Category Entertainment News

Former Geordie Shore star Vicky Pattison opens up about her nerves ahead of the BBC show, which is due to kick off later this month

Strictly Come Dancing may prove tricky for Vicky Pattison as she will be ­suffering with more than just a contestant’s nerves. The reality star’s anxiety will be through the roof before anyone has even danced a step because of a health condition that brings on panic attacks, insomnia and exhaustion.

In 2023, Vicky was diagnosed with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), which can floor her physically and emotionally every month. But the plucky personality, who won 2015’s I’m a Celebrity and was a finalist on Celebrity MasterChef in 2019, is ready to give the BBC dance contest her best shot when it kicks off on Saturday.

Vicky, 37, first found fame on the MTV reality show Geordie Shore as cameras followed her “getting mortal” on wild nights out in Newcastle. But she says of Strictly: “It’s so out of my comfort zone… I’m not a performer. I’m a drinker, not a dancer. It’s been a long time since I’ve done the jungle and MasterChef, but Strictly definitely ups the ante on the anxiety front.”

Since she first appeared on Geordie Shore in 2011, the Newcastle-born star has gone on to become a panellist on Loose Women and bagged her own reality show, My Big Fat Geordie Wedding, which saw her marry partner Ercan Ramadan.

But being on Strictly is a fulfilling a dream for Vicky. She says: “You’ve got to get comfortable with being uncomfortable and when you’re in your late 30s, that’s hard to do. I feel so lucky to be asked. It was something that was on my vision board that I wanted to tick off, but I am scared. I don’t want to let anyone down – my partner, family or the viewers.”

Vicky also spoke out about living with PMDD, and how hugely supportive Strictly has been as she struggled through rehearsals. “It affects me in the 10 days before my period,” she admits. “That is panic attacks, anxiety, insomnia, exhaustion and in some moments, there can be suicidal thoughts. Like every woman dealing with it, I’m just riding the wave.

“There are moments I can be OK and be the bright, shiny version of myself that everyone expects, and then there are moments where I’m debilitated by it. Now, everything feels heightened and stressful. I’ve been burying my head in the sand a little bit saying it’s ages away, but it’s not. I’m learning as I go. Strictly take things into ­consideration.”

Vicky says show bosses have picked the perfect partner for her – a person who can help calm her nerves. He will be revealed on Saturday’s launch show. “They have found me someone that is kind and measured and patient and supportive,” she says. “There are people with big energy and that’s amazing, but that would have exacerbated how I was feeling.

“I hope that when I get the hang of it, I’ll be less nervous. I hope I’m blessed to be here long enough to get a few shows under my belt.”

Joining Vicky on the dancefloor are Doctor Who actress Alex ­Kingston, model Ellie Goldstein, Gladiators star Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and EastEnder Balvinder Sopal. YouTuber George Clarke, drag queen La Voix, rugby ace Chris Robshaw and The Apprentice’s Tom Skinner are also taking part.

The line-up is completed by Neighbours favourite Stefan Dennis, Lioness Karen Carney, ex-Emmerdale actor Lewis Cope, footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, reality star Dani Dyer and TV host Ross King. They will be judged by Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke.

Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Saturday for its launch show.

Kylie Kelce has opened up on why she decided against speaking out publicly about brother-in-law Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s engagement

Taylor Swift’s future sister-in-law failed to congratulate the pop superstar on her engagement to Travis Kelce, but has now explained her reasoning. The Shake It Off songstress and her NFL tight-end fiancé revealed last month that they are set to marry, leaving many across the globe sending them well wishes.

However, Travis’ sister, Kylie Kelce, wasn’t among them. And now the wife of Travis’ brother, Jason Kelce, has revealed it was a “conscious” decision.

Speaking on an episode of her ‘Not Gonna Lie’ podcast, she explained: “I have made a very conscious effort to not discuss Taylor and Travis on this podcast because news outlets, tabloids, and AI, quite frankly, like to post only the quotes that they grab from whatever I say in reference to them.”

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She went on: “And here’s where I think there is a disconnect. People do not realise that you at home, you have your family. And in your family, you might have a brother-in-law, and they might be dating someone. You might have a soon-to-be sister-in-law.

