Category Entertainment News

Fern Britton has shared the one book she’s determined to read this summer as she embarks on a Mediterranean retreat – and it’s another Sunday Times bestseller

Television presenter and bestselling novelist Fern Britton has revealed the one book she’s looking forward to reading this summer during her Mediterranean getaway.

The former This Morning host has recently celebrated launching her newest novel, A Cornish Legacy, which taps into Fern’s personal experiences, delving into themes of separation, inheritance and the emotional burden of old homes. She’s also penned other Sunday Times chart-toppers – including A Good Catch, Coming Home, and The Newcomer – decades following the publication of her debut book in 1998, whilst still presenting Ready Steady Cook.

Chatting to Woman and Home, Fern revealed her summer reading choice for an upcoming break is inspired by the Greek island she’s visiting in August.

READ MORE: Fern Britton admits she got a ‘kidney punch’ from King Charles’ protection officerREAD MORE: Fern Britton’s ‘awkward’ live TV reunion with Phil Vickery after her cold revelation

This tale follows an Italian officer who becomes shunned by the island’s inhabitants before gaining acceptance and getting caught up in a romantic triangle, reports the Express.

“I am going to read Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, as I’m off to Kefalonia, where the story of a soldier falling in love with someone else’s fiancé is set,” Fern revealed to the magazine.

“I hope to catch glimpses of their spirits as I walk along a moon-dappled beach.”

Kefalonia is a stunning holiday spot, renowned for its spectacular natural splendour, particularly its coastlines, caverns, and diverse terrain.

The island, which is the biggest in the Ionian Sea off Greece’s western shore, is encircled by azure waters and is celebrated for its farming output, especially olive oil. Despite her choice of a troubled romance novel, Fern has clarified her own romantic situation, confessing she’s quite content being single after a few tumultuous years.

“These past six to seven years it’s been one thing after another,” she shared with fans, adding: “My parents died; my marriage ended; I had a stalker.

“I managed very well, but the repercussions were like a sonic boom. Everyone keeps asking me if I’m dating. Nobody’s dating me. I’m enjoying my own company. I’m not fearful about going to a restaurant on my own, travelling on my own.”

Her marriage to Phil Vickery ended in 2020 after twenty years, while last year a 63 year old man was given a 10-year restraining order and ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work after pleading guilty to stalking her.

“I’m actually very good at it now, and it’s OK,” she revealed, referring to spending time alone, in a chat with The Times.

Fern Britton has shared the one book she’s determined to read this summer as she embarks on a Mediterranean retreat – and it’s another Sunday Times bestseller

Television presenter and bestselling novelist Fern Britton has revealed the one book she’s looking forward to reading this summer during her Mediterranean getaway.

The former This Morning host has recently celebrated launching her newest novel, A Cornish Legacy, which taps into Fern’s personal experiences, delving into themes of separation, inheritance and the emotional burden of old homes. She’s also penned other Sunday Times chart-toppers – including A Good Catch, Coming Home, and The Newcomer – decades following the publication of her debut book in 1998, whilst still presenting Ready Steady Cook.

Chatting to Woman and Home, Fern revealed her summer reading choice for an upcoming break is inspired by the Greek island she’s visiting in August.

READ MORE: Fern Britton admits she got a ‘kidney punch’ from King Charles’ protection officerREAD MORE: Fern Britton’s ‘awkward’ live TV reunion with Phil Vickery after her cold revelation

This tale follows an Italian officer who becomes shunned by the island’s inhabitants before gaining acceptance and getting caught up in a romantic triangle, reports the Express.

“I am going to read Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, as I’m off to Kefalonia, where the story of a soldier falling in love with someone else’s fiancé is set,” Fern revealed to the magazine.

“I hope to catch glimpses of their spirits as I walk along a moon-dappled beach.”

Kefalonia is a stunning holiday spot, renowned for its spectacular natural splendour, particularly its coastlines, caverns, and diverse terrain.

The island, which is the biggest in the Ionian Sea off Greece’s western shore, is encircled by azure waters and is celebrated for its farming output, especially olive oil. Despite her choice of a troubled romance novel, Fern has clarified her own romantic situation, confessing she’s quite content being single after a few tumultuous years.

