Strictly and Big Brother will run around the same time later this year, and given just how demanding the long-running BBC dance show can be on its participants, many pondered if Will planned to step down from Big Brother after three seasons co-hosting with AJ Odudu.

On Tuesday evening, The Sun cited an undisclosed “source” who claimed that Will had “no plans to leave” Big Brother, and would remain as its co-host.

This has now been confirmed to be the case to HuffPost UK.

Notably, Big Brother doesn’t air its evictions or live shows on a weekend, meaning Will will be free to dance for the whole nation.

HuffPost UK has also contacted Will’s team for additional comment.

Announcing his involvement in Strictly 2026, he enthused: “I can’t quite believe it… I’m doing Strictly! What an absolute dream. Albeit a pretty terrifying one.”

“I’ve been lucky to do lots of live telly before, but absolutely nothing like this. And I cannot wait!”

The TV presenter added: “I have no idea if I can actually dance, but bring on the sequins, bring on the quicksteps, bring on the dance floor! I’m going to try to enjoy every minute of it.”

Will’s Big Brother co-host AJ took part in Strictly back in 2020, making it all the way to the final with her professional partner Kai Widdrington.

A 700-metre stretch of towpath at Nob End, Little Lever, reopened earlier this month, allowing walkers to once again travel from Meccano Bridge, through the canal breach site and under Mytham Road towards Ladyshore.

The route had been closed while major repairs were carried out as part of Watson Homes’ Creams Mill development.

The restoration includes a section of the canal that has remained cut off since a catastrophic breach almost 90 years ago.

A aerial view of the work progressing to repair the breach

The temporary reopening gives residents a rare chance to see the scale of the engineering work taking place before the route closes again in the autumn and winter for the next phase of construction.

Among the upcoming works will be the installation of a huge canal liner, with the next major milestone expected in August 2027 when the restored section is due to be refilled with water.

(Image: Chris Nash)

The restoration focuses on repairing the 60-metre breach at Nob End, where the canal collapsed on July 6, 1936, after erosion and subsidence undermined the embankment.

Millions of gallons of water poured into the River Irwell below, effectively severing the canal.

Although nobody was injured, the breach was never repaired, contributing to the eventual decline and abandonment of the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal.

Originally authorised by Parliament in 1791, the canal opened in stages from 1797 and became a vital route for transporting coal, stone, timber and other goods between Bolton, Bury and Salford.

Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal Society (Image: Chris Nash)

Today, around 40 per cent of the canal remains in water, with restoration groups continuing efforts to reconnect sections for future navigation.

Chris Nash, of the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal Society, welcomed the latest progress.

He said: “We’re really pleased with the progress being made in partnership with Watson Homes and the reopening of this section of the canal.

“It’s fantastic that local people can now see the transformation taking place first-hand.

“The team at Watson Homes have asked for regular monthly meetings with us, which is a great example of partnership working in the community.

“We’d love to see this kind of collaboration replicated across the entire canal network as we work towards the long-term ambition of full restoration and reopening.”

Residents will have the chance to learn more about the project during a guided walk on Monday, July 20, showcasing the reopened towpath and the ongoing restoration work.

Sunrise over the Meccano bridge, Nob End (Image: John Norris)

The walk will begin at the Meccano bridge from 2pm until 4pm.

The guided walk is one of several events marking the 90th anniversary of the 1936 breach.

A Community Canals Celebration will also be held at Little Lever Sports Club on September 20, featuring community stalls, arts and crafts, music and entertainment.

Thouhida Chowdhury, 29, known as Tia, was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer during her second trimester — her four-week-old daughter Isabella will only be two years old when she loses her mum

A mum-to-be was handed a devastating three-year life expectancy while 14 weeks into her pregnancy.

Thouhida Chowdhury, 29, received the terminal lung cancer diagnosis during her second trimester, and tragically her four-week-old daughter will likely never know her mother beyond toddlerhood.

The family are now racing against time to create precious memories together over the coming 24 months while they’re able. Thouhida, who goes by Tia, hails from Liverpool city centre, and her 29 year old husband Lewis, whom she met at work a “long time” ago, had envisioned building an idyllic future together.

Their dreams were simple: two children, a home of their own, and marriage. When news arrived that Tia was expecting Isabella, the pair were “beyond happy”.

In conversation with the ECHO, Tia recalled: “Isabella is our first daughter, we were only just starting our journey together as a family. We wanted a normal, average life, we had it all planned. We were so excited when we found out we were pregnant. It was November [last year] we found out.”

At that point, Tia had been battling what she’d presumed was a chest infection. She’d been prescribed multiple courses of antibiotics over roughly six months, yet her condition continued to deteriorate, reports the Liverpool Echo.

