The six artists or collaborations are Alex Hartley and Tom James, based in Devon and London, Helix Arts x George King Architects, based in the North East, Mary Dalton, based in Hampshire, non zero one, based in London, Sam Williams Studio, based in Sussex, and Trigger, based in Bristol.

The popular series, which offers huge prizes to competitors, is back for 2026 and you can claim a free pair of tickets worth up to £64 to Chelmsford City racecourse PLUS kids go free

The Sky Bet Sunday Series kicks off again in April and we are giving readers the opportunity to claim free tickets to any one of the five meetings up and down the country.

We have partnered with Racing TV to secure 9,000 tickets to give away to readers and what’s more, you can claim two free tickets to your chosen event – plus kids go free, so it’s a great opportunity for a fantastic family day-out.

The Sky Bet Sunday Series is in its sixth year and showcases racing in the attractive Sunday twilight slot. There is huge prize-money to be won, in addition to significant cash bonuses, which means hugely competitive racing, all played out in front of the ITV cameras.

Skybet Sunday Series is in association with horsepower – British racing’s hub dedicated to the Thoroughbred racehorse – Safety and Welfare in Horseracing visit horsepwr.co.uk

Also new for the year, the Series will partner with Young Lives vs Cancer – Sky Bets charity partner of the year. For more information CLICK HERE.

The five participating Sky Bet Sunday Series race meetings for this offer are:

• Musselburgh – Sunday 12th April 2026 – Gates open 13:30
• Ayr – Sunday 26th April 2026 – Gates open 13:45
• Hamilton Park – Sunday 17th May 2026 – Gates open 14:00
• Thirsk – Sunday 31st May 2026 – Gates open TBC (Communicated nearer the time, check website for details)
• Chelmsford City – Sunday 2nd August 2026 – Gates open 11:30

Click here to claim your free tickets (subject to availability, first come, first serve basis)

Terms and Conditions : 1. This promotion covers all events and will be open until either (i) 7 days before the particular race which you have entered the promotion for or, (ii) until all tickets for that particular event are redeemed, whichever occurs first. Musselburgh will close at midnight on April 1 due to Easter Bank holiday. The entire promotion for all events will close at 23:59pm on Sunday, July 26, 2026.

2 . This is a syndicated offer across the Daily Mirror/ Sunday Mirror, Daily Star/Daily Star Sunday, Daily Record/Sunday Mail, Daily Express/Sunday Express, Sunday People and and their relevant Reach online platform, aswell as 6 regional newspapers and their online platform: Cambridge News / cambridge-news.co.uk, Paisley Daily Express, Newcastle Chronicle, Journal, Sunday Sun / chroniclelive.co.uk, Teesside Gazette / gazettelive.co.uk. Aswell as the following Premium Subsription apps: Daily Record, Newcastle Chronicle

3. Tickets are limited for each event to 2000 (1000 pairs) except Musselburgh which has 1000 (500 pairs) and are subject to availability and will be offered on a first come first served basis.

4. To enter the promotion you will need to be over 18 years of age (i) choose your preferred racing event; (ii) fill in your full name and email address, (iii) click enter and then you will be sent an instant email with ticket information in the event you are successful receiving tickets to attend the event. If you are not successful (if all tickets have been taken), you will be informed that you have not been successful. Please check junk email if successful and move your email to your inbox immediately to avoid deletion of your email which is automatically from your junk/spam email after 30 days.

Full terms and conditions can be found on the entry form and must be adhered to in order to enter the promotion.

The first instalment of The Claudia Winkleman show had fans rushing to social media to vent their opinions as the former Strictly host spoke to a star-studded guest list

Claudia Winkleman has fronted her new show and fans are immediately having their say. The star of The Traitors and formerly of Strictly Come Dancing is now sharing Graham Norton’s Friday evening talk slot as she entertains on her own brand new series.

It marks Claudia’s first new solo gig since she and co-host Tess Daly stepped down from hosting Strictly Come Dancing. And The Traitors star admitted the new venture as “really scary” as she readied herself to speak to a star-studded line-up of famous faces from the world of TV, music, and more.

The aptly named The Claudia Winkleman Show, is filmed in front of a live studio audience and the presenter said before the show she is “going to be awful”. And fans were quick to share whether they agreed with her statement as they rushed to Twitter /X during the first instalment.

READ MORE: Alan Davies leaves special gift for his children after ‘difficult’ pastREAD MORE: Where is Death in Paradise’s Josephine Jobert after heartbreaking exit?

