SIR Michael Parkinson was “in good spirits” during his final appearances months before his death at 88. A statement from ...
Read More »
Sir Michael Parkinson was ‘in good spirits’ in final appearances months before death at 88
Dancing On Ice fans work out ‘real reason’ Ferne McCann was sent home after spotting show ‘curse’
DANCING On Ice fans are convinced they know the “real reason” Ferne McCann was booted off the show.
ITV viewers have come up with a theory that the reality star was eliminated as a result of the show’s infamous “curse”.
Ferne, 34, performed a Trolls-themed routine to September by Earth, Wind and Fire with Brendyn Hatfield in the second slot of the night.
But fans have noticed that celebrities who dance in that position are often sent home – earning it the nickname the “death slot”.
While others were quick to point out that women contestants are often sent packing early – with no female winners in the last 10 years.
One claimed: “Ferne going home is an absolute robbery this show hates females.”
A second posted: “Ferne was given the worst slot tonight,” while a third added: “They put Ferne in the second slot deliberately.”
But not all fans agreed and some thought the decision to axe the former Towie star was fair.
One posted: “Sorry but why was Ferne given a 7.0 when 1. She was heavily assisted and 2. There was a very obvious stumble. A good routine but not as good as her Week 1 performance in my opinion.”
This viewer echoed: “A little fall near the beginning… no solo skating and being lifted up too much.. needs more solo skating in the performance.”
It comes after The Sun revealed that Ferne broke down in tears in a shock meltdown backstage after being axed from Dancing on Ice.
Show sources say the “humiliated” 34-year-old “cried hysterically” after becoming the second star to leave the competition while dressed as a troll for movie week.
Ferne was said to be so upset that she cut short her ‘lap of honour’ around the ice – and hid her face from the crowd.
“She had a meltdown in front of everyone after coming off the ice backstage”, said an insider, who overheard the raging mum of two.
“Ferne kept saying ‘this doesn’t make sense’ and ‘it wasn’t meant to be like this’.
“She couldn’t understand how she didn’t get the votes – despite having the most followers online.
“It was made even worse that she was voted out on the night she was dressed like a troll. She feels humiliated.”
Ferne landed in the bottom two with EastEnders star Charlie Brooks after receiving the fewest votes in last night’s show.
She was immediately thrown out of the competition without the opportunity to fight for a place in the skate-off.
Speaking to hosts Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern, Ferne said: “I’m so gutted, so gutted, but… it is what it is.
“We were having so much fun, I’m really sad…”
Ferne’s voice trailed off as Holly said sympathetically: “Oh Ferne I can see you’re upset.”
“Listen, you’ve got everything to feel proud of. You’ve made your family proud and we’ve loved having you.
“Please go and do a lap of honour now for the final time.”
Our insider said: “Ferne cut the lap of honour short because she didn’t want to break down in tears in front of everyone.
“Even though the camera wasn’t on her, everyone in the studio could see she was hysterically crying. She was absolutely devastated about going home.”
Even presenter Stephen remarked: “Wow, she’s gutted” as all four judges gave her a standing ovation.
Our insider added: “It was too much for her. She was so upset and was trying to be strong for her daughter Sunday who was in the audience.
“When she was off-camera she spoke honestly about her feelings to her dance partner who was as equally saddened by the result.”
Her reaction was in stark contrast to Chelsee Healey who put on a brave face when she was the first celebrity voted off Dancing on Ice last week.
Dancing On Ice 2025 pairings
Here's the 12 celebs taking part in 2025 - along with their professional partner.
Charlie Brooks and Eric Radford
Chris Taylor and Vanessa Bauer
Mollie Pearce and Colin Grafton
Michaela Strachan and Mark Hanretty
Dan Edgar and Vanessa James
Sir Steve Redgrave and Vicky Ogden
Anton Ferdinand and Annette Dytrt
Sam Aston and Molly Lanaghan
Josh Jones and Tippy Packard
Here’s who has left the show so far:
Chelsee Healey and Andy Buchanan
Ferne McCann and Brendyn Hatfield
Sarah Storey revealed she had quit on December 6, 2024. The Paralympian was partnered with Sylvain Longchambon.
