Ruth Langsford shares ‘uncomfortable’ morning with ‘potentially life-saving’ test

The NHS routinely encourages women in the UK aged between 50 and 71 to undergo these screenings every three years

Ruth Langsford went for a vital check-up yesterday(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images for Wicked London Production Ltd)

Ruth Langsford has expressed her gratitude to the NHS after undergoing an ‘uncomfortable’ but ‘potentially life-saving’ check-up. The Loose Women star, 65, shared her thoughts on an Instagram Story yesterday morning, following her screening at the Surrey-based centre.

“This is where I started my day,” Ruth said, captioning a picture of the Jarvis Breast Screening Centre in Guildford, Surrey. “A bit uncomfortable but potentially life-saving. Thank you for a very quick, efficient service @NHSEngland.”

Women in the UK aged between 50 and 71 are routinely encouraged to undergo breast cancer screenings every three years through the NHS. While trans men, trans women, and non-binary people may also be contacted automatically for screenings, some might need to speak with a GP initially.

Ruth Langsford attends the
Ruth Langsford has expressed her gratitude to the NHS on social media(Image: Getty Images)

During a routine examination, a female specialist generally performs four breast X-rays, also called mammograms. These scans only take a few minutes, so a whole appointment usually lasts around half an hour.

Current guidance from the NHS adds: “Any discomfort or pain you may have during a mammogram should go away very soon. If you found the mammogram very painful you may have pain for a couple of days. See a GP if the pain does not go away after a couple of days.”

It remains uncertain whether Ruth’s screening was part of a routine check-up. Nonetheless, her health update arrives just a month after she publicly opened up about her mother’s struggle with dementia. Joan is fighting Alzheimer’s disease – the same illness that claimed Ruth’s father’s life 13 years ago.

The 94-year-old is currently experiencing a range of severe symptoms, including memory loss, and Ruth cares for her constantly. She now resides in a care home near Ruth’s house in Surrey.

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According to a previous Mirror report, Ruth said in August: “She wouldn’t remember what she’s had for her lunch or breakfast, and if I go and see her, when I leave, if you said to her was Ruth here today, she’d say no. But in the moment, she still knows it’s me – as soon as she sees me, she says ‘Oh, what a lovely surprise!’ like she hasn’t seen me for months.

“It’s very difficult, but I’m much more well-versed in this with my mum, because of my dad. We as a family had no idea about Alzheimer’s or dementia when he got it, and we were a bit lost. I learned a lot of lessons with my dad.”

Amidst this, Ruth confessed that she experiences moments of fear whenever she has a memory lapse, wondering whether she might be developing the condition herself.

 Ruth Langsford attends the opening night for the new company of
Ruth’s health update comes less than a month after she publicly opened up about her mother’s struggle with dementia(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images for Wicked London Production Ltd)

However, she has no plans to undergo testing to determine her risk of getting dementia, revealing: “Every time I forget something, those blank moments where you go ‘I’ve totally forgotten that person’s name, and I work with them every day’, I can feel that panic.

“And sometimes I look back and think, I was tired that day, but when you’ve had both parents with dementia of course it’s on my mind, and I know there are tests you can do that can say if you’re more susceptible, but I actually don’t want to know.

“That might sound a bit childlike, but as there’s no cure for it, and I know what it involves, I don’t want to know. I just want to live my life. If I get it, I get it. I hope not.”

What happens after a routine breast cancer screening?

Letters containing the results are usually received within two weeks of the examination. If it takes longer, it does not mean something is wrong, but you can call your local screening service to check for any updates.

If you exhibit no signs of breast cancer, you will not require any further tests and will be invited back in three years. However, in some cases, a specialist might decide that additional examinations are needed.

Usually, this can encompass any of the following:

  • Further mammograms
  • Ultrasounds of a breast/breasts
  • Another examination of a breast/breasts
  • Taking a biopsy (small sample) from the breast using a needle

Guidance from NHS England also explains: “For every 100 people who have breast screening, four will need further tests. This does not necessarily mean you have breast cancer. Most people who need further tests do not have breast cancer.

