Cambridgeshire is a county its locals proudly champion – and it is also a hotspot for celebrity visits

The city of Cambridge is filled with charm and beauty, which attracts many visitors – including celebrities. Icons Matt Damon and George Clooney working out in a Cambridge gym and a number of A-listers including David Beckham on a punt are just a few of the wealthy and well-known who love our city.

Big names have given residents a surprise many times with their iconic visits. CambridgeshireLive has compiled a selection of spectacular stars who have been spotted over the years.

Matt Damon and George Clooney gave staff a shock at Kelsey Kerridge gym after they turned up to play basketball. At the time, in 2013, they were reportedly filming scenes at the Imperial War Museum Duxford for a World War Two movie, The Monuments Men.

Football legend David Beckham was spotted on the River Cam on a punt in 2015 during a day trip to Cambridge. During their visit, he took his son Brooklyn to meet the renowned scientist Stephen Hawking.

Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden and Tamzin Outhwaite wrapped up warm and also took to the river for Tamzin’s birthday. The pair were spotted to be enjoying a birthday cake as they cruised along the river.

Other stars who have gone punting and enjoyed a lazy cruise in Cambridge include popstar Olly Murs, Sir Tom Jones, Jimmy Carr, Sherlock’s Martin Freeman, and Alien actress Sigourney Weaver.

Former 007 actor, Pierce Brosnan, was once spotted riding a motorbike when he visited the city. In 2004, the couple of Big Brother, Stuart Wilson and Michelle Bass, were also spotted punting.

A few years later, in 2007, James Whale and Lloyd Grossman took a punt with a curry to promote Britain’s Biggest Curry Party in aid of cancer research.

Stephen Fry took to the river on his return to Cambridge to see the university, and his former college, Queens’. According to the Traditional Punting Company, Stephen seemed to be struggling to not fall in the river during his ride.

Punting on the Cam is a long-lived tradition that the city of Cambridge is widely known for. The first punt on the river was built at Chesterton Boatyard in the 20th century, and one of those involved in the work was Maurice Scudamore, an apprentice there. In 1903, he founded the now famous punt hire firm Scudamore’s.

In a semi-final that looked set to be remembered for the farcical scenes that led to the longest frame in Crucible history, Mark Allen produced a defining moment so heartbreaking that the 100-minute marathon became a mere footnote.

Allen had one foot and four-and-a-half toes in the World Snooker Championship final when he potted a spectacular long pink while leading Wu Yize 16-15 and landed perfectly on the final black. Black on its spot, cue ball perfectly positioned – it’s a simple pot that Allen makes 100 times out of 100. Except on this one, most important occasion.

Pressure does funny things to even the greatest sportspeople. Perhaps the prospect of reaching his first world final after almost 20 years of trying suddenly dawned on him. Perhaps his cue arm twitched. Or perhaps the magnitude of the moment proved too much. Whatever the reason, the black rattled in the jaws and stayed out. The capacity Crucible crowd gasped, Allen dropped his head in disbelief and a completely baffled, almost scared look crossed his face.

Wu tapped the black in to force a decider and a moment that may haunt Allen for the rest of his life was shared with the world in gut-wrenching HD. How do you recover from that?

“You don’t deserve to be in the world final if you’re missing balls like that,” admitted Allen afterwards. “That was just pure pressure to be honest. Normally I‘m pretty good under the pressure but just didn’t handle it well today.

“I was probably more nervous at different stages of the match than I was on that black. I just threw a quick one in, I genuinely did. I just didn’t deliver the cue properly and I got what I deserved when you miss a black like that to win the match.

“I had two, three chances to close out the match and didn’t do it. But credit to Wu.”

To his credit, the Northern Irishman composed himself enough to make a handy break of 47 in the decider but was unlucky when a split of the pack failed to leave him on a red and, after a couple of attempts, Wu made an incredible clearance of 71 to snatch victory 17-16, becoming just the third Chinese player to reach a world final, where he will face Shaun Murphy, who is into the final for a fifth time

“The final frame was another opportunity to win,” explained Allen. “I was fine going into it – win the next frame, that’s what I always say. I was a little unlucky when I potted the pink, split the reds but didn’t land on anything. But I had more than enough chances to win.

“At the end of the match, I just wished Wu good luck and said he played very well. I think he’s going to be a world champion.”

Allen was clearly shattered at missing such a golden opportunity to reach a world final but his graciousness extended to claiming that the better man had won.

“Even though I’m devastated to lose that match, I think the right person is in the final,” conceded Allen. “The way he plays is great for the game, scores heavily, pots some ridiculous balls and doesn’t seem to mind the pressure.

“He stepped up and made a good clearance at 16-14 and then did what he needed to in the last. If he doesn’t win this one, I think he’s going to win many world titles.”

