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Strictly Come Dancing is facing chaos already(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Guy Levy)

Strictly Come Dancing has only been back on screens for one week and the show has already been thrown into chaos. The hit BBC dance competition was hoping to brush off its many scandals from recent years with the huge return on Saturday night.

However, it seems Strictly’s turmoil is showing no signs of slowing down. Two celebrity contestants have quit the series, with bosses reportedly struggling to get stars to sign up earlier this year.

There has also been a storm around controversial Thomas Skinner, and one very unhappy professional dancer. It all follows dancers Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima’s axes plus a bullying probe and alleged drugs scandal.

Two celebrity exits

Dani has been forced to quit after an injury(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Ray Burmiston)

Kristian pulled out of the show last month(Image: INSTAGRAM)

Reality TV star Dani made her debut this past weekend with professional Nikita Kuzmin, however her Strictly dream has come crashing to a halt. She is no longer taking part in the series having suffered a fall in rehearsals.

The Love Islander devastatingly shared: “I had a fall on Friday in rehearsals and landed funny. I thought I had rolled my foot but it swelled up badly over the weekend and after an MRI scan yesterday, it turns out I have fractured my ankle.

“Apparently doing the quickstep on a fracture is not advisable (!!) and the doctors have said I am not allowed to dance so l’ve had to pull out of the show. To say I’m heartbroken is the biggest understatement. I am so going to miss dancing with Nikita but will of course be watching closely and cheering all the couples on.”

Dani isn’t the only celebrity to have pulled out of the 2025 series. Last month, Game of Thrones star Kristian Nairn pulled out, saying he’s been struggling with “a high level of stress and a little bit of grief”. He was later replaced by former Emmerdale star, Lewis Cope.

One unhappy pro

Nancy shared her disappointment at not having a celebrity partner(Image: nancy_xuxi/Instagram)

She danced with Shayne Ward last year(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Ray Burmiston)

Professional dancer Nancy Xu has directly addressed rumours she’s not happy about missing out on a celebrity pairing this year, in a bombshell social media clip. It had been claimed she’d been left upset by the situation, and Nancy confirmed that for herself.

She shared a clip of her being asked if she was “okay” by co-stars, where she replied “yeah” and smiling. Her video then cut to Nancy addressing the camera as she expressed gratitude for the support that she has received.

Nancy said: “I am okay. I am okay. As you all know now, I don’t have a dance partner on Strictly Come Dancing this year. In the very beginning, when I just received the messages, it [did] upset me and [I] felt disappointed.”

The dancer, who joined the BBC show in 2019, said about having moved to the UK from China: “All I wanted is to achieve my dream. Strictly has given me such a big platform to allow me to show my skills, show my talents.

“Of course, I felt this year has been left out but I’m good because I’m still part of the Strictly family. This year you will possibly hear my voice more than ever because I will give all my energy to support all my Strictly family. I will be there cheering for them.”

A controversial signing

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Thomas Skinner has been paired with professional Amy Dowden(Image: BBC)

Apprentice contestant Thomas Skinner turned heads when he signed up to the show, and has continued to prove his controversial nature already. Many thought he wasn’t a right fit for the family-friendly BBC show due to his outspoken nature and Twitter rants.

Things heated up earlier this month at the press launch for the show when he snatched a reporters phone and stormed off. It was later revealed he had cheated on his wife Sinead just weeks after their wedding.

On Saturday, he was paired with beloved professional dancer Amy Dowden, much to the dismay of fans. Following backlash over his signing, Thomas raged: “Now I see people are fumin’ that I’m on Strictly…. and the funny thing is that the majority of them got ‘be kind’ wrote in their bios.

“You couldn’t make it up. Let me tell you this. I won’t be cancelled. I ain’t gonna kill myself like some of you want. I’m still here. I’m still standin. Trust me when I say this; I am stronger than people think. Every insult, every lie, every attack….it don’t break me, it builds me stronger.

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Home and Away icon Lynne McGranger shares sad truth behind decision to exit soap(Image: Channel 5)

After 30 years in Summer Bay, Lynne McGranger is leaving Home and Away, bringing to an end one of Australian television’s most enduring soap careers. The actress, 71, has played Irene Roberts since 1993, and over three decades, her character has become central to some of the show’s most memorable storylines.

