All 89 remaining restaurants will serve their last customers on Monday, September 7, as owner Whitbread brings the Brewers Fayre brand to an end.

For diners across the area, one of the nearest restaurants affected is Wheatlea Park on Warrington Road in Wigan.

The restaurant, next to the Premier Inn Wigan West, will close after its final dinner service tonight.

Other North West Brewers Fayre restaurants shutting for good include Stable Gate on Alphagate Drive in Denton and Oakenhurst Farm, off Eccleshill Road in Lower Darwen.

Cottams Field on Caton Road in Lancaster is also closing.

Brewers Fayre has been a familiar name across the UK for decades, with its restaurants known for family dining and often found alongside Premier Inn hotels.

But Whitbread announced earlier this year that it would get rid of all its separately branded restaurants in a major overhaul of the business.

The move affects around 200 restaurants and is expected to result in approximately 3,800 job losses across the UK and Ireland.

Brewers Fayre is not the only well-known restaurant name disappearing as a result.

Bar + Block, Table Table and Cookhouse + Pub sites had their final trading day on September 3.

Beefeater will be next, with 106 restaurants due to close after service on Thursday, September 10.

Whitbread instead plans to operate restaurants within its Premier Inn hotels, a model it says is more efficient and “highly popular with hotel guests”.

The changes form part of a five-year strategy aimed at making £250 million in cost savings.

The company still plans to grow its Premier Inn business, increasing its number of hotel rooms from around 86,600 to 96,000 by the 2031 financial year.

Chief executive Dominic Paul said when the overhaul was announced: “We always challenge ourselves to improve and, in light of significant cost increases in the form of business rates and national insurance, as well as the implied market discount to our inherent value, we’ve looked hard at the options open to us to maximise value creation over the medium and long-term.”

He added: “This plan will transform Whitbread into a higher-margin, higher-returning pure-play hotel business.”

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green closed schools and government offices on the westernmost islands of Kauai and Niihau for Tuesday as Hurricane Lowell was expected to pass nearby, bringing damaging winds, mudslides, possible tornadoes, dangerous rip currents and as much as 16 inches (about 40 centimeters) of rain to some areas.

The closures, which include community colleges and state and county offices, were put into effect for Kauai County, which was under a hurricane warning issued by the National Hurricane Center. The county includes the major islands of Kauai, which has a population of over 73,000, and Niihau, where there are fewer than 100 residents.

A portion of the vast Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument was also included in the warning.

Monday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center said the core of the storm was expected to pass over or just west of Niihau late Monday and early Tuesday. While the winds — which were strong enough to make Lowell a Category 2 hurricane as of Monday afternoon — were expected to weaken, the storm was expected to remain a hurricane at its closest approach to the islands

“Closing offices, schools and courts will help keep people off the roads during dangerous conditions and allow emergency crews to focus on protecting our communities,” Green said in a news release. “I urge everyone in Kaua’i County to remain indoors, avoid unnecessary travel and follow all official emergency instructions.”

He also urged residents to stay away from shorelines, avoid driving through floodwaters, prepare for power outages and monitor for updates.

A tropical storm warning was in effect for Oahu, which has close to 1 million residents.

Isolated rainfall totals of up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) were expected in Oahu and Maui, and 12 inches (30 centimeters) was expected in portions of the Big Island of Hawaii, the farthest east of the state’s major islands.

Last month, the state had a brush with Tropical Storm Lala. While it did not make landfall, it hit Hawaii — and especially the Big Island — hard, leaving behind landslides, washing away about 100 homes and causing widespread power outages.

An Illinois woman charged with killing her 2-year-old son had been closely following the murder trial of Massachusetts mother Lindsay Clancy and was texting friends about the case just hours before her son was found dead, prosecutors said.

Corie Walsh, 40, was charged with three counts of first-degree murder after her son, Barrett, was found dead in the basement of the family’s suburban Chicago home on Sept. 1, according to court records obtained by NBC Chicago.

Prosecutors said Walsh had become “very invested” in Clancy’s nationally watched trial and was discussing it with friends until about 12:30 p.m. that day. A neighbor found Barrett less than four hours later.

Walsh was found elsewhere in the home with injuries authorities said were self-inflicted. Prosecutors said she later told investigators that she killed her son because she believed he was the “devil” and the “anti-Christ.” Her attorney, Andrea Lyon, told reporters Walsh was experiencing a psychotic episode and called the boy’s death a tragedy for the entire family.

Police were called to Walsh’s home in Frankfort, about 35 miles (56.33 kilometers) southwest of Chicago, shortly before 4 p.m. after a neighbor discovered Barrett in the basement, according to prosecutors’ petition seeking to keep Walsh jailed before trial.

The neighbor found the boy and began CPR while calling 911, prosecutors said. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy determined that he died from asphyxia caused by ligature compression of the neck.

Police searching the house found Walsh fully dressed in a bathtub containing bloody water, prosecutors said. She had cuts to her wrists and thighs and was taken to a hospital with injuries authorities described as not life-threatening.

The disclosure that Walsh had been following Clancy’s trial came days after a Massachusetts judge declared a mistrial in that case when jurors said they could not reach a unanimous verdict.

Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse, was accused of killing her three young children in 2023. Her lawyers argued that she was legally insane and suffering from postpartum psychosis. Prosecutors maintained that Clancy understood what she was doing and knew it was wrong.

Authorities in Illinois have not alleged that Clancy’s trial played a role in the killing of Walsh’s son, and no evidence made public so far establishes a connection beyond her discussion of the case.

