By WILL POTTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER

Published: 18:32 BST, 18 July 2026 | Updated: 19:18 BST, 18 July 2026

Two US servicemembers have been killed in Jordan after their military base was struck by an Iranian attack, US Central Command announced. 

The attack, which came overnight Friday, saw Iran fire ballistic missiles and drones at a US military base, with at least one servicemember also missing in action. 

Four other American soldiers were medically evacuated to Jordanian hospitals in the attack, who have since been discharged, CENTCOM said in an X post.

‘Out of respect for the families, CENTCOM will withhold additional information, including the identities of the fallen warriors, until 24 hours after the next of kin have been notified,’ the agency said. 

Advertisement

The deaths were the 15th and 16th among US servicemembers since the war with Iran began in February, with over 430 others wounded. 

The attacks from Iran came amid a fresh blitz across the Middle East in recent days, after negotiations with the Trump administration broke down and a ceasefire ended. 

Friday marked the seventh straight night of strikes launched by the US against Iran, with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards retaliating with tit-for-tat attacks at US targets in Jordan, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain and Syria. 

Shortly before Friday’s attack on Jordan, Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said that the US strikes on Iran would lead to ‘unforgettable lessons’ for the US, accusing President Trump of ‘seeking to escalate the conflict.’

Advertisement

Two US servicemembers have been killed in Jordan after their military base was struck by an Iranian attack on July 17. Pictured: A US strike from an American Navy cruiser launched on Friday 

Shortly before Friday’s attack on Jordan, Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said that the US strikes on Iran would lead to ‘unforgettable lessons’ for the US, accusing President Trump of ‘seeking to escalate the conflict’ 

Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of former Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who was killed by an Israeli airstrike in February, issued the chilling threat through a spokesperson on state TV. 

Advertisement

The Iranian leader said Trump’s signature is now ‘worthless and invalid’, after a tentative ceasefire agreement reached in April – and formally agreed upon last month – dramatically fell apart in recent days.

The remarks came hours after a negotiator said Tehran was suspending all of its commitments that were previously agreed upon with the US in June.

Khamenei also vowed to use Iran’s proxies in the Middle East, which he dubbed the ‘Axis of Resistance’, to combat Trump’s attacks.

The Supreme Leader’s remarks were read by a spokesman on Iranian state TV as Khamenei has still not been seen in public since the war began, with reports indicating he was severely injured in the strikes that killed his father. 

Advertisement

Continuous strikes this week have seen the US and Iran exchange attacks on infrastructure and military targets. 

The attacks have intensified the conflict’s focus on the Strait of Hormuz, an essential waterway bordering Iran that previously carried over a fifth of the world’s crude oil. 

The struggle over the Strait has seen energy prices skyrocket worldwide, with the fresh round of strikes now threatening civilian infrastructure in Iran including desalination plants for drinking water. 

Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said President Trump’s signature is now ‘worthless and invalid’, after a tentative ceasefire agreement reached in April – and formally agreed upon last month – dramatically fell apart in recent days

Advertisement

The U.S. Central Command said early Saturday that its seventh straight night of strikes hit ‘surveillance sites, military logistics infrastructure, underground weapons storage, and maritime capabilities.’

The U.S. has violated its commitments under the deal that was signed about a month ago and now Iran is ‘no longer implementing them,’ Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, told state TV.

There was no new word on mediation efforts.

Three weeks after Venezuela was struck by twin earthquakes on June 24, the scale of the devastation is still growing. The death toll is approaching 5,000 people, with 18,000 homeless and 21,000 more in shelters.

The worst-hit state is La Guaira on the Caribbean coast – an area that had already been the site of one of Venezuela’s worst natural disasters. In December 1999, the state, then called Vargas, saw several days of torrential rain which flushed mud and rock down the slopes of the Ávila mountains.

Hillside houses were swept away, entire neighbourhoods were buried under landslides, and buildings collapsed near the shore. Tens of thousands of people were thought to have perished, though the precise number is still unknown.