Gladiators contestant who crashed out of show reveals horrifying injuries as fans brand game ‘dangerous’
A GLADIATORS contestant who crashed out of the show reveals their horrifying injuries and month long recovery as fans brand the game “dangerous”.
Nikki Billingham, a wedding celebrant from West Yorkshire was competing against gym owner Keeva from Belfast in the physically challenging game show.
However, Nikki was injured during the third event, The Edge, a criss-cross grid in the air that contestants have to run across while gladiators try to push them off.
Dynamite, a weightlifter called Emily Steel, pushed Nikki off the rail and she fell on the safety net below in the TV show The Gladiators.
However, as Dynamite checked in on her, Nikki winced in pain and the commentator said: “There’s some concern from Dynamite, Nikki looks like she’s got herself injured.”
As the clip replayed, the commentator added: “Well it looks like there was something in the landing, let’s hope Nikki is okay.”
Shockingly, Host Bradley Walsh was then forced to halt the show and he urged Nikki to get medical help.
Dynamite then expressed how absolutely amazing Nikki had done so far in the game and said: “No matter what happened up there and how she’s feeling right now, she (has) done so well to come this far, and she should be really proud of herself”.
Later in the show Bradley announced: “Earlier on we saw Nikki sustain an injury on ‘The Edge’.”
His son and co-host Barney added: “She’s been checked over by our brilliant medical team but unfortunately she will not be able to compete in the Eliminator.”
Now, Nikki has explained how bad her injuries were and that it took a while for her to feel better again.
Taking to social media after her elimination, Nikki began by explaining that being on the show was a childhood dream and that she’d had the best experience.
She explained: “You know what you are letting yourself in for and potential risks involved and unfortunately I did sustain an injury.
“When @dynamite_thegladiator did exactly what she was supposed to do and tackled me off the edge unfortunately when we landed, we landed together and my neck and arm took the brunt of it.
“I lost feeling in my arms, compression of my spine and it took a few weeks to come back and a few months to get fully back to where I was.”
But Nikki explained that she’s now back to full strength after hard work and gym sessions.
“Obviously I am gutted I didn’t get to do the eliminator, the most iconic part of the show!!
“I loved Gladiators as a kid growing up and to get on the show literally is a dream come true!.”
She praised the Gladiators in the show as super inspirational and amazing role models before finally thanking everyone.
“Thank you to everyone for your support and all the messages I have received. What a show!!” she said.
Gladiator Dynamite commented on Nikki’s post and said: ‘You did amazing”
However, fans were quick to brand the game dangerous with one viewer stating: “Should rename the event to The Edge of Hospital with how many injuries it creates.”
Another added: “Glad to see she’s back to full strength but that sounds brutal, wouldn’t be surprised if the Edge isn’t in the next series at this rate.”
“It’s definitely more dangerous than the others.. Although I suspect it’s still not quite as dangerous as “Pyramid” was back in the day.
“That had a lot of injuries and is the one that infamously lead to Jet breaking her neck.” expressed a third viewer.
The Gladiators airs on Saturdays on BBC1 and is available on BBCIplayer.
Doctors Warn About 2 New Ozempic Side Effects for Your Heart and Skin
By now, it’s no secret that Ozempic can wreak havoc on the gastrointestinal system—ranging from nausea and diarrhea to severe constipation and acid reflux. But according to new research and patient testimonies, there are two lesser-known side effects of GLP-1 medications that everyone should know about. Keep reading to learn how Ozempic can trigger skin hypersensitivity as well as unsuspected heart issues.
RELATED: Gynecologist Cautions Women About This "Overlooked" Ozempic Side Effect.
Scientists found that Ozempic can weaken heart muscles.
A new study published in the journal JACC: Basic to Translational Science indicates that semaglutide can shrink heart mass in healthy people (individuals who aren’t at cardiovascular risk nor are diagnosed as obese), potentially leading to heart failure, among other cardiovascular issues.
