Category Entertainment News

Highly regarded television presenter Fern Britton has opened up on her decision to leave This Morning in 2009 after spending an impressive 16 years working on the ITV show

Fern Britton has discussed her decision to leave the popular ITV show This Morning in 2009, after years as a presenter on the programme.

The 67-year-old began her broadcasting career as a newsreader on local radio stations, gradually working her way up to become the BBC’s youngest national news presenter on Breakfast Time. She later took on various roles before joining GMTV as a presenter in 1993.

That same year, she started guest presenting on ITV’s This Morning, and by 1999, she had landed a permanent role on the show, co-presenting the Friday slot alongside John Leslie.

Her role on the show became even more regular in 2002, when she began presenting alongside Phillip Schofield.

However, seven years later, Fern decided to leave the programme, sparking rumours about the reasons behind her departure. There were widespread reports of a fallout with co-host Phillip, which he later commented on in his memoir, stating that their relationship “turned sour”.

Fern has also previously mentioned to Good Housekeeping that they are no longer friends, saying “we don’t really (speak anymore)”.

In a recent interview on the Spooning with Mark Wogan podcast, Fern sought to provide some clarity on the situation. Revealing the key reason for her decision to step away from the show, she said: “Well, it’s 17 years ago, it’s a long time. And I haven’t really thought about that for a long time. I had a fantastic 10 years and I loved it.”

She continued: “But then after a bit, I needed to be back home again, as lots of things were going on. But the boys were about to do their A Levels, going into the two years of that, and the girls as well were leaving little school to go up. I was needed at home, and they needed to come home and know there was chicken in the oven.”

Since her departure from the show in 2009, Fern has been a constant figure on television, participating in some of the nation’s favourite reality TV programmes, including a stint on Strictly Come Dancing in 2012 where she was the fifth star to be voted off.

Last year, Fern took part in ITV’s Celebrity Big Brother, where she reached the final, ultimately losing out to David Potts who took home the crown.

However, fans can look forward to her return to television in the near future with her very own series, Fern Britton: Inside the Vet’s.

The six-part series will follow Fern alongside TV vet James Greenwood as they delve into the daily workings of veterinary life, covering everything from vaccinations and sprays to dentistry and surgeries.

Not sure what to get him – and fast? We’ve got you covered…

Hands up if you’ve still got a gift to buy! Us too… And with Father’s Day now just around the corner, you certainly won’t be alone in wondering what to get your dad this weekend. Well don’t panic, there’s still time to choose the perfect present. And we’re here to help, having hand picked some of this year’s best booze and food gifts. Many available with next day delivery – and some you can even pick up on the high street. Happy shopping!

Best for… WHISKY

Torabhaig Legacy Series Ch.4 : Sound of Sleat, £58.00

An absolutely delicious single malt which takes its name from a narrow, powerful strip of sea dividing Skye and the mainland and offers a rich and fresh combination of orange, apricot, seaweed, bonfire smoke, honey and sea salt.

Best for… CAKE

M&S You’re My Hero Mini Colin The Caterpillars, £3.90

Who doesn’t love a Colin? It’s impossible. And for Father’s Day these mini Colins have had a cute little makeover, now reading You’re My Hero. The perfect budget gift.

Best for… SMALL WINE CASE

Virgin Wines Best Sellers Red Wine Trio in Wooden Gift Box, £39.99

For the red wine loving dad, what could be better than a pick and mix of them? Packaged in a lovely wooden case, this set features three of Virgin Wines top sellers – a French Malbec, a Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon and a Spanish Tempranillo Syrah. Delicious.

Best for… CHOCOLATE

Cadbury Dairy Milk Biscoff Bar, £2

Milk chocolate – check. Biscoff – check. The ultimate mashup awaits, and it’s a mouthwatering delight. The only issue will be handing it over to your dad on Sunday.