As I recounted in my 2003 book, Venezuela: The Crossroads of Hugo Chávez, the armed forces were central to that disaster response. As part of Plan Bolívar 2000, a programme that deployed around 70,000 troops across Venezuela for civic tasks such as infrastructure and road building, the military was sent to Vargas in large numbers. Soldiers pulled many survivors from the mud and rubble in the first days.

But as the relief effort dragged on, it soured into a dispute over who was in charge. In one incident, the then-governor of Vargas, Alfredo Laya, ordered a unit of paratroopers to deliver food and water to stranded families. The officers replied that they had no such orders and, following an argument, Laya was arrested.

In other incidents, military and civilian leaders disagreed over where to evacuate affected families and whether to house them in military or civilian facilities. Pablo Medina, an ally of Venezuela’s president at the time, Hugo Chávez, accused the army of acting “as if an atomic bomb had been dropped”, instead of responding to a natural disaster.

That episode was an early indication of how embedded in Venezuelan public life the military would become in the following years.

First under Chávez and later his successor Nicolás Maduro, who was removed from power by a January 2026 US military operation, the Venezuelan armed forces expanded well beyond the barracks. Military figures took senior posts across government ministries and state companies, gaining a direct stake in the running of the country.

Twenty-seven years on, after the same coast was struck by earthquakes, the military’s role in the disaster response has again been surrounded by controversy.

As in 1999, the armed forces are deeply involved in the operation. Visiting La Guaira in late June 2026, human rights NGO Provea reported that the government appeared to be prioritising military and police control of the territory over basic relief.

Provea criticised the “excessive military presence” near camps for affected people, and flagged the presence of intelligence and counter-espionage bodies with no legal role in disaster management. It warned that saturating the zone with armed agents was slowing aid delivery and could constitute a mechanism of social control.

The Venezuelan government has told a different story. It claims the militarisation of the disaster zone is necessary to allow relief to move in and reach the affected families.

Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez – who spent much of the first two weeks after the earthquakes battling criticism that the state’s response had been too slow – said her government wanted to stop what she called media “labs” from spinning negative narratives.

As the relief effort turned into reconstruction, Rodríguez launched a rebuilding plan called Venezuela Renace (Venezuela Reborn). The government says that, under this plan, nearly 5,000 buildings across La Guaira and the capital, Caracas, have been inspected. The plan has also provided economic support to help the worst-affected families.

The rebuilding is being run through a mix of civilian and military bodies. On the coast, however, the works are coordinated by a single military figure, Major General Juan Ernesto Sulbarán Quintero, with army engineers taking on the rebuilding in several La Guaira neighbourhoods. More than 30,000 security personnel are still deployed in the worst-affected states.

The next phase

The military’s prominence in the recovery effort raises questions about what comes next. It also offers a glimpse into the future of civil-military relations in post-Maduro Venezuela.

Before the earthquakes, there were signs that Rodríguez was keen to reduce the visibility of the Venezuelan armed forces in politics, while bringing them more tightly under her control.

She replaced the long-serving defence minister, General Padrino López, with a more discreet and loyal insider called Gustavo González López.

Rodríguez also appointed a new general staff, regional commanders and heads for each of the five individual branches of the armed forces – the army, navy, air force, national guard and Bolivarian Militia.

At the same time, she has returned several government ministries from military to civilian hands, while relaunching welfare programmes aimed at troops. These changes suggested a move towards a less overt political role for the Venezuelan armed forces.

But despite this rebalancing, the military remains influential in Venezuela. The Rodríguez government still leans heavily on it for political support, as well as to contain the opposition and help secure oil and mining areas for private investors – a strategic US interest in Venezuela.

In some contexts, humanitarian response and civic action can provide a legitimate internal mission for a professional military – provided it is bound by clear prerogatives away from governance.

Given the military’s history in Venezuela, however, the recent disaster is more likely to reinforce its broad role in decision-making and influence over how the country is run.

The incident happened today, Saturday, July 18 and involved officers from Greater Manchester Police’s Motorcycle Unit.

The officers attempted to stop a motorbike in the Harwood and Breightmet areas this afternoon.

