Ruth Langsford has opened up about her time on Strictly Come Dancing, revealing that she frequently felt “really rubbish” and would “always burst into tears” behind-the-scenes.
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Ruth Langsford admitted to ‘bursting into tears’ plenty of times during Strictly(Image: BBC1 )
Ruth Langsford has disclosed that whilst her former dance partner Anton Du Beke may appear to be “a laugh”, there’s another side to his character that Strictly Come Dancing fans might not recognise.
In an exclusive chat, the former This Morning presenter confessed that she frequently felt “really rubbish” backstage, as she measured herself against other competitors, including Debbie McGee and Gemma Atkinson, who had advanced to become “so good” on the dance floor.
Luckily, Ruth had the backing of Strictly professional-turned-judge Anton, who provided a shoulder to lean on during her difficult moments, describing their bond as “the best thing” to emerge from her time on the BBC programme.
The Loose Women host revealed: “I always want people to know that, Anton’s such a laugh – he’s laugh, laugh, laugh – but he’s the kindest man.”
As the show progressed, Ruth continued, “I was always bursting into tears because it gets difficult and everyone is so good, and then I would feel really bad because I would think, “I can’t do it.” And he’d go, ‘ you’re fine'”.
He never criticized me, but he was just fun, and in fact, sometimes we’d step and he’d say, “that’s good,” and I’d go, “oh thanks,” and he said, “it’s not what I taught you, but it’s good!” And he was the only one who laughed” .
Ruth later made it known that Anton had the perfect technique for easing her nerves in the rehearsal room.
She recalled that if he ever said, “No, no, because we’re supposed to be going right,” and then he looked at me and yelled, “right, come on, cup of tea!” as I was about to cry, he would be like, “oh no!” The nicest man, to be honest.
Ruth was also brimming with praise for Anton’s abilities as part of Strictly’s judging panel, where he has been seated alongside Craig Revel Horwood, Shirley Ballas and Motsi Mabuse since 2021.
However, Anton’s elevation on Strictly means he won’t be able to compete anymore, which Ruth believes is the only drawback because she would like to “have another go” with her mate along with her.
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She remarked, “Let me try again with Anton!” Because he is a judge, I can’t right now.
I’m so happy that he’s a judge, he’s a very good judge, but I’m always told to, “I think they should let you have another go, I think I’d do it better!” ‘”.
On their Staying Relevant podcast, Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystal recently exchanged a passionate on-stage kiss at London’s O2 Arena. The pair spoke about the incident with close friend Sam Thompson.
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Pete Wicks has set the record straight on what was viewed by one fan as an “aggressive” kiss(Image: WireImage)
Pete Wicks has set the record straight on what was viewed by one fan as an “aggressive” kiss with Strictly Come Dancing’s Jowita Przystal. In a recent chat with co-host and close pal Sam Thompson on the Staying Relevant podcast, Pete discussed his passionate on-stage kiss with his former Strictly dance partner, Jowita, during a dance at London’s O2 Arena.
In the episode, Pete read an email from a fan named Kyla, who dubbed the O2 event “great” but described how she’d been left feeling “slightly traumatised” as she revealed her 82-year-old nan’s reaction to the scenes.
She explained that her nan has always thought of Pete as attractive, and, having been shown Pete and Jowita’s dance on TikTok, she shared a surprisingly candid wish.
When Pete read Kyla’s email, he responded, “Why can’t he be that aggressive with me?” I’d like that Mr. Peter Wicks would give me. Although I understand your comments about MILFS, perhaps this is a step further.
In his response, Pete remarked that age is “nothing but a number,” but that he was likely to “break her” and even “snap her like a wishbone” if he had been acting aggressively with her nan. She would, he added, “die happy” of course.
Later, Pete stated that she was pleased that the moment was “nice” and that it was “nice” to appeal to various ages.
Sam then discussed the “aggressive” kiss in detail. He continued, “It wasn’t an aggressive kiss, though.” By the way, it was choreography, that kiss, I believe it resembled a choreo. That should be made known right away, in my opinion.
