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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle settled into their Montecito home in June 2020, after a stint at Tyler Perry’s residence, who is also Princess Lilibet’s godfather.

Before this, the couple had enjoyed a six-month stay on Vancouver Island in Canada, following a family holiday post their inaugural South African tour with Prince Archie in Autumn 2019. But despite the picturesque setting, the Sussexes’ neighbour shared his experience of being cold-shouldered when he attempted to introduce himself.

Back in 2023, then-88 year old Navy veteran Frank McGinity, who lives next door to Harry and Meghan’s 15-bedroom Tuscan-style villa, tried to welcome the couple by offering them a collection of films about the local history.

He described his interaction with the couple’s security detail in an updated chapter of his memoir Get Off Your Street, which also covers the community’s ordeal with destructive mudslides prior to the royals’ arrival, reports OK!.

McGinity expressed astonishment at Meghan and Harry’s choice of residence, as the Riven Rock Estate they now call home typically appeals to an older demographic.

Recounting his attempt to connect with the Sussexes, he said: “I have a big house next to Harry and Meghan’s property – [they] live on old McCormick property and I went up to their gate with the films on a CD, but they weren’t interested.

“The gate guy turned me away and wouldn’t take the film, just saying ‘they’re not interested’. I was trying to be neighbourly. If they were interested in the neighbourhood I’ve got a lot of information.”

The veteran told the Montecito Journal: “We don’t see them very much around here. It’s surprising they came here. People are typically older. It’s where the elephants come to die.”

In his book, McGinity recounted the impact of the mudslides on the small enclave that sits halfway between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles.

He said his own home was heavily damaged in the devastating natural disaster that left 23 people across Southern California dead. Harry and Meghan’s current home was left looking like a “sea of mud or a moonscape”.

McGinity wrote: “We live in Riven Rock, a neighbourhood of 34 homes surrounded by a thick stone wall surrounding 87 acres. This is where Stanley McCormick lived for 40 years..

“But half of this beautiful estate, which Stanley created, turned to a sea of mud on January 9th, 2018. Four homes were completely destroyed. Our home took a big hit.

“The mud entered the rear of the house and disseminated our office, entry hall, and back bedroom. There were boulders so large in the rooms, our contractor had to chisel them apart in order to remove them.

“I found a TV from the office and a mattress near our front gate – 500 feet away. Can you imagine the fury of that mudslide?”

As fans binge-watch the final season of dystopian series The Handmaids Tale, lead actor Elisabeth Moss opens up on what the role means to her – and playing her now as a mum, herself

Fans, rejoice! The sixth and final series of powerful drama The Handmaid’s Tale is back on our screens. It’s based on the 1985 novel by Margaret Atwood about a futuristic dystopia where a patriarchal regime, the Republic of Gilead, has supplanted the US government. Following an explosive series five finale, in which June (Elisabeth Moss) reunited with fellow refugee Serena (Yvonne Strahovski) and escaped out west, we’re set to follow June as she teams up with the Handmaids and tries to bring about a revolution.

Here, Elisabeth, 42, who plays the lead character and narrator, Offred/June, opens up about the huge impact the show has had on her. She also tells us about becoming a mother for the first time after welcoming a baby in 2024 with her partner, whose identity she has not revealed, confessing that she was “so fortunate” to be have her newborn on set with her while filming the final series in Vancouver.

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Hi, Elisabeth. The final series of The Handmaid’s Tale is here – what’s it been like saying goodbye?

I love this story. I love playing this character. I still can’t believe that they let me direct the show. I’m so honoured. I still have moments standing on set where I cannot believe that I get to do that job and I get to work with these actors. It’s truly such a privilege.

Also, congratulations on becoming a mum! Has that changed your connection with June?

I think I’ve done a pretty good job playing a mom without being a mom. But I will say that being a mom, it’s different. It definitely did have an effect. It’s impossible not to think about the real child and to draw those parallels in a very emotional way – plus, I was really tired [laughs]. So it definitely was a more emotional and visceral experience.

What can we expect from this season? Is there a revolution coming?

I can’t tell you what to expect. We promised a revolution and I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that revolution is here. I really feel like it’s from our heart, our finale. So I hope that people think that.

