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PREGNANT Morning Live star Michelle Ackerley has revealed the gender of her unborn baby.

The TV host, 40, announced her pregnancy live on air last month when she was presenting alongside Gethin Jones.

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Michelle Ackerley has revealed the gender of her unborn baby[/caption]

BBC

Michelle announced her pregnancy on Morning Live last month[/caption]

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Michelle with husband Ben Ryan, 53[/caption]

Sharing more details about her pregnancy, Michelle told Hello!: “I’m expecting a little girl in October and it feels very special.

“When I found out I was pregnant, I told my husband, and he said this is a baby miracle.”

Michelle married husband Ben Ryan, 53, last summer.

She previously praised her hubby, who is performance director at Premier League side Brentford FC, for his calm approach to becoming a first time dad.

“He has been so chilled,” said Michelle.

“The thing is, I’m not really sleeping well at the moment so I’ve been waking up in the middle of the night at 3am and I’ve been taking it upon myself to wake Ben up and say this is what we are going to have to get used to!”

The One Show and World’s Strongest Man presenter has also been open about her fertility woes and struggles with endometriosis.

The chronic condition sees tissues similar to the lining of the womb grow on the outside of it causing inflammation and pain.

She said: “I wanted to share though as my journey with endometriosis and infertility is something I finally felt confident to start speaking about more openly last year – realising how many other women were going through similar experiences.

“Feeling part of a community – especially when it comes to women’s health can really make a difference.

“Even at the very start of this year I was gearing up for yet another endo procedure and trying to come to terms with the mental & physical impact they can have.

“It has been quite the emotional rollercoaster.

“The news of falling pregnant really came as a massive surprise to both of us. We still can’t quite believe it.

“And so in October, the start of a new chapter begins for @benryan7s and I, albeit with nervous and cautious excitement.”

Ben and Michelle – who have a ten year age gap – had been dating for years before they got engaged in 2023.

Former rugby star Ben used to coach the Fiji National rugby team – helping them scoop a gold medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016.

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Michelle’s due date is in October[/caption]

THE target of building 41,000 new homes this year is “not realistic”, Housing Minister James Browne has admitted.

He conceded meeting the aim would be “extremely challenging” — with around 34,000 gaffs now expected.

But Minister Browne insisted he was committed to enacting a “step change” in the Housing Department and will clear “the dead wood out of the way so that homes can get delivered”.

Quizzed on this year’s target, he told Newstalk: “I think the challenge we have this year is we’re coming off a much lower base from last year than was expected.

“We had hoped for much higher figures last year. I think, looking at all of the ­different predictions, which are fairly consistent, I think 41,000 is not realistic for this year.”

He added: “My position as Minister is to maximise supply, maximise the delivery of new homes and, irrespective of what the housing numbers will be this year, I’m making a step change so we can get that housing supply increased.

“Because we need to get from 30,000 onto 50,000, onto 60,000 houses — 40,000 houses is nowhere near enough.”

The Central Bank has also projected the Government will miss its targets and revised its prediction down to 32,500 new builds for 2025.

Meanwhile, total investment of €122billion is needed by 2030 if Ireland is to meet its housing targets, Deloitte says.

This includes €16.4billion this year, rising to €24.1billion by 2030 to hit 60,000 gaffs a year.

Earlier this week, it emerged that the Government is branching out in its bid to solve the housing crisis with a new “Wood First” plan that will see timber become the main building material used to build our homes, schools and libraries.

Minister Martin Heydon brought forward the first report from the Government’s Timber in Construction Steering Group which calls on the State to use wood more when building homes.

Forestry Minister Micheal Healy-Rae has worked with the steering group on the report which notes that Ireland has excellent forest resources that are being underused in our construction sector.

The steering group believes that our forests have the capacity to supply the timber needed to build houses while also helping reach climate targets by reducing the need for steel and concrete.

‘INDIGENOUS RESOURCE’

A new “Wood first” procurement policy will be launched on the back of the report which will see State bodies ensure that timber is the “material of choice” in the construction of public buildings including schools, libraries and housing.

Forestry Minister Micheal Healy-Rae told the Irish Sun: “If we are trying to build twenty or thirty or sixty thousand houses – every one of those will need a roof and the most environmentally friendly way you can build a roof is not with steel or anything else – it is wood.

