Nigel Farage today won the Clacton by-election after being forced to defend his seat against a string of comedy candidates led by Count Binface . 

Mr Farage won 22,239 votes, 62.8% of the total vote, more than the 21,225 votes he secured when he was elected at the 2024 general election.

Count Binface, a comedian standing as a 5,900-year-old space warrior whose key policy was to freeze the price of ice cream in Clacton at 99p, was second with 9,455 votes, 26.8% of the total vote. 

The Reform UK leader had triggered the poll and cast it as a ‘people versus the Establishment’ contest amid mounting questions over a £5million donation from cryptocurrency tycoon Christopher Harborne.

However, the inquiry into Mr Harborne’s donation has yet to conclude, and Mr Farage could still face another by-election within months if he is found to have broken parliamentary rules.

Mr Farage, 62, sparked chaos and confusion today when he declared himself the winner and then took the unprecedented step of missing the count to hear the result, with his party claiming police had advised him to stay away due to a ‘credible threat’.

‘I’m not scared of these people, far from it. But I’m damned if I’m going to stand on a stage, having won a resounding victory, and be demeaned and humiliated by nobodies, and I will not, sadly, be attending the count,’ Mr Farage told supporters. 

A Reform UK spokesman said: ‘Essex Police advised Nigel not to attend the count due to a credible threat against him’, adding his planned ‘victory lap’ of Clacton and speech later today have also been cancelled.

However, Essex Constabulary then denied that it had told any of the 34 candidates that they should not attend Clacton Leisure Centre, insisting security at the venue was ‘robust’.

Mr Farage had instead delivered his victory speech at a fairground-style rally with Ferris wheel nearby dubbed ‘Farage Fest’.

He said: ‘The verdict is now in, and it is a convincing, overwhelming win with more votes than we got in the General Election of 2024. Today the voters in Clacton have stuck up two fingers to the entire political establishment.’

The major parties boycotted yesterday’s by-election, branding it a ‘farce’ and a ‘stunt’, leaving Mr Farage to face 33 rivals on the longest ballot paper in British electoral history. They included Count Binface, Howling Laud Hope, Nick the Incredible Flying Brick and Baron Von Thunderclap.

Count Binface celebrates as he came second in the Clacton by-election. He kept his deposit for the first time after winning 9,455 votes, 26.8% of the total votes cast

Mr Farage said his victory vindicated his decision to resign as an MP last month and seek a fresh mandate from voters, despite Binface securing one in five votes.

‘I was right to do this. This is an overwhelming endorsement of me,’ the Brexiteer said.

Asked about the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner’s investigation into his finances, he replied: ‘Who cares? Who cares? The voters of Clacton don’t care.’

He added: ‘Labour, Lib Dem and Conservative canvassers have been out for Binface. They aren’t going to win. The uni-party aren’t going to win. They won’t call a second by-election here. They would be stupid to do so.’

But Count Binface said today’s result did not matter because ‘we’ll be back again in a few weeks anyway’.

Mr Farage faces awkward questions after the result because, while he increased his share of the vote from 46.2 per cent to around 62.8 per cent, around a third of voters backed novelty candidates with no policies and no realistic prospect of winning.

With the £250,000 by-election sowing seeds of discontent even among some of Farage’s most loyal supporters, his 8,405 majority in 2024 increased to around 11,000.

Count Binface, whose key pledges included keeping ice creams with flakes at 99p, making arcade grabber games fairer and filling potholes with the 2024 Labour manifesto, won more than 26 per cent of the vote, with 9,455 votes.

He became the first comedy candidate in parliamentary history to save his deposit after pulling in thousands of votes in the record-breaking 34-candidate contest, which featured three Monster Raving Loony Party hopefuls and former actor Laurence Fox.

The turnout was slightly higher than expected, at 44.37%, lower than the 52.5% at Andy Burnham’s Makerfield by-election victory last month.

But Mr Farage was not in the hall to hear the result – and the first election winner to miss the declaration since IRA member Bobby Sands, who had died in prison after a hunger strike.

Acting returning officer Ian Davidson, for Tendring District Council, announced over the tannoy system that Mr Farage would not be attending.

‘I just want to say we work very closely with Essex Police and have done so throughout this process and continue to do so tonight,’ said Mr Davidson.

‘We will continue with the count as we always do in a safe and secure manner.’

‘I will not comment on security matters, but I am going to say that we are working closely with Essex Police and we have just had a further meeting and there is no issue in terms of completing the count tonight,’ he said. 

Essex Police denied they advised him to stay away and said in a statement: ‘We have a proportionate and robust policing operation to ensure the safety and security of all participants in the count.’ 

