Mark Cuban Didn’t Hesitate Giving LeBron James Vs Michael Jordan GOAT Answer

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Mark Cuban did not hesitate when asked to give his verdict on the GOAT debate between LeBron James and Michael Jordan.

Along with Kobe Bryant, James and Jordan are often at the centre of discussions about who should be recognised as the greatest basketball player in history.

Jordan won six championships with the Chicago Bulls, including two memorable three-peats in the 1990s, while he was named NBA MVP award on five occasions.

His scoring and impressive defensive ability established himself as a sporting icon, and allowed him to build up a fortune of $3.8bn, making him the world’s richest athlete.

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By comparison, James has collected four championships, impressively doing so at four different teams. He has been recognised as MVP four times and continues to set new records as he prepares for his 23rd season in the NBA.

LeBron James. Image: Allen Berezovsky / Contributor via Getty

James is already the league’s all-time leading points scorer and had the opportunity to play alongside son Bronny last year.

The long list of achievements from both men across different eras has fuelled heated debate among basketball fans.

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The latest high-profile figure to weigh in was American businessman and TV star Mark Cuban. The billionaire has first-hand experience of the NBA, having purchased a majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks back in 2000.

Under his ownership, the Mavericks reached their first NBA Finals in 2006, before going on to win their first Championship in 2011.

Cuban then sold his stake in the franchise in 2023 in a deal worth an eye-watering $3.5bn.

Mark Cuban. Image: Jeff Schear / Stringer via Getty

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Speaking on The Arena YouTube channel, Cuban explained his view on the GOAT debate.

He said: “I’m a LeBron fan and even like the MJ versus LeBron, they’re two completely different players, you can’t even really compare them. If you have a good team and you need a killer, you go MJ.

“If you have a team that’s good and you want them to be better and as a team get to the Finals, you go LeBron. MJ is not going to lift up a bad team, LeBron can.

“Like who would I rather have last shot? MJ. Who’s going to help your team get better? LeBron.”

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For James, his immediate focus will be on the Lakers and his preparations ahead of pre-season, which starts on 4 October.

The new NBA season is set to begin in just a month, with the first regular season games scheduled for 22 October.

SH0CKING ADVICE: Janet Street-Porter shares VERY candid advice for Thomas Skinner’s wife on Loose Women after ‘EMBARRASSING’ cheating scandal

The 78-year-old broadcaster joined co-stars Ruth Langsford, Kelly Brook and Jane Moore on Monday’s ITV panel, where conversation turned to The Apprentice star’s recent admission that he had cheated on his wife, Sinéad, mere weeks after their wedding in May 2022.

Thomas, 34, who shares three young children with Sinéad, confessed to a ‘two-week fling’ which he described as a ‘moment of madness’ that almost ‘ruined his life’.

 

However, his so-called ‘secret mistress’, Amy-Lucy O’Rourke, suggested their affair actually lasted three months, insisting he told her he was in love with her and unhappy in his marriage.

Messages between the pair were said to have begun on May 13 2022 – just eight days before Thomas tied the knot.

Kelly Brook reflected on the fallout of the scandal, telling viewers of Thomas’s Strictly Come Dancing appearance: ‘This is the trouble with these big Saturday night shows, the minute you sign onto it your life is there to be judged or picked at.’

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Janet Street-Porter offered some very direct words of advice for Thomas Skinner ‘s wife during a fiery discussion on Loose Women after revelations about the reality star’s infidelity

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Thomas, 34, who shares three young children with Sinéad (pictured together), confessed to a ‘two-week fling’ which he described as a ‘moment of madness’ that almost ‘ruined his life’

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However, his so-called ‘secret mistress’, Amy-Lucy O’Rourke, pictured right, suggested their affair actually lasted three months

Jane Moore also gave a measured take, admitting her views on infidelity had softened over the years.

‘There are clips of me when I was much younger going ‘if anybody cheated, that would be it,’ but you change and you evolve.