Frankfort Police and prosecutors in Will County did not respond to calls for comment on Monday.

Erik and Lyle Menendez will have an opportunity to fight for parole earlier than expected.

The brothers, who were once sentenced to spend the rest of their lives behind bars for killing their parents, have been granted an early parole suitability hearing – tentatively scheduled for March 2027, TMZ reports.

They had previously only been able to apply for another hearing in August 2028, after the California Board of Parole denied their requests for early release last year.

But the parole board has since found they qualified for an earlier parole hearing under a provision to Proposition 9, a 2008 law that amended the California state Constitution and was meant to provide certain rights to crime victims, according to the Orange County Register. 

Provisions to the law allow a person’s next parole hearing date to be moved up if there was a change in circumstances or new information indicating the person may be suitable for parole.

It remains unclear whether the parole board uncovered new information indicating the Menendez brothers may be suitable for parole, but their family members have argued that Lyle, 58, and Erik, 55, have been model prisoners.

‘For almost 40 years, Erik and Lyle have worked to take responsibility for their actions, confront and heal from the unimaginable abuse and trauma they endured, grow as individuals and dedicate themselves to serving others,’ a family spokesperson said in a statement.

‘Through efforts such as helping to establish a hospice program and creating Green Space, they have sought to build an environment that reminds people serving life sentences that their lives still have meaning and that, regardless of their circumstances, they can choose each day to grow, heal, accept accountability and contribute something of value to the world around them.

The brothers were convicted in 1996 of murdering their parents, Jose and Kitty, inside their Beverly Hills mansion

‘Erik and Lyle were once sentenced to life without the possibility of parole,’ the family noted. ‘We will always be profoundly grateful that they have been resentenced and that our family can now imagine a future in which they are once again part of our everyday lives.’

The family then went on to say that the California Board of Parole’s decision to move up their hearing ‘is especially meaningful and brings us immeasurable joy as we move one step closer to a future with them that once seemed impossible.’ 

The brothers have been in jail ever since they were arrested for the shooting deaths of their parents, Kitty and Jose, as they watched a movie at their Beverly Hills mansion on August 20, 1989.

The duo were 18 and 21 at the time they killed their parents. 

Their trial prompted worldwide headlines. Prosecutors said their motive was greed, as they stood to inherit $14 million from their parents and had spent large sums of cash following the murders.

Erik had purchased a Jeep and retained a private tennis instructor with hopes of becoming a professional, while his brother bought a Porsche and a restaurant. The two were also infamously seen sitting courtside at an NBA game in between the murders and their arrest. 

The brothers insisted they acted against a father who sexually abused them for years and a mother who turned a blind eye to the abuse.

An initial trial ended with a hung jury. But at a second trial in 1996, where the judge refused to allow any evidence about the brothers being molested by their father, they were convicted and sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole. 

The brothers had been sentenced to serve life in prison behind bars without the possibility of parole, but last year a judge decided to reduce the brothers’ sentences to 50 years to life, making them eligible for release

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But nearly 30 years later, a judge decided to reduce the brothers’ sentences to 50 years to life, making them eligible for release.

Still, the California Board of Parole ruled last year that the brothers would be denied parole for three years, noting that they have both violated prison rules.

‘Contrary to your supporters’ beliefs, you have not been a model prisoner and frankly we find that a little disturbing,’ the board told Erik at his hearing, according to reporter Brian Entin. 

That decision came after a full-day hearing during which commissioners on the board questioned Erik about why he committed the crime and why he violated prison rules.

He had claimed at the hearing that he bought firearms ‘to protect myself in case my father or my mother came at me to kill me, or my father came in the room to rape me.’

When he was then asked why he did not just run away or report the abuse to the police, Erik said he felt ‘leaving meant death’ and he had an ‘absolute belief that I could not get away.’

Erik was denied parole by the California Board of Parole at a hearing last August

Lyle was also denied parole at a separate hearing days later 

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Another commissioner then asked why he decided to also kill his mother. Evidence at the trial showed she had crawled on the floor, wounded, before the brothers reloaded the shotguns they had bought with someone else’s ID and fired a final shot.

‘When Mom told me… that she had known all of those years, it was the most devastating moment in my entire life,’ Erik said, becoming visibly emotional. ‘It changed everything for me. I had been protecting her by not telling her.’

‘On that night, I saw them as one person,’ he continued. ‘Had she not been in the room, maybe it would have been different.’ 

Erik also admitted at the hearing that his and his brother’s spending spree was an ‘incredibly callous act.

‘I was torn between hatred of myself over what I did and wishing that I could undo it and trying to live out my life, making teenager decisions,’ he explained.

Erik also used the hearing last year as a chance to apologize to his family.

‘I just want my family to understand that I am so unimaginably sorry for what I have put them through,’ he said.

‘I know they have been here for me and they’re here for me today, but I want them to know, that this should be about them. It’s about them, and if I ever get the chance at freedom, I want the healing to be about them.’

Then, at Lyle’s parole hearing days later, Parole Commissioner Julie Garland cited Lyle’s ‘deception, minimization and rule breaking’ despite his volunteer work and education while behind bars for the board’s decision to deny him parole.

Still, she told the elder brother that his denial ‘wasn’t the end,’ and added: ‘It’s a way for you to spend some time to demonstrate, to practice what you preach about who you are, who you want to be. Don’t be somebody different behind closed doors.’ 