During her final round of antibiotics, Tia’s mum spotted her daughter’s complexion “turning blue” while they shared dinner and rushed her immediately to A&E. Tia would remain at the Royal Liverpool Hospital for the following five months.

She said: “I was told I had cancer a few days after being taken to the Royal. I had a CT scan which showed my lymph nodes were all inflamed and my left lung had collapsed. At first doctors said it could either be TB or cancer, at that moment we just knew it was cancer. It was so worrying, we were hopeful, but deep-down we knew.”

Tia was booked in for a biopsy and within days received the devastating confirmation of lung cancer. She said: “I asked for my prognosis and the oncologist told me I had two to three years. My whole world felt like it fell apart in that moment. We found out it was a disease that I was going to die from.”

She added: “We were told it was untreatable but there’s chemo that could slow it down, without the chemo they said I’d have eight to 12 months. I remember feeling numb and asking a lot of questions. Then, it was like a dam, I started crying and didn’t stop for hours.

“My husband wasn’t there for at the appointment with me, so I then had to face telling him, and my parents, and all the other people that love me that I’m going to die in a couple of years.”

At just 14 weeks pregnant when her world came crashing down, Tia said: “What should have been the happiest time of my life was shattered. I had been told that I wouldn’t watch my daughter grow older, I wouldn’t see her first day of school, I wouldn’t be there for her first breakup, her wedding and everything else.

“It was like someone was playing a joke on me. We had a very different life planned out. We wanted to buy a house, we had plans to move back to Cheshire, where I’m originally from, so Isabella could have a rural upbringing like I had. Now, all these things can’t happen, I can’t even get a mortgage with cancer and I only have two years with my child.

“My biggest fear is her not remembering me; remembering my voice, my touch, she will only be two years old when she loses me. We’re making her a scrapbook and taking pictures of everything and everyone so she has these memories to keep. I’ve also written her letters to open when shes 16, 18, and when she gets married.”

While Tia underwent chemotherapy treatment in hospital during June, Isabella arrived prematurely at 30 weeks and continues her stay in the Neonatal Unit, “growing stronger every day.”

Following more than five months as an inpatient, Tia has since been discharged from hospital. She reflected: “I feel like I’ve already put my child through so much, I feel like the worst mother ever. I couldn’t even paint her nursery or build her cot because I was stuck in hospital.”

The unforeseen pregnancy coupled with the cancer diagnosis has drained the young couple’s savings on expenses they never anticipated facing at merely 29 years of age. Lewis has been forced to take on additional employment to support his wife and daughter, meaning precious time with his terminally ill partner has been significantly reduced.

The family are hoping to raise funds to cover essential costs for making their home more accessible and covering hospital travel expenses.

Tia explained: “My whole life is upside down, I used to be such an independent woman and now I’m not even being able to go to Tesco by myself. I don’t want my daughter to remember me like this, I want to make memories and make our life as normal and good as possible.

“I’ve already had to have my baby shower and registered our marriage in hospital, it’s important after five months that I can now spend time at home with my family before we’re out of time.”

Those wishing to support Tia and Lewis can contribute to their online fundraiser, which aims to help create precious memories with Isabella.

Meanwhile, their relatives, who operate Tess Riley’s in Liverpool city centre, have organised a special fundraising evening to generate additional support. The event is scheduled for August 19, kicking off at 3pm.

Entry costs £10, with all proceeds going directly to Lewis, Tia and Isabella.

The Bee Network has confirmed the issue at the junction of Bolton Street, Peel Way, Jubilee Way, and Harvard Road in Bury town centre.

Drivers have been urged to approach the junction with “care and caution”.

Engineers are working to resolve the issue.

We will update you when the issue is resolved.

A spokesperson for the Bee Network said: “We’re currently experiencing traffic light outage at the junction of Bolton St/Peel Way/ Jubilee Way/Harvard Rd (Bury Town Centre).

“If you’re driving, please approach with care and caution.

“Engineers are working to resolve the issue as soon as possible.”

It is a question that has been repeatedly asked.

Not least at the various reunions to mark Leeds‘ title triumph in 1992 or Blackburn Rovers’ Premier League win three years later.

Batty was involved in both of those landmark achievements, but ex-Blackburn midfielder Mark Atkins has not caught up with him since their playing days.

“We have tried to get him to the dos we have had, but nobody can get hold of him,” he said.

“He’s not that type of person. Even if he was living five miles away, he wouldn’t turn up because he’s a very personal guy, really.”

Aside from a rare trip to Elland Road to lay a wreath on the pitch in memory of his close friend Gary Speed, following his tragic death in 2011, Batty has tended to keep out of the public eye.

Viduka, who quietly opened a cafe in Croatia after hanging up his boots, can relate.

“In this day and age, everyone shows off everything they do in every moment, like what they had for breakfast,” he said. “Who cares?

“If anyone was not going to be like that, it was Batts.”