‘And if you do have young children you’re not just pulling the rug out from under your marriage but you’re pulling the rug out from under your children’s relationship with their father. If he’s very sorry and he’s agreed not to do it again then…’

The panel then turned their attention to Janet, noting she had been unusually quiet. Jane quipped: ‘Janet has never been cheated on because…’

To which Janet cut in with frankness: ‘I’m a cheater!

She continued: ‘I find the whole subject quite comical actually. I try to imagine what it feels like to be cheated on, and I imagine it’s humiliating and horrible, I am quite sure.

‘But if your husband is a larger than life character and he [Thomas] most definitely is, maybe you can swallow it up and trade it off that: yes you’ve been humiliated but you’re living with someone who is larger than life and very entertaining so what’s the alternative?’

Her remarks prompted Ruth Langsford to respond pointedly: ‘Maybe find someone who’s just as entertaining but doesn’t cheat.’

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Thomas and Sinead share three children together [Pictured: The family of five days after Thomas had admitted to cheating on his wife with an Essex beautician]

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Thomas Skinner’s communications with his mistress (pictured together) started to become eye-wateringly explicit as they began to tell one another how in love they were

The Daily Mail’s Katie Hind revealed that Thomas Skinner’s communications with his mistress started to become eye-wateringly explicit as they began to tell one another how in love they were.

During their relationship, Thomas would refer to Amy-Lucy as ‘the duchess’ and would tell her that she is ‘beautiful’.

Thomas and Amy-Lucy would also go to the West End of London together in July and he would go to Waitrose to buy the ingredients to make a chilli con carne for her.

He also helped Amy-Lucy, who is a single mother to her young son from a previous relationship, with her car which he even picked up from the garage for her after taking it for some work there.

‘He also told me that he was relaxed with me and that he had never been like that with anyone before.

‘He invited me on a work trip to Belfast and would tell me that I was his.’

LOOSE WOMEN CHAOS: Toe-curling moment Stacey Solomon is blanked TWICE by Ruth Langsford live ON AIR

Stacey Solomon was left red-faced on Monday morning after being ignored not once but twice by Ruth Langsford during an awkward live TV handover.

The 35-year-old presenter appeared on This Morning alongside husband Joe Swash, 43, to promote their new family reality series Stacey & Joe – but the conversation ended in a toe-curling exchange when the show linked to the Loose Women studio.

As Ruth appeared on screen, Stacey enthusiastically called out: ‘Hi Ruth!’ Yet the Loose Women host failed to respond, instead ploughing on with her introduction to the lunchtime show.

 

Seconds later, before the link ended, Stacey tried again, adding: ‘Love you!’ – only to be blanked a second time.

The frosty moment comes just weeks after the Daily Mail revealed that Stacey had quietly stepped away from Loose Women after 13 years on the panel.

Her last appearance was in December 2024 during the programme’s 25-hour Talkathon for ITV‘s Britain Get Talking campaign.

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Stacey Solomon was left red-faced on Monday morning after being ignored not once but twice by Ruth Langsford during an awkward live TV handover

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The 35-year-old presenter appeared on This Morning alongside husband Joe Swash, 43, to promote their new family reality series Stacey & Joe

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But the conversation ended in a toe-curling exchange when the show linked to the Loose Women studio [Pictured: Ruth Langsford]

Prior to that, her final panellist slot was in June of the same year. Insiders later disclosed that while the team had tried to book Stacey for more episodes, her diary was simply too packed – and eventually producers accepted that she had moved on.

Although hugely popular with viewers, Stacey’s involvement had already dwindled, with only one appearance in 2024 and two the previous year.

Rising stars such as Olivia Attwood, 34, and GK Barry, 26, have since been brought in to connect with younger audiences.

