Paul O’Grady’s friend and producer, Malcolm Prince, has a remarkable new book about him, which brings fresh perspective to his life with gripping new testimony from his friends, family, and famous friends.
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Malcolm Prince has opened up about life with Paul O’Grady in a fascinating new book(Image: PA)
TV star Paul O’Grady may have had an eating disorder, his friends believe. His producer Malcolm Prince has opened up about the star in his extraordinary new book Paul O’Grady – Not The Same Without You which is being serialized by the Daily and Sunday Mirror.
It explores his troubled relationship with food for the first time, as well as family and friend testimony about his life. I probably hadn’t noticed it until some of the people I’d spoken to expressed it, Malcolm says. “But it makes sense.
It’s amazing how it may have been caused by his alter-ego Lily Savage’s attempt to remain slim. His bodybuilder, Vanessa White, recalls that “I think it all came from his days with Lily when he was wearing corsets and being slim.” She continues, “I would always bring a box of Weetabix just in case,” noting that he frequently wouldn’t be able to eat anything.
Similar patterns were observed by other friends. According to Amanda Mealing, “Food was a necessity, and he didn’t particularly like] having to eat it.” For him, according to Paul Moira Stewart, there was a difficult aspect to food. He claimed that Chrissie, his aunty, was probably anorexic, a significant influence in his early years. And Paul either ate too much or ate too little.
Paul also recounts how Paul expressed his fear that his days would be over soon after his passing. After a hospital visit, Morera picked him up and told him, “I’m not going to be here for much longer.” I pressed him to explain what the doctors had said to him after speaking with him and asked what he meant. He just responded, “That’s it. That’s it,” as I placed my arm around him while he was contemplating. I believe I won’t stay here for very long.
Several weeks later, during a phone call, Paul said something that he said was similar to Malcolm. Because he calmly ended our conversation, “I won’t make old bones, Malcolm,” we will never forget. Paul remarked about “not knowing what was around the corner” in a conversation about the passing of a close friend of Malcolm even weeks before his passing. According to Malcolm, “Paul joked about his own age and how he wouldn’t be surprised if his own exit would come “early rather than later.” Paul and Paul discussed their will at their final meeting on Paul’s death, saying it “seen just hanging in the air.”
Who: South Africa vs. India What: ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 final When: Sunday, November 2 at 09:30 GMT Where: DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, India
The Women’s World Cup final is the biggest one of all, and it comes down to it after a month of action and 30 fierce competitions.
In a blockbuster fight between tournament hosts India and first-place finalists South Africa, with the goal of announcing a new world champion.
India reached the final thanks to a sensational five-wicket win over defending champions Australia, and South Africa triumphed over England to win the summit match.
What are the key details for the final:
The Women’s World Cup final is taking place where?
The venue’s 45-car capacity DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium, will host Sunday’s final. In this year’s Women’s World Cup, the multi-purpose sports arena, which is primarily used for cricket, hosted three league games and a semifinal.
With victories over Australia in the semifinals and New Zealand in the league stage, India has an unbeaten record against Bangladesh, which has left them with a washed-out no-show. The venue is the site of South Africa’s last concert.
The two options for Sunday’s final were R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo and DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, which is regarded as a neutral venue and would have hosted the game if Pakistan had qualified.
Both countries have the option to play their games at a neutral venue for a tournament hosted by either of the South Asian nations, according to an ICC-brokered agreement between India and Pakistan.
The nuclear-armed neighbors haven’t visited one another for a bilateral cricket match in 13 years, which they shared a four-day military and aerial conflict with in May.
The highest attendance for a group-stage fixture at any ICC Women’s event ever at any ICC Women’s event has ever been at a new record of 25, 166 people showed up in Navi Mumbai.
It was higher than the previous record of 22, 843, set during the Guwahati-based team’s #CWC25 opener. twitter.com/AHdOHV6COC
What is the forecast for the weather?
In one of the league games in Navi Mumbai, rain caused some issues for the final on Sunday.
A passing shower or two, as well as the possibility of a late-night downpour, are expected throughout the afternoon.
What transpired during the most recent South African vs. India game?
The last meeting between the two organizations took place on October 9 when South Africa won the tournament’s opening game by three wickets in Visakhapatnam. Nadine de Klerk, who has an unbeaten 84-run record and 2-52 bowling runs, was named the match’s player of the match.
