Connect with us
DAPA Banner

NewsBeat

I’m A Celeb’s Beverley Callard’s life off camera – Corrie exit and breast cancer diagnosis

Published

on

Daily Mirror

Beverley is looking forward to taking another shot at the jungle crown after first appearing on the show back in 2020, when the series was filmed in a castle in Wales due to filming restrictions as a result of Covid-19

Coronation Street legend Beverley Callard is looking forward to swapping the freezing cold weather in Wales for South Africa ahead of her second I’m A Celebrity stint. The star, who played Liz McDonald on the ITV soap, missed out on heading to the Australian jungle in 2020 because of Covid restrictions, instead filming in a castle in Wales, but she’s hoping to throw herself into the experience for the All Stars spin-off. Her appearance on the show – filmed back in September – came just months before she revealed she’d been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Tonight viewers will get to see a line-up of All Stars head to South Africa with the icons from series gone by battling to be crowned king or queen of the jungle once again. Ant and Dec are back as hosts and will welcome the returning campmates into the spectacular location as ITV promises some of the most epic and extreme trials in I’m A Celebrity history.

Advertisement

The special series was filmed last year, and the cast features several big names including actor Craig Charles, Olympian Mo Farah, an Essex diva in Gemma Collins and a King and a Queen of the Jungle – Harry Redknapp and Scarlett Moffatt.

Here, we look at the star’s life ahead of the show’s return.

Second time lucky

Beverley, 69, appeared on I’m A Celeb back in 2020, when the series was filmed in a castle in Wales due to filming restrictions as a result of Covid-19. She placed tenth, and said the experience boosted her self- confidence.

Advertisement

She said: “I do tend to suffer from low self-esteem and without sounding big headed, because people kept telling me they loved me and how down to earth I was. It gave me confidence and it was lovely to be with such a wonderful group of people.

“Our series was during Covid and the nation/world had had such a bad time, it was a real feel-good show. Everyone got on so well and we still meet up. We’ve got a WhatsApp group and we go out to dinner together.”

Bev didn’t hesitate when she got the call this time around. She explained: “I was really flattered when I got the call. In fact, I was gobsmacked! But I said yes because Wales was so different.”

Corrie exit

Beverley gained a legion of fans thanks to her role as barmaid Liz McDonald in the ITV soap. She played the character for 30 years before announcing her departure in 2019. Beverley previously had two breaks from the show – pne for her mental health in 2010 and another to pursue other roles in her acting career.

Her exit was announced by Liz’ son Steve (Simon Gregson) revealing in a throwaway comment that she’d emigrated to Spain. She never got to shoot her final scenes after a hip operation.

At the time, she told Loose Women her decision was partly down to her fears she’d be killed off in the 60-year anniversary special. But in 2021, Beverley claimed she was axed from a special episode of Coronation Street because of her struggles with her mental health.

Then, in 2023, the star said the quality of the scripts had declined. Speaking on the How to Be 60 podcast, she said: “I just felt that the scripts weren’t what they used to be. I’m trying to be diplomatic. I wasn’t miserable, it’s difficult to put into words.

Advertisement

“But years ago, we used to get the script and you’d think ‘Oh my God, this is amazing, I cannot believe I’m going to be filming this!’ but for me it got to, well, they didn’t write for me as much because I was older and that really got to me.

“If you’re there, you want to be busy. There’s nothing worse than being bored. And I would open the script and think ‘Well we filmed that three years ago’ and it wasn’t very exciting.”

Health battles

It’s been a tough star to the year for Bev. The star told fans she had been diagnosed with the early stages of breast cancer and underwent her first bout of surgery just over a month ago. Over the weekend, she explained to fans her upcoming stint in the jungle was pre-recorded and took place before her diagnosis.

Advertisement

Beverley has been open and honest with her followers on social media and had been told that it would take around four weeks to get her results from the first operation, which would indicate whether she is cancer-free.

