Category Entertainment News

A bouncer has been jailed for trying to extort £12 million from the family of Michael Schumacher.

The 56-year-old’s former bodyguard Markus Fritsche obtained confidential pictures, videos and medical records of the Formula One ace, who has not been since publicly since a life-changing ski accident in 2013. Fritsche, 53, passed the downloaded material to nightclub bouncer Yilmaz Tozturkan, 53, who said he would “upload them on to the dark web” unless money was paid.

Tozturkan’s It expert son Daniel Lins, 30, was also involved in the plot, which saw his father jailed for three years, Fritsche handed a two year suspended sentence and Lins a six month suspended sentence. Schumacher’s family saw the plot as the ultimate betrayal carried out by a former employee who was part of their trusted, very small inner circle.

Michael’s devoted wife Corinna Schumacher is known to exercise extreme caution with only trusted visitors allowed to see the former racing driver. He is reported to spend his days in an at-home hospital facility receiving around-the-clock care.

Corinna, 55, is thought to have filed an application for the German court case to be heard in private, meaning the public could be excluded from the hearing if her husband’s health is discussed.

Michael was rumoured to have attended the wedding of his daughter Gina-Maria last September but his close pal, ex-Formula One racer Johnny Herbert disputed this. He told Flashscore: “It will always be a closed shop. The most recent rumour was he attended his daughter’s wedding. Unfortunately, from what I understand that was all A1 fake news and no truth in it.”

Back in 2013, the star’s injury happened in the French Alps when he struck his head against a rock. Despite his ski helmet taking most of the impact, Michael suffered a severe injury and underwent two life-saving operations, spending months in a medically induced coma.

The racing driver became well enough to be moved to a rehabilitation facility before being brought back to his family home on Lake Geneva in September 2014. Since then, his wife Corinna has permitted only a select few trusted friends and relatives to visit him ever since, under strict protocols.

In the 2021 Netflix documentary Schumacher, she explained: “We’re trying to carry on as a family, the way Michael liked it and still does. And we are getting on with our lives. It’s very important to me that he can continue to enjoy his private life as much as possible. Michael always protected us, and now we are protecting Michael.”

There are only a handful of people who know the details of Michael’s condition and care. In 2014, Philippe Streiff revealed his close friend was paralysed and used a wheelchair. “He is getting better but everything is relative,” said the former racing driver, who uses a wheelchair after an accident on the track. “It’s very difficult. He can’t speak. Like me, he is in a wheelchair paralysed. He has memory problems and speech problems.”

By 2020, it was reported the star had been spending more time at the family’s villa on the Spanish holiday island of Majorca, where Gina-Maria’s wedding took place.

TV presenter Clare Balding is back on our screens as she shares the stories of Britain’s most iconic rivers and its surrounding areas.

Tales From The Riverbank with Clare Balding on Channel 5 features the magnificent Severn, which flows from a brook in the Welsh Cambrian mountains, along a course of 220 miles, all the way to Bristol and the shores of the Severn Estuary.

She will also drop by in surrounding towns and meet the communities that make these areas so special. Tales from the Riverbank with Clare Balding begins Thursday, February 13 at 8pm on Channel 5, with six episodes for fans to look forward to.

After 30 years in broadcasting, Balding has become one of the nation’s most respected and recognisable hosts, having also fronted other huge sporting events like the Olympics, Paralympic Games, Grand National, Commonwealth Games and Wimbledon.

Her popularity with viewers has seen the spotlight cast over her life away from the cameras, however, with her personal life, relationships and even some controversies making headlines over the years.

Here’s everything you need to know about Balding’s life outside of the studio, from her fears over revealing her sexuality and her ‘appalling’ ex-boyfriend to the ‘inexcusable’ remark that remains one of her biggest regrets.

Famous wife and ‘appalling’ boyfriend

Balding met her wife, broadcaster Alice Arnold, in 1999 when they were both working for the BBC. At first, the pair were just good friends but started dating in 2002, when Balding’s sexuality was made public by a national newspaper.