Clacton by-election acting returning officer Ian Davidson declined to comment on the claims, but said officials worked closely with police and that he was confident the count was safe to continue. He admitted he ‘didn’t know’ Mr Farage was not attending until he announced it himself, adding: ‘I am not aware of what that threat is.’

Mr Farage had declared himself the ‘fairly convincing’ winner at around 1am while celebrating at his ‘Farage Fest’ in the Essex Countryside, which included fairground rides and a Ferris wheel.

The Reform UK leader’s re-election to Parliament was confirmed at around 6am when the count was completed at Clacton Leisure Centre.

In a barbed comment aimed at Binface, Mr Farage said: ‘I have managed to beat the establishment candidate.’

Binface hit back, saying the by-election had shown that a huge number of people in Clacton ‘would rather vote for a space warrior shaped like a bin than Nigel Farage’.

He added: ‘It says more about what the actual population thinks about Nigel Farage than maybe this election.’

Former Reform UK parliamentary candidate Pamela Walford, who stood as an independent, said Mr Farage’s by-election had turned Clacton into the ‘laughing stock of the world’. 

The leader of the Monster Raving Loony Party, Howling Laud Hope, said: ‘Binface is the poor man’s loony. We’re the most sensible part of the lot.’

Mr Farage may yet face another by-election there in 2026 if he is found to have broken parliamentary rules by taking millions from Mr Harborne before taking his seat in the Commons two years ago.

He also faces a second investigation over undeclared donations from his close friend George Cottrell, who was convicted of wire fraud in the US, with the sleaze inquiries not expected to conclude until September at the earliest.

‘Do you know, if I made one sin, if I haven’t filled in a piece of paper, I’ve broken no law, I’ve broken no tax law, I’ve taken no public money,’ he said of the donation this morning.

‘Maybe I haven’t filled in a piece of paper. I’m confident that I’m right, we’ll see where we go. I put this to the people of Clacton, said ‘you decide my future’, and tonight they will.’

If the committee recommends suspending Mr Farage for more than 10 days, and he loses any appeal, his constituents would have the right to trigger another Clacton by-election that the major parties are more likely to contest.

Count Binface said: ‘It might just be that this election is the start of a two-legged match, like the Carabao Cup or the Cold War. The game isn’t over yet, because we’re going to be back again in a few weeks aren’t we? We’ll see what happens then.’

Police officers outside the count for the Clacton by-election at Clacton Leisure Centre in Essex

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Candidates including Binface are briefed on the result, but Mr Farage stayed away

Neither Labour, the Conservatives nor the Liberal Democrats fielded candidates on Thursday, dismissing the contest as an expensive ‘farce’ called because the Reform leader is allegedly ‘up to his neck in sleaze’. 

Mr Farage had triggered the by-election by resigning as Clacton’s MP in early July, insisting voters should decide whether he deserved to continue in office amid scrutiny of his financial affairs.

The Reform leader argued a fresh mandate was the only way to break the ‘paralysis’ engulfing Reform UK as questions swirled around crypto-currency donations, undeclared benefits and his personal finances.

But while Mr Farage claimed vindication after securing re-election, critics accused him of turning the Essex seaside town into a ‘circus’ featuring Count Binface, Reclaim Party leader Laurence Fox and dozens of independents and novelty candidates.

The result came at a difficult time for Reform, with recent polls suggesting Labour has edged ahead of Mr Farage’s party nationally.

Mr Farage is under investigation by Parliament’s standards commissioner over a £5million donation from crypto entrepreneur Christopher Harborne that was not declared after the 2024 general election.

The Clacton MP has also faced questions over support provided by long-time ally George Cottrell, who reportedly funded staff and accommodation used by the Reform leader before and after last year’s election.

Mr Farage insists he has done nothing wrong and says all support he received complied with the rules.

However, if the standards commissioner were to uphold complaints against him, it could potentially trigger further political consequences and renewed scrutiny of his position and another by-election in Clacton is locals demand it.

The Reform leader defended his decision to force yesterday’s by-election, saying it gave residents the chance to act as ‘the judges of my actions’.

Announcing his resignation last month, he said: ‘I have done nothing wrong. I have not broken the law in any way at all.’

He added: ‘This will be a people versus the Establishment by-election. It’s a chance to stick two fingers up to the entire Establishment.’

But opponents argued the move backfired.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch mocked the contest, saying: ‘If it’s the people versus the establishment, I think Nigel Farage might be looking like the establishment, and Count Binface may be the people. This whole thing is a farce.’

A spokesman for Andy Burnham described the vote as a ‘gimmick designed to distract from serious allegations about Farage’s funders’.