Instead, Stacey has shifted her focus to her BAFTA-nominated BBC show Sort Your Life Out and her brand-new reality series Stacey & Joe, which opens the doors of her Essex home, Pickle Cottage, to cameras in a Kardashians-style look at family life.

Speaking on This Morning, Stacey and Joe explained that honesty is at the heart of their new programme, which doesn’t shy away from showing the couple’s disagreements.

Cat Deeley remarked that it was their openness which viewers most loved. Joe agreed: ‘I think it would be weird for us not to be ourselves.’ Stacey added: ‘We don’t know how to be anyone else… this is all we’ve got.’

Ben Shephard then praised Stacey’s father for his patience, prompting her to credit her wider family.

‘He was very different raising us. We say this all the time, people ask ‘how do you do it all?’ We don’t. We’ve got a village of people, the best family we could ever wish for.’

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The frosty moment comes just weeks after the Daily Mail revealed that Stacey had quietly stepped away from Loose Women after 13 years on the panel

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Her last appearance was in December 2024 during the programme’s 25-hour Talkathon for ITV ‘s Britain Get Talking campaign

Cat noted the couple’s household was not only filled with children but also a surprising menagerie of animals.

Stacey laughed: ‘We have 21 chickens, eight ducks, three dogs, a colony of bees, they came by accident.

‘I was doing a beekeeping course, it’s on the show actually, I was learning about bees, and my plumber said ‘I’ve just seen a swarm,’ so the beekeeping lady said ‘we should go and get that.’

Joe joked: ‘I never know what animal we’re going to get. We did get a bit of honey at the start, it’s winter now. Hopefully next year we’ll have a full jar.’

The former EastEnders actor also reflected on how fishing has helped him following his ADHD diagnosis.

‘There’s something about it. I feel connected with it. I come back from a trip, and I’ve got loads of energy. It’s really good for my mental health. If it’s made a difference, hopefully it’ll be the same for others.’

Chris Jones Takes Nasty Shot At Russell Wilson On The Field After Chiefs-Giants ‘SNF’ Game [VIDEO]

Melissa Stark talking to Chris Jones (Photo via NBC Sports)
Kansas City Chiefs superstar defensive tackle Chris Jones took a big-time shot at New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson during his post-game interview with Melissa Stark on “Sunday Night Football.”

Chiefs @ Giants – NFL Game Preview for September 21, 2025

After suffering their first 0-2 start since 2014, Chris Jones and the Chiefs cruised to a 22-9 road victory over the Giants for their first win of the 2025 campaign. Jones and the defense led the way amid another frustrating night for the Kansas City offense, a game that included a heated sideline confrontation between Travis Kelce and Andy Reid.

In the post-game interview, Stark informed the audience that Jones’ previous efforts to do a “jersey swap” with Russell Wilson were unsuccessful. Stark asked Jones if he spoke to Wilson after the game, but the three-time Super Bowl champion took a shot at the veteran quarterback.

“I don’t even want it, it’s all good,” Jones said. “I don’t want it.”

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Per ESPN, the Giants were limited to 281 yards of offense and averaged just 4.6 yards per play. Wilson was 18-of-32 for 160 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions as the Giants fell to 0-3 on the season.

ESPN Exec’s Bombshell: The Shocking Real Reason Molly Qerim Ditched the Network After 10 Years

Molly Qerim (Photo Via Instagram/@mollyqerim)
Actually, nobody expected it. Molly Qerim spent 10 years hosting ESPN’s First Take, steering debates between Stephen A. Smith and his co-hosts. Then suddenly, she walked away. Fans assumed she’d stay until the year’s end, but she wrapped up her 19-year run with the network just last weekend.

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Her exit left viewers confused, and her colleagues stunned. Even Smith admitted he felt “uncomfortable” after she left.

Now, ESPN’s President of Content, Burke Magnus, has finally opened up. And the story isn’t messy. It’s business.

Molly Qerim’s Contract Talks That Never Found Middle Ground

Magnus revealed in an interview with The Athletic that ESPN tried to keep Qerim.