Rather than entertaining corporate guests, representing footballers or working in the media, Batty always planned to dedicate his time solely to his family in Yorkshire after retiring.

It has only added to the cult surrounding a player who former Leeds team-mate Eirik Bakke called one of his “heroes”.

“If someone tackled you, Batts was always there to stand up for you,” he said. “You don’t find those types of players a lot. You could always rely on him.”

Batty was more than a mere enforcer, however.

As well as standing his ground, and aggressively winning the ball back, the England international rarely gave away possession.

Those qualities quickly struck ex-Leeds midfielder John Sheridan, who was Batty’s “mentor” in his early days at the club.

“You would think butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth when you looked at him then,” he said.

“But he was tough as nails. He made the game look very simple by doing the simple things easily.”

Firefighters have said it could take days to extinguish a large fire on moorland in Greater Manchester, which broke out on Saturday.

Officers said the blaze at Dove Stone Reservoir in Greenfield, Saddleworth, had now merged with one several miles away at Tintwistle Moor near Glossop.

Clive Stanbrook, from Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service (DFRS), said it was spreading because of the tinder-dry conditions and the “ever changing winds”.

He said crews were “doing all we possibly can to try and stop this fire from spreading any further”, including dropping water from helicopters and carrying out reconnaissance with drones and aircraft. A woman, 20, has appeared in court charged with arson.

The blaze on Tintwistle Moor in Glossop started on 24 June and was declared a major incident on Sunday, with DFRS saying firefighters were facing “challenging conditions”.

Stanbrook said: “We’ve had a couple of helicopters dropping water as well, but also doing reconnaissance.

“Mountain Rescue have been absolutely fantastic and provided their drone. We’ve also had a coastguard plane as well to do reconnaissance of the actual area.

“That’s just a taste of the scale that we’re dealing with at the moment.”

Ben Levy, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) area manager said: “I envisage our firefighters are going to be on these moors for a number of days, I am sure of it – there is no significant rainfall forecast, the temperatures are due to remain high.”

About 70 firefighters, 11 fire engines and four wildfire units were at the scene on Tuesday.

An urgent recall has been issued with a warning which states ‘consumers should stop using the recalled coin batteries immediately’ and ‘place them in an area that children cannot access’

Amazon shoppers with young children in America should check any batteries in the house urgently, according to regulators.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC) has issued a recall notice on coin batteries sold on Amazon under the label ‘JUNPOWER Household Batteries’. The agency said the Junpower CR2032 20-pack of batteries, in specific packaging model 2023-V3, is subject to the recall due to incorrect packaging.

The product was sold as four packs with five batteries inside each, from December 2023 to September 2024, typically for between $8 and $9. The incorrect packaging means young children can open the packets and accidentally swallow a battery, which could cause serious injury or death.

The USCPSC notice posted on July 2 said: “Consumers should stop using the recalled coin batteries immediately, place them in an area that children cannot access and contact Junpower for a free replacement battery.

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“Consumers should visit Junpower’s recall page and follow instructions to register for the recall.

“Consumers will be asked to write in permanent marker the date, their initials and the word “Recalled” on the product. Consumers should submit a photo of the marked product and properly dispose of the batteries to receive a replacement battery.”

The USCPSC said no injuries have been reported in relation to the batteries at this stage. Reportedly, 67,000 units were sold online before the recall was issued.

Dr Anya Gopfert, consultant in health protection at UKHSA, said: “We know that even moderate heat can lead to serious health problems, especially for older people and those with certain health conditions, so it’s important that everyone takes simple precautions while enjoying the warm weather over the coming days.

Manchester United want to continue their midfield overhaul with a move for France star Manu Kone, having now welcomed both Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos, as well as goalkeeper Karl Darlow. However, they have pulled out of a deal involving Ederson, who has been offered a new contract at Atalanta. Chelsea are still pushing hard to land Pep Chavarria and Maxence Lacroix, with Alvaro Carreras also potentially on Xabi Alonso’s radar.

Sarah Platt’s (Tina O’Brien) luck finally runs out next week in Coronation Street, when she’s formally arrested and charged with the murder of Theo Silverton (James Cartwright).

Despite the best attempts of Gary Windass (Mikey North) and Kit Green (Jacob Roberts), the police finally nail the culprit and life will never be the same for anybody. As Kit pleads with her to drop Gary in it, Maria Connor (Samia Longchambon) doubts her marriage to Gary can survive. Will the arrest destroy the lives of everyone involved?

With Sarah’s arrest, she reveals to Kit that Jodie Ramsey (Olivia Frances-Brown) was the one that attacked her, leaving David and Shona Platt (Jack P Shepherd and Julia Goulding) utterly rocked. Are they about to discover the twisted sister’s true colours?