Keir Starmer previously claimed Mr Farage had ‘run himself into a cul-de-sac’ by quitting as an MP and forcing a by-election and was ‘up to his neck in sleeze’.

One of the biggest talking points of the contest was the performance of Count Binface, who became the first comedy candidate ever to retain a parliamentary deposit.

The self-described ‘5,900-year-old space warrior’ won thousands of votes after campaigning on promises including ‘building one affordable house’ and ‘nationalising Adele’.

Before Thursday’s result, the late Screaming Lord Sutch was widely regarded as Britain’s most successful novelty election candidate.

In the 1994 Rotherham by-election he secured around 1,100 votes and 4.2 per cent of the vote, still short of the 5 per cent threshold required to recover his deposit.

Mr Farage had repeatedly accused the major parties of secretly ‘working together’ by refusing to contest the seat and undermining his attempt to frame the vote as a battle against the establishment.

He comfortably won Clacton at the 2024 general election with a majority of 8,405 and 46.2 per cent of the vote.

The by-election is also likely to prove expensive.

The average cost of a Westminster by-election is around £240,000, but Clacton’s bill is expected to be significantly higher because it featured the longest ballot paper in British electoral history.

Tendring Council admitted printing costs were around four times higher than normal because of the 34-candidate field.

Alongside Count Binface, an intergalactic space warrior played by Jonathan Harvey who has stood at elections since 2017 and has never received more than 308 votes, the people of Clacton were largely presented with a string of eccentric oddballs.

Questions over Mr Farage’s finances have continued to dog him throughout the campaign.

The £5million donation from Mr Harborne was not declared when Mr Farage entered Parliament, with the Reform leader arguing the money was a personal payment linked to security costs and his role in Brexit.

Today’s by-election had 34 candidates – making it the longest ballot paper in British electoral history at around 3ft long. But it was a two-horse race between Farage and Binface

He has also refused to distance himself from Mr Cottrell, saying he will not abandon his friend.

Meanwhile, Reform’s position in the polls has slipped since the by-election was announced.

A recent Daily Mail poll-of-polls put Labour on 25 per cent, narrowly ahead of Reform on 24 per cent, with the Conservatives on 20 per cent.

Mr Farage’s personal ratings have also come under pressure amid the row over his finances and his decision to trigger the vote.

One recent poll suggested his net approval rating had fallen sharply in the weeks after the by-election was called, leaving him with his lowest rating since returning as Reform leader more than two years ago.

Yet despite the criticism, Mr Farage will argue that voters in Clacton have delivered the verdict that matters most, handing him another victory in the seat he risked everything to defend.

TransPennine Express, which runs services between York and Manchester, said the customer was caught using a child ticket for the second time and replied: “It wasn’t me, it was my twin brother.”

Another TransPennine Express customer ate their ticket in front of a member of the team so it could not be used as evidence – “much to the shock of onboard staff”, the rail firm said.

A company spokesperson said other explanations included people claiming: “I’ve got no battery on my phone”, “I was running late and didn’t have time to buy a ticket”, “I haven’t got any money” and even “do I need to buy a ticket?”

They said the excuses “can raise a smile” but urged customers that they “should buy a ticket before boarding where facilities are available”.

It comes after TransPennine Express said more than 20 million ticket checks were carried out on its services and at automatic ticket gates between April 2025 and April 2026.

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Of those checked, around 75,000 customers were found travelling without a valid ticket, with approximately 6,000 penalty fares issued.

The rail firm said ticketless travel continues to be an issue, with around 2.5 per cent of journeys made without a valid ticket in both 2024 and 2025.

Ian Humphreys, head of retail strategy at TransPennine Express, urged customers to “buy before you board”.

“We appreciate that the vast majority of our customers do the right thing and buy the correct ticket for their journey,” he said.

“But for those who don’t, our message is simple – buy before you board.

“Our revenue protection teams carry out checks across our trains and stations every day, and while they might hear some memorable excuses along the way, it’s important that everyone has a valid ticket for their journey.”

A binman has shared advice on what you should and shouldn’t put in your recycling bin. It’s reported placing a common item inside can prevent rubbish from being taken away

Putting the bins out is a job nobody really likes to do, but it’ll likely feel better if you at least know where to place certain items, as simple errors can cause your rubbish to be left behind.

Placing the wrong items in your recycling can create a number of issues, and can even result in smelly rubbish being left uncollected outside your home. Not to worry though, as a binman known on TikTok as The No1 Binman, has shared some expert guidance that is likely to prove invaluable to many households.

What you may not be aware of is that including certain items in your recycling waste could land you in difficulty, as collectors are within their rights to refuse collection if a few basic rules are not observed, and a certain item can cause you a problem.

