Igor Tudor’s Tottenham, though, come into the match on an upward trend. They battled to a deserved 1-1 draw at Anfield last weekend, and the Croatian secured the first win of his interim tenure last time out, pipping Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. Forest were also in European action midweek, but required extra-time and penalties to knock Midtjylland out of the Europa League last 16.

But here’s the twist: while many will pay more, thousands could cut their bill by hundreds—or wipe it out entirely—if they know where to look.

Next month will see up to 9% increases across parts of England, with seven councils allowed to go above the usual 5% cap.

There’s also up to 10% rises in Scotland, and bills in Wales will see an average rise of 4.9% from April.

For many households, it means one of the biggest annual increases in years.

100,000s people are missing out on the ‘severely mentally impaired’ Council Tax discount.

If you, or someone you live with, has a condition such as Alzheimer’s or severe learning difficulties, then you could save big.

Here’s full step-by-step help ⬇️https://t.co/WvUooRUxd4

— MoneySavingExpert (@MoneySavingExp) September 21, 2025

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Rules that could lower your Council Tax bill

Many people may qualify for the Disabled Band Reduction Scheme without realising it.

If eligible, your home is moved down one council tax band. If you are already in the lowest band, you could get a 17% discount instead.

You may qualify if your home has:

• An extra room or bathroom needed for a disabled person
• Space for wheelchair use

Missing this could mean overpaying year after year.

Some households could pay no council tax at all

There is also a separate discount for households where someone is classed as severely mentally impaired.

This can mean:

• 100% discount if you live alone or with others who qualify
• 50% discount in some cases
• 25% discount if you live with one qualifying person

Conditions can include dementia, Parkinson’s or severe learning difficulties, but a GP must confirm eligibility.

Money expert Martin Lewis explains: “A doctor must certify the person is ‘severely mentally impaired’ – a diagnosis alone isn’t enough.”

Warning over appealing your council tax band

With bills rising, some households are considering challenging their council tax band – but experts warn it can backfire.

While a successful appeal could save around £500 a year, there is also a risk your bill could increase.

Mel Whiting from Norton Finance said: “Appealing your council tax isn’t a free hit.”

“If your home is undervalued, your bill can go up substantially.”

In some cases, an unsuccessful appeal could move a property into a higher band permanently and even affect neighbouring homes.

How to check if you are overpaying your Council Tax

Before appealing, experts suggest:

• Checking your council tax band online
• Comparing with similar homes nearby
• Looking at properties of similar size, type and age

If similar homes are in a lower band, you may have grounds to challenge.

What to consider before acting

You are more likely to successfully challenge your band if you have lived in the property for less than six months. However, appeals can take time and outcomes are not guaranteed.

Once a band is changed, it is likely to remain in place.

Appealing your band carries risk, and could leave you paying more if it goes the wrong way.

Dani Scott, 22, from Galashiels, began chatting to Jake, 24, from South Carolina, after he commented on one of her YouTube videos — and when he flew 4,000 miles to meet her for the first time, he proposed the very next day.

A British woman got engaged just 24 hours after meeting an American man who commented under one of her YouTube videos.

Dani Scott, 22, was engaged to another man but decided to call off the wedding weeks before it was supposed to go ahead, as the couple weren’t getting on.

Two months later, the waitress, from Galashiels, Scotland, began chatting to Jake, 24, from South Carolina, USA, after he commented under one of her YouTube videos about dumbphones. The pair started dating, without ever meeting face to face.

Jake, who works in retail travelled 4,000 miles to Scotland to visit Dani in February 2026, and got down on one knee just 24 hours after they met in person for the first time.

Waitress Dani was over the moon at the proposal and the couple plan to wed in summer 2027, before she relocates permanently across the Atlantic.

She said that some friends have shared concerns about how quickly she has got engaged again, after breaking up with her fianc just two months before they ‘met’ online, but hopes that they will come round to the idea, after seeing how happy she is.

Dani, who first told her story to Talk To The Press said: “I met Jake through YouTube, a month after splitting from my fiance , who I broke up with a few weeks before our wedding.

“We both made videos about dumbphones and started chatting.

“After a few phone calls we decided we liked each other, even though he’s in America, and I’m in Scotland.

“I like that he sees the world differently to other people.

“He’s very gentle, kind, and really into nature, we just instantly clicked.

“We started dating a week after our first call, even though we’d never met in person.