Best for… LARGE WINE CASE

Moonpig x Virgin Wines Epitome of Luxury 12 Bottle Case with Champagne, £179.99

He’ll be spoilt for choice with this 12-bottle gift. It contains whites, reds and a Champagne from Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, France and Chile. Highlights include The Black Pig The Prize Shiraz and Louis Moreau Chablis.

Best for… CHAMPAGNE

Aldi Veuve Monsigny Champagne Brut, £14.95

Yes you read that right – a Champagne for less than £15. Run, don’t walk, to snap one up at your local Aldi store. It was recently crowned World’s Best Champagne at the prestigious World Champagne Awards 2025 – outshining luxury rivals.

Best for… CLARKSON’S FARM FANS

Hawkstone Premium Lager (four pack), £7.95

If he’s been following the shenanigans down on Diddly Squat Farm, a four pack of Jezza’s lager is sure to go down a treat. The TV farmer describes his ‘hard to make, easy to drink’ beer as bold, yet balanced, with a smooth body and top notes of light citrus complemented by a subtle, crisp bitterness and malty backbone.

Best for… FUDGE

Fudge Kitchen Best Dad Fudge, £11.99

If it’s fudge that takes your dad’s fancy, this cute selection box of assorted flavours will make the perfect gift. And, the fudge is all handmade in the UK.

Best for… CHEESE

Snowdonia Cheese Co Quintessential Cheese Hamper, £45

Featuring some of the brand’s bestselling cheeses, chutneys and crackers, this has all he needs to curate a great cheese board. Inside the pretty hamper, you’ll find Black Bomber Extra Mature Cheddar and Vintage Red Leicester, alongside Balsamic Caramelised Onion Chutney and more.

Best for… KEEP-FOREVER PACKAGING

Cotswold Distillery Hearts and Crafts Calvados Single Malt Whisky, £100

If like many dads he collects whisky bottles and their boxes (sound familiar) then, well, boxes don’t come more aesthetically pleasing. The whisky inside is delicious too – made in the Cotswolds and with notes of stewed apple and toffee pudding.

Romeo Beckham took to his Instagram page to share a sweet black-and-white photo of himself dancing with younger sister Harper amid the ongoing Beckham family feud

Romeo Beckham ignored the family drama by taking to his Instagram page to share his love for his sister Harper. While the Beckham family take over the headlines for their feud with Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz, Romeo took a moment to share his appreciation for the youngest Beckham, Harper.

The 22-year-old recently called time on his relationship with Kim Turnbull, who was reportedly a big reason for the feud. Brooklyn was reportedly ‘uneasy’ about Romeo dating Kim, who was once close friends with the hot sauce enthusiast, and felt his parents were ‘favouring’ his younger brother, who was seen beaming in snaps from David Beckham’s 50th birthday.

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On Thursday, Romeo focused on his family as he shared a black-and-white photo of him and Harper dancing at a lavish event. Romeo smiled at the camera while Harper smiled at her brother with her eyes closed.

Fans were loving the sibling snap and rushed to the comment section to compliment them, with one user writing: “Family is everything, older brother looking after his baby sister!”

“Still the sweet child she’s always been, yet growing into a young lady with quiet grace and effortless style! Harper Seven – luminous!” said another about Harper.

One commented: “You’re so incredibly lucky to have each other,” and another user posted: “Harper so blessed to have a brother like you.”

Meanwhile, an insider recently claimed things remain ‘amicable’ between Romeo and Kim Turnbull, and insisted that their split had nothing to do with the bitter Beckham feud.

Brooklyn is said to have felt Kim’s reasons for dating his brother were ‘disingenuous’ amid rumours he used to date the DJ. However, in a now deleted Instagram post Cruz Beckham denied Brooklyn was ever in a relationship with Kim.

Speaking to the Mail about Romeo’s split with the DJ, who the model once referred to his as his “world”, a source said: “Romeo and Kim are both young and they had a lovely time together but at that age things don’t always last forever and they decided to split up.

“They have been friendly since and have even been at the same venues. It’s a huge shame, particularly as David and Victoria really adored her and thought she made Romeo happy but it wasn’t to be.