Manchester City footballer Jack is hoping to see the reunited Gallagher brothers even more times next year if the band announce a new Oasis Live 2027 tour…

A host of stars joined Oasis at their big UK premiere of the new docufilm Don’t Look Back in Anger, and among them was some of Liam and Noel Gallagher’s footballer pals too. And one Manchester City star is such a big fan he’s already plotting how many shows he hopes to see when the band finally announced their much-teased new tour in 2027.

Blues star Jack Grealish (currently on loan to Everton) rocked the red carpet along with his glamorous partner Sasha Attwood on Leicester Square on Monday night. They were among a host of famous faces walking a special black carpet laid out for the occasion at the Cineworld in the capital who also included BBC star Vernon Kay, Manc music icon Johnny Marr and comedian Rob Beckett.

And for Jack, it was a huge thrill to head along to be among the first to watch the new Oasis film, as he’s a massive fan of the band.

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He told the MEN how he had watched them TWICE at their big reunion gigs at Heaton Park in Manchester last summer. But that has simply whetted his appetite further and now he wants MORE.

For he said that if, as is widely anticipated, the band announce a new 2027 tour later this week, he’ll be clamouring to get tickets for even more gigs the next time around.

Jack told the MEN on the red carpet: “I’m a massive Oasis fan so I can’t wait to see the film.” Talking about his highlights of Oasis Live 25, he said: “I went to two at Heaton Park me, I tried to go to as many as I could.

“I was there for the first one at Heaton Park and I’ll never forget that day, it’s the best I’ve ever been to.”

When asked about his favourite song or moment from the last tour, he said: “I’ve got loads, but I’d say Slide Away, I just like the lyrics.”

As for a tour next year: “If it happens, I can’t wait. I’ll be at more than two shows.”

Jack may be in luck with securing tickets, given the band are set to play 12 HUGE gigs at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium in June 2027, according to music industry sources. Given his current loan spell with Everton, his footballing future may not be with the Blues, but we’re sure he’ll be keen to see the band back on their home turf there next summer all the same.

The band themselves have been teasing that big run of Etihad gigs with one of a host of cryptic videos that have been posted at the exact same time every day since last Thursday. The MEN understands a big tour announcement will be coming within days now, with tickets set to go on sale before the end of the month.

In the meantime, fans can savour once again all the best moments of the Oasis Live 25 tour in the new movie, created by Peaky Blinders writer Stephen Knight and from directors Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace.

It features never-before-seen backstage and rehearsal footage during the tour, as well as renditions of some of their biggest hits as captured on stage during the Live ’25 set of shows. Following its cinema release, the film will make its way to Disney+ in the UK, but a streaming date has not yet been announced.

As well as also including the first joint interview with the Gallagher brothers since the start of the tour, the film also explores ‘the profound emotional impact of this phenomenal global cultural moment and what their music means to audiences and generations worldwide’.

Steven Knight said: “The Oasis world tour united generations, cultures and countries and spoke to a broken world about reconciliation. ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ is not only your ticket to the show – it’s a backstage pass and a seat at the table when Liam and Noel sit down together for the first time in 15 years and tell it how it is and how it was.”

At the London premiere, like the Venice world premiere at the weekend, neither Liam and Noel did any press interviews on the red carpet.

However, they made time to meet fans who attended the event, and signed a host of memorabilia many had brought along.

But Rezart Balesi, the 44-year-old Bistro boss who led his son, brother and others into a major cocaine dealing plot, did not have the long criminal history recorded by many others like him.

This is what Judge Sarah Johnston alluded to when she told Balesi and his henchmen that their own families may have been left wondering why they had chosen such a path.

She said: “No one who spends any time at all in the crown court can fail to see the problems drugs, particularly but not always of Class A, cause to our community.”

Before his involvement in leading the cocaine conspiracy centred around the Village Bistro in Greenmount, Balesi’s only previous conviction had been for affray.

The conspiracy had centred around the Greenmount Village Bisto (Image: Google Maps)

This had arisen from his time as landlord of the Lord Raglan pub in Radcliffe when on May 2, 2015, he had used a bottle to beat a man as he lay on the ground.

This was after a fight had broken out near the pool table, while Balesi’s brother Refail, now 39, who would later become a key henchman in the drugs conspiracy, was also involved.

Greater Manchester Police were granted permission to revoke the pub’s licence and temporarily close it back in 2015 because of the brawl.

Rezart Balesi had previously been landlord of the Lord Raglan pub in Radcliffe (Image: Google Maps)

But the brothers avoided jail when brought before Bolton Crown Court in 2017, with each given 18-month sentences, suspended for two years.

At the time, Judge Timothy Clayson told them that they seemed to be “happy to get involved in large-scale violence”.

He told the brothers that had they been convicted by a jury, rather than each pleading guilty to affray, he would have sent them to prison.

Refail Balesi (Image: NWROCU)

But as he was sentenced for his role leading the drugs conspiracy nearly a decade later, prosecutor Lee Fish revealed Balesi had another conviction.

This was for gun offences in his native Albania in 2001, when he would have been in his late teens.

However, compared to other drug kingpins who come before the courts, Balesi’s barrister Andrew Alty was still able to say he was “comparatively lightly convicted”.

Rezart Balesi (Image: NWROCU)

Aside from the two brothers’ affray conviction, the only other member of the gang with a criminal history was “trusted street dealer” Fatos Vrenezi, 53.

He had previous convictions for assault, driving offences and possession of cocaine to his name.

Vrenezi, who Judge Johnston said came from an “upstanding family”, was an unusual figure to have been involved in dealing cocaine.

