EastEnders has confirmed danger for Amy Mitchell (Ellie Dadd) as she is targeted and groomed by suspended detective Craig Ingram (Matthew James Bailey).

Craig was introduced back in July to investigate the attack carried out on Joel Marshall (Max Murray).

The detective crossed paths with Amy, daughter of colleague Jack Branning (Scott Maslen), when interviewing all the teen suspects, who were in the park with Joel prior to the attack.

Amy was keen to find out what Craig knew and, believing him to be trustworthy, she confided in him that she was the one who carried out the assault.

Craig contemplated reporting her confession to the police, but he was taken off the case before he could make his mind up.

A complaint was made against him – and it came to light that it wasn’t the first, with DS Reynolds confirming that Craig was being investigated for gross misconduct over ‘engaging in inappropriate relationships with a female officer’.

Craig withheld such information from Amy and instead claimed that he’d decided to keep her name out of it, urging her to come to him if she needs anything.

He subsequently asked her out for a drink and kissed her. When Jack got wind of the fact he’d been texting his daughter, Craig covered by revealing that Amy had attacked Joel, before continuing to meet up with Amy in secret.

EastEnders has now confirmed the direction of the storyline, with Amy groomed by Craig. The BBC One soap is working with Barnardo’s, End Violence Against Women and experts in the field on the story.

Amy, who remains unaware of his suspension, believes she can trust Craig, who will use his position of power to elicit control.

Believing Craig is the only thing standing between her and serious consequences for what happened to Joel, Amy is incrementally manipulated and groomed by Craig across a series of months – and will eventually find herself in danger when Craig creates an environment where she believes he’s the only person she can trust.

Discussing the story in question, EastEnders boss Ben Wadey said: ‘When telling a storyline like Amy’s, we have a huge responsibility to highlight and raise awareness of the warning signs of grooming. We’re grateful to be working with Barnardo’s and End Violence Against Women to help us tell this story.’

Lynn Perry, Barnardo’s Chief Executive added: ‘We welcomed the opportunity to provide expert advice on this storyline – which is a powerful reminder that there is no stereotypical victim or perpetrator of grooming. Young people from all walks of life can be targeted and fall victim to controlling behaviour – and many are often unaware that they are being groomed. 

‘We hope this important storyline can highlight how subtle the signs of grooming can be and how it builds over time. To any viewers who recognise themselves in this story – who may be currently experiencing abuse or might have in the past – we hope this storyline shows you that the abuse was not your fault and we encourage you to seek support. We appreciate the writing team’s professional curiosity and determination to get this story right.’

Janaya Walker, Interim Director at End Violence Against Women Coalition added: ‘We’re proud to have worked with the EastEnders team on this storyline about grooming and police-perpetrated abuse, which has been delivered with sensitivity and care.

‘On-screen portrayals like this have the power to shift attitudes and increase understanding of abuse across society.

‘This storyline will help raise awareness about how those in a position of trust can abuse their power to target women and girls. We hope it can play an important role in making these experiences visible and help victims watching at home to understand that what happened to them was abuse, and to seek support.’

If you’ve got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@metro.co.uk – we’d love to hear from you.

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You don’t last 20 years on Dragons’ Den without learning a thing or two about negotiation. 

Yet despite that, Deborah Meaden has just admitted to making one of the worst negotiating decisions she’s ever made in the Den. 

So what caused the self-made millionaire to lose her senses? Well, she was so impressed by one entrepreneur she just couldn’t help herself. 

Specifically, she was dazzled by entrepreneur Sam, who was seeking a £10,000 investment for a 2 per cent stake in his fashion business, Yes Friends.

What separates Sam’s business from other fashion chains, though, is that Yes Friends wants to prove that ethical clothing doesn’t need to be expensive.’

‘We’re on a mission to make ethical clothing affordable and transform the fashion industry,’ Sam explained.

Sam then shared that he started his company in 2021 with a sustainable and ethically produced £7.99 T-shirt, of which he sold 4,000 in just one month. 

Since then, he claims the company has worked to dispel the myth that it’s too expensive to run a successful fashion business ethically. 

After his pitch, Peter Jones immediately began to interrogate him on the mission, asking, ‘Isn’t this what every modern clothing brand does?’

However, Sam immediately corrected him, claiming: ‘The vast majority of brands aren’t doing that… the majority of brands aren’t paying living wages.’

Sam then explained that while factories claim to pay fair wages, if you compare that to benchmarks provided by the Global Living Wage Coalition, it will show they’re not paying a living wage. 

Deborah was immediately struck by the quality of the product and was further impressed by the company’s ethical mission and Sam’s knowledge of his business. 

‘I love absolutely everything that you do,’ she said. ‘That’s why I was interested to understand how deeply you went into it. So it’s one thing handing over cash; it’s another to make sure it goes into the payslips of the people you want it to go to. 