“These past six to seven years it’s been one thing after another,” she shared with fans, adding: “My parents died; my marriage ended; I had a stalker.

“I managed very well, but the repercussions were like a sonic boom. Everyone keeps asking me if I’m dating. Nobody’s dating me. I’m enjoying my own company. I’m not fearful about going to a restaurant on my own, travelling on my own.”

Her marriage to Phil Vickery ended in 2020 after twenty years, while last year a 63 year old man was given a 10-year restraining order and ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work after pleading guilty to stalking her.

“I’m actually very good at it now, and it’s OK,” she revealed, referring to spending time alone, in a chat with The Times.

He was once a national treasure with one of the most recognisable faces in the UK – now Huw Edwards lives a very different life away from the spotlight

Disgraced BBC newsreader Huw Edwards narrowly avoided jail for making indecent images of children, with his personal and professional lives falling apart in the process.

Edwards, 64, was handed a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, after he pled guilty to making seven Category A indecent images of children – the worst type – as well as 12 Category B, and 22 Category C images at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in September 2024.

On his birthday earlier this week, the star looked very different as he was seenclutching three mini bottles of prosecco, his grey stubble a stark contrast to the formerly clean-cut broadcaster known to millions around the UK. Edwards was pictured returning to his car after a brief shopping outing in Swansea, Wales.

READ MORE: BBC staff left ‘raging’ as Huw Edwards keeps hold of £200k salary amid job losses

The presenter was earning more than £475,000 at the BBC as the anchor of News At Ten in November 2023, when disturbing reports emerged that a high-profile, unnamed BBC presenter paid tens of thousands of pounds for explicit photos.

A mother claimed this went on from 2020, when their child was 17, for three years, which funded their child’s drug habit. He was suspended from the BBC at the time.

The TV star was arrested later that year regarding a separate investigation. Edwards’ phone was seized which revealed his participation in Whats App exchanges with convicted paedophile Alex Williams, who between the years 2018 and 2021 sent him indecent images of children, including two videos of a boy believed to be between the ages of seven and nine years old.

The star’s wife of 30 years Vicky Flind released a statement following the original allegation saying her husband was “suffering from serious mental health issues” and receiving in-patient care.

But as other accusations came to light, Vicky is said to have launched proceedings to end their marriage, with their £4.75 million home in Dulwich, South London, put up for sale.

A source told The Sun:”Vicky had enough of Edwards a long time ago but this is the final nail in the coffin of their relationship. He’s put her and their family through hell, so this was inevitable.”

Edwards continued to sport his wedding ring during his court case but the former couple are said to only communicate through their lawyers nowadays. Professionally, the broadcaster’s life has also crumbled.

Images from earlier this year showed Edwards frowning as he puffed on a vape. Speaking to the publication, an onlooker said: “He looked a shadow of his former, super-confident self — but there was no mistaking it was him.

“He was vaping and coughing and spluttering a bit, and didn’t look in the best shape. But he was lucky to be enjoying his freedom when most people think he should have been jailed for what he did.”

The disgraced star had been the corporation’s top-earning newsreader, earning between £475,000 and £479,999 in the year 2023/24 when he was arrested.

He continued to be paid by the BBC until he resigned five months later and it appears he hasn’t repaid the £200,000 he earned during that period as requested by the broadcaster.

BBC Chairman Samir Shah recently told Times Radio: “We’ve been asking him and asking him and asking him. We’re getting legal advice on it”, adding: “If Huw is listening, give it back. Just give it back”.

Edwards was estimated to be worth as much as £3.8 million at his peak, with lucrative book and documentary deals and gigs presenting top awards shows topping up his BBC salary.

As Judge Paul Goldspring told the celebrity at his sentencing: “It is not an exaggeration to say your long-earned reputation is in tatters.”

Speaking at the Royal Television Society (RTS) London conference the month the broadcaster was convicted, BBC director-general Tim Davie stated that he “can’t see” Edwards working for the corporation ever again.

The Dyson Airwrap i.d. Multi-Styler and Dryer is the latest version of the viral hair tool, and it’s currently on sale for 25% off on Amazon, saving customers a huge £120

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll have heard of the Dyson Airwrap. The viral hair styler was on nearly every Christmas wishlist last year. However, with a hefty price tag nearing £500, it’s safe to say that this product is an investment. But Amazon shoppers are in luck, as the latest model of the viral styler is now a whopping £120 off.

