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Full House star Dave Coulier has revealed that he has been diagnosed with a “very aggressive” form of stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

The 65-year-old actor, who starred as Joey Gladstone on the hit ABC sitcom, shared the news during an appearance on the Today show on Wednesday (November 13).

Coulier said he first discovered symptoms several months ago when he got a cold and then found a large lump on his groin.

“It swelled up immediately,” he recalled. “I thought, ‘Wow, I’m either really sick, or my body’s really reacting to something.’”

He visited the doctor, who shared the shocking diagnosis with him just five weeks ago.

“The first thing I said to them was, ‘Wait a minute – cancer?’” he said. “[I was] feeling like I got punched in the stomach because it never happens to you. You always hear about it happening to someone else.”

Non-Hodgkins lymphoma is a form of cancer that affects the white blood cells, causing them to grow abnormally and can form tumors throughout the body, according to the Mayo Clinic. Stage 3 typically means that the cancer is large and may have spread to surrounding tissues or lymph nodes.

Coulier said he started undergoing rounds of chemotherapy two weeks ago. He shared that he has six rounds of chemo every three weeks and is expected to wrap up treatment by February.

“You hear chemo, and it scares the daylights out of you,” he said. “The first round was pretty intense because you don’t know what to expect. You don’t know how you’re going to feel. Is this going to hit me immediately? Is it going to be devastating? Am I going to walk out of here?”

Describing treatment as “a bit of a roller coaster,” he said: “There [are] days where I feel unbelievable. Then there’s other days where… I’m just going to lay down and let this be what it’s going to be.

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“Some days are nauseous and dizzy, and then there’s other days where the steroids kick in, and I feel like I have a ton of energy,” he added. “I actually skated yesterday with some friends here in Detroit. We just went and skated around and shot pucks, and it was wonderful just to be out there doing something that I love and just trying to stay focused on all the great stuff that I have in my life.”

Coulier praised his wife, Melissa Bring Coulier, for her support, sharing that she “organized [his] entire life, from nutrition to the doctor’s appointments to pills.”

“She’s got stuff color-coded. It’s pretty great,” he said.

Bring Coulier is Coulier’s second wife, whom he married in 2014. He was previously married to actor and model Jayne Modean, with whom he shares 33-year-old son Luc.

Coulier is best known for his role as Joey on Full House. He featured in every episode of the eight-season sitcom, which aired from 1987 to 1995. He later reprised his role for the Fuller House spin-off, which ran from 2016 to 2020.

SAM Thompson was forced to leave his sister Louise’s hospital bedside to fly out to I’m A Celebrity.

The 32-year-old jetted to Australia this week as he prepares to co-host a new spin-off series with Joel Dommett and Capital radio host Kemi Rodgers.

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Sam – who won I’m A Celeb last year – has committed to relaunching Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly’s ITV2 sister show.

However, nine days ago his best pal and sibling Louise was rushed in for emergency surgery after suffering excruciating pain in her abdomen.

It means Sam will spend the next four weeks 10,000 miles away from Louise, who he lives next door to.

Breaking her silence on the secret stint in hospital, Louise said: “It’s World kindness day. The world feels like it’s been a bit unkind to me again. 

“But today is a new day. And that hopefully means home.”
 
“I really hate to say it but I’ve been back in hospital feeling very poorly (I feel like the word ‘poorly’ warrants the label of an Onomatopoeia – everything about it resembles elderly, frail illnessy stuff). As I say it I feel like a grandma blowing out bubbles for words. It looks and sounds sick. Like I did. Even though I’m also confusingly only 34 and incredibly strong. Mentally and physically STRONG. If I do say so myself. 
 
“I’m almost embarrassed at this point. BUT there is light. There have been beacons of kindness EVERYWHERE.”
 
“It’s been needed because oh goodness me it’s been quite scary seeing my body laden with so many foreign objects. I’m amazed I even managed to move with all that in at one point.

“I literally had a tail dangling out of me. Stitched in. In fact I felt like an octopus with multiple legs or tubes (turns out a cannula with different entry points is called an octopus too). Great minds. Or a great subconscious mind and memory of mine. 
 
“Ahhh the joy of heavy heavy opioids for getting me through the worst of it. Thank goodness for poppies. Thank goodness for science. Thank goodness for modern medicine.”

Sam had his own dash to see medics before his flight – as he begged doctors for sleeping pills.

Speaking on his Staying Relevant podcast, Sam said: “The timings are quite awkward because obviously we are live in UK time.

“So we go to bed at 4pm every day in Australia and wake up at midnight.

“Which is going to be wild.”

His podcast co-host Pete Wicks agreed and added: “Yeah you’re going to be all over the shop, and you don’t cope well with change,” as Sam agreed: “I really don’t.”

Pete – who is competing on Strictly this year – continued: “You don’t cope well with change and what Sam said to me when he told me this last week is ‘I’ve just been to the doctor and I’ve got 24 sleeping pills.’”

Sam giggled and said: “Just in case.”

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The Penguin is one of the best TV shows of the year – and it has outrageously impressive stats to back it up.