Fatos Vrenezi (Image: NWROCU)

His barrister Richard Vardon told the court how he had come from an educated family in Kosovo, arriving in the UK in 1991.

Mr Vardon told the court that Vrenezi’s father had been an academic, while his brother worked for the United Nations.

Judge Johnston told Balesi it was to his “eternal shame” that he had involved his 23-year-old son Joshua, who had no previous convictions, in the plot.

Joshua Balesi (Image: NWROCU)

But Joshua had also been involved in a separate cannabis plot, together with 33-year-old Antonino Precaj.

None of the other members of the gang, Immanuel Lumaj, 30, Fjoraldo Lukaj, 31, and Lorenzo Canovi, 48, had any previous convictions recorded against them.

All pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, aside from Precaj, who confessed to being concerned in the supply and production of cannabis.

Antonino Precaj (Image: NWROCU)

Joshua also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cannabis.

Rezart Balesi, of Caldy Drive, Ramsbottom, was jailed for seven years and six months and Refail, of Links View Court, Whitefield, for five years and three months.

Joshua Balesi, of Hazelwood Drive, Bury, was jailed for four years and Vrenezi, of Sunny Bank Road, Bury, for four years.

Canovi, of Lune Close, Whitefield, was jailed for 37 months and Lumaj, of Heathway, Dagenham, for three years and nine months.

Lukaj, of Albert Avenue, Hull, for three years and six months, while Precaj, of Capstan Ride, Enfield, was jailed for 27 months.

Andy Burnham is poised to impose sanctions on Israel, despite warnings that it could undermine Britain’s security.

The Prime Minister is close to agreeing a package of measures that is expected to agree a ban on imports from goods produced in Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

He is thought to have briefed Donald Trump on the plans during a phone call on Monday night in a bid to contain an expected White House backlash.

The package could be announced as soon as Tuesday morning – with an Israeli minister already hitting out at Britain. 

On Monday, Downing Street said that Mr Burnham has not spoken to Israeli leader Benjamin Netenyahu since becoming PM in July, despite Israel being a key ally in the Middle East.

Labour is under intense pressure from activists to toughen its position on Israel after losing votes to the Greens and so-called Gaza Independents.

Concern about settlements has been mounting for years. It has intensified following Israel’s recent decision to open tenders for 1,200 homes east of Jerusalem, which would divide the West Bank.

Ed Miliband has said he wants a ‘comprehensive reset’ of relations with Israel, which has long been a key Middle East ally of the UK

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband last week said the plan was ‘crossing a red line’ and ‘illegal under international law’. 

He said the proposal ‘cuts through the heart of the West Bank and risks making a Palestinian state unviable’.

Mr Miliband said Labour wanted a ‘comprehensive reset’ of relations with Israel.

Mr Burnham has said the Israeli proposals could ‘imperil or end’ the dream of a two-state solution, which successive British governments have supported for years.

But sanctioning Israel could trigger a major backlash.

Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar warned last week that his country would retaliate, adding: ‘If they act, I think they will be making a big mistake.’

And, Itamar Ben-Gvirm, the Minister of National Security of Israel, seemingly retaliated to Monday night’s announcement and called for the Falkland Islands to be recognised as Argentine. 

He wrote on X: It’s time for the State of Israel to publicly recognize that the Malvinas Islands are Argentine territory under occupation, which the British violently steal from the Argentine people. 

‘The British are not content with merely occupying the territory; they also carry out oil drilling there and steal the money from the Argentine people. 

‘I call upon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to recognize Argentina’s sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands and to impose sanctions on Great Britain as long as the occupation continues.’ 

Conservative shadow foreign secretary Tom Tugendhat on Monday warned the move to impose sanctions could imperil security cooperation credited with saving British lives.

He urged ministers to ‘put our own national interests and our own national security first’, adding: ‘That means that where we have friends and allies who provide us with intelligence in order to keep us safe we should work with them.’

Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice said: ‘Labour’s desperation to win back hard-Left and Islamist voters from the Greens is stupidly self-defeating.

‘Ed Miliband’s kamikaze mission to take a wrecking ball to the relationship with one of most important security partners and economic interests is student politics at its most destructive. It also gives licence to the Jew haters to be even more antisemitic.’

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis has said sanctions will be ‘counterproductive’ and warned they could trigger further hostility towards British Jews.

He said it was ‘difficult to escape the painful conclusion that domestic political considerations are driving foreign policy, the impact of which is negative both for prospects for peace in the Middle East and for the UK Jewish community’.

Sir William Shawcross of the UK Israel Alliance said: ‘This is an appalling mistake by a weak government which ignores British national interests. Ed Miliband is damaging a crucial relationship with the only democracy in the Middle East that makes this country much safer. This reckless anti-Israel stunt will embolden our extremist enemies and drive further anti-Jewish racism.’

Ministers are also braced for an angry reaction from the White House.

Mike Huckabee, US ambassador to Israel, accused Mr Miliband of ‘Jew hate’ after he posted a video claiming that medicines had been blocked from entering Gaza.

Downing Street said it ‘completely rejected’ the US claim, saying the government was ‘committed to protecting the Jewish community in the UK’.

No 10 declined to comment on the timing of the sanctions announcement.

But the PM appears to have discussed the proposals during a phone call with President Trump on Monday night.

A No 10 spokesman said Mr Burnham ‘set out the UK’s commitment to working towards peace and security in the region, stressing the importance of the two-state solution’.