How many women’s world championships have South Africa and India won?
Although neither nation has yet to win the trophy, India did so twice, winning in 2005 and 2017, respectively, in the loss to Australia and England.
South Africa’s debut contestant will win Sunday’s final.
When did India last last defeat South Africa?
In a women’s ODI tri-series in Sri Lanka in May, India defeated South Africa by 23 runs in Colombo. Following her outstanding 123-run knock, Jemimah Rodrigues won the match.
Head-to-head encounters between India and South Africa in ODIs
India has won 20 of the 34 Women’s ODI matches that the two countries have played each other in, including the most recent series.
For the first time in Navi Mumbai, India and South Africa will compete in the final on Sunday.
Watch out for India
Jemimah Rodrigues: The middle-order Indian batter exhibited nerves of steel to help India triumph over giants Australia in an unanticipated semifinal victory thanks to her unbeaten 127 from 134 balls. The 25-year-old initially struggled for consistency and was dropped once during the league phase, but she made it back with tenacity when her nation needed her most.
Rodrigues currently leads the top-batting order with a ton and a half-century, ranking ninth with her two 68-run performance.
Before Thursday’s semifinal, the Mumbai-born batter also recorded an unbeaten 76 against New Zealand before the semifinal due to how she revealed she experienced anxiety in the weeks leading up to the semifinal.
India surpassed the previous women’s ODI record with a match-winning knock of 127 not out [Rajanish Kakade/AP].
Watch out for South Africa
With 470 runs scored in eight innings, South Africa’s captain Wolvaardt has been the tournament’s most reliable batter. The opener found her rhythm and consistency after a slow start, hitting three half-centuries in the league.
Wolvaardt, however, put her best foot forward in the decisive moment, smashing a staggering 169 runs in Wednesday’s semifinal victory over England, which was both the captain’s best total and the third-most runs allowed.
The South Africans won the World Cup knockout games with a 319-7 victory thanks to her batting prowess.
The South Africa team’s 169-run performance in the semifinals was the highest individual score for the country in the Women’s World Cup, according to Anupam Nath/AP.
Formal instructions for India
India will be hoping that the third time is the charm after losing in the previous two finals.
India won the league title race by placing fourth overall, losing three games, including one against South Africa, who had already finished fourth.
India blew the odds and defeated seven-time champion Australia in the semifinals, putting together a 339-run women’s ODI record-chasing performance.
With her maiden World Cup ton, Rodrigues was responsible for India’s well-fought five-wicket victory, and Harmanpreet Kaur, the team’s captain, also scored 89 runs.
Smriti Mandhana, the tournament’s top and overall second-highest scorer, has 389 runs for India, and Pritika Rawal, the tournament’s top and second-highest, has also had an impact. Until the semifinals, her campaign was halted by an ankle injury.
India’s top bowling unit players, Shree Charani and Deepti Sharma, who combined for 17 wickets and has the most wins overall, are the best.
South Africa form guide
Following semifinal defeats in 2017 and 2022, South Africa will face off in its first World Cup final on Sunday.
To finish third in the league phase, they lost two of their seven games at this year’s tournament to Australia and England, before thrashing England by a massive 125-run margin in the first semifinal in Guwahati.
With 12 wickets, including a career-best 5-20 in the semifinals, Marizanne Kapp leads the tournament in terms of run scoring, while captain Wolvardt has been outstanding. With her teammate Nonkululeko Mlaba, Kapp places sixth.
With 44 wickets, Kapp overtakes India’s Jhulan Goswami as the women’s world record-taker after the semifinal.
The tournament’s second final will feature South Africa and India. In a league game against India on October 9 [Aijaz Rahi/AP], South Africa defeated India by three wickets.
India’s final five results (previously the most recent):
W-W-L-L-L
The final five results for South Africa (most recently, first):
W-L-W-W-W
India team news
Sneh Rana, the bowling all-rounder, could be replaced by Radha Yadav by India.
With Anneke Bosch on the batting-friendly pitch in Navi Mumbai, South Africa could stick with their semifinal lineup.
The South African lineup for the upcoming season includes: Laura Wolvaardt (captain), Tazmin Brits (captain), Anneke Bosch (wicketkeeper), Sune Luus (captain), Marizanne Kapp (wicketkeeper), Annerie Dercksen (captain), Nadine de Klerk (ayabonga Khaka), Nonkululeko Mlaba, and
How can I watch the South Africa Women’s World Cup final between India and South Africa live on TV?