But the star was thwarted by bad news just before the onset of the long Easter weekend, as she took to Instagram to tearfully explain that she had not yet received her results and heartbreakingly admitted she couldn’t pretend any longer that everything was all right as she headed to a photoshoot to promote her new role on Irish soap Fair City.

She said: “Well, I had to do a photoshoot yesterday and on the way there – it was for a magazine about Fair City – and on the way there, Jon [my husband] was driving, and I was in the passenger seat. My phone rang, and it said the caller ID. Usually, it’s the hospital or one of the consultants from the hospital and I thought ‘Okay, this is it, my results.’ It was one of the amazing cancer care nurses from Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, they are fantastic.

“She wanted to know how I was doing. I told her that I’ve got quite a lot of soreness, which I’ve not had for ages but it came on a few days ago. She said I could be overdoing things, hopefully I’m not, I’ve had a lazy day today. But then she said ‘No results yet because there is a backlog,’ so hopefully I will get them next week.

Advertisement

“You know when your heart is in your mouth? You think ‘This is it. It’s coming now, any minute,’ and then, no, nothing. Obviously, we were still moving in the car, and I just thought ‘I can’t do this now, I cannot paint a smile on my face again.’

At the beginning of March, Beverley told fans that she had around four weeks of waiting to find out if the operation had been a success, and at the time, seemed optimistic about the situation.

She said: “So, the next stage, is, in about four weeks, we will find out if she managed to get all the cancer out and we’ll also get the results of whether it was in the lymph nodes or not.

“If I’m cancer-free, then, a few weeks after that, I will begin radiotherapy. If I’m not cancer-free, then we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. But I have a feeling I will be. I don’t why I have that feeling but I just have.”

Advertisement

Bev previously battled her way back from a hip injury that nearly left her unable to walk. She’s also been open about her mental health struggles, previously revealing how she “didn’t want to be alive.”

Bev revealed how her husband persuaded her to say how she felt, in a bid to help others. “Jon said to me, just say how you’re really feeling. I’d just had a really bad day, fortunately it was only a couple of days. But he said to say it, because ‘you’d help so many people’,” the soap actress revealed.

Fourth husband

Beverley’s husband Jon McEwan – who she married in 2010 – has been her “rock” throughout her various health battles. The pair had a huge white wedding a decade ago with 22 bridesmaids.

Advertisement

Bev was first wed to Paul Atkinson in 1974. Two years later, they had daughter Rebecca. In 1980, she married David Sowden and in 1989 she wed Steve Callard. They had son Josh.

But it’s Jon she credits with saving her life. He stood by her when she attempted suicide, spent months in the Priory with mental health issues and lost a fortune through business failures.

Bev proudly declared Jon the ‘love of her life’. The pair met in Spain at a time when Beverley was taking a break from Coronation Street to pursue her career as a fitness instructor. Bev’s pupils were adamant that Jon would be the perfect match for her but she wasn’t impressed when she first laid eyes on him on a blind date.

“I had decided all men are b*****ds by that point,” she previously told the Mirror . “I just wasn’t ­interested in meeting someone.

Advertisement

“When I saw Jon with his shaved head and gold tooth I wasn’t impressed but within minutes we were chatting away. We went on to sit together at dinner and we got on like a house on fire.”

The pair wound up a nightclub and agreed to meet up the very next day and did the same the following day, until they quickly became inseparable.

In May 2020 Jon proposed on a beach in Spain while Bev was dressed in a baseball cap and wearing no make-up.

They arranged the wedding in just five months – tying the knot in October the same year in a fairytale wedding at Hazlewood Castle Hotel, West Yorkshire.

Advertisement

The Liz McDonald actress wore a floorlength strapless ivory gown and matching lace veil. While Jon cut a dashing figure in a suit set off with an eye-popping pink waistcoast to match Beverley’s bouquet.

Bev roped in 22 bridesmaids and she and Jon got tattoos of their wedding date to commemorate the occasion.

Despite the dreamy start to their union, the couple faced some hardships in years that followed with bankruptcy, family illness and Beverley’s devastating battle with clinical depression that saw her attempt suicide twice.