Pete responded, “Ok, that was a part of the choreography.”
The incident occurred on September 19 when Pete and Sam put on a live edition of their podcast at the O2. During the proceedings, Pete and Jowita performed a dance they’d planned for the Strictly final before they were sadly eliminated.
In the routine, performed to Kaleo’s Way Down We Go, Jowita fell into Pete’s arms after being held in the air by silks. Ultimately, the duo kissed three times during the performance, and the crowd burst into cheers.
Since then, the moment has been doing the rounds on TikTok, with fans reportedly dubbing it a ‘hard launch’ and confirmation of an official romance. Meanwhile, a clip of Sam and Peter waving was posted on the podcast’s Instagram page.
“From two guys who didn’t know each other to two best mates headlining the O2,” the title read.
Thank you for allowing me to participate in the show, Jowita replied. Love your team.
Although mother Paris may have been surprised by Veenezuela Fury’s shock engagement at her 16th birthday party, she is now going all in to make her daughter’s wedding the biggest and best it can be.
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Paris was shocked at daughter Venezuela’s engagement but is now excited at starting some serious wedding planning(Image: Instagram/parisfury1)
Venezuela Fury was left stunned after her boyfriend dropped to one knee during her 16th birthday party and popped the question. But if the 16-year-old was surprised by the gesture, then mum Paris was even more astonished by Noah Price’s out-of-the-blue proposal.
The mother-of-seven is famous for keeping her cool, but later admitted she was “in shock” at the engagement. However, now the dust has settled, sources exclusively tell OK! that Paris is already looking forward to planning a lavish, no-expense-spared wedding.
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Paris was shocked when the engagement took place, but according to our insider, she is thrilled and excited about the wedding. They “are throwing everything at it,” they claim. They don’t act in a coma, and their family is everything.
Despite Venezuela’s age, mum Paris, 35, and dad, Tyson, 37, are said to be unfazed by the prospect of their eldest daughter tying the knot. Marrying young is common practice within the traveller community and Paris herself was just 19 when she wed 21-year-old Tyson back in 2008. And as fans of the family’s hit Netflix reality show, At Home With The Furys, will know, Paris and her clan don’t really ‘do’ understated.
Our source claims that Paris wants to showcase the kind of party she can throw together. They don’t care what other people think, and it’s going to be the biggest event. They are unconcerned about whether people believe it to be overdone, tacky, or that they have spent too much on it. She wants the best and most glamorous knees-ups possible with the utmost glitz and glamour.
Venezuela and Noah can legally tie the knot when she turns 18; however, our insider says the couple won’t wait. According to our source, “they’re from the traveller community, and that’s how they do things,” and that’s how they encourage young people to get married and maintain their relationships with their parents, just like Paris did with Tyson.
She was raised in Paris, and she met Tyson when she was a young woman. It is a combination of family and cultural tradition. They are happy as long as Venezuela is happy, they are happy regardless of what others say.
Paris has previously expressed her hopes for the future of her eldest daughter. In 2023, she declared, “I want her to do whatever makes her happy.” I’d be proud of Venezuela if she pursued a business career. She continued, “I’d support her if she wants to have a partner in life and marry young.”
Little is known about up-and-coming boxer Noah’s background, although he is believed to be a little older than his new fiancée, who has 212k Instagram followers and a burgeoning social media career. The outspoken teen was a hit with viewers when At Home With The Furys first launched two years ago, with fans lapping up her fiery exchanges with mum Paris.
In one heated moment, when asked about her career plans, she memorably said she just wanted to “sit at home”, adding, “Being deadly serious now, I don’t have a plan. I don’t want to do anything, from the bottom of my heart.” During another spat, Paris branded her daughter “a privileged little brat” after she confessed she planned to “sponge off” the family’s fortune.
Venezuela, who still resides in her parents’ £1.7 million home in Morecambe, Lancs, has also engaged in conflict with her heavyweight boxing father, who forbids her from wearing short skirts, OTT makeup, and false eyelashes. She famously said, “Strict parents raise sneaky kids.”