Police said the rider failed to stop, leading to a chase assisted by the National Police Air Service.

The motorbike was later recovered and found to have been stolen in 2025 from Leicester.

The seized bike (Image: GMP)

A 22-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy have been arrested in connection with the incident and remain in custody for questioning.

A spokesperson for the police, via social media, said: “We believe this is one of a few motorbikes that have been reported driving dangerously around Astley Bridge, Bromley Cross, Hallith Wood, Tonge Moor, Harwood and Breightmet in recent weeks.

“We will continue to try and identify the other motorbikes using the roads dangerously and seize them.

“If you know who is riding bikes illegally, where bikes are being stored, or have information about riders causing anti-social behaviour, please report it to us. Even small pieces of information can help us build intelligence and take action.”

Enquiries remain ongoing and Greater Manchester Police urged the public to report any information to them online or by calling 101.

Antonelli is without a win since the Monaco Grand Prix on June 7, a streak of three races, but he will begin Sunday’s 44-lap race as the favourite to build on his 25-point championship lead over George Russell.

Russell will start only third on another sobering afternoon for the British driver, who has spent much of a season he began as the bookmakers’ title tip in his team-mate’s shadow.

Russell qualified fourth, half-a-second behind Antonelli in the same machinery, but he is upgraded one place because of Norris’s grid sanction. Charles Leclerc is bumped up to fourth, a place clear of Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton. Norris finished the opening Q3 laps with an advantage of 0.039sec over Antonelli.

The climax to qualifying was then put on pause from seven minutes after Oscar Piastri kicked up gravel a the 14th corner. But when the running re-started Antonelli could not be caught. Hamilton’s participation had been in major doubt after he crashed out of final practice and sustained significant damage to the rear of his Ferrari.

Hamilton’s mechanics had two hours to fix a machine described as “destroyed” by the seven-time world champion. And they succeeded to allow him a shot at disturbing Antonelli. However, he was unable to lay a glove on the Italian teenager, who romped to his sixth pole of the season.

Hamilton finished 0.534s behind the man he trails by 32 points in the championship standings. The opening phase of qualifying had an all-too-predictable feel about it, with Williams’ Alex Albon, Haas’ Esteban Ocon, Cadillac’s Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez and the hapless Aston Martin duo of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll all eliminated.

Aston Martin are due to deliver a much-needed upgrade at the next weekend’s race in Hungary to salvage an utterly demoralising season. Double world champion Alonso, who is without a win in 13 years, and 11 days shy of his 45th birthday, finished two seconds slower than Perez in 20th and five seconds off Antonelli’s Q1 pace.

25-year-old Martha Rothwell, who is from York but now lives in London, is one of the latest contestants to be dumped from this season of Love Island after surviving on the show for 15 days.

Love Island features single contestants, or ‘Islanders’, who are looking for love and stay in a secluded, luxury villa with cameras watching their every move, and must consistently pair up to avoid being eliminated, with the public ultimately voting for their favourite couple to win a cash prize.

RECOMMENDED READING:

Martha arrived at Casa Amor on Day 23 as one of 12 new ‘bombshells’ whose arrival was designed to turn heads among the existing contestants.

After three days, she was chosen to ‘couple up’ with original boy Aidan before entering the main villa where she entered a new couple with Jordon four days later on Day 30 – before going on a date with new boy Ethan on Day 32.

The next day, Martha and Jordan were in the bottom three following a public vote for favourite couple and were saved by their fellow contestants Julia and Lorenzo – recoupling again on Day 36, before Martha was voted out on Day 38.

Speaking to the Daily Sport, Martha said that the experience was ‘the weirdest rollercoaster experience ever’ and that she had no regrets’.

Love Island is now in its 13th series. (Image: ITV)

She added: “It’s just a crazy, surreal experience and I loved every second.”

In media interviews before the show, she shared a few snippets about herself including her love of football and that fact that she plays for a five-a-side team but admits she is ‘not very good’ at it.

She also came out as bisexual on-screen, saying her most recent relationship was a nine-month relationship with a woman.