What did the binman say?

In a video posted online, he said: “Plastic, not all plastic is the same. Ok, so you have thin plastics, you have soft plastics, you have hard plastics, and it depends on the council which they actually take.

“Most of them just take normal bottles, or tins and stuff like that in your plastic bin. [They are] the only things they’ll take. They won’t take anything like carrier bags, black bags, they also won’t take any films.

“All that sort of stuff, it ruins the machines they send the stuff to. Every recycling centre is different, so they get told what they can take and what they can’t take, and they’re the ones who make the rules. Not the binmen.

“It’s not our choice. We just get told. So, if there are any plastics that you’re unsure about, maybe ask your council website or maybe you can ask the binmen. They might know.”

Many people are unaware that certain items should never be placed in your recycling bin, with carrier bags being a prime example — and there is a significant reason why this rule exists.

Can binmen refuse to take your rubbish?

It may come as a surprise, but refuse collectors are within their rights to decline picking up your waste. The most common grounds for doing so include contaminated recycling, excessive amounts of waste (either too heavy or bags left beside the bin), or a bin that has not been presented correctly.

That said, collectors are generally obliged to remove household waste unless there is a legitimate reason not to, as councils have a duty to provide this service.

Where collection is refused, it typically comes down to safety concerns, contamination, or failure to comply with council guidelines — leaving “side waste” beside the bin, for instance, can be problematic.

It is also worth noting that carrier bags should not be placed in your household recycling. While they are recyclable, they must be taken to dedicated collection points, which are typically located at larger supermarkets such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons and Waitrose.

These retailers provide in-store drop-off bins for “soft plastics”, including bread bags, films and pouches. Should carrier bags be found in your recycling, there is a real possibility your collection will be refused, as they risk contaminating the entire load.

For more details, make sure you visit your local council’s website to find out the specific rules applicable to your area. Regulations can occasionally vary from one council to another.

If you have some outdoor plans, you’ll want to know how the weather is shaping up over the coming days.

The weekend is almost here again and if you have some outdoor plans, you’ll want to know how the weather is shaping up over the coming days.

It comes as the UK recorded its hottest day of the year so far, as temperatures provisionally reached 38.1C at Kew Gardens in London on Thursday, the Met Office said.

While much of England is under an amber warning for extreme heat, a yellow warning was issued for thunderstorms in Northern Ireland, which is in place until 6am on Friday.

Here’s what we can expect over the coming days.

Friday:

A mix of variable cloud and some bright spells with a scattering of light showers. Temperatures returning back to near normal. Maximum temperature 20°C.

Outlook for Saturday to Monday:

Mostly dry at the weekend with variable cloud and bright spells, and just a few light showers on Saturday. Likely turning wet and windy through Monday.

UK long range weather forecast: Tuesday 18 August – Thursday 27 August

A rather more changeable spell of weather through the mid to latter part of August, with Atlantic frontal systems bringing some rain or showers at times to the UK.

The heavier and more reliable rainfall is more likely to be in parts of the west and northwest, but it is possible that some southern and eastern areas will see rain at times too.

Later in the period high pressure may have more of an influence with drier conditions returning for many areas. Temperatures are likely to remain above average overall, with the possibility of further hot weather developing.

For the latest top stories, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter.

It is part of the plans for a new £14m hotel, bar and restaurant complex in the city centre

Northern Irish pizza chain Little Wing is set to move its flagship store in the heart of Belfast City Centre.

Little Wing opened on Ann Street in the heart of Belfast back in 2009 before expanding across the country, with twelve restaurants – including a slice shop at the Odyssey complex.

Those who love to avail of Little Wing’s lunch deal in the city centre need not panic at the news of the relocation, as the flagship store is only set to move next door.

A sign appeared outside the Ann Street location reading “relocating next door soon” stating there will be ‘more space, more tables and more pizza’.

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The move is part of a £14 million development project currently underway on the busy city centre street. Beannchor, owners of the Merchant Hotel, are currently transforming former retail and restaurant units into a new hotel complex.

Plans show the new site will contain a 41-bedroom hotel with a bar and restaurant, which will connect internally to the current Little Wing location.

It appears Little Wing will move into the former Spoon Street unit, which will open directly onto a courtyard space with the original flagship store becoming a new bar, according to plans submitted to Belfast City Council.

No further information has been revealed so far about what we can expect from the new restaurants and bar joining Little Wing in the complex but 95 full-time jobs are expected to be created in the hospitality and retail sector once it is operational.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our What’s On newsletter.

The baby who was born to a surrogate in Texas is now in the custody of his biological parents after the couple demanded the child be aborted over a heart defect, according to a new report. 