From 7:30 GMT, Al Jazeera Sport will have a live build-up followed by a detailed photo and text commentary stream of the final.
The game will be live streamed on live television platforms, including live-streaming platforms, as well as terrestrial and satellite channels.
The final will be broadcast on SuperSport in South Africa, while Star Sports viewers can watch it on the Star Sports network.
What is the process for purchasing Women’s World Cup tickets?
The official website for the tournament’s final in Navi Mumbai, which redirects to BookMyShow, is where you can purchase tickets.
Less than $2, which is the starting price for tickets, 150 Indian rupees.
Who: Liverpool vs. Villa What: English Premier League Where: Anfield in Liverpool, United Kingdom When: Saturday, November 1 at 8pm (20:00 GMT) How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 17:00 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.
After being dumped out of the League Cup by Crystal Palace on Wednesday, Liverpool manager Arne Slot desperately needs his star players to get back on track.
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With a 3-0 victory at Anfield against a young Liverpool selection, Slot set his priorities and made ten changes.
Following last Saturday’s defeat at Brentford, the Reds lost six of their seven games, and they have lost their final four in the Premier League.
As the pressure mounts on the Anfield club, Al Jazeera Sport examines Saturday’s game against Aston Villa.
What does Liverpool manager Slot think about the current situation?
After six defeats in their last seven games, which plunged the Premier League champions into crisis, Liverpool manager Arne Slot warned his team not to make a habit of losing games they should win.
After facing criticism for his 3-0 defeat to the Eagles, Slot again defended the necessity to rest his key players after a string of injury issues in the first half of the season.
Slot was keen on Liverpool’s Champions League game on Sunday, Real Madrid’s visit to Anfield on Tuesday, and Liverpool’s clash with Manchester City on Sunday.
At his pre-game press conference on Friday, Slot stated, “It is nothing more than the squad depth; it is how we’ve handled injuries and availability over the course of the season.”
“It’s just the way things are,” he continued. I have to take care of a few of the good players, and that’s why I made the decision not to play, even though there are still more than enough of them to play on Saturday, Tuesday, and Sunday.
How are Aston Villa’s fixtures against Liverpool going?
Villa fell 12 points clear of Liverpool after five games of the Premier League campaign.
However, the two teams meet this weekend, only one goal apart, because Unai Emery’s men are in top form just as Liverpool’s losing streak began.
To regain their place in the Champions League, the Villas have won four straight games, including notable victories over Tottenham and City.
Slot cited Villa as a prime example of how quickly things can change and how the Premier League performs as a whole.
What will happen in the Premier League title race?
Only three points separate second-placed Bournemouth from eighth-placed Villa, despite Arsenal’s four-point lead at the top of the table.
“I think many teams are in or near the same points, which again demonstrates how difficult the Premier League is,” Slot continued.
You don’t ever lose a game of football where you create more chances than the other team, despite the already lengthy run with us.
Let’s hope we make a habit of having more chances than the opponent but not winning it, and they (Villa) decided not to make that habit.
Why did Slot alter Palace so frequently?
With Villa’s visit quickly followed by fights against Real and City, the Dutchman said he could not risk any more injuries to his key players.
According to Slot, “I don’t believe it is possible that there will be even more pressure if you lose six out of seven,” he said. You can feel the pressure if you consistently produce these kinds of results, if you play for Liverpool, or if you take charge of the club.
This weekend coming up! 👀🔜
With Matchday Live, listen to managers’ comments, watch our match previews, and learn official FPL advice and more. twitter.com/lveEJFgiBX
Is Liverpool’s situation a crisis for the Premier League champions?
The Reds have lost 10 games while struggling to strike the right balance for a side that has been severely damaged by a significant squad turnover during the transfer window.
Liverpool lost more players than they hired, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luis Diaz being the most notable exceptions. The Premier League spent a record amount of money, close to 450 million pounds ($590 million).
With the money being spent this summer, the champions have lost four games in a row in the Premier League, and I believe Liverpool are currently in crisis, according to former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher.
What transpired last between Liverpool and Aston Villa?
The pair last met in the Premier League in February, when they drew 2-2 at Villa Park after their previous previous meeting.
The Reds took a 29-minute lead before Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins restored the game by the break.
In the 61st minute, Real Madrid’s Trent Alexander-Arnold levelled things.
