The actor revealed some positive changes he has been making

I’m a Celebrity star Adam Thomas opened up on some changes he made at the start of the year as he admitted he “wasn’t sure” it would happen.

Adam Thomas quickly became a fan favourite during his time on this year’s I’m a Celebrity South Africa, particularly as his friendship with Gemma Collins blossomed.

Although he went onto win the series, it wasn’t without its drama. Former boxer David Haye was criticised during his time on the ITV show for comments he said towards Adam.

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Since then, David went onto make various other comments, labelling the actor as “soft” or “weak”. Adam opened up about the feeling of being bullied, but things exploded during the live final.

Away from the chaos, Adam took to his Instagram and revealed some positive changes he’s experienced this year after creating a vision board for himself.

In a video he said: “Me and my family at the beginning of the year, we each did a vision board and this is mine. A few things on here that I’m really proud of. I’ve got no drinking, since January I’ve quit drinking.

“I say quit drinking, has it been perfect? No. Have I made huge changes? Yes. Just feels so much better for it. Everything has just thrived because I’ve cut down alcohol and it just wasn’t serving me a purpose anymore, and that’s one thing that I’m super proud of. No drinking, that’s number one.”

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He went onto add: “Number two was I wanted to be on the front over of a fitness magazine. Never in a million years ever thinking it would happen. But, it’s actually happening people.

“I’m gonna be on the front cover of Men’s Fitness. Me! The funny thing is, it’s not even necessarily really about the picture, it’s about everything that I’ve done in between, lifestyle I’ve created for myself.

“Someone who’s really struggled with their body pretty much all their life to be on the front cover of a men’s fitness magazine with their top of, it’s mad to me that.”

Adam then continued to tease “Oh My Glaze”, a sauce that him and his friends have been working on. He teased: “Only now are we finally getting the credit that we deserve.”

In his caption, Adam also gushed: “There were moments I wasn’t sure any of this would happen. But staying focused, staying positive… it’s starting to pay off. Grateful for this year so far…and we’re just getting started!! Stay happy people, stay positive!”

Adam was flooded with support in the comments, as Alison Hammond wrote: “Well done babes love this” and Gemma Collins added: “You got the world at your feet”.

Arne Slot’s Reds endured a shaky run of form between late March and early April but have hit their stride in recent weeks, dispatching Everton in a dramatic Merseyside derby before easing past Crystal Palace last time out. The camp has been rocked by injuries, though, with Hugo Ekitike, Mohamed Salah, and, reportedly, Alexander Isak all due to miss this match. United, meanwhile, are near enough fully fit and come into this match in fine fettle. They were not terribly convincing in victory over Brentford on Monday, but got the job done to tighten their hold on third place in the league.

The Darlington Food and Drink Festival is a free, open‑air event which has transformed the main commercial streets into a focal point for food-lovers with a taste for everything from the simple to the exotic.

Based mostly around the Market Square there are also stalls and entertainment points spreading along East Row and West Row, making it easy for visitors to “shop, eat, drink” as they wander from pitch to pitch.

Darlington Food and Drink Festival (Image: Stuart Boulton – The Northern Echo)

Darlington Food and Drink Festival (Image: Stuart Boulton – The Northern Echo)

Darlington Food and Drink Festival (Image: Stuart Boulton – The Northern Echo)

Darlington Food and Drink Festival (Image: Stuart Boulton – The Northern Echo)

Across the four days of the festival, visitors have a wide range of options, from hot food and sweet treats to speciality drinks and preserves.

Traders taking part include Cassie’s Kitchen, Bites Baking Co, Simply Cheesecake, Malavisco Marshmallows, Evie’s Pupcakes Safari Shack, plus AndBake.Co.

