Gogglebox star Sophie Sandiford shared a funny moment during brother Pete’s private ceremony

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Gogglebox’s Sophie Sandiford has offered a rare glimpse into her brother’s private wedding. The television star first appeared on the Channel 4 programme back in 2017 for series 10 alongside brother Pete Sandiford and they’ve since become firm favourites.

Over the years, the duo, who reside in Blackpool, have had fans in stitches thanks to their witty remarks and amusing reactions to the week’s top television programmes and films. Despite being in the public eye, Pete has remained fairly private about his family life but during Friday’s (April 3) episode, Sophie revealed a hilarious moment during her brother’s big day.

Pete announced that he and now wife Paige were engaged on Gogglebox back in February 2021, and two months later they confirmed that she was pregnant, reports the Mirror.

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However, they kept their big day incredibly low key, and it wasn’t made public until Pete shared the news in an interview back in September that year. While watching Channel 4’s hit dating programme Married At First Sight Australia, Sophie took the opportunity to discuss her speech during Pete’s private wedding.

She went on to say: “I loved your wedding speech, for the fact it was so it was me, you and Brian. Now, Brian was panicking because he thought he was gonna say ‘hello, my name’s Brain’.

Pete jumped in: “Well he’s dyslexic.” Sophie continued: “You haven’t written anything and I was that nervous that I just read off my phone at 2x speed.”

The pair burst into laughter as Pete joked: “Like an auctioneer there.” Mimicking her rapid delivery, Sophie said: “Hello, welcome to the wedding. Thank you everybody for coming.” Pete couldn’t resist teasing his sister as he added: “I’ve known Pete for 30 years. Thank you very much. The buffet is now open.”

Elsewhere during the programme, Pete was struggling to hold back tears as he revealed that he became emotional after dropping his children off at nursery.

Peter, who has two children, Jimmy and Eva, turned to his sister and explained: “Tell you what, it was an emotional roller coaster on Friday. So Paige went to me ‘will you drop Eva off at the nursery?’ I said ‘all right, f****** hell. Yeah.’” Sophie laughed as she said: “They’re your kids.”

In a touching moment, Pete confessed: “I dropped off at praise school and I just got in the car and I just started crying.”

“She’s getting so grown up now.” Struggling to compose himself he said: “I’m welling up now. She’s such a big girl and she just went straight in, not arsed. She didn’t get a s*** about me.”

Sophie quipped: “Now you’re by yourself having a cry in the car.” Pete added: “Have a little sob in the car park.”

Gogglebox airs on Friday at 9pm on Channel 4

The bins have been introduced as part of a nationwide effort to standardise waste collections across England, with each household now limited to a maximum of four bins.

Durham County Council will be introducing the new waste bins soon.

Every household will receive two new bins to put food waste in: an external caddy to be kept outside and another caddy for inside.

However, the new system has been met with concern from some residents who fear the bins will attract pests.

Ali Siddall said: “I found rats had gnawed through my mother in laws wheelie bin and were living inside.

“If they can get through a wheelie bin, this will be a piece of cake. No way am I using one of these rat attractors!”

Karen Robson shared similar concerns, saying: “No chance will I be keeping them inside, and a great rat attractor outside. Marvellous.”

Others raised worries about whether the bins could withstand weather conditions or animal interference.

Jennie Peters said: “I used to live in London up to five years ago and we had recycled food bins for several years.

“The foxes and corvids knew how to open the food bins, we had to place a brick on top to stop the bin being emptied all over our gardens and pavements.”

A rat. (Image: Jacob King)

Carol Albone worried “the food bins will be gone with the first strong winds.”

Angela Harrison questioned the usefulness of the scheme, saying: “Councils have to provide these bins by law but you do not have to use them.

“Mine will be pushed in the back of the garage out the way. I refuse to have an extra bin in my kitchen nor in my yard.”

Some residents also raised concerns about the capacity of the bins for larger households.

