Lionel Richie remains hospitalized and is being tested for ‘cardiac-related issues’ after checking himself in on Saturday, shortly after appearing to struggle during a concert.

The singer, 77, is in a St. Louis intensive care unit and is reportedly expected to be released on Wednesday, a source told TMZ. 

The latest update comes after Richie appeared to be struggling to perform his final song of the night in St Louis, Missouri, before he checked himself into the hospital.

Video from the final song of his concert at The Muny in Forest Park that was obtained by the Daily Mail shows Richie seemingly out of breath at times as he tries to sing one of his biggest hits, All Night Long.

Richie also seemed to have difficulty standing, and he had to take a seat on a piano bench early on, where he remained for the rest of the song.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Richie’s representatives for comment. 

Richie appeared to have difficulties while performing his final song of the night in St Louis, Missouri, before he checked himself into the hospital on Saturday. Video showed him needing to sit down through the song, All Night Long 

The video shows the singer returning to the stage for All Night Long, but within 30 seconds a stagehand can be seen bringing out a piano bench unprompted, suggesting that Richie may have requested it while backstage.

Richie continued singing, but then gestured at the bench to get the stagehands to move it closer to the front of the stage.

The former Commodores singer, who performed in all black aside from a red leather jacket that read ‘All Night Long’ on the back, then took a seat on the corner of the bench and continued singing to the audience. 

Closeups from the video appear to show Richie out of breath at times when his vocals dropped out amid thick layers of backing vocals.

While seated, his guitarist and bass player joined him on either side of the bench.

Richie awkwardly stretched out the microphone to both of their faces to let them take the spotlight on the vocals, but when neither attempted to sing, he didn’t attempt to jump back in and shook his head while the audience could be heard filling in the lyrics.

His guitarist then appeared to be singing part of the verse, but Richie had already pulled the microphone away, making him inaudible.

Richie was alone on his bench once the instrumentalists went back to their parts of the stage, though he got another short break for the saxophone solo toward the end of the tune.

To end All Night Long, Richie pumped his fists in the air repeatedly as the song was wrapping up. 

After it had ended, he got up from the bench and walked away with his back to the audience, before turning around to shout goodnight and spreading his arms as clips of him from years earlier played on the massive video screen behind him. 

The singer returned to the stage for All Night Long, but within 30 seconds, a stagehand could be seen bringing out a piano bench unprompted, suggesting that Richie may have requested it while backstage. He pointed at it wordlessly to signal to move it closer to the front of the stage

Closeups from the video appear to show Richie out of breath at times when his vocals dropped out amid thick layers of backing vocals

While seated, his guitarist and bass player joined him on either side of the bench. He awkwardly tried to get them to sing on mic, but when neither did he dropped out of the song himself and just shook his head side to side

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To end All Night Long, Richie pumped his fists in the air repeatedly as the song was wrapping up

After it had ended, he got up from the bench and walked away with his back to the audience, before turning around to shout goodnight and spreading his arms as clips of him from years earlier played on the massive video screen behind him

On Monday, it was reported that Richie had been hospitalized in St Louis shortly after that performance.

The singer checked himself into the facility following his performance at The Muny in Forest Park to have some tests run, per TMZ, and he was treated in the intensive care unit.

Sources said that the singer went to the hospital out of an abundance of caution, and doctors were reportedly examining the possibility that Richie might be suffering from dehydration. 

The singer’s latest health scare comes just two months after he stoked concerns among fans when he was forced to cut short a concert in St Paul, Minnesota, after falling ill on stage.

Concert attendees told TMZ that Richie appeared to be having difficulty at the end of his concert in St Louis.

During his show-closing performance of his iconic hit All Night Long, Richie had to ask for a chair to be brought out so that he could sit down while singing. 

The incident was reminiscent of the health scare Richie suffered at his St Paul concert in June, when he had to sit down on stage multiple times while performing.

