Category Entertainment News

In a tragic twist following the untimely death of Liam Payne last October, it’s emerged the former One Direction star left no will – leaving his ex Cheryl Tweedy and a top industry lawyer in charge of sorting out his multi-million-pound estate.

The singer, who shared son Bear with Cheryl, reportedly left behind an estate worth £24.3 million – and now legal experts say the lack of a formal will could pave the way for potential challenges.

Craig Ridge, a contentious probate lawyer at Higgs LLP, told The Mirror exactly what’s happening with Liam’s fortune, and what might come next.

What’s happening to Liam’s estate?

“Liam Payne’s fortune left behind is reportedly worth £24.3 million,” Mr Ridge explains. “Alongside his successful music career, he has co-owned and co-founded various ventures, including music publishing and real estate companies.

“It has been reported that more than half of his fortune is set to go to his son, Bear, though details about the remaining portion of the estate have not been confirmed.”

READ MORE: Liam Payne’s girlfriend Kate makes candid mental health admission amid inheritance dramaREAD MORE: Cheryl ‘makes huge decision’ for son Bear about Liam Payne’s fortune

What about Bear’s inheritance?

Liam’s young son, Bear – who he shared with former Girls Aloud singer Cheryl – is now expected to inherit the bulk of his father’s estate. But as Mr Ridge explains, that doesn’t mean the child will gain immediate access to the cash.

“In the UK, the minimum age to legally inherit directly is 18,” Ridge says. “Assets for a minor beneficiary are held on trust until they reach that age.

“However, if there is a will, then depending upon how that will is drafted, the testator can seek to create a situation whereby a beneficiary or beneficiaries must reach a certain age beyond 18 to potentially access their inheritance.

Could Liam’s estate be challenged?

While Liam wasn’t married at the time of his death, his girlfriend Kate Cassidy may still have grounds to claim part of the fortune, Mr Ridge warns – especially given that no legal will was left.

“As Liam has not left a will, with UK intestacy rules, his son Bear will most likely claim the entire estate as there is no spouse or siblings,” Mr Ridge explains.

“However, this can be contested on certain grounds, which can often be the case in substantial estates, as seen with high-profile figures like Michael Jackson’s will, Nelson Mandela’s, J. Howard Marshall II and Jimi Hendrix.

“Disputes often arise when individuals feel they have been unfairly excluded or believe they received less than they need.”

So could Kate Cassidy challenge the estate?

“Under UK law, individuals who were financially dependent on the deceased may have grounds to claim reasonable financial provision, even if they are not married,” says Mr Ridge.

“This means that his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, could potentially be considering a claim. Such claims are complex and subject to many legal conditions and evidential requirements.

“The challenge would need to be initiated within six months of the Grant of Letters of Administration, so time is a critical factor here.”

With such a sizeable estate and a high-profile name, Mr Ridge warns that without a will, disputes are almost inevitable.

David Beckham has seemingly turned to social media to hint he has his eldest son on his mind after weeks of reports he is clashing with his firstborn and his daughter-in-law

David Beckham has seemingly attempted to connect with his eldest son via social media amid reports of a feud within the family. Fans of the fame hungry family will be aware the rumours and reports of a rift between Brooklyn, 26, and his billionaire heiress wife Nicola Peltz, 30, have been simmering since their 2022 marriage.

While at first there were tales of tension between Nicola and former Spice Girl mother-in-law Victoria Beckham – which they later appeared to try to silence by supporting each other both online and at events and fashion shows in real life – things took a turn in recent weeks when it was implied Brooklyn had clashed with younger brother Romeo Beckham, 22, and his choice of girlfriend; Kim Turnbull, 24.

Evidence of tension hit new heights last week when Brooklyn a his wife appeared to snub David’s 50th birthday celebrations by skipping parties in the UK and France and by failing to pay tribute to his landmark year on social media. Now there is evidence that David is desperately trying to connect to Brooklyn online.

On Sunday, America celebrated Mother’s Day – almost a month and a half after the annual holiday was marked in the UK. Despite being from the UK, David seized upon the symbolic holiday to share a photo of wife Victoria with all four of their children.

The former footballer shared a vintage snap of Vicky with daughter Harper Seven back when she was a baby laying on her chest – while Brooklyn, Romeo and third son Cruz flanked the singer-turned-designer on either side.

He captioned the image: “Happy Mother’s Day to the best mommy. To all our friends in the U.S. Happy Mother’s Day.” He also noticeably tagged his sons – including Brooklyn. Fans have surmised that the footballer may be trying to send a message to his son via his Mother’s Day post.

The Mirror has contacted representatives of both David and Brooklyn for comment. The latest update comes hours after Brooklyn appeared to confront reports of tension between him and his dad in a weekend newspaper interview.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, the social media influencer explained that watching Formula E racing brings him closer to his dad. He told the outlet: “It’s something that me and my dad bonded over. My dad’s had some pretty cool cars.”