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“You will be invited for a breast assessment appointment. If you’re worried or have any questions, you can speak to a breast screening nurse over the phone before your appointment. Your invitation for further tests will tell you how to contact them.

“…The specialist team will tell you when and how you will get your results, depending on which tests were done.”

Paula Shaw dead: Dolly Parton co-star and Hallmark movie actress dies aged 84

Legendary actress Paula Shaw, who secured her place in horror film folklore by stepping into the role of Pamela Vorhees, Jason’s mother, in Freddy vs. Jason after replacing Betsy Palmer, has died at the age of 84.

The beloved star died peacefully in her sleep at her Vancouver home following a lengthy battle with illness. Her death was announced on the website for her acting workshops, The Max with Paula Shaw.

“It is with heavy hearts that we announce Paula passed away peacefully on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025 morning at 9:00 am. Paula touched countless lives through The MAX, the Mastery, and her transformational work,” the statement began.






Andie McDowell and Paula Shaw sit at a restaurant table in a scene from Cedar Cove


Paula Shaw played Andie Mcdowell’s mother in the series Cedar Cove on Hallmark
(
Hallmark)

“Her legacy lives on in the communities she created and the lives she changed.”, reports the Express. Shaw was also celebrated for her appearances in numerous Hallmark festive films.

Her Hallmark colleague Julie Sherman Wolfe shared a heartfelt tribute on Instagram after learning of the tragic news. “So sad to hear about Paula Shaw’s passing. We often chatted on Facetime after she filmed Hanukkah on Rye, mostly about our shared heritage (and trying to figure out if we were related! ) We never found out, but it didn’t matter. She will always be one of my honorary bubbies,” she wrote.

Devastated fans quickly flooded social media with touching tributes as word of her death spread. “I just found out that Paula Shaw has passed. Few days ago I believe. Im SO sad…I absolutely loved her in all her movies,” one wrote.

“This is so sad. Paula was a great actress. Picture a Perfect Christmas was one of the best. May she rest in peace,” another added. “I loved her in all the Hallmark movies she played in, what a loss to Hallmark. Prayers to her entire family and may she rest in peace,” one fan wrote.

“Aww, I’m so sorry to hear this. She was so loved in all her movies. Prayers for the family and all friendsm” another shared. “Absolutely loved her in anything she was in. A great actress. Drama. Comedy. She was great at it all. Will sadly miss her and please replay all her movies. Rest in peace Paula. What a gem! Condolences to her family,” a third fan expressed.






Paula Shaw as Pamela Vorhees in Freddy vs Jason


Paula Shaw played Pamela Vorhees in Freddy vs Jason in 2003
(
Warner Bros)

Meanwhile, another said: “Awww so sad. May she Rest In Peace. Loved her in all the movies she was in. She was a classic lady.”

Throughout her six-decade career as a member of the legendary Actor’s Studio, she had many memorable roles. On TV in the 1970s, she appeared on shows including The Bob Newhart Show, Starsky & Hutch, Barney Miller, Three’s Company, Lou Grant and Ironside.

Decades later, she would have roles in shows such as 21 Jump Street, The X-Files, The Commish, Terminal City, Supernatural and Van Helsing.

In 1982, she starred opposite Dolly Parton and Burt Reynolds playing Wulla Jean, the original owner of the Chicken Ranch, in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

She also played a coroner in Christopher Nolan’s Insomnia in 2002 opposite Al Pacino. A year later, she landed the role that turned her into a horror icon when she played Jason’s mother Pamela Voorhees in Freddy vs Jason.

On the Hallmark channel, she took on the role of Charlotte Jeffers, playing the mother to Andie MacDowell’s character in the first season of Cedar Cove back in 2013. She then became a familiar face in many of the channel’s beloved holiday films, featuring in Hanukkah on Rye, Hitched for the Holidays, Picture a Perfect Christmas, A Mrs. Miracle Christmas and Round and Round.

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

Bake Off winner John Whaite announces he’s quitting OnlyFans as he shares reason

The Great British Bake Off winner John Whaite, who is also known for competing on Strictly Come Dancing, has announced that he’s quitting OnlyFans after first joining it in 2022

Bake Off winner John Whaite has announced that he’s leaving OnlyFans(Image: Getty Images)

Former Strictly Come Dancing star John Whaite has announced that he’s quitting OnlyFans. He shared the news with fans this week and told them that he now feels a “true sense of purpose” for the first time in more than a decade.