What transpired last season in the corresponding match?
The Reds won the Premier League game at Anfield in November with a 2-0 victory.
In the 20th minute, Mohamed Salah put the game to the fore, while Darwin Nunez put the finishing touches on the 84th.
Aston Villa last defeated Liverpool at what point?
In a Premier League game at Villa Park in October 2020, Villa last defeated the Reds. The home team won 7-2, making it the third time the Reds have scored six or more goals in a single game. The first two victories came in 1915, when the league won by 6-2, and in 1932, when the league won by 6-1.
Liverpool only ever hit Villa six times, including a 2016 Villa Park 6-0 victory.
In the last ten games, the Reds have won seven of those matches and are unbeaten in the overall standings.
Aston Villa last won at Liverpool when?
In the ninth minute, Gabriel Agbonlahor scored the only goal of the Premier League match at Villa after the team’s previous victory at Anfield in 2014.
After recording a 3-1 Premier League win in 2012, Christian Benteke, who was primarily responsible for the former Reds’ strikers’ double, made it a second win in three appearances at Anfield.
In the 87th minute, Steven Gerrard scored a consolation goal for Villa while Andreas Weimann scored the other goal in the Benteke brace.
Villa have won four games without losing a single game at Anfield, but the Midlands club has lost six of its previous league games.
Head-to-head
With Liverpool winning 103 games and Villa winning 59 of the 206th meeting, the two teams square off in the final match.
news from the Liverpool team
Ryan Gravenberch’s ankle injury might allow him to travel to Villa.
However, Alisson Becker, Jeremie Frimpong, and Giovanni Leoni are all definite absentees due to injury, while Alexander Isak and Curtis Jones both have groin issues.
Amara Nallo has received a suspension for the midweek dismissal.
Aston Villa team news
Harvey Elliott, a loanee, is not allowed to face his parent club. Emiliano Buendia is in doubt due to a foot injury, while Andres Garcia and Youri Tielemans (calf) have both been ruled out.
Liverpool’s potential starting lineup
Mamardashvili, Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo, Ekitike, and Wes Wirtz are just a few examples.
Palestinians who were detained by Israel have been returned to the besieged Gaza Strip, some of which have undergone torture.
Despite a shaky ceasefire, which left at least three people dead and the return of the Palestinian remains via the International Committee of the Red Cross, came as Israeli forces continued airstrikes across the Strip on Friday.
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According to the Wafa news agency, one Palestinian was killed and his brother was wounded in the Israeli-run Shujayea neighborhood in eastern Gaza City, while another was killed in Israeli shelling at the Jabalia refugee camp. According to the report, a third Palestinian died from wounds sustained by previous Israeli shelling.
Separately, civil defense workers in the az-Zahra neighborhood of central Gaza reported finding a Palestinian’s body among the rubble of the Abu Medein family’s home.
On Friday, Israeli warplanes flew over Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
As part of the prisoner-captive exchange agreement reached in early October, the slain Palestinian prisoners are now back. The Palestinian Health Ministry announced in a statement that the body count has increased to 225 since the most recent handover.
According to the statement, medical teams are documenting the bodies and contacting their families using standard protocols.
According to medical sources, prisoners’ bodies had previously displayed signs of torture, including being blindfolded and handcuffed. Some appeared to be burned or decomposed, while others were missing teeth or limbs.
Palestinians are imprisoned in Israel, many of whom are still incarcerated in administrative detention, without making any formal legal claims. Since the start of its war on Gaza, reports that Israel tortures Palestinian prisoners have increased.
In exchange for Israel releasing nearly 2, 000 Palestinian political prisoners, Hamas released 20 living prisoners under the US-brokered agreement to end Israel’s two-year occupation of Gaza. Additionally, Israeli forces have partially withdrawn from Gaza’s urban centers.
However, dozens of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks since the ceasefire started on October 10 in the area. 104 people were killed in Israeli attacks, including 20 women and 46 children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry from Tuesday through Wednesday.
Palestinians are still “really struggling.”
It was unclear whether the three victims were dead or alive when the Red Cross announced the unidentified remains of three people to Israel late on Friday.
According to a source from the Israeli military, bodies were moved to a “forensic research laboratory” to verify their identities, according to a news agency.
Hamas had earlier delivered two bodies of Israeli prisoners’ bodies. The group has so far recovered the remains of 17 of its captives, not including three bodies from Friday.