On Monday, it was reported that Richie had been hospitalized in St Louis shortly after that performance; Above July 1 in Detroit, Michigan

The singer checked himself into the facility following his performance to have some tests run, per TMZ, and he was treated in the ICU; Above before falling it at his show in St Louis on Saturday

Richie is reportedly expected to be released on Wednesday; Above in St Louis on Saturday

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The septuagenarian hitmaker was performing at the Grand Casino Arena as the start of his joint Sing A Song All Night Long tour with Earth, Wind & Fire when he announced an unusual intermission after a performance of Three Times A Lady from his piano, according to Minnesota’s Bring Me The News.

Richie’s band reportedly also left the stage minutes later, but more than 40 minutes after he cut off the show, a band member returned to announce he wouldn’t be able to return because he was feeling ill.

‘Unfortunately, Lionel is not feeling well,’ said saxophonist Dino Soldo, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. ‘He won’t be able to continue. Additional information will be available.’

On social media, fans who attended the show shared their concerns and revealed that the singer had signaled throughout the performance that he wasn’t feeling well. 

Videos of him performing showed the singer stopping to sit down multiple times during his second-to-last song, Dancing On The Ceiling, and he reportedly told the crowd he was feeling ‘dizzy’ while performing. 

Richie was able to sit at the piano bench for what turned out to be his last song of the evening.

A fan who attended the June concert told the publication Richie ‘said he has been in this business long enough, if you feel dizzy you sit down! And if you don’t feel right, you sit down!’ 

According to the Minnesota Star Tribune’s Jon Bream, Richie was even saltier with his advice, quoting the singer as saying, ‘When you’re feeling dizzy, sit your a** down.’

Sources said Richie took himself to the hospital out of an abundance of caution, and doctors were reportedly considering the possibility that he might be suffering from dehydration; Above in May on American Idol

Concert attendees told TMZ that Richie appeared to be having difficulty at the end of his concert in St Louis, and he asked for a chair to be brought out so that he could sit while singing his show-closing hit All Night Long; Above on Saturday in St Louis

The incident was reminiscent of the health scare Richie suffered at his St Paul concert in June (pictured), when he had to sit down on stage multiple times while performing

One video posted by journalist Patrick Kessler on X from the St Paul show in June showed a portion of his Dancing On The Ceiling performance in which he appeared unsteady as he walked across the stage, before he made an unexpected stop and sat down on the edge of a large stepped platform.

Despite apparently feeling unwell, Richie appeared to be singing throughout his seated portion of the song, rather than relying on a guide vocal. 

Richie was seated for less than ten seconds before he stood up and started making his way across the stage again.

However, less than 30 seconds later, he stopped to sit down again on the risers on the opposite side of the stage, even as he continued singing. 

According to the Star Tribune, Richie’s saxophonist Dino Soldo, who later confirmed that the rest of the show was canceled, took a seat with the singer during Dancing On The Ceiling. 

The publication reported audience members began to file out of the venue as soon as Richie’s band left the stage, about 15 minutes after he announced the surprise intermission.

Sources close to the star later told TMZ that paramedics met Richie backstage, and he was taken by ambulance to a hospital.

One disappointed audience member called the surprise end to the show ‘horrible’ while speaking to the Star Tribune. 

Richie reportedly told the crowd that he was feeling ‘dizzy’ while performing. A band member reportedly told the audience that Richie had to cancel the rest of the show because he was ‘not feeling well’; Above April 29 in NYC 

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Audience members reportedly began filing out once Richie’s band left the stage, about 15 minutes after his departure; Above April 29 in NYC

He and the funk icons are next scheduled to perform a three-date mini tour beginning on September 26 in San Francisco, Calif.; Above Earth, Wind & Fire on June 13 in Honolulu, Hawaii

‘I’m super bummed. This was my first time [seeing Richie] and I’m old,’ they vented.

The first half of the concert featured a performance from Earth, Wind & Fire, while Richie took the stage for what would have been the second half of the evening. 

The two acts are now touring separately after wrapping up their performances in mid-August, but they’ll reunite for another mini tour with three shows on September 26 in San Francisco, California, September 30 in Chicago and October 2 in Columbus, Ohio.