Irene arrived as a troubled character to Summer Bay and was initially written as a villain. Irene was a violent, alcoholic mother whose children Nathan (David Dixon), Damian (Matt Doran), and Finlay (Tina Thomsen) had been removed from her care.

Her early years were on the Aussie soap were surrounded by conflict and chaos as she struggled to control her anger and rebuild the fractured relationships in her life. But Irene’s character gradually evolved and quickly became a pillar of the community in Summer Bay.

After embracing sobriety, Irene devoted herself to fostering children and her compassionate nature made her a mentor and friend to many in Summer Bay.

 

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Lynne has played Irene Roberts since 1993(Image: Channel 5)

Throughout her time on the show, Irene faced some of Home and Away’s heaviest storylines as she found herself in a relationship with a murderer, battled breast cancer, and experienced a relapse into alcoholism.

Perhaps most challenging was her Alzheimer’s diagnosis, which formed her final storyline and prompted her iconic character to contemplate her future away from the famous Bay.

Now Lynne has shared her reason for leaving the iconic Aussie soap. Reflecting on her decision to leave, Lynne admitted it had been a long time coming.

“I had probably been thinking about leaving the show for a year or two, just in passing – just thinking maybe the time is drawing nigh to change direction and to do a little bit of theatre,” she said.

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The actress has no regrets about stepping away from Summer Bay(Image: Channel 5)

Despite soap fans being left devastated by her decision to leave after thirty incredible years, Lynne has no regrets about stepping away. “I never had any doubts, no. And I haven’t had any regrets or any doubts since. I just feel like it was the right thing to have done at the right time.”

Fans have been vocal about their sadness at her departure and it hasn’t gone unnoticed by the much-love soap star.

Lynne admitted: “Many, many people have come up to say, ‘oh why did you have to leave, it’s not the same’. And I’m like, ‘well it was time for me to move on. No, it’s not the same but it will be different, and it will be better in some respects’.

“Someone else will step into the fray. I remember back in the day when Shane and Angel left, and it was like ‘it will never be the same.’ And when Pippa left, when Sally left – ‘it will never be the same.’ No, it won’t but it will be different. It will be as good but in another way.”

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Irene was an iconic character on the Aussie soap for over 30 years (Image: Channel 5)

One storyline that struck a personal chord for Lynne came in 2011, when Irene was diagnosed with breast cancer. “My best friend, who lives in York, her daughter Nicky had been diagnosed at the same time,” Lynne said. “She fought valiantly for about 10 years but sadly lost her fight when she was about 50.”

Although her exit aired last month, Lynne still remains incredibly connected to the show. She continues to catch up with colleagues and frequently visits the studio for Sunrise.

Professionally, she remains busy, touring Australia with The Grandparent’s Club, followed by appearances in Ireland, Norway, and potentially London.

This Morning’s Ben Shephard apologised to viewers after singer Lulu swore live on air. The singer, 76, made an appearance on Wednesday’s edition of the ITV magazine show to talk about her past struggles with alcoholism, but had to be interrupted when she accidentally used the profane language.

She told Ben and his co-host Cat Deeley: “It was never bad because I was never a fall-down drunk. My son didn’t know, he said ‘Wait a minute, Mum, are you sure…’ and Elton [John] said ‘How the f*** did I miss that?’”

Ben immediately cut in with: “Elton has an interesting vocabulary, we need to be quite careful because it’s quite early. Apologies, you’ll understand that it was Elton saying that and not Lulu.”

Ben jumped into the sad conversation to tentatively apologise for Lulu’s profanity ( 
Image:
ITV)
In response, Lulu said: “I’m so sorry, I am so sorry. Also, it’s me trying to push the story. How did I miss that?”

The Shout singer, who has now been sober for more than a decade, recalled not being able to know when enough was enough even though she seemed to manage to function in every day life.

She added: “I was very secretive, I was so ashamed of it. I would go out and have a drink, a couple of drinks. I would go home, and have another drink. You know you’re an alcoholic if you can’t stop. I have a lot of friends who have a drink and say ‘Oh I’ve had enough,’ but I couldn’t do that.

“I was a highly-functioning alcoholic, that’s why nobody knew. I would fall asleep sozzled. I’d set the alarm, wake up for work the next day, brush myself off and go to work.

