Strictly Come Dancing fans have expressed how they really feel about Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s departure tonight.

A Strictly Come Dancing star has revealed what it’s really like to take over from its legendary hosts.

Strictly Come Dancing 2026 is here and there’s been some major changes with five new professional dancers and a trio of new presenters taking over hosting duties.

Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman decided it was time to leave the iconic series last year which meant that the BBC had to find their replacements.

And in an unexpected announcement, three stars were confirmed for the job: Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe.

During a conversation at this evening’s launch show, the presenters shared how they’ve really been feeling about taking over.

Turning her attention to actor Lawrence Robb, Emma Willis said: “Lawrence there’s a very strong pedigree that comes from Emmerdale on this show.

“If I said Kelvin Fletcher, Lewis Cope, Lawrence Robb, how do you feel?”

“Well that’s good ain’t it? That’s lovely, that’s a lovely little ring to that”, Robb replied.

He then turned the focus onto the three new hosts, remarking: “They are very, very big and large shoes to fill. I guess I can empathise with you guys with filling Claudia and Tess I suppose.”

Emma, Johannes and Josh laughed at the comment before she jokingly replied: “Yes literally! Our smiles are on but inside we’re like ducks under water!”

There have been mixed reviews on the new Strictly presenters but some have already shared that they “miss” Tess and Claudia.

A fan said: “When the three hosts came out on stage at the start, I did feel sad, I really miss Tess and Claudia.

“It is going to take me a few weeks to get over their absence from the show.”

Someone else wrote: “Bring back Tess and Claudia. I’m bored already”, as a third posted: “Strictly have bagged one of the best presenters, Emma Willis. It’s just so odd not having Claudia and Tess.”

Meanwhile, a more sympathetic fan wrote: “Must be very hard taking over from Tess and Claudia..

“Come on guys, it’s the first week. They’re all doing great and will find their niche.”

Strictly Come Dancing continues every Saturday on BBC One and BBC iPlayer

Strictly Come Dancing fans were left delighted after Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu were confirmed as the 2026 same-sex couple

The 2026 Strictly Come Dancing pairings have now been officially revealed.

Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe presented the pre-recorded launch programme on Saturday (September 19) evening, which saw 15 celebrities matched with a professional dancing partner.

In an unprecedented move for Strictly, the famous participants discovered their partners through a completely new format never previously used on the programme.

The celebrities and professional dancers were divided into groups, with each group learning a specific routine before being paired up “like speed dating”.

As the music began, they danced while the hosts regularly called out “change partners” and they would switch. The sequence continued until the presenters halted the music and ultimately informed them they would be performing together, reports the Daily Star.

Viewers expressed their delight after discovering House of the Dragon actor Bethany Antonia has been matched with professional dancer Nancy Xu, and quickly took to social media to share their enthusiasm.

Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, one viewer posted: “Bethany and Nancy same sex partnership we wonnn.” Another commented: “I need Bethany and Nancy to be good omg #Strictly.”

A third viewer remarked: “I love Bethany and Nancy together they are so precious #strictly.” Someone else concurred: “Nancy and Bethany have my heart #strictly.”

A fifth added: “I had a feeling they’d pair Bethany and Nancy together the vibe was right #strictly.”

Upon discovering they would be partnered together, Bethany said: “I just feel so happy. We just bonded instantly like day one. We weren’t supposed to have a preference but I was like I kinda do.”

Nancy said: “I’m trying to control myself. I’m shaking still and something has gonne but the excitement is here and I cannot wait for this partnership. I am just so happy.”

There have been just five same-sex celebrity and professional pairings in Strictly’s history. Former boxer Nicola Adams and professional Katya Jones became the inaugural same-sex couple but were forced to withdraw after four weeks when the former tested positive for Covid.

12 months later, Johannes Radebe and celebrity chef John Whaite became the first same-sex duo to reach the final, while comedian Jayde Adams and dancer Karen Hauer were also matched in 2022.

