTok videos are an excellent platform for displaying the family’s talent to a huge audience.”

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Will Young has reflected on his coming out experience in a new interview for Pride Month. He was pressured into revealing his sexuality after winning Pop Idol in 2002.

Will Young has paid tribute to those who came before him to fight for equal rights while reflecting on his own coming out story. The 46-year-old singer shot to fame in 2002 when he starred on, and won, ITV’s singing talent show Pop Idol.

After winning the show, Will enjoyed huge success, with debut single, the double sided Anything Is Possible / Evergreen, becoming the fastest-selling debut single in UK history. His first album also topped the charts – with all of his subsequent records making the top five, including three further number ones and three at number two.

Shortly after winning Pop Idol, Will came out and he told fans he had no shame about his sexual identity and that he had not hidden it from those in his life. In a new interview with Metro, the singer has reflected on this moment from 2002 and shared his thoughts on how the world has changed.

He told The Metro: “It’s like chalk and cheese now. I don’t often really remember the sort of mini traumas that would occur being openly gay and a public figure in the early 2000s. It was so different then.”

He continued to highlight the ways the country has changed since he burst into the spotlight. He said: “There was no legal support, you couldn’t get married.

“You just operated within how it was then, which was like, ‘Well, I’m going to get shouted out, I’m going to get threatened. No one’s gonna care.’ That was a given, which seems bonkers now to think like that.”

And paying tribute to equal rights campaigners, he added: “We have to remember those people and those before them, because they were pretty seminal.”

Will first opened up about his sexuality in March 2002 in an interview with the since defunct News of the World. He told the publication: “I feel it’s time to tell my fans I’m gay.

“It’s totally no big deal, just part of who I am. For me it’s normal and nothing to be ashamed about. I’m gay and I’m comfortable with that. I really don’t know what the fuss is about.”

It has been over two decades since the singer found fame and he continues to enjoy chart success. His 2024 album, titled Light It Up, peaked at the top of the downloads chart and reached number 5 on the official albums chart.

He embarked on a tour in support of the record last September – with extra dates added due to demand. More recently, Will has been sharing gardening tips with fans and uploading videos of his green work to social media.

Over the decades, the star has become a campaigner for mental health, winning praise from fans for sharing his own struggles and spotlighting resources so others can get help.

He also, tragically, lost his twin brother, Rupert, to suicide in July 2020. He shared his story and grief as well as the life of his brother in the acclaimed Channel 4 documentary, Will Young: Losing My Twin Rupert.

Celebrities and football legends join forces to raise vital funds for UNICEF with Old Trafford game

The Soccer Aid camp have been bonding over late night karaoke sessions. Celebrities including singer Tom Grennan, presenter Big Zuu and footballer Robbie Keane were on the mic until 11pm belting out hits as they got stuck into training at Champneys Tring.

Tom, 30, revealed: “We’ve been singing all night.” “There were a few dancing queens last night,” chuckled Lioness Steph Houghton, 37. “There was a bit of ABBA, everyone was having a great time.” Big Zuu, 29, said he got in on the action. “I sang Senorita by Justin Timberlake,” he told. “As soon as Robbie says it’s time to sing, you’re ready. Get a vocal ready. He is the life and soul of soccer. It really broke the ice on the first night.”

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Coach Harry Redknapp, 78, said he left the team to it – and didn’t bother imposing any strict curfew as he said they wouldn’t listen to him. “They definitely won’t listen to me,” he laughed. “I just go to bed and ignore it all the let them get on with it. And hope for the best in the morning. Everyone gets a bit excited.”

Soccer Aid for UNICEF 2025 sees England taking on the Soccer Aid World XI FC in the world’s biggest celebrity football match. Stars taking part include One Direction star Louis Tomlinson, explorer Bear Grylls, Strictly Come Dancing star Gorka Marquez and Gladiators favourite Diamond.

Denise Lewis says she’s been pushed out of her comfort zone in her first year taking part in Soccer Aid. The retired Olympics athletics star says she’s gained a newfound love for football and has even joined a local team.

“I’m representing the 52 year old women right now,” Denise says proudly. “I’m a debutant and I’ve been retired for 100 years so this is all new territory for me. I’m trying to champion the mindset of trying something new, go out your comfort zone, do something different, and have fun with it.”

Having joined Penn & Tylers Green Football Club in the lead up to tomorrow, Denise said she’s taken to the sport. “I wasn’t that girl who had the opportunity to play football in school,” she explained.

