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Former This Morning presenter Fern Britton has opened up about her brutal sacking from a TV show after she dubbed her research ‘rubbish’

This Morning star Fern Britton has shed light on being axed from a programme, following her candid critique of a producer’s work.

In light of ITV slashing its daytime crew by half, out of a 440-strong force, Fern confessed that television is “not an easy industry”.

Chatting with the i newspaper’s 7 Days magazine, Fern recalled losing her role practically overnight after she challenged a certain producer’s approach. “I worked with a producer on a show years ago and she was giving me instructions that were utter nonsense,” Fern shared.

“I went, ‘This is rubbish. This isn’t any kind of research. This is all wrong.’ Within a week I was off that show.”

During her tenure at After Five in the mid-1990s, Fern welcomed her first child into the world. She bravely tackled her presenting duties while grappling with post-natal depression, and was ultimately dismissed after shedding tears during an emotional interview with a terminally ill cancer patient, reports the Manchester Evening News.

After the birth of her daughter Winnie, in 2001, Fern found herself co-hosting This Morning with John Leslie. She was bluntly advised to return to work almost immediately or risk losing her position.

Fern eventually left the show that she “loved,” reportedly after repeated clashes with John Leslie’s replacement Phillip Schofield.

Refuting claims that she left her TV programme due to salary disputes, she explained: “There was also a persistent rumour that I left because Phillip was being paid more than me and I always say to people ‘Why would I leave a show to go to nothing if I was worried about money?'”

While the precise reason for her departure remains unclear, in an interview with Ray D’Arcy, she hinted at an incident with co-host Phillip: “Something happened and I thought, ‘That’s it really’ and I walked away and resigned. I was treated pretty poorly, actually. And after a while I just thought, ‘Sod it’.”

Her experience on Strictly Come Dancing, at age 55, also brought its challenges, alleging mistreatment by her professional dance partner Artem Chigvintsev, who she claims “kicked and shoved” her.

“I remember once I burst into tears and sobbed that I wasn’t enjoying it. Artem’s response was, ‘You’re rubbish, that’s why you’re not enjoying it,’ so I picked myself up and ploughed on.”

She acknowledges the harsh realities of the television industry, especially for those behind the scenes: “It’s harder for the people behind [the cameras] because they’re having to deal with the budgets and with ‘upstairs’. Presenters, you’ve got to take it on the chin and you’re lucky to be there, really”.

While understanding the rationale behind major layoffs, Fern commented: “There are times when everything does need a reset. So maybe that’s it. Maybe they’re planning a reset.”

Now 67, Fern enjoys a tranquil life in Cornwall and has developed a successful second career as an acclaimed author. However, she hasn’t said goodbye to television entirely and is set to return with a new ITV series titled ‘Fern Britton: Inside the Vet’s’.

She elaborated on her upcoming project: “Every pet has their story and every owner has theirs, so I’m absolutely thrilled to be part of this new series for ITV. Animals have always been a huge love of mine and getting a behind-the-scenes look at the incredible work the veterinary team does every day has been a privilege.

The Inkey List is known for its affordable and effective skincare products, and they’re now even cheaper thanks to one major sale that’s slashed bundles down to as low as £7

When it comes to skincare, it’s not always true that more expensive equals better products. One brand that’s been making a case for affordable and accessible skincare is The Inkey List, which has become known for its budget-friendly beauty buys that really do work.

However, thanks to the huge beauty sale that Sephora is currently running, you can currently get The Inkey List’s skincare bundles even cheaper as the beauty retailer slashes them by 50%. With prices starting from as low as £7, you can pick up skincare sets to tackle everything from dry skin to breakouts, saving you plenty of money in the process.

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The most affordable The Inkey List set available on Sephora right now is the Healthy Skin Heroes Duo, which has been slashed from £14 to £7. Featuring two full sized bottles of the brand’s most iconic products, you’ll get the Oat Cleansing Balm and the Hyaluronic Acid Serum included in the set, giving you everything you need to hydrate and soothe your skin.

Gentle enough to be used in both your morning and evening skincare routines, the oat cleansing balm gently removes dirt and makeup from your skin. Once your skin is clean and makeup free, apply the hyaluronic acid serum directly afterwards to help lock in moisture and plump up your skin.

Other sets that have been slashed in price include the Spot on Duo, which is ideal for those who struggle with breakouts and blemishes. Normally priced at £14.50, you can now snap it up for £7.25, getting your hands on the hyaluronic acid serum and a packet of The Inkey List’s spot stickers for half the usual price.

If you want to top up your makeup bag too, you can also save on the Plump it Up Duo, which is down from £18 to £9. Featuring two tubes of the Tripeptide Lip Balms (which went viral last year for their impressive plumping results), the lip balms come in clear and a limited edition Mulberry Tint shade and promise to increase lip volume, leaving them looking fuller and healthier.

You can also head directly to The Inkey List’s website, where there’s plenty of other offers on bundles and sets, with some sets slashed by almost £20. Sephora also has plenty of other deals on skincare bundles, including brands like Caudalie, Clinique and Mario Badescu which all have discounts applied to them right now.

Over at LookFantastic you can also snag some great savings, with sets from brands like Liz Earle, Murad and Perricone MD slashed by up to 50%.

The face mask is designed with under-eye cooling pads to ensure every part of a user’s face is being treated

LED masks are all the rage in the beauty world and have been for some years. Two of the leading products on the market come from Shark and Current Body, the latter of which is on sale at Boots for £265, down from £299.99.

The CryoGlow Under-Eye Cooling & LED Anti-Ageing & Blemish Repair promises to deliver a multitude of skincare benefits,s. including de-puffing and tightening the undereyes, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles over time, and lessen the appearance of textured, uneven skin and blemishes.

The device is designed with ‘InstaChill Cold Technology’, which has two active cooling points to help firm, tighten, soothe, and depuff under-eyes. It features forehead and temple padding, adjustable straps, and silicone eye shields.

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The Shark LED mask has more than 400 reviews on Boots. Amazon has also price-matched Boots with the same reduction (£265). A Boots shopper credited it for its wrinkle-minimising abilities. They said: “I have been using the mask for two weeks on better ageing and can already see an improvement in my complexion.

“I feel my wrinkles have been plumped out, and my skin has a general glow. It is very easy to use.” They have one gripe, adding: “My only issue is that where the cooling eye pads sit under the eyes, the red light does not reach, and I, like most people, have under-eye lines which would benefit from red light.

“Also, I wish it had an attachment for the neck. Great product.”

Shark’s CryoGlow LED mask

£299.99

£265

Buy Now on Boots

For a cheaper option, LookFantastic is selling a StylPro’s Wavelength LED Face Mask for £99.99. It has four treatment modes that target a variety of skin concerns, such as smoothing and firming, and treating blemishes.

StylPro suggests its mask is suited to ‘mature skin’. Elsewhere, Yimbly is offering a Beautaholic’s Rejuvalux LED face mask for £129.99, down from £219.99.

Yimbly is a marketplace owned by The Mirror’s parent company Reach Plc, and shipping on a customer’s first order is free. The LED mask has seven LED colours that promise to ‘rejuvenate, clarify, and enhance’ the skin.

Back to Shark’s LED mask another Boots buyer has been using it for two months and says it’s ‘completely changed my skin’, adding: “At first, the most difficult part was remembering to use it, but after that, I realised that the more I used it, the more refreshed my skin looked and felt.

“I also noticed that it helped smooth out wrinkles over time.” An additional customer concluded: “I have had this for eight weeks now and I am so pleased with the results.