The podcaster and presenter chats to the Mirror about his admiration for Paul O’Grady, his love of dogs – and how he’ll still be talking about Strictly on his deathbed

Animal lover Pete Wicks is hoping to become the new Paul O’Grady, as his For Dog’s Sake? Channel 4 series gets tail waggingly good reviews from fans. He says: “Am I the new Paul O’Grady? It would be a privilege. He’s an icon, a national treasure. “What he did for dogs, the love that he showed, you don’t find very often. It’s an absolute honour to even be put in the same sentence as someone like that.”

Speaking from his East London flat, his new puppy, a five-month-old rescue rottweiler named Rodney, and his aged French bulldog, “blind and deaf, basically a loaf of bread on legs” are never far away. He continues: “Whenever you watched Paul with dogs there was genuine love and care.

I’m the same, and I think that’s where the comparisons come from. I met him once at an awards ceremony, and I was star struck. He probably had no idea who I was. He was a really lovely man. And whenever you think of him, you think of dogs. That’s what I hope for.”

READ MORE: ‘I bought my whippet Christmas pyjamas, £150 of gifts…and his own £4k sofa’

Pete, 37, found fame on ITV’s The Only Way Is Essex in 2015, but is now known for his weekly podcast Pete Wicks: Man Made, for co-hosting the podcast Staying Relevant with Sam Thompson and for his TV show Pete Wicks: For Dog’s Sake. He says: “Dogs are the only thing that make me feel safe, happy, content.”

Admitting that he is still grieving the recent death of his French bulldog, Peggy, a few months ago, he adds: “I’m still really upset about it to be honest, I’ve been grieving. I think we underestimate sometimes in the UK how much of an impact losing a dog, or any other animal that’s part of your family is. I spend some of my happiest moments with my dogs, and I did with Peggy.”

Reflecting on his childhood in Harlow, Essex, he says his love of dogs started very young, explaining: “I was a bit of a weird child. I didn’t really play with toys. I collected sticks. The only kind of toy I remember as a kid was a little wooden dog on wheels.” Speaking ahead of the legendary dog show Crufts, which he will be going to next week, Pete, who came fourth on Strictly Come Dancing in 2024, says he has other TV work in the pipeline.

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But, despite his love of dogs, he also loved the human interaction he had on Strictly and praises his professional dance partner, Jowita Przystał, 31, who he has been romantically linked to.

He says: “I’ll be talking about Strictly until the day I die, on my deathbed – I’ll probably be that kind of sad old man, if I make it that far, that will sit and talk about the time that I did an Argentine tango in front of millions of people. It is surprising how intense and consuming it is. I couldn’t believe I was still there week after week – I mean, I can’t dance!”

But he says his lifelong insomnia helped, as he still had plenty of energy. He adds: “I only need three hours of sleep a night. It’s just a bit of insomnia. But I’ve been like that since I’m a kid, so I’m so used to it now. If I get three, four hours I’m good as gold. I also had the best partner I possibly could have done [Jowita]. She’s become such a good friend of mine now. That whole experience had a lot to do with her being so amazing.”

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But, barking mad or not, Pete’s big dream is to dance into the sunset with his canine friends. He says: “My dream is to buy some land in the middle of nowhere and build a home for ASBO dogs, the ones that nobody wants. Everyone deserves a second chance, I know I do.”

*Pete Wicks is an ambassador for Pooch & Mutt: a UK pet food and health brand on a mission to help dogs live happier, healthier lives. See poochandmutt.co.uk

READ MORE: ‘I’ve spent £450 on my cockapoo this Christmas – my hubby’s only got a card!’

Tilly runs her own cleaning company, works in a pub and runs a homeless charity. Anthony is a millionaire who hasn’t cleaned a toilet since 1975. If they can stand to be handcuffed to each other for 10 days straight, they could split £100,000 between them.

Sounds easy? It’s not – and it’s the premise of Channel 4’s timely new social experiment, Handcuffed, hosted by Jonahtan Ross, exploring whether common ground can be found in an increasingly broken Britain.

Tilly and Anthony are two of 18 brave strangers putting their patience and tolerance to the test. Elsewhere, a staunch feminist is tethered to an alpha male, a heterosexual gay porn star is bound to a ‘prude’ homemaker, and a lefty Green councillor is chained to a Farageophile.