Paris previously told OK! about the difficulties of parenting. No one has the ideal parenting solution, according to the magazine “Nobody’s Got It.” Only the way I go about doing things actually works for us.
Fans divided after Venezuela’s engagement video went viral, with many claiming that she was too young to settle down. However, her devoted father showed up to support her and clap back at the critics by sharing a clip about how marriage convention has changed over the years.
“Five hundred years ago, people got married at the age of 18 and lived together until death.” The voiceover for the video said that today, couples wait until 30 to get married and get divorced within three years.
In fact, Venezuela seems to be very much following in her parents’ footsteps. They first met when Paris was 15 and Tyson was 17 at a mutual friend’s wedding and began dating a year later.
In Doncaster, South Yorkshire, the couple wed in 2008 at St. Peter-in-Chains Catholic Church. And they have since recited their vows twice: once in New York in April 2013 and once more in the South of France in August.
Paris, who has three daughters and four sons with her husband, believes getting hitched early is a key component of their success after sharing the details of their 16-year marriage.
We met when we were young, and we fell in love, which is really heartfelt, she said, “but I think that’s what really helps.” My mother would say, “You’ll sort it out because you love one another,” if she saw our argument.
Wechatting is important, they say. Even if it’s about things I don’t like, I’ll listen to him talk about anything. And he understands my complaints. It’s crucial to have each other’s back when you’re fighting back against each other. I have no doubts that he will be there if I need him.
Let’s hope that Noah and Venezuela share a similar strong bond.
As the possibility of halting the two-year genocidal assault appears close, Hamas’ partial acceptance of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to end Israel’s war on Gaza has been tinged with hope, including from key mediators.
The Palestinian organization stated late on Friday that it was prepared to release all of the Palestinians’ held prisoners and give control to other Palestinians, but that additional discussions were necessary.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received “shock” from Trump after Hamas demanded that Israel “immediately stop bombing Gaza” and that he insisted Hamas be ready for “lasting peace.”
Later, Netanyahu’s office announced that the military was “preparing for the immediate implementation of the Trump plan for the release of all the hostages.”
A source at the Nasser Medical Complex told Al Jazeera on Saturday that an Israeli drone strike on a tent in al-Mawasi, southern Gaza, resulted in the death of two children and the injuries of several others.
The deaths are the first confirmed Palestinian deaths in Gaza since Trump’s order to “immediately” stop Israel’s bombing of the area was approved by Hamas.
The Israeli leader’s office added that it would continue to work with the US president to “end the war in accordance with the principles set out by Israel,” a likely nod to the White House’s decision to change its original strategy.
There are still some significant issues. Hamas’ key demand, which was included in Trump’s plan, was not made mention of disarming.
What some nations around the world have said in the comments section below:
Qatar
The Gulf country, which has been at the center of the negotiations on Gaza, welcomed Hamas’s announcement to “agree to President Trump’s plan and its willingness to release all hostages as part of the exchange framework outlined in the plan.”
Majed al-Ansari, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, said on X: “We also affirm our support for the statements the president made that a quick ceasefire should be established to facilitate the safe and quick release of hostages and put an end to the bloodshed of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.”
Egypt
Egypt, another important player, stated that it hoped for a “positive development” and that it would work with Arab states, the US, and other European nations to achieve a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Turkiye
The Palestinian group’s response, according to the Turkish government, “offers an opportunity for the immediate establishment of a ceasefire in Gaza.”
Islamic Jihad in Palestine
The PIJ claims that Hamas’ statement is consistent with other Palestinian organizations’ positions. In a brief statement on Telegram, the PIJ claimed to have “reached responsible participation in the consultations that led to this decision.”
Nations Unified
According to spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the parties to “seize the opportunity to bring the tragic conflict in Gaza to an end” and praised the Hamas statement.
