KATHERINE Ryan has been pictured taking her Halloween costume to the next level this year – dressing up as a scarily giant Monster Munch.

Photos show the 41-year-old comedian in a fluffy couture outfit inspired by the pickled onion-flavoured snacks.

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The look came complete with a matching bag, bodysuit, and earrings.

Katherine headed out of her hotel in Central London with husband Bobby in tow, leaving the doormen stunned by the giant get-up.

The bespoke fit measured 130cm from toe-to-toe, which caused more than a fair few issues when it came to transport.

The pair were seen struggling to get her in the back of a black cab with passersby and partygoers in awe of her epic outfit.

The look has become tradition for Katherine, who made headlines in 2023 dressed as a Giant Wotsit.

This latest head-turning costume was created by Walkers Snacks to continue the annual theme.

The move marks the return of the ‘Scarily Giant Costumes’, which launched last year and were a sell-out success, with fans taking to social media to beg for their return.

The limited-edition inflatable costumes are available in both ‘Giant Wotsit’ and ‘Giant Monster Munch’ varieties, including a sharing bag of the snack.

Wayne Newton from Walkers Snacks said: “After the incredible reaction to Katherine’s Giant Wotsit costume last year, she knew she wanted to take Halloween 2024 one step further.

“It’s been a lot of fun making this bespoke outfit a reality and it’s certainly one that’s turned heads.

“This bespoke piece was created especially for Katherine but those who want to dress up like their favourite snack and embrace their inner big kid can also get involved, with the return of our giant inflatable Halloween costumes.”

Katherine and Bobby’s day out comes after she was crowned Feminist Hero at this year’s Glamour Awards.

The star took the moment to savagely mock Russell Brand in light of the sexual abuse allegations made against him, as well as P Diddy.

Starring alongside Russell on Roast Battle back in 2018, Katherine admitted she nearly didn’t take the job knowing he was on the panel with her.

“Then after some soul searching, I thought, ‘Why should I stay home?’.

“He’ll be there in his unnecessarily tight jeans, wearing a hoodie and w***ing off to a Tibetan monk for views, or whatever he gets up to.

“Every time I got a chance to speak to him, I decided I would say stuff like, ‘I’m not getting paid enough to be here, especially considering how many times my face will be on the news when the victims come forward’.”

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Journalism is the lifeblood of democracy. Journalists are guardians of democratic values. These simple facts are so woven into the fabric of our society that we often take them for granted. This year, I fought tooth and nail for the honour of serving our country as prime minister. And at every step of the way, I was robustly held to account by determined, incisive and irrepressible members of the fourth estate. Neither myself nor the now leader of the opposition complained about this. Neither of us turned our partisan supporters against the media. We went about our business, just as all our predecessors have, accepting that this is democracy in action. It was ordinary and unremarkable.

And yet this is not a given. All around the world, journalists put themselves at risk in defence of those values. Journalists such as the Ukrainian Victoria Roshchyna, who brought us the horrific story of Mariupol – now dead in Russian custody. Or the more than a hundred journalists killed reporting the unimaginable suffering in Gaza. Or the BBC’s Gary O’Donoghue taking cover during the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, still broadcasting while lying face down on the ground behind his car. An extraordinary image that brought home the risks and the purpose of journalism: that, through the bravery of journalists, the world sees what it needs to see.

There are more than 900 local and national news titles in the UK. For all the prophecies of doom about the future of news, that represents an extraordinary strength. The British news industry reaches more than 80% of the population.

However, this vitality should not blind us to the challenges. And while thankfully there is no direct threat to press freedoms in our country, we must remain vigilant so that the growing power of digital technology does not begin to chip away at them. Particularly as artificial intelligence begins to transform our economy and way of life.

Both artificial intelligence and the creative industries – which include news media – are central to this government’s driving mission on economic growth. To strike balance in our industrial policy, we are working closely with these sectors. We recognise the basic principle that publishers should have control over and seek payment for their work, including when thinking about the role of AI. Not only is it essential for a vibrant media landscape, in which the sector’s provision of trustworthy information is more vital than ever, it is also relevant to our ongoing work to roll out the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act as swiftly as possible. This landmark legislation will help rebalance the relationship between online platforms and those, such as publishers, who rely on them.

