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Tom Parker Bowles has shared a tribute (Image: Darren Gerrish/WireImage for Café Royal Grill restaurant and Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

Queen Camilla’s son has shared a heartbreaking tribute to Dame Jilly Cooper, a friend of Queen Camilla’s, who has passed away unexpectedly. The author, who was believed to be good friends with Her Majesty, was seen just last month with the Queen for the Queen’s Reading Room Festival event.

Sharing a tribute to Dame Jilly on social media, Queen Camilla’s son Tom Parker Bowles shared a picture of the beloved author with the words “the best” alongside an emoji of a broken heart.

Accompanying the image, of her and her dog, he wrote: “Deeply kind, wickedly funny and eternally sweet. And hell could she write. A true legend, in every way. RIP Jilly.”

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He accompanied this with a photograph of Dame Jilly sat on a bench and smiling at the camera with her greyhound.

Tom Parker Bowles’ upset over the Dame Jilly’s d3ath is likely to be mirrored by that of Queen Camilla’s with Her Majesty very fond of Dame Jilly.

It is believed the two women were friends, with Camilla having been a fan of the author’s books.

The author was also believed to be friends with Camilla’s first husband Andrew Parker Bowles, who was the inspiration behind her character Rupert Campbell-Black in her hit novel, Rivals, which is now a Disney TV series.

In a statement published on Monday morning, Dame Jilly’s children Felix and Emily also paid tribute to Dame Jilly.

They wrote: “Mum, was the shining light in all of our lives. Her love for all of her family and friends knew no bounds.

“Her unexpected d3ath has come as a complete shock. We are so proud of everything she achieved in her life and can’t begin to imagine life without her infectious smile and laughter all around us.”

Queen Camilla has not publicly commented on her friend’s d3ath.

The new Archbishop of Canterbury is expected to be announced this week.

The one appointed to take up the role is seen as the spiritual leader of the Anglican church.

They also have a seat in the House of Lords.

Almost a year on from Justin Welby’s resignation, the new Archbishop of Canterbury will be revealed on Friday, October 3.

Welby resigned from the role in November 2024 over his failure to report prolific child abuser John Smyth.

The Archbishop of Canterbury is appointed by The King, as Supreme Governor of the Church of England, on the recommendation of the Crown Nominations Commission (CNC).

Following the resignation of an Archbishop of Canterbury, a Crown Nominations Commission is established to identify and submit the name of a preferred candidate to the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister is constitutionally responsible for advising the King on the appointment, Express reports.

Once Charles approves the chosen candidate, the Prime Minister’s office announces the name of the Archbishop-designate.

Currently, two women are among the favourites to lead the Church of England, becoming the symbolic figurehead for 85 million Anglicans worldwide.

According to Reuters, leading contenders include Bishop Rachel Treweek – the CoE’s first-ever female diocesan bishop – and Iranian-born Bishop Guli Francis-Dehqani – who came to Britain as a refugee with her parents following the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Unlike the Catholic Church, which elected Pope Leo just 17 days after Francis’ death, the CoE has taken almost a year to make its decision due to a complex vetting process.

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Jonathan Evans, a former head of the MI5 spy agency, was chosen by the Government to lead the 20-strong selection commission.

He said in July he wanted to avoid a list of candidates where all were ‘white, Oxbridge, male and come from the southeast of England’.

The commission includes 17 voting members, including five representatives from the global Anglican Communion, three from Canterbury, and six from the CoE’s governing body.

Emma Watson has fuelled engagement speculation after appearing at Paris Fashion Week sporting a substantial diamond ring on her left hand.

The 35-year-old actress attended Monday’s Miu Miu show at the Palais d’Iéna wearing a split-shank halo design featuring a round-cut central diamond estimated at approximately 1.5 carats.

 

Away from the limelight, the former Harry Potter star is believed to have been dating Kieran Brown for more than a year.

The couple met whilst Ms Watson was pursuing her part-time master’s degree in creative writing at Oxford University, where Mr Brown is completing his PhD.