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One viewer sighed: “So Television is Graham Norton’s production company, they also produce The Claudia Winkleman Show which is why, despite a set change, the format is identical. A shame nothing different was attempted with this chat show!”

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Another complained: “The Claudia Winkleman Show is just the Graham Norton Show without Graham Norton.” And a third said: “This is just not working the Claudia Winkleman show is dull as the dark teal sofa.”

However, others were appreciating the new show – including guest Tom Allen, who ssaid it was a great show. On Instagram he said: “It was FABULOUS to be part of!”

And a X user also seemed to enjoy the set up. “First thoughts about The Claudia Winkleman Show, not that much different from The Graham Norton Show really but I love her anyway,” they said. Another added: “The Claudia Winkleman Show gets four stars. . . .A welcome contrast to the Graham Norton Show, which is a very, very out-of-step production.”

The opening instalment of Claudia Winkleman’ s new chat show sees Jennifer Saunders confess that she and Dawn French once made plan to take ecstasy together – but were thwarted.

Jennifer, who appeared on the show to promoted her new film The Magic Faraway Tree, revealed: “Dawn and I once thought we’d be really daring, and we got an ecstasy tablet. We thought one day when we’re alone – we could take half an ecstasy tablet. We kept it on Dawn’s mantlepiece and one day, about six months later, we thought ‘OK, we’re ready’.”

Before the show aired, Claudia had said: “I can’t quite believe it, and I’m incredibly grateful to the BBC for this amazing opportunity. I’m obviously going to be awful, that goes without saying, but I’m over the moon they’re letting me try.”

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The Claudia Winkleman Show got going as its first episode meant to go on: with the newly minted chat show host doing crowd work.

The average BBC viewer might not realise from the muted set-up and dimmed lights, but much is riding on Winkleman’s eponymous show debut. The fringetastic phenom has helmed the Beeb’s two marquee franchises (the castle and the ballroom), and the question now is whether she can conquer the sofa too.

Coming off that high-rating streak, The Claudia Winkleman Show is the disarming star’s blank cheque moment. 

But show guest Tom Allen (also the first episode’s runaway star) summed up the premiere best: ‘It does feel sometimes like I’m in a nursing home.’ 

That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, except when it was. 

Clear effort has been made to set Winkleman’s intimate saloon apart from Graham Norton’s shining, showbiz-forward studio. Smooth jazz soundtracked the show, with lighting from stylish sconces that created a speakeasy effect, but one in which celebs flog their wares.

With no real warm-up, we were straight in with the sofa set: Hollywood’s Jeff Goldblum and Vanessa Williams, as well as national treasure Jennifer Saunders and Allen on the end bit of the emerald velvet settee, absent of back support. As if the comedians didn’t already get short shrift with the seating plan.

It was strange to see Winkleman nervous, but she did admit as much. The anxious grinning was a foreign quality from her unflappable demeanour on The Traitors and Strictly, but the self-deprecation was still there. It was ‘the first and possibly last show’. (Except they’ve already booked big names for next week).

The hour-ish unfolded much like the jazz tunes Goldblum was promoting: winding, with sedate interludes and no clear chorus. This is where Winkleman’s freewheeling ability to get out of the way runs up against the chat show as we know it. 

As the celebrity podcast industrial complex has shown, inane luvvie musings are in no short supply. Being low on ego is commendable, until you’re in a room of people brimming with it. Then, you can get lost in the shuffle.

Winkleman’s laid-back hosting style left the show prone to clumsy moments. Certain questions and anecdotes failed to take off. We paused to observe Goldblum wiggle his ears one at a time, which somehow merited applause and left me wondering what might be on the cutting room floor.

In such moments, it was Allen who saved the day, doing bit after bit from the end of the sofa. Did I look up tickets to the show he was promoting? Yes, I did. Winkleman felt disappointingly static by comparison.

But this was an inaugural outing (when are pilots ever perfect?), and The Claudia Winkleman Show held promise. There were glimmers of those spontaneous celeb interactions – the gold-dust these shows are powered on – like Allen’s mild horror when Goldblum started to read at random from his new novel.

The crowd engagement is where Winkleman has sought to set herself apart from Norton; they fill the void of the Big Red Chair anecdotes, but without that bleak sense that the audience members are court jester puppets for the elite.

In Winkleman’s world, the spectators are just as interesting as the sofa. There was the person who designed the sofa and the one who makes pencils for a living. Some of these interactions struck better than others, but they offered a nice point of difference.

The show needs a speck of polish, but I do hope the gentler, more intimate feel remains in future episodes, as long as the thing can still be kept on the rails. Perhaps for the second episode, Winkleman will have sparked to life and won’t feel the need to bring out a sweet pup to win us over. 