We’ve seen videos of you all dancing between takes. It seems fun, despite the heavy subject matter…

Being a director on the show is like being a kindergarten teacher or a mum. It’s like herding kittens, just trying to get the actors and crew to be serious for two to two-and-a-half minutes – because it’s a serious scene. And I love that, I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s so much fun working on our show.

Since 2017, The Handmaid’s Tale has had 15 Emmy wins, what’s made it such a career highlight for you?

On a personal level, this show has changed my life and my career. I’ve been doing this [acting] for 30-something years. I’ve stopped counting [laughs]. And I love acting so much, it’s my first love. But after doing it for so long, you do need to grow as an artist and I got to start producing on the show, then start directing. And so, to be able to explore what I do in those two new ways was incredibly fulfilling.

What are you most proud of about being part of the show?

I think, if it in any way, at any time, offers anyone any inspiration, any hope, any idea of a better future for themselves, and their loved ones. If it in any way gives anyone a reason to get up in the morning or a reason to keep fighting for what they believe in, then I think that is something that I will forever, for the rest of my life, be beyond proud of.

Margaret Atwood wrote The Handmaid’s Tale back in 1985, but its themes still resonate today. You see the Handmaids’ red gowns and white caps at protests in America…

I’ve never said this before, but I was doing another show and I was offered a silly social thing for social media, and given a fake red cloak to wear for it. And I said, ‘No’ – not because I’m afraid of embarrassing myself. But because I really value that costume. I consider it sort of sacred. It stands for something. I think it’s fun for people to dress up their dogs. Super into that. Any pet costume is totally approved. But this, I take it seriously when I wear it. And that’s the best way of me saying what it means to me.

You’ve said June’s motherhood is central to this season. Is that right?

This season is about choice – each of these characters has to choose whether they’re going to go towards the darkness or towards the light. It’s surprising, I think, which characters choose what. And it’s complicated as to why they choose what they choose. The choices we all make in the show, even the characters that are more flawed, are complicated and are for reasons that are interesting to explore. But I hope that at the end – it’s so hard to talk about without spoiling anything – it is about, ‘rise up’.

Is the message about not staying quiet when something is wrong?

Yes, it is important to speak out. It is important to not rest. It is important to fight for what you believe in and never, ever take it for granted. And it’s important to tell that story, and to tell that story for the next generation. We don’t end in a place of despair. We don’t get everything we want, but we have to hope. And we have to keep fighting, writing and telling our stories. I’m going to get off my soapbox now [laughs]. But that’s what it’s about to me. It’s very personal, I think, to all of us. It’s personal. We’ve all ended shows before that we had personal feelings about. But this is different.

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BBC Escape to the Country presenter Alistair Appleton has been a mainstay on the show since 2007 and has a successful career as a psychotherapist away from the cameras

Escape to the Country presenter thrilled fans by sharing rare snaps of his husband. The telly host, who has been a fixture on the show since 2007, is adored by viewers and shares presenting duties with the likes of Ginny Buckley and Nicki Chapman as they juggle tough challenges in finding people their dream retreat.

Born and bred in Hampshire, Alistair, now 55, graduated from the University of Cambridge with a 2:1 in English Literature. After university, he moved to Poland to teach at the University of Gdansk before relocating to Germany where he launched his broadcasting career with Deutsche Welle as a translator and journalist.

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As his television career blossomed on Escape To The Country, Alistair earned an MA in Advanced Psychotherapy at the Minster Centre in London in 2014. In a chat with Hampshire Life magazine in 2012, he confessed: “I loved that work so much that I started to get a bit disenchanted with all the crazy schedules of TV filming and I decided five years ago to re-train as a psychotherapist.”

He was effusive about his life decisions, stating: “That was the best decision of my life and I think I’ve hit my 40s in much better shape than I hit my 30s,” according to MyLondon.

Alistair has found his idyllic retreat in a cosy Sussex cottage, where he now resides with his husband Daniel Martin, who is earning acclaim as a potter. On social media, Alistair couldn’t hide his pride for Daniel’s work, gushing over his “beautiful husband” and celebrating Daniel’s participation in his first pottery fair.

He shared a snapshot of his partner’s success with followers: “So proud of my beautiful husband.@thepilgrimpotter This weekend is his first pottery fair. At the prestigious @townergallery no less. this weekend! After a mad rush with lots of explosions and triumphs – he’s here! ! And it looks stunning. #townergallery.”

