Neil Jones has been left without a Strictly Come Dancing partner for another year.

The professional dancer, 44, joined the BBC dance competition in 2016 and has not been assigned a partner for seven of the ten years.

He was last paired with singer Toyah Willcox in 2024, where they lasted only two weeks before being eliminated.

Strictly 2026 launched with a pre-recorded show on Saturday where the pro dancers found out their celebrity partners, but once again Neil has been relegated to the subs bench alongside three of the new professionals. 

The show veteran addressed the snub in an Instagram video posted during Saturday night’s launch show which saw him attempting to throw a pen into a cup before it was replaced with a much bigger bin, alongside the caption ‘if I get the pen in the bin I will get a celeb partner’.

The dancer still missed, with fellow pro dancer Kai Widdrington, who has landed a celeb partner, catching the pen off camera.

Alongside the clip, he joked: ‘You know I love being part of @bbcstrictly and honestly after adding 2 Guinness World Records last year to my 45 titles around the world, I feel like it would be greedy to win the glitterball as well so I wanted to give the others a chance.’

15 new celebrities descended on the Strictly Come Dancing dancefloor on Saturday night as the 24th series kicked off in spectacular style

Fans and Neil’s co-stars flooded the post with laughing face emojis as they praised his optimism. 

It was previously revealed that Neil missed filming several pre-recorded group dances after suffering an injury during rehearsals.

A source told The Sun at the time: ‘Neil is a much-loved and valued member of the cast, but sadly not all the pros can get a partner.

‘Bosses love him because of his jokey personality, so expect to see him on set as much as possible.’

15 new celebrities descended on the Strictly Come Dancing dancefloor on Saturday night as the 24th series kicked off in spectacular style. 

As the launch show got underway, fronted by new hosts Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe, the dance partnerships were announced. 

The celeb contestants were split into groups of five to take part in three specially-choreographed dance routines to find out their partner. 

Dani Dyer, 30, returned for her second year after an ankle injury forced her to withdraw early in last year’s competition. 

She was reunited with her dance partner Nikita Kuzmin, 28, whom she was paired with last year.  

House of The Dragon actress and West End star Bethany Antonia, 28, partner was Nancy Xu, 35.

Bethany had requested a female dance partner after she was inspired by Nicola Adams and Katya Jones’ coupling in 2020 as they helped with her coming out journey.

‘That was life-changing for me – to see my family so supportive of an all-female couple and what that meant,’ she said.

Nancy missed out on a partner last year so was delighted to be back in the competition once again. 

Love Island star Cach Mercer, 25, has been paired with one of the five new Strictly pro dancers Maddie Ingoldsby.

Celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton, 43, is with show veteran and fan favourite Amy Dowden.

Australian singer and actress Delta Goodrem, 41, is with Kai Widdrington whilst dog trainer Graeme Hall, 59, is with Lauren Oakley.

Actress Jaime Winstone, 41, has been partnered with Carlos Gu, who will be hoping to replicate his 2025 win with Karen Carney.

Sports Youtuber John Nellis, 33, is with the show’s longest-serving professional Katya Jones.

EastEnders actress Lacey Turner, 38, has landed fan favourite Vito Coppola whilst Emmerdale’s Lawrence Robb, 34, is with Jowita Przystał.

The oldest celebrity in the new series, Gavin & Stacey star Melanie Walters, 64, is in good hands with long-time pro Aljaž Škorjanec.

Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey, 48, has been paired with Julian Caillon whilst former footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips, 44, is with Alexis Warr.

British skeleton racer Tabby Stoecker, 25, is with another new pro Mark Karmalita and Big Brother presenter Will Best, 41, is with show favourite Dianne Buswell, who lifted the Gitterball in 2024.

Strictly continues on BBC One on Saturday September 26. 

STRICTLY COME DANCING 2026: MEET THE CONTESTANTS

LACEY TURNER 

Advertisement

AGE: 38

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Playing Stacey Slater on BBC’s EastEnders 

WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I’m so excited and terrified at the same time but I’ve had so many friends do Strictly and I thought it was about time that I plunked up the courage and made my way onto that dance floor.’