India
Trump’s “leadership” and “decisive progress” have been praised by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi tagged the US President’s X accounts in a post on social media, saying: “Indications of the release of hostages mark a significant step forward. India will continue to support all efforts to bring about a just and lasting peace.
Malaysia
The United States’ peace plan, according to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, is not perfect, and many of its provisions are even in disagreement with us. Our top priority is, however, to save the lives of the Palestinian people, he said, adding that the support from Arab and Islamic nations “is a collective step to end the bloodshed, reject expulsion, and give the people of Gaza the opportunity to return to their homeland.” “A ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages are in your hands”!
France
President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X, joining a chorus of hopeful European reactions to Hamas’s response. “The release of all hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza are within reach! Hamas’ commitment must be followed up without delay. We now have the opportunity to make decisive progress towards peace. France will play its full part in line with its efforts at the Nations Unified, alongside the United States, Israelis and Palestinians, and all of its international partners. I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump and his team for their commitment to peace.”
Germany
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Trump’s “call upon both sides” was “the best chance for peace” in the conflict and that Germany “fully supports” it.
Chelsea and Liverpool will face off at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with the Reds hoping to recover from successive defeats.
A certain Liverpool captain’s error contributed to a 2-0 victory for Chelsea in a huge match in the title race in April 2014.
For the Saturday starting line-ups quiz this week, we’ve chosen that match.
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A groundbreaking television series that chronicled the club’s turbulent 1996-97 campaign has come to mind now that Sunderland has returned to the Premier League. It attempted to capture the changing nature of football while also causing heartache.
“Men against boys”, railed an incensed Peter Reid as his Sunderland side trailed visitors Wimbledon by two goals at half-time of their December 1996 match.
“Throughout the pitch,” “all. Weak, he continued, leaving the dressing room after urging his guests to “get on with it.”
Only a few minutes into the first episode of Premier Passions, the expletive-filled diatribe provided an eye-opening introduction for viewers of BBC One.
Reid continues to cite that rant as saying, “Every now and then, you’ve got to get into players.” However, it wouldn’t work if you practiced it every week. I’m not that stupid.
When I see the lads, I still laugh at it despite how brutal it looks.
Images courtesy of Getty
The television program, which aired in February and March 1998, also covered how to capitalize on the commercial opportunities opening up as the game’s top flight, then known as the Premiership, gained acclaim as the club prepared to leave its adored Roker Park home after nearly a century.
When a letter from the BBC proposing the production landed on the desk of Lesley Callaghan, the club’s head of PR, she and the board saw it as an opportunity to document a “historic moment”.
After the Taylor report regarding the Hillsborough tragedy, it seemed like something significant was happening with the expansion of the Premier League, TV deals, and the construction of new grounds. It gave me an opportunity to participate in that.
” We all felt there would never be a bigger story to tell. Everyone put in a lot of effort to help the club and the city.
The club floated on the London Stock Exchange to raise money for the Stadium of Light, which was being constructed at Monkwearmouth, where blackened miners had toiled for decades before their colliery was shut down, according to Sir Bob Murray, chairman at the time and current life president.
” It was a very testing time. Roker Park had no future. Because of the emotions it evoked, it was difficult for people to comprehend, but I was aware of it.
“We only turned over about £4m and were losing money. Even though Roker had about 22, 500 seats, we only sold out in the Roker match against Newcastle and Manchester United that year. No training facilities were present.
There to cover those storylines on behalf of the BBC – which had full editorial control – was director John Alexander, born only a few miles away in the County Durham town of Peterlee.
He explains, “The people I worked with assumed Sunderland to be my club.” I didn’t know a lot about football, though.
“But it’s so much a part of that area that I said I’d love to do it because I knew it was never just going to be about the sport. The fans, the location, and everything else were all involved.
Reid says his fears soon vanished after initially he was hesitant to let cameras enter the dressing room.
“They were a good crew, great lads. Some of the scenes that feature me entering the players are due to the company’s ability to produce quality TV, I suppose.