“He came to visit me for the first time in February 2026 and spent 12 days in Scotland with me.

“It was amazing, the best 12 days of my life, we just got on so well.

“The day after we met, Jake proposed, whilst we were on a walk.

“I knew it was going to happen, but it was still so exciting.

“Long distance is really difficult; it was much easier to cope before we’d met in person.

“My family have come round to the relationship now, but some friends think getting engaged again four months after breaking up with my ex-fianc is a bit soon.

“Some friends didn’t even know I’d broken up with Matthew, so they are quite confused.

“People’s judgement does upset me sometimes, but I think over time people will get more used to the idea, as they will see that I’m actually happy.”

Dani met her ex fianc at university in 2024, when they were both studying theology. The pair had a whirlwind romance, and within six months, he had popped the question.

The duo planned to get married in September 2025, around a year and a half after they first met. However, as their nuptials approached, the couple decided to postpone the wedding.

“He wasn’t happy and I wasn’t happy, so we decided to postpose the wedding”, she said.

The couple tried to make things work, but after struggling to see eye to eye, cancelled the wedding completely in October 2025.

“I was actually really relieved, as I was really unhappy”, she said.

As they cancelled everything so close to the wedding date, Dani said getting refunds was almost impossible, and ended up losing around £2,000.

Dani uses her YouTube channel to post videos about how she thinks dumbphones (mobile phones without internet access or apps) are better than smartphones.

Intrigued, Jake commented under one of her videos, telling her that she had inspired him to start his own channel.

Jake also began posting about dumbphones, and the pair became invested in each other’s channels.

Then, two months after Dani had split up with Matthew, in December 2025, Jake left a comment under her video, asking for her email address.

She agreed and the couple began emailing back and forth all day, before Jake asked to call her.

After a few calls, the couple decided to start dating, even though they had never met in person and live 4,000 miles apart.

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Then in February 2026, Jake flew from South Carolina to Scotland, for a 12 day trip, to visit Dani for the first time.

Just 24 hours after Dani and Jake first met, he got down on one knee whilst they were on a walk in the local countryside.

“We’d decided we wanted to get married from the first moment we started talking”, she said.

Dani revealed that one of the reasons the couple wanted to get married so quickly, is so that she can apply for a visa to move to the US.

They think it could take over a year for her visa to get processed, so are planning to get wed in South Carolina in summer 2027.

Unfortunately, Dani’s family will not be able to attend the wedding due to costs, but the couple plan to have a celebration in Scotland before their big day, to celebrate with her relatives.

While Dani’s visa is being processed, she is unable to visit the US, meaning that the first time she goes to America will be for her wedding.

However, thankfully Jake is going to visit Dani in April, which will be the second time they meet in person, and will then travel to the UK every few months, until the wedding.

Dani’s family were initially hesitant about the relationship, but since meeting him during his visit, she says they have “come round”.

However, some friends are concerned that she has got engaged again too quickly after splitting from her ex.

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It comes as dozens of eligible people, including students, queued up again around the county for the menB vaccine or antibiotics, although numbers in the lines have dropped considerably since the rollout began on Wednesday, with no queue outside the previously busy University of Kent Canterbury campus vaccination site as of 10am on Sunday.

BBC star Gethin Jones has piqued fans’ interest due to his personal life

Gethin Jones is one of the most beloved figures on British television. His personal and romantic life has also intrigued fans over the years.

The 48-year-old former Blue Peter star now presents Morning Live on the BBC alongside Michelle Ackerley and Helen Skelton, with whom Jones has been romantically linked.

The Cardiff-born star is a former Rugby player. He has also dipped his toe into charity work over the years with Rugby Aid and a 24-hour ‘Skate-a-thon’ for Comic Relief.

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Stints on Strictly Come Dancing and his past engagement to an opera star have also seen his star rise. Wales Online takes a closer look at Jones, his private life and what he’s said on romance in recent times.

Split from famous fiancee

While competing on Strictly Come Dancing in 2007, Jones ended up meeting opera superstar Katherine Jenkins, who was a guest on the show. A romance quickly blossomed, and four years later, the pair were engaged.

However, they split up at the end of 2011. The pair admitted that, during their social media announcements, the decision left them both heartbroken.

During her tours, Jenkins admitted the break-up left her “in pieces” and feeling like a “total mess”. In an interview on the Mirror’s ‘Outdoor Minds’ podcast, Jones also conceded the split took its toll.