She credits Jon for pulling her out of a ‘black hole’ and when asked what the secret to their marriage was, Bev revealed the answer was very simple.

Advertisement

“Every morning we have two cups of tea together and a chat and then he does a silly little dance in the kitchen.

“It makes me smile. When I’m at work I miss him. We laugh a lot and I still fancy him rotten. He’s my best friend as well as my husband.”

An equally smitten Jon popped the question all over again in 2017 when the couple were listening to BBC Radio 4.

“A woman was talking about recovering from serious illness and it made us look back on everything we had been through together,” recalled Beverley.

Advertisement

The emotional chat spurred Jon on to pop the question there and then promising a quieter bash than their last big, white wedding.

If you have been affected by this story, advice and support can be found at Breast Cancer Support.

I’m A Celeb All Stars launches tonight, at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX. It will air every weeknight for three weeks, with the live grand final falling on Friday, April 24.

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

NewsBeat

Horoscope today: Your daily guide for Monday, April 6, 2026

Published

on

Horoscope today: Your daily guide for Sunday, April 5, 2026

Aries 0904 470 1141 (65p per minute)*

Taurus 0904 470 1142 (65p per minute)*

Gemini 0904 470 1143 (65p per minute)*

Advertisement

Cancer 0904 470 1144 (65p per minute)*

Leo 0904 470 1145 (65p per minute)*

Virgo 0904 470 1146 (65p per minute)*

Libra 0904 470 1147 (65p per minute)*

Advertisement

Scorpio 0904 470 1148 (65p per minute)*

Sagittarius 0904 470 1149 (65p per minute)*

Capricorn 0904 470 1150 (65p per minute)*

Aquarius 0904 470 1151 (65p per minute)*

Advertisement

Pisces 0904 470 1152 (65p per minute)*

*Astro line horoscopes are updated every Thursday. Calls cost 65p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge and will last approximately five minutes. You must be over 18 and have the bill payer’s permission. Service provided by Spoke. Customer service: 0333 202 3390

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

NewsBeat

US stocks drift higher ahead of Trump’s deadline to bomb Iranian power plants

Published

on

US stocks drift higher ahead of Trump's deadline to bomb Iranian power plants

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks drifted higher in hesitant trading on Monday, ahead of a deadline that President Donald Trump has set to bomb Iranian power plants.

The S&P 500 rose 0.4%, coming off its first winning week in the last six. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 165 points, or 0.4%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.5%.

Oil prices likewise rose after seesawing through the day amid uncertainty about what will happen in the war with Iran and how long it will slow the global flow of oil and natural gas. Iran on Monday rejected the latest ceasefire proposal and instead said it wants a permanent end to the war.

“We won’t merely accept a ceasefire,” Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, head of the Iranian diplomatic mission in Cairo, told The Associated Press. “We only accept an end of the war with guarantees that we won’t be attacked again.”

Advertisement

Fighting continued in the war, meanwhile, including an Israeli attack on an Iranian petrochemical plant. And in the background was the clock ticking toward a deadline, one that Trump has moved multiple times, where he has threatened to attack Iranian power plants if it does not open the Strait of Hormuz. A fifth of the world’s oil typically sails through the strait during peacetime.

Trump on Monday suggested that his latest deadline of Tuesday at 8 p.m. Eastern time will be the final one, saying he’d already given enough extensions. “The entire country can be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night,” Trump said.

Monday also offered the first chance for U.S. stock prices to react to a report from Friday that said U.S. employers hired more workers last month than economists expected. The unemployment rate unexpectedly improved.

They’re encouraging signals for an economy that’s had to absorb painful leaps in costs for gasoline since the war’s beginning. The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline is nearly $4.12 across the country, according to AAA. It was below $3 a couple days before the United States and Israel launched attacks to begin the war in late February.

Advertisement

For countries that don’t produce as much oil as the United States, the pain has been even worse. That’s because they are more reliant on oil coming from the Middle East, and the war has blocked in much of the crude produced in the Persian Gulf area. That oil typically gets to customers around the world by exiting the Strait of Hormuz.