Lulu apologised as well but insisted she was just trying to get the story across ( 
Image:
ITV)
“My sister – the day was 3rd November 2013 – I had a birthday party and everyone left except my sister and her kids because two of them live with me. My niece said ‘Oh so and so, he’s hanging on by his fingernails,’ talking about his problem with alcohol, and I don’t know where it came from, I said ‘He’s not the only one’.

“My sister said very kindly, ‘I know, and I’ve known for some time’. The cat was out of the bag, it was if someone up there liked me, I now had to get sharing. I couldn’t ask for help before but in that moment I looked at my sister and said ‘I have to go to rehab, don’t I?’ She said ‘I think so.’ I was there the next day.”

The Absolutely Fabulous star, who has also put her incredible showbiz story into her new memoir If Only You Knew and will also be heading around the country on tour, was on the verge of tears as she recalled her own dad’s battle with alcohol.

She said: “It really makes me sad when I think of my parents, they didn’t have the help that I had. My sister is a psychotherapist, she knew not to bring it up until I brought it up.

“So, the book is about that, which I’ve never talked about. But I also talk about Maurice Gibb, I talk about David Bowie. I’ve had the most unbelievable life. Young people think if you’re famous, you’re sorted. If you’re wealthy, famous…it doesn’t mean to say that your life is perfect. We all have trials and tribulations in our life that need to be looked at.

Dani addressed her social media followers (Image: Instagram/danidyerxx)

Dani Dyer battled back tears as she spoke out about her devastating departure from Strictly Come Dancing in a heartfelt message to her supporters. The 29-year-old made her debut on the beloved BBC competition during Saturday evening’s launch programme on 20 September, joining the other 14 famous faces taking part.

Throughout the show, viewers discovered she had been matched with professional dancer Nikita Kuzmin. Nevertheless, today, mere days ahead of the inaugural live performance, it was revealed that Dani has been forced to withdraw after fracturing her ankle during a tumble whilst practising. Speaking to her 3.7 million followers through a poignant video on her Instagram stories, Dani momentarily stopped to compose herself as she became emotional.

She expressed: “Hi guys, I’m going to do this, and try and do this without crying, but yeah, I’m so heartbroken, like I’ve not felt like this in such a long time.

“I was having the best time ever… It’s just (a) very, very annoying, devastating thing that I’m kind of going through right now, but I’m probably just going to have a few days off my socials just to, you know, process things.

“I just want to thank you all so much for all your love and support. But yeah, I’m gutted, I’m absolutely gutted.”

She added: “I love everyone, everyone at Strictly is absolutely amazing. All the couples, I’m going to miss them so much. I will eventually come along and cheer them on. I just want to thank you all so much.”

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In a statement released earlier today, mother of three Dani revealed: “I had a fall on Friday in rehearsals and landed funny.

“I thought I had rolled my foot but it swelled up badly over the weekend and after an MRI scan yesterday, it turns out I have fractured my ankle.

“Apparently doing the quickstep on a fracture is not advisable, and the doctors have said I am not allowed to dance, so I’ve had to pull out of the show.

“To say I’m heartbroken is the biggest understatement. I am so going to miss dancing with Nikita but will of course be watching closely and cheering all the couples on.”

Dani Dyer was forced to drop out of Strictly after an injury (Image: Getty)

Dani Dyer ‘s replacement on Strictly Come Dancing may have been decided already. Dyer announced on Tuesday that she had been forced to withdraw from the BBC show, after suffering a horror injury.

Dyer told her fans that she had fractured her ankle during rehearsals and had to withdraw on medical grounds, leaving her “heartbroken”. Dani, 29, was set to dance with professional star Nikita Kuzmin on the programme, which will air its first live show this weekend.

However, reports suggest that her spot on the show is already close to being filled by a replacement. Tillie Amartey is reportedly already in talks to join the programme.

The actress, 22, who appeared on the Strictly 2023 Christmas special, is said to have been making trips from her home in Leeds to London to meet with executives.

She previously told Express.co.uk that she was “desperate” to appear on Strictly after her success on the festive special, and would jump at the chance to make a full debut, joking for bosses to “call her”.

Tilly rose to fame on hit BBC show Waterloo Road (Image: PR Supplied)

A source told The Sun: “The feeling is that if she is filling the shoes vacated by Dani, the programme needs another young, glam woman to take her spot.