Following the disastrous St Paul performance, a source told the Daily Mail that the singer’s loved ones fear that Richie – whose best-selling album is 1983’s Can’t Slow Down – may be more focused on entertaining audiences than focusing on his own health. 

‘Family, friends, and even his bandmates are definitely concerned about Lionel’s health, but nobody is about to tell him to slow down,’ the insider said. ‘They all want him better and to do what he loves to do.’

They emphasized his incredible work ethic, which has made him a reliably popular entertainer for decades, going back to his time in the 1970s and ’80s in The Commodores. 

‘The Lionel we see on tour and on American Idol is the same Lionel we have known for decades – he’s always moving, always working, and always looking ahead to the next show,’ the source continued. ‘And with that, depending on what doctors tell him, his mindset is already focused on getting back out on the road as quickly as possible because that’s simply who he is.’

‘Music isn’t just his job; it’s what keeps him going. He’s not someone who sits still, and retirement has never really been part of the conversation unless his health leaves him with no other choice,’ they added.

After his disastrous St Paul performance in June, a source told the Daily Mail that family, friends and bandmates were worried about Richie’s health but feared that he wouldn’t slow down; Above July 1 in Detroit, Michigan

‘Right now, Lionel is actually more upset that fans didn’t get the full show they paid for than he is about himself and his health. That’s where his head is,’ the insider said. ‘He hates disappointing people and feels terrible that the concert couldn’t continue as planned.’

The source close to Richie suggested he wasn’t going to worry for the time being.

‘As far as he’s concerned, while he awaits results, this is just a temporary setback. He fully expects to be back doing what he loves, and he’s already hoping to make it to Chicago this weekend if everything checks out,’ they shared. 

‘He’s still waiting for a few more answers on what he is dealing with, but he feels that it could be just a bit of an episode over something super serious.’

Cardiff City wanted one or two more players this summer. Instead, the window closed with Brian Barry-Murphy refusing to compromise on his targets.

For weeks, there had been a sense that the Bluebirds were building towards something. Barry-Murphy had taken a young, exciting group of players, given them another year of development together and watched them emerge from League One as a promotion-winning side with momentum firmly behind them.

There was an obvious argument to be made – add a striker and a winger to the mix and Cardiff could have a squad capable of competing at the right end of the Championship.

Then the deadline passed.

No striker. No winger. No late-night deal to send supporters into a frenzy.

And, let’s be frank, it is perfectly understandable why plenty of Cardiff supporters are left reeling.

This was a window in which the club appeared to have a chance to capitalise on the momentum generated by last season. The team is young, entertaining and increasingly cohesive. The football has been exciting. The performances against the likes of Sheffield United have suggested this is not a group content simply to survive. These lot can really thrive.

Yet when the opportunity came to strengthen the areas everyone could see needed strengthening, Cardiff ultimately chose not to do so. We will get on to the reasons for why.

That is where the frustration comes from. Social media was not a fun place to be on Tuesday night.

The supporters are not imagining the shortcomings. Even those inside the club acknowledge that, ideally, they would have brought in another one or two players. The squad is too thin in certain areas and, while the club remained open to additions, they were not prepared to compromise their recruitment principles simply to add numbers.

And there is another important point here.

While transfer windows can often see anger directed towards the very top, multiple sources have indicated that Barry-Murphy ultimately had the decisive say over the players who came in. Or, more pertinently, those who didn’t.

It is his squad. He trains these players every day. He picks the team. He has to believe in the footballers he brings into the dressing room.

If a player is signed simply because there is a perceived hole in the squad, rather than because the manager genuinely believes he can improve it, then the consequences can be worse than simply having one fewer player.

Barry-Murphy has extraordinarily high standards. He would rather trust players he knows, likes and believes in than compromise those standards to tick a box.

That is the case for the defence and that philosophy has shaped this entire window.

So how did Cardiff get here? There was plenty of logic to the original plan.