There were other instances where I was quite measured and tactically wise, [but] it just serves to illustrate my approach.
Images courtesy of Getty
Alexander recalls a “cat and mouse” encounter with the manager, who he believed might not want to be “put under the microscope.”
“I met Peter and he was great, telling us we could have whatever we wanted.
We promised to put a microphone on your overcoat so we won’t have to interfere with you the first time, and we said that’s to make things as simple as possible. He didn’t, of course, wear his coat.
“Then half-time comes at a game and we’ve been promised we can go into the team talk. We entered the door, and he literally said, “You lot can get out for a start,” about ten seconds later.
Alexander, who was in charge of a small team of two researchers, a cameraman, and a sound engineer, realized that “this can’t go on; you can’t trust us.”
“After that we had to have a conversation, saying if we didn’t get the access it really wasn’t going to work and we weren’t out to stitch him up.
I can remember him saying, “I hope you’re not just going to have me effing and jeffing the entire time.”
Images courtesy of Getty
The 50-minute episodes, which started in December 1996 with the club in mid-table, also featured staff and supporters as Sunderland moved into the bottom three, hampered by injuries to Niall Quinn and Tony Coton, who had both been injured.
According to Alexander, “as the weeks went on, the results began to take a little nosedive.” “But there was a certain point where everyone realised there was no going back.
“And actually everyone started to realize that this was an opportunity to show people their commitment when things were going against them and that decisions weren’t quite what the fans’ perceptions were. That transparency ultimately succeeded.
Approaches for forwards Ronen Harazi – jokingly referred to as ‘ RoboCop ‘ because of a metal rod in his leg – and Jon Dahl Tomasson proved fruitless, while a late-season deal for Chris Waddle was branded a” panic buy “by a supporter on camera.
Vice chairman John Fickling, who was trying to show they had no lack of ambition, went through a list of missed targets, including Rangers’ Paul Gascoigne and Manchester United’s Andy Cole and Paul Scholes.
Reid acknowledges that those inquiries were inconclusive.
Images courtesy of Getty
Murray acknowledges that “no money was left over.”
You haven’t got any money running around [for players] to build a stadium like we did. You’ve got banks and building contracts having to be paid. Every month, there was a significant cash outflow.
The final day of the season was spent watching Sunderland fight.
But their fate would be decided by another meeting with Wimbledon and a 1-0 loss at Selhurst Park saw them tumble back into the First Division a year after being promoted as champions, despite their 40-point tally – a then-record.
Reid was “shell-shocked” by the situation, which left him twice as a league winner while he was playing for Everton.
I’m not a moron. I had a few sleepless nights worrying about it and I was conscious of the share price, but I always thought we had a good chance]of escaping]. “
Callaghan, who later became a club director, traveled to a BBC headquarters in London with Murray and Fickling because they were eager to watch all five episodes.
She says, “People take the mick out of Bob for the boardroom discussion about gold taps for the executive toilets.” But he laughed along in the same way as the fans. “
The musical accompaniment, which included a voice-over from Peterlee-born actress Gina McKee, was a church-like choral arrangement in a nod to supporters who view the game as akin to a religion.
Images courtesy of Getty
When the series was broadcast in an after-the-watershed slot, Reid says his players – and family members – tuned in.
The lads hammered me, I thought. That’s how I put it, I have plenty of stick.
“The only time I got into trouble was with my Auntie Mary, God rest her soul, who was a staunch catholic. She did, in fact, give me a telling off for my language.
The production is remembered fondly by everyone involved and praised for helping the club win new supporters.
While Roker Park’s stands were often half-full, today there is a waiting list for Stadium of Light season tickets despite the ground’s 48, 000 capacity.
Before leaving Sunderland in October 2002, Liverpudlian Reid once more led Sunderland to promotion in 1999 and two consecutive top-tier titles.
Given the limitations and squad youth, he says the campaign featured in Premier Passions was “possibly the best achievement.”
“It was a brutal league and it caught up with us. He explains that it was just a matter of trying to escape through the hatches.