When the spin-off to Matt Reeves’ The Batman was first announced, the news was met with an unenthusiastic response considering superhero off-shoots have become dime a dozen in recent years.

Since WandaVision was released in March 2021, Marvel has launched 10 new TV shows, with another seven on the way, and DC’s announcement of The Penguin in September 2021, seven months before The Batman was released, felt like another crafty way of luring in TV viewers.

However, under the guidance of showrunner Lauren LeFranc, The Penguin ended its eight-episode run as one of the most enticing shows of the year – a gangster epic that just happens to be set in the comic book world of Gotham.

Due to the excitable word-of-mouth that’s been heaped upon the series since its premiere on 19 September, it has experienced something rare in today’s TV age: every new episode of the series saw a single-day viewership increase, with more and more people switching on to the show as the recommendations grew in size.

While less than one million people tuned in for the first episode on the night it was released, each instalment that followed saw a substantial increase, with the finale being watched by 2.1 million people.

Variety reports that, when the stats include those who have watched the series since the premiere was released, it has now amassed ratings of almost 17 million.

Perhaps aiding this is the show’s extremely rare ratings on review aggregator sites like Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb.

On Rotten Tomatoes, every single episode of The Penguin has a perfect score of 100 per cent, while on IMDb, not one episode has an average rating that falls under eight out of 10. In fact, the lowest episode score the series receives is 8.5, with the finale receiving 9.6.

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Farrell has been praised for his performance as Oz Cobb but the show features a standout supporting turn from Cristin Milioti, whose role as Sofia Falcone has left many predicting awards success for the Palm Springs and Black Mirror actor.

Meanwhile, Rhenzy Feliz and Deirdre O’Connell are also receiving high praise for their roles as Cobb’s sidekick Victor and mother Francis, respectively.

Now the show is over, the question is: will there be a second season? While Farrell has confirmed he will don the prosthetics once again for appearances in the next two Batman films, starring Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz, he has also teased a possible follow-up for the series.

He told The Hollywood Reporter: “If there’s a great idea [for season two], and the writing was really muscular and as strong or stronger on the page than it was the first season, of course I would do it.”

The Penguin is available to stream on NOW.

TV GARDENING guru Monty Don has revealed his health battle with a condition that affects millions – and how he is tackling it with a simple exercise.

The Gardeners World star suffers from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which means for a quarter of the year, a person experiences low mood, a lack of energy and feelings of dispair.

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It can affect anyone at any time of the year but it afflicts Monty between November and mid-February.

Monty finds that using a light box and taking antidepressants has helped but he really finds it best to get as much natural light as possible to combats his blues.

He said: “For me, and I think for most people, experiencing weather, rain, wind, sun, cold, whatever it is, is very helpful and restorative.

“Go out and get thoroughly drenched or cold and come inside and warm up.

“Or feel the wind on your face or the sunshine on your face. Listen to the birds, notice the sound of the wind in the tree or kick your feet through leaves, that engagement is very beneficial.”

Taking regular holidays also helps as he revealed On The Travel Diaries podcast, he regularly flocks to sunnier climes: “In the past 20 years I’ve done a lot of travelling in winter so I get my hit of winter sun.

“In the winter I’ve been to South Africa four times, I’ve been to India three or four times, I’ve been to Japan, Australia, I’ve been to the southern hemisphere and I get sun, that sort of recharges the batteries.

“A few weeks of that has a profound effect. If you can afford it or organise it that really makes a difference.”

Monty has also suffered with other ailments due to his gardening activities such as weak knees and finds that exercising keeps him fighting fit.

Gardeners World is a BBC 2 favourite which aired from 2003 to 2008, and made a return in 2011.

The TV star began his career on (then) Granada’s This Morning and has presented Real Gardens, Fork to Fork and Lost Gardens and Around the World in 80 Gardens.

On Gardeners World he is famous for saying: “It’s been a pretty miserable winter, but there’s a feeling of spring in the air…”

Even thought the winter months are upon us, the advice for combatting seasonal blues and SAD may help viewers with their own health troubles.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

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SAD symptoms

The NHS says that if you experience any of the following…

• a persistent low mood
• a loss of pleasure or interest in normal everyday activities
• irritability
• feelings of despair, guilt and worthlessness
• feeling lethargic (lacking in energy) and sleepy during the day
• sleeping for longer than normal and finding it hard to get up in the morning
• craving carbohydrates and gaining weight
• difficulty concentrating
• decreased sex drive

Seek help from their GP.

Gardeners World is available to stream on BBCiPlayer while Monty Don‘s Italian and French Gardens is available on Netflix.

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The actor Timothy West, who was married to fellow star Prunella Scales for 61 years, has died aged 90, his family have confirmed.

A statement shared by his children, Juliet, Samuel and Joseph West read: “After a long and extraordinary life on and off the stage, our darling father Timothy West died peacefully in his sleep yesterday evening. He was 90 years old.

“Tim was with friends and family at the end. He leaves his wife Prunella Scales, to whom he was married for 61 years, a sister, a daughter, two sons, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. All of us will miss him terribly.