City of York Council opposition Liberal Democrat environment spokesperson Cllr Paula Widdowson said larger families and people in terraced houses could struggle with storing four weeks’ worth of recycling in new bins.

Cllr Chris Steward, the council’s Conservative group leader, said they welcomed the proposals but had concerns about how they would be paid for.

Council Labour Environment Executive Member Cllr Jenny Kent said the proposals were about reducing street litter, making recycling easier and saving money long-term.

It comes as proposals to roll out two 180L recycling bins to up to 63,000 households are set to go before the council’s executive on Wednesday, September 9.

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The changes would see households given two bins, one for paper and card and another for glass, tins and plastic.

Each of them would be collected once every four weeks in a two-week alternating cycle.

The proposals come as the council looks to save £520,000 from its waste collection services over the next two years.

They are set to cost an estimated £2.8 million, with the cost set to be recouped in the coming years and the moves expected to result in long-term savings.

The moves also come ahead of requirements for soft plastics to be collected from kerbsides by March next year.

York recycling collection (Image: City of York Council)

Council officials have said the changes would make collections more efficient, recycling easier for the elderly and disabled, reduce the risk of staff injuries and stop litter blowing off boxes.

But Liberal Democrat environment spokesperson Cllr Widdowson said the changes were being sold as making recycling easier but would in reality see people wait four weeks for each collection.

Cllr Widdowson said: “Giving people bigger bins doesn’t solve the problem if they then have to store four weeks’ worth of recycling in them. That will be particularly difficult for larger families and people living in York’s terraced streets.

“If Labour really wants people to recycle more, they should make recycling collections more convenient, not less frequent.

“Labour must explain why residents are being asked to spend £2.8m on a new system while also facing less frequent recycling collections and £520,000 of cuts to the waste service.”

Conservative Cllr Steward said residents he had spoken to had broadly welcomed the plans.

The group’s leader said: “There were some who wanted to keep their boxes rather than get bins, I welcome that this seems to be allowed under the plans.

“The way the change is being brought in through the capital budget rather than potentially the revenue budget looks another case of the administration needlessly storing up more things to be paid for through debt.”

Luke Charters, Labour MP for York Outer, said the proposals were really welcome.

The MP said: “Residents across York Outer have raised the current recycling boxes with me, particularly how awkward they can be to carry and how easily their contents can end up blowing down the street.

“This is a sensible, practical proposal and I hope councillors give it their backing.”

Council officials have said the changes would increase households’ capacity to recycle overall.

Council environmental services lead Ian Hoult said a further 10,000 homes including those in terraced streets with limited storage space will be looked at in future years in more detail.

Labour’s Environment Executive Member Cllr Kent said the proposals allow cheaper waste lorries to be used and make collections quicker, saving the council money.

The executive member said: “Either Liberal Democrats don’t understand the finances or they are choosing to misrepresent them, showing yet again that they are more interested in opposition for opposition’s sake than in representing their residents’ interests.

“This will mystify all those with friends and relatives across the country who’ve had the benefit of wheelie bins for years.”

As sure as night follows day, a brand new series of The Great British Bake Off will be released to mark the beginning of autumn.

And ahead of its return, Channel 4 has revealed the lineup of amateur bakers taking part in this year’s series, including a self-confessed ‘drag king’ who has not one but two partners.

The competition show, now in its 17th series, returns with 12 new contestants, alongside new host Nigella Lawson, 66, and her counterpart Paul Hollywood, 60.

Nigella was announced as Prue Leith’s replacement in January this year, following the restaurateur’s decision to step down after nine years in the famous white marquee.

The hosting changes also extend to its spin-off show, Extra Slice, which has been replaced by Second Helpings.

Presenters Jo Brand and Tom Allen have stepped aside, with Judi Love and Jon Richardson replacing them.

Meanwhile, Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding return as the hosts of the main show, when it launches on Tuesday, September 22 at 8pm on Channel 4.

Keep scrolling to learn about this year’s batch of hopefuls.

Clara

The marketing graduate, 24, loves creating chaotic and colourful designs and always believes ‘the first bite of a bake is always with the eye’.

Originally from Aveiro in Portugal, Clara moved to the UK when she was 18 and now lives in Hertfordshire.

She began baking cakes two years ago as a creative outlet, and then recreating Portuguese classics like Tarte de Nata for her British fiancé Kieran and his family.

Clara said: ‘I cannot explain the amazing chemistry we all had together, I think we were all bonded by the trauma of practising so many times and we were so eager to just connect and talk to someone who was going through this process as well.’

Originally from Aveiro in Portugal, Clara moved to the UK when she was 18 and now lives in Hertfordshire

Connie

NHS hospital discharge lead Connie, 63, has always used baking as a way to unwind after a busy day at work.

Known affectionately as the ‘cake lady’, Connie’s favourite thing to bake is hearty carrot cakes, with flavours including rum fruit, lemon and lavender.

She also runs a music centre in London with her husband of 23 years Myke.

Connie was initially told she hadn’t made the final 12 and was placed on the standby baker list.

She said: ‘As the deadline approached, I accepted that it probably wasn’t going to happen. I genuinely believed the chances of being called were incredibly slim, so I moved on and put it to the back of my mind. Then everything changed with one phone call.

‘When I was told that a place had become available and that I could take part, I was completely speechless. The news felt surreal, and for a while I couldn’t quite process what I was hearing. I kept checking that it was real because it seemed too good to be true.’

Known affectionately as the ‘cake lady’ Connie’s favourite thing to bake is hearty carrot cakes

Danni

Dorset native Danni, 25, loves foraging in the countryside for their ingredients. By day, they work as a HGV service centre administrator with their father.