The couple entered into a civil partnership in 2006 before tying the knot in a private ceremony in 2015 following the legalisation of gay marriage in the UK, with their marriage then back-dated to 2006.

Alice Arnold was a newsreader and continuity announcer on BBC Radio 4 for more than twenty years and she currently works for Bauer Media Audio UK hosting on Mellow Magic.

Reflecting on their first meeting, Balding said she noticed Arnold at a BBC show, but did not know who she was at the time. “I saw her and thought ‘Oh, she’s really interesting and rather beautiful’,” she said. “We started chatting and she’s very funny. We were friends for at least two years.”

Describing her wife as “fiercely loyal”, the 53-year-old added: “She would protect me and it’s an incredible quality to have. It’s like having your own little guard dog – it’s amazing.”

The BBC Sport presenter had previously dated men and was even proposed to by one of her former boyfriends. However, she turned it down and had no regrets about it, as she revealed he went on to “behave appallingly”.

“I had a few boyfriends, not like loads. But I had one very serious boyfriend for two or three years,” she said. “He asked me to marry him and he was in the Army and he was going off. And I thought ‘he’s only asking me because he thinks he’s in danger and, according to romantic films, I’m meant to say yes at this point’.

“I knew I didn’t want to. I said ‘Look, that’s a lovely thing to say but ask me again when you come back’. When he came back he didn’t ask me again, and I thought ”Thank God”. I thought ‘I don’t trust you and I’ll never trust you’ – and funnily enough I was absolutely spot on as his ex-wife told me not that long ago.”

She added: “That relationship ended not very well with him behaving appallingly. I think I was damaged by that, but that doesn’t make you gay. I just think when I first fell in love with a woman it was completely different.”

Cancer diagnosis

In 2009, Balding revealed she had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer.

The presenter was diagnosed with the illness after noting a lump on her throat while watching herself on TV, with symptoms including a lump in the neck, a sore throat and difficulty swallowing that does not get better.

She underwent radioactive iodine treatment to halt the spread of the disease, having had a cyst, her thyroid gland and a lymph node removed. But while she feared the potential impacts of the illness on her voice and her career, she received the all-clear at the end of 2010.

“I had to have a little operation just before Christmas to take out a nasty little lymph node and there was a worry that I might have to have more treatment,” she revealed at the time. “But I had a lovely letter from my oncologist just after Christmas saying, ‘Hurrah, no more treatment’, so I’m very happy about that. 2011 is going to be a good one.”

In a later interview, she admitted she had gone through a “dark stage” with the illness, adding: “When I recovered, my attitude to life changed. I feel happy most days, grateful for all I have.”

Inside Clare Balding’s home life

Clare Balding lives with her wife Alice Arnold in the London suburb of Chiswick. The pair have always lived in Chiswick after Alice cheekily said “we can live anywhere you want, as long as it’s Chiswick’.”

Clare and Alice opened the doors to their home for an episode of Celebrity Googlebox. The cosy space is painted grey with a cream sofa and patterned red cushions, making for a cosy space for the couple to cuddle up with their cats and enjoy TV.

Snapshots on Instagram flaunt Clare’s culinary corner, boasting pristine white kitchen units against sleek black countertops, all underpinned by harmonious light wooden floors.

Speaking at the 2021 Spring Lectures for The Upper Room, Clare spoke of her love for being at home. “I make sure I walk every day, so the tow path between Chiswick Bridge and Kew Bridge is very well trodden for me. I try and do five miles a day minimum… I understand much more now what I need to keep me on track.”

Backlash over live TV comment

While Balding is one of the UK’s most respected presenters, she found herself at the centre of a row while presenting the Olympics in Paris last year.

Speaking to former Olympic swimming champion Rebecca Adlington, the presenter seemed “incredulous” in response to the swimmer’s admission that no Olympians had visited her school while she was growing up, leading many viewers to accuse her of classism.