The Palestinian organization made a commitment to exchange the bodies of all 28 prisoners for those who had died in the war as part of the agreement.
The group is still urging government officials to provide the necessary tools and assistance in removing the debris and rubble from massive mounds, where thousands of Palestinians who lost to Israeli bombardment are still buried.
According to sources with the armed group, the Red Cross and members of Hamas’ military unit, the Qassam Brigades, they made the trip to east Khan Younis on Friday to search for the remains of Israeli prisoners.
Israel has still refused to let much-needed humanitarian aid trucks enter the enclave, where famine was declared earlier this year, as Hamas appears to be committed to the ceasefire agreement.
While Israel has allowed a new wave of aid trucks to enter Gaza on Friday, “humanitarian aid trucks remain partially restricted,” according to Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum, who is reporting from az-Zawayda in central Gaza.
He claimed that Palestinians are “really struggling to get aid from the UN warehouses.”
The ceasefire is not only about bringing food in, but also about making sure shelter supplies can [reach] people in need, according to Palestinians, who still find the situation to be very difficult.
Concerns about a ceasefire
On Monday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced that various foreign ministers would meet to discuss the Gaza ceasefire and its upcoming steps.
Officials who had met US President Donald Trump in New York in September were slated for a meeting with Fidan at a press conference in Ankara, according to Fidan, who stated that the discussions were advancing toward the formation of a Gaza task force and stabilization force.
Turkiye expressed concern about the continuation of the ceasefire, according to him.
Former Israeli prime minister Yossi Beilin said he “would be surprised” if Benjamin Netanyahu reversed course on the ceasefire despite warnings that it is putting more strain on the country.
According to Beilin, “He committed himself to this, primarily to President Trump, and I would be very surprised if he doesn’t continue to follow the terms of the agreement,” Beilin told Al Jazeera.
Meanwhile, Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, the top attorney for the Israeli army, has been fired over a video that was leaked last year that allegedly showed an Israeli soldier sexually assaulting a Palestinian detainee at Sde Teiman detention facility.
Is the world prepared for another pandemic as nations struggle to control the chikungunya and virus?
Southern China has experienced a rise in cases of chikungunya, brought on by urbanization, global warming, and other factors. Although COVID-19 has taught us enough to be prepared, experts warn that a new pandemic is inevitable.
Shehu Dikko, the national sports commission’s chairperson, has refuted allegations that the $1.2 million FIFA fund was used to extort funds for the construction of the mini-stadium in Kebbi State.
No one collected the funds, according to Dikko, who claimed in an interview with Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, insisting that FIFA had managed the project funds directly.
No one collected the money because that is where people are getting it wrong. They can defend themselves, but I’m not here to defend the NFF.
What happens to the NFF has an impact on the entire sports ecosystem, according to the leader of the country. Therefore, he said, “we need to set the record straight for people to understand how this works.”
The Munich Allianz Arena will host the 2028 Champions League final.
He explained that the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) is denied access to the funds because the governing body appoints consultants, oversees contracts, and pays contractors directly under FIFA’s project structure.
I was in charge of FIFA projects, and I am familiar with its operation. Because FIFA manages its projects directly, no one collected the funds. The NFF’s job is to give the people’s wishes and land. According to Dikko, FIFA then chooses consultants, conducts procurement, and pays the contractor directly to complete the project.
The NSC chairman clarified that the project was approved in 2015 and that procurement started in 2016, clarifying that the project was not valued at the current exchange rate.
This project is not worth the $1.2 million it currently costs. The value was about $ 300 million when it was approved in 2015. He explained that that was the project’s original value at the time.
He added that construction and contract signing was postponed due to delays in obtaining land and gathering documentation, which FIFA’s appointed contractor then started doing.
A public tender and procurement procedure took place prior to the project signing. Simply put, people take pictures and assume they are incomplete. The project’s initial stage was only represented by the structure that was shown, according to Dikko.
Following widespread criticism of its appearance and value, the Birnin Kebbi mini-stadium project, which was funded through FIFA’s Forward Programme, has come under serious scrutiny.
FIFA’s use of the stadium’s image on its social media banner, which sparked outcry and inquiries into an investigation, led to the ensuing controversy.
Dikko reaffirmed that FIFA is still in charge of managing the project, insisting that all funds were handled honestly and to the highest standards.