“But you have a relationship personally with them that no one else is involved in because it’s your relationship. And so I don’t need to come out here and make statements when I already talked to them. You see what I’m saying? “

She went on to admit she thinks it “goes without being said” that she is thrilled for the pair. “I am so incredibly happy for them. We are so excited that they are taking this next step.

“The girls [daughters Wyatt, Elliotte, and Bennett] are so excited to get another aunt. I am so truly happy for them, and I feel grateful that we get to welcome Taylor into our family in a more official capacity.”

However, she said that is their “private relationship,” meaning she doesn’t need to discuss it in the open. She admitted she can simply just text the pair with her messages rather than air it on her podcast.

Travis and Taylor announced their good news in August, two years after going public with their relationship. Their power relationship began in the summer of 2023 after the sports star attended Swift’s Eras Tour concert in Kansas City.

On his podcast at the time, the 35-year-old revealed that he had tried to give Taylor, also 35, a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it, but was unsuccessful in actually meeting her.

However, after talking privately the pair grew closer. And two years on, they released a joint statement to share their engagement news.

“Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married,” they said on social media. They also posted a TNT emoji.

In one sweet snap in the announcement, Taylor was seen crying as she hugged her now fiancé. For the proposal, Travis got down on one knee, surrounded by stunning flowers in a garden.

Sarah Cawood drew praise and support after she shared a heartbreaking post about feeling lost in middle age – and has now shared how Zoe Ball offered to help her

Sarah Cawood has opened up about the reaction she received while expressing her fear her life had hit a dead end – including a supportive message from TV and radio star Zoe Ball.

TV fans will know Sarah as an icon of the 1990s when she hosted a range of smash shows including Top of the Pops, Live and Kicking, and the MTV dating show Singled Out. The 53-year-old mum-of-two won support last week when she opened up on social media and shared her fear her career had peaked.

In a searingly honest post, she wrote: “Can I be really honest? For a minute? I’m 53, I’m healthy and I have a lovely family… But I feel lost.’

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She explained: “I made the mistake of doom-scrolling this morning and all my former peers are just SLAYING it… it’s hard to explain, but I just feel really…left out. It’s so silly to say that at 53, I feel jealous.”

She continued: “All my former TV buddies, plus new friends I’ve met here and they all seem to be at events with each other, working together and THRIVING. And here’s the thing: I couldn’t be more pleased or proud of those women but I miss them… and I miss being one of them.”

She then went on to explain the mundane household chores that she spends much of her days conducting, and expressed a concern that she is not earning enough money.

She went on: “I just feel so redundant. I want to build my own brand; maybe write a book using my old diaries, but I simply don’t have time: unless my time is spent on income-producing activities, I can’t do them: I’d work 24 hours a day and see no one.”

She went on to explain she had decided to share her feelings as an offer of support to others who may feel the same way. And added: “I HAD my time, and it was GREAT. So maybe I should just shut up and be grateful (I AM grateful I really am! My life is so lovely and I’m so lucky, I just want a little bit more: is that greedy?) Maybe the Universe has a different plan for me.”

The post drew hundreds of messages of support from followers – including Zoe Ball. In a column for The Sun, Sarah revealed: “I’ve always admired Zoe for the way she’s at the top of her game but still remains down-to-earth and one of us.

“Even though I worked with her friend Sara Cox on Channel 4’s The Girlie Show back in the 1990s – and have also presented Live & Kicking and Top of the Pops – I think we’ve only met in person once or twice.

She and Coxy hung out with the dance crowd back in the day but I was an indie girl, so our social circles didn’t really cross.”

She went on to reveal: “When I got breast cancer a few years ago, she sent me a beautiful DM. While I’d love to take up her offer and sit down for a natter, I don’t want to be that person who forces themselves on someone being kind.”

Zoe’s original post stated: “Oh darling S it’s not always as it may look from out there i promise. don’t be sad – although a good weep is such a good outlet and a must. if you ever want a cuppa.”