Stacey James said: “My kids would fill that caddy in two days. One day the love something the next they hate it.

“You get a large family and that caddy isn’t going to cut it.”

Despite the criticism, some residents welcomed the changes, noting the environmental benefits of composting food waste, which would otherwise end up in landfill.

Linda Thompson said: “All of these negative comments!

“I think it’s a good thing that food waste will be composted instead of being left to rot.

“Having it collected weekly instead of fortnightly should surely mean less trouble with rodents and smells?”

Under the new national rules, residents will have a maximum of four bins.

Dry recycling collections changed on March 31.

However, questions remain about collection logistics and whether residents will be provided with bin liners.

Others expressed confusion about the timetable for collections and what items belong in each bin.

Scottish travellers could save money and have more to spend abroad

If your summer getaway is still up in the air, there’s good news: there’s still a window to lock in some savings before you take off.

Advice from Which? suggests that timing could make a real difference to your travel costs. The consumer group advises that, if you’re planning to fly, choosing the right departure day is key.

Specifically, it is recommending travellers opt for a Saturday departure instead of the typical Friday option. The reason is that Friday is often on the more expensive side.

It explained: “Google Flights and Skyscanner will show you a graph of the cheapest days to fly during your chosen month. Fridays and Sundays are typically the most expensive; Tuesdays are typically the cheapest.

“Of course, Tuesdays aren’t convenient for many people, but you will probably save money on a weekend break if you fly out on a Saturday and come back on a Monday rather than going Friday to Sunday. You miss the same amount of time at work but save a fortune.”

Another tip to save some cash urges parents to “check school holiday dates and consider a different airport”.

It also highlights how school holiday schedules can vary widely depending on where you are in the country. London and the South East, for example, are often out of sync with the Midlands and northern England during half-term breaks.

Price differences between regions can mean cheaper travel if you’re open to leaving from or passing through another place, even if the trip takes longer.

The same applies in the summer, with school holiday dates differing between England and Scotland. This is another factor that can influence prices for those prepared to plan strategically.

With this in mind, it suggests: “It’s worth checking inset (teacher training) days at your children’s school. These are often on a Friday or Monday, tagged onto a school holiday, and it will usually be cheaper to fly out on one of these days.”

Scottish school term dates 2026

There are many councils throughout Scotland. To find yours and check holiday dates, you can check this information online through mygov.scot here.

Are you flying from Glasgow Airport?

If you are set to fly from Glasgow Airport, for example, people are being urged to check in online as soon as they can. You should also print your boarding pass before you go to the airport, it says.

If you’re travelling with just hand luggage, you can head straight through security and on to the duty-free area without stopping at check-in. Those with hold baggage, however, will need to go via the check-in desk first to drop off their bags before proceeding through the airport.

Glasgow Airport reminds passengers: “Even if your flight has a delay, you must still arrive at the airport and check-in at the original allocated time; unless your airline has contacted you directly stating otherwise.”

At least 60 people have been injured following a ‘structural collapse’ at the Alejandro Villanueva Stadium in Lima, Peru, with hospitals on high alert

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At least 60 people have been injured following a ‘structural collapse’ at a football stadium in Peru.

Hospitals have been placed on high alert after the incident, which took place at the Alejandro Villanueva Stadium.

The Estadio Alejandro Villanueva, more commonly known as Matute, is a football ground located in the Matute neighbourhood of the La Victoria district in Lima, Peru. It serves as the home ground of Club Alianza Lima.

Those injured are currently being assessed by medical personnel at the scene, according to officials.

In a statement posted on X, Peru’s Ministry of Health said: “The Ministry of Health (Minsa) reports that, following the report of a structural collapse at the Alejandro Villanueva Stadium, in the La Victoria district, eight units were mobilised through the Mobile Emergency Medical Service (SAMU) to provide prehospital care to those affected, in coordination with the General Volunteer Fire Department of Peru.”