They are completely inseparable the entire time. They eat together, sleep together, even shower and use the toilet together. It’s as intimate as you can possibly get with a total stranger. But none of that fazed Tilly quite as much as her own bodily functions.

‘I was very panicky about farting, my farts are rotten. I’ve got really bad IBS, honestly, and I’d been trumping all day in this man’s house,’ Tilly tells Metro of her biggest concerns throughout the process.

‘That was something that worried me, and also the sleeping. The first two nights we stayed at Anthony’s, and he was sleeping with dogs in the bed, he was snoring so much and I was boiling hot.

‘He didn’t have any underwear on at one point, so I had to tell him, “You need to put some pants on.”’

Tilly assures me Anthony did oblige to her request, but they swiftly had to learn to be completely comfortable with each other naked. On their first morning together, after sweating uncomfortably in their shared bed during a record-hot summer, they had to shower side by side.

‘We just got on with it on our second day,’ Tilly says. ‘Others wore blindfolds, got screens up. On the flip side, I was having a wee and I said to Anthony, “do you mind turning around? Your face is literally in my fanny.”

‘I lucked out because Anthony’s gay. I wouldn’t have been so free with my body with a straight man.’

Getting over the intimacy of essentially sharing a body with another person is one thing; tolerating them at their best and worst is another.

‘Anthony can talk for f**king England,’ says Tilly, clearly still exasperated by the memory of it.

She tells me that she’s an alcoholic and former drug taker and has now been sober for seven years.

‘He never asked me about that,’ she says. ‘I pulled him up on it, and then he sort of made the whole conversation about himself. It made me realise you can’t expect everybody to be like you or treat you the way you treat them.’

Anthony and Tilly did not walk into life on the same playing field – a fact Anthony couldn’t quite grasp. He can’t comprehend that Tilly can’t imagine a day when she will buy her own property, planning to spend her share of the prize money – should they win – on paying a year’s rent on a London flat upfront. He, admirably, wants to use the money to pay for his mother’s care home bills – ‘even if he can afford it himself,’ Tilly laughs.

‘He just thinks everything comes really easily to people and it doesn’t, sadly,’ she says.

‘Until he came and saw the work that at my homeless charity, saw how people actually live, he was taken quite aback. I probably took for granted how easily it comes to me to speak to people, and it doesn’t come that easily to him, especially people that aren’t on his level.

‘We’ve been out since and I remember him saying to me, “I’ve not bought any new clothes since we’ve done the experiment because I just think about that man hanging up his clothes in the trees and how much it hurt me.” I thought, “fair play to you. I don’t know if happy is the right word, but I felt like mission accomplished.”’

Tilly and Anthony weren’t on a level playing field during the experiment either. £50,000 is significantly more impactful for Tilly than for Anthony; the prospect of losing it when it’s so close to her grasp is absolutely petrifying when, for Anthony, he could likely move on without his life, home or future being even slightly dented.

How did it feel knowing her fate rested in the hands of a millionaire who just didn’t need £50,000?

‘I was very honest from the start that I was desperate for the money,’ she says. ‘I wanted to win that money so much to the point where I didn’t really want to think about it too much, because if you imagine things and then it doesn’t happen, then how heartbroken are you going to be? Anthony knew that the prize money meant more to me than it did to him but because of our relationship and how he feels towards me, that pushed him to make us want to win even more.’

No one is allowed to enter the shops apart from emergency services.

Three shops in Peterborough have been closed after concerns were raised about drug dealing and associated anti-social behaviour. A three-month order was issued by Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, February 25.

The Musa store, the Constanta shop, and D1 Barbers, all on Lincoln Road, were closed. The ruling for the stores in Millfield followed an application from the force’s Northern Neighbourhoods Team.

The closure orders state the premises be closed in accordance with the Anti-Social Behaviour and Policing Act 2014. No one is allowed to enter the shops except the emergency services until May 24, 2026.

If anyone is found on the premises unlawfully, they could be arrested. Anyone with information about the order being breached should contact the police via the force website. Anyone without internet can report anything by calling 101.

Sergeant Paul Littlechild said: “Closure orders allow us to target the core issues within the community, and in this instance, it was drug dealing and its associated anti-social behaviour. Through regular patrols, we will ensure this order is adhered to. If you have any information about the order being breached, then please report it to us.”