To which Sarah replied: “Thanks ZoZo! You are honestly one in a bloody million: treading that line between being on the telly and also, just like us! And we all love you for it! May take you up on that offer: just for a Ball Cuddle!”

Strictly Come Dancing star Thomas Skinner has revealed the devastating moment he informed his wife Sinead that he had cheated on her – just weeks after they tied the knot

Thomas Skinner has recalled one of the darkest moments of his life, when he was forced to admit to cheating on his wife Sinead just weeks after they tied the knot.

The 34-year-old businessman, who first rose to fame on The Apprentice and will appear on the new series of Strictly Come Dancing, said the guilt consumed him after what he described as a two-week fling.

The reality star revealed he met Amy-Lucy O’Rourke, 35, in a pub more than three years ago. “She was a single mum,” he recalled. “We chatted on the phone and she offered me some kind of cosmetic slimming treatments.”

According to Thomas, the encounter soon escalated but he admitted that it was the biggest mistake of his life going behind his wife’s back and cheating on her. “I had a fling. It was nothing more than that. It was the one time, it was a mistake. I woke up feeling absolutely terrible about it. I felt so guilty. I told my wife.”

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He admitted the short-lived affair was “the biggest mistake of my life,” and described the devastating moment he confessed to Sinead, whom he had married just weeks earlier.

Speaking to The Sun, Thomas said: “I let her down in that brief moment of madness where I wasn’t thinking, where I didn’t appreciate what I had. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

Thomas and Sinead first met in a London bar in 2018 and got engaged two years later. By the time of the fling in 2022, they were already parents to a son, now four. Their family has since grown with the arrival of identical twin daughters, now two.

Despite the betrayal, Thomas said his wife stood by him and insisted that they are now better than ever. “My wife is the best thing that’s ever happened. I’m so lucky she forgave me. It was the worst thing I’ve ever had to do. It was terrible. I’m a very, very open book, and I don’t hide anything from my wife. She was obviously distraught, upset. Didn’t think I’d do that to her. When I told my wife, I fully understood if she was to never speak to me again.”

The east London entrepreneur admitted that the affair was entirely his fault, acknowledging that such a brief lapse in judgment almost cost him everything.

He reflected on the aftermath with deep regret, describing that period as one of the darkest points in their relationship. Although he and Sinead have since rebuilt and become stronger as a couple, he said the pain he caused her is something he will always carry.

He credited her kindness and resilience for keeping their family together, saying he owes much of who he is today to her support. Calling her the foundation of his life, he admitted he had been selfish and is profoundly grateful for her forgiveness, knowing she never deserved the hurt he caused.

“I’m an idiot for doing that. My wife is my rock. She’s the person I adore more than anything in the world. And I let her down. I’m ashamed. I’m so fortunate my wife’s forgiven me. She didn’t deserve it. I was a selfish person,” he insisted.

Despite the ordeal, Thomas says he and Sinead are determined to move forward, with family life at the heart of everything.

He has since described Sinead as his “Super Sensible” partner and insists she has been his anchor through both his personal mistakes and his professional highs.

The Mirror has approached Thomas’ representatives for comment on this story.

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A popular Love Island couple are reported to have split months after leaving the ITV2 dating show together after going their separate ways at the National Television Awards

Love Island finalists Yasmin Pettet and Jamie Rhodes have reportedly confirmed their relationship is over just weeks after leaving the villa together. The duo had been attending this year’s National Television Awards, but are said to have gone their separate ways after the glitzy bash.

Prior to the event getting underway at the O2 Arena in London, the couple posed for pictures on the red carpet. They were seen with their arms wrapped around each other with smiles on their faces, but it seems all did not end well.

Instead, it’s claimed Jamie told friends Yasmin had “f***ed off” near the end of the night. And sources claim she had also been seen holding hands with The Traitors star Freddie Fraser before seemingly giving her man the slip.

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According to The Sun the couple have confirmed their split. It comes after they had won the hearts of the public with what appeared to be an authentic connection.

A source told the publication that Yasmin told Freddie the pair needed to “go somewhere private, no one can see”. And it’s said Jamie had lamented Yasmin’s disappearing act.