In 2023, all-male duo Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin progressed to the final, and while 2024 featured no same-sex couples, 2025 saw RuPaul Drag Race UK star La Voix partnered with Aljaž Škorjanec, though they weren’t formally classified as a same-sex partnership because she performed as a female character alongside a male professional.

The pair followed the programme’s traditional mixed-sex ballroom framework rather than a same-sex arrangement, and La Voix indicated in interviews that she wished to participate entirely as her female comedy character.

Strictly Come Dancing returns on Saturday, September 26 at 6.15pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer

Greater Manchester Police said Lillia, who had been missing since Friday, September 11, was found in the city centre.

The force thanked members of the public who shared appeals to help trace the teenager.

In an update issued on Saturday, police said: “Thank you to everyone who shared our missing appeal for 13-year-old Lillia, who has been missing since Friday 11 September 2026.

“We can confirm that she has been found safe and well in the city centre.

“She is currently with our officers, and her next-of-kin have been informed of this update.

“We will release more information in due course.”

Police had previously appealed for information after concerns were raised for Lillia’s welfare following her disappearance.

No further details have currently been released.

Strictly Come Dancing fans have finally had their say over Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe as the new hosts – and they’re not holding back with their honesty.

Tonight, the BBC series finally returned, with lots of changes coming into effect.

In addition to Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman being nowhere to be seen, replaced by a trio of presenters, there are also several new pro dancers and, of course, a brand new batch of celebrities, including Dani Dyer, Lacey Turner, Bethany Antonia and Will Best.

Before the start of the 2026 series, a lot of longtime viewers had their doubts about the new presenters, as they wondered how the show would work with three personalities fronting the programme.

Some naysayers weren’t sure whether Josh would be a good fit given his career as a stand-up comedian, whereas Emma has presented shows like Big Brother and The Voice UK, and Johannes has been a part of Strictly as a professional dancer since 2018.

However, plenty of other people defended him, excited to see how he’d bring his dry wit to the ballroom – and now, after the first episode of the season, the verdicts are flying in from fans on social media.

Writing on X, one Strictly fan called Owen said that Emma was ‘outshining the other two so much’.

Several people claimed that ‘three’s a crowd’, while Ryan admitted his believe that Josh was ‘out of place’, adding: ‘I get we can have comic relief but I think Emma & Johannes can do that too 🤷🏼‍♂️.’

‘3 presenters just seems unnecessary, don’t see the point of it,’ Suzi wrote, while Sue added: ‘The intro was far too long and as for presenters, two’s company three’s a crowd!’

Despite a lot of dubious reactions about the set-up of a trio, and disbelief that the new presenters are the right fit, others were a lot more positive about how Josh, Johannes and Emma handled their first episode.

‘Josh is doing well. And I was sceptical. This year just feels so fresh and new. Loving it,’ Olivia said.

‘I’m going to be controversial here…. I like Emma, JoJo and Josh!’ wrote Mrs Brightside, while Beverly stated: ‘I wanted to hate the new #Strictly but here I am digging it! Even Josh!’

Another fan called Helen said that she was enjoying the return of Strictly so much that she ‘might be back onboard for this season’, implying that she had been considering giving it a miss.

JD added: ‘I really hope people give things chance to bed in and settle. It’s the launch show, nerves are huge and all launches are different to the main show. Just give them all time!’

Emma, Johannes and Josh were announced as the new presenters of Strictly in May after months of anticipation.

Reacting to their newly-appointed roles, Emma said at the time that she’d been a ‘huge fan’ of the show for years.

‘It’s impossible to fill the shoes that Tess and Claudia have left behind – two wonderful, iconic women who have been the beating heart of Strictly for so long. I can only hope that we are able to help to steer the ship as beautifully as they have, into this new chapter.’ she said.

Johannes felt ‘deeply honoured’ by his new position, saying that Strictly has ‘always stood for joy, heart and togetherness’.