She is the latest person from York and North Yorkshire to make it onto the popular show.

Javi Shephard, now in his mid-30s, was a surveyor from York when he appeared in series two as part of the initial line-up. He remained single and was evicted from the island when he didn’t couple up with anyone.

Georgia Steel joined the villa for series four as a 20-year-old a performing arts student and barmaid from York who later returned for Love Island: All Stars.

Martha is on Instagram and can be followed at @martharothwell and at the time of writing, her Instagram handle has 15,500 followers.

The small settlement was once a charming place but has since been lost in time

Throughout history, Cambridgeshire has seen multiple villages come and go, almost as if they never existed. These places would have been tight-knit communities centuries ago, but nowadays people probably don’t even realise they once existed.

This is the case for the once-charming village of Clopton – an abandoned medieval area with history extending back to the Roman occupation. It was located around a mile south-west of Croydon in Cambridgeshire. The village, which is referenced in the 1086 Domesday Book, had only 18 people recorded as living there.

However, in medieval times, the two communities had an above average population. Although, like many villages in the area there was slow decline in population.

The village was granted a Friday market in the 13th-century by Robert Hoo, Lord of Clopton and its name ‘Clopton’ suggests it may have been given the status of a town. The name means ‘town or settlement on a hill’.

It’s believed the village was deserted between 1500 and 1518 after John Fisher, a London lawyer, purchased the land from the Clopton family in 1489. Following his purchase, he evicted the villagers to make way for enclosures.

Archaeologists located the site from the little-left remains of the village. These included the parish church of Saint Mary, two moated sites, and a probable mill.

The church was recorded as being in poor repair by 1561, which is the same year it is believed that Clopton merged with neighbouring Croydon to its east, and it was subsequently demolished and turned over to agriculture by 1660.

Today, the site is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument and consists mainly of earthworks.

“If you’re going through a tough time, you will get out at the other end.”

When Chloe McConnell was younger, she had always thought about going to university, but believed it was unreachable for her. Doing her GCSEs during the pandemic, her grades were predicted and she thought she would never go into higher education.

After the sudden death of her mum when she was just 19-years-old, she was left looking after the house, and fell into self-destructive behaviours. But it was one opportunity volunteering at her local youth club that turned things around for good.

Three years ago, Chloe walked through the doors of St Peter’s Immaculata Youth Centre in West Belfast and began volunteering as a youth worker. Two weeks ago, she graduated from Ulster University with a certificate in community youth studies, and returns to the university in September for a four-year degree.

Speaking to Belfast Live about her journey so far, the 22-year-old said: “I grew up in West Belfast and when it was time for me to do my GCSEs, it was during coronavirus and all my grades were predicted, so I left with none really. University always felt really unreachable for me.

“When I was 19, my mummy died suddenly of a heart attack. I was left with all these bigger responsibilities like looking after a house, it was really hard. It was tough and I’m not afraid to admit that, but I had a really good support group around me like my sister and family.

“Losing my mummy was really tough, she was my best friend, we did everything together. We were so close. I have moments where I feel like I need my mummy; everybody needs their mummy.

“When my mummy died and I had all the responsibilities, it was a big pressure financially and mentally. It was really overwhelming at times, my social life went out the window. But in here, they put me through different qualifications. They got me support when I needed it.”

Chloe said she never would have pictured herself becoming a youth worker, but said it’s a profession she’s fallen in love with.

“It was something I never really thought about, but I started volunteering here and just fell in love with it, and I’ve been here for three years now,” she explained.

“Stephen Hughes [senior youth worker at the youth centre] has been absolutely amazing and thanks to him, I’ll be able to give the young people the opportunities given to me, like university and all those things I thought were unreachable growing up.

“The youth centre helped put me through university and I graduated two weeks ago with a community youth studies certificate through Youth Action. In September, I will go back to Ulster University and will stay there again for another four years for a part-time community studies degree.”

Through her experience, Chloe said she is able to help other young people who attend the youth centre and may be going through a difficult period.

She said: “There are a couple of kids in here that go through the same things I do, and sometimes you don’t even need to have a conversation – you can feel the pain they’re going through. You’re able to help them through your own experiences.