Their bakes often combine foraged finds such as magnolia, chestnut and dandelion with far-flung flavours like ube and red bean paste.

As well as baking, Danni’s other hobbies include anime doodling and soldering broken traces on the motherboard of her Commodore 64.

Gushing over Nigella, Danni said: ‘It was so nice to get to see Nigella walk into the tent – she had such a sense of wonder about her when she took her place, and it felt so right for her to be there.

‘She took to it like a duck to water! She truly is wonderful, very genuine in her approach to baking and you can tell just how much she cares about taking on board what she’s tasting and helping you with improving it even more!’

By day Danni works as a HGV service centre administrator with their father

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Gabe

Self-described as the ‘daddy of Birmingham drag’, Gabe first discovered their joy for baking when they watched the very first episode of GBBO as a 13-year-old.

Now 32, Gabe describes their baking style as ‘gorgeous but very homemade’, with a preference for savoury, meat-filled bakes and an obsession with meringue.

They have two partners, Ellis and Tyler, and live in the West Midlands.

Gabe produces theatre shows for their day job, and performs as their drag persona, Blü Romantic.

They said: ‘I have met Alison before, she famously smacked my bum, live on Channel 4 while I was in drag on Late Night Lycett, so I was excited to take our relationship to the next level.

‘As a Mighty Boosh obsessed teen, who grew into a Mighty Boosh obsessed adult I was so hyped to meet Noel. I was so ready to cream pie myself and impersonate the moon with him!’

Self-described as the ‘daddy of Birmingham drag’, Gabe first discovered their joy for baking when they watched the very first episode of GBBO as a 13-year-old

Gary

Retired garment technologist Gary, 67, only bought his first cooking book five years ago and since then hasn’t looked back.

Gary describes his baking style as traditional, with a focus on impeccable presentation and bold flavours, particularly citrus.

He lives with his wife of over 30 years, Donna, at their countryside home in Nottinghamshire.

Gary said: ‘When I met Noel we were joking about the resemblance between me and Paul and how we could be connected at birth.

‘When I met Alison I was concentrating on baking and noticed her big friendly smile when she came towards me. I also did some Northern Soul dancing with Alison which was an experience. I was showing her how to do this as I love Northern Soul.’

Gary describes his baking style as traditional, with a focus on impeccable presentation and bold flavours, particularly citrus

Molly

Accessibility coordinator Molly, 31, was inspired to start baking by her grandmother when she was just a child.

The Londoner turned to baking in 2020 when she battled health issues, which took her skills to a whole new level. She likes bakes and classic flavours.

Apart from baking, Molly is also a huge Formula 1 fan, clearing her diary for every race, and is currently 25 per cent through a 350,000 cross-stitch landscape of Rivendell.

Speaking about walking inside the famous tent, Molly said: ‘It was almost reassuring that it was Nigella’s first time in the tent too. It’s a daunting experience, but knowing it was new to her as well felt like we were experiencing things together.’

Molly turned to baking in 2020 when she battled health issues, which took her skills to a whole new level. She likes bakes and classic flavours

Moyin

Moyin is a political economy student from Essex, who balances his studies with baking, a part-time job and athletics.

The 22-year-old started baking when he was five years old with his mother and had mastered the Macaronag by 14.

His flavours are inspired by his Nigerian heritage, including grains of paradise and groundnuts.

A competitive sprinter, Moyin was crowned U20 County Champion in the 100m, and his pre-race motivational playlist features Afrobeats, R&B and conscious rap. He lives with his mum, sister and grandmother, and regularly visits family in Nigeria, Canada and the US.

He said of his co-stars: ‘I was so worried about meeting them but I don’t think I could have a better bunch of people. We met in the hotel and I was the last person there because I was late. I remember walking in and being so overwhelmed because there were so many faces and I was just thinking what the actual heck is going on. I remember sitting on a table with Gabe and Nikki, from the first time I met those two we have been up to no good.’

Moyin is a political economy student from Essex, who balances his studies with baking, a part-time job and athletics

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Mo

Mo, a 21-year-old law student from the West Midlands, has ambitions of becoming a solicitor, though has surprised his wider family with his love of baking.

He started out by buying boxed vanilla cake mixes from the local corner shop but now bakes precise and professional-looking cakes, infusing Asian flavours with traditional British classics.

When he isn’t baking, Mo can be found at the gym lifting weights.

Speaking about new host Nigella, Mo said: ‘I was very excited to meet Nigella as I’d remember my mom loved watching her growing up and having her tv shows on in the background while playing.

‘It was interesting to see her find her place working with Paul and I loved the different perspectives and preferences they had as they didn’t always agree.’

Mo started out by buying boxed vanilla cake mixes from the local corner shop but now bakes precise and professional looking cakes

Nikki

Fifty-year-old advertising post-producer Nikki has always found baking to be a form of therapy for her and blasts R&B and classical music while making her creations.

Nikki, who has applied to be on the show multiple times, has been with her ‘soul mate’ Tom for 22 years, and they have a 16-year-old daughter, Ava.

She is a former podium dancer at Basingstoke’s Ziggy’s Nightclub and still hits the dance floor regularly with her cousins.

Nikki said: ‘One of my favourite moments was breaking the ice with Paul during the first episode. He took a bite of my Self Portrait Showstopper, paused, and just stared off into the distance with this thoughtful look on his face. I couldn’t resist and said, “Where’s it taking you, Paul?”