“It just didn’t happen. And so I’ve only started kicking a ball, even with my boys, just the odd kick. I’m fit for purpose. It’s nothing like when I was an elite athlete, but I definitely think I’ve been more mindful about why I exercise now in the last five years.”

This year, thanks to the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, every donation you make to Soccer Aid for UNICEF will be doubled – up to £5 million. It will take place tomorrow at Old Trafford, Manchester and will be shown live exclusively on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player. Donate to UNICEF ahead of the match at socceraid.org.uk/donate.

As the royal family took to the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the RAF flypast during today’s Trooping the Colour, Kate had a simple but firm instruction for her youngest son, according to a lip reader

As the royal family made their highly-anticipated appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony during today’s Trooping the Colour, Princess Kate seemingly had a simple but firm command for Prince Louis. The young royal was on his best behaviour during the King’s birthday celebrations, despite many hoping that his signature cheeky antics would once again be on display.

Although Louis was mostly kept in check by his siblings George and Charlotte, Princess Kate did have to issue one simple instruction, according to lip reader Jeremy Freeman. As the royals took their pride of place before they headed back inside Buckingham Palace after the Red Arrows flypast, the lip reader claims that Kate had to instruct Louis to call to attention for the national anthem.

Freeman exclusively told The Mirror that the young royal was looking restless as the festivities drew to a close, prompting Kate to say to her children: “National anthem. Louis, stand.” Louis then straightened his posture and focused for the signing of the national anthem.

Elsewhere on the balcony, King Charles and Prince William apprently remarked on what a spectacular day it had been, praising the military parade and the Red Arrows stunning aerial show.

According to Freeman, William turned to his father at the conclusion of the RAF flypast and said: “Oh my word, what a day,” to which Charles replied: “Great theatre.”

During another wholesome moment on the balcony, the three generations had a candid chat about the aircraft featured during the flypast.

Freeman said that while William was having a conversation with Kate, King Charles interrupted to say: “What is that?” as he pointed to an aircraft flying over the balcony.

William responded to his father, further asking: “Errr is that Poseidon?” Prince George then stepped in to the conversation, confirming: “It’s a Poseidon, yeah.”

It comes as upon the conclusion of the King’s birthday festivities, the royal family shared a series of videos showcasing the highlights of the day. In a short video posted by William and Kate, William is seen leaving the Palace in his military garb and mounting his horse for the procession, while Kate, George, Charlotte and Louis climbed into the carriage to make their way to the Mall.

King Charles and Queen Camilla also posted a compilation video, which was shared on the official Royal Family social media accounts, showing the royals piling into their carriages for the procession, the impressive Red Arrows flypast, and King Charles even feeding a carrot to one of the horses pulling the carriage.

In the caption of the video, the King and Queen thanked the military personnel who made the day “truly triumphant”. This year marks the third Trooping the Colour parade of Charles’ reign.

The colour – regimental flag – being trooped this year is the King’s Colour of Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards, also known as the sovereign’s bodyguard and which is celebrating its 375th anniversary this year.

BBC Radio 2 icon Jo Whiley has insisted her children will never use her name to benefit their own careers as she revealed their ‘horrified’ reaction to nepo-baby claims

BBC Radio 2 host Jo Whiley has admitted her children are “horrified” at being called nepo-babies as she insisted they will never take advantage of her star power. The radio star, 59, has created an incredible career on the airwaves spanning three decades.

She has been on air since 1993 and presented her own BBC Radio 1 show from 2001 to 2009. Jo has since moved over to BBC Radio 2 and has become the face of the BBC’s Glastonbury coverage.

Her impressive jobs mean Jo has rubbed shoulders with some huge names including Madonna, George Michael and David Bowie and has even introduced her children to some “very, very cool people”. However, Jo, who shares her four children with music executive Steve Morton, has insisted they won’t benefit from her connections.

Jo’s kids India, 33, Jude, 26, Cassius, 24, and Coco, 16, are keen to make their own way in the world and not rely on their famous mum for a leg up. In recent years there has been huge debate over children of famous parents gaining opportunities due to their family connections rather than their solely their own talent or hard work.

Jo told the Sun: “My kids will never be nepo babies. They are very determined never ever to make it because I’m their mum.” She admitted: “It really horrifies them – the thought that anybody would ever employ them because of what I do.

“So they’re so determined to get jobs and do work on their own merits, and they will never take advantage of me at all.” The radio star insisted her four children will “never” use her name to get them somewhere.