“Again with all the partitions in houses you have people who will want to use steel fixing or concrete but at the end of the day I am encouraging people to use wood instead.

“Timber framed houses made in a factory were very big during the Boomy Boom and people will tell you to use others instead like concrete but I think we should be promoting timber.

“We can grow it ourselves. It’s our own indigenous resource. It is renewable.

“You plant it and it grows here, you cut it down and use it and you plant it again and it creates work locally.”

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THE ADOPTIVE mum of a boy abused by his dad has revealed why she would rather he be released from prison early.

Anthony Smith, 53, faces a parole hearing today which could see him freed early.

Smith and his partner Jody Simpson, 33, were both jailed for 10 years for the abuse of brave Tony, now 10.

Simpson faced her parole hearing on May 19, and was cleared for release from prison – despite showing ‘no remorse’.

Now Tony’s violent birth father is due to face his own hearing on June 19.

But, Paula Hudgell, 57, who adopted Tony when he was just a baby, said she would almost rather the monster was released early license as he face would regular checks.

This would not be the case if he reaches the end of his sentence in 2027 as he will face no conditions on his freedom.

It means the evil abuser could change his identity, as he did several times before his trial, move wherever he wants and even come into contact with more children.

Paula is now reiterating her plea to the government to introduce a child cruelty register, so monsters like Smith and Simpson will be tracked for the rest of their lives.

She said: “Ahead of Simpson’s parole hearing I felt angry, just so angry, but for this one I am scared.

“I doubt he has shown a single shred of remorse, there will have been no rehabilitation, he will remain a terrifying, dangerous man and he could be coming out in a matter of weeks.

“This may sound horrible, but I’d almost rather he was released now – that way I know he’ll be monitored, he’ll be on license.

“But, if they deny his parole and push it back to the end of his sentence in August 2027 he will be released without any conditions at all.

“I am terrified he will change his name and just disappear, because at trial it was shown he was using a number of aliases.

“Smith and Simpson even disappeared while they were on bail and no one knew where they were, they both clearly know how to game the system, and what is to stop them doing it again?

“Some people say they’re badly educated and didn’t know better, some people even say their crimes aren’t their fault because of that, but they are both clearly able to work the system.

“They both know exactly what to say to the authorities to get let out, they have legal representatives telling them how to comport themselves and so yet again, it is all about them and not about the victim – Tony.

“Smith will be free to hurt more children either this year or in a few years time all because there is no centralised register for child abusers.

“That’s why I am urging MPs to listen to what we have to say – they may think we have a centralised system because that would make sense – but we don’t.

“We need politicians to come together to protect children because otherwise monsters like Simpson and Smith and ones we haven’t even heard of will be free to live their lives exactly how they want – putting more innocent kids at risk of harm or even death.“

Smith was jailed in 2018 for 10 years after being convicted of causing or allowing a child to sustain an injury and neglect by failing to seek immediate medical attention

Doctors discovered baby Tony had multiple catastrophic injuries to his tiny body – with both his birth parents failing to get him help before it was almost too late.

The evil pair then waited 10 agonising days to get Tony the help he needed – with the tot almost dying due to infection.

Both of his legs were amputated and the brave 10-year-old faces ongoing struggles due to the severity of the injuries inflicted on him.

In June 2023, Smith launched an unsuccessful bid to be granted parole, with the Parole Board stating at the time he would not be released until 2027 – unless a suitable return to community arrangement was found.

At the time, the Parole Board said: “Having considered the index offences, relevant patterns of previous offending and the other evidence before it, the panel listed as risk factors those influences which made it more likely that Mr Smith would reoffend.

“At the time of his offending, these risk factors had included Mr Smith’s chaotic life, his abuse of drugs and his use of alcohol.

“He has acted recklessly and impulsively and has struggled to manage extreme emotions,” the ruling continued.

“The panel considered his relationships, isolation, boredom, poor decision making and an inability to deal with life’s problems to be further areas of risk. Specifically, he has no concept of the responsibilities entailed in caring for a child.”

His former partner Simpson, Tony’s birth mother, was released on license in February 2023, but was back in jail by May 2024 having breached her license by starting a relationship with a sex offender.

The abuser was due to be automatically re-released earlier this year, but Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood stepped in – forcing Simpson to face a parole hearing on May 19.