Josh recalled competing in the 2024 Christmas special, expressing that he was ‘giddy with excitement, honoured and a little overawed’.

Strictly Come Dancing returns on Saturday night on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

MORE: Has Lacey Turner left EastEnders for good amid Strictly or is she coming back?

MORE: Who is Lawrence Robb and is he leaving Emmerdale to do Strictly Come Dancing?

MORE: Diana still ‘deeply resented’ in Buckingham Palace, says David Dimbleby

Earl Spencer last night accused King Charles of ‘gaslighting’ him in a dramatic escalation of their furious row over Princess Diana.

Speaking exclusively to The Mail on Sunday, the earl denied that he wrote his bombshell memoir because he was motivated by money and said his late sister would be ‘cheering from the rafters’ at his book. 

The Royal Family is reeling from a string of explosive claims in the memoir – entitled Swan Song: Diana, My Sister – after extracts were exclusively published by the Mail last week.

Earl Spencer’s incendiary claim that – days after Diana’s 1997 death – the then Prince Charles told him: ‘Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough’ provoked a highly unusual response from the Palace.

The Prince of Wales’s alleged comment was made during a blistering row with the earl over whether Princes William and Harry, then aged 15 and 12, should walk in their mother’s funeral procession. 

But in a statement, a Palace spokesman last week questioned the veracity of Earl Spencer’s explosive account and said that fraternal grief can ‘cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory‘.

Now, in his first newspaper comments since the war of words erupted, Earl Spencer, 62, has hit back, describing the Palace’s statement as gaslighting, a form of psychological abuse where the victim is manipulated into questioning what they know to be true.

He also said the Palace’s statement was a ‘poor imitation’ of Queen Elizabeth’s famous ‘recollections may vary’ retort to Harry and Meghan after their interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021.

He has claimed that in the days after Diana’s death, the then Prince Charles told him ‘we’ll forget her soon enough’ 

Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed in Saint Tropez, France on August 22, 1997 – just days before they died 

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‘It is not every day you wake up to find you’ve been gaslit by the King,’ he said.

‘It was astonishingly provocative and below the belt because it was essentially trying to say I’d lied without the King being able to deny what I’d said.

‘I also thought it was a rather poor imitation of the ‘recollections may vary’ quote, which was a much more elegant way of putting things, but in these circumstances entirely out of place.’

In an interview with the BBC to be broadcast tonight, Earl Spencer said he told close friends and family ‘straight away’ about the Prince of Wales’s alleged outburst ‘because it was so monstrous’.

Writing in today’s MoS, the Mail’s Richard Kay – one of Diana’s most trusted confidants – recalls Earl Spencer telling him, in the week before the Princess’s funeral, that there had been a ‘furious row’ and that Prince Charles had been ‘utterly pathetic’.

Earl Spencer last night said: ‘I am a historian – I appreciate that a lot of the public don’t know that – and my primary responsibility as a historian is to tell the truth. 

‘My motivation in this book has been to tell the truth about Diana and all she had to put up with in her public life through the eyes of the brother who grew up with her.

‘Along the way I’ve been able to deal with various myths that have grown up which needed to be dealt with once and for all. 

King Charles III gives a speech during a meeting for leaders from the AI sector

Lord Charles Spencer in the library of his ancestral home, Althorp Hall, Northamptonshire

‘I’m in my sixties, neither of my parents made it to 70 and I wanted to do this while I could.’

Some royal commentators have claimed the earl is ‘cashing in’ on his late sister’s memory. 

Charles Spencer, however, strenuously denied that his motivations in publishing the book are financial.

‘Money has never even been the remotest consideration in my choosing to write my tribute to Diana,’ he said.

‘Diana always had an expression which is don’t judge others by yourselves – and I think this applies to anyone who accuses me of something so ridiculous.’

Earl Spencer famously delivered a raw and defiant eulogy at his sister’s funeral, which was broadcast to a worldwide audience of 2.5 billion.