Nausheen Gilkar, 43, and Omar Ahmed, 45, have their newborn son in physical custody after McKenna West gave birth to him on Wednesday morning, a lawyer for the couple told TMZ. 

Lee Bunder, of Dallas-based family attorney’s office Calabrese Bunder, told the outlet that the child, whom West named ‘Baby Gabriel,’ is receiving medical care while in their custody. 

Bunder added that his clients are focused on the baby’s health and following the advice of medical professionals about treatment for his hypoplastic left heart syndrome. 

The baby was diagnosed with the defect during West’s 20-week scan. The condition means that the left side of his heart is too small and cannot pump blood to the rest of his body.  

After the diagnosis, the California couple told West she must get an abortion, but the surrogate refused and relocated to Texas after finding a hospital in Dallas that has a high success rate for babies with the defect. 

The story quickly caught the country’s attention, and just one day before his birth, West was granted clearance to get life-saving care for the baby in Texas, but she was forbidden to have contact with the child after his birth, a judge ruled.

On Wednesday, the baby was born and received life-saving surgery right away, West’s attorney, Lincoln Wilson, told The Dallas Morning News. 

The case has caused quite a stir across the country, and up until today, there has been no comment from Gilkar and Ahmed. 

According to their attorney, the couple is ‘devastated’ over the attention to it. 

‘As if the heartbreak of his condition were not enough, they are devastated to see their family tragedy transformed into political theater by the Texas Attorney General’s office and McKenna West,’ Bunder said. 

The child’s biological parents first mentioned that West should get an abortion after learning of the defect.

West, 28, signed a contract with the couple that included a clause that would require her to abort the baby in the event of an ‘anomaly.’

The nurse and mother of two from Alaska expressed concern over the clause to the Connecticut-based Worldwide Surrogacy Specialist, but the agency told her a situation like that is rare.

She went on to ask the agency if she could help financially assist the couple regarding care for their child so they wouldn’t abort him, and told his parents she’s heard of people surviving with the condition. 

Despite her best efforts, Ahmed told West he and his wife had already removed the baby’s 12-week ultrasound from their fridge at home and told her she could mail the 20-week images – but to address the envelope only to him.

The story quickly caught the country’s attention, and just one day before his birth, West was granted clearance to get life-saving care for the baby, but a judge also ruled that she cannot have contact with the baby after his birth

But that’s when West discovered a hospital in Texas that had a 100 percent success rate in recent years with the first of three surgeries an affected baby would need right after birth.

She then told the surrogacy agency that she would live with a friend in Texas to mitigate the costs for the couple, but a liaison for the agency said the biological parents were still concerned about the baby’s future quality of life.

Meanwhile, West, who would have been 24-weeks pregnant at the time of the abortion, was appalled at the idea that doctors would inject the baby with ‘a solution that will stop his heart and then he’ll be literally ripped apart and dismembered as he’s taken from [her] uterus,’ Live Action previously reported.

West was soon put in touch with Live Action founder and president Lila Rose, who assured the surrogate that she would help her and her children get to Texas to meet with doctors about saving the baby’s life. 

The biological parents went on to file a $250,000 lawsuit demanding that West return the money they had paid her as well as any additional charges.

They also demanded she come to them in California to give birth, but it was unclear whether they would allow doctors to perform the life-saving surgery or if they would only provide him with ‘comfort care’.

Live Action founder and president Lila Rose (pictured) helped get West and her children to Texas to get life-saving care for the infant

Through her attorneys, West agreed to go to California if the parents commit to providing the baby with surgery.

But West has also filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of Alaska seeking sole custody of the baby so she can allow doctors in Texas to treat him. 

Alliance Defending Freedom, the firm Wilson works for, issued a statement after taking on West as a client. 

‘It’s an honor and privilege to represent McKenna in her courageous stand for Baby Gabriel’s life. Every life matters. No woman should be forced to kill the baby she is carrying, and every child deserves a chance at life. 

‘We are thrilled that the court’s order calls for Baby Gabriel to receive the surgery necessary to save his life. And we are so grateful for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s heroic, invaluable efforts to preserve this precious child’s life.’

The Daily Mail contacted Bunder for comment.  

Within days of Mr Farage’s resignation and declaration of intent to stand again, Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and Restore Britain all ruled out contesting the by-election.

A party spokesperson said Labour ‘will remain focused on delivering for working people and holding Reform to account’.

They added: “Farage should let the parliamentary investigation into his finances run its course and face the consequences.”