"If people have been prescribed these drugs, then the benefits should likely far exceed the risks. However, the growing number of people who may be taking these drugs who do not meet the eligibility criteria and who are not at risk have a different risk-reward calculation that they should be made aware of," lead author and pediatrics professor Jason Dyck, PhD, said in a press release.
Prior to testing on cultured human heart cells, researchers carried out their experiment on mice. They administered semaglutide to healthy (or "lean") mice and obese mice, the latter representing humans using GLP-1 medications for weight loss without a history of cardiovascular disease.
According to their findings, semaglutide led to a "significant" reduction in overall heart weight, cardiomyocyte area, and mass in the left ventricle in both lean and obese mice. The same test was then performed on cultured human heart cells, which provided similar results.
"If these findings translate to humans, they may become important when considering the use of semaglutide in patients with existing CVD [cardiovascular diseases] and associated cardiac hypertrophy vs the population of individuals using GLP1-RAs for weight loss/management, in the absence of CVD and/or the metabolic syndrome," wrote the authors.
They concluded, "This potential to alter cardiac structure in settings that may be impacted by reduced cardiac mass is important given the growing use, and guideline-endorsement, of GLP-1RAs in patients with and without CVD."
RELATED: Doctor Says Ozempic Raises Certain Health Risks by Up to 900%.
Doctors also found that Ozempic can lead to skin hypersensitivity.
Meanwhile, on TikTok, surgeon and weight-loss doctor Daniel Rosen, MD, is alerting followers of an "unusual complication" that’s now linked to Ozempic.
"Something I’ve been seeing with my patients lately–a very few number of my patients, but a legitimate number of my patients, where it’s now a trend I want to report about—is allodynia," he said in a video.
"Allodynia is a sensation of the skin that is inconsistent with the stimuli being applied. So, the notion that you would have a burning or painful sensation on your skin just from the wind blowing on it or just from your clothing brushing against it,” explained Rosen.
While rare, this can occur anywhere on the body, with the shoulders, thighs, and back being most common.
As for why it happens, Rosen said, "I think GLP-1 medications, in general, in some way sensitize cutaneous nerves or nerves of the skin and give people this reaction where they are hypersensitive to stimuli of the skin and causes the sensation in your brain of pain or burning or tingling or itching."
According to Rosen’s research, allodynia is highlighted as a potential side effect of most GLP-1 medications, aside from tirzepatide (commonly prescribed for weight loss under the brand name Zepbound). He noted that cases of allodynia are most consistent in higher drug doses—so for some people, it could be as easy as switching to a lower dose.
RELATED: Patients Reveal Another "Nightmare" Ozempic Side Effect.
The takeaway:
As far as Ozempic side effects go, allodynia isn’t top of concern, said Rosen. And when present, it’s often fixable and symptoms will dissipate over time.
"I don’t think it’s something that is very concerning unless it becomes so bothersome that it’s worth getting off the meds and sacrificing the positive benefits," he told followers.
Additionally, Dyck’s study isn’t without its limitations. While his findings serve as a "cautionary tale," more research on the human heart is needed to build a resounding argument.
“Given the growing number of people taking this drug who have no cardiovascular disease or who are not classified as obese, we suggest that cardiac structure and function be carefully evaluated in previous and ongoing clinical studies," he notes in the press release.
What Taylor Swift said to Travis Kelce on the field after Chiefs beat Bills to clinch Super Bowl berth
The couple, who began dating on July 2023, couldn't contain their excitement after the Chiefs clinched their third-straight Super Bowl appearance Sunday night.
Read More »
Pankaj Bhadouria Wiki, Age, Husband, Children, Family, Biography & More
Pankaj Bhadouria is an Indian chef who became the first winner of the Indian cooking show MasterChef India in 2010. ...
Read More »
I’m Patrick Dorgu’s former manager, he’s an exciting player but he should NOT join Man Utd
PATRICK DORGU’S former manager has urged him to reject Manchester United.
The 20-year-old star is a target for Ruben Amorim and talks have reportedly begun over a potential deal.
Serie A side Lecce are thought to be holding out for a fee of £33.7million for their versatile youngster.
United could make a bid for him should they sell Alejandro Garnacho to Napoli for £60m in the final days of the January transfer window.