‘I am your perfect dragon, I have the audience you’re talking to, and I really want to be your investor,’ she continued. 

[I’ve] never sat here and been that open ever; it’s like the worst negotiating stance a Dragon could possibly take. Do you know what else I’m going to do, which is very un-dragonlike? You asked for £10,000 for 2 per cent of the business. I’m gonna offer you £20,000 for two per cent of the business.’ 

Unsurprisingly, given this praise, a rather stunned Sam decided to go with Deborah, even turning down a £30,000 offer from Touker Suleyman, who asked for 25% of the business. 

As he left the Den, Sam said he was ‘amazed’  at the offer, while Deborah explained she didn’t want to take a huge chunk of the business; she just wanted to make an ‘ethical investment’.

Dragons’ Den airs on Thursday at 8pm on BBC One.

MORE: Youngest female founder, 17, ever to get five yeses on Dragons’ Den reveals why she walked away

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Hurley Sport will officially open at Middlebrook Retail Park in Horwich at 9am on Saturday, September 12, more than four decades after the name became synonymous with Manchester’s 1980s sportswear scene.

Ahead of the doors opening to shoppers, The Bolton News was invited behind the scenes for a sneak peek at the finished store following a whirlwind two-and-a-half-week transformation.

And just days ago, general manager Jess Pizzey admitted she was not convinced they would get it finished in time.

She said: “There were times I thought it wasn’t going to be ready.

“Literally two days ago we were still painting things.

“I didn’t think we’d do it, but we did.”

A sneak peek inside the store

The shop, opposite Hurleys’ existing men’s and women’s store near Vue cinema, combines the distinctive sportswear labels of Hurley Sport’s heyday with nods to the family business’s 71-year history.

Its rails are packed with brands including Sergio Tacchini, Fila, Rockport, Kappa, Ellesse, Patrick, Diadora, Gola, Lacoste, Fred Perry, Lois, Henri Lloyd and Gabicci.

(Image: NQ)

There are bold pieces inspired by the colours and styles of the 1980s alongside more understated modern clothing, with the new store dedicated entirely to menswear.

But some of the most personal touches are away from the rails.

Old family photographs have been incorporated into the changing rooms, charting the story of the Hurley family through the generations.

Jess, whose grandparents Ron and Eileen Hurley founded the business in 1955, said: “My dad’s career is on the walls in the dressing rooms.

“There’s one picture of Grandad and Gran, the next photo is him with his auntie and then us.”

Jess is the third generation of the family involved in Hurleys alongside her sister Tara Minion and their father Mark Hurley.

Jess, Mark, Tara

For her, the new store is as much about the people behind the business as the clothes on its rails.

She said: “It’s like a family dynamic on steroids. We’re a very small team and the staff are a family unit.

“We’ve got a staff member who’s been here 24 years.

“They’ve worked so hard and we couldn’t have done it without them.

“It’s a small business. Everyone pulls their weight. They don’t just clock off.”

The history of Hurley Sport shown through photos (Image: NQ)

Getting the store ready has meant long days for the family and staff, who have had to continue running the rest of the business at the same time.

Jess said: “It was very stressful, but worth it in the end.

“We’ve had to continue – all our other jobs don’t stop.

“We didn’t shut. We still had to manage a job on top of this.

“It was a very quick turnaround.”

The new shop marks the latest chapter in a business which began as Hurley’s Sports & Camping on Eccles New Road in Salford in 1955.

Hurley’s

It later became a familiar name in Manchester city centre, particularly through its Piccadilly stores, as the family embraced European sportswear labels which exploded in popularity during the 1970s and 1980s.

At its height, Hurleys had 16 stores across the North West before eventually consolidating around Middlebrook, which opened around 2001 and became its flagship location.

The idea of reviving Hurley Sport gathered momentum as the family celebrated 70 years in business last year and began digging through decades of photographs and memorabilia.

With many of the labels it sold in the 1980s enjoying renewed popularity, the family decided the time was right to put the Hurley Sport name above a shopfront once again.

For Jess, its return is also another example of how the family business has survived by continually changing with the times.

She said: “We’ve made it through many things.

“It’s evolution – you just have to keep going.”

The finishing touches are now being made ahead of Saturday morning, when customers will get their first chance to step inside the revived Hurley Sport store.

Hurley Sport will open at Middlebrook Retail Park at 9am on Saturday, September 12.

A woman who describes herself as a sociopath has now revealed the calculated dating tactics she says can leave men emotionally hooked and desperate to prove themselves. 

Speaking on Chris Williamson’s Modern Wisdom podcast, Kanika Batra claimed she can identify different personalities and determine exactly how to handle them. 