He siad “Molly Qerim is a wonderful person and an unbelievable teammate and colleague.” But renewal talks hit a wall. “We tried to have her do other things and to redo that agreement,” Magnus said. “It honestly became less about that, and more about, in my opinion, her wanting to do other and explore other things.”

Qerim, 41, had already decided to leave First Take by year’s end. ESPN hoped to move her into other projects, so she decided to make a clean break. Magnus explained, “Rather than going into a less defined situation, she wanted to try other things outside of ESPN.”

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Molly Qerim (Photo Via Instagram/@mollyqerim)

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The move wasn’t hostile. It was about timing. Magnus admitted the network didn’t expect Qerim to step away so soon. “Ten years to do something like that is a long time,” he said. “She was going to come off First Take either way, and that was something we had already crossed that bridge.”

Smith, who worked beside her for a decade, didn’t hide his emotions. “To say that I’m quite sad about it is an understatement,” he said. “Molly is a friend. Molly is a co-worker. Molly is somebody that I’ve leaned on.”

Now ESPN faces its next challenge. The network will test replacements for 30 to 45 days before naming a new host. Whoever takes that seat will take on a big responsibility.

She joined ESPN in 2006 and became an interim host in 2015 when Cari Champion moved to SportsCenter. Months later, she got the job full-time and never looked back—until now.

Taylor Swift’s Chilling No-Show at Travis Kelce’s SNF Game In NYC: The Terrifying Safety Threat Behind It

Taylor Swift (Denny Medley-Imagn Images)
Swifties were waiting for Taylor Swift to appear at MetLife Stadium to watch her fiancé, Travis Kelce, and the Kansas City Chiefs face the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football.

FastCast: Monday’s best in < 10 minutes

Before the start of the second quarter, the stadium’s video board had some fun with the situation as they displayed a “Taylor Cam” while playing Swift’s hit “Welcome to New York.”

The camera panned through the crowd before it ultimately stopped on Giants’ legend Lawrence Taylor.

It turns out that Swift had a reason for not being inside MetLife Stadium.

Swift, who was seen at the Chiefs game against the Eagles last weekend, where she arrived behind what was believed to have been a bullet-resistant screen, was concerned after seeing Charlie Kirk’s execution.

The trauma of seeing that, coupled with her ongoing issues of stalking, meant “those around her are not ‘taking any chances’ when it comes to safety.”

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‘Taylor had concerns because she has received hate mail from the same kinds of extreme groups,’ said an insider to Daily Mail.

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‘She was targeted by far-right extremist groups after going against Trump [by endorsing Kamala Harris], and there are legitimate concerns about some of the threats that have been made. They aren’t taking any chances.’

Taylor Swift dealt with a real-life situation after a terrorist plot targeting Swift’s Eras Tour concerts in Vienna was foiled by Austrian authorities with assistance from U.S. intelligence.

When Will Taylor Swift Show Up to Her Next Chiefs’ Game?

Taylor Swift (Photo Via Instagram/@taylorswift)
Sunday night’s clash between the Kansas City Chiefs and New York Giants did not have Swift in attendance.

Swift has yet to be spotted at a Chiefs game through the first two weeks – despite many wondering if she was behind a screen in the tunnel at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 2.

Swift’s attendance for the next Chiefs game hasn’t been confirmed.

While the pop star has been a frequent guest at Arrowhead Stadium for Chiefs home games, Swift hasn’t been at a true game since the Super Bowl.

Swift famously attended a “Sunday Night Football” game at MetLife Stadium in 2023 when the Jets hosted the Chiefs. Last year, she avoided the road games.

It might be done quietly if she shows up to another game.

Stephen A. Smith Made His Debut On ESPN’s ‘Monday Night Countdown,’ And Everyone Is Already Making The Same Complaint [VIDEO]

Stephen A Smith (Photo via Twitter)
As part of his new five-year deal with the Worldwide Leader, Stephen A Smith has made his Monday Night Football debut ahead of the Detroit Lions–Baltimore Ravens showdown.