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Chloe Dods, assistant trainer to her father, Michael Dods, is in Bahrain with two of the County Durham stable’s most successful horses, Commanche Falls and Northern Express.

Chloe, who is staying in an apartment in Seef, told how she heard sirens just before midday today as Iran retaliated following strikes by the US and Israel.

According to the BBC, Iran claims to have struck a US naval base at Manama, which is about 15 miles from Seef.

“I heard the sirens and felt the windows rattle in my apartment when the missiles struck – then I saw black smoke rising,” said Chloe.

“It was frightening at the time, and it all feels a bit weird at the moment because it’s so unpredictable. No one knows what’s going to happen next. We’ve been told to stay close to our accommodation and avoid unnecessary travel.”

Chloe Dods, who is temporarily based in Bahrain (Image: Michael Dods Racing)

The two horses, normally stabled at Denton, near Darlington, flew to Bahrain in December and have so far raced three times. Chloe has overseen their training at the Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club, which is a 20-minute drive from Seef.

Commanche Falls is due to run again next Thursday and Northern Express is scheduled to run on Friday, however it is uncertain whether racing will now go ahead, with jockeys’ travel arrangements being affected.

Commanche Falls’ owners were due to fly out on Monday, but flights have been cancelled.

The horses are due to fly back the following Monday but that will depend on flights resuming.

“Before this happened, it had been a great experience – I’ve loved it – but it’ll be nice to get back home now,” added Chloe.

Michael said: “It’s obviously a worry. We’re getting updates from the International Racing Bureau and speaking regularly with Chloe but all we can do at the moment is monitor the situation closely. Everything’s up in the air.”

Leading criminal defence lawyer Marcus Johnstone, managing director of PCD Solicitors who specialises in representing those accused of sexual offences, said: “I am not remotely surprised that Ian Huntley has been attacked in prison, four months since Ian Watkins was murdered by a fellow prisoner at HMP Wakefield.

In all honesty, I didn’t realise how much work goes in to creating a quiz show even after countless Zoom quizzes in lockdown

Sometimes when we’re sat at home watching a quiz show on telly from the comfort of our sofa, we all think “I’d be class at that.” Well, it’s a lot harder than it looks.

I visited the set of Celebrity Puzzling, Channel 5’s game show which is hosted by Jeremy Vine and features team captains Sally Linsday and Carol Vorderman. In each episode, the captains are joined by a fellow celebrity who compete in a variety of puzzle related rounds in the hopes of winning the Celebrity Puzzling cube- basically a small puzzle cube which has the faces of Jeremy, Sally and Carol strewn across it.

Now, before I tell you about my time visiting Enfys studios in Cardiff, let me start off by saying that TV quiz shows are my absolute guilty pleasure.

Actually, I’m not even remotely guilty about just how much I bloody love a quiz whether that’s ITV’s The Chase, a bit of Pointless on BBC or perhaps just heading to my local pub quiz on a Wednesday. Any chance to show of my ridiculous amount of useless general knowledge, I’m in.

So, when I was invited on set to meet the cast and crew, I was thoroughly excited and when I was told I’d be able to take part in a short version of the game, I felt like my dream had come true. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter

As soon as I arrived, I was greeted by so many friendly faces behind the scenes of the show. The majority of the crew were Welsh, and it was lovely to hear them speaking Welsh to each other as well as exchanging the occasional Welsh phrases with host Jeremy Vine.

TV Times reporter Steven Perkins and I had the opportunity to watch the show being recorded before we were able to become Celebrities for the evening and take part in some exciting puzzles. We saw Carol joined by Dr Ranj Singh, and Sally was joined by comedian Ed Byrne.

They all entered in to complete and utter competitive mode whilst taking on the various rounds of puzzles, and I couldn’t help feeling a little competitive watching from the sidelines.

I’d never seen a quiz show recorded before and I was shocked at how long it took to set up each round, with many of them needing to be set up manually. They also had to occasionally pause to query an answer, and these are all things that we don’t often see on screen. They explained that each 45 minute episode takes roughly two hour or so to film, because of the labour that we don’t see.

In all honesty, I didn’t realise how much work goes in to creating a quiz show. It is vastly different from my weekly Zoom quizzes during lockdown let me tell you, and they were intense.

It was finally my time to shine. I was called down to the studio where I was given a mic, and I was patted down with a lint roller because apparently Pomeranian hair doesn’t look good on camera.