“Kids can come in here and it’s a safe space. It’s so much more than a game of snooker or just going on a trip – it’s a lifeline for some young people. It’s an absolute honour to be a part of these young people’s lives.”

Looking back on how far she has come and what she wants to do next, Chloe said she is so proud of herself, and wishes she could reassure her younger self.

“Looking back on the girl I was when everything happened, I wish I could go back and tell her it was going to be okay. That I was stressing myself out for nothing,” she added.

“When I was graduating, it’s something you want to go and tell your mummy about. To go through everything I did and still be able to graduate, it really gives me hope for the young people in here and around West Belfast.

“Becoming a youth worker is the best thing I have ever done, and I’m very proud of myself.”

Offering advice to any young people who may be struggling, Chloe said: “When something bad happens there’s two ways you can go about it. It can make you or break you.

“Don’t get me wrong, there was a period of time in my life where I was going through self-destructive behaviours, then I was like no this isn’t me. This isn’t who I am.

“I would say that anything is possible no matter what. If you’re going through a tough time, you will get out at the other end. There is always light at the end of the tunnel and you’ll find your way there.

“Everybody grieves differently and struggles with things differently. You don’t always have to be alone, there are places you can go to like your local youth centre, and see what is out there for you. There are plenty of opportunities there for you.”

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

She was the last of the Spice Girls to walk down the aisle, but Melanie Chisholm has married Australian model Chris Dingwall at the age of 52.

Ms Chisholm, better known as Sporty Spice, or Mel C, said ‘I do’ dressed in a simple white, floor length gown while clutching a wildflower meadow bouquet of flowers at the Country House Cumbria in the Lake District on Saturday.

She was joined by her bandmates Emma Bunton, Melanie Brown and Geri Halliwell-Horner but Victoria Beckham was unable to attend as she is in the US at the World Cup.

Despite Posh’s absence, guests say that it was a ‘perfect’ ceremony where Ms Chisholm’s daughter Scarlett, 17, from her relationship with property developer Thomas Starr, acted as a bridesmaid.

However, there was a slight hiccup when a herd of cows from a nearby farm ran towards the Georgian venue while the singer and Mr Dingwall were saying their vows. Guests looked alarmed when they saw the animals.

Sources say that the couple wanted an ‘intimate’ wedding, and while they were joined by her fellow Spice Girls, it was expected to be a small affair.

A source told the Daily Mail: ‘Mel and Chris wanted an understated wedding, she didn’t want a big flashy day but something smaller and very classy. 

‘Mel swore she would never get married having a big do wasn’t really for her.

‘It is the perfect venue for them, totally out of the way but in the most beautiful place and everyone had the most fantastic time.

‘Victoria couldn’t be there but she loves Mel, and she will have made sure that she sent a beautiful present.’

Nestled in the picturesque Cumbrian countryside, the Country House Cumbria claims to be the ‘perfect setting for an elopement, small, sophisticated wedding’ which Ms Chisholm is said to have been keen to have.

It is owned by West End actor Ben Forster who starred alongside her on rock musical Jesus Christ Superstar in 2013 and property developer Paul Longman.

Ms Chisholm met Mr Dingwall, thought to be in his 40s, in 2023 on the exclusive dating app, Raya.

She admitted she originally thought she was finished with romance following her split from previous long-term partners, including Mr Starr.

Mel said ‘I do’ at the Country House Cumbria in the Lake District in a ‘simple and intimate’ ceremony, with all of her Spice Girls bandmates, except Victoria, in attendance

Mel went public with Australian model and writer Chris in 2024 after months of speculation about their romance 

But during a night out at the pub, her friends convinced her to download the app, turning the search for a partner into a game they jokingly dubbed ‘boy Bingo.’

Mel matched with Chris while she was in London and he was living in Sydney.

Despite the distance, she had an upcoming Australian DJ tour planned and decided to take a chance on the model.

Mel recently opened up about her future with Chris – and whether wedding bells could be in their plans. 