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“According to the preliminary report, 60 people have been recorded as injured, who are currently being evaluated and treated. Three of them have been transferred to the National Hospital Arzobispo Loayza.

“Additionally, an alert has been issued at the National Hospital Dos de Mayo and other hospitals in anticipation of the possible arrival of more injured individuals. The Health Emergency Operations Center (COES Salud) continues with permanent monitoring of the event and coordination of the health response.” It is understood that the incident took place during an Alianza Lima gathering ahead of a fixture against Universitario.

A tribute to Lawrence Dixon said: “To many he was more than a landlord, he was a friend, a storyteller, a familiar face behind the bar, and the person who made The Champ feel like home”

A popular Cambridge pub has closed after its landlord died on Thursday night (April 2). The Champion of the Thames has closed andlord Lawrence Dixon – who was the pub’s ‘heart and soul’ – died.

The pub has announced that it will not be reopening ‘as we know it’ in a statement on Friday (April 3). The statement said: “It is with deep sadness that we share the news that Lawrence Dixon passed away peacefully last night. For over 25 years, Lawrence was the heart and soul of The Champion of the Thames.

“To many he was more than a landlord, he was a friend, a storyteller, a familiar face behind the bar, and the person who made The Champ feel like home. The pub was never just a business to him; it was a community built on conversation, laughter, real ale, and genuine connection.”

The statement continued: “We know how much The Champ meant to so many people, and how many friendships, memories, and traditions were created within its walls under Lawrence’s care. He was immensely proud of the staff, the regulars, and everyone who walked through the door over the years.

“As a family, we kindly ask for privacy at this time as we come to terms with our loss. Sadly, this also means that The Champion of the Thames will not reopen under the Dixon family name, and The Champ as we know it will close its doors as of today.

“This is not a decision taken lightly, but one that reflects the end of an era that was so closely tied to Lawrence himself. We would like to thank every member of staff, every loyal regular, every visitor, and every friend who helped make The Champ what it became over the past quarter century.

“You were all part of Lawrence’s extended family, and your support meant the world to him. Lawrence is now at peace, and we take comfort in knowing how loved and respected he was by this community.”

In more recent years, the pub has been known by locals as a “traditional, no-nonsense watering hole”. It’s loved for its city location and weekly pub quizzes.

The pub has won many awards over the years. It is consistently listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide. It was also the winner of the CAMRA Pub of the Year 2024 Cambridge City and District and Cambridgeshire.

A pre-kindergarten teacher’s aide in New Jersey has been arrested and charged over the sexual assault of “multiple” children over the course of more than a decade.

Shaun M. Stebbins, 43, was arrested Sunday and is facing a slew of charges including aggravated sexual assault of a victim under 13 and various crimes relating to child pornography, according to the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office.

The charges stem from reported incidents involving a number of victims between 2014 and 2025, though prosecutors said they were “deeply concerned” there may be more children impacted.

“We are issuing this press release to make the public aware of these heinous allegations,” Atlantic County Prosecutor William E. Reynolds said in a statement. “We are deeply concerned that there may be additional victims, particularly given the defendant’s access to children through his employment.

“As we have seen in other recent cases, individuals who prey on children often place themselves in positions of trust within schools, organizations, and youth programs to gain access to victims,” Reynolds added.

Stebbins has worked as an aide in a preschool class at Woodbine for several years, according to The New York Times. He was reportedly honored as one of the employees of the year, though all pictures of him appeared to have been deleted from the district’s social media pages as of Friday.

The claims against Stebbins first emerged two weeks ago when four students came forward and shared details of their alleged abuse with authorities, a relative of one of the victims told The NYT.

Reynolds said his office was putting out the information about the arrest of Stebbins “out of an abundance of caution… despite the holiday weekend and in advance of the scheduled detention hearing.”

Charges against Stebbins were brought following an investigation conducted by the Somers Point Police Department with assistance from the County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit.