The price for a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude rose 0.8% to settle at $112.41 after erasing an earlier modest dip. Brent crude, the international standard, added 0.8% to $109.77 per barrel and remains well above its roughly $70 price from before the war.

On Wall Street, a split performance for the Big Tech stocks that dominate the U.S. market kept things in check. Apple rose 1.1%, and Amazon added 1.4%. Tesla slid 2.2%, and Microsoft fell 0.2%.

Bank stocks were strong, including a 1.3% rise for JPMorgan Chase.

CEO Jamie Dimon said in his annual letter to shareholders released on Monday that the U.S. economy continues to be resilient, and businesses still look healthy. He, though, also acknowledged that prices for stocks and other assets are high, which could imply “anything less than positive outcomes could have a dramatic impact on global markets.”

All told, the S&P 500 rose 29.14 points to 6,611.83. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 165.21 to 46,669.88, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 117.16 to 21,996.34.

Advertisement

In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady. The 10-year Treasury yield was sitting at 4.33%. That’s still well above its 3.97% level from before the war. The rise has pushed up rates for mortgages and other loans going to U.S. households and businesses, which slows the economy.

A report on Monday said that finance, transportation and other U.S. businesses in services sectors grew in March for a 21st straight month of expansion. But the growth was slightly slower than economists expected, and a measure of prices accelerated at its fastest pace since 2022 in a potentially discouraging signal for inflation.

In stock markets abroad, Japan’s Nikkei 225 added 0.5%, and South Korea’s Kospi jumped 1.4%. Many other markets in Europe and Asia were closed for holidays.

___

Advertisement

AP Business Writers Yuri Kageyama and Matt Ott contributed.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Hundreds take part in Gawthorpe coal-carrying race

Published

on

Hundreds take part in Gawthorpe coal-carrying race

The annual World Coal Carrying Championships in the village of Gawthorpe, near Ossett, saw 240 entrants haul sacks of coal across a distance of 3,320ft (about 1,000m). Men carried 7st 12lb (50kg) sacks of coal, with women racers shifting 3st 2lb (20kg) bags, from the Royal Oak pub to the village’s Maypole Green.

Source link

Continue Reading

NewsBeat

How to ace a marathon, according to London’s most seasoned runners

Published

on

How to ace a marathon, according to London's most seasoned runners

As we emerge from our winter hibernation, many of us will be dusting off our gym leggings and limbering up for our first exercise class in, oh, we wouldn’t like to say. But, for a dedicated tribe, however, spring means even more than that: the start of marathon training season.

This lot has probably (*hopefully*) already been pounding the pavements and parks for months now, but if not, there’s no better time to get started than the New Year, with the London Marathon set to happen a mere few weeks away (April 26).

Source link

Continue Reading

NewsBeat

DIY-fanatic builds supersized versions of everyday items

Published

on

Cambridgeshire Live

He took on the supersized project following his retirement

A retired electrician who says “you can only cook and clean for so many hours” has earned himself the nickame “Mr Big Stuff” thanks to his new and rather unusual hobby. DIY-fanatic Steve Wainwright builds supersize versions of everyday household objects.

Advertisement

So far in Steve’s collection, he has made items including a giant pencil, cassette tape and a playing card. These usually palm-sized objects are made out of wood, metal and plastic and can take anywhere from three days to two weeks to complete.

Steve, 62, and from Stanground near Peterborough makes his models from a workshop at the bottom of his garden and has now made 20 different models, including a 1.5m tall Staedtler pencil and a 1m tall cassette tape.

He said: “I took on the role of a house husband as I retired before my wife. You can only cook and clean for so many hours so I decided I wanted to build something. I didn’t want to be bored in the house.

“I had a tape measure in my hand when I saw an electrical plug and I thought I could build that bigger. I settled on ten times the size as it’s easy maths but sometimes I do use a bit of artistic licence.

Advertisement

“Anything that will fit in the palm of my hand, I will give it a go – lipstick, screws, pencil sharpeners.”