I teamed up with my fellow Welshie Carol, who was so friendly when we had a little chat before we started to film, and Steven teamed up with Sally.

Before we started the game Steven did inform me that he had once appeared on the BBC show Only Connect, so I knew I had truly met my match and it was game on.

Throughout the games we sped through the questions. My heart was beating so fast, and under the lights of the studio it is so easy for your mind to go blank. The adrenaline is absolutely real, and it took me ages to fall asleep when I got home that night as I was still buzzing from an exciting few rounds.

I was asked a question about the ingredients in the mojito, it felt like fate. This is my favourite cocktail, so I inevitably smashed it. My competitor was successful when asked about Superman, which I thankfully avoided.

We both showed off our keen quizzing abilities across three rounds with Carol and Sally taking a back seat to let us truly experience the game. Then it was time to find out who won.

Unfortunately, myself and Carol were beaten by a couple of points right at the end. The quizzer in me is still heartbroken to this day, but I am still so thrilled that I had the chance to play.

After the adrenaline of a high paced game of Celebrity Puzzling wore off, we sat down to interview Jeremy, Sally and Carol.

The three of them were so lovely and welcoming, and were so excited to be back in Cardiff filming. Despite being extremely tired from a very long day of filming, the three stars of the show all stayed behind to chat to me about their time in the Welsh capital.

I was so impressed by how much knowledge both captains and the host possessed, where our interview became more of a chat about how amazing it was too see two powerful women fronting a quiz show. When you look back at older game shows, women used to be models to show off the prizes you could win, but in the case of Celebrity Puzzling they are showing off their intelligence (as well as looking good of course).

As a woman in her mid 20s it is amazing to see such great representation in the media, and it makes me feel hopeful that maybe one day I too will be able front my own show. A girl can dream.

Overall, I had a great time at Enfys Studios on the set of Celebrity Puzzling. The cast and crew were so welcoming, and you can see how close they have all become especially as many of them also worked on the first season of the show too. I can now confirm that when you hear people talking about how lovely Welsh crews are, they are absolutely right. I was made to feel comfortable from the moment I stepped on set, to the moment Carol waved me off in the car park.

You can watch Celebrity Puzzling on Channel 5 from Monday to Friday at 7pm.

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Caoimhin Porter-McLoone, 18, was one of two teenagers who died in a crash in St Johnston, Donegal, on February 24

The funeral of Caoimhin Porter-McLoone, one of two young men tragically killed in a crash in Co Donegal, heard how he is remembered as a “kind-hearted, caring, handsome, funny young man, who was wise beyond his years.”

Caoimhin (18), from the Shantallow area in Co Derry, died alongside his friend Daniel Cullen (18) in the fatal collision that occurred in St Johnston, Donegal on Tuesday night, February 24. Both teenagers were passengers in the vehicle that struck a lorry on the R236.

The car’s driver, another man in his late teens, sustained serious injuries in the crash and remains hospitalised in Belfast. Mourners at Caoimhin’s funeral mass on Saturday morning at St Brigid’s Church, Carnhill, Derry included his beloved mother Stephanie, sister Chloe, brothers Hunter, Shea, Darren and Ben, alongside extended family members and friends.

READ MORE: Teenage friends from NI killed in Donegal crash named locally as community left numbREAD MORE: Two teenagers killed in crash as third remains in serious condition at Belfast hospital

A framed photograph of a smiling Caoimhin was positioned on a table upon the altar alongside his Manchester United jersey and scarf. Parish priest Fr Micheal McGavigan told mourners: “There are hearts that are heavy, shocked and sore at Caoimhin’s death.

“Caoimhin’s death has stunned us. He was only 18 years of age, a life just beginning to open out to a young man who had taken time after the tragic death of his father, Darren, just over a year ago,” Fr McGavigan said, reports Irish Mirror.

“He was ready to start work, ready to build something, ready to make his mark on the world, and on Tuesday evening, in a car accident, it was taken from him and with him, his friend Daniel, also only 18.

“Two young lives, two families, two communities, now carrying a grief that feels unbearable, and yet when we speak about Caoimhin, what shines through so clearly is not only the sadness of his death, but the goodness of his life. He was known as a kind-hearted, caring, handsome, fun, funny young man, but also a deep thinker, an old soul, wise beyond his years,” said Fr McGavigan.