Fans were quick to respond with one saying: “Wow, Daniel, just WOW, beautiful !!!” with another commenting: “The lamp bases are amazing and if I were near that location, those babies would be going home with me!!” A third added: “It all looks amazing and he looks so proud too! love it all!”

Embracing a serene lifestyle, the couple offers free yoga and meditation sessions online – an initiative that Alistair mentions on his personal website as their way of contributing positivity during these challenging times, with an open invitation to everyone interested: “My husband Daniel, a yoga teacher, and I are offering free meditation and yoga to keep us grounded and happy during these extraordinary times. All welcome.”

In a heartfelt reveal, Alistair shared his joy and appreciation for having found love with Daniel, describing their life together in a 1930s French sea captain’s cottage in Newhaven shared with their large dog, Ben: “I am lucky to have found love and have a very understanding and supportive husband, Daniel… We’re currently in a 1930s French sea captain’s cottage in the port of Newhaven. And we live there with our very big dog Ben.”

A celebrated career in television and his expertise as a psychotherapist contribute to Alistair’s impressive net worth – speculations point to a fortune between £2-3 million. Despite professional fulfilment, Alistair once confessed to enduring darker times, particularly in his early 30s, saying he was: “pretty unhappy”.

While maintaining a public persona, Alistair has also been candid about personal trials, including substance abuse and nightlife excesses, which he discusses on his blog, mind-springs.org: “I was drinking a lot, doing a lot of drugs, going out a lot.”

Alistair revealed his struggles in a 2019 blog post, stating: “I realised how fossilised and dead-souled I’d become in my 20s”.

In a separate post, he reflected on his earlier ambitions, saying: “You know, in my 20s all I wanted to be was a famous TV presenter, and by the time I turned 30 I was already seeing that was a very dangerous path for me because I knew that it would just mean more anxiety, more laying value on external looks.”

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Ronan Keating admitted to an affair with Boyzone backing dancer Francine Cornell in an interview with Piers Morgan. He had the affair while he was married to his first wife Yvonne Connolly – but only came clean when he was backed into a corner

Ronan Keating has been married to his wife Storm since 2015 – but his first marriage didn’t run smoothly. He tied the knot with first wife Yvonne Connolly in 1998, but after 12 years of marriage and three children together, she discovered he was cheating.

It was 2010 when Yvonne felt a change in their relationship, suspecting something wasn’t quite right. As Yvonne, 46, was preparing for the family’s home move, she stumbled upon something while packing.

Her worst fears were confirmed when she got hold of Ronan’s phone bills and discovered he’d made calls to an unfamiliar number. Yvonne dialled the mystery digits and after listening to the answering machine, realised that it belonged to Francine Cornell. Back then, Francine was 26 and a Boyzone backing dancer who had reportedly been secretly involved with Ronan for seven months.

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“She knew something was going on and she got hold of his phone records and called my number,” Francine is said to have told to The Sun. “From my voicemail she got my name – that’s how she found out. Ronan tried to deny it all at first. He said I was a dancer from the tour and we were just good friends.”

Yvonne isn’t said to have been convinced though and called Francine directly. According to Francine, their affair was not just physical as she had fallen for Ronan, and he reportedly professed his love for her, too.

But just days later, he’s said to have ended things with Francine in order to reunite with Yvonne, telling her in a phone call that they could never speak again. So it came as a shock when, a month on, Yvonne invited Francine to a hotel in London.

“I just needed answers. I just needed the truth, and I needed to make sure stories collaborated,” Yvonne is quoted as having said on Brendan O’Connor’s Cutting Edge. “It was very hard to figure out who you can trust. So this was the answer to it. I was going to meet this girl, a quick 20-minute conversation, and we’d be done and dusted.

“And in fairness to her, she came and met me. But the 20-minute conversation turned into a couple of bottles of wine. After a few hours I realised she needed it as much as I did and I know it sounds very dramatic, but she was as much as a victim as I was. I think we both got something from it.

“When I look back, this is what it all boils down to: it was basically two girls in love with the same boy who over a five-hour conversation realised that that boy was not who we thought he was.”