She will be released from prison in the coming weeks, with strict license conditions including reporting any new relationships to her probation officer, regular drug tests, a curfew and being fitted with a GPS tag.

CHILDREN at risk of fertility issues or cancer because they were left waiting too long for surgeries have not been informed by the health service, CHI bosses admitted today.

It comes as politicians grilled Children’s Health Ireland execs over a series of scandals with one Senator telling officials: “If you were running Tayto Park I wouldn’t let my kids go there.”

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CHI’s new CEO Lucy Nugent started the Health Committee hearing today by making a litany of apologies for the series of scandals that have rocked the organisation.

These include children waiting too long for scoliosis surgeries, non-medical springs being implanted in kids and hundreds of children undergoing hip operations that they may not have needed.

The latest scandal to hit CHI comes from an internal report which outlines waiting list minsmanagement, serious cultural and governance failures along with bullying allegations.

Questions were also separately raised about children in need of surgery for undescended testes were left waiting too long which may have impacted their fertility.

CHI bosses said they did not know how many children may have been impacted by this urology issue and revealed that their parents were never contacted.

Sinn Fein’s David Cullinane said this was “extraordinary” while Senator Tom Clonan said it was a “systematic failure that amounted to the sterilisation of disabled people.”

The Independent Senator, whose own son faced delays with his spinal surgery, told the CHI bosses: “If you were running Tayto Park I wouldn’t let my children go there.”

A HSE official told the Committee that she had referred this internal CHI report to An Garda Siochana for investigation due to concerns of improper use of finances.

CHI told the Committee that they did not believe the report did not meet the threshold for criminality.

Fianna Fail TD Martin Daly – who has been a GP for 40 years – grilled CHI over the hip dysplasia scandal after a report found that hundreds of children may have undergone surgeries that they did not need.

‘ABSOLUTELY SCANDALOUS’

He also took on the issue of non-medical grade springs being implanted in children during scoliosis surgeries that later rusted and needed to be removed.

The doctor turned TD said it was “absolutely scandalous” and slammed CHI for trying to throw a surgeon at the centre of the scandal under the bus.

He said: “This is a whole system failure” as he questioned whether the current CHI leadership team were fit to take on the move to the new €2.5 billion children’s hospital.

He said: “It would be like having a top of the range hardware for your computer but the software is rotten – there is no other way to put it.”

He criticised former CEO Eilish Hardiman who has moved to a new position within CHI as she oversaw the health service during all these scandals.

He said: “Ms Hardiman you were there – it looks like under your regime you were rewarded for substandard management of the hospitals and I am saying that strongly because all of this happened under your watch.”

Fianna Fail Senator Teresa Costello repeatedly questioned Ms Hardiman on whether she should remain in her position and asked “Do you feel you’ve been held to account?”

Ms Hardiman claimed she was being accountable by answering the Committee and tried to pass the buck by claiming some of the scandals raised were “pre-Children’s Health Ireland.”

‘LEGACY ISSUES’

She replied: “I have been answerable to this committee and apologise for the failures. We have accepted the report in relation to HIQA.

“But I think we also have a particular speciality that is a particular focus but we have 38 other specialties that are working to international practice and international benchmarks in relation to their clinical outcomes.

“There is definitely I believe within CHI…some of the issues were pre-CHI. They are legacy issues.

“Some of the issues are definitely with the massive change we are trying to implement and we accept those and we in a process of trying to improve them.”

The Committee heard that the HSE will create a panel of experts to review all 2,200 children who had hip surgeries in Ireland in recent years to check up on their condition and establish if they needed the operation.

Fine Gael TD Brian Brennan told the Committee that this could amount to the biggest medical negligence case in the history of the State.

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This is what the new senators said about the impeachment trial of VP Sara Duterte. Midterm elections senators-elect will join the 20th Congress, and this is what they said about the impeachment trial of VP Sara Duterte. Senator Chiz Escudero is leaving matters regarding the impeachment trial of VP Sara Duterte to the presiding officer ... Read more

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CHARLIE CRESSWELL says England have nothing Tou-Louse and vowed to bring the pain to Spain and “smash” straight into them.

The Young Lions went down 2-1 to Germany on Wednesday in Slovakia to finish runners-up in Group B.