Emma Watson stepped out during Paris Fashion Week

| GETTY

Ms Watson and Mr Brown have maintained a low profile throughout their relationship, with the actress having previously described herself as “self-partnered” in 2019.

Just last month, Ms Watson voiced concerns about societal expectations surrounding tying the knot, telling Jay Shetty’s podcast that pressure on women to marry constitutes “violence and cruelty”.

“I think it’s such a violence and it’s such a cruelty on people—and especially young people, and especially women—to make them feel like they have no worth, or like they haven’t succeeded yet in life, because they haven’t forced to its culmination something that I just don’t think can or should ever be forced,” she stated.

Despite her criticism of marriage pressure, Ms Watson expressed hope about her own future, saying: “I hope it happens to me, but I don’t feel entitled to it. It will either be part of my purpose here and my destiny, or it won’t.”

The actress showcased her ring while dressed in a pale pink shift dress beneath a brown suede jacket, completing her ensemble with black patent leather heels featuring triple straps and a black handbag.

Ms Watson’s appearance marked her first Paris Fashion Week outing in three years, having largely retreated from public view.

It also came merely days after author JK Rowling launched a scathing attack on the actress, branding her “ignorant of how ignorant she is” in a 700-word statement posted on X.

The Harry Potter creator’s criticism followed Ms Watson’s comments on Jay Shetty’s podcast, where she expressed her continued affection for Ms Rowling despite their opposing views on transgender rights.

Emma Watson smiled to onlookers

| GETTY

“I really don’t believe that by having had [my] experience and holding the love and support and views that I have, [means] that I can’t and don’t treasure Jo and the person that I had personal experiences with,” Ms Watson had said.

Ms Rowling accused the actress of having “so little experience of real life” due to becoming “a multimillionaire at fourteen”, suggesting the 35-year-old couldn’t comprehend how “the trashing of women’s rights” affects less privileged women.

The author particularly condemned Ms Watson’s 2022 Baftas speech, declaring she was “here for all the witches”, which Ms Rowling interpreted as a targeted slight against her gender-critical stance.

Ms Rowling revealed Ms Watson had sent her a handwritten note saying “I’m so sorry for what you’re going through” during a period of intense threats against the author, yet had simultaneously “publicly poured more petrol on the flames”.

JK Rowling and Emma Watson are currently embroiled in a public feud

 | GETTYDespite the harsh criticism, Ms Watson appeared unperturbed at the fashion event, beaming for cameras and playfully arriving on the back of a motorbike.

The actress mingled with fellow attendees, including Emma Corrin, Kylie Jenner, and Poppy Delevingne.

George Clarke needed urgent medical attention after hurting his back (Image: undefined)

Strictly Come Dancing’s George Clarke revealed he needed urgent medical treatment last week after sustaining a back injury during practice sessions. The social media star discussed his injury on his podcast, The Useless Hotline Podcast – welcoming Strictly professional dance partner Alexis Warr as a guest for the first time.

The 25 year old impressed both the judging panel and viewers with his spectacular Paso Doble on Saturday, earning a score of 30.

He secured third position on the leaderboard for the opening two weeks, trailing behind Lewis Cope and Amber Davies who claimed second and first place respectively, reports the Mirror. Despite his commanding performance on the scoreboard, George disclosed on his podcast that his rehearsal time for the Paso Doble was reduced due to requiring physiotherapy for a back injury he picked up during training. “I didn’t want it to be a thing on the night,” he explained. “That’s why they asked in the VT, they were like, ‘Do you want to mention your back?’ and I said, ‘I don’t want it to be a thing.’”

George Clarke was determined to perform in the live show (Image: Guy Levy/BBC/PA)

He continued: “I had a pinched nerve all week in my back. I had acupuncture half way through the week. I went to physio four times.” Regarding how the injury occurred, George confessed that the problem arose after a handstand went awry. “I was like, ‘I’ll throw in a handstand or something.’ I like doing a handstand, if I keep my legs together I’d probably be better at it but it doesn’t feel fun when you do it that way,” he confessed.