“I remember doing BBC Radio 5Live and going into the toilet at 5.30am, going, ‘All right. Come on. Just focus for the next three hours, and then you can go back to being sad again.’ I definitely had a bad bout of depression during that time,” he said. Jenkins later married American director Andrew Levitas and had two children.

Helen Skelton rumours

The much-loved TV and radio personality was romantically linked with Jones in 2024, with the pair reportedly enjoying dates in a luxury spa.

Skelton, 42, split from rugby player Richie Myler in 2022, who is the father of her children. Rumours were rife about a potential romance after the duo were pictured together at the Daily Mirror’s Pride of Britain Awards in 2024, leaning into one another on the red carpet.

However, Skelton, who recently moved back to her native Cumbria to live on her parents’ dairy farm, claimed there was no budding romance with Jones.

“We just work together, we are not together. No, no, no. We are just work friends,” she said. “They printed pictures of us at work and that we’re together because we are at work together.”

The pair have been friends for years and colleagues for just as long. Last year, they took part in Gethin and Helen’s Wheely Big Challenge – a 24-hour roller-skating challenge in aid of Comic Relief. Jones opened up on their deep friendship, saying: “What’s different this time is that we have each other. We’re best friends. We’re very honest with one another.”

Jones has publicly commented on his and Helen’s reported romance. The presenter was interviewing Christine McGuinness about her Situationships podcast.

When author Sophie Gravia and McGuiness discussed their own relationships and romances, one remarked about being single for a long time, with Gethin quickly stepping in to say “join the club”, seemingly confirming his single status.

Game will shut down its final three stores in April, marking the end of the business’s three-decade high-street presence.

The video-game retailer confirmed it would close its last three stores in Dudley, Lancaster, and Sutton in April 2026, following its entry into administration earlier this year.

Game once operated more than 300 stores across the UK but closed its stores over the last few years.

Game to leave the UK high street in the coming weeks

Although Game will be closing its last three stores, the business’s online presence will continue to operate.

Plus, it will have some physical presence, remaining in more than 200 Sports Direct and House of Fraser stores across the UK.

Over the last several years, Game closed sites as leases expired and closed its headquarters in Basingstoke in 2025.

Its move to shut its final three stores follows the appointment of administrators in January.

Although Game is moving away from standalone stores, bosses previously insisted that selling physical games remains central to the business.

Managing director Nick Arran has described gaming as the chain’s “core business” and argued that there is still a market for boxed titles, particularly collectors’ editions and gifts that people want to wrap rather than send as a download code.

Game will close its last stores soon. (Image: Getty Images)

In 2023, he claimed that the chain was a defender of physical media in an increasingly online market, saying: “Gaming is our core business, and we will be the last man standing selling physical video games.”

Following the announcement of the closure of its stores, GAME has said: “Gift cards and eVouchers are valid for two years after their purchase. Any remaining balance will be cancelled on the expiration date of the card.

“Gift cards and eVouchers cannot be used by customers outside of the United Kingdom.”

The exact date of the final closures has not yet been confirmed by Game.

The BBC has shut down reports it’s also cut the hosts of Strictly Come Dancing spin-off series It Takes Two after axing a string of professional dancers.

Earlier this month it was reported the fates of several stars of the long-running dancing series were up in the air.

Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk, and Michelle Tsiakkas were the first reported to have been axed from the show, with Nadiya Bychkova then added to the pile.

Meanwhile Neil Jones and Nancy Xu were also said to have been benched and would not be assigned a celebrity partner for the upcoming series.

Then, this weekend, Karen Hauer – the longest-serving female pro – confirmed she’d quit.

However overnight it was reported that show bosses also wanted to give It Takes Two a refresh.

‘Viewers will be shocked that this bloodbath has continued but bosses want a completely new look and fresh start for the show,’ a source told The Sun when claiming hosts Janette Manrara and Fleur East had been shown the door.

‘Nobody feels safe at the moment, but execs are determined to have a complete refresh after all the drama in recent years and create a new era.

‘Just because Fleur and Janette aren’t on It Takes Two that’s not to say they won’t be repurposed elsewhere. Everyone at the BBC is keen to start with a clean slate come September, distancing themselves from damaging incidents from the past.’

Former professional dancer Janette, 42, started hosting It Takes Two in 2021 after eight years on the main show. She is also married to fellow professional dancer Aljaz Skorjanec, 36.