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Charlie Cresswell vowed to ‘smash’ into Spain on Saturday[/caption]

Shutterstock Editorial

The star says the Young Lions showed a lack of fight initially against Germany[/caption]

Lee Carsley’s side are now on a collision course with the much-fancied La Roja, the team they beat to win the U21 Euros in 2023, in Trnava on Saturday.

The boss revealed that he let his players have it as they trailed 2-0 to the Germans at the break but was pleased by the response as Alex Scott almost sparked a late rally.

And Cresswell, 22, insists that there won’t be a repeat of the “lack of fight” they started with when they go to battle with star-studded Spanish Armada.

The honest defender, who has starred for Toulouse in Ligue 1 since joining from Leeds last summer, said: “It wasn’t good enough from everyone, myself included, it was a collective thing. We just needed more fight, more determination. We can go press them high and get the ball back. We needed more of that and you saw that in the second half.”

On the content of Carsley’s dressing down, he continued: “Show some fight, you’re playing for England, let’s run harder than them, work harder than them. I was saying to the lads ‘just smash into them’, ‘I don’t know you’re there’ and ‘let them know they’re in a game’. 

“We showed that in the second half, but we’ve got to take that into the next game.

“You can’t give Germany that, otherwise look what they did. That’s the thing with European competitions, you get punished and you’ve got to be at your best game.”

Cresswell acknowledged that many will have England down as the underdogs.

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But he, along with Harvey Elliott, were part of the squad that toppled them in Georgia two years ago and he’s relishing another fierce battle.

He added: “We go into each game wanting to win. We respect every team. It’s going to be a different group from two years ago and they’ll be a good side and we’ve got to be at our game.

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Omari Hutchinson is targeting a 2-0 victory over the Spanish[/caption]

“Of course Spain are a top side. The first team as well, it runs through their system. You know when you play against Spain what they’re going to be like. They’re going to pass it around and try to make you move. But we’ve got to stand strong and take the game to them. “We’ve got quality in that dressing-room. We know we can beat them.

“Everyone has their weaknesses, you know. We’ve got to make sure we’re at our A game.

“It was good [in 2023], I know it got a bit fiery at some points and I’m pretty sure it’ll be a fiery game. I enjoy that stuff though.

I was saying to the lads ‘just smash into them’, ‘I don’t know you’re there’ and ‘let them know they’re in a game’. 

Charlie Cresswell

“I said to the lads, it doesn’t get better than this. You’re playing for England Under-21s, against Germany and next will be against Spain. It doesn’t get better than this. We’ll look back on this time and want to live this point again so it’s important we stay right here right now and enjoy every moment.”

Ipswich winger Omari Hutchinson, whose trickery produced the assist for Scott, added: “They’re very good on the ball, so we want to be dominant. We’re gonna have to try to take that away from them. We can be physically better than them. We’ve just got to physically outrun them and take them to the final whistle.

“Cars is big on that. He said last time they played each other it was a tough game. We just want to be able to dominate and win by two goals really.

“It’s my biggest game for England so I’m looking forward to it.”

A FAMILY breakfast at Disneyland has sparked widespread outrage after a dad shared a photo of his eye-watering receipt.

John Tolkien said he “almost spat out my coffee” when he received his family’s breakfast bill at the Disney Princess Breakfast Adventures experience in Anaheim, California.

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A family of five were in disbelief when they received their mega bill[/caption]

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The bill totalled almost $1000 for two adults and three kids[/caption]

Totalling almost $1000 for three children and two adults – including a $150 tip – the bill cost just over 20 per cent of the pre-tip cost.

John’s post left thousands in disbelief with many jumping online to share their shock.

“Please tell me you have 35 kids,” one person commented.

Another wrote, “That’s ridiculous. So torn about going to Disney — could literally go to Italy for a month for the same amount.”

The Disney Princess Breakfast Adventures costs $142 per person and is held at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa.

Guests can enjoy a three-course meal while interacting with Disney Princesses and according to the Disneyland website, the experience also features tiered appetizer towers.

Food options include lobster rolls, beignets, and cornbread.

Children can enjoy mains like waffles and macaroni and cheese, while adults can choose from scrambled eggs, braised short ribs, and deviled eggs.