“There is already an imbalance in the genders among the celebrities as there are nine men taking part and six women. It’s essential the number of females taking part doesn’t drop further, and they want to try and maintain a similar balance in terms of the variety of ages too”, reports the Mirror.

Tillie, the niece of Spice Girls star Melanie Brown MBE, first appeared on CBBC’s 4 O’Clock Club back in 2016. Following her stint on the programme, Tillie has subsequently featured in the likes of Doctors, The Teacher and Moving On.

However, Tillie is most recognised for portraying determined Stacey Neville on the BBC revival of Waterloo Road, which she joined in 2024. It was for this performance that she secured Best Breakthrough at the I Talk Telly Awards.

Strictly Come Dancing has been rocked by two exits, one unhappy pro and a very controversial signing and the hit BBC series has only been back on screens for a week

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Strictly Come Dancing is facing chaos already(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Guy Levy)

Strictly Come Dancing has only been back on screens for one week and the show has already been thrown into chaos. The hit BBC dance competition was hoping to brush off its many scandals from recent years with the huge return on Saturday night.

Article continues below

However, it seems Strictly’s turmoil is showing no signs of slowing down. Two celebrity contestants have quit the series, with bosses reportedly struggling to get stars to sign up earlier this year.

 

There has also been a storm around controversial Thomas Skinner, and one very unhappy professional dancer. It all follows dancers Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima’s axes plus a bullying probe and alleged drugs scandal.

 

 

Two celebrity exits

Dani has been forced to quit after an injury(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Ray Burmiston)

Kristian pulled out of the show last month(Image: INSTAGRAM)

Reality TV star Dani made her debut this past weekend with professional Nikita Kuzmin, however her Strictly dream has come crashing to a halt. She is no longer taking part in the series having suffered a fall in rehearsals.

The Love Islander devastatingly shared: “I had a fall on Friday in rehearsals and landed funny. I thought I had rolled my foot but it swelled up badly over the weekend and after an MRI scan yesterday, it turns out I have fractured my ankle.

 

“Apparently doing the quickstep on a fracture is not advisable (!!) and the doctors have said I am not allowed to dance so l’ve had to pull out of the show. To say I’m heartbroken is the biggest understatement. I am so going to miss dancing with Nikita but will of course be watching closely and cheering all the couples on.”

Dani isn’t the only celebrity to have pulled out of the 2025 series. Last month, Game of Thrones star Kristian Nairn pulled out, saying he’s been struggling with “a high level of stress and a little bit of grief”. He was later replaced by former Emmerdale star, Lewis Cope.

One unhappy pro

Nancy shared her disappointment at not having a celebrity partner(Image: nancy_xuxi/Instagram)

She danced with Shayne Ward last year(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Ray Burmiston)

Article continues below

Professional dancer Nancy Xu has directly addressed rumours she’s not happy about missing out on a celebrity pairing this year, in a bombshell social media clip. It had been claimed she’d been left upset by the situation, and Nancy confirmed that for herself.

She shared a clip of her being asked if she was “okay” by co-stars, where she replied “yeah” and smiling. Her video then cut to Nancy addressing the camera as she expressed gratitude for the support that she has received.

Nancy said: “I am okay. I am okay. As you all know now, I don’t have a dance partner on Strictly Come Dancing this year. In the very beginning, when I just received the messages, it [did] upset me and [I] felt disappointed.”

 

The dancer, who joined the BBC show in 2019, said about having moved to the UK from China: “All I wanted is to achieve my dream. Strictly has given me such a big platform to allow me to show my skills, show my talents.

“Of course, I felt this year has been left out but I’m good because I’m still part of the Strictly family. This year you will possibly hear my voice more than ever because I will give all my energy to support all my Strictly family. I will be there cheering for them.”

A controversial signing

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Thomas Skinner has been paired with professional Amy Dowden(Image: BBC)

 

Apprentice contestant Thomas Skinner turned heads when he signed up to the show, and has continued to prove his controversial nature already. Many thought he wasn’t a right fit for the family-friendly BBC show due to his outspoken nature and Twitter rants.

Things heated up earlier this month at the press launch for the show when he snatched a reporters phone and stormed off. It was later revealed he had cheated on his wife Sinead just weeks after their wedding.