Meanwhile former X Factor star Fleur, 38, was a finalist on Strictly when she competed in 2022 before joining It Takes Two the following the year.

But following the reports of the two hosts also being cut, a BBC spokesperson told Metro: ‘It is factually incorrect to claim that either has been “axed”. Plans for Strictly Come Dancing 2026 will be confirmed in due course.’

However, Metro understands no decisions on the hosting of the show into the future have been made yet.

The BBC is also yet to confirm who will be hosting the main show after the exit of Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly last year.

In December the duo announced they were leaving the show together after two decades, explaining it ‘felt like the right time’.

Speculation has been rife for months about who will step into their shoes, with some names in the mix including Alex Jones, Zoe Ball, Rylan Clark, Alison Hammond, Angela Scanlon, Emma Willis, and even Fleur too.

After initially appearing on a shortlist to take over, Holly Willoughby, Amanda Holden, and Alan Carr have already ruled themselves out.

On Saturday Karen announced she would not be back for the 2026 season. In a video shared on social media, she praised the programme for ‘changing [her] life’ and giving her ‘the privilege of meeting so many incredible people and brilliant celebrity partners who have become close friends’.

She started her video: ‘Hey everyone, I’ve got something to tell you. It’s a tough one, but here we go.

‘After 14 years on Strictly Come Dancing, I’ve decided this is the right time for me to close this chapter and take on new projects in other areas that I’m passionate about.’

Insiders have previously said executives want a ‘shake-up’ and a ‘fresh start’ after numerous scandals and negative press surrounding bullying investigations, drug use probes, and more.

‘There are major changes taking place, with dancers having meetings about their contracts over the next few weeks,’ a source has previously said.

‘Bosses want a fresh start and to bring in new faces after all the drama in recent years and create a new era.’

Metro has contacted representatives for Janette Manrara and Fleur East for comment.

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If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

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Expert Benedict Vanheems says April is the ‘most important sowing month’ that will set gardeners up with the plants they need over the warmer months

Gardeners are being urged to plant five types of seed in April in order to “set themselves up for success”. Expert Benedict Vanheems, known as Grow Veg, says April is the “most important sowing month” for gardeners.

He believes it is important not to miss that “all important sowing window” as the warmer weather approaches. And Benedict admits he “can’t wait” to get those first harvests as his crops begin to grow.

Firstly Benedict recommends that gardeners should plant any “overwintered carrots”. He opts for the stump-rooted variety because it is “so much more carroty” than the vegetables he finds in his local supermarket.

In a video , he said: “They may be cheap to buy but this is why you grow carrots, for that insanely deep carroty taste. Carrots are happiest when sown directly into the soil and left well alone.”

He went on to explain that they don’t enjoy being “transplanted” and while they might survive, they might grow in “unusual” shapes. He recommends shorter stump-rooted varieties in heavier and stony soil or maybe even making carrot planters.

Benedict however warns that slugs “love” carrot seedlings, meaning gardeners will have to keep an eye out for the pests. Elsewhere he suggests sowing courgette now, describing it as the “plant that keeps on giving”.

He says courgettes grow from seed to plant in the “blink of an eye” and says he likes to “harvest them young” as they are at the “densest and nuttiest”. He recommends sowing them between three and four weeks before the last frost.

Benedict suggests putting them into a pot and planting into a larger container before it’s time to move them outside. In a similar manner to courgettes, Benedict is sowing his cucumbers now because they will “germinate really quickly in the warmth”.

He says the key to growing a cucumber is “regular feeding and regular watering”. Noting that “inconsistent moisture” leads to a bitter-tasting fruit.

Elsewhere Benedict enjoys planting chard in his garden for “reliability and productivity”. He added: “Chard can be colourful, incredibly productive, and is far more tolerable to heat and cold than many other greens.”

He warns that planting the seeds too early could mean they flower prematurely. Once in the soil, they need to be well watered to keep the leaves growing.

While celery has a “reputation for being a little bit difficult,” Benedict likes to grow the tiny “dust-like” seeds in his garden. He scatters them over the surface of his pot before misting them.

He then puts clear plastic over the pot to give them a “snug environment”. This is removed ahead of planting them in the garden.

And while Benedict enjoys planting vegetables in his garden, his final tip is to plant vegetable-friendly flowers in your garden. He suggests marigolds, zinnias, and allysums.