The situation reportedly then took an unexpected turn when police arrived at the hotel after Francine’s mother made a concerned call – though Yvonne initially mistook them for strippers.

The ex-model added: “There was a knock on the door and I looked out through the peephole and I saw people dressed as policemen. I said to them, ‘Tell me you’re strippers’, to which I was told, ‘No we’re the Metropolitan Police and we’ve come to investigate the whereabouts of this girl.'”. She added: “To this day, it’s like that happened to somebody else, I just think it’s the funniest story.”

The Keatings did relocate into their planned new abode and spent the following year attempting to mend their relationship. Ronan is said to have utilised the sleeve notes of his 2010 solo album Duet as an to “apologise” to his wife, who he married in 1998 when they were both aged 21.

“You are the most incredible, inspirational woman I have ever met,” he stated. “For the mistakes I have made in my life, I am sorry. Guess you have to go there to come back. It was a dark place and you were the light to bring me back. I love you.”

Regrettably, the couple couldn’t save the relationship and confirmed their separation in April 2012. Yvonne has since moved on with cinematographer John Conroy, while Ronan embarked on a relationship with TV producer Storm Uechtritz, whom he met on The X Factor Australia.

The couple got married in 2015 in a Scottish ceremony, and have since welcomed son Cooper, seven, and daughter Coco, four.

Regarding the affair from his first marriage, the Irish singer seemed repentant in 2016, with the Daily Telegraph reporting him as saying: “Nobody should have an affair. If you’re man enough to have the balls to go home and say, ‘Sorry, this isn’t working anymore,’ that’s the ideal situation, isn’t it? But we’re weak. We don’t do that. So yes, I hurt people and I am sorry for that hurt, but the outcome is I found Storm and I’m very grateful. But I’m saying sorry.”

He reportedly later took to Facebook, insisting that he had no regrets about his divorce because ‘it’s what [he] wanted’. “There is a lot more to it than an affair and obviously it was broken well before then,” he posted. “Over the years I have kept my mouth shut and taken all the blame for the sake of my kids & my ex wife. But enough now. After 6yrs I draw the line.”

He continued: “There is a lot more to my situation than people will ever know and that’s the way it should be. But there are always two people in a relationship and if it’s not working there’s more than one good reason for it.

“I will not stand for complete misrepresentation of my truth and my heart anymore. I’ve done that for way too many years and too long in the tooth for it. Please respect that everyone has moved on and better off. Not once did I say I was apologising to my ex wife or saying sorry for the affair. I said I was sorry for all the hurt it had caused, to which I truly am.”

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As the king of daytime TV, Richard Madeley, celebrates his 69th birthday, the Mirror looks back at the very first moment he met his wife Judy and the cheeky nickname she gave herself that left him stunned

For decades, Richard Madeley has been a fixture of British television, and this week he’s celebrating his 69th birthday. He and his wife Judy Finnigan, 76, have both enjoyed long and successful careers as television presenters – even being dubbed the king and queen of daytime by some fans.

The pair first met on Richard’s very first day working at Granada and they quickly became close, and have been together since 1986. However, the initial encounter did leave Richard more than a little bit stunned, he has since revealed, after his future wife introduced herself with a seriously cheeky nickname.

“I was sitting at my desk when this hand appeared on my shoulder and I looked up and this beautiful blonde said ‘Hi, I’m your mummy’ and I thought ‘whaaaaat?'” he explained to Best.

However, there was actually a good reason that Judy used this surprising nickname to introduce herself to Richard back in 1982: “At Granada, when someone new arrived, someone was appointed as their dad or their mum to show them around the canteen, the toilets and all that. So Judy was my ‘mum’.”

Alongside this initial confusion, he also has admitted that he didn’t actually give the best first impression to his now-wife. Richard – who was then in his mid-twenties – said he dressed up smartly in a light blue linen suit for his first day at his new job, but the look didn’t exactly blow her away, with Richard revealing she thought he looked like a bit of a “prat” in the outfit.

For her part, Judy has told the Mirror previously about their first encounter, “I remember the first time I saw him. He walked into the newsroom and I was sitting at my desk at the other end…I remember exactly what he was wearing: a pale blue linen suit. I thought he looked nice. Tall, handsome, and all that but I thought the suit was a bit flash. Then, because he was a newbie, I was assigned the job of looking after him.”