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It was met with mixed reviews, as some fans seem to have a ton of fatigue when it comes to seeing him everywhere.

If he’s not on several different shows, he is on his podcast, or even on a soap opera.

The fatigue of seeing him has become real.

Stephen A. Smith makes his “Monday Night Countdown” debut for ESPN. pic.twitter.com/jncDNhXp4W

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 22, 2025

“Nobody wants this,” one person said.

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“Mr. Smith is not a positive addition to MNF,” a second person added.

“WTF is Steve Smith doing there? He doesn’t know anything about football,” a third person said of Stephen A Smith.

“Who ASKED FOR THIS?” one final person asked.

The longtime analyst, whose primary roles include commentating on “First Take,” told Front Office Sports that he will work on “at least” three editions of ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” games this football season.

“I’m going to be doing at least three ‘Monday Night Football’ games this year,” Smith told Front Office Sports.

Piers Morgan and John Cleese clash over the late night show host following his statements about Charlie Kirk and the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live!

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John Cleese and Piers Morgan go to war over Jimmy Kimmel

John Cleese and Piers Morgan have taken swipes at each other on social media over the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! following remarks the host made about the d3ath of Charlie Kirk.

 

Earlier this month, Kirk was sh0t and k!lled while talking at a university in Utah. In a monologue on his late night talk show, Jimmy Kimmel spoke about the right-wing activist and his d3ath, accusing other right-wing people, who he dubbed the “MAGA gang”, of using it to “score political points” and suggested the killer was “one of them”.

Kimmel faced backlash for his statements, particularly from President Trump and Brendan Carr, a Trump-appointed chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, who pushed for Kimmel’s show to be taken off air. ABC, the network that aired Jimmy Kimmel Live! slapped the show with an indefinite suspension.

 

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Jimmy Kimmel was suspended after receiving backlash to his comments on Charlie Kirk’s d3ath(Image: Getty Images for UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation)

Morgan reacted to the news of the suspension and the outrage of many of Kimmel’s fans and colleagues. He wrote: “Jimmy Kimmel lied about Charlie Kirk’s assassin being MAGA, this caused understandable outrage all over America, prompted TV station owners to say they wouldn’t air him, and he’s now been suspended by his employers. Why is he being heralded as some kind of free speech martyr?”

US politician replied to the post, saying that Morgan “missed the point”, to which John Cleese responded: “This from Piers Morgan. Who has made a fortune working for Rupert Murdoch.”

Cleese’s dig at the Good Morning Britain host prompted retaliation from Morgan. “You took Rupert’s money too, you flaming old hypocrite,” he wrote. “I’m just proud of it.”

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Morgan called Cleese a “faming old hypocrite”(Image: Getty Images)

The fighting continued throughout the week as Cleese started a separate thread to continue to bash Morgan. “I see Piers Morgan says he’s proud to have worked with Rupert Murdock, the man who had done more contaminate Britain’s journalism than anyone else. Tells us all we need to know about Piers, whose only talent is associating himself with people much better known than himself.”

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Morgan replied by saying that Cleese’s former Monty Python castmates “loathe” him: “a) Rupert’s much nicer than you… even your fellow Pythons loathe you. b) I’m way more famous than you, which is why I have nearly twice as many followers.”

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According to Morgan, all of Cleese’s Monty Python castmates “loathe” him(Image: Getty Images)

Meanwhile, fans of Jimmy Kimmel have continued to be concerned for the future of his show. Kimmel was reportedly told the show could return to air if he apologised for his remarks about Kirk’s d3ath and it is believed that his business and legal representatives are in discussion with ABC and its parent company, Disney, about reaching a compromise to get Kimmel back on the air. However, details about Kimmel’s contract revealed that it will expire soon, and the show may quietly disappear with it.