John, now 36, who rose to fame on the Great British Bake Off, which he won in 2012, joined the adult subscription platform in 2022. After taking a break the following year, it was revealed earlier this year that he had rejoined OnlyFans and was offering content under the name Johnny Boy.

The baker has now announced that he is leaving OnlyFans. Sharing the news on Instagram yesterday, John said in a post that his baked goods store Ruff Puff Bakehouse, which opened in July, and his brownies brand Ruff Puff Brownies have reminded him of a “talent” that he has “neglected”.

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John Whaite, in a black top, and his dog Abel lying on a sofa together in a selfie.
John Whaite announced yesterday that he’s leaving OnlyFans as he focuses on his baked goods store and brownies brand(Image: John Whaite/Instagram)
John Whaite, in a white top, dark jacket and blue trousers, holding the Great British Bake Off trophy in the show's tent.
He told fans that he now feels a ‘true sense of purpose’ for the first time since he competed on the Great British Bake Off in 2012(Image: Amanda Searle/Love Productions/BBC/PA Wire)

Alongside a selfie of himself beside his dog Abel, he wrote: “I’m leaving OnlyFans. Life has shifted in a way I couldn’t have predicted – Ruff Puff Bakehouse and Ruff Puff Brownies have taken up so much of my time, but in the best possible way.”

John continued: “They’ve reminded me of a talent I’d neglected, and given me a new respect for the craft that first set me on this path all those years ago. Working side by side with the team, creating something real and lasting, has shown me that my value isn’t in muscles or body image – it’s in building, baking, and sharing.”

He added in the message yesterday: “For the first time since Bake Off 13 years ago, I feel a true sense of purpose again. This isn’t the end of something, it’s the start of a new chapter – one rooted in passion, creativity, and community. And I couldn’t be more ready.”

His post concluded: “To all the OnlyFans fans and peers – thank you for the support along the way. I wish you all well and much success. I’m not Jonny Boy, I’m just John, and I’m putting one foot in front of the other just like the rest of the world.”

John Whaite, shirtless and in a pair of blue shorts, taking a selfie in a bathroom mirror.
John thanked fans for their support through his experience on OnlyFans(Image: john_whaite /Instagram)

He was met with support on Instagram following the news, with the post having amassed almost 10,000 likes. One fan reacted: “Wishing you every success John.” Another wrote in the comments section: “All the best to you, John.”

A third said: “You do whatever is best for you and your true fans will support you! Someday I’ll get over there and get to your bakehouse.” Another fan wrote: “You have to do what makes you happy. You are a brilliant bake and having met you a genuinely lovely person. Every success to you.”

John rose to fame on the third series of Bake Off in 2012, which he went on to win. He later worked on Steph’s Packed Lunch and competed on Strictly in 2021, placing as runner-up with dance partner Johannes Radebe in the final.

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It has previously been claimed by John that he once earned more in one month through OnlyFans that he did for taking part in Strictly. He’s also previously said that his use of the platform had affected his relationships with some brands.

Shirley Ballas, 65, rejected by dating app after swearing off toyboys

Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas has claimed a celebrity dating app has rejected her approach to find love following her split from her younger fiance

Shirley Ballas says she has been rejected from Raya(Image: BBC)

Shirley Ballas has claimed she has been “rudely” rejected from celebrity dating app Raya. The Strictly Come Dancing star, 65, said she was back on the dating scene following her shock split from fiance Danny Taylor, 53.

However, she says the popular site has declined her efforts to find love with a fellow star on the app. And she has called the rejection “rude”.

While she admits she is not in a hurry to start dating, she remains disgruntled at apparently being turned away from using the service. “I tried Raya, but they wouldn’t accept me, how rude,” she said.

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Shirley Ballas
Shirley Ballas is back in the dating world(Image: BBC)

Speaking to Daily Mail, the star added: “I’m not in an hurry to date, though. I’ve got my son, my grandson and Strictly is about to start.”