The county prosecutor said the investigation revealed that over a period exceeding 10 years, Stebbins allegedly committed multiple sexual acts against multiple victims under the age of 13. He’s also accused of creating and possessing child sexual abuse material.

The unnamed victim’s relative told The NYT that Stebbins spent a lot of time online, including on livestreams, and claimed investigators had taken 15 hard drives and other devices from his home.

The Independent has contacted the Somers Point Police Department for further information as well as the Woodbine School District for comment.

Stebbins was arrested by the Somers Point Police Department and is currently being held in the Atlantic County Justice Facility. He is due to appear in court Monday morning.

In a message to parents, obtained by NBC Philadelphia, Superintendent Adrienne Breitinger said the district currently had no extra information to share.

“As you may be aware, an aide assigned to one of our classrooms was arrested last week,” the message read. “At this time, the District does not have any additional information beyond what has been reported in the media regarding the investigation.

“Upon being informed of the arrest, the District immediately requested a replacement aide. The safety and well-being of our students remain our highest priority.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has proposed boosting defense spending to $1.5 trillion in his 2027 budget released Friday, the largest such request in decades, reflecting his emphasis on U.S. military investments over domestic programs.

The sizable increase for the Pentagon, some 44%, had been telegraphed by the Republican president even before the U.S.-led war against Iran. The president’s plan would also reduce spending on non-defense programs by 10%.

“President Trump promised to reinvest in America’s national security infrastructure, to make sure our nation is safe in a dangerous world,” wrote Budget Director Russell Vought.

The president’s annual budget is considered a reflection of the administration’s values and does not carry the force of law. The massive document typically highlights an administration’s priorities, but Congress, which handles federal spending issues, is free to reject it and often does.

This year’s White House document is intended to provide a road map from the president to Congress as lawmakers build their own budgets and annual appropriations bills to keep the government funded. Vought spoke to House GOP lawmakers on a private call Thursday.

Trump, speaking ahead of an address to the nation this week about the Iran war, signaled the military is his priority, setting up a clash ahead in Congress.

“We’re fighting wars. We can’t take care of day care,” Trump said at a private White House event Wednesday.

“It’s not possible for us to take care of day care, Medicaid, Medicare — all these individual things,” he said. “They can do it on a state basis. You can’t do it on a federal.”

Money for immigration enforcement, air traffic controllers and national parks

Among the priorities the White House called for:

—Supporting the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement and deportation operations by eliminating aspects of a refugee resettlement aid program, maintaining Immigration and Customs Enforcement funds at current year levels and drawing on last’s year’s increases for the Department of Homeland Security funds to continue opening detention facilities, including 100,000 beds for adults and 30,000 for families.

— A 13% increase in funding for the Department of Justice to focus on violent criminals and the president’s promise to stop what the White House calls migrant crime.

— A $10 billion fund within the National Park Service for “construction and beautification” projects in Washington, D.C.

— A $481 million increase in funding to enhance aviation safety and support an air traffic controller hiring surge.

Cuts to green energy, housing and health programs

— Cancels more than $15 billion from the Biden-era bipartisan infrastructure law, including funds for renewable energy projects and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, grants.

— A 19% cut in the Department of Agriculture, ending certain university grants, a 13% cut for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and about a 12% decrease to the Health and Human Services department, including cuts to a low-income heating assistance program.

The White House is touting cuts of what it calls “woke programs” that often direct federal investments toward low-income communities. The budget used the word “woke” 34 times

For example, the administration is looking to cut Community Services Block Grants, which funds activities such as financial and job counseling and helping people obtain adequate housing. The administration says its cuts would target grants “hijacked by radicals” to promote equity-building and green energy initiatives.

The president also seeks to cut $106 million in funding from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, which it says has “pushed radical gender ideology onto children.”

Supporters and detractors

The Republican chairmen of the House and Senate Armed Services committees applauded Trump’s request for defense spending, saying the money would ensure the country’s military remains the most advanced in the world while confronting growing threats from China, Russia, Iran and others.