Fellow pundit Mark Foster had been explaining how a visit from Duncan Goodhew to his local swimming club had “inspired” him as a child, when Adlington was asked if she’d had a similar experience.

However, she replied: “To be fair, I didn’t have somebody like that,” with a surprised-sounding Balding, who was privately educated, asking: “No one came to your school?!”

The remark left some viewers fuming, with one writing: “Of course Balding thought it TOTALLY NORMAL for Olympic medal winners to visit schools – because being privately educated and descended from nobility and privilege, this kind of thing is part of the cultural experience they expect.”

The presenter was defended by her BBC colleague Gabby Logan, however, as she responded to one viewer: “I’m sure lots of what you say may be true about private school experiences, but it’s certainly not true about the whole of the BBC. I went to a state school nobody visited, teachers were striking in the 80’s, and no school trips. NB ‘Speakers for Schools’ is great charity.”

Logan then added: “Also to be clear I love my colleague and she’s a great broadcaster. But a sweeping statement about the BBC needed addressing. Look at our OG line up across the day, we are a mixed bag from different backgrounds bringing all our many experiences to the way we communicate.”

It was not the first time that Balding had landed herself in hot water with a comment, as she drew controversy for a remark she made about the late jockey Liam Treadwell moments after he had won the Grand National.

Joking that he would be able to have his teeth fixed with the prize money, Balding said: “Liam, just give us a big grin to the camera, let’s see your teeth. He hasn’t got the best teeth in the world, but you can afford to go and get them done now if you like.”

Treadwell, who died in 2020 aged just 34, responded: “Well I could do, but I ain’t complaining. It might be bringing on bad luck if I do that, though.”

The comments enraged viewers, with more than 2,000 complaints made to Ofcom after the race. Balding later admitted: “It was a terrible thing to do. It coincided with my illness and I believed that was it for me – I would never work again. It was inexcusable and it taught me a big lesson.”

The 2025 Invictus Games are at its halfway point – and now Prince Harry is flying solo.

After putting on a loved-up display with wife Meghan Markle during the opening ceremony and then appearing inseparable during the first few days of the tournament, the Duke waved goodbye to the Duchess of Sussex and she is now back home to California with their two children, Archie and Lilibet.

Aides had been keeping Meghan’s travel plans under wraps for security reasons – it is understood it had always been planned she would leave the Games early. However, Harry is expected to stay at the Games until after the closing ceremony this Sunday.

After returning to sunny Montecito, Meghan posted a photo of Invictus themed goodies she took home for the kids, including green-coloured shirts with their names on. The haul also included an Invictus Games related teddy and a number of sweets and chocolates. Writing on her Instagram, Meghan said: “A taste of Canada and The Invictus Games for our little ones! Cheering you on from home!”.

Despite the couple now spending the next few days apart, including Valentine’s Day, it hasn’t stopped several bombshells from emerging from their trip to Vancouver and Whistler. Here we look at the latest revelations from the event – including Meghan’s hidden message to the Royal Family during the visit…

Secret date night

After spending the first few days of the Games in Vancouver, the Sussexes then moved on to Whistler, where they met up with celeb pals Michael Buble and his wife Luisana Lopilato.

And the foursome couldn’t resist having a secret date night at a special place for Harry and Meghan. They all went to Whistler restaurant Il Caminetto and spent over two hours tucking into delicious food. The Duke and Duchess previously visited the restaurant on Valentine’s Day last year.

At the dinner Meghan wore a pair of earrings that were a gift from her husband with a Carolina Herrera cape and Aquazzura pumps, having changed out of the cream Mackage jacket and Sorell snow boots she wore all Monday afternoon.

It was Meghan and Harry’s second time dining with friends Michael and Luisana since the Games began. They all enjoyed a low-key date night on Saturday at Vij’s Indian, with the restaurant’s chef, Vikram Vij, taking to social media to praise their visit. He wrote: “Another incredible night at Vij’s. When food brings people together, magic happens! We were honoured to once again welcome Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Michael Bublé, and Luisana Lopilato for another unforgettable evening at Vij’s.”