We also stand with journalists who endure threats merely for doing their jobs. Just because journalists are brave does not mean they should ever suffer intimidation. This goes for intimidation on social media – the Online Safety Act will introduce new protections from abuse, as well respecting recognised news publisher content. It goes for journalists around the world, where we will continue to use British soft power and diplomacy to argue for journalistic freedoms. But it also goes for powerful people using strategic litigation against public participation, known as Slapps, to intimidate journalists away from their pursuit of the public interest. Such behaviour is intolerable and we will tackle the use of Slapps to protect investigative journalism, alongside access to justice.

Because this is a government that will always champion press freedoms. We believe in being held to account. I am determined to show that traditional democratic British values are the only way to deliver the change that working people need – that is my political project in a nutshell. And there can be nothing more traditional, democratic or British than a robust free press, fearlessly holding the powerful to account.

A LEGENDARY BBC presenter has bid an emotional farewell in his final radio show, leaving listeners in tears.

DJ Johnnie Walker concluded his final radio show with the heartfelt message, “may we walk into the future with our heads held high and happiness in our hearts”.

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The broadcast included special messages from Sir Rod Stewart and his wife, Tiggy.

The 79-year-old veteran presenter signed off his final Sounds Of The 70s show on BBC Radio 2 on Sunday afternoon.

He had hosted his last episode of The Rock Show on Friday, during which he played some of his “favourite rock anthems”.

Walker announced earlier this month that he was retiring from radio after 58 years due to ill health, having previously been diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

After playing Johnny Nash’s I Can See Clearly Now, he closed the show by saying: “Here we are at the end of a 15-year run on Sunday afternoon’s Sounds Of The 70s and 58 years on British radio.

“It’s going to be very strange not to be on the wireless anymore. But also, by the same token, life will be slightly less of a strain, really, trying to find the breath to do programmes.

“So thank you for being with me all these years and take good care of yourself and those you love, and may we walk into the future with our heads held high and happiness in our hearts.

“God bless you. And I’ll end with this.”

For his final song, he played Judy Collins’ version of Amazing Grace.

Earlier this year the BBC Radio 2 legend spoke about his terminal illness, sharing that doctors warned he could “die at any moment”.

The music show host has worked for the Beeb since 1969, and currently heads up both Sounds of the 70s and The Radio 2 Rock Show.

He sadly suffered from a heart attack in 2019 and had to undergo a triple heart bypass.

Just one year later he was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, which is a condition where inflation of the lungs means breathing becomes difficult.

TIGGY

As his health deteriorated Johnnie had to start presenting his radio shows from his home in Dorset, where he receives round-the-clock care from his wife Tiggy.

During Carers Week the couple opened up about what it has been like for them living with the possibility of Johnnie passing at any moment hanging over their heads.

In a heartbreaking segment on their BBC Sounds podcast Tiggy admitted: “I’m so tired. Sometimes I find it hard to go on.”

She also shared that for the first six weeks after his diagnosis, she was heartbroken and already grieving the life they had together.

Medical consultants told the couple that Johnnie should “prepare to go at any moment”.

Tiggy added: “It was only by going to the doctors and going on antidepressants that I have kept going, because I was crying every single day and I was overwhelmed by the sheer enormity of everything I had to do.”

Johnnie was contemplative when he spoke about grappling with death, referring to having “only a finite amount of time left here in the physical before I pass over”.

The radio veteran showed a huge amount of empathy for his wife, putting himself in her shoes during their nightly routine by acknowledging she “very lovingly helps me get into bed and gives me a nice kiss good night, and then she has to wonder whether I’m still going to be alive in the morning, which must be pretty hard for her”.

He went on to say that she saved his life when he had cancer in 2006, adding: “Your love was just so sustaining, it gave me so much to look forward to. And your caring for me now makes my life so much better.”

STRICTLY dancer Amy Dowden could be forced to quit the contest after collapsing while filming Saturday night’s show and being rushed to hospital.

The Welsh pro, who has Crohn’s Disease and has been battling cancer for almost 18 months, was seen by paramedics at Elstree Studios.

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Her condition was so serious that the fire service were called and specialist equipment used to help her to an ambulance while keeping her completely flat.

Amy, 34, collapsed after she performed her dance with her celebrity partner — JLS singer JB Gill, 37 — during the main show.

She was unable to appear in the recording of the live show, which aired last night.

Instead hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly explained to viewers at home: “Before we get started, Amy isn’t able to be with us for tonight’s show.”

JB was seen standing alone on the staircase. When it was announced he was going through to next week, he smiled and said “Thank you” to cheers.

A Strictly insider said: “Amy was obviously in huge distress. “Everyone around her was equally upset because they felt so helpless.