The Dyson Airwrap i.d. Multi-Styler and Dryer usually sells on Amazon for £479.99, but customers can currently grab one at a 25 per cent discount for £359.99, saving them £120. The new Airwrap i.d. is the latest version of the Dyson product, boasting several technological advancements to protect the hair while styling it effortlessly, reports the Daily Record.

With six different attachments, the heated gadget can style the hair in a variety of ways using just one device. The curling attachments claim to adapt heat, airflow and timings to the user’s hair type for faster and easier styling. It comes with a large volume-boosting brush that creates endless blow-out styles, as well as a smaller barrel for tighter curls and Bluetooth technology that connects to the Dyson App.

Its multidirectional barrel can also wave and curl in both directions for unlimited styling possibilities. Those browsing alternative hair stylers may opt for the original Dyson Airwrap Origin for £399.99 on Argos.

Beauty fans on a tighter budget may prefer the Shark FlexStyle 4-in-1 Multi-Styler and Hair Dryer for £199.99, also on Argos. However, customers are raving about the latest version of the Airwrap on Amazon, which has earned an impressive 4.3-star rating out of five.

One thrilled shopper said: “The Dyson Airwrap took me a little time to figure out (thank you, TikTok tutorials!), but once I got the hang of it, I was hooked. This tool gives me that voluminous, bouncy hair – think Farrah Fawcett vibes – that I could never quite achieve with traditional curlers or blow dryers.

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“I love that it comes with so many different attachments, giving you tons of styling options in one tool. I’ve definitely noticed that the smaller curler holds the curls much better than the larger one, especially if you want that all-day look.

“It’s definitely an investment, but one that’s 100 per cent worth it. I’ve cut down my hair routine by a solid 30 minutes, and my hair looks better than ever.”

Yet a less impressed shopper said: “Honestly, I am very disappointed. I purchased this on June 17th, and it’s now August 8, and it does not work!

“I will turn it on and it randomly shuts right off and then goes back on. It’s so annoying and I can’t do anything with it without shutting off. I paid so much for this to only work for a month.”

Katie Price’s former home, her Mucky Mansion, has finally been sold to a furniture tycoon for a hefty price tag – despite her claims that the property is ‘cursed’

Katie Price’s Mucky Mansion has finally been sold for a very large price. The home, which Katie purchased in 2014 for a whopping £2million, was her home until she was forced to leave it due to mounting debts, meaning she hadn’t been able to pay the mortgage on the property.

But while the house has sold, Katie won’t see a single penny from it due to the cash from the sale being used to clear her debts. And while Katie has said the house is “cursed” after suffering break-ins, reports of seeing ghosts and her pets dying at the property, that hasn’t put the new owner off.

Furniture tycoon and divorced dad-of-two James Mercer, 62, from Northern Ireland, bought the house in January, months after Price was evicted by bailiffs because she hadn’t been able to pay the mortgage.

READ MORE: Katie Price and Alex Reid’s brutal break-up as he wages war against ‘fame seeker’READ MORE: Katie Price reveals only man she’s ever truly loved – and it’s none of her husbands

According to reports, Mr Mercer is planning to have extensive work done on the home to make it fit for a person to live in. Mercer’s partner, Leike Qu, with whom he co-owns Mucky Mansion, has said they fell in love with the home that has been at the centre of a media storm for years.

“We are just very ordinary and quiet people who fell in love with this country house,” Ms Qu told The MailOnline. The couple, who spent £1million on the freehold, are also said to have put aside a huge sum of money in order to repair Mucky Mansion.

They paid less than the £1.35 million Mucky Mansion had been listed for. Katie was forced to slash the price after struggling to find a buyer due to the property’s state, which included the kitchen ceiling caving in. There had also been concerns that the land could have been contaminated with waste, while the water in the swimming pool had turned green.

Cleaners had been hauled in to clear huge piles of rubbish left behind before it was listed by local estate agents, HJ Burt. Shortly after leaving the home, Katie hit out and issued a warning to the new residents of the sprawling property.