‘He snapped out of his daze and deadpanned, “It’s taking me to Weight Watchers!” I burst out laughing!’

Nikki has always found baking to be a form of therapy for her and blasts R&B and classical music while making her creations

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Shannon

Project planner Shannon is a nature-loving foodie and lives in the countryside with her fiancé Scott and their two dogs.

The 29-year-old has been baking for as long as she can remember, taught by her beloved Nan, and describes her style as whimsical, quirky and rustic.

She has revealed she once rode a horse through a drive thru.

Speaking about her baking superpower, Nikki said: ‘I think my secret superpower is the way my baking makes people feel at home. I love creating flavours that take people back to happy memories, those little moments of nostalgia that make you pause and smile.

‘My fiancé Scott always says that when I make fresh bread with proper salted butter, it tastes exactly like how his grandad used to make it. Hearing that brings me so much joy, because it’s like my baking gives him a moment with someone he loved. My superpower is bringing smiles out of nowhere, letting the good vibes flow, and helping people make new happy memories while revisiting old ones. That’s the magic of baking for me.’

Project planner Shannon is a nature-loving foodie and lives in the countryside with her fiancé Scott and their two dogs

Tom

Self-confessed Northern Diva Tom, 25, is a hairdresser by day in a busy salon in West Yorkshire, but loves nothing more than getting into the kitchen and baking.

While his older brother was off at football matches, six-year-old Tom would escape to his Nan’s to bake.

His colleagues are often taste-testers and he admits he can overshare about his personal life.

Outside of baking, Tom loves travelling and recently spent seven months exploring Southeast Asia with his boyfriend, Alex.

He said of joining the show: ‘I have dreamed about being on Bake Off for so long that I kind of knew one day I would get on. I never imagined it would be the first year I applied that I would get on. I couldn’t believe it when I got the call.

‘Throughout the whole application process whenever one step was completed, I just thought to myself right that will be the last one and they won’t be contacting me again but I couldn’t believe it when it kept on going. I think I just said omg omg omg omg omg over and over again, then I bought a bottle of prosecco on my way home to surprise my boyfriend with the news.’

Tom is a hairdresser by day in a busy salon in West Yorkshire, but loves nothing more than getting into the kitchen and baking

Yannis

Paediatric doctor Yannis, 28, wants to break the stigma that Bangladeshi men don’t belong in the kitchen.

Born in Vienna before moving to London aged 11, Yannis’s baking has been influenced by many food cultures. His first baking memory is making Bhapa Pitha with his grandmother.

Away from baking, he is also a Bhangra dancer, and his wedding shimmy has become legendary amongst his friends.

Yannis said if he was castaway on a desert island with only one cookbook, it would be Nigella’s: ‘Her books were part of what made me fall deeper in love with baking, so if I’m going to be stranded on an island, I at least want some comforting inspiration with me.’

Paediatric doctor Yannis wants to break the stigma that Bangladeshi men don’t belong in the kitchen

The Tuesday letters page wonders what secrets will be in toady’s Zelda themed Nintendo Direct, as one reader hopes for a Capcom Vs. Capcom game.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Day one
I’m really looking forward to the next two days of Nintendo Directs. I know Nintendo never does what we want or expect but usually it manages to pull something just as good out of the bag. That said, the summer Direct was probably their worst one ever, that I remember, so that does put a big question mark on things, at least as far as the Wednesday Direct goes.

But the Zelda one? Surely, we know what will be shown. It’s got to be the Ocarina Of Time remake, there’s no possibility that it couldn’t be there, right? And a trailer for the movie must be almost as definite. Just those two things have got me super excited, and I can’t wait to see what direction they take with both.

What also interests me is will they show anything else? It is the 40th anniversary Direct after all, it’s not called the Ocarina Of Time Direct. Probably it’ll just be the Zelda-themed Switch 2, and maybe some amiibo, but I think there’s got to be an outside chance of some kind of new spin-off too. I will watch with interest.
Onibee

The long wait
It’s about time Luigi’s Mansion 4 was announced. A very underappreciated series and I really hope we get to see a new one this week. I’m also happy to hear about Mario Kart World DLC and curious that Nintendo seems to be going all in on more Star Fox.

I did like the remake, so I’m not against the idea, but I can’t help thinking that if they wanted another killer franchise it would’ve been easier for them to make something new rather than trying to elevate what has always been a B-level series at best.

That’s the one thing I’d really like to see on Wednesday: a new IP. But I don’t think it’s likely. Hopefully Nintendo is working on something, but I doubt they’re going to unveil it in September, when the focus is always on things coming out for Christmas. But that means it’s going to be the best part of six months before we even get the chance of a new annoucement.
Caspian

Improving on perfection
I’m seeing a Super Metroid remake coming up again and again as a rumour for this week’s Nintendo Direct and I have to say I am not keen on the idea. I think most people that know it (and I know GC agree with this) would describe it as already perfect and its graphics absolutely still stand up. Not only that, if they tried to improve them what would they do? Make them 3D or use more animated style graphics? That would ruin the charm in my opinion.

And what would they do to the gameplay? Super Metroid isn’t hard by the standards of the time but stuff like the wall-jumping is tricky and not the sort of thing you’d expect modern gamers to be able to do. Especially given the tutorial for it is carefully watching the little aliens and getting the clue from them.