She told The Times in January: ‘It’s something I didn’t think would be part of my story, but I’m so happy with Chris. Maybe it is something that will be in my life.’

In May she explained how elements of her new album Sweat were inspired by her boyfriend.

She said: ‘Not long into making the record, I met somebody new, I fell in love, and so I ended up having this wonderful arc of emotions throughout the album – of heartbreak and then that excitement of a new relationship.’ 

She added to the Telegraph: ‘He’s very laid-back. He’s loads of fun… we work out together. We have very similar personalities and lifestyles.’

Mel had previously sworn off marriage but in a recent interview she admitted her deep loneliness during her Spice Girls years contributed to her battle with depression.

The singer wrote about her clinical depression diagnosis in her 2022 memoir, revealing how she hit rock bottom when the Spice Girls split in 2000 and her issues with binge drinking and binge eating intensified.

Mel has explained how her depression ‘was very environmental’ and stemmed in part from feeling ‘lonely’.

At the height of the Spice Girls’ fame in the late nineties, most of Mel’s bandmates were settled in relationships. Victoria had married and welcomed her first child with David Beckham by 1999, Mel B married first husband Jimmy Gulzar in 1998 and also had her first child whilst Emma Bunton began her romance with her now-husband Jade Jones in 1999.

Geri Halliwell was meanwhile enjoying a string of high profile romances, leading Mel to admit she felt left behind.

Speaking on The Louis Theroux Podcast she said being single ‘has been quite a big theme of my adult life, really. It was a long time before I was in a long-term relationship.’

She insisted that she never dated a fan, explaining that the perception of sex and fame going hand in hand was wide of the mark. 

‘It’s completely different. I mean, don’t get me wrong, other people had a better success rate than I did,’ the popstar explained.

‘You know, like historically with boy bands or rock bands, it’s like, “oh, you know, pick a member of the crowd… bring her back”. Our gigs weren’t like that.’

‘They were full of young girls and gays, which are the best audience. You just don’t get any action. But it was quite lonely for me at times.

‘I think there was many times in the band when we were working together where I was the only one without a partner… I would have liked to have dated. I had a dry spell. That’s what we call it.’

She added that her depression came from ‘the experiences that I’d had, and just getting to that point where I couldn’t continue living the way I was living’.

‘That was a really long road back to health, and I never really stopped. It was a different time as well because I probably would have benefited to go off and have some time to heal, but I was touring and promoting my solo stuff,’ she said.

Mel did have some high profile romances in the nineties, including a brief, month-long fling with Robbie Williams in 1997 at the height of their ’90s pop fame. 

In her 2022 memoir, Mel writes about how she was left heartbroken by Robbie after he ‘behaved badly’ with her, claiming that the Take That star led her on and then ‘abruptly’ dropped her, which left her heartbroken.

‘It was a million years ago and lasted two seconds. Oh God, that sounds really bad. Oh, well,’ she told Louis Theroux.

Mel went on to have a four-month romance in 2000 with another boyband star – J Brown from 5ive, with the star admitting she is still friends with her ‘lovely’ ex. 

‘I’ve not spoken to him for a while actually, but he’s an ex I’ve remained friends with. I don’t remain friends with many exes, but he’s a lovely boy,’ she said.

‘I saw Robbie recently. I mean, God, we were kids. Do you know what I mean? It’s like we’re talking like, 20-odd years ago. Nearly 30 years ago. It’s a long time.’

Olivia Attwood and Pete Wicks shared a passionate kiss on their first outing as a new couple in London on Friday.

The loved-up new couple, who went Instagram official this week, couldn’t keep their hands off each other as they stepped outside for some alone time. 

After months of soft-launching their romance, Olivia and Pete packed on the PDA following the launch party for her new collection with Tatti Lashes.

Olivia, 35, and Pete, 37, shared a passionate kiss before they headed home in a private car together.

Pete shared an array of loved-up snaps from their holiday this week to hard launch their romance.

Sending fans wild, Pete captioned the post: ‘I guess someone has to go first…IBIZA’.