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Verdict

Only a fool would discount Claudia Winkleman at this point in her career. She hasn’t figured out the format yet, but I don’t doubt she will.

The Claudia Winkleman Show returns to BBC One on Friday at 10.40pm.

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Mojtaba Khamenei has been confirmed as the new Iranian supreme leader – only the third in its history.

The 56-year-old succeeds his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in his Tehran compound on the first day of the war. He was the supreme leader for more than 37 years before his death.

Mojtaba was not there, and so survived, but his mother, wife and daughter were killed.

Follow the latest on the Iran war here

The supreme leader is chosen by the assembly of experts, a body of 88 Islamic scholars selected for their loyalty to the regime.

A building where it meets was flattened in an airstrike, but none of them are thought to have been present at the time.

In the days after he was appointed as supreme leader, US President Donald Trump said he believes Khamenei was “damaged” by joint US-Israeli strikes.

And on Friday, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said he was “wounded and likely disfigured”.

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Israeli jets strike Khamenei’s underground bunker

Little is known about Mojtaba Khamenei.

He is the second eldest son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and has kept a low profile over the years, rarely speaking publicly or taking Friday prayers.

The 56-year-old is a hardline conservative who served in the Habib battalion of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s and has been linked with the violent suppression of protests in his country.

His time in the IRGC helped him build influential connections with men who now hold senior positions in the country.

Describing the new leader as a “lightweight”, Mr Trump said: “Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran.”

Tara Kangarlou, author of The Heartbeat of Iran, told Sky News that Mojtaba Khamenei “holds a lot of power in the IRGC apparatus; he has his hands in pretty much every infrastructure you can imagine in Iran: so a lot of money, power and influence”.

Khamenei is under US sanctions but has reportedly amassed a valuable empire of properties around the world, including in London.

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Trump wants to choose Iran’s new leader

Unlike his father, who was a well-known intellectual, a student of Persian poetry and strong orator with a following inside Iran before he became supreme leader, Khamenei does not have a strong reputation in the country.

The position of supreme leader is not just the ultimate authority in Iran, he (and it’s always a man) is the guardian of the Islamic Republic.

Although Khamenei studied in the holy city of Qom, he has only ever been a mid-ranking cleric, not a senior ayatollah.

By inheriting the role, the assembly of experts has in effect created a dynasty – not unlike a monarchy.

But Iranians do not like dynasties: they overthrew the Qajar dynasty in 1925 and the Pahlavi monarchy in 1979.

Read more:
Strategy behind the US-Israeli strikes
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Although Khamenei has influence in the inner circles of Iranian politics, he has never held public office or been elected to any government role.

In 1989, when his father became supreme leader, he worked in his offices and became his “principal gatekeeper” and “the power behind the robes”, according to US diplomatic cables published by WikiLeaks.

He is close to the IRGC, and that’s important because they would have been instrumental in his appointment, and it suggests the hardliners retain some power, which does not bode well for negotiations to end the war.

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the fourth and final day of the Cheltenham Festival as we build up to the Gold Cup at 4pm.

Overnight rain has made the going good to soft, soft in places, but with a drying breeze and only light showers forecast today there cannot be any excuses. It remains good National Hunt ground.

What we could call the King George triumvirate – The Jukebox Man, Gaelic Warrior and Jango Baie – are jostling for favouritism at the top of the betting, but the money this morning has come for Jango Baie, 7/2 from 11/2.

Last year’s Arkle winner is stepping up in trip, but could be the classiest type in the contest and Nicky Henderson’s horses have generally been running well. Nico De Boinville is on board, and is looking to win his second Gold Cup having won as a conditional jockey on novice Coneygree in 2015.

Harry Redknapp’s The Jukebox Man finished in front of Jango Baie and Gaelic Warrior in the King George and is four from four over fences. He has every chance, but the price is looking a little skinny. Kempton is not always the best gauge for the Gold Cup, but many believe the stiffer track will suit him; The Jukebox Man was beaten by a whisker by Stellar Story over three miles in the Albert Bartlett two years ago, suggesting he should come up the hill.

Gaelic Warrior beat Fact To File in the John Durkan at Punchestown this season, before the positions were reversed in the Irish Gold Cup. Like Jango Baie, Gaelic Warrior is an Arkle winner so he has a turn of foot. The question mark might be whether the Irish Gold Cup run has left him with enough in the tank, given the heavy ground at Leopardstown.