“I did that and got up and went, ‘My back hurts a little bit actually. Ah s**t, I’ve got a little twinge in there somehow. I’ll try to carry on.’”

After taking a lunch break, Will admitted he couldn’t return to training and “went straight to physio” instead. “I went to physio the next morning as well. Danced for a bit, sat down,” he added.

Alexis noted that this was the ‘most frustrated’ she had seen George, who chimed in: “Monday is when they throw a load of information at you and then it’s Terrible Tuesday because you’re trying to figure it out.”

Not only was he behind with training, but George had to keep stopping rehearsal due to his back pain.

“It would get to the point where I’m getting it then I had to sit down because my back was hurting,” he explained.

Earlier this week, George expressed his gratitude for the support he’s received during the competition, posting on Instagram: “Probably [a] good time to continue being serious and thank everyone for their unbelievable support so far.

“Whether you’re old or new (here, not just in general) I really appreciate the comments, the messages and obviously the votes!”.

Viewers of ITV2’s Big Brother expressed immediate outrage during Sunday evening’s series premiere when presenters revealed a contestant would be eliminated on the opening night.

The 2025 series launched with hosts announcing the unexpected format modification within minutes of going live, departing from the programme’s traditional approach of delaying eliminations until the second week.

 

Social media platforms witnessed an instant wave of criticism as audiences condemned the decision.

The reality programme, returning for its third series since moving to ITV, introduced the controversial element alongside mysterious eyeball props distributed to each arriving contestant.

ITV introduced the controversial element alongside mysterious eyeball props distributed to each arriving contestant

 | ITV

The sudden announcement prompted widespread disapproval from longtime followers who questioned the broadcaster’s judgement in implementing such a dramatic change to the established format on launch night.

AJ Odudu and Will Best welcomed contestants to the house whilst distributing peculiar eyeball objects that descended through tubes as participants exited taxis and approached the stage.

The presenters encouraged audiences to download the programme’s application to participate in the voting process for the unprecedented opening-night elimination.

The hosts, who have presented the show since its ITV revival in 2023, delivered the shocking announcement to both studio audiences and viewers at home.

Big Brother returned on Sunday

| ITV

Each arriving contestant received the mysterious prop before entering the house, though the exact purpose of these items remained unclear during the broadcast.

The elimination twist represents a significant departure from the show’s established pattern, which typically allows contestants to settle before facing potential removal from the competition.

Fans took to X to voice their frustration, with one user writing: “I just switched into ITV2 and the first thing I hear is an eviction tonight…wtf x.”

Another viewer declared: “An eviction TONIGHT! ! ! Oh this is brutal #BBUK.”

Additional criticism emerged as one social media user stated: “An eviction on night 1 is just cruel #BBUK.”

Another agreed: “Eviction on night 1! What a terrible twist! ITV have lost the plot big time! #BBUK.”

Further complaints highlighted viewers’ preferences for traditional formatting, with one person posting: “The eye roll s***and an eviction on the first night… Can we just have a classy normal live launch ITV.”

Another simply described the twist as “brutal” whilst questioning why producers implement such changes when audiences clearly oppose them.

The programme’s 2025 edition extends to seven weeks, marking an additional week compared to previous series as part of the show’s 25th anniversary celebrations.

ITV Big Brother fans slammed the new format change

| ITV

The extended duration allows for more challenges, nominations and evictions throughout the competition period.

Accompanying the main broadcast, Big Brother: Late & Live continues to air nightly, featuring exclusive content, celebrity panel discussions and additional footage from the house.

The live stream option remains available for dedicated viewers seeking continuous coverage.

Will Best expressed enthusiasm about the anniversary milestone, stating: “Bring on the housemates, bring on seven weeks, and bring on a happy 25th anniversary to Big Brother!”

He added: “Last series could easily have gone on longer, so this will be a nice touch.”

It doesn’t take long for the favourites to emerge in Strictly Come Dancing – and this year, the contest feels more open than ever.