After an altercation with Brody Michaelis (Ryan Mulvey), Dylan Wilson (Liam McCheyne) heads to the hospital bedside of Betsy Swain (Sydney Martin), having come to a conclusion about the events that led them both here, but what is it?

Elsewhere, Christina Boyd (Amy Robbins) continues to struggle, Todd Grimshaw (Gareth Pierce) and Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby) plan an escape, Sam Blakeman (Jude Riordan) returns home and Ollie (Raphael Akuwudike) lands a new job.

With the World Cup in the rear view and Corrie back in it’s rightful slot, let’s deep dive into next weeks episodes, shall we?

Monday, July 20

Kit desperately tries to glean information from DI McLaughlin (Michelle Tate), but she’s cagey and is clearly suspicious of Kit’s motives, though his determination that Gary is about to be arrested rattles Sarah as she worries about the wedding outfit she handed to forensics.

When Fiz Dobbs (Jennie McAlpine) tells Maria that Kit is certain the police will arrest Gary imminently, she begins to reel with sheer panic.

Kit couldn’t be more wrong, though, as the Platt family record a birthday video message for Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls), the police arrive immediately after and arrest Sarah for Theo’s murder. Kit takes a call from her later and tries his hardest to comfort her.

Tuesday, July 21

Brody and Dylan come to blows, with Brody spitting that were he Betsy, he’d press charges against Dylan. Later, Ryan Connor’s (Ryan Prescott) stern words force Dylan to face up to his part in what happened to Betsy.

While Sarah swears her innocence to the police, Lisa Connor-Swain (Vicky Myers) makes it clear to Kit that he’s under suspicion for trying to cover up her crime, confirming that they’ll be charging Sarah with murder and that he needs to stop trying to protect her, or he’ll lose his career.

Meanwhile, Gary tries to calm Maria’s anxieties that the police will come for Gary next, while a parcel delivery lets Todd know that Christina hasn’t managed to control her spending, forcing him to cover for her in front of George Shuttleworth (Tony Maudsley).

Wednesday, July 22

Dylan visits Betsy and accepts responsibility for what happened to her before making himself scarce when a police officer arrives to take a statement from her.

Maria clocks Sally Metcalfe’s (Sally Dynevor) screensaver in the salon, which clearly shows that Gary was on the street on the night of Theo’s murder, despite his assertations that he was in the builder’s yard all night. Having Sally send her the picture, she heads home and confronts Gary over what she’s discovered. Later, as they enjoy a family meal, Kit tears chunks from Gary over Sarah’s predicament.

Elsewhere, Todd finally confesses to Summer that he knows Sarah killed Theo, but reaffirms that he didn’t when she was being questioned and the time she spent behind bars, before confiding in her about Christina’s continued spending, Kit tries to persuade Sarah to implicate Gary and Lauren Bolton (Cait Fitton) masks her hurt when Ollie reveals he’s been offered a job in Brighton.

Thursday, July 23

While Todd confirms to James Bailey (Jason Callender) that he’s planning to give away Theo’s life insurance money, Christina tells a skint George that she expects Todd to give him a portion of the cash. Later, Todd and Summer reveal that they’ve booked flights to Thailand to visit Jason and Eileen Grimshaw (Ryan Thomas and Sue Cleaver)

Maria warns Gary that, following what’s happened, he’s forced her to retract her statement that provided him with a false alibi. Gary pleads with her for another chance, reaffirming that he loves her and not Sarah.

Also, Kit struggles to manage Harry Platt (Joshua Leavy) and is heartened when Adam Barlow (Sam Robertson) steps in to help, Betsy is deeply embarrassed when Lauren has to help her use the toilet and when Ollie misses the Brighton job, Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson) makes him the head chef of Speed Daal.

Friday, July 24

After a roasting from Maria, Sarah determines to admit to Lisa what happened with Theo, before that, though, she reveals to Kit that Jodie was her attacker. Shona and David are absolutely rocked when they learn of Sarah’s accusation against Jodie and upon learning of her trinket box, they search the house. Lily (Grace Ashcroft-Gardner) waits until nightfall and heads downstairs to find her games console, but discovers the box instead.

Sam returns home, Leanne, Nick Tilsley (Ben Price) and Toyah Battersby (Georgia Taylor) worry about the impact Sarah’s arrest will have on him. When Leanne reveals she has a new boyfriend, Sam is initially shaken, but agrees to meet Idris Nazir (Junade Khan) later on.

Despite Steve McDonald’s (Simon Gregson) warnings, Cassie Plummer (Claire Sweeney) continues to scheme to get ride of Ross Wilkes (Ian Burfield) with an app that allows people to write reviews about ex boyfriends, hoping to show Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall) his true colours, David and Maria butt heads when she skives work to spend the day with Gary and Ben Driscoll (Aaron McCusker) is narked to learn that Ollie is now working for the competition.

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