A contender who has taken a different route is Welsh and Irish National winner Haiti Couleurs, trained in Wales by Rebecca Curtis. The nine-year-old could be in the mould of Gold Cup winner Native River; an out-and-out stayer who will look to make all from the front and make this a test of stamina. Front-running has been a fruitful strategy this week, but one or two of these might have a touch more speed.

Last year’s winner Inothewayurthinkin has had awful preparation, running three stinkers in Ireland. However, following reports of more positive work at Fairyhouse, he was backed in from 18/1 to as short 6/1 a few weeks ago. The defending champion has softened in the market since then, and it would require a hell of a revival and training performance by Gavin Cromwell to keep his crown.

Before the main event, we have Festival highlights such as the Triumph Hurdle, the County Hurdle and the Albert Bartlett, which have a recent history of producing winners and placed horses at fancy prices. 

Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt) paid a visit to Bear Wolf (Joshua Richards) in Emmerdale this evening, but he had quite a surprising request.

Beloved Bear has been spending time in a mental health unit to recover from the ordeal he suffered on the farm. He was so deeply traumatised, Bear knew in his heart that being admitted there was the right thing to do.

Shortly after Paddy returned home from dropping Bear off, he discussed the investigation into Ray Walters’ (Joe Absolom) murder. Paddy had managed to prevent Bear from getting re-arrested by taking him to the unit, but DS Walsh (Amanda Ryan) explained that once he’s discharged, he will go back to prison.

Mandy Dingle (Lisa Riley) and Dylan Penders (Fred Kettle) grew curious and suggested to Paddy that if Bear spends enough time in the unit, the CPS may deem him unfit for trial, and drop the charges.

This was the only thing on Paddy’s mind in tonight’s episode, as he headed to the hospital to see Bear.

The former pro-wrestler was looking a lot better than a few weeks ago. He was still sporting his beard of course, but the way Bear held himself was more than enough to confirm the therapy was really helping.

He explained this to Paddy, but he was puzzled when his son said that the doctors cannot find out about the brilliant progress Bear is making. Paddy told him that if he gets released, DS Walsh will soon arrive and then he’ll have to face a murder trial.

But Bear’s clear head meant that he could finally speak for himself and understand what he wants. He told Paddy that he’s not going to back down from a fight, before heading off for his next session.

Hours later, Bear was home. The family sadly didn’t have long together, as DS Walsh was back and ready to take Bear to the station.

Paddy, Mandy and Dylan were devastated, but Bear was ready to face his next battle.

Will this be one he ends up winning though?

MORE: All Emmerdale spoilers for next week as three fates are sealed

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Maggie Driscoll (Pauline McLynn) was in a complete panic in tonight’s episode of Coronation Street in the aftermath of Jim McDonald’s funeral.

Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson) received the shocking news that Jim had died earlier this month, and had sought out support from his new friend Ben Driscoll (Aaron McCusker).

Ben was more than happy to accompany Steve to the funeral, though Maggie wasn’t thrilled by the idea.

It later transpired that she had a good reason for this: She’d had an affair with Jim over 40 years ago and had kept it a secret all this time!

Unfortunately for Maggie, she had to finally face her demons when Steve and Ben returned to the Rovers with two of Jim’s old army mates in tow and one of them recognised Maggie as Jim’s lover.

However, that seemed to be the least of her worries in tonight’s episode, as the flustered landlady raised eyebrows from loved ones and punters alike with her unusually erratic behaviour.

It was son Ben who kicked off her panic when he revealed that he had missed his appointment for his heart condition due to the dire parking situation at the hospital.

Viewers will recall that Ben had a serious health scare several weeks ago and was rushed to hospital after suffering heart palpitations.

In tonight’s episode, Maggie lectured him for not taking his health more seriously, and it later became clear why she was so affected by the incident.

Having spent the day lashing out at customers, Maggie paid Steve a visit and began to question him about his dad’s diagnosis of Myotonic Dystrophy.

Steve had brought up the condition while drinking with Jim’s friends after the funeral, and it had clearly been weighing on Maggie’s mind ever since.

When Jim was diagnosed with the condition, which causes muscle loss and weakness, it caused a great deal of stress for Steve when he discovered that he had a 50% chance of inheriting it. If he had, then his children would also be at risk.

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Fortunately, neither Steve nor brother Andy had the condition.

This was no comfort to Maggie, however, who is terrified that Ben may have inherited the condition.

In upcoming scenes, it is set to be revealed that Ben is actually Jim’s son, and therefore Steve’s brother.

Knowing this, it is understandable why Maggie is so concerned about Ben’s health and so keen for him to attend his appointments. But will she be able to convince him to take his health more seriously without exposing her huge secret?