Week one saw former Lioness Karen Carney and Emmerdale actor Lewis Cope mark themselves as ones to watch after delivering phenomenal jives, while Amber Davies wowed with a waltz despite having less than 24 hours to learn the routine.

In week two, three totally different celebs landed themselves podium spots on the leaderboard, throwing the competition wide open. Casualty’s Alex Kingston went to the top after breaking the curse of the samba, social media star George Clarke pulled off a powerful paso doble for second and EastEnders’ Balvinder Sopal completed the trio thanks to an energetic Charleston.

Elsewhere, the judges also named another one to watch – and that’s the celebrity I’d love to see win: Vicky Pattison.

She might not be the best dancer just yet, but that could work to her advantage. Strictly viewers (myself included) love to watch a celebrity go on a journey of sorts. With a combined week one and two score of 47, Pattison is solidly mid-table – leaving plenty of room to grow as the series goes on.

And while high-scoring dances obviously help contestants go far, it’s usually their personality and story that really help pull in the votes when the final is in touching distance. And when it comes to those two attributes, Pattison has plenty to offer.

The TV personality has freely admitted to being one of the most nervous participants in this year’s series. But you wouldn’t have known it if you just watched her foxtrot with pro partner Kai Widdrington, which was set to a Sam Fender track in a homage to her home city of Newcastle.

“You could be a ballroom queen,” Anton du Beke declared, before Shirley Ballas made the unusual choice of directing her advice at Widdrington. “This girl could possibly go all the way,” she said. “But you cannot babysit. I think she’s got the ability. Let her keep up with you.”

It was clear how much the comments meant to Pattison as she spoke to Claudia Winkleman shortly afterwards. Fighting tears, she said she “hadn’t really done a lot an awful lot of stuff to make the north east proud… especially at the start of my career”.

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“It feels really nice to be able to turn a corner on Strictly… and maybe make my friends and family proud,” Pattison added.

The start she’s referring to is, of course, her warts-and-all rise to fame on Geordie Shore, MTV’s often X-rated and raucous contribution to the British reality TV boom of the early 2010s. Pattison, now 37, has previously shared regrets about some of her behaviour on the programme (namely having sex on TV) and her comments on Saturday gave us a glimpse at how much Strictly means to her.

It seems the show is offering Pattison something of a redemption arc, a chance to show the nation – and herself – how she’s changed in the 14 years since she arrived on our screens.

The candour and wit that made Pattison one of Geordie Shore’s breakout – and most successful – stars is shining through in the ballroom. It’s impossible not to love her frank and hilarious quips, and I imagine that as the series goes on – just like when Pattison triumphed on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! In 2015 – she’ll win over more and more viewers every week. And I couldn’t be more here for it.

Kimberly Hébert Gregory, best known for her starring role as the fiery Dr Belinda Brown in HBO’s hit comedy series Vice Principals, has di3d aged 52.

The actor’s d3ath was announced by her ex-husband, Chester Gregory, who said in an Instagram post that she “lit up every room” and “carried both fire and grace”. He did not disclose the cause of d3ath.

Chester wrote: “You taught us lessons in courage, in artistry, in resilience, and in how to keep showing up, even when life demanded more than its share.”

He remembered Kimberly as “so much more than” his ex-wife, reflecting on their bond, which he said “no storm could break”.

The post continued: “Thank you, Kimberly, for every chapter we shared. Your story was never defined by the battle, but by the beauty you carried through it.”

Gregory’s acting colleagues and friends have remembered her as a “ray of light” in a series of online tributes.

White Lotus star Walton Goggins, who co-starred in Vice Principals alongside Gregory, said in a tribute: “We lost one of the best yesterday… one of the best I’ve ever worked with. Kimberly Hebert Gregory. I had the honour… the good fortune of getting to know, getting to spend months working with this Queen on Vice Principals.”

Goggins said Gregory made him laugh “like no other” and called her a “professional’s professional”.

open image in gallery

(Getty Images)

He added: “You will be missed my friend. As much as you know.”