“David and Victoria would hate for the view to be that they split because of Nicola and Brooklyn because that simply isn’t the case.”

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With the heatwave on its way next week, Dunelm has discounted the price of its highly-rated temperature-regulating duvet just in time

If you haven’t heard already, there’s an apparent heatwave on the way next week and with temperatures potentially up to 29 degrees, it’s the perfect time to invest in some cooling bedding.

Let’s face it, there’s nothing worse than tossing and turning all night in some overheated bed sheets. And if, like me, you live on a noisy street and prefer to keep the window shut, a temperature-regulating duvet is calling your name.

Luckily, Dunelm must’ve heard the news about the rising temperatures, and have slashed 20% off its Fogarty Temperature Regulating Wool All Seasons Duvet. This means the kingsize duvet is now £64 discounted from £80 – a £16 saving.

Filled with 100% pure New Zealand wool and wrapped in soft, breathable cotton, this clever duvet is designed to keep you cool when it’s hot and cosy when the temperature drops, making it ideal for both heatwaves and winter chills.This means you get the most bang for your buck with a duvet that works year round.

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The cotton is both unbleached and undyed, which not only means the fibres maintain their natural softness, but is also greener as less energy, water and chemicals were required to produce the duvet. A win for you and a win for the planet.

With almost 90% of reviews boasting 5-stars, it’s clear to see this duvet is popular among shoppers. One happy customer wrote: “This is an excellent duvet. It has a good weight, doesn’t move on the bed, and it responds to different temperatures and it certainly adjusted because our sleeping temperature was perfect. It lies very flat and neat on the bed and we are very pleased with it”.

A second added: “I was suffering with hot flushes being of a certain age and this duvet has helped 100%! I was recommended this product and I so the same.” One shopper, however, noted that although this duvet is great for keeping cool in warmer weather, it’s not great for the opposite as advertised. They wrote: “While I am cooler in bed with this duvet than with a conventional duvet on warmer nights, it does not keep me warm enough during colder nights.”

Singer Dua Lipa has finally confirmed she and her beau Callum Turner are engaged after months of speculation, as she made rare comments about their romance.

The Levitating singer’s fans spotted she was wearing a diamond ring on her wedding finger in an Instagram post on Christmas Eve and the 29 year old has now confirmed the 35 year old actor popped the question with a custom piece of jewellery he had made with the advice of her sister Rina and her best friends.

Dua told the new issue of Britain’s Vogue magazine: “Yeah, we’re engaged. It’s very exciting.” Of her ring, she added: “I’m obsessed with it. It’s so me. It’s nice to know the person that you’re going to spend the rest of your life with knows you very well.”

However, the couple – who began dating in January 2024 – have yet to set a wedding date because of their busy work schedules. As she made rare comments about her romance, Dua said: “I want to finish my tour, Callum’s shooting, so we’re just enjoying this period.

“I’ve never been someone who’s really thought about a wedding, or dreamt about what kind of bride I would be.

“All of a sudden I’m like: ‘Oh, what would I wear?’” Although Dua has seen people get engaged in the past, she had “never really understood the weight of it” but now she thinks committing to another person is “special”.

She said: “This decision to grow old together, to see a life and just, I don’t know, be best friends forever – it’s a really special feeling.”

The Dance the Night Away hitmaker is keen to have a family of her own but admitted she doesn’t know when would be a “good time” because of the demands of her pop career.

She said: “I’d love to have kids one day. But it’s like the constant question of when would there ever be a good time – how it would fit in with my job and how it would work if I went on tour, and how much time out I’d have to take.

“I think it’s just one of those things that’s going to happen when it happens. I love kids, but I think there’s so much more to raising a child than just loving children.”

Dua and Callum had “many Sliding Doors moments”, where they were in the same place at the same time without realising, before being introduced to one another at the River Cafe in London.

A year later, she was having dinner in Los Angeles with her friend Mustafa the Poet when “all of a sudden” Callum appeared. She thought: “Oh, it’s that really hot guy from The River Cafe.”

During their conversation, the pair realised they both “just happened to be reading” Hernan Diaz’s novel Trust. The couple began dating in January 2024 before going Instagram official later that year with sweet snaps of themselves at Glastonbury Festival.

Asked if she feels they were destined to be together, she replied: “One thousand per cent.”

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David Beckham, who has been tipped for a long-awaited knighthood in King Charles’ upcoming birthday Honours list, is rubbing shoulders with celebrities and the royals today

Smiling David Beckham looks all set for his upcoming knighthood as the football star has been snapped attending a Royal event today, hosted by King Charles himself.

David, 50, has today been snapped attending the King’s Foundation Awards ceremony at St James’ Palace in London – ahead of the official announcement of his long-awaited knighthood. The hunky football star looked dapper in a navy blue double breasted blazer, striped blue shirt and a grey tie.

The football star, who received an OBE for his services to football in 2003, sported an OBE badge in his lapel and a silk pocket square in his jacket pocket. David, who’s knighthood hangs in the balance over a gaffe, smiled widely as he stood next to Kate Winslet and Meryl Streep, who were also in attendance at the event today.

READ MORE: Brooklyn Beckham’s brothers band together with eye-opening posts after he ‘cuts ties’

The trio were also seen posing with Alan Titchmarsh and Penny Lancaster as they stood in a regal red and gold decorated room inside St James’ Palace. Also in attendance was King Charles himself, who sported a dapper navy blue tuxedo along with grey pin stripped trousers and a grey patterned tie.

The King’s Foundation Awards celebrates the work of students, graduates, teachers, partners and collaborators associated with the charity, which aims to build sustainable communities and transform lives across the world. Today’s event comes just before the King’s Birthday Honours list is set to be shared, in which David is expected to be receiving a knighthood.

The long-awaited title will make David and Sir and his wife, Victoria Beckham, a Lady. The upcoming announcement comes at a turbulent time for the head of the Beckham clan as it’s been reported the couple are facing a heartache over their eldest son Brooklyn.

It has been claimed the 26 year old, who is married to Nicola Peltz Beckham, is embroiled in a feud in the Beckham family. Brooklyn was noticibly missing from his mum and dad’s birthday celebrations this year and failed to post his usual gushing tributes to mark their birthdays on social media, while his brothers Romeo and Cruz shared sweet messages online.

Then, in a joint interview with his wife Nicola, 30, Brooklyn distanced himself from his parents over his hot sauce brand C23. When a customer queried the brand’s name on the official website, a member of Brooklyn’s team explained, “The 23 included in our brand is a warm nod to Brooklyn’s father, David Beckham, who wore number 23 while playing for Real Madrid and LA Galaxy, inspired by NBA legend Michael Jordan.”

But during a recent interview, Brooklyn insisted that there’s no connection between the moniker of his sauce line, Cloud23, and his illustrious father. He told Glamour Germany in April: “The 23 stands for our engagement date and my age back then.” There was no reference to his father David during the conversation, who is also conspicuously absent from the Cloud23 website.

And it was later reported Brooklyn told his parents he ‘wants no contact’ with them. Sources close to Brooklyn, 26, 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 honor being bestowed on Brooklyn’s father.”

Meanwhile, Brooklyn’s brothers Romeo and Cruz have shared cryptic posts appearing to reference the feud in their brood. In a poetic upload, Romeo shared: “Life is short. Time is fast. No replays. So love and enjoy every moment as it comes.” Younger brother Cruz appeared to be in a similar mood and shared a number of song choices. Taking to his own Stories on the platform, Cruz posted snaps of The Beach Boys tune Sloop John B, while also uploading the track Family Affair by Sly & The Family Stone.

And Cruz had earlier posted an old image of his family, showing himself, Brooklyn, their siblings and mum Victoria Beckham in years gone by. However, Brooklyn offered a cryptic post of his own, sharing a photo of himself with his back turned to the camera.