Meghan’s shock

However, it wasn’t all relaxed dinners with pals as the Sussexes also welcomed the hundreds of competitors to Whistler for the first-ever winter sports events at the Invictus Games.

Harry and Meghan attended a special ceremony in Vancouver where Harry was introduced on stage by Michael Buble, who excited the 1,000-strong crowd with a rendition of Feeling Good. Welcoming Harry on stage, Canadian singer Michael said: “I know how difficult something like this is, so I wanted to make sure I did this right. Without the incredible effort of this young man, none of this would have happened, so please welcome my friend, Prince Harry.”

Meghan joined Harry on stage at the end of his speech before he joked: “Now she’s going to sing!” leaving his wife horrified. However, according to body language expert Judi James, the pair seem to be in tune with their fun sides. She told the Mirror : “Harry loves playful behaviour and banter, but he usually adopts a different tone with Meghan, sticking to more romantic narratives.

“Here though he brings her into his routine with a flapping hand that suggests good humour rather than any royal graciousness. There is some synchronicity here though as she actually seems pretty much in tune with his more fun side.

“At first there is the usual mutual hugging, and Meghan shows empathy by rubbing Harry’s hand to thaw it out in the cold air. But when he jokes about her singing, her response is speedy as she looks shocked but then equally playful.

“The last image of the pair leaning forward into the mic to take their goodbyes is one of the better images of them working as an upbeat, casual and relaxed team of two.”

Hair-raising experience

Meanwhile, Meghan did leave the winter sports to the competitors, she also got involved herself by trying her hand at tubing down a snowy slope.

She shared a clip on her Instagram Stories screaming as she spins down the slope while seated in a purple inflatable inner tube. In earlier clips, she could be seen walking hand-in-hand with Harry towards the slope, before being given instructions about her tubing run.

Meghan can then be heard asking about “keeping your body weight back” on the inflatable, before saying “No, I really don’t want to do it” during a countdown.

Meghan’s bold message to royals

And in another eye-raising move by Meghan she appeared to flash her royal cypher – despite previously ditching it.

Eagle-eyed royal watchers spotted that at Invictus Games in Canada, the Duchess of Sussex had been sporting a brand new signet ring on her pinky finger on her right hand.

And it seems that the new piece of jewellery is engraved with Prince Harry and Meghan’s joint cypher that they unveiled when they married back in 2018. The monogram is made up of the letters ‘H’ and ‘M’ in cursive writing. The logo is topped with a coronet with two cross pattées, four fleurs-de-lys and two strawberry leaves.

The monogram was used on their previous Sussex Royal website and social media accounts – and even after they dramatically quit as working royals back in 2020, they continued to use the logo on their letterheads.

Meghan isn’t the only royal to wear a pinky finger signet ring. King Charles also wears one with the Prince of Wales feathers and he gifted one to Princess Diana the night before their wedding in 1981.

Early exit

But despite appearing as close as ever, it emerged that Meghan didn’t plan to stay for the full duration of the Games when it was confirmed yesterday she would be heading back to California.

The couple left their children Archie and Lilibet behind at home in Montecito and after five days away, the Duchess made the decision to get back to her children. The Games have come after a tough time for the Sussexes, who were branded ‘disaster tourists’ in the wake of visiting victims of California wildfires. They were also the subject of a scathing Vanity Fair article about what it is really like to work for them.

And according to PR expert Edward Coram James, the CEO of Go Up, Meghan should have rethought going to the Invictus Games altogether. He told the Mirror: “Meghan should leave the Invictus Games to Harry. It’s his project, and he’s more than capable of drumming up support and publicity for this incredible cause. Their joint brand has become tainted over the years — not through any fault of their own, but due to woeful PR.

“Meghan’s presence was always going to be a lose-lose situation — damned if she did, damned if she didn’t. But ultimately, it’s a distraction for many people. That said, from a PR standpoint, she handled it well. She was engaged but not overbearing, affectionate but not too performative. Still, she needs to recognise that no matter what she does, her critics will say she’s making it about herself.”