MORE: Maggie’s next murder victim ‘confirmed’ after major Coronation Street star quits show

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The voting will shortly get under way to choose Hartlepool’s next Youth Representative, offering teenagers a chance to shape the future of their area.

The Youth Representative will work with councillors, youth groups, and key decision-makers to champion the issues most important to young people.

The role involves attending local and regional meetings and contributing to a wide range of projects, campaigns and events.

Councillor Melanie Morley, chair of Hartlepool Borough Council’s Children’s Services Committee, said: “Our young people care passionately about Hartlepool and its future.

“Voting to elect their Youth Representative is a powerful way for them to have a voice in helping to shape local decisions – so if you’re a young person in Hartlepool, please make sure you use your vote and have your say.”

The four candidates standing for election are Mayowa Carew, Oliver Dixon, Freddie Minton, and Libby Swinbourne.

Each has outlined a manifesto reflecting their vision for improving Hartlepool.

Freddie Minton’s campaign focuses on employment, transport, and promoting local pride.

Mr Minton said: “I want to promote local pride and showcase what it truly means to be from Hartlepool.

“By creating a campaign to showcase how amazing our town is, we can change perceptions and give Hartlepool the recognition it deserves.”

Libby Swinbourne is calling for more youth clubs and better education about cultural diversity.

Ms Swinbourne said: “I believe that we should be proud to live in Hartlepool, which means we need to take care of it.

“I believe that it’s our responsibility to ensure that our town is held to a good standard, especially if it also helps us to care for the natural environment too.”

Mayowa Carew’s manifesto centres on inclusivity, fun activities, and personal development.

Ms Carew said: “Your vote can make real change happen, and I’d be grateful for your support.”

Oliver Dixon’s manifesto emphasises ‘sport for all, better buses, fair pay’.

Mr Dixon said: “I’ll fight to protect school and community clubs, improve access to pitches and make it easier to get to games and training.”

The full manifestos are available on the council’s website at hartlepool.gov.uk/youth-representative-2026.

Voting is open to 12 to 18-year-olds who live in the borough and will run for two weeks, from Monday, March 16 to Monday, March 30.

Ballot boxes will be available in all secondary schools and colleges across Hartlepool, with candidate information and ballot papers provided on site.

Despite the best efforts from the White House to convince the nation that U.S. trade partners are happily paying for President Donald Trump’s tariffs, consumers aren’t buying it, apparently.

Some 70 percent of Americans believe that Trump’s tariffs have made them pay more for their purchases, according to a Harris Poll survey of 2,138 adults published Tuesday by The Guardian. The sentiment is partisan, too, as 77 percent of Democrats and 64 percent of Republicans said the tariffs made consumer costs somewhat higher or much higher.

The poll confirms what previous studies have indicated – that consumers are paying for a majority of the tariffs, pulling extra dollars from American wallets that are already sparse amid higher-than-desired inflation and gas prices that shot up 50 cents a gallon in the days following the U.S. and Israel’s attack on Iran.

The retail prices that consumers are paying for imported goods have gone up 7 percent compared to pre-tariff trends, according to a study from the nonpartisan tax policy group Tax Foundation. In essence, consumers are paying $107 for imported goods that cost $100 before Trump’s tariffs.

Though the Supreme Court struck down many of Trump’s levies earlier this year, the president is trying to find other avenues for tariffs. If he succeeds in his latest plan to push global tariffs to 15 percent, it could cost Americans an average of $2,512 in added costs this year, up nearly $800 from 2025, according to a study published Friday by congressional Democrats.

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The tariff-related extra costs Americans have faced so far – and may face in the future – have to do with, in part, foreign countries only paying 4 percent of the tariffs and U.S. consumers and importers fronting the other 96 percent, a January study from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy found.

“The claim that foreign countries pay these tariffs is a myth,” Kiel’s research director, Julian Hinz, said in a statement about the study. “The data show the opposite: Americans are footing the bill.”

Tariffs are piling on added costs for consumers who headed into 2026 already pessimistic about their finances.

Some 39 percent of consumers believed they were either somewhat worse off or much worse off financially at the end of last year compared to the previous year, a consumer expectations survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found in December.

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The overall negativity Americans feel about their finances – tariffs included – could impact Republicans’ chances of winning seats in Congress during mid-term elections later this year.

All 435 seats in the House and 35 of 100 Senate seats are up for grabs when voters head to the ballot boxes this November.

Of the 435 seats in the House, Republicans are projected to win 218, resulting in a razor-thin, one-seat majority over Democrats, according to nonpartisan election and campaign analysis group The Cook Political Report.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.