The Darlington Food and Drink Festival (Image: Stuart Boulton – The Northern Echo)

Darlington Food and Drink Festival (Image: Stuart Boulton – The Northern Echo)

Darlington Food and Drink Festival (Image: Stuart Boulton – The Northern Echo)

Darlington Food and Drink Festival (Image: Stuart Boulton – The Northern Echo)

Darlington Food and Drink Festival (Image: Stuart Boulton – The Northern Echo)

Darlington Food and Drink Festival (Image: Stuart Boulton – The Northern Echo)

Others featured in the festival are Fresh Olives, Batch Coffee Roasters, The Angels Share Bakery, Wiga Wagaa. Wine On The Tyne, Jems Vegan Bakes, Just A Littlemore Cookie Company, Aerostream Catering, The Geordie Banger Company, Cakepops Et Al, Blueberry Hill Preserves, Coastal Bakes, Lobo, Açaí Spot and Dionysiac Brewing.

Darlington Food and Drink Festival (Image: Stuart Boulton – The Northern Echo)

Darlington Food and Drink Festival (Image: Stuart Boulton – The Northern Echo)

The pick of the weather so far was on the opening two days, with early Sunday visitors braving showers and more overcast conditions.

Friday featured street food only, between 4 and 8pm, with Saturday and Sunday highlighting retail opportunities, between 10am and 5pm, and street food from 11am to 8pm.

Bank Holiday Monday (May 4) will follow a similar theme, but with retail between 10am and 4pm and street food, from11am to 5pm.

Darlington Food and Drink Festival (Image: Stuart Boulton – The Northern Echo)

Among the varying offers are hot food and takeaway‑style dishes for a quick bite, sweet treats and afternoon snacks, including cakes, cookies, and specialty desserts, locally produced drinks, such as craft beer, wine, and specialty coffee.

There is an emphasis on independent producers and small‑batch food entrepreneurs from the wider region, with a background buzz of live music, interspersed over four days of the festival.

Performances are centring on the Market Square, with evening shows at The Vault.

There was a throwback to Britpop on Friday, with K-Pop, classic tracks and blues and soul on Saturday.

Darlington Food and Drink Festival (Image: Stuart Boulton – The Northern Echo)

Darlington Food and Drink Festival (Image: Stuart Boulton – The Northern Echo)

Read next … more culture and events news from The Northern Echo, by clicking here

Sunday’s line-up features Hey Zeus, a live band bringing contemporary rock and pop to the town centre stage, from 2pm.

The Market Square played host to And Then Some, offering a differing sound set, from 6pm

Monday’s music programme features the The Jam Junkies, a lively tribute act providing a fun, upbeat finale to the long weekend, from 2pm.

The BBC has officially announced the full cast for Celebrity Traitors series 2 but fans have been left disappointed after one star didn’t make the final line-up

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The Celebrity Traitors series two line-up has finally been unveiled, though some viewers have expressed disappointment after a beloved pop star was notably “missing” from this year’s announcement.

The BBC’s hit programme is due to return later this year, with a host of well-known faces heading to the Scottish Highlands at Ardross Castle this weekend to begin filming.

This year’s roster includes Coronation Street legend Julie Hesmondhalgh, EastEnders favourite Ross Kemp, Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne, and Brit Award-winning musician James Blunt.

Also joining the cast are BBC presenter Amol Rajan, The Last of Us actress Bella Ramsey, comedian James Acaster, Love Island host Maya Jama, Industry actress Myha’la and BBC mathematics expert Professor Hannah Fry.

Rounding out the ensemble are comedy talents Joanne McNally and Joe Lycett, alongside social media personality King Kenny, reports the Liverpool Echo.

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READ MORE: Seven best ITV thrillers to binge-watch if you love new drama Secret ServiceREAD MORE: Britain’s Got Talent fans ‘work out’ Fabian Fox’s magic trick as he wins live semi-final

Rob Beckett will be providing the laughs with his television companion Romesh Ranganathan, My Mad Fat Diary star Sharon Rooney, and Game of Thrones actor Sebastian Croft.

Completing the cast are Jerry Hall, Miranda Hart, Michael Sheen and Richard E Grant.

Despite the impressive array of talent entering the castle, audiences at home have been left deflated upon learning that pop icon Cheryl Tweedy failed to secure a place on the show.

It was previously reported that the 42 year old had been approached to participate. The singer has maintained a low profile in recent years, leaving fans eager to see her return to their television screens.