In one of the most poignant passages of his book, the earl reveals how he read the speech to Diana’s coffin in Chapel Royal, a private chapel at St James’s Palace, where his sister’s body lay for five days before the funeral.

He told the MoS that he believes his late sister would have both ‘applauded’ those words and been ‘fully behind’ his book.

‘At the end of the day, people are missing a fundamental point, which is that Diana was my sister and I have every right to write about my own sister. 

‘I can tell you that Diana would be cheering from the rafters at this book, I have no doubt about that.

‘She loved it when we stuck up for one another and I really felt it when I read my eulogy to her privately in a chapel before her funeral. 

‘I sensed so strongly that day that she would have applauded those words and I feel equally strongly today that she would be fully behind this book.’

The MoS can today reveal that, in his memoir, the earl voices his regret at removing Diana’s boyfriend Dodi Fayed’s name from his eulogy. 

He also details an extraordinary conversation with Prince Charles at his father John Spencer’s funeral, in which he claims the future king told him he was ‘so lucky’ to be inheriting his family’s estate while he was in his twenties.

Earl Spencer claims that during the exchange at his family seat at Althorp, Prince Charles stamped his foot like a ‘petulant’ child.

Meanwhile, a string of establishment figures have leapt to the King’s defence.

Veteran BBC broadcaster David Dimbleby yesterday described the earl as ‘a curious fellow’ who he said has questions to answer over ‘the extent to which he is a genuine defender’ of Diana.

The broadcaster, who covered major royal events for decades, questioned Earl Spencer’s actions in 1995 when rogue BBC reporter Martin Bashir showed him forged bank statements in a bid to persuade him that people close to Diana were being paid to spy on her. 

Dimbleby said: ‘He [Earl Spencer] didn’t go to the police, he didn’t go to the prime minister, he showed it to Diana and said ‘give an interview to BBC Panorama‘… and Diana at her most paranoid at that point accepted it.

‘So I think Charles [Spencer] has got some questions to answer himself… about the extent to which he is a genuine defender.’

Former Tory MP Rory Stewart, who tutored Prince Harry and Prince William, told the BBC that he ‘simply cannot believe’ that the King said what Spencer claims. 

‘It’s just not his character, it’s not his personality. Never ever have I heard him say anything like that.’

In a statement released last Wednesday, the Palace said: ‘While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss.’

The Palace has declined to comment on further claims in the memoir.

The Strictly Come Dancing 2026 couples have officially been confirmed in tonight’s Saturday night launch show, including one same-sex pairing that’s left fans over the moon.

It’s been three years since the Strictly featured a same-sex couple, with Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin making the final of the competition in 2023.

The first same-sex couple was Nicola Adams and Katya Jones in 2020, followed by John Whaite and Johannes Radebe in 2021, Jayde Adams and Karen Hauer in 2022, and Richie Anderson and Giovanni Pernice in the same series.

And now, House of the Dragon star Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu will be vying for the Glitterball Trophy.

Reacting to their partnership, Strictly fan Siobhan wrote on X: ‘Strictly FINALLY having a female same sex pairing with finalist potential is AMAZING!!

‘Nancy has been one of my favourite pros since the day she joined, I adore her energy and joy. Her and Bethany are going to be a special partnership and a VERY important one!! 😍🌈💕 #Strictly.’

‘I love Bethany and Nancy together they are so precious😭,’ commented Georgia, while Beth added: ‘BETHANY AND NANCY OMG 😍 I just know they’re about to be THE pairing for me this year.’

Nancy has been a fantastic pro on Strictly since she joined the show in 2019, receiving her first celebrity partner two years later with CBBC presenter Rhys Stephenson.

It’s been two years since she’s had a partner, having last competed with Shayne Ward in 2024 – and now it’s finally time for her to unleash her competitive spirit with Bethany.