Harry’s telling three words

Meanwhile, Harry revealed how he felt about having Meghan Markle “by my side” during his Invictus Games – just days before she flew home without him.

And speaking to PEOPLE magazine before Meghan flew home, the Duke of Sussex revealed what it was like to have her with him at the event. He said: “To have my wife here supporting me is amazing. I love that she’s by my side. It’s such an important piece to this whole adventure.”

Meanwhile, Harry also opened up about Archie and Lilibet and how they are also ‘fascinated’ by the event for sick and injured service personnel. He added: “It’s a very interesting conversation to have with your kids — to explain why that person is missing a leg, why that person is missing an arm, why do they look the way they do. It’s challenging but important.

“Our kids are still so young, but Archie especially is asking those questions. I’m constantly trying to make sure that I get it right in explaining what’s happened to [the competitors] and what we do at Invictus to try to make their lives better and give them a chance to redefine themselves.”

Before heading into the villa as a contestant on Love Island All Stars, Grace Jackson shared the beauty must-haves she would be using whilst on the show. Amongst her go-tos was one handy little skincare tool that’s a must if you want to keep your face looking tight and sculpted.

Grace shared her love for the Botanics Rose Quartz Gua Sha, which you can pick up at Boots for £15. The gua sha is a perfect addition to your daily skincare routine, helping to reduce everything from puffiness to tension in your face and neck.

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The Botanics Rose Quartz Gua Sha is handcrafted with the shape carefully designed to fit all the angles of your face. You can use it along your jawline, across your cheekbones, and even in more delicate areas like your temples, eyebrows and nose.

If you’ve never used a gua sha before, they’re a simple and easy to use tool that helps with lymphatic drainage. You follow the natural flow your your face, pressing gently and gliding the Botanics Rose Quartz Gua Sha along your skin to help encourage fluid to move along and away from your face, as well as relieving tension and boosting circulation.

It’s important not to place too much pressure onto your skin, especially in the more delicate areas, but it should be enough to push the skin down and drag it. Always use a gua sha in motions that move away from the centre of your face, to encourage the fluid to move away from the area.

You should always use a facial oil with your Gua Sha, which helps the tool glide more steadily and gently along your skin, preventing dragging or bruising. Boots recommends pairing your Botanics Rose Quartz Gua Sha with the Botanics 100% Organic Facial Oils.

There are some skincare fanatics who prefer to avoid stone-based gua shas due to their porous nature, which can lead to oils and skincare products becoming absorbed into the stone over time. If you’re worried about how hygienic it is, swapping to a stainless steel gua sha is a great way to avoid this.

This Kitsch Stainless Steel Gua Sha Tool, £24, is made from 100% stainless steel, which prevents the build-up of dirt and can be cleaned easily. The stainless steel is also easy to chill, and can be used as an extra cooling factor when de-puffing and calming sensitive skin.

King Charles left wellwishers stunned as he defiantly faced a small group of protestors on a royal walkabout.

The monarch and Queen Camilla had been visiting Middlesbrough on Teesside for what’s known as a royal ‘awayday’ to Middlesbrough, packing in four engagements. At the end of the day, they undertook a traditional walkabout in the town. Many were waving flags and cheering, while others had dressed up in union flag outfits or dressed up their dogs. The King and Queen spent 20 minutes walking up and down, shaking hands with members of the throng.

Among those in the crowd was a small demonstration of republican campaigners waving anti-monarchist flags but the King decided to face them head-on, walking directly up to them and continuing shaking the hands of the well-wishers in front of them, much to the delight of the crowd.

Julie Parker, 65, said she was ‘overjoyed’. “I had been waiting here since 11am [three hours] to see him and then that lot [Republic] turned up behind me and started waving their flags. Everyone has a right to their opinion but I do think they could have picked a better time and place and we didn’t think the King would come near us,” she said.