Busy Philipps, who played Gale Liptrapp on the dark comedy, also wrote: “Oh my god I’m devastated to hear this. She was a light and a force. She will be missed.”

Community’s Yvette Nicole Brown said: “I don’t understand this. I’m so sorry for you and your son’s loss @chestergregory. And OUR loss as a community.”

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Broadway actor Leslie Odom Jr said: “What a light she shared. I am so sorry to hear.”

open image in gallery

Kimberly Hébert Gregory as Dr Belinda Brown in HBO’s hit comedy series ‘Vice Principals’ (HBO)

Jason Ritter, known for roles in Matlock and Parenthood, said: “I am so sorry… absolutely heartbreaking. She was so brilliant and so kind, she will be so so missed by all of us lucky enough to know her.”

Vice Principals, which ran on HBO for two seasons between 2016 and 2017, was co-created by Danny McBride and Jody Hill. It follows McBride and Goggins as two vice principals at a high school, who are in an epic power struggle to become the school principal.

Born in Houston in December 1972, Gregory discovered her love for acting as a child and attended Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts before going on to earn an MFA from DePaul University’s Theatre School. She launched her career in the Nineties with the Chicago Theatre Company.

She earned a Drama Desk Award nomination for her breakout role in the Lynn Nottage play By the Way, Meet Vera Stark.

Gregory’s big screen roles included Spike Lee’s 2012 film Red Hook Summer, 2019’s Five Feet Apart and 2020’s John Henry.

Her television work was also expansive, and had guest roles and recurring roles across series including The Chi, Kevin (Probably) Saves the World, Better Call Saul, Red Hook Summer, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Two and a Half Men. She also voiced characters in Craig of the Creek, Jessica’s Big Little World and No Activity.

Vicky Pattison announced she was unable to make an appearance on Strictly: It Takes Two in a candid social media post. The former Geordie Shore star, 37, took to her Instagram Stories on Monday night and told fans she would not be on the show after falling ill. The Strictly Come Dancing star is currently paired with Kai Widdrington, 30, on the BBC show. Vicky has since revealed she is unwell and is unsure of when she would be returning to dance rehearsals. In a candid admission the reality star shared a photo and confirmed she had come down with a severe cold. In the snap there was throat lozenges, cough medicine, ginger shot, oranges and juices. The Strictly contestant suggested Kai had also caught a cold forcing them both out of their joint TV appearance.

She captioned the post: “Man or should I say ‘men’ down. Huge apologies to anyone expecting to see me and Kai on ‘It Tales Two’ tonight. Doing all we can to get back to our best and back to the training room asap.” Fans took to social media and offered their well wishes to the dancing duo following their health update.

Strictly star flooded with support after being forced to pull out of show (Image: BBC)

One X user penned: “Vicky has said she’s not really well and that’s why she’s not on #ItTakesTwo this evening with Kai. Hope she gets better soon.”

A second person commented: “Vicky has confirmed she’s under the weather and that’s why she’s not on #ItTakesTwo this evening with Kai. Sending you lots of love @VickyPattison. Get better soon.”

A third wrote: “Get well soon.”

Ross King and his dance partner Jowita Pryzstal were announced as their replacements when they appeared on It Takes Two with show host Janette Manrara.

Strictly’s Vicky Pattison issued a health update (Image: BBC)
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Former Geordie Shore star Vicky and pro dancer Kai received a score of 24 points for their Foxtrot to Rein Me In by Sam Fender and Olivia Dean on Saturday (October 4).

The Chase star Paul Sinha previously opened up about a rather awkward interaction with a huge A-lister who was “really nasty and rude”.

The quizzer has been a staple on screens since his debut on the ITV show in 2011. So it’s no surprise that Paul – who is on Beat The Chasers today (October 5) – has rubbed shoulders with several famous faces over the years.