DELTA GOODREM

Advertisement

AGE: 41

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Played Nina Tucker in Neighbours and has released eight music albums

WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I’ve been incredibly honoured to perform on many different stages throughout my career – from tv, theatre, film sets, to touring my own shows around the world, there is however one stage I’ve never stepped onto and that is the ballroom floor!’

Advertisement

CACH MERCER

AGE: 25

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Won Love Island 2025 and is a TikTok influencer

Advertisement

WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I have grown up watching the show with my family and am so excited to now be part of the cast. Dancing is a huge passion of mine and I can’t wait to learn Ballroom and do the Foxtrot for the first time!’

DAME SARAH STOREY

AGE: 48

Advertisement

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Britain’s most successful Paralympian 

WHY STRICTLY?: ‘Embarking on a new challenge so soon after stepping down as an athlete is hugely exciting.’

BETHANY ANTONIA 

Advertisement

AGE: 28

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Plays Lady Baela Targaryen in House of the Dragon

WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I have grown up watching Strictly, and I am so excited to take the challenge on and (hopefully!) learn a new skill.’

GRAEME ‘THE DOGFATHER’ HALL

Advertisement

AGE: 59

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Hosts Channel 5 series Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly

WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I have watched the show for years, so to be a part of it feels like a very exciting challenge, albeit more than a bit nerve-wracking!’

Advertisement

TABBY STOECKER 

AGE: 25

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Olympic champion skeleton racer

Advertisement

WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I’ve had the wildest year of my life so far, so to be rounding it off with a childhood dream of dancing in the Strictly ballroom is surreal and I can’t wait to get stuck in!’

MELANIE WALTERS 

AGE: 64

Advertisement

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Playing Gwen West in BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey

WHY STRICTLY?: ‘Performing in Pantomime for the last 15 years, my Strictly ‘fix’ has always been watching in a dressing room rather than my front room.’

DANI DYER

Advertisement

AGE: 30

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Winning Love Island and being the daughter of actor Danny Dyer

WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I am so excited to be back in the ballroom this September! I just cannot wait to get my dancing shoes back on and hopefully this time around I can actually make it to week one!’

CHRIS APPLETON

Advertisement

AGE: 43

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Hairdresser to the stars – including Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez

WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I’m thrilled to be joining Strictly and coming home to the UK for this incredible experience. I’ve always believed that the best things happen when you take a chance and try something new.’

Advertisement

WILL BEST

AGE: 41

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Hosts Big Brother and previously TV

Advertisement

WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I’ve been lucky to do lots of live telly before, but absolutely nothing like this. And I cannot wait!’

JAIME WINSTONE

AGE: 41

Advertisement

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Starring in films such as Kidulthood and Tomb Raider

WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I am no stranger to a dance floor, but the ballroom is a whole new world for me.’

SHAUN WRIGHT-PHILLIPS 

Advertisement

AGE: 44

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Footballer who played for the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City

WHY STRICTLY?: ‘Strictly is definitely outside my comfort zone, but I’m super excited to get started and really looking forward to the challenge!’

LAWRENCE ROBB

Advertisement

AGE: 34

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Plays Mackenzie Boyd on ITV’s Emmerdale

WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I can’t quite believe that I am going to be getting my dancing shoes on this September on one of my favourite shows of all time!’

Advertisement

JOHN NELLIS 

AGE: 33

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Face of a popular football-focused YouTube channel

Advertisement

WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I can’t wait to meet everyone, learn a new skill and, hopefully, be much better at family parties by the end of it!’

 

Queues are building on a stretch of the M60 amid reports of a crash.

All traffic has been stopped on the clockwise side of the motorway amid the accident this morning (Sunday, September 20).

Motorway cameras show queues building with all lanes shut at junction six for Sale.

Click here to get the biggest stories straight to your inbox in our Daily Newsletter

Follow the live blog below for the latest traffic updates.

Photographer Simon McCabe captured images of a Typhoon alongside an L-159E ‘Honey Badger’ as the aircraft headed towards Teesside.

Simon, who photographed the jets from the Stockton area, also captured further images during a training session.

Photographer Simon McCabe captured images of a Typhoon alongside an L-159E “Honey Badger” as the aircraft headed towards Teesside (Image: SIMON MCCABE)

The unusual sight is likely to have caught the attention of people looking skywards across Teesside, but the Honey Badger has become a relatively familiar presence in the region.