A feud is said to have sparked between the eldest Beckham offspring and the rest of the clan after Romeo Beckham started dating Kim Turnball – who was previously romantically linked to Brooklyn a few years ago. Since the claims, Brooklyn has snubbed paying tribute to his parents David, 50, and Victoria, 51, on their birthdays and missed out on their celebrations.

A source has claimed: “There has been no call, no contact, nothing. As parents, David and Victoria are concerned for their son and they have tried to get in touch but he isn’t interested.

“David even tried through social media last Monday because he fears that his son won’t know that he and Victoria love him so dearly otherwise,” they added to the Daily Mail.

David is said to have shared how he missed his son during a birthday fishing trip to Scotland, after reaching out to him on social media but, it has been said that Brooklyn “isn’t interested at all” despite his parents’ attempts to let him know “they are all there for him when he’s ready to talk”.

Meanwhile, it has been claimed that there are beliefs that Brooklyn’s wife Nicola Peltz, who wed in April 2022, “must be behind” the family fallout.

Around the time Nicola and Brooklyn wed, rumours of a feud between the American actress and fashion designer Victoria have been swirling. Nicola’s friends recently claimed “emotional abuse and toxic behaviour” are the reasons behind the fallout. However, David and Victoria reject the claims and are outraged by the suggestions.

A source close to the Beckhams recently told the Mirror: “I don’t think anyone who has ever seen David and Victoria with their children would recognise this deeply unpleasant attack. It doesn’t even warrant a response it’s so ludicrous and patently untrue.”

Molly-Mae Hague has proved her rekindled romance with Tommy Fury is the real deal as she goes Instagram official. The Love Island star, 25, proudly showed off her family in the snap on social media.

She kissed Tommy on the lips as he held their daughter Bambi in his arms. The trio tucked into ice creams on their sunny day out together as a reunited family.

Molly-Mae revealed to fans that her romance was back on with her former fiancé in her Amazon Prime series. The fan-favourite couple shocked fans last summer when they announced their split.

They had met on Love Island back in 2019 and went on to build their dream life together, welcoming daughter Bambi in 2023. However, things came crashing down when they released split statements on their social media in August.

After sharing their reunion with fans, Molly-Mae posted a candid response to her documentary. She said: “I’m so overwhelmed by the response to the last three episodes of ‘Molly-Mae: Behind it all’.

“Opening up again wasn’t any easier than the first time… I was so nervous to share more but seeing how much it’s resonated with people has meant everything to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart… PS. Do you want more?”

Speaking in a new episode of her Prime Video docuseries, Behind It All Part II, Molly-Mae spoke candidly about her relationship with Tommy following their split, saying that “things are looking so much better”.

Speaking in the sixth episode of her docuseries, the influencer shared an update on her relationship which she described was “worth saving”. She also shared her concerns for the future and that she does not want to rush anything with Tommy but to take “things slow”.

Molly-Mae said: “I love Tommy so much and I love our family so much that I’m willing to ride the wave. And that’s not something that everyone wants to do, but it’s something that I’m willing to do because I want my family.”

“He’s just really different these days. Obviously, he knows it’s the drink. He’s not drank now for what, four months? I don’t think the drinks gone away forever. Do I think that drink could still be a problem for us, potentially? Yeah, but I think the break-up showed Tommy that I’m serious. He’s just really different these days.”

She also spoke her recent secret holiday with Tommy and Bambi that she described as “picture perfect”. “Dubai was picture perfect, like it was just the best trip ever,” Molly-Mae gushed.

“It literally just felt like everything I wanted it to be, and more. It was exactly what we needed. All the noise of everyone, just like it just switched off everyone’s opinions. Nothing mattered. It was just like us in our bubble.”

She insisted: “Things are looking so much better for us. I’m gonna start spending more time at Tommy’s house, keeping things slow and not rushing anything.

“But, as always, I always say I don’t know what the future holds. I don’t think it’s gonna be a plain sailing future. I don’t, that’s just me being honest. I think we’re still gonna have bumps.

“The dream is still the same that, you know, we’ll get to a place one day when we will all be happy in that house together and have more children, hopefully, and just have a really nice, happy life together. That’s all I’ve ever wanted for us.”

However, Molly-Mae added: “I don’t want to get too excited, but I’m getting glimmers of what I always wanted, which is, my family. I know that we have got something completely worth saving but you never know what’s around the corner.”

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Katie Price snuggled up close with five of her favourite pets over the weekend and shared a cute snap of her cats and dogs – hours after leaving fans concerned by a pet video

Katie Price has proudly shown off five of her pets after sparking alarm over the way she cares for some of her wildlife. The 46-year-old mum-of-five has attracted unwanted attention over the years over the fact animals have died in her care.

But over the weekend, the glamour model was celebrating some of her favourite furry friends as she took to social media to show off the pets that she loves and cares for. Taking to Instagram Stories, she shared a photo of her three hairless Sphynx cats and two dogs all snuggled together.

She added a simple caption to the image, writing: “My babies.” The new image came just hours after she sparked outrage by sharing a video clip of a dog hanging out the window of a car.