“JB had to be given a hug. Even the medic who first attended to Amy needed support and consolation. The only thing they could do was try to get her to hospital as quickly and safely as possible.”

For the Halloween Special, Amy and JB dressed as scarecrows and performed to Dancing In The Moonlight by Toploader at 7.18pm.

It’s understood Amy started to feel ill minutes after she and JB received a 32 out of 40 score from the judges at 7.25pm.

Amy cheered and jumped up and down when Motsi gave them a 9, and screamed when she got an 8 from Anton.

Amy was still seen standing and smiling with JB in the final line-up at around 8.10pm.

By 9pm an ambulance had been called and at 9.50pm the fire service were also contacted to assist.

Amy has talked at length about the excruciating pain she suffers as a result of her Crohn’s, an inflammatory disease of the digestive system often brought on by stress.

Her spokesman said yesterday: “Amy was feeling unwell and so an ambulance was called as a precaution. She’s feeling much better and would like to thank the Strictly family for their love and concern.”

‘Contingencies in place’

Yesterday morning the BBC released a statement saying: “Due to unforeseen circumstances, Amy Dowden was unable to be in tonight’s results show.”

The BBC did not give any further detail with a spokeswoman adding only: “We have contingencies in place for all eventualities.”

No pro dancer has ever dropped out of Strictly in its 20 years.

Amy is hugely popular with fans, who would hate to see her having to leave the show.

Celebrities have had to leave — including comedian and actor Robert Webb who had a serious heart condition in the 2021 series.

It could mean that another pro may be brought in to replace Amy — either permanently or temporarily — if she is not considered well enough to return to rehearsals this week.

JLS star JB may decide he cannot continue without Amy.

An insider added: “They are incredibly close.

“She has helped him remain in the top band of the scoreboard since this series started.”

The East of England Ambulance Service confirmed: “We were called just after 9pm on Saturday to attend a medical emergency at Elstree Studios in Borehamwood.

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“An ambulance was sent to the scene. One patient, an adult female, was transported to Barnet Hospital for further care.”

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Mark Barber said: “Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service were called at 9.50pm to Elstree Studios in Borehamwood. We assisted with the transfer of a female patient to an ambulance.”

Amy, from Caerphilly in South Wales, has been battling Crohn’s disease since she was a teenager.

She has been taken to hospital more than a hundred times because of it.

In a BBC documentary in 2020 she revealed the bittersweet secret that joining Strictly could have made her dreams come true — but losing her spot in the line-up would represent her worst nightmare.

I live in fear that what I love the most could be taken away

Amy Dowden

Amy said: “Strictly has been more than a dance show to me, it got me through the darkest times of my illness.

“For me it was a big inspiration to keep me dancing.

“Dancing has pulled me through my Crohn’s but it’s a battle.

“I live in fear that what I love the most could be taken away.”

In one scene in the Beeb documentary Amy was seen collapsing a day after completing the last Strictly tour, and ended up being rushed to hospital.

She said: “To the public watching me with all our make-up, fake tan, glitz, glamour and spotlights, it’s a different world. I don’t think they could ever imagine this could be me the next day.

“I knew things weren’t right but your body goes: ‘Right you’ve got to get through this, you don’t want to let anyone down, you can do this. And you can just push yourself through anything’.

“I can’t think of how many times I’ve been in hospital.

“It’s got to be at least over 100 times. When I was 18 or 19 it was every month at least for a week.”

‘What a difference a year can make’

Before her return to Strictly, Amy also faced months of cancer treatment and was forced to step back from the series last year.

She revealed that touching messages from fans help her to stay on the show, explaining: “I get so many messages about my smile.

“I always look back and think, ‘Gosh, this time last year I was having chemo, this time last year I was in hospital with a blood clot’.”

She added: “What a difference a year can make.

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“I get messages every day from people saying, ‘I’m going through chemo and you’re my hope’, or, ‘Because of you I’ve checked myself and I found a lump’, or something like this.

“I’m just grateful to be back and be in the position I am.”

Amy was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in May 2023.

Just a couple of months later she was told she had another type of cancer, which was found elsewhere in the body.

Following a mastectomy, she was told the tumours had spread and was diagnosed with cancer for the second time that July.

And in August 2024, her return to Strictly was thrown into chaos when doctors raised concerns about abnormalities in her breast following a check-up.

Amy later received the all-clear from her consultant.