Jens Fonnskov Olsen managed Dorgu when he was part of Denmark‘s Under-19s setup.
And the player’s old boss has shockingly encouraged him not to join United.
He told Tipsbladet: “If I have to be a little cheeky, I hope he chooses something other than Manchester United right now.
“I don’t know if it’s a bad fit, but they’re just in a period where… I don’t know if you can afford to say no to United, but maybe somewhere where there’s a little more structure and where things fit in with his pace.
“Sometimes things have to go in the right order, if you can say it like that.
“The thing is that there are many paths to the goal.”
JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS
Dorgu has featured at full-back and on the wing for Lecce, with Amorim believing he will suit his 3-4-3 system.
Explaining what type of player he is, Olsen said: “Patrick left and went to a slightly smaller side in Italy and took the chance there.
“He has been really well-educated, especially in the defensive part of the game, where he may have lacked something.
“I was really happy with him. I think he had some exciting skills.
“Patrick is fast, he is forward-thinking, he can head both offensively and defensively, and he has a very, very good left foot.”
“He is a creative player. I am incredibly happy that I brought him in and just believed in him.
“I am really happy for him, in terms of how his career has developed.”
MAN UTD PLAYER RATINGS: Maguire puts in superb defensive display but Garnacho caught running into blind alleys
MANCHESTER UNITED secured a hard-fought three points against Fulham.
Lisandro Martinez’s deflected strike proved to be the difference in what was the Red Devils’ only shot on target all game.
Harry Maguire impressed but Alejandro Garnacho once again failed to impress in what could have been his Man Utd farewell amid rumours linking him with Napoli and Chelsea.
Here is how SunSport rated the individual performances.
Andre Onana – 7
Good save low down to his left to keep out an Alex Iwobi shot early doors.
Other than that he was barely tested but no glaring errors mean it is a step in the right direction for the Red Devils No1.
Diogo Dalot – 6
Had a difficult time in the first half up against Iwobi who was Fulham‘s main attacking threat.
Switched to the left flank in the second half and supported Garnacho without posing much of a threat.
Matthijs de Ligt – 8
Another strong showing at the back from the Dutchman. Without his support for Dalot, Fulham may have created a goal down United’s right-hand side.
Harry Maguire – 9
A superb defensive display from the England star who has been one of United’s best players since Amorim took charge.
Pulled off a brilliant header at the back post to deny Rodrigo Muniz a certain goal.
Lisandro Martinez – 8
Superb last-ditch tackle to prevent Emile Smith Rowe from shooting as he burst through on goal.
His goal had a big slice of luck as it was deflected past Bernd Leno but credit to him for having the audacity to shoot.
Noussair Mazraoui – 7
Solid at the back and tried to get forward when he could. United looked more balance with him on the left and Dalot on the right, although the pair swapped at half-time.
Manuel Ugarte – 6
Showed some nice touches and was a bit of a menace in the middle – in a positive and negative sense. Kept a close eye on Smith Rowe and allowed him no time on the ball.
Booked for a foul on Adama Traore and was taken off shortly afterwards with an injury.
Bruno Fernandes – 5
Not at his best. Barely saw the ball in the first half and was not very effective when he did get it.
Amad Diallo – 6
Looked bright on the ball and United’s only real outlet going forward.
He worked tirelessly and pressed really well – his hard work paid off when he found the back of the net in stoppage time but his effort was chalked off.
Alejandro Garnacho – 3
Was cautious on the ball and ran into blind alleys too often. Final ball let him down on the rare occasion he did manage to beat a defender.
Rasmus Hojlund – 4
His hold up play is nowhere near good enough for this system or for a club like United.
He was too gung-ho at times and his erratic nature meant linking up with Amad and Garnacho proved difficult.
Hauled off before the hour mark which says it all about his performance.
Subs:
Leny Yoro (for De Ligt, 58mins) – 6
A more assured display given his shaky start to life in the Premier League.
Joshua Zirkzee (for Hojlund, 58mins) – 5
Like Hojlund he had a difficult time holding the ball up but United improved with him on the pitch.