I can’t think of anything you could improve on for the game and yet I can think of a hundred things you could make worse. I just can’t see it working out and if Nintendo even try I’ll be kind of disappointed in them.
Tacle

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

No fear
So here’s a little gem I learned recently, GTA 5 on Xbox 360 launched the exact same day as Zelda: The Wind Waker HD on Wii U. The Wii U wasn’t even a year old at that point, so Nintendo probably still thought it had a chance, and yet apparently they didn’t care at all that it was coming out at the same time as GTA.

So the question is, will they care this time? It would be so funny to me if the Zelda: Ocarina Of Time remake came out the same day as GTA 6. I would respect Nintendo so much for not giving a fig about anything else and just picking whatever day suits them.

Overall, I doubt they’ll do it but I think it will be sometime in November. It’s obviously not this month, and it’s unlikely to be as late as December, so that already narrows down the choices. And I think Nintendo will just see all that empty space in the schedules and just take it. Everyone else will be scared of GTA 6 but not them.
Molach

Budget crisis
Reallly happy to see these lower budget AAA games doing well, because I wouldn’t have bet on any of the ones you listed as being successes. I loved 007 First Light and have just got started on Onimusha: Way Of The Sword and it seems great.

I am much more interested in these games than anything else at the moment and the idea of buying something as tired as Call Of Duty or EA Sports FC instead of them is crazy to me. If these really have been hits, then the hope now is that publishers realise it doesn’t have to be all or nothing and you can do perfectly well with more modest targets.

That said, I hope Onimusha does especially well because I can just sense that Dino Crisis remake (or reboot, I’m not fussy) getting closer and closer. What an amazing year they’ve had and all through the secret trick of – shock, horror – releasing good games.
Blanco

His name was Hugh
I am so glad that Onimusha: Way Of The Sword has done well for Capcom and I am very excited at the idea of them reviving more IP. It’s got to be Dino Crisis next, I feel, but I think Ghosts ‘N Goblins/Maximo must have a good chance too, and maybe a big budget 3D Mega Man, if the new 2D one is a hit. I’d also like to see a new Ace Attorney as well, if possible.

But I really feel it’s time for them to do a Capcom Vs. Capcom fighting game. It’s pointless waiting for Marvel, because they could easily take the licence back five minutes later, as has happened multiple times already. If you want to team up, team up with Sega or Namco or someone like that – they did it before, just not for a fighting game.

I was never interested in the Marvel side of Marvel Vs. Capcom so for me an all video game line-up would be an actual improvement. Plus, it’d be a great way to introduce new characters and promote new games via DLC. Got a Dino Crisis remake coming up? Make Regina a fighter. Got a new IP you want to push? Add whatever the Pragmata guy was called and bingo!

Make it happen Capcom, I believe in you!
Tabernacle

The day the Earth stood still
I hadn’t thought about when GTA 6 would actually be released, but I suppose it was always going to be late at night. That next day is going to be a global disaster. So many people are not going to turn up for work the next morning, which I’ve just looked up and is a Thursday. So a whole bunch are probably going to take the next day off too.

Now how many are going to take actual time off versus pretending to do a sickie I don’t but I’m going to guess that everyone is going to think they’ll be the only ones to do it and then suddenly you find out the whole world just took two days off to play a video game. I can’t wait.
Cambo Nightly

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Barrel of fun
Do a barrel roll straight into my figurative heart! The Star Fox 64 remake has been an absolute pleasure to revisit this past month and a half. Developer Velan Studios has carried out its mission to modernise this classic N64 game with conservative aplomb.

The new cut scenes are beautifully rendered, with the more rugged, realistic look of the anthropomorphic space pilots a charming and fitting choice for the series, that recalls the SNES game’s puppet/animatronic-like box art depictions.

The full orchestral soundtrack renders the music even more epic and accentuates the John Williams-esque cinematic grandeur of the laser blasting action.

For those of you that hadn’t played the original on the N64, whilst a single run could be completed in under two hours, and you could technically call it quits, there’s a whole heap of alternative and secret routes to discover, and a separate challenge mode with objectives that adds considerably to the replayability factor and general value of what would seem, at first glance, a pretty paltry package.

Although the inherent simplicity of its arcade game mechanics are more apparent today – an area I felt that 2016’s criminally under-appreciated Star Fox Zero had made great strides in – Star Fox 64 remake has still amply demonstrated to me that the formula has aged gracefully and, most importantly, is just as fun today as it was back in 1997.

The level design is still impressive by contemporary standards, with some memorable moments like withstanding and outmanoeuvring the plasma blasts, lava waves, and extreme temperatures of the luminous sphere of gas that is Solar; advancing on land looking for Slippy in the harsh and hostile desert biome of Titania; and the atmospheric underwater exploration in planet Aquas being some of my favourites.

The boss fights are also generally really good, and everything looks stunning in the new graphics engine. Star Fox is easily one of the best surprises of the year for me, that I dearly hope sells enough to convince Nintendo to fully resuscitate the franchise.

I’d love to see more N64 remakes of long dormant, languishing Nintendo IP created with the same ardour and visual splendour, like Pilotwings 64, F-Zero X, Excite Bike 64, and Wave Race 64!
GG
PS: Currently juggling Marvel Tōkon, Splitterhead, Splatoon Raiders, Lorelei And The Laser Eyes, Metal Gear Solid Delta, and Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Switch 2 Edition.

Inbox also-rans
I hope the customers win their lawsuit against Sony PlayStation because customers should have a say. Digital gaming sucks.
Bruce

Just beaten Star Wars Zero Company and that was great. Last act of the game was especially good, I would’ve been happy for that to go on a lot longer and it’s already not a short game!
Honeydew

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The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

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