The aircraft is operated by aviation and defence company Draken from its base at Teesside International Airport.

The L-159E Honey Badger is a Czech-built light combat training aircraft which is used to simulate hostile aircraft during exercises with Royal Air Force fighter pilots.

Draken’s pilots regularly fly the aircraft against RAF Typhoons and F-35 Lightnings over the North Sea, effectively taking the role of an enemy force to give military pilots realistic combat training.

Photographer Simon McCabe captured images of a Typhoon alongside an L-159E “Honey Badger” as the aircraft headed towards Teesside (Image: SIMON MCCABE)

The RAF introduced the service in 2022, saying the aircraft allow its fighter crews to practise against a different type of jet flown by experienced former military pilots using unfamiliar tactics.

A fleet of Honey Badgers has been based at Teesside since 2022, when a purpose-built hangar was completed at the airport to accommodate the aircraft.

Draken has since strengthened its presence at the site, with a £173 million Ministry of Defence deal announced in 2025 securing its Teesside operations for a further four years.

The company is also developing a new £7 million hangar at the airport which is expected to house its combat aircraft and support further adversary and electronic-warfare training.

The latest sighting also comes while Exercise Cobra Warrior 26-2 is underway in the UK.

The major RAF and NATO exercise began on September 14 and is due to continue until October 2, involving personnel and aircraft from several allied nations. The RAF has described it as its largest test of UK homeland defence.

There is no confirmed indication that the aircraft photographed over Teesside were taking part in Cobra Warrior.

Celtic and Rangers meet in the latest instalment of the Old Firm rivalry

Celtic welcome Rangers to Celtic Park on Sunday for the second Old Firm meeting in the space of a week, with the Hoops looking to respond after suffering a 3-0 defeat at Ibrox in the League Cup quarter-final.

Celtic remain top of the Scottish Premiership after winning their opening six league matches, but Martin O’Neill’s side have endured a difficult few days following Thursday’s 3-1 Europa League defeat to Ferencváros.

Rangers, meanwhile, arrive with renewed confidence after their emphatic cup victory and a strong run of domestic form.

The league meeting gives Celtic an immediate opportunity to put last weekend’s result right, although Rangers will take encouragement from how effectively they disrupted their rivals in the previous encounter.

Dan Neil scored twice in that 3-0 win, while Kevin Kelsy also found the net, and Derek McInnes will be hoping his side can reproduce the intensity that earned them a place in the League Cup semi-finals.

Celtic will need a much-improved performance after conceding 11 goals across their last three major matches.

There is plenty at stake despite the season still being in its early stages.

Celtic have a five-point lead over Rangers, meaning another victory would strengthen their position at the summit, while Rangers have the chance to close the gap and build further momentum.

Here is everything you need to know…

What time is kick-off?

Celtic v Rangers takes place on Sunday, September 20, at 12pm at Celtic Park in Glasgow.

Is the game on TV?

The match is being shown live on Sky Sports, with coverage available on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football.

What about streaming?

Sky customers can stream events via the Sky Go app.

Team news

Celtic will be without Yang Hyun-Jun, who is away on international duty at the Asian Games, while Alistair Johnston, Callum Osmand and Jota are among those unavailable through injury.

Celtic also face a number of selection decisions following Thursday’s Europa League defeat, with goalkeeper and attacking positions among the areas attracting particular attention.

Rangers are without Lawrence Shankland and Youssef Chermiti, while McInnes is otherwise expected to have a relatively settled squad following a full week without a midweek fixture.

Kevin Kelsy, who scored against Celtic last weekend, is among the players likely to retain his place.

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust will hold a public board meeting on September 24 to decide how far its breast-surgery review should go.

The Trust wants to move the review back one year at a time, checking each year’s findings before deciding whether to go further.

But the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board wants the investigation extended straight back to 2015.

County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

The split is revealed in papers prepared for next week’s meeting.

The Trust says the decision has major implications for “patient safety, organisational accountability and public confidence”.

It says earlier reviews found “longstanding concerns regarding clinical practice, governance and oversight”, making a full review necessary.

Board members will consider four options.

The first would keep the existing review period, from January 2023 to February 2025.

The second would keep the same review period but leave the patient helpline open for two years after the planned reviews, allowing former patients to raise concerns about their care.