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Farage of triggering a ‘fake’ by-election ‘to distract people from what is happening’

“The best thing for him to have done would have been to call a press conference and explain what he did with the money, apologise if needs be, and that would have been the end of it,” she added. “Instead, he has been running away from scrutiny. No one is bigger than Parliament. We all have to register our interests.

The leader of the Lib Dems, Ed Davey, said: “If this by-election does go ahead now, we are calling on all parties to stand aside and refuse to give oxygen to Farage’s vanity project.”

Davey also went further in calling on the government to block the election until the parliamentary standards commissioner has finished his investigation.

“The people of Clacton should have all the facts before they cast their votes,” he declared.

Rupert Lowe, leader of Restore Britain, said his party would not stand a candidate in the “unnecessary sham”.

The Green Party are also not standing, and said “we have no intention of helping to legitimise a by-election that appears designed not to serve local residents but to serve Nigel Farage’s personal political ambitions”.

Denise Welch has announced she’s leaving Loose Women after 25 years.

The Coronation Street star, 68, shared she’s decided to step down from the ITV show to focus on her acting work, having been offered a string of roles in recent months.

Denise first appeared on Loose Women in 2000, before becoming one of the show’s most recognisable faces. Her last appearance on the show was on June 29.

In a video on Instagram, Denise shared she had decided to step down so she could focus on the ‘wonderful opportunities’ she’d been given.

Paying tribute to her fellow panellists, Denise said she would remain friends with ‘all’ of her co-stars, and insisted that despite claims of behind-the-scenes tensions, they were a ‘happy band of campers’. 

Denise recently starred in the Channel 4 drama Tip Toe, and is also set to star in an adaptation of Graham Norton‘s novel Forever Home. 

The Coronation Street star first appeared on Loose Women as a guest panellist in 1999 (pictured during her last appearance on the show in June)

Sharing news of her departure, Denise said: ‘I’m leaving Loose Women.

‘After best part of 25 years, off and on, I did leave for about seven years and went back in 2018. This show has been a part of me and my family’s life for nearly a quarter of a century. 

‘I have the most wonderful, wonderful memories and it’s just that acting has always been my first love and I think the thing I’m best at, and at the moment I’m having the most wonderful opportunities coming my way.

‘I’m grabbing them by the you know whats and running with it for this new chapter of my life.

‘So I just wanted to say that in person to thank all of the people who have shared my stories with me, I’ve shared my life with you, the good, the bad and the ugly.

‘I’m very Marmite, but I cherish all the comments good or bad that I’ve had over the years and I just hope you wish me well for this new and exciting chapter in my life.

‘I’ll miss everybody but I will remain friends with the whole gang because… we are a happy band of campers. Anyway lots of love, thanks for sticking with me.’

A spokesman for Loose Women said: ‘Denise has been such a brilliant part of the Loose Women family and we are going to miss her hugely on the show. 

In a video on Instagram, Denise shared she had decided to step down so she could focus on the ‘wonderful opportunities’ she’d been given (pictured on Loose Women in 2006)

‘We are sending her all of our love and best wishes for her next chapter.’

Despite sharing plans to appear in a string of new dramas, Denise was recently been mingling with some of Hollywood’s finest.

As well as meeting stars at her son Matty Healy’s wedding, the star’s husband, artist Lincoln Townley is pals with stars including Michael Caine and Tom Cruise.

Both Denise and Lincoln have spoken openly about their struggles with alcohol addiction, yet it was through their relationship that they made a pact to embrace sobriety together. 

Since then, Lincoln’s career has gone from strength to strength, with Sir Michael Caine hailing him the next Andy Warhol and selling millions of pounds worth of art. 

Denise tied the knot with Lincoln in 2013, and was previously married to actor Tim Healy from 1988 to 2012. They share sons Matty, 37, and Louis, 25.  

Denise Welch was a huge hit on Loose Women, but her string of opinionated rants divided opinion over the years. 

Last year she took aim at her son Matty‘s ex-girlfriend Taylor Swift during an appearance on Bravo TV’s Watch What Happens Live.

Denise seemed to accuse Taylor’s fans of lashing out at anyone who dares to criticise the hitmaker, despite the pop star taking personal digs at her exes in her songs.

When answering a question about her reaction to the The Tortured Poets Department album, Welch replied: ‘Obviously, on pain of death can I talk about that episode, but being her mother-in-law is a role that I am glad that I lost.’

Elsewhere, Denise has clashed with many of her Loose Woman co-stars over the years, including Kaye Adams and Stacey Solomon. 

Her most famous rants have been about Covid-19 restrictions, Matt Hancock entering I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Denise made a not-so-subtle dig about her ‘younger’ co-stars on Loose Women following an on-air row with fellow panellist Stacey Solomon.