‘I know what people are feeling. I just will never feel it,’ said Batra, who is a former Miss Universe and Miss World finalist. ‘And I know how to mimic an accurate response, something that they would want to see.’ 

Batra, 30, who says she has been diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder, openly described herself as highly skilled at lying and manipulation. 

Her approach centers on three methods that can initially look like ordinary romance rather than attempts to seize control. First, she overwhelms a partner with gifts, affection and intense attention until he becomes attached to the feeling she provides. 

She can then withdraw that warmth, creating uncertainty and making him work to regain her approval. Finally, she sets small tests that require a man to inconvenience himself, allowing her to measure his loyalty before committing to him.

‘People know that I can manipulate in many different ways,’ Batra told Williamson.

‘It’s just an idea of I understand that you’re a certain type of person and I know how to work every type of person,’ she added.

Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) and narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) are both mental health conditions involving a lack of empathy and manipulative behavior, but they differ significantly in core motivations and daily actions. 

Those with ASPD tend to be deceitful, impulsive, irritable and physically aggressive.

While individuals suffering from NPD are more arrogant, entitled and have an inflated self-image.

Mental health professionals diagnose these disorders using clinical evaluations based on criteria in the DSM-5-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision), which is the official handbook used by mental health professionals to define, classify, and diagnose mental disorders.

Batra said she was diagnosed with ASPD at age 21. Batra, who is married, said she does not have to maintain the same mask around her husband and described him as a calming influence. 

But she admitted she has manipulated former partners, sometimes slowly withdrawing communication and effort until the relationship disintegrated.

She told Williamson that the first tactic she uses, love-bombing, comes naturally to her. 

The term describes overwhelming someone with affection, praise, gifts or communication early in a relationship, potentially creating an intense attachment before a genuine bond has formed.

Kanika Batra, 30, who says she has been diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder, openly described herself as highly skilled at lying and manipulation

‘I also actually really love giving gifts, and I love love bombing. I do it naturally. It’s not necessarily planned,’ she said on the podcast.

That flood of attention can leave partners craving more, according to Batra, who described what happens when the intensity begins to fade.

‘And then they get hooked on it, and then they start getting really, really obsessive,’ she said. 

‘They’ll be like, “Oh, okay. Why aren’t you calling me more? Oh, are you seeing other people? You must be seeing other people.”‘

Batra acknowledged that she wants to deliver affection on her own terms rather than whenever a partner demands it. She said she has often begun to feel ‘pure contempt’ for partners after approximately three months, once the fantasy she projected onto them gave way to reality.

Her second tactic involves creating distance and limiting access. Batra advised women to switch off social-media notifications and activity indicators, avoid constant texting and maintain an air of mystery during early dating.

She argued that this prevents women from becoming dependent on the dopamine rush of receiving attention while also stopping men from knowing when they are available online.

‘You don’t know when he was online. He doesn’t know when you were online. You’re mysterious,’ she said.

Batra also suggested saving a man’s number under a mildly insulting contact name to weaken the emotional power he holds. She offered ‘hepatitis B’ as an example, reasoning that a woman would be less devastated if someone stored under that name failed to reply.

Her third strategy is to test how much effort a man is willing to expend. Rather than directly demanding an extravagant gesture, she recommends asking him to complete a small task or travel slightly farther than necessary to meet.

‘That’s the purpose of tests,’ Batra said. ‘So, you ask them to go slightly inconveniently out of their way to help you in some way.’

She continued: ‘Do you mind picking this up on your way here? Do you mind meeting me here? Even though it’s a little bit further from you.’

Batra argued that a man who genuinely cares would not object to minor inconveniences, allowing a woman to judge his actions rather than trust romantic promises.

She also recommended quietly reminding a reluctant man that he has competition. ‘If he thinks he’s better than you, show him your other options,’ Batra said, before stressing that women should not make the tactic too obvious. ‘Just let him know you’ve got options.’

Williamson challenged Batra over whether this advice could encourage women to introduce toxic games into otherwise healthy relationships. 

He noted that love-bombing a man before withdrawing affection, or identifying his insecurities and deliberately pressing them, closely resembles manipulation tactics commonly condemned when men use them against women.

Batra conceded that some of her advice could be viewed as manipulative, saying: ‘I think it is fair. Yeah.’

However, she claimed the ruthless behavior should stop once a secure relationship has been established.

‘I tell them where ruthlessness should begin and where it should end. And it should definitely end when you’re in a secure relationship,’ she said.

As a retired Apple reseller and repairer, Alan, 79, from the East of England, believes a folding phone would be “brilliant for anyone dealing with graphics, videos and eBooks”, but perhaps not so much for “hefty spreadsheets and business applications”.

With his selling experience, Alan doesn’t think the price is an issue, “if someone wants it enough, they’ll buy it,” he says.