Another partygoer at the event told the outlet: ““Yasmin and Jamie weren’t together at the party a lot at all, compared to Harry and Shakira and Cach and Toni, who were glued to each other’s sides.

“Then I saw her holding hands with Freddie and pulling him away. She said, ‘We need to go somewhere private, no one can see.’”

“I was totally shocked because I loved them on the show and they seemed like the best connection.”

The comments were a far cry from their interaction earlier in the night. Before the awards ceremony began, Yasmin told reporters the pair were “really good”.

“I mean, we get to come here, to something like this, together tonight, which is incredible,” she said. “The whole band is going to be here as well. I think we’re going to have a great time.”

Just weeks ago, Yasmin had revealed she and Jamie had not yet been intimate following their time in the Spanish villa. The ITV2 icon was heartbroken after leaving the show as her beloved cat Miaow Miaow passed away while she was filming.

And earlier last month, Yasmin said: “As I’ve spoken about her on the show, I’m sure a lot of you will know I have a cat called miaow miaow who’s been by my side for 11 years now.

“When I was filming Love Island I had a bad gut feeling something was off and when my mum and sister came into the villa I asked them and still felt like something was off.”

The star admitted she had been grieving the loss and praised Jamie for providing her with emotional support. She also revealed the pair believed there was ‘no rush’ in their romance.

“I’ve been going through grief and Jamie will just sit there when I cry on him,” Yas said to The Sun. “I’ve taken a lot of time to process my emotions, so Jamie and I haven’t been intimate yet.”

“He’s so patient. He’s never rushed that, because he knows it will happen at the right time.”

Former Love Island contestant Andrew Le Page has hinted that he has found new love with a real estate agent in the Middle East following his split from Tasha Ghouri

Love Island star Andrew Le Page has hinted he has found new love – eight months after he split from reality star girlfriend Tasha Ghouri. He has teased a new romance with a real estate agent who lives in the United Arab Emirates.

The 30-year-old TV hunk – who found fame on the ITV reality show in 2022 during the eight season of the show – shared a flirty clip of himself with a woman named Millie Cleland on social media. The stunning brunette works for the White & Co Real Estate firm in Dubai.

Over the weekend, Andrew and Millie enjoyed a romantic meal out together where they sipped wine. In a very brief clip shared on Instagram Stories, the pair clinked glasses at the Eva Beach Restaurant and Beach Club in Dubai’s Palm Islands.

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Andrew flashed a winning smile while sat opposite Millie wearing a simple white vest. And the pair appeared to party into the night as they shared video clips of people dancing and singing together at the luxury venue.

The upbeat scenes come after Andrew and Love Island co-star Tasha, 27, split at the beginning of the year. He had cheered her on last autumn and winter when she took part in the 2024 season of Strictly Come Dancing.

But the romance collapsed soon after the 2024 season ended and while Tasha was on the road as part of the Strictly Live tour.

The Sun previously reported that busy schedules tore the romance apart after almost three years. A source claimed: “Tasha was madly in love with Andrew but the cracks started to show when she appeared on Strictly.

“She gave her all in that competition. Her focus was purely on her dances with Aljaz and that drove a wedge between them as time went by. They talked about ending their relationship at the start of January and she’s pretty much heading out on the Strictly tour as a single woman.”

The following month, the couple confirmed the relationship was over – with Andrew taking to Instagram Stories to address rumours they had split.

He wrote, alongside a selfie: “End of an era. So guys it’s been a pretty start to the year and one I didn’t expect. However life goes on and I’m doing everything in my power to say positive

“All the support has meant the world. I’ve cried more this year than I have my whole life.” He added: “Back to Guernsey now… I’ll be back.”

While Tasha wrote on Snapchat: “Hi everyone. Just on a walk. I know a lot of you are asking me a lot of questions and want to know what has been going on. I won’t be speaking on the situation – it’s a private side of my life which I’m still dealing with internally and mentally.

“It’s private for me and as much as I do want to share it with you all, one day I will, but I’m still processing everything that has happened and going on. I hope you can all understand on why I’ve not spoken out on the situation.”