Toby Collyer (for Ugarte, 76mins ) – 6
Solid display again from the youngster who was often in the right position to clear, including one on the line to stop a Joachim Andersen header from going in.
Kobbie Mainoo (for Garnacho, 80mins) – 6
Provided energy in midfield and shored things up alongside Collyer.
A brilliant one-two with Amad set up the winger to score before VAR ruled Amad offside.
Tyrell Malacia (for Mazraoui, 80mins) – 6
Brought on in an unfamiliar right wing-back role but did what was needed to see out the clean sheet.
WhatsApp reveals the six signs you’ve been blocked – and group chat clue is a dead giveaway
WHATSAPP has an official list of clues that might mean you’ve been blocked by a contact.
If you’re worried that someone has locked you out, there are some signs.
But note: if someone has blocked you, it might be for a very good reason.
Unless it’s an accident, it might be worth thinking about what you’ve done that might have upset someone.
Also as WhatsApp notes, there’s no sure-fire to tell if you’ve been blocked. It’s all just guesswork based on several clues.
“If you see all the indicators [on the list] for a contact, this could mean they’re blocking you,” WhatsApp explained.
“But they may also be due to other reasons. We can’t tell you if you’re being blocked by someone.”
SIGNS YOU’VE BEEN BLOCKED ON WHATSAPP
The first sign is that you won’t be able to see the read confirmation for their messages on the app. That’s the blue double-ticks.
However, you’ll still see sent-message confirmations, which are a single grey tick.
Secondly, you won’t be able to see the person’s statuses.
And third, you won’t see any updates to the contact’s profile photo.
Fourthly, calls that you try to place to that person through WhatsApp won’t go through.
The fifth sign is that you can’t add the person to a group, even if you’re the admin of that group.
And sixth, you won’t be able to see the person’s Last Seen or Online status.
Of course there are plenty of other reasons why some of the instances might occur.
A person might not be changing their profile picture, or is offline when you try to call, for instance.
So don’t jump straight to the conclusion of blocking.
However, if you notice all of these signs for a prolonged period of time, it could be that you’ve been blocked.
HOW DOES WHATSAPP BLOCKING WORK?
When you block someone on WhatsApp, it means you won’t receive messages, calls, or status updates from them.
The chat will stay in your chatlist – although you can delete or archive it if you prefer.
HOW TO BLOCK SOMEONE ON WHATSAPP
Here's what you need to do...
If you want to block a person, go into your WhatsApp’s in-app settings.
On iPhone tap on Privacy > Blocked > Add New, and then choose the contact.
With WhatsApp on Android, tap on Privacy > Blocked Contacts, then choose the Add Contact icon.
You can also open the chat, go into its settings, and then follow the prompts to block a person.
On WhatsApp Web, click the down arrow on the chat with the person that you want to block.
Then click Block > Block – and uncheck the Report to WhatsApp box if you don’t want to report the sender.
Note that if you do report someone, their last five messages in the chat will be shared with WhatsApp.
Picture Credit: The Sun
If you change your mind, you can unblock the sender.
However, you won’t receive any of the messages that were sent to you while you had them blocked.
Unblocking simply means that you’ll once again be able to receive new messages.
It’s also worth noting that you can’t block a group. Instead, you can leave the group and block the admin.
If you feel you or anyone else is in immediate danger, please contact your local emergency services.
WhatsApp
You should also be aware that a person may be able to work out that you’ve blocked them.
If you block someone, you won’t be removed from their contacts – and they won’t disappear from yours either.
And if you set up a new WhatsApp account, you’ll need to manually block the contacts again.
However, if you’re just swapping phone numbers, your blocked contacts should be carried across.
Meta-owned WhatsApp adds: “If you feel you or anyone else is in immediate danger, please contact your local emergency services.”
Finn Harps sign former Republic of Ireland youth international Dara McGuinness
FINN HARPS have signed former Ireland youth international Dara McGuinness.
Westmeath native McGuinness, 20, joins having spent the past two-and-a-half years with Stoke City.
The striker got his first taste of senior football in the Leinster Senior Cup for St Pat’s in 2019 and featured twice for Shamrock Rovers II in the First Division the following season.