Calum Scanlon, Nathan Trott and Omari Kellyman had all spent last season at Cardiff on loan with a view to bringing them back. Scanlon and Trott have returned and both have started the new campaign encouragingly.

Kellyman was different.

His sale to Strasbourg, Chelsea’s sister club, represented a significant blow to Cardiff’s plans because they had expected to have that attacking option available again. He had communicated his desire to return and Cardiff were delighted and felt they had a multi-positional asset back on board.

The club was then forced to pivot. A winger was identified, but that deal did not materialise after the player chose a different opportunity.

The pursuit of Jens Hjertø-Dahl was real, too, despite some questioning it, and Cardiff made a £6.2m bid. Hull City ultimately came in and blew the Bluebirds out of the water.

Those were two significant blows to a recruitment strategy that is deliberately specific. And that, ultimately, is the downside of being specific.

If you are looking for a particular type of player, with a particular profile and the right character to fit a particular dressing room, you are inevitably going to miss out sometimes.

Cardiff did.

The striker situation is perhaps the biggest source of frustration.

The club had been looking for a forward throughout the summer, yet not one viable striker ever seemed to emerge publicly as a serious Cardiff target.

With so little coming out, so few targets courted publicly, and so little said on record to sate fans’ appetites while rivals prosper in the transfer market, it can be difficult for supporters to stomach. It can feel like the wind being knocked out of the sails.

It can often feel like the club aren’t doing anything, when, of course, that is not the case. But it’s all a totting-up effect for fans over the course of a summer, much of it without football as a distraction.

As recently as the weekend, a striker and a winger, both Premier League loans, were lined up. Neither materialised for one reason or another.

Then, in the final throes of the window, attention briefly turned towards the possibility of a full-back after Genoa were thought to be interested in Ronan Kpakio, WalesOnline has learned.

But Genoa opted for former Cardiff loanee Cody Drameh instead, and the Bluebirds ultimately decided they did not need another right-back.

Instead, they put their faith in Kpakio as Perry Ng’s understudy.

That is the kind of decision which can look either inspired or reckless depending on what happens over the next four months.

And that, ultimately, is the problem with assessing this window. There is no definitive answer yet.

One of the biggest debates around Cardiff for years has been recruitment.

Supporters have consistently called for a stronger structure around the manager, with Erol Bulut perhaps the most vocal advocate for expanding the operation during his time in charge. The appointment of a director of football and a figure who could be held accountable for recruitment was seen as one potential solution.

But that structure has never really been established at Cardiff. There seems to be very few people tasked with huge remits at Cardiff and, in in the view of many supporters, they need more help around them.

There remains a unique set-up at board and senior management level, and attempts to build something resembling a traditional football operation have rarely been sustained.

This summer, Barry-Murphy and head of recruitment Paddy Deboys have worked extremely closely together.

The pair were central to Cardiff’s recruitment, with Krystian Bielik himself highlighting the conversations he had with both men when explaining why he chose to join.

Bielik and Jack Moylan are perhaps the clearest examples of the strategy working exactly as intended.

Both had been tracked for more than a year, it is understood. Cardiff had tried to sign both last summer, shortly after Barry-Murphy arrived, but the deals were not possible.

They stayed close to the situations. When the opportunity presented itself again, they were ready.

That is very different from frantically scrambling around on deadline day looking for anyone who can fill a position. It has some semblance of a plan, which is encouraging.

When Cardiff were relegated, the squad had become bloated. Players could see there was little route into the team, standards dropped and the pathway for academy players became harder to navigate.

The current thinking is almost the exact opposite.

Keep the group tight. Give everybody a genuine opportunity to play. Use multi-positional players to provide flexibility. Maintain competition for places. Keep the academy pathway open. That’s the strategy.

There is merit to that argument.

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You cannot spend an entire year preaching about developing young players and creating a pathway into the first team, only to block that pathway because you are afraid to have a hole in the squad.

And the club also points to another important factor – keeping the core of this promotion-winning group together.

There were bids and significant interest in some of Cardiff’s players this summer. The owner was clear that retaining the nucleus of the squad was just as important as adding to it.