The way Allen and Wu brushed off the debacle of Friday’s 100-minute frame, where 55 minutes went by without a pot as the black and eight remaining reds all clustered round the corner to create a situation described as an embarrassment by six-time world champion Steve Davis, was impressive.

Two incredibly high-quality sessions of snooker followed as the pair traded big breaks in a much more fluent game and were never separated by more than a frame as the race to 17 reached 14-14.

From there however, Northern Ireland’s finest managed to find another gear and move within a frame of victory at 16-14 before Wu pulled one back, then the drama of the missed black and the decider followed.

Zhao Xintong became the first Chinese world champion in history 12 months ago and now Wu is just one match away from matching him

His attacking style of snooker should match up with Murphy’s similar approach and the best-of-35 contest may well deliver fireworks. Allen is certainly expecting the younger man to put up one hell of a fight.

“Wu will fancy the job. Absolutely no doubt,” added Allen. “I think it will be an open final and I think that will suit Wu Yize to be honest.

“The way you can probably get out against Wu is to do a bit tactically. I was probably hanging in the match because of that, but I’m not really sure Shaun has that.

“Shaun’s absolutely capable of blitzing Wu Yize, don’t get me wrong, but if Wu plays like he did against me over those four sessions, he’s going to be hard to stop.”

How Allen bounces back from this devastation next season will be fascinating to see but in the meantime, two days of drama as Wu and Murphy go head to head promises to be an epic encounter.

A Toronto-bound Air Canada flight was forced to return to Heathrow after the crew declared a mid-air emergency less than an hour after takeoff

An Air Canada flight declared a mid-air emergency shortly after departing London Heathrow Airport.

Flight AC853, bound for Toronto, left the London hub at 8:34am on Saturday (May 2) ascending to 34,000 feet and heading out across the Atlantic as expected. However, less than an hour into the flight, the crew declared an emergency by transmitting a Squawk 7700 code, which signals a serious problem on board to air traffic control, reports the Mirror.

The aircraft, a Boeing 777-300ER, swiftly abandoned its transatlantic course and made a controlled U-turn back towards Heathrow, with emergency services placed on standby as a precautionary measure.

Air Canada has yet to confirm the nature of the emergency, with such alerts covering a broad range of situations, from technical malfunctions to medical incidents on board.

Flight tracking data reveals the aircraft began its return shortly after reaching cruising altitude at around 09:15 BST, before starting its descent back towards London.

The plane touched down safely on runway 27L at approximately 10:02 BST, with landings on Heathrow’s south runway briefly halted moments afterwards. Passengers were escorted back to the terminal after the aircraft taxied to the gate accompanied by emergency vehicles.

Despite the alarming turn of events, no injuries have been reported. Air Canada has since moved to reschedule the disrupted service, with a replacement flight set to depart later that morning. Emergency crews at Heathrow remained on high alert throughout the incident, in line with standard procedure for any aircraft declaring a full emergency.

The incident is now set to undergo a full review, with both the airline and airport authorities expected to release further information in due course.

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Officers say the suspected trespass and theft offences are believed to have happened earlier this month on April 10 on Vernon Street, Leigh.

They have now appealed to members of the public who may have any information to come forward.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: “Officers from our Wigan Neighbourhood Team are appealing for information in relation to trespassing and theft that took place in Leigh earlier this month.

“It’s believed a male has entered the premises at 11pm on Vernon Street, Leigh on April 10 2026 and slept in the premises overnight, then returned on April 13 2026 at about 6.30pm with another male and stolen a bouncy castle.”

Police want to speak to this man in connection with their investigation (Image: GMP)

The force has now released a still image of a man dressed in a dark-coloured baseball cap, a black sleeveless top and grey tracksuit who they say they want to speak to.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: “Officers believe the man in this image may be able to assist with our enquiries.

“Anyone with information is asked to contact 101 quoting CRI/06LL/0008578/26.

“Alternatively, call Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

After decades of research, Australian scientists had developed a pioneering new jab, named Gardasil, which could prevent HPV – and it had been approved by the medicines regulator. One year later, Australia became the first country in the world to roll out a national vaccination programme.

The act was guaranteed a route straight through to the final, without having to top the public vote at the end of the episode.

Singer Alesha Dixon had the responsibility of pressing it in the second live semi-final, with the caveat that it could only be pressed once during each semi-final episode.

Acts performing in tonight’s episode included Japanese hip-hop dancers World Wings, magician Fabian Fox and pupils from Braunstone Community Primary School.

Who was awarded the golden buzzer in the second BGT 2026 semi-final?

Dance group LMA were given the golden buzzer, securing them a spot in the show’s final.