Steve, who also worked with the ambulance service for 10 years, describes himself as a “maker of things”. He started building in his garage but soon moved into a £4k workshop which he built himself. His sculptures catch the eyes of those passing by, and he has also exhibited some items for charity.

He said: “From the male point of view, they’ll say ‘This is amazing!’ But from the female perspective, they usually ask where I could possibly keep everything. I’ve been asked to support charities and the blind find they can identify items by touch, especially with the original, smaller version alongside it. The public loves the pencils.”

Advertisement

Steve has made a table-sized retractable tape measure whic took two weeks to build, whilst the pencil sharpener took him three days. He has even sulpted giant keys – one shed and one Yale – and said he’d love to take them into Timpson.

Steve says that he thinks he has spent around £2.5k on the materials, but added: “It was never about the money. The joy of it would fade. People don’t appreciate the skills they have and look over just how capable they can be.”

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Coronation Street favourite says ‘I can’t do this anymore’ after exit news

Published

on

Daily Mirror

Coronation Street favourite Debbie Webster, played by Sue Devaney, was dealt with heartbreak yet again on Easter Monday’s episode as she realised how she was being conned again

Coronation Street’s Debbie Webster appeared to disown her long-lost son on Easter Monday’s episode of the ITV soap. The hotelier, who is played by Sue Devaney, has only just been released from prison after winning an appeal off-screen after she took the blame for son Carl’s dangerous driving during the Emmerdale crossover.

Advertisement

Up until recently, Debbie was said to be Carl’s sister but she revealed the truth to him just before she was sent to prison. Back at work at the Chariot Square hotel Carl (Jonathan Howard) was soon up to his old tricks and asking Debbie to bail him out financially yet again. He claimed that he was £10,000 in debt to ruthless businesswoman Fiona (Sara Poyzer) yet again and she agreed to help him out, on the condition that he paid her back by working at the hotel.

Debbie, who was diagnosed with vascular dementia last year after producers confirmed that the much-loved character will be killed off at some point in the future, seemed to be happy to make this arrangement but her husband Ronnie Bailey (Vinta Morgan) smelled a rat instantly.

READ MORE: Coronation Street villain ‘ruled out as death’ after returning character news

Ronnie is the former flame of Fiona, so had no qualms out calling her up to check on the situation. As he did this, Carl had been pestering Debbie to make the transfer all day and she fobbed him off with excuses about bank security checks causing a delay. When Ronnie turned up on the scene later that afternoon, Debbie said: “I know, Ronnie, you don’t approve of it, but once he’s paid off this debt, he can start afresh!”

Ronnie told Debbie: “I’ve just been to see Fiona. His debt was five grand. Not ten. He’s fleecing you. Five grand on the debt, and another five in his back pocket. He’s playing you, babe. “

Debbie was visibly heartbroken as the truth dawned on her as she turned to Carl and said: “After everything I’ve done for you?” On the verge of tears, she said: “Do you know what? We’re done! Camels and straws and all that etc. I can’t do this anymore, Carl. I can’t do it.”

Viewers will know that Carl is one of five potential murder victims, as teased in a flashforward that aired earlier this year. On April 23, fans will finally discover whether Carl, Jodie Ramsey, Maggie Driscoll, Megan Walsh, or Theo Silverton will be killed off.

Fans were thrilled that Debbie had finally seen the light, but some were concerned that Carl may be able to return to his ways once her condition deteriorates.

Taking to X, one fan said: “Debbie cutting Carl off now that she’s lucid but will he take advantage when she has a memory symptom? A part of me thinks Carl will ruin the hotel as retaliation thus ruining the #Swarla wedding but another part says if he ruins the hotel he won’t have a place to live. #Corrie.”

Another said: “I did love watching Debbie wash her hands of Carl. Let’s hope it sticks though,” whilst a third wrote: “Tell him Debbie,” and emblazoned their tweet with a clapping-hands emoji.