“But he did! And we got to say hello. He’s a remarkable man, he really is. We have a lot of admiration for him.” Also on the walkabout, the King made the day of a centenarian who was celebrating her 100th birthday today – by personally handing her a card from himself and the Queen.

He was introduced to Rona Grafton who had been waiting patiently to meet him. He bent down and shook her hand and said: “A very, very happy birthday. Here’s a card from both of us.” Touching Queen Camilla’s shoulder, he repeated: “From both of us.” The Queen said: “A very happy birthday.”

After moving down the line the King got into his waiting State Bentley with the Queen but had only got a few yards down the road when he saw how far the crowds stretched and asked his driver to stop.

He and Camilla got out again to huge cheers, with the couple insisting on shaking hands right the way down to the end of the street. Paul and Shirley Williams said they were shocked to see him stop.

“We thought we wouldn’t get the chance and that maybe his car would slow down and he would wave out of the window,” said Paul. “We couldn’t believe it when they got out. He came up to me and asked me how he was. Given everything he has been through I couldn’t believe it. How kind. I asked him how he was feeling and he said he was doing well.”

Val Haskins, 64, said the king stopped and admired her Union Jack coat. “He said I looked very patriotic,” she said. I shook his hand. It was absolutely mint.”

Her friend Elaine Dunn, 67, added: “We love King Charles, we really do. He’s a good man. We are so delighted he has got the chance to show the nation the kind of man he is after the Queen died. He cares about his people, he really does. It was a lovely moment and I can’t believe we got the chance to speak to him.”

Earlier, the King said that his “skiing days are behind me” as he inspected a Swiss machine assisting in the production of wind turbines close to the town. During a visit to the world’s largest offshore wind monopile factory, King Charles inspected and switched on a newly imported Swiss-made calibration roll machine.

Charles, 76, discussed his favoured alpine sport with machinery expert Avzi Jusufi, who is temporarily in England from Basel, Switzerland, to install them in the SeAH Wind factory. Speaking to Jusufi about his home country, the King, who has regularly skied in the Swiss resort Klosters over the years, told him: “I think my skiing days are behind me.”

He made the comments while wearing a hard hat and protective high-vis gear and inspecting the process of making the structural support for wind turbines. As part of the visit, the King toured the SeAH Wind monopile factory in Teesside’s Freeport, near Redcar, which is due for completion later this year. At the same time, the Queen undertook a literary engagement elsewhere.

Pop star Sophie Ellis-Bextor met Ukrainian child refugees on the day that a breakthrough in peace talks gave them hope for the future.

The mum-of-five was in Poland as an ambassador for Save The Children. The charity is supporting 125,000 of the 660,000 displaced youngsters forced to flee the war. She visited a project in Warsaw where groups of teenagers were taking part in a music project as news came through of a possible US brokered peace deal.

Sophie, 45, said: “The conversations were about their future plans and how they feel about the world. They are definitely optimistic. They have reconnected with their new Ukrainian communities in Poland, and are excited about what will happen next.”

She said that some of the children spoke of their hopes of a return to their homeland. “If you are looking for hope, you would see it with these children,” she added. “They are working together, looking out for each other.

“I find it incredible how many people spend their days trying to make things better, to change the future and make a positive impact. You have to give the kids what they should have, safety, fun, education, support, and that is what these projects are doing.

“I was really heartened by my time with the kids, we had a lot of fun and laughter, they are so resilient.”

Sophie, mum to Sonny, 20, Kit, 16, Ray, 12, Jesse, nine, and six-year-old Nicky, joined in with the musical workshops for groups of teenagers, some of them old enough to be in university education, others taking the equivalent of GCSEs.

The war has hit four million children, the vast majority of school students across the country. About 600,000 students are now learning remotely in Ukraine.

US President Donald Trump told how he had a 90-minute phone call with Russia ’s president Vladimir Putin on Wednesday. That led to a series of major announcements that could change the course of the war. Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky “agreed to maintain further contact and plan upcoming meetings”.

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