“I’ve just switched to the iPhone Air from the previous 16, which I got primarily for the sophisticated camera. As I hardly used all the camera features and the phone was quite heavy, the Air is an adequate replacement and doesn’t pull my trousers down.”

Apple sceptics

These readers, however, are sceptical about Apple’s products and their newest line-up is no exception.

Adrian, 69, from the East of England, has avoided their products for about five years: “I haven’t been an Apple fanchild for some time now”.

The most he has ever paid for a phone, which happened to be a folding phone, was around £500. “Surely, there’s a price threshold beyond which even the most die-hard devotees would bluster,” he questions.

Devotees to the brand “seem to overlook frequent reports of failing batteries, reduced efficiency in older models, updates nuking otherwise-functioning phones and of course, the exploding batteries,” Adrian explains.

“Yes, the aesthetics and techno feel of Apple are lovely but beneath the skin, the guts have to show backbone.”

The Yorkshire Shepherdess will appear at Everyman Northallerton later this month for a behind-the-scenes celebration of the hit More4 show.

Our Farm Next Door: A Behind-the-Scenes Celebration will take place on Wednesday, September 30, ahead of series four.

The Owen family from Our Yorkshire Farm and Our Farm Next Door (Image: CHANNEL4)

Amanda and special guests will discuss how the programme began and followed her family’s ambitious restoration of Anty John’s farmhouse.

Fans will also see an exclusive preview of what to expect when Our Farm Next Door returns to More4.

It comes three years after work began on the ancient farmhouse near the Owen family’s famous Ravenseat Farm in Swaledale.

The event will revisit the biggest moments from the first three series and reveal how the show is made in one of the Yorkshire Dales’ most remote areas.

Amanda Owen’s Our Farm Next Door to return for series four

Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive and Kids follows Amanda, her former husband Clive Owen and their nine children as they farm in Swaledale and transform the derelict Anty John’s property.

Channel 4 confirmed in August 2025 that the programme had been commissioned for two more series after its success on More4.

The broadcaster said the it would follow the family as work moved indoors, including decisions about the rooms, plumbing and running water.

Cameras have also continued to document Amanda, Clive and their children’s daily lives on the farm.

Series three aired in early 2026, covering the work at Anty John’s and major family moments including Clive’s 70th birthday.

The show has been a More4 success, with Lime Pictures reporting that series three’s second episode grew its audience and ranked third among the week’s top 30 multichannel programmes.

Viewers can now discover how the show is made before series four reaches screens.

Behind the scenes of Our Farm Next Door

The Northallerton event will explore the show’s first three series and how its makers capture life at Ravenseat and Anty John’s.

Leeds-based Wise Owl Films has filmed the Owen family throughout the renovation, through changing seasons and difficult Yorkshire Dales conditions.

The event will reveal what it takes for the family and crew to work in such an isolated location.

The evening will also revisit funny, emotional and memorable moments from three years of filming.

The Owen family from Our Yorkshire Farm and Our Farm Next Door (Image: CHANNEL4)

Organisers say the show has captured a significant period for the Owen children as they grow, develop interests and build careers.

The nine children are Raven, Reuben, Miles, Edith, Violet, Sidney, Annas, Clementine and Nancy.

Viewers have seen the older children build lives and careers of their own while the younger ones take on bigger roles around the farm.

Reuben Owen has built a career in heavy machinery and groundwork away from Ravenseat, while eldest daughter Raven has taken a very different path from the remote family farm.

The transformation of Anty John’s

At the heart of Our Farm Next Door is Anty John’s, the historic property acquired by the Owens close to Ravenseat.

The project began with a largely derelict building that needed painstaking restoration before its interior could become a family home.

The show has followed the transformation stone by stone while exploring the property’s history and former residents.

The Our Farm next Door promo poster (Image: CHANNEL 4)

Channel 4 has said the family bought the house as part of its plans for the future.

Amanda has also investigated the property’s connection to Anthony Clarkson, a historic Swaledale map-maker linked to it.

Executive producer Mark Robinson described the project as the story of a family rooted in the Yorkshire Dales bringing a house back to life.

Series four will continue that story.

Our Farm Next Door event in Northallerton

Our Farm Next Door: A Behind-the-Scenes Celebration will be held at Everyman Northallerton, at the Treadmills development on East Road, on Wednesday, September 30.

Tickets cost £12.50 through the Royal Television Society.

Fans will hear from Amanda Owen and special guests and see footage from series four before it airs on More4.

The event comes years after the Owens became household names on Channel 5’s Our Yorkshire Farm, as their television story continues.

While that programme ended in 2022, Amanda, Clive and their children later returned to screens with Our Farm Next Door, putting Ravenseat, Swaledale and the transformation of Anty John’s back at the centre of their story.

Amanda and Clive announced their separation in June 2022 but said they would continue working on the farm and co-parenting their nine children.