However, according to Paul, there is one celeb who was “really rude” to him while at a swanky showbiz party…

The TV star opened up about an awkward encounter (Credit: ITV)

The Chase star Paul Sinha on rudest celeb he’s met

Last month, Paul appeared on the Bad Boys Done Good podcast. He was asked by the hosts Tom Ward and Joe Jacobs: “Who’s the biggest [bleep] you’ve ever met in TV? This is a safe space. You could be honest.”

Not holding his tongue, Paul didn’t sugarcoat his answer. He said: “Well I was at an ITV party a few years ago when somebody basically was really, really nasty and rude to me in conversation.”

They walked off laughing at my discomfort.

The Chase star continued: “When I was trying to sort of fanboy him and hero worship him. In the end he told his mate, you don’t even know who this [bleep] is. And they walked off together laughing at my discomfort.”

Paul went and recalled the awkward encounter: “And I wanted to shout out: ‘You’re not even the funniest person in your marriage. That would be Jennifer Saunders.’”

Name-dropping the celeb, Paul claimed: “Yeah I’m talking about Adrian Edmondson… he’s a [bleep].”

Paul spoke about his encounter with the actor (Credit: SplashNews.com)

Who is Adrian Edmondson?

Actor Adrian Edmondson is best known for his roles in the 1980s sitcoms like The Young Ones and Filthy Rich & Catflap.

He was also crowned the winner of Celebrity Masterchef in 2013, and from 2019 to 2020 he appeared in EastEnders as Daniel Cook,

What’s more, Adrian has been married to Jennifer Saunders since 1985 and the couple share three daughters.

Watch Paul on Beat The Chasers on Sunday (October 5) at 8pm on ITV1. 

Read more: Paul Sinha reveals he was rushed to hospital after suffering two heart attacks
 

Rosie Jones revealed she was assaulted (Image: ITV )

British comedian Rosie Jones has revealed that she was a victim of an assault over the weekend during an evening out with a friend. The TV star had wine thrown over her in what her friend called an “ableist and homophobic” attack on a train. Rosie and fellow comedian Lee Peart were travelling together through south London on Sunday, just weeks after she opened up about facing judgment from the public every day of her life. The 35-year-old, who lives with cerebral palsy, claimed she was “mocked” by a group of three people before being covered in wine.

The aftermath of the attack was shared in a heartbreaking video, which she shared on social media and explained: “Here I am with one of my favourite people and look…” The camera was then panned to show the pair covered in wine while still on their journey. Lee added: “You know what that was from? Being attacked by ableist and homophobic a*******s.” Rosie then addressed the assault and continued: “Three people mocked both of our voices, threw wine at us. What a f*****g waste!”

Read more: I’m A Celeb All Stars line-up unveiled with reality TV icon and Strictly star

Read more: Emmerdale star in court after pleading guilty to two charges after ITV exit

Rosie and Lee had wine thrown at them (Image: Instagram Rosie Jones)

Lee went on: “This is the reality we are getting too now in this country where it’s like…. what’s going on?”

In an update, he later added: “Thank you for your lovely messages and we are both doing fine, and yes, we have reported it. The BTP took us home and were wonderful. Rosie Jones is a wonderful human.”

The British Transport Police stated: “Officers were called to East Croydon railway station at around 10.30pm yesterday (5 October) following reports of a group of people abusing and assaulting other passengers on a train from Brighton to Victoria.

“Enquiries are ongoing, and anyone who witnessed anything or has any information is asked to contact BTP by texting 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40, quoting reference 672 of 5 October.”

Rosie opened up about facing judgement (Image: Channel 4)

The comedian opened up about her daily struggles and shared that she had to undergo therapy after being targeted by trolls after she featured on Channel 4’s Taskmaster.

Rosie went on to explain that she also sought help after meeting up with one of the trolls during the filming of her documentary Rosie Jones: Am I A R****d?

“Doing that documentary took a toll on my mental health and I started therapy because of it, which I am so happy about.

“Financially, it can be a problem, but I would say to anybody who can afford therapy to do it because your brain is the most important part of you and you don’t need to wait until you’re at rock bottom to check in on yourself.”