Selling one of the key players and then spending the rest of the window trying to replace him would have been counterproductive.

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So the club’s position is relatively straightforward.

They believe the players they have brought in have improved the team. They believe the group they have retained has enormous potential. And they believe adding somebody who does not meet their standards could ultimately do more harm than good.

There is also a financial reality.

Moylan cost around £3m, Bielik around £2.5m and Trott around £1.5m. That is roughly £7m of spending, which is not going to transform a Championship squad in the current market.

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Before Bielik arrived, Barry-Murphy was explicit about the club having spent relatively little and being confident it could still bring players in.

And, importantly, he was never pretending he did not want additions.

“I think it’s obvious we’re looking to add to the squad,” he said on August 17.

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After Bielik arrived, he was asked how keen he remained to strengthen.

“Very keen,” was the answer.

On August 25, he hoped Cardiff would be “very” busy during the final days.

As recently as Saturday, he said he felt “confident” more players could be brought in.

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They weren’t. That is why it is too simplistic to say Barry-Murphy was simply happy with his squad all along. He wanted more. He just wasn’t prepared to take somebody he did not believe in.

And that is where Cardiff have made a calculated gamble. And it is a gamble, because this group of players isn’t a million miles away from the one which finished bottom of the Championship.

The club’s own internal view is that this is a two-window season. January will provide another opportunity to assess exactly where the squad is, what it needs and what becomes available, with the budget potentially more flexible depending on the league position.

That may prove to be a sensible approach. Or it may come back to bite them.

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If Yousef Salech gets injured, Cardiff suddenly have a very obvious problem. He offers something unique within this squad and there is no longer an Omari Kellyman waiting in the wings to provide a solution.

If Ollie Tanner suffers an injury, there is no natural like-for-like replacement on the right flank either, although Isaak Davies or perhaps Kpakio could provide alternative solutions.

Those are legitimate concerns.

So too is the broader question of whether Cardiff have left themselves one or two players short of genuinely competing for the play-offs.

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That accusation is fair. They had all summer to get six players – why was there a mad rush? Other clubs were building squads all summer. All valid frustrations from supporters.

But it is also impossible to know whether those one or two additions would actually have made the difference between finishing 14th and fourth. They were understood to be young Premier League loans, whether they would have had the impact of Kellyman or not is not known.

Football rarely works that neatly.

The last time this team took to the pitch, against Sheffield United, the overriding feeling was one of excitement. Supporters were watching a young Cardiff side go toe-to-toe with one of the Championship’s biggest clubs and trying to win the game on its own terms.

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That is what fans want.

They would rather watch this team, flaws and all, than watch a plodding side edge towards 1-0 victories and eventually finish somewhere in mid-table.

This group will lose games. It will be naïve at times. It will concede soft goals. It will probably frustrate the life out of its supporters on occasions.

But when it gets things right, it is a joy to watch. That’s rarely been the case in recent years, if we are all honest.

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The biggest concern I have, though, is whether too much of this is currently being held together by Barry-Murphy himself.

Cardiff’s ambition, secretly, upon his arrival, was to build a structure which would allow managers of his ilk to come into the club and operate within it seamlessly.

Perhaps that work is happening quietly behind the scenes. Perhaps the intention is to scale it up once Championship revenues begin to flow again, and further still if Cardiff eventually make it back to the Premier League.

But from the outside, it is difficult to see a fully developed structure capable of surviving the departure of the manager.

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That’s why tying Barry-Murphy down to a new three-year contract was probably the best piece of business Cardiff did this summer. It protects the club and gives this project stability.

But it will not stop a Premier League club taking him if the right opportunity and the right compensation package arrive.

The hope has to be that enough has changed at Cardiff over the past year for the foundations to remain when, eventually, the man at the centre of it all moves on. Or perhaps the club progresses upwards with him and this is a long-term project for everyone.

For now, though, the window is over. It wasn’t vintage and the criticism will come into sharp focus after a defeat or when an injury occurs, such is the nature of the beast.