Despite the hefty price tag, John admitted the overall experience was enjoyable, saying: “Service was attentive and enthusiastic.”

“Princesses were all trained pro-actresses and spent a lot of time with the kids. I enjoyed it,” he added.

The Disneyland saga comes as the firm’s granddaughter has slammed the entertainment giant for turning its legendary late founder into a “robotic grandpa”.

Disney is unveiling an animatronic Walt Disney to celebrate Disneyland California‘s 70th anniversary this July despite repeated pleas from his granddaughter Joanna Miller.

Joanna Miller told the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday that her beloved grandfather, who died in 1966, would have hated being turned into a talking mechanical replica.

“I think I started crying,” she said, recalling the moment she first saw the figure. “It didn’t look like him to me.”

Miller said she voiced her concerns early on, sending a letter to Disney CEO Bob Iger when the idea was first proposed.

She said she later met with Iger and the team responsible for creating the attraction, telling him: “I strongly feel the last two minutes with the robot will do much more harm than good to Grandpa’s legacy.

“They will remember the robot – and not the man.”

Despite Iger being “very kind” and despite his promises to protect her grandfather’s legacy, she said her request that they scrap the animatronic was ultimately ignored.

Miller added it “pains” her to call out the very company he created.

The icon’s granddaughter was speaking solely on behalf of her grandfather and mother, according to The LA Times.

CORONATION Street star Simon Gregson has revealed his new side-hustle, after his company’s £165k debt, and selling his home. 

Earlier this year, it was revealed that Simon was being investigated over the collapse of his production firm, which saw him owing £165,000 to the tax office and a bank.

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Coronation Street star Simon Gregson has revealed his new side-hustle, after his company’s £165k debt, and selling his home[/caption]

ITV

Simon plays the role of Steve McDonald on the soap[/caption]

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Liquidators called in to break up Simon Gregson Productions Ltd filed a report on the soap star’s conduct to the Government[/caption]

Liquidators called in to break up Simon Gregson Productions Ltd filed a report on the soap star’s conduct to the Government.

They demanded repayment of £252,000 taken from the firm’s coffers and paid into a separate account controlled by the actor – and number crunchers working on the liquidation concluded in official papers there were no further avenues to go down to reclaim the actor’s debt.

The soap favourite faced losing his house over the closure of his company.

Now, Simon’s side-hustle has been revealed, with the soap favourite getting extra cash flow through Cameo. 

Cameo allows Simon to send personalised video messages to his fans, whether it be for a birthday or anniversary. 

And he’s charging £37.50-per-video on the platform, which says fans will: “Have the chance to customize your request for Simon Gregson, like asking them to mention inside jokes, share words of wisdom, or work in their signature catchphrases.” 

The website notes that Simon is available for 24hr delivery, and completed a video last night. 

As Simon bags a new side-hustle, his wife Emma has announced that she’s leaving the village tearooms she works at, named Morley Tearooms, in a shock statement, after two and a half years running it. 

Emma wrote on Facebook: “So, it’s true…. My time at the Tea rooms has unfortunately come to an end.

“I decided to leave due to the new lease not suiting my requirements. It was verbally agreed that I stay until the end of summer.”

But she’s since been told that she needs to leave “a lot sooner,” and will have her final trading day on June 29. 

She continued: “I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for the outpouring of love I’ve received over the last couple of days. It’s been extremely humbling and heartwarming to have the support from all of you, you have no idea what it has meant to me.

“I’ve started to take all of your details so I can take you all on my new adventure which will be bigger and better and just down the road. So this is not the end, and this certainly isn’t goodbye.

“I hope you’ll all follow me onto this next exciting project which I’ll update you all on soon. In the meantime, I hope to see you all in the next couple of weeks.”

Earlier this year, Simon was told he must sell his house if the missing £252,000 isn’t repaid to the company so his debts can be cleared.

The liquidators said the star has been told to repay the missing cash at £1,500 per month.

He’s been advised that after 36 months the balance must be paid from the sale of his house.

Documents said that to date £9,000 had been repaid.

MEN Media

As Simon bags a new side-hustle, his wife Emma has announced that she’s leaving the village tearooms she works at, named Morley Tearooms[/caption]

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Simon’s side-hustle has been revealed, with the soap favourite getting extra cash flow through Cameo[/caption]

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