Trust leaders’ preferred option would complete the current reviews before moving back one year at a time towards 2015.

University Hospital of North Durham in Durham City (Image: Chris Booth)

Experts would review each year’s findings before deciding whether to investigate the previous year.

The paper calls it a “balanced, proportionate approach” guided by “emerging findings”.

But the paper admits the staged approach “may still be criticised as too slow or cautious” because some patients believe “everyone deserves to know”.

The fourth option would extend the review straight back to 2015, when the Trust says systemic failings first became evident.

That is the approach favoured by the ICB.

The Trust’s Collective Leadership Team considered the options in July, with 15 of its 16 members backing the phased approach.

The Trust’s Quality Committee subsequently backed the same option.

But the board paper says: “The North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) formally wrote to the Trust on September 10, 2026 indicating a preference for option four.”

Despite the ICB’s position, the paper confirms that the Trust’s own governance process favours the staged option three.

The board’s choice could have major consequences.

The trust says extending the review to 2015 would “capture all potentially affected cohorts” and ensure “no patient groups are inadvertently excluded”.

The paper says the option would give regulators the “most robust assurance” while maximising “transparency and public trust”.

Darlington Memorial Hospital (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

But the trust warns that reviewing the entire period would create an “extremely high operational burden”.

It also warns that “prolonged delays in patients receiving the outcome of their review” could cause further harm.

The widest options could require about 4,500 cases to be reviewed.

At the trust’s sustainable rate of about 80 reviews a month, the process would take roughly five years.

Independent clinical experts have questioned the medical benefit of going so far back.

The Clinical Reference Group says going further back is unlikely to find patients needing treatment or reveal major new clinical lessons.

But the group accepts that a records-only review may miss some affected patients and that older cases of harm could still emerge.

Under the heading “Missed harm”, the paper states: “The CRG has confirmed that there are likely more cases of harm and harm has already been identified in cases prior to 2023.”

Without an extension, it warns, those patients “will not be identified unless review is initiated by patients”.

That matters because the datasets and criteria used for the current review would have missed 283 patients already identified for review.

They were found through the patient helpline, complaints, incident reports from other NHS trusts and concerns raised by the current breast service.

Of the 240 cases reviewed by September 2, 19 met the threshold for the statutory duty of candour.

Patients and members of the public consulted by the trust urged the NHS to find those affected rather than wait for them to come forward.

The paper says the trust is expected to carry out “proactive, outbound patient engagement”.

It adds: “The trust must identify and contact affected individuals rather than relying on patients to come forward. Responsibility should not fall on patients.”

The paper also warns that “premature closure risks undermining trust”.

The debate follows mounting evidence about harm within the breast service.

Trust figures show that 315 of the 514 cases examined involved harm, including 77 involving significant harm.

At least 20 women underwent unnecessary mastectomies, and one patient is known to have died.

The Trust says the decision must balance “clinical proportionality, legal obligations, operational feasibility and the expectations of patients, regulators and the wider public”.

If approved, the phased approach would require a formal decision each year on whether to review the previous year.

The Trust admits it cannot set precise thresholds that would automatically trigger further investigation.

Instead, it would consider the number and severity of harm cases, emerging care patterns, concerns from patients and families and whether further reviews could identify people needing notification, support or follow-up.

Board members will make the final decision at the public meeting on September 24.

Former Premier League star Lee Clark has quit as Hartlepool boss in a stunning post-match interview, where he announced his resignation after fan backlash and poor results

Former Newcastle and Fulham star Lee Clark resigned as Hartlepool boss immediately after their loss to Worthing, announcing his decision to quit in the post-match interview.

Clark only took over at Victoria Park in the summer after a short spell with Rotherham last season, but he’s overseen a poor run of results, which culminated with a home loss that saw him make the decision to walk away.

Hartlepool have lost six of their last seven games, which has seen them tumble down the table and they now sit 19th, despite having ambitions to end their spell in non-league. Fans called for Clark’s head during Saturday’s game and the former top flight pro has now walked away.

He told BBC Radio Tees: “I resign from my position with immediate effect. I wanted to give this club and the fans something to be proud of, what they deserve, but I haven’t been able to do that unfortunately.”