She captioned the video clip, shared via Snapchat, to write: “Anyone else have a pet like this?” The simple post attracted a wall of anger from followers who expressed concern for the pooch, however.

Among complainers is the animal charity People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) – who slammed the star for sharing her video on social media. A spokesperson told The Sun: “While it’s wonderful for dogs to enjoy the great outdoors and lovely when guardians include them on suitable outings, it can be damned dangerous to have the car window lowered enough for them to jump or fall out.”

Highlighting the risks to the dog, the spokesperson said: “A sudden stop, sharp turn, or tempting distraction can quickly turn a fun trip into a tragedy.”

The latest intervention from Peta comes after they previously offered to pay her thousands of pounds to stop buying pets. Offering the glamour model £5,000, they said in a past statement: “things have gone horribly wrong with many of the animals under her supervision.”

In June 2023, Katie’s German Shepherd Blade was struck on the busy A24, close to her home in East Sussex. Sharing her grief at the time, she wrote in an online post: “Words can’t express the lost of my best friend my protector my absolutely everything who had sadly passed away today. I have no words to say how I’m feeling but numb and shocked rip Blade.”

Six months earlier, her pet Pomeranian Sharon was killed, reportedly in a horror crash on the same road. And the year before that, Katie’s Alsatian Queenie, a present from her ex Kieran Hayler, was allegedly hit by a pizza delivery driver.

She wrote on social media at the time: “I’m absolutely devastated… she was killed by a heartless delivery driver who ran into our dog seeing her struggle and drove off without telling and left her to die.”

Another Alsatian belonging to the star was killed on the A24 in 2020 – but it’s not just dogs that have died in tragic circumstances. A horse was also killed on the busy road in 2017 when it escaped from a field.

In July 2020, French bulldog Rolo died after getting stuck under an electric armchair. The pet had been a present for Katie’s daughter, Princess Andrei’s 13th birthday and the mum called what happened a ‘freak accident’.

The glamour model attempted to revive the pet before rushing him to the vet, where she learned it was sadly too late. “There was nothing they could do, but they did say he wouldn’t have died in pain, it was quick,” she explained on YouTube at the time.

Emily Atack gave a nod to her role in Rivals at the BAFTAs with her 80s-inspired white maxi dress and leather gloves – and we’ve tracked down a £55 version on sale

When Jilly Cooper’s book Rivals was turned into a series last year, it was an instant hit, with Emily Atack becoming a stand out star for her role as Sarah Stratton. With her opening scene up for a BAFTA nomination at this year’s awards ceremony, it was only right that the actress gave a nod to her role in the series with an 80s-inspired look.

Emily wore a floor length white gown that looks to be Alex Perry’s Asymmetric Draped Crêpe Gown, which costs £2135 (though you can currently save 10% on it with the code FIRST10), which she paired with some elbow length black leather gloves – the perfect nod to the 80s. For fans coveting Emily’s look but want something a little more budget-friendly, we found the perfect alternative thanks to Karen Millen’s Premium Viscose Jersey Ruched Maxi Dress.

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Usually priced at £169, the Karen Millen dress currently has a huge 60% discount, knocking the price down to £68. Plus, you can get an extra 20% off using the code SALE20, taking it down to £54.40 – not too shabby for a red carpet-worthy look.

Just like Emily’s designer gown, the Karen Millen Ruched Maxi Dress has a figure-hugging silhouette, with long sleeves and a high neck. It also features flattering ruching and draping around the waist, with a detachable white and silver belt. By simply removing the belt, you’ll get a very similar streamlined look to Emily’s gown, with the draping mirroring that gathered details of her Alex Perry dress.

It’s currently still available in sizes XS to large, and you can also pick it up in black if you prefer a darker colour. It does differ from Emily’s in some ways – it’s made of jersey, rather than crepe, and has a more wearable ankle length cut rather than a floor length one, which makes it easier to move around in.

If you prefer a floor-length fit, this Rat & Boa Rodeo Dress is £295 and is a true maxi length, with the hemline gently pooling on the floor in an elegant drape. The design is more simple, though, with less draping and no thigh split, but it does have a similar neckline to Emily’s with a more rounded boat-style neck.

It also has a very dramatic draped cowl back, that bares some skin to balance the full length and long sleeve design. Club L’s Victoria White Long-Sleeve Maxi Dress With Wrap Skirt, £75, also has a similar look to Emily’s gown, with a wrap design and dramatic thigh split, and comes in white, black and olive green.

The pièce de résistance of Emily’s look is, of course, her leather gloves, and we’ve even managed to track down an affordable version of these if you want to go all out replicating her outfit. The QECEPEI Women’s Long Leather Gloves are currently on sale down from £36.99 to £32.99 and are made from genuine lambskin leather with a soft velvet lining that makes them comfortable to wear. They even have a touch screen feature, so you can use your smart phone whilst wearing them.

With the second season of Rivals beginning filming this month it won’t be too much longer to wait until it’s back on our screens – so you better get your 80s-inspired outfits sorted now.