A fourth said: “Debbie’s finally accepted that Carl is playing her. She’s known for a while, she’s been understanding, she’s forgiven him but he just keeps doing it & now she’s had enough!”

Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X.

* Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

NewsBeat

ITV News viewers baffled as bulletin vanishes from air and channel issues apology

Published

on

Belfast Live

ITV local news programmes suddenly disappeared off-air on Monday evening including bulletins from Northern Ireland

ITV regional news broadcasts abruptly vanished from screens on Monday evening (April 6), prompting baffled viewers to flood social media asking ‘what’s going on?’.

Television sets displayed nothing but a static ITV News graphic as local news services experienced widespread disruption. Concerned viewers flocked to X to report the technical fault, which seemed to have knocked out Granada Reports throughout the North West region.

Advertisement

Additional reports suggested programmes in Northern Ireland, Yorkshire, and the West Country were also hit by the outage. The broadcaster’s other channels continued to operate without issue.

Local news bulletins on the flagship channel went dark across various parts of the nation, leaving audiences staring at animated regional studio logos, reports the Manchester Evening News.

READ MORE: Eamonn Holmes opens up on first job he almost kept over concerns about TV breakREAD MORE: I’m a Celebrity’s Beverley Callard clears up ITV show confusion after cancer diagnosis

Advertisement

One viewer wrote: “Looks like a full network breakdown on@ITV1 with no regional news bulletins across the whole of the UK including @GranadaReports and with them unable to return back to national for @ITVNews.

“What’s happened to the Granada tv region signal? Its frozen on the ITV news logo,” queried another, while a third asked: “ITV1 seems to be down. Just a massive ITV logo and the region name below. Supposed to be airing the news right now.

“What the hell is happening with the local news/ national news in Yorkshire area as nothing on ?” another questioned.

In a message posted on X, ITV Granada confirmed the broadcaster had been encountering technical difficulties. It stated: “Apologies to viewers tuning in for our bulletin this evening – ITV has been experiencing technical problems and is working hard to fix the technical issues.”

Advertisement

The issues with the ITV news programmes came days after it was reported that ITV was closing one of its biggest channels. The iconic CITV is reportedly shutting down for good after 42 years, with its last broadcast on ITV2 scheduled for April 10.

Having launched the careers of several well-known telly stars, including Stephen Mulhern, Holly Willoughby and Cat Deeley, the channel also aired much-loved shows, such as Art Attack with Neil Buchanan, Tots TV and Horrid Henry.

CITV officially closed in 2023, however a programming block showing all the classics launched on ITV2, so viewers could still get their fix. But now, it’s no more, with the channel reportedly being shut down for good.

Advertisement

Announcing the news of the CITV’s demise this week, a social media account said: “This really means the end of the iconic CITV brand that’s been around for 42 years. Farewell CITV, this time for real.”

However, revealing that some of the shows would be picked up by CBBC while the rest will be under ITVX Kids, the post continued: “CBBC will have some of CITV’s programming while the rest will be under ITVX Kids.”

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Figures reveal number of PSNI officers dismissed for sexual misconduct

Published

on

Belfast Live

An independent review recently found “clear evidence of sexism and misogyny within the PSNI”

Advertisement

Figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request reveal the number of PSNI officers dismissed due to sexual misconduct in the past 10 years.

It comes as the Chief Constable pledged last week to take action after an independent review found “clear evidence of sexism and misogyny within the PSNI“.

The FOI request to the PSNI asked for the numbers of officers dismissed due to sexual misconduct. It found that from the start of the 2015 financial year, there has been 26 officers dismissed, with the majority of these dismissals taking place within the last five years.

There has been 26 officers dismissed for sexual misconduct in the last 10 financial years:

Advertisement
  • 2015 to 2020 – Total 3 officers
  • 2021 to 2025 – Total 23 officers

The PSNI “made the decision to withhold the year by year breakdown requested as this information could lead to the identification of individual officers”.

In the Chief Constable’s accountability report for April, he addressed some of the recent misconduct cases he has chaired with officers being dismissed without notice for incident which included misogyny, inappropriate sexual relationships, misogyny, domestic abuse and sexual assault.