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football’s Facebook page

Clark added: “I was excited to take the job and I wanted to be the man to get them back to where they need to be and deserve to be, but it hasn’t worked out.”

Hartlepool were taken over in January by American businessman Landon Smith with the club looking to return to the Football League for the first time in four years. However the bombshell news means they will look their ninth permanent boss since entering non-league.

Since 2024 no manager has taken charge of more than 34 games before being dismissed. Among those are former Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips, who got 16 games, and ex-Leeds boss Simon Grayson, who lasted 15 matches.

Advertisement

Clark previously made history as a manager when he was in charge of Huddersfield Town. He led the Terriers to a record 43 league games without defeat, surpassing the record held by Nottingham Forest. It was a period that spanned 11 months when they were in League One

He’s since taken charge of Birmingham, Blackpool and Kilmarnock whilst also having a period in the Middle East.

As a player Clark made 240 appearances for Newcastle during the 1990s before ending up at Fulham, via Sunderland. Whilst in west London he scored in a 3-1 win against Manchester United, Fulham’s first win at Old Trafford in 39 years.

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

North Korea has launched a short-range ballistic missile into the sea off the east coast of the peninsula, Japan’s defence ministry has said, amid an escalation in weapons testing.

South Korea confirmed the “rival North” had fired the “unidentified projectile” from near the coastal area of Wonsan on Sunday as Japanese public broadcaster NHK said it had come down outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

South Korea’s presidential office convened a National Security Council (NSC) meeting on Sunday following the reports.

The launch is the second in the space of a week and comes as North Korea ramps up its weapons tests in the peninsula. This is despite diplomatic efforts from US president Donald Trump, who recently scaled back a military exercise with South Korea in an apparent effort to revive diplomacy with leader Kim Jong Un.

Following a ‌previous test on 12 September, the NSC urged Pyongyang to immediately cease ⁠missile activity, warning that the test directly violates United Nations ‌Security Council ​resolutions.

A day ​earlier, ⁠North Korea dismissed a resolution by the UN nuclear watchdog against Pyongyang’s nuclear programme, ⁠in a statement read out on state media. Pyongyang ​last ⁠week also condemned a ‌US-led naval drill which included South Korea and Japan and which ran from 29 August to 10 September near Guam.

North Korea’s Kim ‌Yo Jong, the influential sister of leader Kim Jong Un, on Friday blamed US-led military drills for “ever-worsening” tensions on ⁠the Korean Peninsula and vowed no change in the country’s course to strengthen its nuclear arsenal.

Trump last month ordered the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise with South Korea, citing what he called a good relationship with Kim, who has called such drills invasion rehearsals.

But Kim Yo Jong said that shortening the drill wouldn’t change its “provocative, aggressive nature.”

North Korea’s military later launched about 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea, apparently following through with a previous threat to respond to the US-South Korean drill.

This is a breaking story. More to follow…

Alan Shearer told Arsenal they risked doing their title chances serious harm if they produced any repeats of the dismal performance they put in against Brighton on Saturday.

The Gunners boasted a 100 per cent record in all competitions ahead of the contest and headed the the south coast as the clear favourites to come out on top.

But the reigning Premier League champions were well beaten at the Amex Stadium, with goals from Pascal Gross and Charalampos Kostoulas stunning the visitors in the first half.

Brighton summer signing Chema Andres put the game to bed in the 57th minute, rising the highest to head home Gross’ corner, sparking feverous celebrations amongst the Seagulls home support.

Arsenal were perhaps fortune to finish the game with ten men on the field after Declan Rice petulantly kicked out at Malick Yalcouye during a moment of frustration, for which he only received a yellow card.

The result means Enzo Maresca’s Manchester City can take a three-point lead at the top of the table with victory over Sunderland at the Etihad this afternoon.

Arsenal now have a long wait before they have the opportunity to write their wrongs, with Mikel Arteta’s men playing host to Leeds in their next match after the international break.

‘They’ve been beaten, they’ve been well beaten,’ ex-England striker Shearer said on Match of the Day while watching back Rice’s kick on Yalcouye.

‘It could have been six or seven and this was frustration from Declan Rice.

‘Yalcouye gives him a little nudge there and I do think the referee gets that right. He gives him a yellow card.

‘I don’t think it was too aggressive, he didn’t lash out at him, therefore I think the referee got that right, but it sort of summed Arsenal’s day up.’