Alesha was the judge given the honour of selecting tonight’s golden buzzer, and plenty of people were happy to see the group from Liverpool get through, with the audience making lots of noise and urging her to press the golden buzzer.

Simon Cowell said the performance was “gobsmackingly beautiful”.

Who was awarded the golden buzzer in the first BGT 2026 semi-final?

The golden buzzer went right down to the last act, as despite calls from the audience to send the likes of The Rafikiz, Celtic Beat and Anastasiia through, Amanda Holden held off.

Singer Matty Juniosa wowed the crowd and the judges with the final performance of the night.

Watch these top golden buzzer moments on BGT

When giving their verdicts, Amanda revealed she’d asked the producers what would happen if she didn’t press her golden buzzer.

She was told it would go to the audience in that circumstance, but Amanda didn’t need to wait for that as she pressed it for Matty.

How many semi-finals are there for BGT 2026?

There will be five live semi-finals for the 2026 series of Britain’s Got Talent in total, with three left after tonight’s episode.

The next three will all air on Saturday evenings up until May 23.

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What does the winner of BGT 2026 get?

There have been 18 winners of BGT since its first series in 2007, with magician Harry Moulding winning last year.

The winner of BGT will take home a prize of £250,000 and will also be given the chance to perform at the Royal Variety Performance in front of the royal family.

In the ITV show’s first three years, winners won a prize of £100,000, while the biggest winners were Ashleigh and Pudsey with a prize pot of £500,000 in 2012.

Who is your favourite BGT judge? Let us know in the comments.

“I knew I needed a good start and two centuries off the bat was good. Of course it counted for nothing because two frames later I was back where I started.

“I knew I had to go to the well again. I knew I had done it once and could do it again. I didn’t expect to win all four after the resumption but I got my chances and scored well.”

World number eight Murphy opened with sensational breaks of 132 and 127 and looked to be in his element as he stomped around the auditorium.

But his fast start was initially made to count for nothing as Higgins, who was barely afforded any table time in those frames, exhibited the resolve and superb fighting qualities that have underscored his glittering career.

Higgins, who turns 51 later this month and was hoping to become the oldest ever finalist, took a scrappy 27th frame and then crafted an 88 break.

While those contributions lacked the sparkle of Murphy’s earlier efforts they briefly restored his two-frame advantage.

Murphy’s third century break of the session reduced his arrears and, when the Scot missed a black to the right corner and also played a loose safety shot in the next frame, he was clinically punished as his opponent compiled a 78.

Higgins failed to cut a red into the left corner pocket and Murphy missed a blue into the top-right corner in the 31st frame that eventually went the way of the 2005 winner.

In nerve-shredding 32nd frame, Higgins broke down on 50 and Murphy missed a red with the rest before he secured his place in snooker’s most prestigious match.

And he will now look to join an exclusive club of six players to have won multiple world titles since the tournament’s move to South Yorkshire in 1977.

Who wins the title remains anyone’s guess, but Rooney told BBC Match of the Day the Gunners will be lifting the trophy and even predicted it could be by a “comfortable five points”.

“I think Arsenal will win it,” he said. “The fixtures are more favourable. I think they will win every game and Man City will slip up.

“I can see Arsenal being quite comfortable. They have been fantastic and top of the league most of the season. City’s fixtures are all quite congested.”

Hart, though, disagrees.

A two-time title winner with City in 2012 and 2014, he said: “I don’t care who Arsenal will lose to, I look at Man City and their spine is so long.

“It is full of multiple winners like Gianluigi Donnarumma. I am talking Rodri, Bernardo [Silva], Haaland. That is the spine I want to be part of. I think they will do whatever needs to be done.”

Meanwhile, reacting to Arsenal‘s win on Saturday, former Gunners forward Paul Merson told Sky Sports: “In his wildest dreams Arteta could not have asked for anything better.

“If Arsenal win their next three Premier League matches, Man City will have to pull up trees.

“They are always playing catch-up and that takes its toll in the end, knowing you have to win games just to stay in it.

“I would pick Arsenal just because of the fixtures they have. I expect both teams to win all their games and I think it will come down to goal difference.”

Former England midfielder Jamie Redknapp added on Sky Sports: “If it goes to goal difference, I see Arsenal have the big advantage when you look at the games.

“But we are all guessing. Man City could blow teams away, anything could happen. I think Arsenal are favourites, but I don’t think they are 80% favourites.

“For City, the games are coming thick and fast and Mikel can look after his players just that little bit more.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has become “emboldened” after ousting some of the military’s most senior officials as he moves to “consolidate control” at the Pentagon, according to a report.

The firing of Navy Secretary John Phelan and the Army’s chief of staff Gen. Randy George was part of Hegseth’s reported pursuit to “consolidate control” of the Pentagon, leaving him “more confident than ever in his job,” The Washington Post reports.