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In recent years, Bethany’s gained prominence as Lady Baela Targaryen in House of the Dragon, the daughter of Matt Smith’s Daemon Targaryen and stepdaughter of Emma D’Arcy’s Rhaenyra Targaryen.

The 28-year-old, who’s appeared in other productions including Doctors, Get Even, Stay Close and Nolly, ‘couldn’t believe’ that she’d been cast in Strictly when she was announced in July.

‘I have grown up watching Strictly, and I am so excited to take the challenge on and (hopefully!) learn a new skill. See you on the dancefloor!’ she said at the time.

Just over a week ago, she shared a picture of herself in full Strictly glam, writing in her caption: ‘OKAY SO WE’RE DOING THIS 🪩🧑🏾‍🩰🧑‍🩰🕺❤️🤪.’

Several of her House of the Dragon co-stars shared messages in response in the comments, with Steve Toussaint writing: ‘👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿🔥🔥🔥 Go on girl!!!’ while Gayle Ranjin said that she was ‘SAT 🔥🔥🔥❤️❤️’.

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‘So excited!!! Xxx,’ commented Russell T Davies, while her fellow competitor Dani Dyer added: ‘So so beautiful ❤️❤️❤️.’

Strictly Come Dancing returns on Saturday night on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

MORE: Strictly fans convinced one ‘fantastic’ new pairing are already the frontrunners to win

MORE: Has Lacey Turner left EastEnders for good amid Strictly or is she coming back?

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MORE: Who is Lawrence Robb and is he leaving Emmerdale to do Strictly Come Dancing?

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Simister Island, also known as junction 18, connects the M60, M62 and M66 motorways.

The junction is notorious for chock-a-block traffic during rush hour, which is why National Highways are working on an upgrade to ease congestion.

Anyone who has driven eastbound towards Simister Island around peak times knows they could be sat in a queue as far back as junction 17, if they’re lucky. The same goes for anyone going west from the Pennines.

To solve this problem, the scheme aims to create five lanes for traffic on both sides of the M60; a new loop road to avoid queues on the carriageway; and widen the M66 road.

Carrying out this work means average speeds of 50mph, overnight closures, lane closures and weekend closures for motorists. It’s going to get worse before it gets better.

Most commuters will allow more time when using this stretch of road, which attracts around 90,000 vehicles a day.

National Highways have urged motorists to allow even more time over the coming years due to the roadworks and thanked them in advance for their patience.

On the weekends of September 26 and October 10, the junction will be closed completely so workers from Costain, the contractor, can remove the overhead gantries.

These closures are the first significant disruptions since the scheme started earlier this year.

What many people won’t know is that these closure dates are carefully selected to avoid what is anticipated to be busy periods. The National Highways team has a schedule of all the major events taking place in the city-region.

This includes sporting fixtures, gigs or cultural events such as Manchester Pride.

Highways bosses pointed out the start of the closure in October is slightly later than in September because a big Pussycat Dolls gig is taking place at Coop Live.

The idea is they don’t want to cause major disruption on the motorway when lots of people will be travelling away from a busy venue.

They may even reopen the roads earlier if their monitoring systems suggest the road network is dangerously busy.

Senior project manager from National Highways, Frances Oliver, said: “National Highways have a system where we have a huge list of all the events going on in the area, which is a really key strategic route for the wider region.

“We’ve got sporting events at various football and rugby grounds; we’ve got a shopping centre and the Christmas peak for those; we’ve got an awful lot of concert venues; and marathons and half marathons.

“If you can think about an event, we’ve got it on our list. We will try our best not to do our closures based around those events.

“For the second weekend closure (coming up) the closure time slightly varies from the first weekend. That is because we are starting later to accommodate the events going on.”

Through the interview about the scheme, Frances explained how safety is paramount to the project, which has been meticulously planned for years.

So safety was her answer when quizzed over why you rarely see workers out during the day on the project – a common frustration for motorists queuing past roadworks.