Her rejection comes as Cold Feet and Corrie star John Thomson admitted he had been placed on a waiting list for the app. “Raya won’t have me,” he said. “I’m on a waiting list. I’ve got 15 referrals and they still won’t have me.”

The Mirror has approached Raya for comment.

Shirley recently opened up to the Mirror about the end of her relationship with Danny. The duo had met while doing panto together in 2018. At the time, the TV star had been single for four and a half years and was playing Mother Nature. Danny was evil Fleshcreep in the Jack And The Beanstalk production in Liverpool.

Now, Shirley admits she quickly fell head over heels for Danny and the duo later got engaged in 2021, buying their wedding rings in the months that followed. Speaking ahead of the release of her incredible new memoir, Best Foot Forward, Shirley said: “There was no question about how much I loved that man.

“And he came into my life at a point when I really, really needed it and he was such a caring person. But what’s the nicest way to say this? Along the line, there were red flags that I chose to ignore, but it just got to a point where the relationship was becoming too difficult for me in many ways.”

She labelled Danny a “drifter by nature”. Shirley claimed that if there was ever an argument, he would go days without talking.

And she admitted she thinks her “toyboy days are behind me”. “I reckon anything from 55 to 70 if they’re fit.”

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Shirley and Danny’s relationship came after the star had married twice before. She tied the knot with her dance partner Sammy Stopford in 1980. However, the pair divorced after four years.

Then there was a fiery marriage to another dancer Corky Ballas with whom she has a son, Mark.

Denise Welch praises £25 neck serum for ‘less wrinkling’ after just two weeks

Loose Women panelling Denise Welch has been using this popular neck serum in an attempt to combat ‘turkey neck’ – and the results are smoother skin after two weeks

Denise Welch has been using this neck serum for two weeks(Image: BOOST LAB)

The neck is often an area that shows showing of skin ageing the most – including sagging skin, crepey lines and sun damage – but, often overlooked, it can also be one of the trickiest parts to treat. Denise Welch, however, has been impressed with one solution after trialling it for two weeks: BOOST LAB’s £24.95 Edelweiss Neck Firming Serum.

In video clips provided by the brand, the Loose Women star starts by joking about how “people at home must get a regular reminder to get their turkeys ordered for Christmas” when watching her on TV, referring to the term ‘turkey neck’, often used to refer to loose, sagging skin under the chin. Calling this part of her body “wrinkly and dry” and “like crepe paper”, Denise says she’ll now try this BOOST LAB serum, which comes highly recommended, including by other celebs such as Lisa Snowdon.

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BOOST Lab's Edelweiss Neck Firming Serum
This neck serum is proving to be super popular(Image: BOOST Lab)

Checking back in after using the serum twice a day for seven days, Denise starts by saying that at her age (67) she doesn’t expect miracles from a product, but her skin now feels “really lovely to the touch”, and looks slightly smoother.

BOOST LAB says that this product should be used consistently for two weeks though before noting any results, so Denise checks back in after another week of using it.

“Like I said before, I’m not looking for miracles, I’m looking for subtle improvements, and I’ve got them,” she says. “There’s less wrinkling, [my neck] is smoother and not making as many funny shapes, and it feels gorgeous and soft.

“I was looking in the mirror showing a friend and I thought, my God, I can see a difference – and I am very excited about it,” she adds, ending by saying that for £25, she thinks it’s worth it.

Denise Welch before and after selfies
Denise reported ‘less wrinkling’ after using this serum for two weeks(Image: BOOST LAB)

This key ingredient in this effective, cruelty-free serum – which is Australia’s number one selling neck serum and has over 3,000 five-star reviews online– is edelweiss extract, which helps to boost collagen production, resulting in smoother, firmer, younger looking skin.

This Morning presenter Lisa Snowdon has also trialled it, writing on an Instagram post: “I have to say I’ve been super impressed [by this BOOST Lab neck serum]! It’s lovely to use, easily absorbed and over the two week trial I’ve noticed a smoother, more toned neck and dec.”