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NATALIE J Robb looked worlds away from her Emmerdale character as she glammed up for a red carpet bash.

The soap star has played the fan-favourite role of Moira Dingle in the ITV show for 15 years.

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Moira, who has been apart of some of Emmerdale‘s biggest storylines, is known for her plain looks.

But actress Natalie couldn’t be further from her on-screen character as she recently stepped out.

The 49-year-old Scottish native wore a gorgeous sequined dress for an awards bash in Harrogate.

It was part of the town’s annual awards ceremony, which celebrates its locals for their hard work.

Natalie posed with 18-year-old Cory Leach, who scooped the Bravery Award for his recent health battles.

Emmerdale fans flooded Natalie with compliments on her look, including her new blonde look.

One said: “Absolutely spectacularly stunningly gorgeous Natalie.”

A second wrote: “You look beautiful beautiful as always hope the time your off screen goes quick.”

“You look amazing,” said a third.

While a fourth commented: “You look absolutely stunning Natalie.”

Emmerdale viewers have watched as Moira battles a brain tumour in the Dales.

It left her suffering from memory loss, seizures and hallucinations in shocking scenes.

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Strictly Come Dancing has eliminated its fifth celebrity contestant from the 2024 series.

BBC One’s popular dance competition continued on Saturday (26 October) night with its Halloween special, which saw the 11 celebrity contestants and their partners transform into ghoulish characters for their spooky season-inspired routines.

The episode saw Jamie Borthwick and his partner Michelle Tsiakkas top the leaderboard with their Addams Family-themed American Smooth to the film’s original theme, with the pair playing siblings Pugsley and Wednesday. They were in joint first place with Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola, who floored the judges with their Argentine Tango to “Ready Or Not” by Fugees, and managed to secure 36 points despite suffering a lift mishap at the beginning of their routine.

It was Dr Punam Krishan, and her pro partner Gorka Márquez, who were placed in Sunday’s dance-off (27 October) opposite Shayne Ward and Nancy Xu.

Krishan and Márquez performed their Tango to “Sweet Dreams” by Eurythmics, followed by Ward and Xu who once again danced their Paso Doble to “In The Hall of The Mountain King” by Edvard Grieg.

Krishan was ultimately eliminated from the series followed by a unanimous vote from the judges.

Asked about her time on the compeition, Krishan said: “I am really proud of myself. You know I’ve taken on something that’s so out of my comfort zone. The one thing that I’ve very much learnt is to say yes more, and that there is no point in your life when you can stop learning new skills.

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“I’ve learnt more than dancing, I’ve learnt so much from Gorka. Everyone’s been so incredible and it’s just memories that I’ll take home forever and I am very proud. I’ve made my family very proud, I’m just really grateful.”

When host Tess Daly asked whether the TV doctor’s family are proud, she responded: “They really are. My kids are so proud, my parents, my husband, everyone. This is just one of those things that I have dreamt about for years and I think to have one of your dreams genuinely come true is just a surreal feeling. Week after week it’s been incredible, I’ve made friends for life and everyone’s just been so kind, so thank you.”

Her partner Márquez said: “It’s been incredible, it’s been a fantastic six weeks. I’m very proud of what she has achieved. She’s a GP and a mum. She had never danced before and I think she improved week by week.”

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“I think she is truly what the show is about, someone who doesn’t have experience in the performance world came here and learnt to dance,” he continued. “She wanted to do so well and worked so hard. Also I feel very proud and very honoured that we got to do a Bollywood dance, to represent your culture, show your culture to the world and open doors for so many people in your culture.”

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Krishan added: “Thank you. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for giving me the gift of dancing. I’ve never danced before, but you’ve definitely sparked so much dancing. I want to learn more, and I definitely don’t think this will be the end of my journey dancing.”

The TV medic made history on Strictly when she performed the show’s first-ever Bollywood routine.

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Performing the choreography in a nod to her South Asian heritage, Krishan left the judges in tears with the landmark dance.

The song choice for the performance, “Bhole Chudiye”, is from the 2001 film Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, one of the highest-grossing movies in the Indian film industry.

Krishan said the performance meant “everything” to her, adding “you can’t be what you can’t see” as she said her four-year-old self would be proud.

She dedicated the dance to her late grandfather, who had always had concerns that his grandchildren would be out of touch with their South Asian culture.

Krishan’s exit follows the departure of footballer Paul Merson, who was eliminated last week, as well as Toyah Willcox, Nick Knowles and Tom Dean, who all left the competition in its earlier stages.