President Trump praised ABC for suspending Kimmel and called for Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers to be removed as well. On Truth Social, he congratulated ABC for “finally having the courage to do what had to be done” and added: “That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!!”

This comes shortly after a lawsuit Trump opened against CBS is speculated to have resulted in the axing of Stephen Colbert’s late night show. Colbert has come to the defence of his friend after recent events, saying: “With an autocrat, you cannot give an inch. Jimmy, I stand with you and your staff 100%.”

Pete Wicks has caused quite a stir by passionately kissing his former Strictly Come Dancing pro partner Jowita Przystał on stage at London’s O2 on Friday, with it later transpiring he has another woman on the go.

And no one is more amused by his antics than his best friend and co-star Sam Thompson.

I attended the duo’s sold-out podcast show, One Night Only with Staying Relevant, and saw firsthand how Sam, 33, couldn’t stop teasing Pete, 36, over his womanising ways to a delighted audience, calling him a ‘predator’ and mocking him by mimicking T-rex arms. And who could blame him?

In the years I’ve known Pete, I have covered countless stories about his shenanigans with women, including his explosive relationship with ex-TOWIE co-star Megan McKenna and fleeting romance with Love Island contestant Maura Higgins, 34, which started around the time he was first linked to dancer Jowita.

However, Pete’s lothario ways should not overshadow what a talented guy he really is. His turn of phrase and ability to whip up a crowd is a huge asset and one of the reasons why he, unlike so many of his former TOWIE co-stars, has managed to carve out a huge career outside of the show.

And Sam has star quality too, as anyone in the audience would testify.

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Pete Wicks has caused quite a stir by passionately kissing his former Strictly Come Dancing pro partner Jowita Przystał on stage at London’s O2 on Friday

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No one is more entertained by his antics than best friend and co-star Sam Thompson, who couldn’t stop teasing Pete about his reputation

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I attended the duo’s sold-out podcast show, One Night Only with Staying Relevant, and saw firsthand how Sam and Pete ridicule each other over their love lives

When Pete and Sam first met six years ago, it seemed unlikely they’d one day follow Beyonce, Rihanna, and Adele by selling out The O2.

Not bad for a couple of ‘reality TV stars’, as they’ve been unfairly dubbed by some critics, who should really know better.

If any of those haters had been part of the 15,000-strong crowd at the London venue on Friday night, like I was, they’d have seen just how big these two unlikely pals have become and what a formidable double act they are.

Their podcast Staying Relevant boasts a huge fanbase, no doubt topped up by new followers born from their successful appearances on the two biggest shows on TV – I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! (Sam) and Strictly Come Dancing (Pete).

But their most loyal supporters have been there since Celebs Go Dating – when the unlucky-in-love lotharios first met in 2019 – and even before that, through their breakthrough stints on Made In Chelsea and The Only Way Is Essex, when I first began championing them.

It shouldn’t work, because they’re complete opposites, but it does, and boy were the fans rewarded for their commitment to the duo on Friday, during their One Night Only Live.

The fandom inside the arena was boyband levels, screaming girls of varying ages totally consumed by both Pete and Sam, either salivating at the former’s ruggedness and ‘don’t care’ attitude, or wanting to mother the latter, who is just plain adorable.

As well as excited fans and their respective families, including Sam’s sister Louise, was their big celebrity following – such as Made In Chelsea’s Sam Vanderpump, Reza Amiri, James Dunmore, and TOWIE’s James Argent.

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Pete set the tone of the night when he introduced himself and Sam to the stage and said the evening was all about them ‘and all you c****’ gesturing to the crowd

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Sam’s love life was once again brought up when One Direction’s Steal My Girl came on, a cheeky nod to his ex Zara McDermott who’s now in a relationship with singer Louis Tomlinson

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Midway through the show, Sam achieved his seventh Guinness World Record by having the most balls caught on a Velcro suit while being suspended in the air

In the show’s ‘green room’, you saw Vicky Pattison, Rochelle and Marvin Humes, plus The Inbetweeners star James Buckley and his wife Clair.