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The anger is understandable. The club have left themselves exposed in certain areas and even those inside the building concede they would have liked another one or two players – having had all summer to address the issues.

But – saliently – there is a belief in this group and the culture they have created. They believe that bringing somebody in for the sake of it could damage the very thing they are trying to build.

There was no panic in the end. Previous managers had spent hours on the phone to Vincent Tan on deadline day. It is understood Barry-Murphy didn’t call the owner once on Tuesday.

Whether that proves to be wisdom or folly will be judged over the next few months, of course. But the transfer window cannot be changed now. The striker is not coming through the door. The winger is not arriving.

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This is the group Cardiff have. And it is an exciting one.

Five or 10 years from now, supporters may look back at this generation and remember it for what it achieved last season, maybe what it went on to achieve this season and the football it produced along the way.

That is the challenge now and the siege mentality begins. The excuses end.

Sean Ono Lennon and girlfriend Charlotte Kemp Muhl have announced the birth of their baby boy.

The son of Beatles legend John Lennon shared the happy news on Instagram last night, posting photos of his baby boy as he told fans ‘Charlotte and I have created a Human Bean! His name is Aurelius! Thank you!’

Sean, 51, shared a series of photos of himself and his partner, 39, holding Aurelius, and in one caption for a snap of Charlotte in hospital wrote: ‘Baby Momma!’ 

Aurelius is the first grandchild of Yoko Ono and John. Yoko, 93, already has two grandchildren from her older daughter Kyoko.

Hours before his post, Sean’s baby news was broken by his older brother Julian, 63 – the son John shared with his first wife Cynthia.

Julian wrote in a now-deleted Facebook page that he had been enjoying a trip to London last week during which the ‘the most amazing thing happened in the whole wide world, I became an uncle!’

He added his congratulations to Sean and Charlotte ‘and their new ‘Beautiful Boy,’ referencing his father’s song which was dedicated to Sean. 

Last year Sean shut down rumours of a long-standing rift with Julian by reposting a fan’s post about his relationship with his sibling, who is also a singer and songwriter.

‘Here, we do not accept comparisons and erroneous creations of fights about two people that john lennon loved the most: his children :),’ wrote a John Lennon fan account, which Sean reposted to his Instagram Stories, who added, ‘Peace and much love.’

The post featured a sweet black-and-white image of Julian, who was around 23 at the time, as he rested his hands on Sean’s shoulder affectionately at the 1986 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, where both joined in a celebration for the induction of Elvis Presley.

Sean, who would have been around 11 at the time the photo, has been dogged by rumours that he and Julian have been estranged for years, but much of it seems to be driven by social media users expressing distaste for one — or both — of his famous parents.

Yoko and John were still married to their spouses Anthony Cox and Cynthia Powell, respectively, when they originally met in 1966. 

Sean was just five-years-old when his father was tragically shot dead by Mark Chapman outside his New York apartment in December 1980. 

Fans have previously highlighted Julian’s past statements criticising his stepmother as evidence of a family split.

The son of Beatles legend John Lennon shared the happy news on Instagram, posting photos of his baby boy as he told fans ‘Charlotte and I have created a Human Bean!’

Aurelius is the first grandchild of Yoko Ono and John Lennon. Yoko already has two grandchildren from older daughter Kyoko

Julian previously claimed that he had to buy back letters and postcards he had written to his father – and the ones he’d received in return – because his stepmother had refused to give them to him.

He sued his father’s estate in 1996, eventually reaching a settlement authorised by Yoko.

In a 1999 interview on The Deni Petty Show Julian witheringly referred to Yoko as ‘her highness’ and noted that the two had a rocky relationship, as she was the executor of his father’s estate.

He feared any criticisms he made about the enforcement of Lennon’s will could result in him being cut out completely.

But in the same interview, Julian made it clear that he had only warm feelings toward Sean, and he claimed his younger brother was only caught in the middle of a difficult situation.

Hours before his post, Sean’s baby news was broken by his older brother Julian, 63 – the son John shared with his first wife Cynthia

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Julian has steadfastly made it clear that he and Sean are loving siblings, even if Sean has been less vocal about their relationship over the years.