Safety is also the reason drivers can expect to see an average speed zone marked out through the stretch of motorway until 2030.

Frances added: “In delivering a scheme like this we need to manage the safety of the travelling public, but also the safety of our road workers.

“Also, we have really high quality barriers out there that are protecting people, so the sheer amount of time it takes to move those things is quite a lot.

“It is frustrating to drive past and not see people in the daytime, but it is really all about the safety of people. I can assure people we are working very hard to get things done.

“I hope through the lifetime of the scheme that people will drive through and see how things change and develop.

“There is a reduced speed limit, and there are temporary enforcement yellow cameras, and you will see them through the lifetime of the scheme. We recommend people travel at the speed limit or lower.

“Safety is our number one imperative. It’s not just about us and our staff; it’s about people travelling through. So if we shut the road completely and did things really quickly, it might not be the safest way.

“We often get told that in China they’re doing this overnight, but that’s all well and good but here we have really high safety standards.”

The scheme itself is going to come forward in seven phases, with the team currently moving into phase 3 – once the gantries removal is complete. During this time, the road will also be resurfaced with material that will reduce road noise, according to highways bosses.

Joel MacFarlane is the site agent for contractors Costain. He went into intricate detail about the upcoming gantry removal over two weekends.

Joel said the concrete gantries weigh around 450 tonnes collectively, and each one weighs between 90 and 120 tonnes, so getting them out is no simple task.

They also have to completely clear the road, including the central reservation, to do it.

This has to be done as the road is going to be widened to create extra capacity for the 90,000 vehicles streaming through the area every day.

The main aspects of the scheme include a ‘northern loop’ built to stop thousands of vehicles using the current traffic light-controlled roundabout every day.

A five-lane section on both sides of the M60 between Prestwich and Simister (junctions 17 and 18) has been touted as well.

The M66 on the Bury side of the junction would also be widened with new lanes introduced at the interchange and a second lane added from the M60 northbound link.

All these benefits people can expect to get ahead of the 2030 completion date as the roundabout is the last bit of work to do.

Joel said: “During the period of the scheme the maintenance of the site will be managed by Costain. The surfacing will be managed and upgraded during that period. It won’t be done during the demolition works.

“Towards the end of the project, it is necessary to put traffic on the feature before we undertake the roundabout works in the centre and close the existing off slip and open the new free flow link.

“So that will come into play before the completion of the project, but not until the tail end. Trying to maintain traffic flow during the construction of the scheme is the challenge.

“20-30mph is about the average speed at the moment around Simister Island. Once we’ve opened up the scheme and traffic is free-flowing between junction 17 and 19 they won’t need to queue. Traffic should flow freely and it should mean the average speed will increase.”

Steve Askham, community relations and stakeholder manager at Costain, has arguably one of the most difficult jobs – dealing with the local community. Residents in the village of Simister as well as around Prestwich and Besses o’ th’ Barn get the tough job of living right next door to this scheme.

That will mean more traffic, more noise from construction and general disruption. Steve feels residents’ concerns and thoughts have been taken into consideration throughout the planning process.

The main example of this was the construction of the site compound for construction workers off the motorway, which stopped construction vehicles traipsing through local residential areas to park up post-shift. Other smaller details like electric, rather than petrol, power tools to trim back foliage at the sides of the road and taking part and funding community projects are also a major part of his role.

Overall, the scheme – estimated to cost between £255m and £296m – aims to reduce congestion, improve journey times and create a safer route through what is one of the North West’s busiest motorway junctions. Unfortunately will be some pain for drivers until that happens.

National Highways have urged people to sign up to their website updates so they can avoid the junction when major works or closures are taking place. They have thanked everyone for their patience during this time.

Former international peacekeeper Danny Vettrino, 35, from Dysart, Fife, was gunned down in Canouan, on St Vincent and the Grenadines, in June.