But the disbandment of their second string saw his first-team opportunities dry up before a move to Stoke City in the summer of 2022.
McGuinness – capped by Ireland up to under-18 level – had a short loan spell with Leek Town in September but will now look to kickstart his career at Harps.
Harps boss Darren Murphy said: “He is a really exciting talent having come through the ranks at St Pat’s and Shamrock Rovers before then entering the Stoke City academy system.
“And from speaking with him he is very keen to get in now and hit the ground running at Finn Park.
“He gives us that added quality in that area of the pitch, and fits the mould of the kind of player me and my staff are looking to bring into the football club.”
Novak Djokovic tipped to retire THIS YEAR as odds dramatically shorten after injury derails Australian Open campaign
NOVAK DJOKOVIC has been tipped to retire THIS YEAR after his Australian Open nightmare.
The Serbian tennis legend, 37, was forced to retire through injury during his semi-final showdown with Alexander Zverev Down Under.
That meant his Grand Slam drought now sits at over a year, having gone all of 2024 without a major title to his name – failing to add to his world-record 24 crowns.
And with injuries catching up with him, bookies are backing Djokovic, currently world No6, to quit THIS YEAR.
William Hill have it down as 11/10 that Novak hangs up his racquet before the end of 2025.
It’s 10/1 for the Serb to call time on his illustrious career after the French Open and down to 6/1 for Wimbledon to be his final Grand Slam.
Spokesperson Lee Phelps said: “While time has shown you can never write off Novak Djokovic, the all-conquering Serb has now gone 18 months without a Grand Slam title.
“And after pulling out of his semi-final tie through injury in Melbourne, we feel he may nearly be ready to call time on his glittering career.
“We’re 11/10 that the 24-time Grand Slam winner bows out before the end of the year.
“We’ve got 10/1 on him hanging up his racquet after Roland Garros.
“We’re 6/1 that he calls time following Wimbledon.”
Djokovic had overcome Carlos Alcaraz from a set down in the quarter-final at the Australian Open to reach the final four.
But, after losing a 90-minute opening 7-6 to Zverev in the semis, he withdrew from the match.
After pulling out, Djokovic said: “I did everything I possibly could do to manage the muscle tear that I had.
“Towards the end of that first set I just started feeling more and more pain. It was too much to handle for me.
“I knew even if I won the first set, that it’s going to be a huge uphill battle for me to stay physically fit enough to stay with him in the rallies for two, three, four hours.
“I don’t think I had that today in the tank.”
Should Djokovic retire, it could have huge implications for Andy Murray’s career, too.
The British legend, also 37, had been coaching his old friend rival Down Under.
Murray has now revealed what the plan is for the duo – while admitting he found it all “a bit embarrassing”.
The two-time Wimbledon champion said: “Me and Novak agreed that after the tournament we would speak. We’ll do that.
“At times it feels a little bit embarrassing that because of my relationship with Novak, how much people talk about that or when there’s a good result or a good performance that it’s because I’ve helped him.
“I’m fully aware that the team that is with him has done an incredible job over many, many years to allow him to still be competing at this level, at the age that he’s at.
“They’ve all been really, really helpful to me. They really welcomed me into the team. It’s been great to be a part of.
“I got to witness some amazing tennis, and one of the best matches that I’ve seen live against Alcaraz.”
Murray said he had learned a lot from his short time with Djokovic, but admitted he is only just beginning to understand what’s required of a top-level coach.
The Scot revealed: “It’s a steep learning curve for me as well. Obviously there’s a lot of things that as a player, you know things are different when you’re coaching.
“You’re not just thinking about yourself like you are when you’re a player.
“I’ve certainly learned a lot but there’s a lot more still for me to learn, that’s for sure.”
And Murray said he had found it hard to watch Djokovic, knowing that he was suffering in pain.
He said: “When you get to that stage of the tournament, you feel like you’re getting very close to something very special, and it’s unfortunate if the body’s not responding in the way that you would like.
“With Novak there’s always hope with him because of how great a player he is and has found ways out of difficult situations before. It just wasn’t to be this time.”