In a December 2024 social media post, Julian shared some sweet black-and-white photos of the two catching up at The Dakota, the building in Manhattan where his father lived for years with Yoko and Sean before he was shot down in front of it.

‘A Goodnight kiss for my brother, after spending the evening with him, having a lil dinner & chatting the night away, at The Dakota,’ he wrote. Something we rarely get to do… Thankful.’

Both Sean and Julian have followed their father into music. Sean works as a producer and musician alongside his role as the main caretaker of his parents’ artistic legacy. 

Sean has been in a relationship with girlfriend Charlotte since 2007 and performs with him in the musical duo The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger. 

Greenhalgh’s Craft Bakery has been shortlisted for The Bolton News’ Best Bakery of 2026 thanks to nominations by its customers.

Emma Pope right deputy manager Danielle Jackson (Image: Greenhalgh’s Breightmet)

Angie Hicks, 50, who has worked at the bakery for five-and-a-half years, said she was “extremely shocked” when she heard the news.

She said:“It means the absolute world because people voted for us, it’s lovely.”

She puts the bakery’s success down to its wonderful and friendly team.

Poster (Image: NQ)

“Our customer service is phenomenal -they’ll go above and beyond for every customer that we get in,” said Angie.

Karen Jones, deputy manager with Angie Hicks senior manager (Image: Greenhalgh’s Breighmet)

Some regulars visit twice a day, popping in for breakfast and returning again for lunch.

The customer favourites at Greenhalgh’s include the classic meat and potato pie, the beefsteak pie, and a Bavarian slice for those with a sweet tooth.

Finalist (Image: NQ)

Angie said customers were delighted when the nomination sign went up on the counter.

“The signage that you sent us up, we actually put it on the counter, and the customers were just absolutely made up for us”, she said.

Karen Jones, deputy manager with Angie Hicks senior manager (Image: Greenhalgh’s Breightmet)

Angie has seen the shop through revamps and even television installations.

She said, “It’s fantastic what they’ve done, it’s really good.”

And whether it’s a pie, a slice, or a quick breakfast stop, Greenhalgh’s hopes the nomination shows just how much their Breightmet shop means to the community.

To vote to crown Greenhalgh’s, Breightmet, Bolton’s best pick up a copy of today’s paper.

Richard Locker vanished on January 4, 2024, and police found his car the next day on Mill Lane in Torquay – but his body was not found for more than two years

The remains of a man who disappeared two years ago have been discovered close to where his car was found at the time.

Richard Locker, from Paignton in Devon, went missing on January 4, 2024. He was last seen on a street in Torquay, four miles away.

Officers found his car parked on Mill Lane in Torquay the following day. Now, his stepdaughter has confirmed that his remains were found at a property on Mill Lane last month – more than two years after he vanished, according to Devon Live.

His stepdaughter Nicola confirmed the news in a social media post on Tuesday evening, September 1, saying “finally after all this time, we have found you”.

Nicola said they never “stopped looking for him” and that the past two years had been filled with “wondering and pain of not knowing” whether he was safe.

In a post within the Finding Richard Locker Facebook group, Nicola wrote: “After two years, seven months and 27 days of wondering where you were… we finally know.

“We wanted you home, we wanted answers, and more than anything, we wanted another chance to see you, hear your voice and tell you how much you are loved.

“But amongst all of the heartbreak, there is a tiny piece of peace in finally knowing where you are.

“You have never been forgotten, Rich. Not for one single day.”

Richard left his Paignton home in his car on January 4, 2024. His vehicle was discovered the next day on Mill Lane, Torquay, during police searches, yet Richard himself was nowhere to be found.

Police confirmed the death is not being treated as suspicious. A statement released by Devon and Cornwall Police read: “Formal identification is yet to take place, but the family of a man reported missing in 2024 has been informed of this development.

“His death is not being treated as suspicious, and a file is being prepared for the coroner.”