Jo and youngest daughter Coco are among the lucky ones who’ve managed to bag tickets to see Oasis live this year – something she never thought she’d see. “I said Oasis would never get back together again, so I’m not going to predict anything!” she told OK! Magazine.

“Coco’s so excited about seeing them, and it’s kind of given me a renewed love of them too, so I’m really excited about going to see them. It’ll be very emotional for everybody who goes, and it’ll also be interesting to see how the boys are on stage these days.”

Over the summer, Jo will also mark her 60th birthday. She is planning to have her family come together to celebrate at her Northamptonshire home.

“I’m having a barn dance,” she revealed. “I did it 10 years ago, so I thought I might as well do it again. We’ll have a big old hoedown – cowboy boots, gingham, the lot.

“Or maybe I’ll be Calamity Jane. I’m definitely dressing up. We have lots of parties and people always get dressed up. We’ve got the most insane fancy dress emporium above the garage, with many boxes of costumes we’ve worn over the years. I could open a fancy dress shop!”

She even counts Coldplay frontman Chris Martin as one of her close friends, and revealed he’s always on hand when she needs a pep talk. “If ever I’ve had a tough time or something’s going on, I’ve often turned to Chris, and he’s really good at dispensing advice,” she shared.

“He tells me to just chill out. He’s wise. I can’t think of any particular piece of advice because they’re often like long poems.”

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Brooklyn Beckham and his wife Nicola Peltz have been at the centre of a feud with the Beckhams, with the aspiring chef snubbing his father’s recent knighthood

When David Beckham was revealed to be in the King’s Birthday Honours List, his son, Brooklyn, was nowhere to be found on social media congratulating him. His other sons, Cruz and Romeo, took to their Instagram pages to share their pride for the football icon, with Cruz writing: “I’m so proud dad I love you. Sir David Beckham, has a nice ring to it.”

Romeo posted on his Stories: “So so proud of you.” Victoria posted a loving snap of herself kissing her husband on his cheek, before gushing: “You’ve always been my knight in shining armour, but now it’s official. Sir @davidbeckham!!! What an honour, I couldn’t be prouder of you.

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“Your dedication to the things that matter most — your country, your work, your passion, and most of all, your family — has never wavered. The way you’ve touched so many lives over the years with kindness and humility speaks volumes about the man you are and continues to inspire us every day. But above all else, I’m so, so proud to call you mine. I love you so much.”

However, Brooklyn opted to post an advert for Pretzel Pita Chips half an hour the news was revealed. Not long after, he returned to his Instagram Stories to share a snap of his snack, which included whiskey, caviar, wine and his hot sauce.

According to sources, David never told Brooklyn about his accolade and the former aspiring chef learned about the achievement through the media.

A source for Brooklyn told Page Six he was thrilled his dad was finally receiving the honour, while a source quoted as someone close to his parents told the publication: “Brooklyn told his family he wants no contact and he’s not responding to those that try to connect.”

There had been rumours of a family feud for months, with fans noticing how Brooklyn and Nicola snubbed Victoria’s birthday party for Coachella.

A month later, Brooklyn and his socialite wife were absent from David’s multiple lavish celebrations for his milestone 50th birthday, including the intimate dinner in Paris and the celebrity party in Notting Hill.

Things heated up when he declared that he will “always choose” his wife Nicola in an Instagram post. The comment from Brooklyn comes after weeks of speculation over the state of his relationship with his parents and his brother Romeo Beckham.

There has been plenty of talk of what sparked the falling out – with Romeo’s relationship with ex-girlfriend Kim Turnbull a big part of it. Brooklyn briefly dated Kim before he was married to Nicola and has apparently called her integrity into question.

Brooklyn was said to be concerned about ex Kim’s motives in dating his younger brother and wasn’t sure she had his best interests at heart. Sources claimed that the rift between the pair was why Brooklyn and his Nicola were not present when David held a pre-birthday party.

In recent days, it was reported that the hot sauce enthusiast told his famous parents he ‘wants no contact’ with them. Sources close to Brooklyn told Page Six that he was thrilled his dad was finally receiving the honour and had known it was so important.

However, a separate source close to the Beckhams told the publication: “Brooklyn told his family he wants no contact and he’s not responding to those that try to connect.”

Yet a separate Brooklyn source denied the claim, saying: “This seems to be another deliberate attempt to misrepresent the truth, and it only serves to distract from this honour being bestowed on Brooklyn’s father.”

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