“He loved deep conversations. He was interested in philosophy and the bigger questions of life. He had a way of thinking things through and talking things out, a way of seeing beyond the surface.”

“At home, he and his mum, Stephanie, could often be fine discussing everything from conspiracy theories to whether there was other life in the universe, much to Chloe’s amusement,” said Fr McGavigan.

“It’s a small detail, but it says something striking about a mother and a son who truly enjoyed one another’s company, who talked, who laughed and who shared ideas freely.”

Mourners also heard how Caoimhin loved football and was a devoted Manchester United fan, loved playing his Playstation and music. A former pupil of St Francis primary school and St Bridget’s College, he was well liked and known as being a good student.

“More recently, he had started going to the gym, looking after himself, taking pride in things. He is preparing to attend interview sessions and ready to start work and to step into adulthood.

“He had plans to travel with his interest in architecture. He wanted to see historic places like Edinburgh and Rome. He planned to go to Man United this year, a special connection with his late father, Darren, with whom he shared that love of football,” said Fr McGavigan.

“But most of all, Caoimhin was deeply loved at home. Stephanie speaks of a good child who never brought any bother, always smiling, always ready to wind up and carry on.

“He was affectionate and loving, never leaving the house without a kiss and a hug,” said Fr McGavigan.

“Those moments are priceless now. They are a gift that nothing can take away.

“He was idolized by his younger siblings, Hunter, Shea, Darren and Ben, and shared a special close bond with his older sister, Chloe, partners in crime, deeply connected.

“He was a good help around the house, and even after all the loss he had already endured, the death of his granny, his uncle, Barry and then his father, he did not grow hard or bitter.

“He remained sensitive to others, able to sense when someone needed a lift and willing to give it.

“He always tried to see the good in people and in situations at all tells us everything about the kind of young man he was, the grief and mourning that we feel today.”

Following his funeral Mass, Caoimhin was buried in the City cemetery alongside his late dad Darren.

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The Foreign Office has issued urgent travel warnings for UK citizens in the Middle East following co-ordinated US-Israel strikes on Iran, with airlines cancelling flights

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The Foreign Office has issued a significant dual warning for UK tourists to seek shelter and avoid travel following a co-ordinated attack by Israel and the US on multiple cities in Iran.

Foreign Office officials updated their travel guidance to advise against all travel to Israel, Palestine and other nations in the Middle East following the strikes in Iran this morning.

Its website said: “Due to the threat posed by escalation in the region, we recommend against all travel to Israel and Palestine. On 28 February 2026, the US and Israel commenced joint military action in Iran, Israeli airspace has now closed.”

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UK citizens in the Middle East have been urged to take “sensible precautions” as Iran retaliated with missile attacks in the Gulf, reports the Mirror.

Iran has since launched strikes on Israel and Qatar as well as other targets in the Middle East, prompting the UK Government to urge citizens to take shelter. In updated guidance for travel to Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and Kuwait, officials warned people to “immediately shelter in place.”

Advice on the website said: “Remain indoors in a secure location, avoid all travel and follow instructions from the local authorities.”

Explosions have been reported across the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait. Israeli authorities have also confirmed that Iran launched missiles towards the country in response to the strikes.

Iran’s security council has pledged a “crushing” retaliation to the military action. It stated the “enemy” mistakenly believed Iran would “surrender to their petty demands through such cowardly actions.”

The UK Government has emphasised that its foremost concern is “the safety of UK nationals” throughout the Middle East. A Government spokesperson commented: “Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and that is why we have continually supported efforts to reach a negotiated solution.”

The statement added: “As part of our longstanding commitments to the security of our allies in the Middle East, we have a range of defensive capabilities in the region, which we have recently bolstered. We stand ready to protect our interests. We do not want to see further escalation into a wider regional conflict.”

Several airlines have suspended flights to and from Middle Eastern destinations “with immediate effect” following the Israeli and US strikes on Iran. WizzAir, Qatar Airways and Virgin Atlantic have all grounded services to the area on Saturday.

Virgin announced it has axed its VS400 service from Heathrow to Dubai, scheduled to leave at 10.10pm, “as a precautionary measure”. A spokesperson stated: “The safety and security of our customers and people is always our top priority and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

WizzAir director Rachel Wray announced the suspension of all flights to Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Amman.