“America is facing the most dangerous global environment since World War II,” said Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala.

The top Democrat on House Budget Committee, Rep. Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania, said the president was demanding a massive increase in defense while cutting billions from health care, housing and more.

“This budget represents ‘America Last,’” Boyle said.

Debt, deficits and tough choices ahead

With the nation running nearly $2 trillion annual deficits and the debt swelling past $39 trillion, the federal balance sheets have long been operating in the red.

About two-thirds of the nation’s estimated $7 trillion in annual spending covers the Medicare and Medicaid health care programs, as well as Social Security income, which are essentially growing — along with an aging population — on autopilot.

It’s the rest of the annual budget where much of the debate in Congress takes place, as Democrats over the years have insisted that changes in the level of spending for defense and non-defense need to be equitable.

The GOP’s big tax breaks bill that Trump signed into law last year boosted his priorities beyond the budget process — with at least $150 billion for the Pentagon over the next several years, and $170 billion for Trump’s immigration and deportation operations at the Department of Homeland Security.

The administration is counting on its allies in the Republican-led Congress to push part of president’s beefed up defense spending through its own budget process, as it was able to do last year.

It suggests $1.1 trillion for defense would come through the regular appropriations process, which typically requires support from both parties for approval, while $350 billion would go in the budget reconciliation process that Republicans can accomplish on their own, through party-line majority votes.

Congress still fighting over 2026 spending

The president’s budget arrives as the House and Senate remain tangled over current-year spending and stalemated over DHS funding, with Democrats demanding changes to Trump’s immigration enforcement regime that Republicans are unwilling to accept.

Trump announced Thursday he would sign an executive order to pay all DHS workers who have gone without paychecks during the record-long partial government shutdown that has reached 49 days.

Last year, in the president’s first budget since returning to the White House, Trump sought to fulfill his promise to vastly reduce the size and scope of the federal government, reflecting the efforts of billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.

However, while Trump had sought a roughly one-fifth decrease in non-defense spending, Congress kept such spending relatively flat.

Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, called Trump’s new budget “morally bankrupt.”

“Trump wants to build a ballroom,” Murray said, referring to the White House renovation. “I want to build more affordable housing, and only one of us sits on the Appropriations Committee.”

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Associated Press reporter Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report.

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An earlier version of this story misstated what NOAA stands for. It is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Personal Independence Payment rates are rising from April 6, 2026, with millions of claimants set to receive more money for daily living and mobility support

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Millions of claimants are set to see their Personal Independence Payment (PIP) rates increase next week. Here is a breakdown of how much more you could receive.

PIP is the principal disability benefit for those under state pension age, awarded to individuals who require assistance with day-to-day tasks as a result of an illness, disability or mental health condition.

Rather than qualifying through a specific list of conditions, eligibility is determined by how your condition impacts your daily life. PIP is administered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

The benefit comprises two components, both of which will rise by 3.8% from April 6, 2026. The daily living element currently stands at £73.90 per week for the standard rate and £110.40 per week for the enhanced rate. These figures will increase to £76.70 per week and £114.60 per week respectively, reports the Mirror.

The mobility component currently sits at £29.20 per week for the standard rate and £77.05 per week for the enhanced rate. These will rise to £30.30 per week and £80 per week. Claimants may be entitled to both the daily living and mobility components simultaneously.

PIP is typically awarded for a period of between nine months and 10 years, after which the claim is subject to review. Your award may be adjusted should your condition improve or deteriorate.

The DWP will ordinarily approve a PIP claim without a formal assessment for those who are terminally ill, with the award lasting three years before review. PIP is available to individuals aged 16 and over who are below state pension age.

If you’re receiving PIP and reach state pension age, your claim will typically carry on. You may be eligible to submit a fresh claim at state pension age if you qualified for PIP within the previous 12 months.