The funeral service of a Scottish man who was shot dead on a Caribbean island has taken place.

Former international peacekeeper Danny Vettrino, from Dysart, Fife, was gunned down in Canouan, on St Vincent and the Grenadines, in June. The 36-year-old, who moved to the Granadines in 2024, was murdered at a car park in the Gym Hill area of the island after returning from a day out.

He suffered a number of gunshot wounds to his body and was pronounced dead at the scene. Danny, who worked as a Technical Service Manager at the Canouan Estate Resort and Villas, was laid to rest in his hometown on August 21.

In a statement, Ian Johnston Funeral Directors described the service at Kirkcaldy Crematorium as “beautiful and heartfelt”.

The statement reads: “A beautiful and heartfelt service was held on Friday, 21st August, at Kirkcaldy Crematorium to celebrate the life of a much-loved young man and a true one-of-a-kind, tragically taken from this world, Mr Daniel Vettrino, affectionately known to so many as Danny.

“Danny’s loving family gathered outside his home in Dysart to welcome him back there one final time, before accompanying him on his final journey to Kirkcaldy Crematorium. On arrival, they were joined by many more of Danny’s relatives, friends and loved ones, who had travelled from different parts of the world to be there.

“During his time working away, Danny had made many lifelong friendships, and it was a fitting reflection of the impact he had on so many that so many had come together to pay their respects.”

The statement went on: “There were, understandably, many tears throughout the service, but amongst the sadness were also smiles and moments of gentle laughter as stories were shared and cherished memories brought back to life. One thing was certain, Danny did things his way, and there will never be another quite like him.”

It concluded: “Rest in peace now, Danny. Your work on this earth is done. Rest forever in the hearts and minds of all who will keep loving you, forever.”

In the weeks after Danny’s death, Caribbean cops confirmed they had made several” arrests – including two of Danny’s co-workers – as part of the murder probe. Nobody has since been charged.

Danny moved from Scotland to Egypt in 2015 and worked for an international peacekeeping organisation, which was created to oversee the terms of the Egyptian peace treaty with Israel. He moved to Colombia in 2023 and was contemplating returning to Scotland early in the next year before he landed the job in the Caribbean.

We previously told how detectives investigating the fatal shooting were reportedly probing links to a plane which ‘vanished’ in mysterious circumstances. Local media reports stated that his death has triggered an “expansion of an ongoing investigation” into the “disappearance” of a private plane near Canouan in July.

Reports suggested the probes became linked as the two pilots of the light aircraft, which vanished from radar before being found days later, came from Colombia, where Daniel previously lived.

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The process to make antivenom has barely changed in a century: snakes are milked, their venom is injected into horses, and their antibodies are harvested to form the basis of the product. The resulting treatments are difficult to administer, can trigger severe side effects, and the quality varies from batch to batch. 

“The big four snakes contribute to 70 per cent of poisonous bites [in India]… so 30 per cent of poisonous snakes are not covered, even to begin with,” said Dr Yogesh Jain, a public health physician in Chhattisgarh state and a member of The Global Snakebite Taskforce. 

“But there are huge quality and efficacy issues even against these 70 per cent of bites. We’re relying on a 100-year-old technique of getting antivenoms, and at least 50,000 people are dying every year,” he told The Telegraph. 

“There’s a real need for new technology. We don’t have a safe and appropriate antivenom for the largest majority of people in rural India.”

Now, scientists are hopeful that they have developed a potential alternative. 

In the latest study, published last week, researchers showed that an experimental antivenom cocktail with five components protected mice against lethal doses of antivenom in Indian cobras, even when delayed by up to 20 minutes – a scenario that mimics the real-world lag between a bite and treatment.   

“If you go 10 years back, people didn’t think you could make sufficiently simple products with new, modern biotechnology that could cover all these different snake venoms,” said Prof Andreas Laustsen-Kiel, head of the Section of Biologics Engineering at the Technical University of Denmark and co-author of the paper. 