On Saturday, he was paired with beloved professional dancer Amy Dowden, much to the dismay of fans. Following backlash over his signing, Thomas raged: “Now I see people are fumin’ that I’m on Strictly…. and the funny thing is that the majority of them got ‘be kind’ wrote in their bios.

 

 

“You couldn’t make it up. Let me tell you this. I won’t be cancelled. I ain’t gonna kill myself like some of you want. I’m still here. I’m still standin. Trust me when I say this; I am stronger than people think. Every insult, every lie, every attack….it don’t break me, it builds me stronger.”

Loose Women star Christine Lampard opened Wednesday’s (September 24) show with “very sad” news.

During today’s edition of the hit ITV programme, the presenter was joined by co-stars Kelly Brook, Nadia Sawalha, and Jane Moore to discuss a range of topical stories.

At the start of the show, the panel discussed Dani Dyer’s withdrawal from Strictly Come Dancing after she fractured her ankle in training.

“I had a fall on Friday in rehearsals and landed funny. I thought I had rolled my foot, but it swelled up badly over the weekend, and after an MRI scan yesterday, it turns out I have fractured my ankle,” Dani said in a statement.

“Apparently doing the quickstep on a fracture is not advisable (!!) and the doctors have said I am not allowed to dance so I’ve had to pull out of the show.”

Christine Lampard shared sad news on Wednesday (Image: ITV)

On today’s Loose Women, Christine said: “This is very sad news for Strictly Come Dancing contestant Dani Dyer, who has had to pull out of the series just a few days before the first live show after fracturing her ankle whilst training with her partner Nikita Kuzmin.

“Dani is said to be heartbroken and it’s just an understatement, in fact. It’s an awful thing. Obviously she was very excited about doing it and her whole family will have been involved.

“She has little ones, I know they’re very young but still it’s just something that the whole family gets swept up in, and suddenly this awful accident just makes it disappear.”

Kelly, who competed on the BBC show back in 2007, added: “I know! I can relate so much. I did it and I had to pull out week eight. My father passed away when I was on the show.

Dani Dyer has pulled out of Strictly Come Dancing (Image: BBC/Ray Burmiston)

“It is like a breakup because you and your partner become so close, you spend so much time together, and also, they’re very competitive and want to do well. And so, you feel like you’re letting them down.

“You feel like you’re letting the whole team down, people call in, and they vote for you. I couldn’t watch it for years afterwards. I’m sure she’ll feel the same. It’s really hard to watch it when you have to leave. It’s one of the best shows on telly.”

Christine concluded: “She didn’t even make it to that first proper live show. I think that’ll probably be a huge disappointment, I’m sure.”

After the announcement of her withdrawal, Dani shared an emotional video on her Instagram Story, where she had to pause to gather herself. The BBC has yet to confirm whether the star will be replaced this series.

New York Giants QB Russell Wilson Is Officially Done After Stunning Move

New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson (Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images)
The future is now, and it involves Jaxson Dart.

FastCast: Monday’s best in < 10 minutes

Earlier this week, Brian Daboll stopped short of announcing a quarterback change, but he also would not rule out replacing Russell Wilson.

The Giants are off to an ugly 0-3 start following Sunday night’s 22-9 loss to the Chiefs.

By Tuesday afternoon, the team decided it was time for a change.

Russell Wilson, who had to endure a nasty shot taken at him by Chris Jones, was benched in favor of rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart.

Dart will replace Russell Wilson as the team’s starting quarterback. The rookie’s first start will come against the Chargers on Sunday.

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This is great news for Giants fans who wanted to see what the young quarterback can do. It is also good news for everyone else, as it means more possible screentime for his mother, who stole the show during the preseason.

It’s Jaxson Dart’s Time To Shine

May 9, 2025; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) speaks to members of the press after rookie minicamp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
Outside of one offensive explosion in Week 2, Russell Wilson looked shaky at the start of his Giants tenure.

The noise to bench him only grew louder from the Giants fanbase when the team fell to 0-3. On Sunday night, Wilson passed for 160 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions.

He was greeted with a chorus of boos for much of the night.

The 0-3 Giants decided to change quarterbacks from Russell Wilson to first-round rookie Jaxson Dart this week ahead of their Week 4 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Dart marks the start of Giants football’s newest era.