While stressing that there was no need to ‘panic’, Shearer claimed Arteta’s squad could ill afford to repeat their display ‘too many times’ if they are to be successful in defending their title.

‘I would say there’s no panic because after five games last season, Arsenal had ten points. After five games this season, they’ve got 12 points,’ Shearer, the Premier League’s all-time leading goalscorer, added.

‘But that performance can’t happen too many times, if again.’

Danny Murphy, sat beside Shearer on the Match of the Day studio, was similarly scathing of Arsenal’s lacklustre showing on the day.

However, the former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder made sure to applaud Brighton’s ‘brave’ performance and backed Fabian Hurzeler’s side to cause problems for a number of teams this season.

‘Arsenal were second best in every department and I have to say, I haven’t seen a team do that to Arsenal for a long, long time,’ Murphy said.

‘Since the beginning of last season, nobody has had higher turnovers that Brighton did today with their intensity.

‘This isn’t a one-off by the way because I’ve done three of their games this season and they’ve been exactly the same in all the games.

‘It doesn’t always go for them, sometimes they concede, but it’s a brave way to play.

‘The fans are enjoying it and they’re gonna cause teams some problems.’

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

MORE: Michael Carrick sends message to two Man Utd stars after ‘inept’ performances

MORE: Paul Merson slams Arsenal star for being ‘miles off it’ in Brighton defeat

MORE: Man City fans fume after Arsenal star escapes red card against Brighton

Take one stop on the train and return at your leisure. There are opportunities for lunch on the way as well as the chance to learn about the history of the dale.

Take the train from Settle (where there is plenty of nearby parking) and join the regular two hourly Settle to Carlisle service. On arrival at the attractive train station at Horton cross the lines and head down the road towards the centre of the village.

River Ribble at Little Stainforth

Directly ahead is the distinctive profile of Pen-y-Ghent, one of the Yorkshire 3 Peaks. However, that walk is for another day. Before reaching the river turn right through a narrow stile and start to walk alongside the River Ribble, heading initially back towards the station.

For the first two miles the footpath follows the Ribble Way close the river bank. The Ribble Way is not a popular long distance path and at one stage, after Cragg Hill Farm, the path is too faint to follow, At this stage cross the field to meet a lane back at the river bank, follow it under the train lines and join a minor road leading in to Helwith Bridge.

Dominating the views to your right is Dry Rigg quarry, the hard gritstone used for some of our country’s road building.

On meeting a busier road at the pub turn left and follow it for 600m where a much quieter road heads off to the left.

This moorland road climbs a little to provide wonderful views back towards Horton and Pen-y-Ghent. It winds its way over the moors for nearly a mile and a half and is the picture of a tranquil Dales scene.

The quarry at Little Stainforth. Images: Jonathan Smith

On arrival at the picturesque hamlet of Little Stainforth there is a very pleasant pub/café intriguingly known as the Knights Table. The name comes from the Stainforth estate where the manor house was owned by the Knights Templar in pre-Norman days.

Follow the narrow road past the holiday park to the river. Before arriving at the river turn right and arrive at the spectacular Stainforth Falls – well it was spectacular when I went after heavy rains!

From the falls pass through a gate on to an open field and past a notice board. At the end of the field join a footpath which winds its way initially above the river but eventually dropping down towards it.

A mile-and-a-half from the falls arrive at a weir on the river. The weir was built to provide power for the Langcliffe cotton mill on the far bank, one of a number of mills up the Ribble Valley. Turn right at the weir and follow a lane in to Stackhouse.

Just before meeting the road there is a weather stone on your right (consistently wet recently). Turn left on to the road. After 500m take the footpath on your left which returns alongside the river, past the school playing fields and joins Settle just before the road bridge leading to its centre.

He sketch map shows two extensions to this walk. The first is an initial climb of Pen-y-Ghent dropping down to Helwith Bridge whilst the second shows an extension from Helwith Bridge to Feizor.

Fact Box:

Horton to Settle map

Distance: Roughly eight miles.

Height to Climb: 150m (490 feet)

Start: SD 803726. At Horton head towards the centre of the village (there are toilets at the car park) but join the riverside path before crossing the river.