The show itself was an extension of the podcast, with special guests, but Pete and Sam had the audience eating out the palm of their hands.

Pete set the tone of the night when he introduced himself and Sam to the stage and said the evening was all about them ‘and all you c****’ gesturing to the crowd.

That was the first of hundreds of expletives they uttered throughout the night, which was slightly surprising given the younger fans in the vicinity, but the pair were clearly just living in the moment and being as honest, and true to themselves as possible.

Sam reminded the audience that he’s ‘single’ and so welcomed ‘d*** grabbing’, something that was previously forbidden at their last shows.

And his love life was once again brought up when One Direction’s Steal My Girl came on, a cheeky nod to his ex-girlfriend Zara McDermott who’s now in a relationship with singer Louis Tomlinson.

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The fandom inside the arena was boyband levels, screaming girls of varying ages totally consumed by both Pete and Sam

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Former King of the Jungle Sam was clearly overwhelmed ahead of the stage show on Friday

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The Made In Chelsea star’s famous sister Louise attended the Staying Relevant show in support of her younger brother

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On Instagram, Louise shared her pride in Sam, admitting she was still ‘pinching herself’ over his headline slot

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Sam and Pete treated their Staying Relevant podcast team to a free bar at an afterparty held in honour of their sold-out O2 show

Sam then mocked Pete for his womanising reputation, calling him a ‘predator’ while running around the stage with T-rex arms, before telling the audience: ‘Do you know what tames Pete Wicks? Fags and booze.’

He then added, which sparked a chorus of ‘Ahhs’: ‘This year has been up and down for me as most of you will probably know but Pete is the most supportive friend you could ever ask for.’

While Pete, said to be the ‘brains’ behind their new company, Staying Relevant Productions, has worked hard to shake off his bad boy TOWIE image, on Sunday night, footage surfaced of him passionately kissing a blonde woman at a Mayfair restaurant.

Over the years, Pete has often told me in interviews that he longs to ‘settle down’ yet the star, once nicknamed Pirate Pete for his long hair, seems to relish the dating scene, where he’s unlikely short of offers…

Midway through the show, Sam achieved his seventh Guinness World Record by having the most balls caught on a Velcro suit while being suspended in the air and joked to his father in the audience, ‘This is where all your private school money went.’

Inbetweeners star James then joined in the fun, joking that Sam is ‘brokenhearted’, while Pete is ‘linked to every woman under the sun’ but what they have ‘is right in front of them’ – one of many homoerotic gags he told the crowd.

On top of downing multiple pints of Guinness and getting tipsy on stage, Sam showed off his six-pack as Peter Andre performed his classic hit Mysterious Girl.

Peter, cheered on by daughter Princess and wife Emily in the crowd, took to the stage right after Marvin from JLS belted out Everybody in Love, a nod to Sam’s stint in the I’m A Celeb jungle.

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Yet the headline-grabbing moment of the night was when Pete introduced his former Strictly partner Jowita Przystał, who looked gorgeous in a white minidress

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Maura and Pete dated during his time on Strictly last year, but they split on Valentine’s Day after the former Love Island star accused him of being unfaithful

Yet the headline-grabbing moment of the night was when Pete introduced his former Strictly partner Jowita, who looked gorgeous in a white minidress.

Rehearsal footage of Pete and Jowita practicing their final Strictly routine, which they never performed after being eliminated in the semi-finals, was projected onto the wall.

But unbeknown to the audience, they had been dancing in secret for weeks to perfect the number for a special performance on Friday night.

And that would mean plenty of kissing, as the pair passionately locked lips on several occasions during the raunchy routine, leaving the audience open mouthed, and me as a Showbiz reporter, grinning from ear to ear.

