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Chris McCausland has addressed the backlash surrounding comments made by eliminated Strictly Come Dancing star Toyah Willcox.

Willcox, who was the second contestant to be knocked out of the competition, was appearing on the Strictly spin-off show It Takes Two when she sent a piece of advice to the remaining contestants.

When asked by host Fleur East if she had any words of wisdom for the celebrities still on the show, Willcox laughed and told the camera: “If you don’t wanna do a dance off, get rid of Chris!”

There was a pause in the studio, as Willcox’s pro partner Neil Jones and the host shared an awkward glance and East looked lost for words.

Willcox then clarified: “You’re all going to have to face a dance-off,” while Neil joked: “I think she has chosen her winner already.”

While it’s clear that Willcox was aiming to complement McCausland for his dancing skills and popularity among Strictly fans, the comments backfired among viewers who said the remark was “uncalled for” and “mean”.

However, McCausland has now defended Willcox online, saying that the singer has been “nothing but beautiful and supportive” during their few weeks together on the dancing competition.

The comedian continued: “What she said on It Takes Two was funny and an incredible bloody compliment. It’s been such a joy and a privilege Toyah. Lots of love, enjoy the surfing! X”

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Following a tense dance-off during Sunday night’s (6 October) results show, it was Willcox who was the second contestant to be knocked out of the dancing competition.

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Willcox, known for hits including “It’s a Mystery” and “Thunder in the Mountains”, and her partner Jones found themselves up against football star Paul Merson and Karen Hauer in the second dance-off of the series.

Both couples performed their Movie Week routines again, with Willcox and Jones dancing the Samba to “Poor Unfortunate Souls” from Little Mermaid. However, the judges made a unanimous decision to save Merson and Hauer.

Following her elimination, when asked by host Tess Daly about her time on the show, Willcox called her time on the show “the best two months of my life”.

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“It has been fantastic,” said the singer. “I have enjoyed every second. And you [Jones] have been phenomenal, thank you so much.”

Jones praised his celebrity partner, saying: She has made me laugh so much, I have never seen someone work so hard – I’m the one asking for breaks every now and then! She just kept going, she wanted to learn so much.”

BBC Radio 1 star Yinka Bokinni has revealed she has given birth to her first child.

The star took to Instagram to confirm that she had become a first-time mum just hours before she made her return to live television.

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Yinka, 35, first showed off her blossoming baby bump on the 2024 Brit Awards red carpet in a surprise reveal as she undertook red carpet hosting duties on the evening.

Ever since, Yinka has remained quiet and has seldom posted on Instagram but the BBC star has now revealed she has welcomed a child in a sweet Instagram post.

She shared a snap of her holding onto her newborn as she revealed that she had welcomed a baby girl.

Yinka wrote online: “Hi, we’ve been quiet, baby girl is amazing and I’m back to work so again hello x.”

She then referred to herself by her brand new nickname: “Yinkmummy.”

Just hours after making the news of her birth public, the star appeared live on ITV2 on Big Brother spin-off show Late and Live.

Yinka regularly appears on the spin-off and she looked stunning as she donned a grey dress for the Will Best-fronted show.

She was accompanied by CBB winner David Potts and radio star Remi Burgz on the panel.

Following the news of her baby’s birth, Yinka was inundated with comments as one of her followers wrote: “I JUST SCREAMED!!!! Im so so so so so happy for you!”

Another added: “The best mummy.”

Whilst This Morning star Ashley James wrote to the star: “The cutest! Welcome back to work mama.”

Yinka first showed off her baby bump in a skintight dress earlier this year at the Brit Awards red carpet.

She keeps her personal life private and has never publicly revealed details of her relationship.

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CBS News executives have admitted a controversial interview with writer Ta-Nehisi Coates failed to meet editorial standards, according to a report.

Acclaimed author Coates appeared on CBS Mornings on September 30 to discuss his new book, The Message, in which he examines the Israel-Gaza conflict.

After briefly introducing his work, Coates was met with a particularly combative CBS co-anchor Tony Dokoupil who immediately compared his book to “extremist” writings, prompting backlash online.

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On Monday (October 7), CNN reported that CBS executives told staffers during a daily editorial meeting that the nature of the interview had been addressed with Dokoupil.

Citing multiple sources, CNN added that multiple correspondents and producers felt that Dokoupil showed bias during the interview. Dokoupil has written publicly about converting to Judaism and said publicly that two of his children along with his ex-wife live in Israel.

CBS News and Stations president and CEO Wendy McMahon reportedly enlisted the network’s standards and practices unit to conduct a review of the discussion. The news division’s race and culture unit was involved as well, according to CNN.

The Independent has reached out to CBS News for comment.

During the interview, Dokoupil said he wondered why a “talented, smart” author would “leave out so much” from the book. “Why leave out that Israel is surrounded by countries that want to eliminate it? Why leave out that Israel deals with terror groups that want to eliminate it?”

“There is no shortage of that perspective in American media,” Coates responded. “I am most concerned, always, with those who don’t have a voice.”

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In The Message, Coates condemns the Israeli occupation of Palestine and contends that Israel’s existence as an ethnostate is fundamentally wrong.

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“For as sure as my ancestors were born into a country where none of them was the equal of any white man, Israel was revealing itself to be a country where no Palestinian is ever the equal of any Jewish person anywhere,” Coates, who is Black, writes in The Message.

Dokoupil accused Coates of writing a book that “delegitimizes the pillars of Israel,” asking him bluntly: “What is it that so particularly offends you about a Jewish state? A Jewish safe place, rather than any other country?”

“There’s nothing that offends me about a Jewish state. I am offended by the idea of states built on ethnocracy, no matter where they are,” Coates responded.

The author also told the news anchor: “No country in this world establishes its ability to exist through rights. Countries establish their abilities to exist through force, as America did. Israel does exist. It’s a fact. The question of its right is not a question I would be faced with, with any other country.”

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On social media, as well as in the CBS newsroom, debate raged over Dokoupil’s conduct.

“Tony Dokoupil stopped being a journalist, became political critic,” one viewer wrote.

“His mind was made up that Ta-Nehisi Coates was motivated to undermine Israel in his book. Coates kept telling him, his focus was on the decades of oppression on Palestinians. Not professional.”

Others were more sympathetic, with one arguing: “If he doesn’t ask those questions then we don’t get those brilliant answers and if any other people felt the same as the journalist they now have no legs to stand on.”

Analyzing the heated interview on Mehdi Hasan’s show, Mehdi Unfiltered, Coates admitted: “I was a little surprised, and then I realized what was going on, I was in a fight.”

He added: “It took me a moment…but the answers to the questions were right there at hand. “=So it was right there, you know, as a pop quiz, but I had studied.”