Denise and Stacey, 36, came to blows during a live episode which the actress later insisted wasn’t a feud between the pair.

Speaking on Olivia Attwood’s podcast, So Wrong It’s Right, she said: ‘I’m always happy to have new blood on because we do get bored of each other.

‘But I’ve always been sceptical when younger people come in because, sometimes, they may have a great life story but they are either not prepared to talk about it yet, or are too worried about what the public are going to say.’

Revealing the backstage discussions, and added: ‘So they’ll be in a meeting saying “I’m not going to talk about that,” and it’s kind of like, “what are you gonna talk about then?”

During the debate, Stacey jumped to the defence of people who have been working from home since the Covid pandemic.

But Denise felt that the country was ‘grinding to a halt’ because staff had ‘disappeared’ from the workplace.

Stacey replied: ‘They don’t disappear because they’re working from home,’ but Denise insisted: ‘But, where are they Stace?’

Stacey continued by saying the pandemic proved how many people were able to do an ‘adequate if not better job from home’.

The duo failed to come to an agreement on the dispute, with viewers noting the palpable tension from home. 

In June 2021, Denise also had a furious row with Gloria Hunniford over Covid-19 restrictions shortly after the height of the pandemic.

Denise criticised the ‘double standards’ of the UK government after being unable to travel in an ambulance with her elderly father, who passed away in September 2021.

Denise and Kaye Adams also locked horns during a fiery exchange, as they debated whether the public should still follow Covid restrictions after Matt Hancock was caught breaking them himself.

She and Jane Moore also locked horns in a heated row about Prince Harry, with the former soap furiously defending Harry declaring herself ‘team Harry and Meghan’ but was met by resistance from Jane who described his accusations as ‘hurtful’. 

Last year, ITV announced that Lorraine and Loose Women will only air for 30 weeks a year rather than 52, resulting in more than 220 of 440 staff involved losing their jobs. 

Due to the cuts, Loose Women has been on a break for the summer since July 17, and will return in September. 

Under the plans, production of Good Morning Britain will be handled by a dedicated team at ITV News, which is made by ITN, the company that also holds the contracts to produce the news for Channel 4 and Channel 5. 

Further cutbacks mean that Susanna Reid has lost her own dedicated hairdresser, and no longer gets as much attention from the remaining hair and make-up artists as she once did, as Good Morning Britain staff now have to share their backstage resources with ITV News.

Previously all daytime TV shows were shot at the sizeable Television Centre in White City, and the reduced space is said to be causing issues off-camera.

A source told the Daily Mail: ”It’s incredibly chaotic behind the scenes. The space for all three shows – Loose Women, This Morning and Lorraine – is downstairs in the basement so three different sets are all crammed into one place.

‘Backstage the dressing rooms are limited. There just isn’t enough space, especially when there are four women getting ready to be in front of the camera at the same time.

‘It’s not an ideal situation at all. There have been some meltdowns.’

Mr Farage added: “I’m not scared of these people, far from it. But I’m damned if I’m going to stand on a stage, having won a resounding victory, a ringing endorsement of all that I’ve tried to fight for, and you’ve tried to fight for, and be demeaned and humiliated by nobodies, and I will not sadly be attending the count.”

Wildfires caused apocalyptic scenes on Thursday night as they engulfed homes on the hottest day of the year.

Temperatures soared to a blistering 38.1C as firefighters battled several infernos across the country. 

Residents were forced to flee – with some told to dampen the outside of their properties first – as blazes ravaging swathes of grassland spread to homes.

A train derailment in Sussex that left two people seriously injured may also have been a result of the scorching summer.

A major incident was declared as six houses were destroyed by a rapidly spreading wildfire in Stourbridge – one of several blazes that left West Midlands Fire Service facing ‘extreme levels of demand’.

Witnesses described how the flames ‘jumped from house to house’ while residents grabbed what they could and fled. A child and three firefighters were taken to hospital.

Drone footage from the smoke-filled skies over the leafy market town showed the blaze threatening to engulf even more properties on the edge of a badly scorched field.

‘Ash has been raining down on the roads for quite a few hours,’ one Stourbridge resident told Sky News, describing the smoke as ‘very, very strong’.

‘Ash has been raining down on the roads for quite a few hours,’ one Stourbridge resident told Sky News, describing the smoke as ‘very, very strong’ 

A burnt-out property on Racecourse Lane, Stourbridge, reveals the destructive extent of the wildfire

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Simon Tuhill, chief fire officer at West Midlands Fire Service, said his team had dealt with ‘thousands’ of 999 calls.

Local councillor Andrew Tromans said: ‘The apocalyptic scenes in Norton and across Stourbridge are sadly just a taste of what is to come if we don’t act.’