“We would like to thank the incredible NHS staff at St George’s Hospital, Tooting and at Avery Wandsworth for their loving care during his last days.”

A frequent star of the stage, having appeared in numerous productions of Macbeth, King Lear and The Master Builder, West was perhaps best known to television audiences for his roles as Eric Babbage in Coronation Street, which he played in 2013, and for Stan Carter, who he played in EastEnders between 2014 and 2015.

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Numerous tributes have already been paid to West on social media following the news of his death.

Broadcaster Piers Morgan wrote: “A wonderful actor and delightful man. My Life Stories interview with him, as the love of his life Prunella Scales sat in the audience, was so moving. They were married 61yrs, and his devotion to her after she developed Alzheimer’s was profoundly touching.”

Director and actor Alice Lowe said: “[I] first encountered Timothy West in his support of the Scarborough @NSDFest . He was wonderful. An encouraging, positive, generous presence in what he knew can be a tough unrelenting industry, but he gave young people the self belief to carry on with it. Kindness and faith in joy.”

James Dreyfus wrote: “Marvellous actor. A constant in many of our lives. He shall be much missed. My thoughts with his family.”

Former MP Giles Watling said: “I am lucky to have known this amazing actor and thoroughly nice chap. A great loss. Thoughts go to the family.”

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The Royal Shakespeare Company added: “We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Timothy West We would like to extend our heartfelt sympathies to Timothy’s family and friends – in particular to his wife Prunella and children, including Samuel, who is an Associate Artist and will play Malvolio in Twelfth Night.”

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During his career, West also played Winston Churchill three times, in Churchill and the Generals (1979), The Last Bastion (1984), and Hiroshima (1995).

In Brass, he played ruthless self-made businessman Bradley Hardacre from 1982 to 1984 before returning for a third series in 1990, while in Not Going Out, he played Geoffrey, the father of Lucy Adams (Sally Bretton).

In 2019, the Bradford-born actor played Private Godfrey in Dad’s Army: The Lost Episodes, a recreation of three missing episodes of the BBC comedy Dad’s Army.

Meanwhile, in the world of film, West starred in Nicholas and Alexandra (1971), The Day of the Jackal (1973), Cry Freedom (1987) and Luc Besson’s 1999 historical epic The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc.

West’s final acting credit was as Charles Usher in Sister Boniface Mysteries in 2023.

West and Scales, 92, who played Sybil Fawlty in the hit BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers, appeared together in the documentary series Great Canal Journeys between 2014 and 2021.

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The couple married in 1963, and have two sons, actor Samuel West, and Joseph West.

West was also married to actor Jacqueline Boyer from 1956 to 1961, and they had a daughter, Juliet West.

Additional reporting by PA.

MAURA Higgins has cemented herself as the queen of reality TV, after proving to be a huge hit on Love Island.

Now the model is heading into the jungle for I’m A Celebrity. Here we take a look at her family and the life of her beloved mum, Sharon.

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Maura Higgins is a famous reality star who is the daughter of mum Sharon and dad Seamus Higgins.

Her parents are no longer together, and the I’m Celebrity star was raised by her mother.

Maura has two sisters – Becki and Louise – and a brother.

Fans first met Sharon when her daughter was on Love Island and she came into the villa as part of the “meet the parents” episode.

Maura has previously hailed her mum Sharon for making her into the the woman she is now.

Posting a picture on Instagram of herself and her mum, she wrote: “I am a strong woman, because a strong woman raised me.”

Close bond

Maura and Sharon are extremely close, and share a tight bond.

In fact, the model loves her mother so much that at Christmas she splashed out on a £38k Mercedes Benz as a present for her.

Maura shared the emotional video of her mum breaking down in tears after she gifted her the expensive car.

Sharon also rushed to her daughter’s defence when fans accused her of having cosmetic surgery.

Speaking in 2019, the protective mum told Longford Leader: “She never got plastic surgery ever.

“The only thing she ever got done – and she never hid it, she had it up on her own Instagram – was she got some lip filler.

“Because she had quite thin lips.”

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Maura opens up

In October 2024, ahead of going into the I’m A Celebrity jungle, Maura opened up her parents break-up when she was a child.

In an interview with Married At First Sight relationship expert Paul C Brunson‘s podcast We Need To Talk, she talked about a moment her mum collapsed at the family home, following her split with her dad.

Maura candidly said: “It was a very nasty break-up and a lot went on, like, things I would never want to talk about because I wouldn’t want to be saying things about my mum or dad.”

She added: “But now I don’t have a relationship with my dad.

“When the break-up happened, my mum was trying to keep a roof over four kids and herself and we were all in school, it was very, very hard and I remember seeing my mum struggle, a lot.”

Maura continued: “She had a nervous breakdown, she collapsed in the kitchen in front of all of us and only for my older sister, she was a lot older at the time, she knew to like put her on her side and call the ambulance.

“I don’t know why I remember this, but I remember, mammy has a rare blood type and my older sister knew to say that to the paramedics.”