She said: “I hate that house. Whoever buys it, I warn them, they will get bad luck there. It is absolutely cursed. My anxiety got worse with that house. There was a point when I couldn’t even walk up the driveway without having a panic attack. I had therapy about the house. I should never have gone back there. Now I’m out of it, it’s the best thing I’ve ever done.”

Price had also claimed the home was haunted by the spirit of a small child. The home, made up of nine bedrooms, three reception rooms, four bath/shower rooms and a one-bedroom annexe, also comes with expansive grounds and its own personal stables.

Her eldest daughter, Princess Andre, has also spoken of her time in the house and admitted she didn’t have too many positive memories from her time there. “It was a really scary house,” she commented.

The influencer continued: “A lot went on there. So I didn’t really like it. I guess when you have bad experiences somewhere, you don’t like the place.”

Mucky Mansion, which is near Horsham, West Sussex, became the subject of a Channel 4 documentary when Katie attempted to bring life back into the property for the last time. Bailiffs, though, reportedly turned up at the 11-bedroom property in June 2024 to take back the keys, around 10 years after the TV personality bought the large home.

The latest news comes after Katie came under fire after her ex-husband, Alex Reid, shared a video of her counting huge sums of cash, despite being declared bankrupt. In the video, believed to have been filmed in late 2020, she told her daughter Princess that she had extended her bankruptcy as Alex had demanded cash, before her daughter called him “irrelevant.”

Whether you’re short on storage room in a small flat or are moving into university halls, a foldable laundry basket can be a ‘ game-changer ‘ for saving space – and right now its on sale

With back-to-school and back-to-university shopping getting into full swing, there’s plenty of homeware buys you should be adding to your basket before term starts. Whether you’re moving into university accommodation or a house share with friends, having the storage space for all of your essentials can be difficult. That’s why a space-saving collapsible laundry basket may come in clutch for making laundry day easier, without taking up too much room.

This SAMMART 42L Collapsible Plastic Laundry Basket currently boasts an impressive 4.6 out of 5-star rating on Amazon from over 12.4k customers, and what’s more, it’s currently on sale with a nifty 32% off.

READ MORE: ‘ I wore these Skechers sandals every day on my holiday and they felt like walking on clouds ‘

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This foldable laundry basket boasts a massive 42L capacity and ample room for a week’s worth of washing. When expanded, it measures 58 x 44.6 x 27cm. When not in use, it collapses to a mere 7cm width, making it super easy to slide under or behind furniture so it’s out of the way and promising to save 70% more space.

This laundry basket features comfort grip handles for easy carrying, making it a must-have for halls when you have to trek to a laundry room, which may be some distance from your flat.

Plus, the collapsible basket is totally user-friendly, as it features a simple pop-up design to open, so you can seamlessly prepare your laundry basket without faffing with clasps or difficult mechanisms. And then, you can conveniently collapse the basket to its flat design when you’re done, ensuring you’re saving as much space as possible.

Perfect for everything from bedding to towels to clothes, this basket is sure to be a lifesaver for any living accommodation where saving space is of the utmost importance. What’s more, it comes in a whopping 18 colours to choose from, ensuring your new basket matches any aesthetic.

Normally costing an affordable £21.50, this laundry basket is now available for £14.68. However, this specific discount applies to the grey and white colourway, and prices may vary depending on the shade you choose.

If you’re happy switching to a smaller size, Lakeland has this 37L Collapsible Hipster Laundry Basket for £19.99, while Dunelm is offering this Collapsible Hip Laundry Basket for £12.

Out of the thousands of 5-star reviews, plenty of shoppers have been quick to sing the praises of this Amazon laundry basket. One thrilled customer shares: “I’ve been using the SAMMART 42L Collapsible Laundry Basket for a few weeks now, and it’s honestly a game changer for saving space. It’s lightweight, pops up easily when I need it, and folds down flat when I don’t — perfect for small homes. The handles are sturdy enough for a full load of laundry”.

They do share one gripe with the basket, writing: “Only thing to note: it’s not as rigid as a traditional basket when it’s fully loaded, but that’s the trade-off for the collapsibility. Overall, super handy and the white/grey color looks nice and clean too”!

Another buyer beams: “Love this as takes up so much less room than our last non-collapsable basket. Was a little stiff to use at first but easy now”.