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the effects of the blaze were ‘awful’ and his ‘thoughts are with everyone affected, particularly those who have been injured or forced from their homes, and with the firefighters who have been taken to hospital’.

He added that he was in touch with local leaders, like the mayor of West Midlands, Richard Parker, and ‘will be speaking to emergency services on the ground as they continue their response’.

Around 100 firefighters were tackling the inferno which broke out near Stourbridge golf course at noon, obliterating 40 acres of land. Golfers are said to have fled in their carts.

One witness said he saw the fire spread rapidly, consuming hedges, power lines and even a fire engine. ‘When the fire brigade finally came, the whole lot was just engulfed in flames, including the fire truck,’ Michael Morgan said. 

‘The flames just came straight through the bushes and covered the fire truck in flames. It just engulfed it.’

Resident Chris Dunnington said black smoke swept over homes from nearby fields.

Drone footage from the smoke-filled skies over the leafy market town showed the blaze threatening to engulf even more properties on the edge of a badly scorched field

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Witnesses described how the flames ‘jumped from house to house’ while residents grabbed what they could and fled

‘Then we saw the fire coming on to the driveways and fences of the first house,’ he added.

‘The wind picked up so strong so it was just fuelling the flames. It was just the perfect disaster.’

Jane Baxter, who was among those evacuated, said: ‘We could see the flames above the rooftops of the houses – that was how high the flames were’. 

When a fire truck ran out of water, residents tried to beat back flames in nearby woodland themselves. 

At the same time, less than 30 miles away, another major incident was declared due to a large fire ripping through Salford Priors in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service said: ‘There is a large emergency presence in the area and we continue to advise residents nearby to close all doors and windows.’ The service reported ‘several field fires around Bidford-on-Avon and Salford Priors’.

‘We have individuals who are being treated for smoke inhalation. Efforts are being focused on preventing risk to life,’ it said. 

Farmers were supporting the fire service by bringing bowsers filled with water to the scene.

Elsewhere in the region, homes in Castle Vale, Birmingham, were badly damaged by a fire, with one woman reported to have suffered serious injuries.

Images from the scene show two bungalows completely gutted by fire. Part of the roof of one of the homes appeared to have caved in.

The M6 northbound near Birmingham was temporarily shut between Junctions 5 and 6 due to thick smoke billowing across the carriageway. 

There were also fires in Sandyford, Stoke-on-Trent, where a small number of homes have been evacuated, according to Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Service, and reports came in on Thursday night of houses on fire in Maypole, south Birmingham.

Several homes can be seen up in flames, with clouds of black smoke billowing from the properties as part of a ‘major incident’ in Stourbridge

Dozens of firefighters tackled the devastating blaze in the residential area, which is situated next to a golf course in Stourbridge

One witness said he saw the fire spread rapidly, consuming hedges, power lines and even a fire engine

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Several fires were also reported in Worcestershire including in Pershore where half a dozen homes were thought to have been affected. 

One witness said the blaze spread through as many as six homes like a ‘domino effect’.

‘I saw a lot of smoke and before the fire service arrived there was a fire in what looked like somebody’s back garden,’ James Lees said. 

‘All of a sudden a big puff of smoke came from a house, probably about four doors down from where it originally began.

‘It was big black, billowing smoke and then it has kind of just spread across the houses like a domino effect. Now there’s probably about five or six houses that are just covered in smoke – you can see flames at the front and out at the back.’ 

Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said 200 properties had been left without power and one person had suffered smoke inhalation.

A spokesman added: ‘A number of homes have been damaged and 30 properties in the area have been evacuated.’ 

Another major incident was declared in Norfolk after the county was hit by a series of infernos.

Crews from Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service attended 16 emergencies on Thursday afternoon, including a fire at Mousehold Heath which saw local roads closed for some time.

It came after five homes were destroyed in Caerphilly, South Wales, on Wednesday when a fire on a field spread. A woman has been arrested on suspicion of arson.

The blazes erupted as a fifth heatwave gripped the country, with the UK experiencing its hottest day of the year so far and the fifth hottest day on record.

The mercury peaked at 38.1C (100.5F) at Kew Gardens in west London, provisionally surpassing the 38C recorded in Lingwood, Norfolk, on June 26.

A rare amber extreme heat warning issued by the Met Office was in place until Thursday night covering the Midlands and south-east of England.

It comes after the Fire Brigade Union this week warned the UK faces a shortage of firefighters to combat wildfires.

Union leader Steve Wright said 5,000 more firefighters were needed to prevent lives from being put at risk.

The UK has already seen more than 1,000 wildfires this year, making it the worst year on record.