The pair were both actually married to other people when they first worked together, but, eventually, after going out for dinner one night, things became romantic between them and they began having an affair. “It was actually very painful because we were very much in love but it was very difficult,” Richard has said.

In 1984, Judy, who is eight years older than Richard, decided to cut things off, because she was worried that Richard wasn’t ready to become a step-parent to her twin sons – Dan and Tom, who were only six at the time.

However, Richard was determined to be in Judy’s life, and her two boys. “I knew Dan and Tom really well and they were smashing, they were terribly sweet, so I took it very ­seriously. In the end I knew of course that I could do it – I wanted to do it,” he said previously.

It still took Judy another year to decide to formally take the plunge with Richard, but the pair finally married in 1986, and have been together ever since.

They started presenting This Morning together in 1988 and their presenting careers have gone from strength to strength. Richard still works on-screen, but Judy stepped away from the limelight a decade ago, and Richard makes sure his work schedule doesn’t impinge on his wife too much – even though that means they have to sleep in separate beds sometimes.

Richard explained on the White Wine Question Time podcast: “When I’m doing Good Morning Britain I sleep in the spare room. I do probably sleep a little bit better in bed with Judy but I’m okay on my own.” Pondering the notion of disrupting Judy’s precious rest, he quipped: “I wouldn’t think of doing that to Judy. Apart from anything else, Judy and her sleep, you do not mess with.”

He has also revealed the powerful impact presenting together had on any issues that came up in his private life with Judy, calling it a “cure” for any marital woes. “Well, I mean, sometimes, you’d have a row. And you’d get to work not talking,” he told his daughter Chloe on the first episode of Chloe Madeley: A Family Affair. “But the show was a cure.”

He added: “I mean, it wasn’t, like, false, you actually did genuinely have to come on and do the double act. You would find that within maybe 15, 20 minutes of going on air.”

Celine Dion was spotted jetting to Basel ahead of the Eurovision 2025 final on Saturday night, but it is still uncertain if she will be able to perform at the event

Celine Dion has jetted off to Basel ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest, yet it remains uncertain whether she will grace the event with her presence. The music icon’s private plane departed from Paris for Switzerland yesterday morning, marking 37 years since her victorious performance for the country with Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi.

However, it is reported that discussions are still underway and her potential appearance hangs in the balance due to her health concerns.

The 57 year old singer, who won Eurovision in Dublin in 1988, has faced difficulties with her singing abilities since disclosing her battle with Stiff Person Syndrome in December 2022, although she did manage a rare performance at the Paris Olympics last summer.

A source close to Eurovision revealed to The Sun: “The team have been talking to Celine about appearing or performing at the ceremony for months and it has been very up and down.”

“At one point this week, it looked like she would not be attending, but now it is looking far more likely she will be there. Rehearsals have gone ahead without her, but everyone is crossing their fingers. It’ll be down to the wire.”

Despite being in Las Vegas, Celine sent a video message to Eurovision which was aired during Tuesday’s semi-final, hinting that she might not make it to the event. Celine said in the short video: “Dear Eurovision family and contestants, I’d love nothing more than to be with you in Basel right now. Switzerland will forever hold a special place in my heart. It’s a country that believed in me and gave me the chance to be part of something so extraordinary.

“Winning the Eurovision Song Contest for Switzerland in 1988 was a life-changing moment for me, and I’m so thankful for everyone who supported me. Now, 37 years later, it’s so beautiful and emotional to see Switzerland winning and hosting this incredible event once again. To the people of Switzerland, thank you for your love. This night is yours, and I hope you feel as proud as I do.”

Celine’s video message left fans emotional, while others were left questioning if she will in fact appear in the grand final tonight.

Celine was representing Switzerland when she won more than 30 years ago. That marked the last time that the country, which has won three times overall, topped the leaderboard prior to Nemo’s victory with the Code last year.

She’s enjoyed a successful career since competing in the contest but has taken a step back from performing since announcing in 2022 that she’d been diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome (SPS) in 2022.

It’s described as a rare neurological disorder, with symptoms said to include muscle stiffness and spasms. She however made a ‘comeback’ at the Olympics in Paris last year, where she performed on top of the Eiffel Tower.