RCPCH officer for mental health Dr Sam Jones said there was a lack of wider mental health care and, in particular, crisis support available in many parts of the country that meant these vulnerable children and young people were not getting the help they needed.

“Behind every one of these figures is a child or young person in distress and a family who didn’t know where lese to turn.

“Emergency departments are a vital safety net, but they were never designed to be a place where children in mental health crisis wait for days at time.

“This is a national crisis that will only get worse without urgent intervention.”

She said alongside greater investment in children’s mental health services, staff from key agencies across health, social care and education needed better training in helping children who are struggling with their mental health.

Dr Mark Buchanan, of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said children and young people facing a mental health crisis were ending up in A&E by “default”.

“They deserve care within systems and settings that are designed to meet their needs.”

Gemma Byrne, of the mental health charity Mind, said: “A&E can be a frightening environment for anyone in mental health crisis, let alone a child. Making them spend more than 12 hours there is simply unacceptable.

She said children were not getting the support they need early enough.

“The current system, where many mental health services only provide support when young people are considered ‘unwell enough’ to qualify, clearly isn’t working.”

She said expanding the network of young future hubs, which bring together a range of support covering mental health, employment, sports and volunteering, was a crucial step.

The government is planning to publish a new mental health strategy later in the summer.

But a Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said improvements were already being made with investment in mental health teams for schools and more than 150 new mental health hubs in community locations such as banks and libraries.

“No child should have to reach crisis point before getting the support they need,” he added.

Claire Evans, of Anna Freud, a mental health charity for children, young people and families, said the figures were deeply concerning.

“The new mental health strategy must place children at its heart, creating the conditions for lifelong positive mental health and accelerating investment in accessible, community-based support.”

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By KATHERINE LAWTON, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER

Published: 07:32 BST, 2 September 2026 | Updated: 07:45 BST, 2 September 2026

“We are creating a modern and vibrant retail destination which we believe will drive Ballymena back to the top of the list of must-visit retail destinations”

A Co Antrim shopping centre has announced “another significant milestone” in its transformation.

Fairhill Shopping Centre in Ballymena has revealed that current tenant JD Sports will be relocating to a newly formed retail space in “prominent corner location” within the centre.

The new JD Sports 12,300 sq. ft store, located beside the newly opened Primark, will occupy a highly visible position within Fairhill, and owners say it will create an impressive new retail destination for one of the UK and Ireland’s best-known sports-fashion retailers.

A spokesperson said: “The relocation will provide JD Sports with a significantly enhanced trading environment and an opportunity to showcase its extensive range of leading footwear, sportswear and fashion brands in a modern new format.

“JD Sports is renowned for its strong portfolio of global sports and lifestyle brands and its ability to combine sports performance with contemporary streetwear and fashion.

“With a loyal customer base and broad appeal across a range of age groups, the retailer will further strengthen Fairhill’s fashion, footwear and leisure offering.”

Back in 2021, Magmel (Ballymena) Limited bought over the Fairhill Shopping Centre in the heart of Ballymena town – since then, the company has embarked on a £10million transformation project.

From a fresh rebrand to an internal revamp of the storefronts and mall to building a new 26,100-square-foot unit for Primark, owner Ryan Walker said the new JD Sports will add to their mission to revive Ballymena’s status as a leading retail destination.

Ryan Walker from Magmel ( Ballymena ) Limited said: “We are very pleased to have secured JD Sports for this impressive new store at the heart of Fairhill.

“JD is an exceptional retailer and a fantastic fit for Fairhill, and their relocation to such a prominent corner position within the centre represents a significant step towards seeing the centre fully occupied with prime retailers.

“The new store will provide JD Sports with an excellent platform to showcase its leading range of sportswear, footwear and fashion brands, while creating an exciting new retail destination for our customers.

“We are now seeing the positive impact from our investment in the Centre and this announcement demonstrates the confidence that leading retailers have in Fairhill and Ballymena.

“We are creating a modern and vibrant retail destination which we believe will drive Ballymena back to the top of the list of must-visit retail destinations.”

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