One fan posted on X: “Celeb traitors cast reveal but there’s no Cheryl.” Another remarked: “Celeb traitors lineup is gorg but still missing Cheryl.” A third stated: “Noooooo! No Cheryl on Celeb Traitors!!!”

Another fan complained: “The fact I only recognise 3 people on here is outrageous, bring more people that are more popular and known!”

One declared: “Needs more celebrities like the last series and more actors for it to work! To many comedians.” Another contributed: “Too many comedians. Series 1 of #CelebrityTraitors had such a good cast that maybe it’s unmatchable.”

Nevertheless, other fans have been thoroughly impressed by the line-up, with one saying: “I thought the first series would be tough to beat, but this whole line up is incredible.”

Another enthused: “whhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaattttyy yes yes yes yessssss!!!!!! I LOVE THIS SO MUCH!!!!”

The Celebrity Traitors will be coming to BBC One and BBC iPlayer later in 2026.

Sunday’s final between Shaun Murphy and Wu Yize has been halted after someone attempted to make their way to the table

Sunday’s World Championship Snooker final has been halted after someone attempted to make their way to the table. Wu was preparing to take a shot while leading 2-0 in the match and 67-31 in the frame, when an outburst from the crowd stopped proceedings.

A member of the audience appeared to be shouting about the BBC license fee. The event is being broadcast on BBC One.

Both Shaun Murphy and Wu Yize stepped back to allow the match referee to deal with the incident. Several security personnel could be seen on the TV, rushing from one side of the table to the other.

The crowd at Sheffield’s Crucible then applauded loudly when security apprehended the person protesting. BBC commentator John Parrott said: “Sorry for that disturbance, it’s all sorted.”

Wu then got proceedings back underway shortly after. It follows an incident on Saturday when another member of the crowd was ejected from the venue for shouting “never forget the Epstein Files” before the deciding frame between Wu and Mark Allen.

That semi-final was similarly halted and referee Marcel Eckardt addressed the crowd. He said: “Can you get this person out please, now please.”

Once they were removed, TNT commentator Philip Studd said: “That’s person seen the last of snooker for quite a while, I think.”

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Green Party leader Zack Polanski has suggested he retweeted “inaccurate” criticism of police officers responding to the Golders Green terror attack because he was “traumatised”.

But he also reignited his row with the head of the Metropolitan Police over the post, claiming Sir Mark Rowley’s open letter condemning Mr Polanski was inappropriate during an election campaign.

He also said he remained “concerned” about the officers’ actions, adding that everyone who works in public service “should not be above scrutiny”, and that actions must be “proportionate, no matter how brave”.

Mr Polanski apologised last week after sharing a post on X that accused Met officers of detaining the Golders Green attack suspect of “repeatedly and violently kicking a mentally ill man in the head” when he was already incapacitated from being Tasered.

Sir Keir Starmer was among those who lined up to condemn Mr Polanski, calling his actions “disgraceful” and saying he was “not fit to lead any political party”.

Asked on Sky News on Sunday why he had shared the post, the Green Party leader said that he had found the attack “very traumatic, especially as a Jewish person”.

“And I also found the video that was circulating online traumatic, too,” he added. “I accept, though, that conversation about that video needs to be had with the [police] commissioner rather than on X.”

Sky News presenter Trevor Phillips then asked: “You made a mistake presumably because you were traumatised, then?” Mr Polanski replied: “Well, you generally apologise when you make mistakes… it should be something I take directly to the commissioner and I accept that.”

But he also accused Sir Mark of airing his concerns in the wrong way. “Open letters aren’t an appropriate way to do politics either in a local election… and I’ll be having that conversation with the commissioner,” Mr Polanski said.

Later, during an interview on the BBC, Mr Polanski suggested he remains concerned about the officers’ actions. He told Laura Kuenssberg: “I was very concerned by what I saw, and I remain concerned.”

On the same programme, transport secretary Heidi Alexander called his actions “abhorrent”. Labour minister Steve Reed added: “Polanski’s apology clearly means nothing given he continues to denigrate the actions of our brave police officers.”

In a rare intervention last week, Sir Mark hit out at Mr Polanski for sharing the “inaccurate” post and later accused him of “undermining” the force.

Mr Polanski also faced a significant backlash within his own party.

The Green Party’s Welsh leader, Anthony Slaughter, told LBC that while he had not seen the tweet: “It does seem, from what I’ve read, [it] was inappropriate to retweet.”

The party’s deputy leader, Rachel Millward, who was also challenged about the post, told the BBC’s Question Time programme on Thursday that she was “extremely grateful” for the emergency service response.

“I’m sure it was beyond terrifying, and these people are brave, well-trained in what they do; I’m sure they did a brilliant job,” she said.

Sir Mark said in his letter to Mr Polanski that he was “disappointed” in the politician’s decision to share the post, warning that it could have a “chilling effect”.

He said officers were “nothing short of extraordinary”, adding: “Without their efforts to stop him, I dread to think what the outcome could have been.”

The site was thought to have been burned down less than a year after being created in 850BC

It’s hard to think what parts of Cambridgeshire would have looked like in days gone by. Even today, there are still remnants among the Cambridgeshire countryside from people who have lived here before us.

Artefacts from the Bronze Age have a strong presence in Cambridgeshire, especially near Peterborough. One place called Must Farm is an important place for the remains of the Bronze Age.

Dubbed as “Britain’s Pompeii”, there is a wealth of well-preserved artefacts at Must Farm. The farm sits on the bed of a now-defunct river in Flag Fen.

It was once occupied for less than a year, but it burnt down in 850BC. It’s unknown what the cause of the fire was, but it’s believed to have been caused by an attack or started by accident. It then quickly spread to the homes. Around 10 wooden houses on stilts, which could have been home to around 50 to 60 people, were found at Must Farm.

At the time, archaeologists said it provided a “time capsule” into what it was like to live during that time, and was similar to Pompeii in Rome. When excavations took place, they discovered almost 200 wooden artefacts, over 150 fibre and textile items, as well as 128 pottery tools and around 90 pieces of metalwork.

An excavation was carried out by Cambridge and Bristol universities in 2015 and 2016. In 2019, the universities revealed their findings. Researchers reported that they found human and dog faeces. They also discovered a number of parasites including fish tapeworms.

Following the discovery, a number of items were put on display in an exhibition at Peterborough Museum in April 2024.

At a time when artificial intelligence is becoming more dominant, the music streaming platform has decided to introduce a new feature in the form of a ‘Verified by Spotify’ badge.

Its aim is to help users distinguish real human artists (not songs), compared to those that are AI-generated.

Over the coming weeks, those who have Spotify accounts will begin to see the new badge appear on artist profiles and next to artist names in search.

It will be marked by ‘Verified by Spotify’ text and a light green checkmark icon.

Why is Spotify introducing new ‘Verified’ badges?

Spotify explained: “Music is evolving, and so are the ways you discover and connect with artists.

“In the AI era, it’s more important than ever to be able to trust the authenticity of the music you listen to.

“At Spotify, our focus is providing you with more context about artists and their music, so you can build more meaningful connections with them.”

It adds: “Artist profiles are a key place to learn more about music and artists.

“The new ‘Verified by Spotify’ badge shows an artist profile has been reviewed and meets Spotify’s criteria for authenticity and trust.”

The artists who receive the badge will have “consistent listener activity and engagement” over time, “good standing” with Spotify’s platform policies and “signals of a real artist represented in the profile”.

Spotify shares: “We’ll pair these standards with human review and judgment to identify real artists behaving in good-faith, not just filtering out bad actors, giving you a more reliable signal of the authentic artistry behind the music.”

It claims to ensure more than 99% of the artists Spotify listeners actively search for will be verified, representing “hundreds of thousands of artists”.

Spotify will prioritise artists with “active fan interest”, or who have made “important contributions to music culture and history”, rather than “functional” music creators and “content farms” whose content is primarily designed for “passive or background listening”.

As Spotify is home to “millions” of uploaders and artist profiles, reviews and verification will happen “on an ongoing basis to ensure accuracy and consistency”.

It adds that not seeing the badge on an artist profile “doesn’t mean they won’t receive it in the future”.

As well as the launch of the ‘Verified by Spotify’ badge, users will be able to see additional details about artists’ activity (in beta).

The music streaming platform details: “We’re also introducing a new section (in beta) across all artist profiles – regardless of ‘Verified by Spotify’ status – that highlights key artist details like career milestones, release activity, and touring activity, helping you better understand and connect with the artist beyond the music. 

“Much like nutrition facts offer a quick, reliable snapshot on what’s inside packaged food, these details – based on Spotify’s platform data – give meaningful signals of an artist’s authentic activity on Spotify, even for those who haven’t yet met our ‘Verified by Spotify’ criteria.

“You’ll begin seeing this in the About section on mobile across artist profiles in the coming weeks, as well as by clicking ‘Verified by Spotify’ in the banner for verified artists.”

How much is Spotify UK per month?

At the time of writing, there are various UK Spotify subscriptions, ranging from £5.99 to £21.99.

• Premium Individual (£12.99 per month) – one Premium account, 15 hours/month of listening time from the audiobooks subscriber catalogue, cancel anytime
• Premium Student (£5.99 per month) – one verified Premium account, discount for eligible students, cancel anytime
• Premium Duo (£17.99 per month) – two Premium accounts, 15 hours/month of listening time from the audiobooks subscriber catalogue (plan manager only), cancel anytime
• Premium Family (£21.99 per month) – up to six Premium accounts, parental controls for the plan manager, 15 hours/month of listening time from the audiobooks subscriber catalogue (plan manager only), ability to create accounts for listeners under 13, cancel anytime

All Premium plans have ad-free music listening, lossless audio quality, can download to listen offline, play songs in any order, listen with friends in real time and organise listening queues.

What do you think of the new ‘Verified by Spotify’ badge? Let us know in the comments below.

Now, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has insisted holidays won’t face major disruption but said that some disruption is not completely out the question for Brits this summer.

The Cabinet Minister said more fuel has been imported from America while refineries have upped their production following jet fuel shortages caused by the Iran war.

A temporary rule change has been introduced by the government which will allow airlines to group passengers from different flights together on to fewer planes as part of plans to save fuel.

Why are jet fuel supplies at risk?

It comes amid warnings of a jet fuel shortage ahead of the peak holiday season if the Strait of Hormuz doesn’t reopen.

Supplies from the Middle East have been disrupted since the start of the war because of Iran’s effective closure of the critical international shipping route.

Is there a jet fuel shortage in the UK?

The government website’s latest update, posted on May 2, explains: “There are no immediate supply issues, but government is preparing now to give families long-term certainty and avoid unnecessary disruption.”

Asked if people jetting off abroad are likely to face problems this summer, Ms Alexander told Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: “I’ve spent every week of the last two months in close contact with airlines and airports.

“On Thursday (April 30) of this week, airlines told me very clearly that they have good visibility over the next six to eight weeks of jet fuel supply.

“There is no current disruption to jet fuel supplies.

“We are, for example, importing more jet fuel from America.

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“We have asked the refineries in the UK to maximise their production.

“We’ve got four refineries here, refineries in West Africa are also producing more.”

She continued: “The last thing I want is for people to turn up at a departure gate and have last minute cancellations.

“I am confident, sat here today on the basis of the information that I have available to me, that the majority of people who are traveling this summer will have a similar experience to that which they had last year.”

New airline rule change could see families ‘herded on to a different plane’

The government’s airline rule change could see passengers moved from the service they originally booked to a similar one.

It aims to reduce the amount of wasted fuel from flying planes that have not sold out and might have been cancelled.

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It has been criticised by consumer group Which? as it said rules shouldn’t be “bent in favour of airlines”.

Shadow Transport Secretary Richard Holden said families could find themselves “herded on to a different plane, at a time of the airline’s choosing”.

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“The honest message is that Britain is exposed to fuel supply risks that a properly energy-secure country would not face,” he added.

Green Party leader Zack Polanski has called for private jets to be grounded to save fuel.

“While ordinary people pay the price, the super rich are simply getting in their private jets at will – wasting huge amounts of jet fuel on unnecessary trips,” he said.

Would you mind your flight being switched this summer? Let us know what you think in the comments below.