Difficulty: Medium. Straightforward walk on good paths, tracks and some minor road walking.

Refreshments: The Helwith Bridge Inn and Knights Table at Little Stainforth offer pleasant stops en route.

Be Prepared: The route description and sketch map only provide a guide to the walk. You must take out and be able to read a map (O/S Explorer OL2) and in cloudy/misty conditions a compass. You must also wear the correct clothing and footwear for the outdoors. Whilst every effort is made to provide accurate information, walkers head out at their own risk.

Please observe the Countryside Code and park sensibly.

* Jonathan runs Where2walk, a walking company based in the Yorkshire Dales:

He has written four books on walking in the Dales; ‘The Yorkshire 3 Peaks’, ‘Walks without Stiles, ‘The Dales 30’ mountains a guide to ‘The Bracken Way. Please visit Where2walk where you can buy the books.

Next Events: September 26 Beginners/Refresher Navigation Course (Long Preston). October 10 Guided climb of Fountain/Darnbrook Fell, two of the Dales 30 mountains. Book via Where2walk.

You can buy Dales 30 Guide Book, T-shirts and caps from the new Dales 30 website. Start the challenge today.

Where2walk.co.uk features hundreds of walks with descriptions across Yorkshire and beyond, from easy strolls to harder climbs. Visit the website for details of all these walks.

Michelle Keegan was heard joking about what her latest crime drama, The Blame, wouldn’t have needed if it were filmed in Manchester.

From Sunday (September 20), the actress, who was born in Stockport and brought up in Irlam, Salford, will be seen leading The Blame, the latest drama on ITV.

The six-part series is based on the 2023 thriller of the same name by author Charlotte Langley and sees former Coronation Street star Michelle take on the role of DI Emma Crane, marking her return to ITV for the first time since 2017, while her co-star, The Sandman and The Dirt star Douglas Booth, portrays DI Tom Radley.

The Blame follows the detective duo, from Wakestead Police Station, during their investigation into the death of a teenage figure skater, and the series “dives into secrets, suspicion and systemic corruption – all under the surface of a seemingly quiet town”.

Speaking about why she took on the role, Michelle told the Manchester Evening News and other press at a screening: “Well, first of all, I read the script. I mean, like Nicola said, like, Megan’s [Gallagher] a fantastic writer and it just got me hooked to the end. I just wanted to carry on reading it. I was like, ‘This is a project I definitely want to be on board with!’”

She added: “Emma as a character, you know, she’s a very strong female in a male-dominated environment, and I feel like she holds her own. She’s one of those girls who will take no nonsense, and I just found that so exciting. We love to see it, and there’s not enough of it on screen. So, I was very excited for the opportunity.”

While Michelle has taken on many roles, such as army medic Georgie Lane in the BBC’s Our Girl and ex-army captain Maya Stern in Netflix’s adaptation of Harlen Coben’s Fool Me Once, The Blame marks her first time playing anyone in the police force, and there is an interesting connection.

“My dad was in the police force since he was 17,” she revealed. “He was an inspector, so I used to go to him and go, ‘Dad, what do you think about this? and when i was doing like the meeting scenes like, ‘How would you talk to people in the police force and how was your body language?’ and I used to go to him quite a lot actually for resources.”

But she also had the support of her co-star, Douglas. Michelle shared: “If I was struggling one day, which happened a few times, with my lines, because it’s very police terminology and you have to get it spot on every single time, he would always have my back, always.”

Comparing it to her character, she went on: “Even if I fluff a few lines, he would make me feel very, very calm about it, and I wouldn’t spiral. Emma would spiral. I never spiralled, and that was because of Doug. So yeah, he was very good like that.”

In the first episode, The Blame viewers will see the heavy presence of rain, something which Michelle revealed had to be added in and compared it to her home city. “That was a rain machine. You won’t believe it. I was in London, I was going to say in Manchester, we wouldn’t have needed a rain machine.

“It was an all day. We were wet through all day. And I’d get very, very cold. I had that many heat packs all over my body. But you just get used to it after a bit. We filmed it quite early on, I think… But it actually wasn’t as bad as it actually looked, I’ll be honest. Been through worse, I’d say.”

The Blame airs on ITV on Sunday, September 20, with episode two following on Monday, September 21. It will also be available as a box set from the morning of September 20.