Jowita joined Pete at the after party, sparking yet further romance rumours – where the pals had paid for a free bar for their team and close friends and family to enjoy.

Sam, who got a tattoo of the O2 on his arm in honour of the evening, was carrying a bottle of tequila, offering to pour shots down the mouths of guests – including yours truly.

He told me he has big dreams for the future, from setting his sights on playing Wembley Stadium next, to imagining him and Pete one day hosting a variety show on the small screen.

The King of the Jungle had earlier told the audience TV commissioners are still refusing to give himself and Pete their own show.

If Friday night is anything to go by, they don’t know what they’re missing out on.

EXCLUSIVEStrictly Come Dancing’s Shirley Ballas grilled about Thomas Skinner cheating scandal by Susanna Reid in punchy Good Morning Britain interview

The 65-year-old, who became head judge on the BBC dance show in 2017, appeared on the ITV programme to chat to Susanna, 54, and co-host Richard Madeley, 69, to chat about the brand new series which hit our screens over the weekend.

Thomas – who shot to fame on the 19th series of BBC’s The Apprentice – has been at the centre of this year’s series before the hit show kicked off.

 

He cheated on his wife Sinead just weeks after their wedding in May 2022, which Amy-Lucy, 35, claimed lasted three months long in an interview with Daily Mail.

Susanna wasted no time addressing the scandal and asked Shirley: ‘When you’re there at the show recording, are you under a sense of responsibility because of the scandal that’s hit Strictly, do you even consider it?

‘We’ve got the issue around Thomas Skinner? We’ve got previous scandals,or is it a different planet of sequins and sparkles?’

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Strictly Come Dancing’s Shirley Ballas (pictured) was grilled about the Thomas Skinner cheating scandal by Susanna Reid on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday

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Thomas (pictured with Amy Dowden) – who shot to fame on the 19th series of BBC’s The Apprentice – has been at the centre of this year’s series before the hit show kicked off

Shirley said: ‘It doesn’t even touch the sides.

‘Baubles, bangles and beads for me. I stay in my lane, I am there to do a critique from the tips of your toe to the top of your head.

‘Coordination, synchronization, beautiful personality.

‘I don’t get involved in anything.’

Richard said: ‘The thing is, you can never see these things coming. I was watching on Saturday and I couldn’t see any potential that we’ve seen over the last two or three  years with Strictly.

‘But you just never know. You don’t know what people are going to do, say, what paparazzi shots are going to emerge mid-week.’

‘We do have the best professionals in the world,’ Shirley said.

‘They are all doing their very, very best throughout the week. I am sure that the final four or three, whatever it may be, will be off the chart.’

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Shirley pictured with her fellow judges Craig Revel-Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke

This year has a stellar line-up which consists of: Harry Aikines-Aryeetey aka Nitro, Dani Dyer, Alex Kingston, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Balvinder Sopal, George Clarke, La Voix and Chris Robshaw.

They are joined by the likes of Ellie Goldstein, Thomas Skinner, Vicky Pattison, Stefan Dennis, Ross King, Karen Carney and Lewis Cope.

The judge also spoke about her verdict on the celebrities taking part in the new series.

Susanna asked: ‘Who is going to win, Shirley?’

Shirley replied: ‘Well you know, it’s actually an even playing field.

‘There is one or two of them that have got the moves, but I think that this is going to be a real tough series, I really do.

‘I wouldn’t even like to predict who I think is going to go home first.

‘I had a good look when they were all doing their little dance on the launch show, they have all got a personality.

‘Ellie was just outstanding. She was just loving every minute of this. She just brought so much joy.’

Richard and Susanna also touched upon her dating life – and she has been rejected by celebrity data app Raya.

I have no idea, my PA got accepted, but for some reason, I’ve sent everything in, been recommended by friends, I just thought that it would be nice to go on a little date,’ Susanna said.

‘I just thought it would be a little bit of fun, but no. Reject!’