Dart has quarterbacked six offensive plays so far this year. Now, the team, front office, and fan base get to see what he can do.

SAD NEWS: BBC Breakfast’s Jon Kay and Sally Nugent ANNOUNCE the Heartbreaking D3ATH of a ‘Familiar Face’

Sally Nugent and Jon Kay announced some sad d3ath news on Wednesday’s BBC Breakfast. The duo spoke about the d3ath of Dickie Bird, who Jon described as a “familiar face”.

Sally began, “Now tributes are being paid to one of cricket’s most famous and beloved characters, the umpire, Dicky Bird, who has d!ed at the age of 92.”

Jon went on, “Such a familiar face for so long throughout his career, he earned the admiration of players and fans alike.

“We’ll hear from some of them in just a moment, but first, let’s have a look back at Dickie’s incredible career.”

Dickie Bird’s d3ath was announced on Tuesday, with a statement revealing that he ‘d!ed peacefully at home’.

“He leaves behind a legacy of sportsmanship, humility, and joy, and a legion of admirers across generations,” the statement from Yorkshire County Cricket Club said

“The thoughts of everyone at the Yorkshire County Cricket Club are with Dickie’s family and friends during this time.

“He will be truly missed by all at the club, having spent an incredible amount of time in support of everyone here, and will be remembered as one of the greatest characters in Yorkshire’s history.

“Further details regarding memorial arrangements will be shared in due course, and the club will be looking to honour him in a variety of ways in the coming weeks.”

During the heartfelt segment, Sally and Jon also spoke with David Gower and Graham Gooch, who shared their fond memories of Dickie.

Jon introduced their guests, “Good morning to both of you. David, shall we start with you? I mean, we just saw some clips there. It’s hard to know where to begin. He was such a huge character and presence for so long.”

Sharing his tribute and memories, David explained, “Dickie was, I suppose, the first celebrity umpire in many ways because of his character, primarily because he was a very good umpire.

“You don’t get to that sort of level and stay around for 60-odd Test matches as an international umpire without getting a lot of decisions very, very right. And I think the two key things are always, first of all, to get the decisions right, and secondly, to be able to interact with players, to d3al with players.

“And there are countless stories of pranks being played on Dickie, but countless stories too, of Dickie handling the great players from all around the world.”

He added, “Any hint of trouble, he would smile and giggle, just gently d3al with it. And everyone was his friend.”

BREAKINGNEWSGood Morning Britain interrupted for Heartbreaking URGENT ALERT after Disaster

Good Morning Britain cut into regular programming today with an urgent alert as a super typhoon barrels towards Hong Kong and southern China. Around 400,000 people have been evacuated from low-lying areas ahead of the arrival of Typhoon Ragasa, a Category 5 storm already being described as the “most powerful” of the year. Authorities have issued warnings of “catastrophic” winds, flooding and storm surges, with Hong Kong bracing for potentially record-breaking rainfall. Schools and businesses have closed, flights have been grounded, and residents have been urged to stay indoors.

The storm’s impact is expected to be felt across the Pearl River Delta, one of the most densely populated regions in the world. Emergency shelters have been set up, and China’s disaster relief teams are on standby.

Reporting live from Hong Kong, Laura Westbrook said:“Schools have been suspended today and hundreds of flights have been cancelled. There has been flooding in some areas and people have been warned to stay away from shorelines. At least 14 people have been killed. This storm is starting to make its impact felt on mainline China. People are being told to stay at home.”

Westbrook appeared on the news as the streets that would normally be bustling that are completely deserted as the government is warning that conditions will worsenwithin the next 24 hours.

With sustained winds topping 150mph, Typhoon Ragasa has the potential to cause widespread destruction. Meteorologists say the full scale of the disaster will only become clear once the storm passes inland.

As of last night, more than 1.89 million people have been evacuated in Guangdong province and residents of Hualien, Taiwan where a lake burst it banks said they were caught off guard by the speed of the floods even though authorities evacuated some residents ahead of time.

“We found out from the internet that some nearby areas had been flooded, so we were moving our important belongings to the second floor,” told one resident to the BBC.

“Then we tried to get to our car and drive away from the scene but it was too late. It was like a river outside and cars were floating in the water. Everything started drifting,” said the 42-year-old book shop owner.