Despite concerns from those in President Donald Trump’s inner circle, including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Hegseth appears to have secured his standing within the administration amid a turbulent first year in office, the newspaper reports.

“All the power has been taken away from the uniforms and 100 percent gone to the political appointees,” one official told the Post.

Phelan was removed on April 22 shortly after voicing concerns to lawmakers regarding what he characterized as a “land grab” by Hegseth and Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg, according to the newspaper.

Phelan reportedly alleged that the Pentagon’s top leadership had usurped the Navy’s authority by imposing rigid control over shipbuilding and submarine procurement.

According to people familiar with the matter, word of Phelan’s private protests reached Hegseth almost immediately. Hegseth and Feinberg subsequently presented a case for Phelan’s removal to Trump, who approved the decision.

A person with direct knowledge of the dismissal told The Post that the move was orchestrated within minutes of the leadership becoming aware of Phelan’s criticisms.

The Independent has contacted the Pentagon and the White House for comment.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell touted Hegseth for “focusing on executing President Trump’s America First agenda without hesitation” in a statement to the Post.

“From day one, he has moved decisively to restore the warrior ethos, remove [diversity, equity and inclusion] ideology from the military, and refocus the force on lethality and combat readiness,” Parnell added.

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told the outlet that the president appreciates Hegseth’s focus on “readiness” and “lethality,” citing military operations in Iran and Venezuela as successes.

Wiles, who reportedly did not dispute her concerns about Hegseth to the Post, praised him in a statement for bringing “clarity, strength and leadership” to the Pentagon “at a critical moment for our country.”

The support from the White House comes after Hegseth remained defiant under nine hours of questioning before Congress this week. During his testimony, he refused to elaborate on the reasoning behind high-level personnel decisions, including the forced retirement of the Army’s chief of staff.

He faced backlash from lawmakers after he called those questioning his optimistic take on the Iran war “reckless, feckless and defeatist.”

Phelan’s exit marks a turnaround for Hegseth. Following a series of early missteps, including a security investigation known as “Signalgate,” speculation was once high that the former Fox News personality would be the first Cabinet member to be replaced.

Instead, Hegseth has outlasted several colleagues, including former Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who were recently removed by the president.

An administration official told the Post that the status of Trump’s Cabinet members was akin to “that of a grizzly bear chasing a group of hikers.”

“As long as you don’t run the slowest, you’re safe,” they said. “And Pete is not the slowest right now.”

Spirit Airlines, which once operated hundreds of daily flights on its bright yellow planes and employed about 17,000 people, said it had “started an orderly wind-down of our operations, effective immediately”.

The major airline known for offering budget flights said on its website that all flights have been cancelled and customer service is no longer available.

“We are proud of the impact of our ultra-low-cost model on the industry over the last 34 years and had hoped to serve our guests for many years to come,” the announcement said.

Spirit Airlines shuts down after 34 years – how to get refunds

If you’ve booked flights with Spirit Airlines to US hotspots, you might wonder what you should do to secure a refund.

The company told customers that they could expect refunds, but there would be no help in booking travel on other airlines.

It warned its customers not to arrive at airports following the cancellation of all its flights.

To check your refund status, you’ll need to log on to the website or search for your trip.

The shutdown was expected after Friday came and went without a needed government bailout for the cash-strapped business.

President Donald Trump said on Friday that his administration had given the budget carrier a “final proposal” for a taxpayer-funded takeover to keep it from going under, but a deal was not reached.

Mr Trump floated the idea of a bailout last week after the airline found itself in bankruptcy proceedings for the second time in less than two years, with jet fuel prices soaring because of the Iran war.

17,000 jobs could be affected by Spirit Airlines’ collapse

Spirit lawyer Marshall Huebner said that about 17,000 jobs could be impacted by a shutdown.

Spirit has struggled financially since the Covid-19 pandemic, weighed down by rising operating costs and growing debt.

By the time it filed for Chapter 11 protection in November 2024, the airline had lost more than 2.5 billion dollars since the start of 2020.

The budget carrier sought bankruptcy protection again in August 2025, when it reported having 8.1 billion dollars in debts and 8.6 billion dollars in assets, according to court filings.

Supporters of a rescue, including labour unions representing Spirit’s pilots, flight attendants and ramp workers, said a collapse would put thousands of Americans out of work and hurt consumers by reducing airline competition and increasing airfares.

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Where did Spirit fly passengers to?

Budget-conscious and leisure travellers would likely feel Spirit’s absence the most, especially in places where the airline has a big footprint, such as Las Vegas and the Florida cities of Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.

The carrier flew about 1.7 million domestic passengers in February, roughly half a million fewer than during the same month a year earlier, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Spirit also has sharply reduced its capacity, with about half as many seats available this month than in May 2024.