“People simply believed it was too complex, too expensive to manufacture, and so on… But the data we are gathering is convincing enough to say this is something that could make a huge dent in the lost lives and limbs snakebite causes every year.”  

The antivenom itself was based on lab-made nanobodies – antibodies derived from a group of animals including camels, llamas and some species of shark. Scientists believe their structure means they could be a more potent, more precise, more temperature-stable alternative to man-made monoclonal antibodies – and cheaper to manufacture.

“The latest study builds on an earlier discovery of nanobodies that can protect across a broad spectrum of African snakes,” said Prof Nicholas Casewell, director of the Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, who has previously collaborated with Prof Laustsen-Kiel.

“In this paper they have iterated and demonstrated that a narrow number of nanobodies can protect against Indian cobras and king cobras. This demonstration brings the nanobody technology closer to market,” he added.

But that is likely still years away, depending on how much funding the researchers can attract. The next steps – a larger animal study, scaling up manufacture, and launching human trials – are expensive. 

“If money was no issue, we could probably be testing in humans in 1.5 to three years from now,” said Prof Laustsen-Kiel. “But since money is a big issue, it is more likely that human trials won’t be able to start until 2.5 to four years from now.

“But I really think that this [study shows] there’s no doubt that biotech can deliver better antivenoms. The question is whether people are willing to fund it,” he said.

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Dani Dyer and Nikitz Kuzmin have been paired together once again on Strictly Come Dancing

Strictly Come Dancing 2026 has been hit with a fix storm.

The glitzy BBC programme has returned for another series with new famous faces hoping to lift the glitterball trophy at the end of the competition.

The 15 celebrities taking part all learned the identity of their professional dancer partner during Saturday’s (September 19) pre-recorded launch show which saw new presenters Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe make their debut.

Love Island series three winner Dani Dyer is back in the running for a second chance after a horror injury forced her to withdraw from the competition last year.

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After fracturing her ankle Dani told fans: “Apparently, doing the quickstep on a fracture is not advisable. It was so hard because I was having the best time of my life. [After I quit] I couldn’t leave the house, because I knew if someone said to me, ‘Are you OK?’, I’d just cry. It’s been really testing my mental health.”

Dani was partnered up with the professional dancer Nikita Kuzmin last year and was replaced by West End star and fellow Love Island champion Amber Davies, who reached the final of the 2025 series.

During the 2026 launch show, Dani learned that she’d been paired with Nikita once again and fans were left rushing to social media to share their thoughts.

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, one fan penned: “So Dani and Nikita are reunited yayyy.”A second said: “Love that Dani and Nikita have been paired together again #strictly.”

However, one viewer asked: “Is it fair that Dani has Nikita again? I’m happy about it but Jamie Laing was told he couldn’t have Oti again due to the advantage of having danced together before so I’m surprised the same rule doesn’t apply to Dani.”

Another agreed: “I can’t remember how long Nikita and Dani were together for last year, but is that a bit of an unfair advantage as they already know each other.”

Speaking to the BBC ahead of the new show, Dani revealed: “I’m probably most nervous about getting out on that dancefloor for the first time and being judged!

“I’m quite sensitive and definitely my own biggest critic, I’ll probably overthink everything. But if I’m really honest, my biggest fear is getting injured again.

“I’m going to do everything I can to look after myself, stay positive, and just enjoy every moment of the experience. Doing the Quickstep definitely scares me a little.”

However, when it came to her getting the call, she admitted she cried, adding: “I didn’t want to assume after everything that happened last year that I would get another chance.

“I can’t wait to finally get the opportunity to properly experience the Strictly journey. I am excited, nervous, and emotional – all the feelings!

“But more than anything, I can’t wait to get stuck into learning how to dance and make the most of every single moment. As long as I don’t trip over my own feet I will be happy!”

Strictly Come Dancing returns on Saturday, September 26 at 6.15pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer