Category Entertainment News

Former Coronation Street star Wendi Peters lives a very different life after shooting to fame as the iconic Cilla Battersby-Brown.

Swapping the cobbles for the theatre stages, Wendi is currently starring as Florence Foster Jenkins in the production of Glorious, a musical playing now at the Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester. The show tells the story of an American socialite based in the 1940s who drew a devoted crowd from her opera performances despite her awful singing.

Now an established musical theatre star, Wendi’s role in Glorious follows her tour with last years Sister Act: The Musical.

Looking unrecognisable from her flame-haired and pink-lipped Corrie character, Wendi has teased that she is not opposed to returning to the soap.

In 2023, Wendi went through another major life change as she split with husband Kenny Linden after 30 years of marriage. A year later Wendi went revealed her new relationship with Gareth Wale, a carpet fitter.

Wendi and Kenny share daughter Gracie. On her journey with IVF, Peters shared the parents had looked into adoption after having Gracie as “it took seven attempts to have her. Then we had two more attempts after her to have another child, and then we gave up”.

The mother added that a lot of thought was put into this decision and that the pair “discussed it and thought about it”, but due to them both having jobs as actors, “thought it wasn’t really something]they] felt]they] would be able to give]their] full attention to”.

She continued, saying: “You do consider all options, but then we thought” instead of worrying about what we haven’t got, let’s enjoy what we have got. It took such a long time to have her, let’s just enjoy life with her now””. Now 24 years olds, Gracie received a dedicated birthday post on Instagram from the Musical theatre star. The mum wrote: “How can you be 24!!! Happiest birthdays to me beautiful, kind baby. Have a fabulous day… love you Grooves xx”, below a thread of pictures of her blonde mini-me.

Now dating a younger Gareth, 54, Wendi appears to be totally in love months on. In November, the 57 year old spoke to The Sun on her new relationship, sharing that “moving in]was] certainly something]they] might consider”. Living in Buckinghamshire at the time, and her boyfriend from Leicester, the pair have date one and a half years already.

And though she admitted to finding it “very hard continuing a relationship when you’re 150 miles away from each other, with very different work hours”, the ex ‘ Corrie ‘ actress is still in no rush to wed again. She said: “I was married a long time, and I mean, never say never to doing it again” but, “at the moment, I just don’t really see the need”. The pair have made an effort to travel together, jetting off to Crete, Greece, as well booking romantic staycations like their trip to the Cotswolds – which the star shared on socials.

Peters ‘ soap son ‘ Sam Ashton has also found success elsewhere, making it to the DOI final after a blunder from judge Christopher Dean who ‘ forgot ‘ to put in Sam’s score.

Chris became flustered over his mishap when asked after his score, shouting: “Oh f****** heck, I forgot to put that in”, later explaining that he “got so excited with]Sam’s] performance that]he] forgot to give a mark”. Viewers were alarmed, despite a shortly followed apology from the judge, one saying: “Did Christopher Dean just drop an F bomb”? and another asking “did Christ just go F****** Heck. #dancingonice”.

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

Jai McDowall skyrocketed to fame when he wowed the judges on Britain’s Got Talent in 2011 with his rendition of Anthem and he went on to clinch the series title. Now, some 14 years later, Jai’s floating on a wave of singing success and seriously, you’d hardly recognise him. In 2022, Jai revealed an operation to remedy problems with his previously-broken nose. The Scottish crooner needed surgery for a deviated septum – which resulted from him breaking up a pub scuffle.

But some fans were dubious about his reasons, leading Jai to clear the air directly from his hospital bed in 2017. In an honest video, Jai said: “The amount of times I’ve been asked if I have a cocaine habit and that’s why I have a deviated septum in the first place has been unreal”. He made it crystal clear: “I don’t have a cocaine habit, just in case anyone is wondering”.

Speaking to the Daily Star after his surgery, Jai described the experience: “It was a really nice procedure. Obviously, I had black eyes for about three weeks and big bandages and stuff, but it was worth it”.

But life gave Jai more curves than straight lines post-BGT. He spoke to The Sun about his monetary woes after parting ways with the record label Sony, which nudged him perilously close to financial ruin. Jai confessed: “I didn’t do it because, thankfully, I’ve got a brilliant support network. But I did get to a point where I was like, ‘ Is this it, is this over? ‘”

He continued: “I moved in with my parents at the time. I did have property but I had no money. That took a long time and a lot of grit and determination for me to get back out of that”.

The singer spoke to the Mirror when he recalled standing in the final alongside Ronan Parke. “I know genuinely it does sound sort of out there but I envisioned the finale of that show and I knew it was going to be me and Ronan. Not going to lie, I thought he was going to win”, Jai told us. “That way I was like, ‘ No, keep positive thoughts and keep going ‘ and genuinely I thought that really helped and it’s one of those things. Life is up and down – it’s a roller coaster and you can’t always be positive all the time. I genuinely feel like if you can keep yourself in a better mental state with that you can – magic happens sometimes”.

He was forced to give up his singing career during the coronavirus lockdown. “I genuinely know I couldn’t give singing up because the only time I had to was during Covid and it was terrible, genuinely the closest I’ve ever been to being really, really sad. And I genuinely missed it”, Jai admitted.

Kristina Rihanoff has been flooded with support after the heart-wrenching news of her split from Ben Cohen.

The Strictly Come Dancing star, 47, and former England rugby player, 46, first met on the BBC show in 2013, when they were struck by the infamous “Strictly curse”, which had resulted in Ben separating from his wife, Abby.

In the wake of their split, Kristina took to social media to share a picture with one of her students, reposting it on her Instagram stories. The photo had originally been shared by the student as a tribute for International Women’s Day. In the caption, they wrote, “Keep inspiring, supporting, and growing each other. Happy International Women’s Day”!

Ben and Kristina welcomed their daughter, Milena, into the world in 2016. And in November 2022, the couple took a major step in their relationship, getting engaged during a romantic getaway in the Maldives.

However, sources reveal that their split is largely due to financial problems, with their joint business, Soo Yoga, left in significant debt after the pandemic. In addition, Kristina faced a driving ban for driving without insurance, adding even more stress to their already struggling relationship.

A friend close to the pair told The Sun: “It’s like the curse in reverse. This will be like karma for Abby, she was so upset when Ben left her. It’s like he has got his comeuppance”.

They added: “The past six months have been hell for them and it has torn the love they had apart. For the sake of their family, they have chosen to go forward as separate individuals. Those close to them who know them as a couple had hoped they would be able to work things out but for now it’s over and it looks like there’s no going back”.

The couple has reportedly opened up about their financial difficulties over the past year. They have put their £1.75 million Northampton home on the market, and Ben has stepped down as a director of their shared yoga business.

In September, Kristina appeared in court regarding her driving ban, and Ben later spoke out about the financial strain they have both been enduring. He revealed the emotional pressure he’s under, stating: “I get up every day and I fight not to lose everything – to lose my cars, my house, and my relationship. I’m so overdrawn”.

When asked about the strain on his relationship with Kristina, he admitted, “We’re still living together. We’re in it financially. We’re in business together, so the problem is that we opened the business before Covid, and we got the worst severities of it. Honestly, this is just another problem for me to deal with”.

The dad-of-one went on to explain the depth of their financial struggles, adding: “I’ve got credit cards that are overdrawn. I’m overdrawn in both accounts. We have a business debt because of Covid. It’s just another problem”.

Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTubeand Threads.

Kerry Katona has revealed that she is hoping to go under the knife once again, as she plans to have a fourth boob job. The former Atomic Kitten star, 44, has been showing off her slimmed down figure in recent months after dropping down to a petite dress size 6, but now says she’s missing the larger chest she had before shedding the pounds.

“I just want my own boobs back. I don’t want massive boobs or anything really fake, just my boobs again”! admitted Kerry, who has had three procedures on her breasts previously. Kerry, who is a doting mum to five, Molly-Sue, Lilly-Sue, Heidi, Max and DJ, split from her fiancé, Ryan Mahoney, in November. Since the break-up, she has significantly dropped in weight, a pattern she admits is common with her after the breakdown of a relationship.

“I’ve noticed this happens when I’m single – I seem to lose weight every time and then I put it back on when I’m with someone”, said Kerry in her column last week.

The star is even trying to put some weight back on and has been left frustrated that her chest has decreased in size, admitting she wants to get her breasts back to a mid-size cup. “I’d like them a bit bigger and an uplift, something that looks natural”, she explains.

Kerry’s pattern of weight loss and gain is the reason she first decided to go under the knife over 20 years ago. Back in 2004, she decided to have breast implants after splitting from her husband Brian McFadden. Following the break-up, she admitted to being on the “heartbreak diet” and lost weight, including around her chest, and thus had implants to “fill out” the area.

In 2018, looking back at that decision she said, “When Brian left me, I lost so much weight on the ‘ heartbreak diet ‘ my boobs were just skin and they hung like teabags. I was only 24 and I thought, ‘ my boobies have gone? I have the boobs of a 60-year-old. ‘ So I had implants just to fill them out, not to go any bigger. I was only in surgery for two or three hours but it made me feel a lot better about myself at a really low point in my life”.

Four years later, Kerry had her implants taken out and her boobs lifted, in what she dubbed a ‘ double bubble ‘ surgery – which was covered by MTV. “I was asked to do a TV show called Whole Again and they offered to have my implants taken out, give me an uplift and liposuction so I thought ‘ sod it, I’ll do it. ‘ So these are my boobs, nothing in there. It was £15k worth of surgery and I got it for free”, she said.

In 2021, Kerry went back under the knife for breast implants, which she later had reduced, admitting to regrets over the procedure. Joking that she’d gotten overly tempted by getting the procedure for free, she said in 2022: “I had an implant put in last year and why I did it, I don’t know. I love a freebie and I need to learn to stick to just taking goodie bags”!

While Kerry hasn’t had any surgery on her body in recent years, she did go under the knife twice during 2024, once for a “eye lift” blepharoplasty surgery and a second time for a nose surgery, which repaired damage caused by historic drug use.

Already taking the first step for her next surgery, Kerry continues, “I went for a consultation at Pall Mall Cosmetics about getting my boobs done because I’ve really not been liking them recently, they look like deflated balloons! Especially when I lie down, it’s like there’s nothing there”.

However, the star knows all too well how tough it can be recovering from surgery, after struggling mentally following the eight-hour procedure to repair her nose last year – which was damaged internally from past cocaine use. At the time, a piece of Kerry’s rib was removed and used to repair her nose.

“It’s a real struggle psychologically just to get used to the recovery”, said Kerry following the procedure, which left her in “agony”. She also said that the painful recovery put her off undergoing a lower facelift earlier this year. “It’s tough emotionally while recovering because you look so different and it’s hard to get your head around. I had to get it done medically and it wasn’t just a vanity choice, but it was really hard. I did get a bit scared, I don’t think I’m ready to do something else now”, she said in January.

And with a busy work schedule this year, Kerry isn’t sure whether she’s got the time for a major surgery, and the toll it could take on her. “I haven’t decided 100% if I’ll do it yet, I’ve got such a busy year and I’m not sure if I’ve got the time for recovery so we’ll see if I’ve got the time – but it’s something I’m really keen for”.

After Ofgem announced its new price cap, the typical household’s energy bills will rise by more than £100. The price cap is rising by 6.4% – although the exact amount you pay depends on how much gas and electricity you use. The average dual fuel household paying by direct debit will see their annual energy bill increase from £1, 738 a year to £1, 849 from April 1 – a rise of £111 a year, or £9.25 a month.

Dehumidifiers can be lifesavers for Brits who struggle with high levels of humidity, and therefore condensation and mould – but not only that, they can help cut down on the price of bills, which can be especially helpful as those prices are set to rise. Dehumidifiers reduce moisture in homes, reducing the risk of mould spreading. They also help dry damp clothes, towels, etc., which reduces the time you need to have your heating or tumble dryer on during cold and wet weather.

Not only do they cost pennies to run per hour, but this particular dehumidifier is currently on sale for £30, down from a whopping £116. Here’s all you need to know…

READ MORE: Jade Thirlwall used this ‘ skin-like ‘ foundation to create her BRIT Awards glam

READ MORE: Selena Gomez prepped her Old Hollywood Oscars bob with this shine-boosting shampoo

This 1.5L Neo dehumidifier is set to be highly efficient at removing excess moisture from your home. It creates a healthier environment by dehumidifying the air around you and reducing moisture in the air. Plus, this means your house is at less risk of harmful problems like dampness and mold, which can cause health issues and damage to the building in the long term.

This Neo dehumidifier leaves your home with fresh, clean, and dry air all day. It’s set to be super easy to move and store. Thanks to its compact and portable design, you can conveniently move the dehumidifier between the bathroom, kitchen, and bedroom to tackle condensation and cleanse the air.

The dehumidifier creates a healthier home, improves your well-being with every use, and helps cut down on expensive energy bills. Say goodbye to needing the radiators on or running the tumble dryer for hours to ensure your belongings aren’t left hanging around for hours while wet.

With its 1.5L capacity, this dehumidifier is easy to drain and refill. When the water tank is full, you can easily remove it from the dehumidifier, pull out the plug and empty it via the easy-to-use water outlet.

Normally retailing for £115.99, this Neo dehumidifier is reduced to a staggeringly low £29.99 thanks to this Debenhams sale. And shoppers are loving it, as some have left rave reviews online.

One 5-star rater beams: “No window in my bathroom, just an extractor fan &amp, it was beginning to smell musty. After showering, I bought this dehumidifier to put in this room to see if it would help. I switch it on &amp, leave it with the door closed for about an hour. It works a treat. It helps dry the walls from condensation &amp, no musty smell any more”.

Another shopper shares: “It works well and is quite quiet. It automatically turns off when full. It empties daily, but it’s a little fiddly to slide the container in and out”.

A third customer offers even more praise: “This portable compact dehumidifier is absolutely great for drying washing indoors in the winter months and stops any humidity and mould in rooms. Excellent”.

A fourth writes, “Great for indoors with the weather and drying clothes”. Another buyer shares the same sentiment, noting, “Works a treat, very handy size to move around the house”.

For alternative models, you can shop this Jialexin Dehumidifier for less on Amazon. Thanks to a flash sale, it’s been slashed to half price, and it now costs £39.99. Meanwhile, at Lakeland, shoppers can score this 1L Compact Dehumidifier for £34.99.

Molly-Mae Hague was very close to tears during a raw moment last week as she admitted the idea of being pregnant again “terrifies” her. The influencer is already mum to two-year-old daughter Bambi Fury. And Molly-Mae, who split from her ex-fiancé Tommy Fury in August, admits she thinks about more children “a lot” but isn’t ready to add to her brood.

A source tells Mirror that the 25-year-old is feeling “conflicted” over her family as she works to get back into a positive space with Tommy. “She’s feeling quite conflicted at the moment. She loves the idea of having a bigger family with Tommy, and he’s obviously from a big family and sees his brother’s life]Tyson Fury has seven children], but because they’ve been through a difficult time, it’s not easy for her to think about”, said the source.

Earlier this year, Molly-Mae opened up about her split from Tommy for the first time in her Amazon Prime documentary, Behind It All, where she admitted to hoping she would get back together with her ex. Speculation that the couple have reunited has been heightened following a leaked video from Manchester United footballer Luke Shaw’s New Year’s Eve party, which appeared to show Tommy and Molly-Mae sharing a kiss.

And taking to her YouTube channel last week, Molly-Mae seemed to hint that the pair are working on things by repeatedly referring to her “relationship” in the present tense. “If you take the relationship, and me and Tommy out of it for a second… Besides my relationship, I’m just not mentally, physically, emotionally ready to have another baby yet”, she said.

The couple shocked fans with their split last year, which came a year after their engagement and five years after they’d met on Love Island. Despite appearing smitten just weeks prior to the news, the pair announced their split with separate Instagram statements. Molly-Mae spoke out first and admitted she never thought they would end “in this way”, with Tommy later revealing that his relationship with alcohol led to their separation.

Now, our source claims Molly-Mae and Tommy are back on, but want to take things slowly this time around. “They are definitely back together and they love each other very much, they’re both besotted by Bambi and they want a happy family unit. But things take time and Molly knows full well that some people thought their split was a publicity stunt, which it wasn’t – so she’s wary of what she shares and wants to take things slowly”.

The added, “She knows Tommy is a great father so that wouldn’t worry her, but having a baby is such a big decision so it’s totally understandable that she’s terrified”. Molly-Mae didn’t shy away from the topic when talking to her YouTube fans as she admitted to finding her hopes of giving Bambi a sibling mixed with her fear of parenting again.

Boasting an incredibly tight-knit relationship with her older sister Zoe, who features in Molly-Mae’s documentary and vlogs, the star says she wants the same for her daughter. “It terrifies me the thought of Bambi growing up without a sister. I feel that way because, as much as we’ve had our times where we can’t even look at each other, my sister made my life growing up. She’s made my life now. I wouldn’t be who I am without Zoe and it makes me feel a bit emotional.

” I know Bambi would be absolutely fine without a sister or a sibling because I know I’m going to be that girl’s best friend forever. My number one goal in life is that me and her are so unbelievably close that she wouldn’t even need a best friend because she’s always going to have me. And the same with her dad. I know she will be like that with us… I do think we are really incredible parents to her so I know she’d be fine. “

While she is clearly a doting mum to Bambi now, Molly-Mae didn’t have the easiest start to motherhood. Detailing how she had little experience with babies before having her own, Molly-Mae said last year”, Those first few weeks of Bambi’s life… hell and back. We were having a breakdown. “

And it seems that the newborn phase was quite traumatic for the star. In her YouTube video she added”, This is really scary to admit but sometimes I have this terrible feeling that if I was to ever see a positive pregnancy test again, I worry how that wouldn’t spark the feelings in me that I’d want it to.

“If I saw a positive pregnancy test now I would be terrified. If I was to pop out a baby and it]was] a two-year-old like Bambi now, give me 100, I can handle it. But I found the newborn stage so unbelievably difficult and daunting and looking back I can’t really say that there was any part of it that I enjoyed”.

Our source claims that it’s not only the daunting nature of having a newborn around that puts Molly-Mae off, but her busy schedule is also proving to be a factor. With the launch of her fashion brand Maebe, and her hugely popular documentary, it’s been far from a quiet few months for her.

“Her career has changed a lot with her fashion business and the Amazon Prime show, so she’s trying to think about how that will work and where she’ll be in a few years ‘ time. It’s a lot to wrap her head around”, said the source.