It said: “In 2024, I chaired eleven special case hearings to consider alleged misconduct of officers, nine of which resulted in dismissal without notice, one final written warning and one reduction in rank. One of these hearings related to an inappropriate sexual relationship with a person the officer met on duty. He was dismissed without notice.

“In 2025, I oversaw a further eleven special case hearings, all resulting in dismissal without notice. Of these cases, six involved elements of misogyny. Four related to inappropriate messaging, one involved domestic abuse and one followed a criminal conviction for two counts of sexual assault on a colleague.

“So far in 2026, I have overseen two special case hearings where both officers were dismissed without notice. One related to gross indecency and the other related to domestic abuse. We will continue to work closely with the Police Ombudsman and other partners to ensure robust prevention, early identification and decisive action. Where standards fall short, we will act.”

Advertisement

Last week Chief Constable Jon Boutcher addressed the Policing Board following the publication of an independent review by Rachel Langdale KC that he had requested. It looked at the PSNI’s response to violence against women and girls along with the culture within the force itself.

The review found “clear evidence of sexism and misogyny within the PSNI” and that its misconduct process was “flawed”.

Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said: “The review recognises a number of positive developments and the significant work already undertaken by officers and staff. It also identifies areas where further improvement is required. I have accepted all the recommendations in full and am committed to building on the progress already made.

Advertisement

“We are developing a refreshed and updated Violence Against Women and Children Action Plan, where the recommendations from this review will be included, setting out our clear priorities, responsibilities and timescales for delivery. Robust governance arrangements will continue to ensure senior oversight and sustained implementation of the recommendations. We will also report to the Northern Ireland Policing Board on our progress.

“The review was commissioned as an assurance exercise to inform improvement and strengthen operational delivery. In commissioning the report, particular care was taken to ensure that it remained an internal report. This approach was adopted to create a safe and trusted environment for those contributing, allowing individuals to speak openly and candidly without fear of identification or adverse consequence. This, in turn, enabled the most honest and constructive insights to emerge. We are committed to acting on its findings and to demonstrating measurable progress in the areas identified.

“I am sharing the foreword and recommendations at this stage to provide visibility of the key findings and proposed actions arising from the review. These elements capture the overarching themes and intended direction of travel for the organisation as we continue to seek to learn and improve systems and processes.

“Our focus remains on delivering the highest standards of policing for the communities we serve and maintaining public confidence through continuous improvement and accountability. I thank Rachel Langdale KC and her team for their approach to this report and for her honest assessment of our systems processes and culture.”

Advertisement

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

Source link

Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Mikel Arteta hits back at Arsenal’s critics with firm message before Sporting clash

Published

on

Daily Mirror

Arsenal are looking to bounce back from back-to-back damaging defeats in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup when they take on Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League quarter finals

Mikel Arteta insists Arsenal will not allow “panic” to creep in with their whole season hanging in the balance.

Advertisement

Gunners boss Arteta says his players are “hungrier than ever” to save their season from collapse ahead of their Champions League quarter final showdown with Sporting Lisbon. Arsenal have suffered back-to-back defeats in the Carabao Cup final and then crashed out of the FA Cup at Southampton on Saturday to turn up the heat on Arteta’s men.

But Arteta says Arsenal are ready for the challenge of their lives as the Premier League leaders face Sporting on Tuesday night and then a crunch showdown with Bournemouth on Saturday. Arteta said: “I think what we have to do is clear, instead of panic, understand if that happens, why it happened and bring clarity.

“And when you analyse that and you accept that, you’ll be better. That’s it, and that’s the thing that we have to do. We are hungrier than ever, very excited and very motivated. Feel the pain, use it to improve.

FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news and more on our dedicated Facebook page

Advertisement

READ MORE: Arsenal handed triple injury boost for Sporting clash but Mikel Arteta rules two stars outREAD MORE: Sporting manager Rui Borges gives Arsenal verdict as season threatens to unravel

“I know what it means to them and I know how much they want it. It’s now the moment to show it, and we have to do it on that green tomorrow at the highest level. I think when you have the opportunity that we have, that has to be taken through excitement, through preparing yourself in the best possible way, focusing on the present and on the things that we have to do.

“And especially in our identity, it’s very clear what is taking us on the way to where we are, and that’s where we have to focus.”

Arteta insists the players can handle the pressure – because they have had their mentality questioned since the first day of the season. He added: “That’s in football, from the first game of the season. That’s going to be questioned. It’s okay, what about Arsenal this season? It’s been like this for the last nine months, and that’s going to continue; that’s never going to change when you play at this level for this club.

Advertisement

“There’s always going to be a question mark. You have to live the present; you have to deliver it every day. You cannot pick the game, you cannot pick the moments or the actions. It’s every action, every game, every moment. And that’s the standard that we set and that’s part of identity and it’s part of this football club.”

Arsenal have been boosted by the return of Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard to the squad to face Sporting, Gabriel is also fit while Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber could be fit to face Bournemouth.

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

Advertisement

Find the best flights and hotels for Champions League games

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Content Image

Various Prices

Booking.com

See the deals here

Booking.com provides countless deals on flights and accommodation across Europe so football fans can follow their team on their Champions League campaign.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

NewsBeat

How long is I’m a Celeb South Africa 2026 on TV for?

Published

on

How long is I'm a Celeb South Africa 2026 on TV for?

The spin-off switches locations from the Australian jungle to the African savannah, and has only aired on one previous occasion.

Featuring previous contestants from the original programme, the all-stars version was reportedly made in case the production was unable to return to Australia due to to Covid restrictions.

Filming for the first South Africa series took place in July 2022, but was not needed as a backup, with the show being able to return to Australia in November of that year.

Advertisement

ITV then decided to broadcast the spin-off in April and May of 2023.

After a gap of three years, it has now returned, with it having been pre-recorded in September 2025.

How long will I’m A Celeb South Africa 2026 be on TV for?

I’m A Celebrity South Africa’s first episode will air on Monday, April 6 and is set to conclude on Friday, April 24.

For those three weeks of airing, it will be broadcast on weeknights, with it taking a break on weekends.

In most cases, episodes will start at 9pm, with the finish times varying.

Advertisement

I’m A Celebrity South Africa lineup 2026

The line-up for I’m A Celebrity South Africa’s second series is:

  • Former football manager Harry Redknapp
  • Reality star Gemma Collins
  • Soap actress Beverley Callard
  • Olympian Sir Mo Farah
  • Former Gogglebox star Scarlett Moffatt
  • Champion boxer David Haye
  • Actor Adam Thomas
  • Former Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts
  • Comedian Seann Walsh
  • Pop star Sinitta
  • Red Dwarf star Craig Charles
  • Ex-footballer Jimmy Bullard

Scarlett Moffatt and Harry Redknapp performed the best on the original show out of the contestants, winning their respective series in 2016 and 2018, respectively.

Other strong performers from the original show include Ashley Roberts, who was runner-up in 2012.

Meanwhile, Adam Thomas earned third place in 2016, which was the same placing David Haye got in 2012.

Mo Farah and Seann Walsh came in fifth place in 2020 and 2022, respectively.

Advertisement

I’m A Celeb South Africa final to be aired live

In a change from the first series, the final of I’m a Celeb South Africa will be aired live on Friday, April 24.

The Radio Times shares that rather than making the 12-hour flight back to Africa, the entire celebrity cast will instead gather in a UK studio.


Recommended reading:

Advertisement

From here, the public will be able to vote to crown this year’s I’m a Celebrity Legend.

Discussing the change, Ant & Dec said: “It’s going to be here in the UK, live on the television.

“We’re going to get all the cast back, we’ll have the finalists in the studio.

“It’ll be a live vote like we do in Australia and the public will decide their Legend.”

Advertisement

Will you be watching I’m A Celeb South Africa? Let us know in the comments.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2025