She stated: “Wizz Air confirms that, following the recent escalation of the security situation in Iran, the airline is suspending all flights to and from Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Amman with immediate effect up until and including 7 March.”

Qatar Airways announced that flights to and from Doha had been halted owing to the closure of Qatari airspace, whilst British Airways confirmed it had cancelled services to Tel Aviv and Bahrain until 3 March.

Reports indicate that an overnight BA flight from Heathrow to Doha has turned back and is heading to London. A British Airways spokesperson commented: “We are closely monitoring the situation and have taken the operational decision to cancel our flights to Tel Aviv and Bahrain up to and including 03 March and have cancelled today’s service to Amman.

“Safety is always our top priority, and we’re contacting our customers to advise them of their travel options.”

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There are plenty of details travellers need to be aware of in the build-up to their flight, and passports are a crucial part of that.

One thing that people might not know is that your passport needs to be in good condition, with no ripped or torn pages, water damage or holes.

This is so border control can make sure it is readable and hasn’t been fraudulently tampered with.

However, there are a few other rules that people need to be aware of and keep in line with.

3 passport rules that will stop you from flying

Two or more blank pages needed in passport

Your passport has lots of blank pages for border control to stamp when arriving or leaving countries.

However, what you might not know is that some nations require there to be at least two blank pages, otherwise they won’t let you through.

Natasha Inglis, Implementation and Client Success Director at Good Business Travel, explains: “Many countries require at least two completely blank visa pages (in some cases more) to allow room for entry and exit stamps or full-page visas.

“These rules are in place to make sure immigration officials have the space to properly document your movements and avoid complications at the border.

“Airlines may also check this at the boarding gate, as they could face fines if a passenger is later refused entry at immigration.

“This means travellers can be denied boarding before they even leave the UK if their passport doesn’t meet page requirements.”

Many European countries have this restriction, alongside African nations like South Africa and Kenya and Asian countries such as India, Thailand and Indonesia.

In Namibia, it is required to have up to six blank pages in your passport.

The UK passport has 34 pages, so it shouldn’t fill up too quickly, although if you’re a frequent flyer it might pose more of a problem.

Dr Mohanjeet Brar, MD of Gamewatchers African Safaris, suggests getting a jumbo passport if you fall into that category.

He said: “The UK offers passports with more pages (48 instead of 34), ideal for frequent travellers or those planning multiple-entry visas.”

Between three and six months of validity needed on passport

Since 2021, the EU has considered British travellers as ‘third country nationals’, which means travellers’ passports must have a minimum of three months’ validity remaining on the date you leave the EU.

Ian McIlrath, Managing Director at Ski Solutions, shares that you’ll need six months at the very least when visiting countries such as China, Australia, Thailand, Turkey, and Egypt.

Since these requirements vary by destination, you should always confirm the specific rules for your chosen country at the time of booking. 

10-year issue date

Sean Doolan, director of ancillaries at travel insurance broker Swinton Travel Insurance, shares that if you’re travelling to EU or Schengen countries, your passport must have been issued within the last 10 years.

This is alongside the three months of validity needed as well.

He added: “If you fail to satisfy either of these requirements, you won’t be allowed to board your flight, because airlines are fined by governments if they carry passengers whose documents are not in order.”

UK passports are only issued for 10 years, so you might be wondering why this could be an issue.

This is because a previous rule meant you could carry up to nine months from an old passport onto a new one, which was the case before September 2018.

Matt Bramich, Operations Director at Inghams Walking, shares: “However, some UK residents will still have a valid passport that was issued before 10 September 2018, which may look like it’s valid for longer than 10 years.

“That’s because prior to this change, UK citizens were able to carry up to nine months from an old passport into a new one.

“However, this rule no longer applies for travel to the EU, which can cause confusion. 

“In simple terms, the EU border authorities assess the validity based on the date of issue, not the expiration date.

“So, even if one of these passports still has months remaining before its printed expiry, it will be refused.” 

New ETIAS rules launching in 2026

Alongside passport rules you need to keep in mind, travel to EU countries from the UK will be changing soon.

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The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is expected to begin operating in late 2026.

Once live, UK passport holders visiting 30 European countries for up to 90 days will need approval before travelling.

This will cost €20, but will be free for under-18s and over-70s and will be valid for three years or until your passport expires.