Our beauty editor Laura Mulley has given it a go too, and says,”You have to be realistic; a £25 topical product with no prescription-level active ingredients isn’t going to lift sagging jowls, chisel you out a new jawline or erase deep necklace lines – for this you need, at the very least, professional aesthetic treatments, and maybe even surgery.

“But what I felt that this serum did do, however, is improve the quality of the skin on my neck – I’d felt that it was becoming quite dry, rough and crepey, and after three weeks of using Edelweiss Neck Firming Serum, it felt smoother, softer and stronger.”

Another highly rated neck cream is PRAI Ageless Throat & Décolletage Crème, £32, which is the bestselling neck cream at both Boots and M&S.

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And another with impressive before and after results is Trinny London’s The Elevator, £68, with 90% of testers reporting a visible improvement in jawline definition after 12 weeks.

Rochelle Humes devastated to learn daughter, 12, is being bullied at school

This Morning host Rochelle Humes has shared her pain as she revealed her eldest daughter Alaia-May is being bullied at school and admitted it has made her a ‘lioness’

Rochelle Humes and Marvin Humes with their three children: daughters Alaia-Mai (born 2013), Valentina (born 2017), and son Blake (born 2020)
Rochelle Humes shares her three children with husband Marvin(Image: Instagram)

Rochelle Humes has heartbreakingly revealed her 12-year-old daughter is being bullied at school. The This Morning presenter, 36, has candidly opened up on her family struggles as she comes to terms with what her daughter Alaia-May is dealing with.

She regularly shares positive updates on family life with JLS singer husband Marvin Humes and their three children. Yet, in her latest update Rochelle shared a sad struggle the family are facing.

“It’s an awful thing,” Rochelle said. “My eldest is 12 – it’s that tricky age when she’s going into the second year of secondary school and I’ve really noticed the dynamics and the changes and how girls are to each other and I go, ‘Oh, my God, if I could shield her from anything in life’.

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Alaia-May has been struggling at school(Image: Instagram/rochellehumes)
Rochelle Humes and Marvin Humes with their three children: daughters Alaia-Mai (born 2013), Valentina (born 2017), and son Blake (born 2020)
Rochelle said it has made her feel like a lioness

“It brings out this lioness in you.” While on her Ladies Who Launch podcast, she added: “I wasn’t a victim of bullying, but my daughter is definitely going through a touch of that at the minute and it’s so difficult and so hard to watch, but also knowing how to parent through it.”

She is also a proud mum to daughter Valentina, eight, and son Blake, four. Over the summer, Rochelle got caught up in rumours of a fallout with her Loose Women co-star Myleene Klass with a cryptic post.

The TV star had holidayed with Myleene’s ex husband, Graham Quinn. In her Instagram upload at the time, Rochelle said: “72 hours in Ibiza..sun, sea, belly laughing, questionable dance moves and spicy margs that tasted better than our decisions.

“Our annual non negotiable child free trip with old friends who remind you who you are. Sore heads all round today but ironically my battery feels recharged! Just what I needed, Happy 13 my love @marvinhumes what a way to celebrate.”

(Image: Instagram)

Frankie took to TikTok in the same week to reveal her grudge with an unknown person. Sipping on a glass of wine, Frankie hit out: “You’re so quiet… Thanks, you said something five years ago and I’ve just realised you’re actually dead to me.”

The posts came after Myleene accused her ex of cheating on her with another female celebrity. And she doubled down on her claim, insisting: “I have the receipts.”

Following an interview with Paul C Brunson, Myleene told her Instagram followers that she had “found my voice and it’s clear, unapologetic and brutally honest”.

She had opened up on the podcast chat about an alleged moment in which she she caught her ex-husband Graham cheating on her with a fellow celebrity during her own birthday party.

Speaking on the We Need To Talk podcast, she alleged: “I walked in on him with a famous person on my birthday on a balcony,” Myleene revealed. “I’m in my house, it’s my party. They weren’t having sex, but they were unzipping each other.”

In response to the betrayal, Myleene said, “I kicked everybody out of the party – including his mum and dad.” The celebrity involved wasn’t identified by Myleene, yet she mentioned that this woman was known for cultivating “a family brand.”

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