Pete’s best friend Sam Thompson was quick to comment as he replied: ‘Never thought I’d see the day YOU hard launch!! couldn’t be happier for you brother’.

Olivia and Pete began dating back in February after she split from her husband Bradley Dack, and last week they were seen cosying up together during their Ibiza holiday.

The loved-up new couple, who went Instagram official this week, couldn’t keep their hands off each other as they stepped outside for some alone time

Rumours of Olivia and Pete’s romance began last summer after intimate pictures of the pair on a boat were captured. 

The pair went on a trip with KISS and were seen putting on a flirty and cosy display on a yacht. 

It caused uproar at the time as Olivia was still married to Bradley – who she split from months later, in January this year.

Addressing the snaps on Olivia’s House, a Platform Media original show, Olivia said: ‘Okay, let’s talk to my listeners about the yacht pictures with Pete.

‘Because there is a funny story here. Just as a subtext, okay I was obviously leaning back on [Pete] on the yacht, but nothing happened.’

Pete spoke about their romance for the first time the week before, after the couple enjoyed a holiday together in St Tropez.

The couple were spotted sharing steamy kisses by the pool at the celeb-favourite haunt Nikki Beach club this month.

On a recent episode of his Staying Relevant podcast with best pal Sam, Pete opened up about the Mediterranean getaway for the first time.

He said: ‘It was delightful. Switched off from the world as much as I could.’ 

After months of soft-launching their romance, Olivia and Pete packed on the PDA following the launch party for her new collection with Tatti Lashes

Olivia, 35, and Pete, 37, shared a passionate kiss before they headed home in a private car together

Olivia and Pete began dating back in February after she split from her husband Bradley Dack, and last week they were seen cosying up together during their Ibiza holiday

Rumours of Olivia and Pete’s romance began last summer after intimate pictures of the pair on a boat were captured

Advertisement

Pete was ever the gentleman as he opened the door for Olivia

The pair couldn’t stop laughing as they stepped outside for a cigarette

Pete wrapped his arms around Olivia

Olivia looked stunning in a sequin pink dress for her party

Advertisement

The couple waited for the taxi to arrive

Pete held Olivia’s hand during the outing

The grinning TOWIE star couldn’t wipe the smile off his face

Sam couldn’t resist bringing up the pictures of Pete and Olivia smooching, which were taken by an onlooker staying at the same resort.

He asked: ‘Question, if you don’t mind, why I’ve never been locked in an embrace with you in a pool? I’ve never been in that position with you before, you looked so comfortable and relaxed.’

Deliberately dodging Sam’s question, Pete replied: ‘I had a very, very lovely holiday.’

Earlier this week Olivia broke her silence on their romance as she confessed that Pete has ‘gone soft,’ after he sent her a huge bouquet of red roses while she was away in Ibiza.

The revelation came during the latest episode of Pete’s podcast Staying Relevant, which saw his co-host Sam interview brothers Ryan, Adam and Scott Thomas.

Pete was absent from the show due to his holiday, and Ryan shared that he’d asked Olivia to send him a message offering some insight into the TOWIE star, leaving host Sam aghast.

He said: ‘I asked my friend, if she had any gossip for me, because I’m going on Staying Relevant, and this friend of mine, you might know her, she’s called Olivia Attwood.’

‘I said “yes Liv, me and the boys are doing Staying Relevant today, got anything on Pete we can talk about?”

‘She went “Hi honey, what are you thinking? He sent me a hundred red roses to my set in Ibiza, because he’s gone soft.”

Pete shared an array of loved-up snaps from their holiday this week to hard launch their romance 

Pete’s best friend Sam Thompson was quick to comment as he replied: ‘Never thought I’d see the day YOU hard launch!! couldn’t be happier for you brother’

Olivia previously revealed on Instagram that Pete sent her a bouquet of roses while she was away for a lengthy spell in Ibiza filming her reality show Bad Boyfriends.

At the time she also shared the message Pete had sent her saying he wanted to make her ‘feel better,’ as she battled a nasty hangover following a night of partying on the island.

Shortly after splitting from Bradley, Olivia accused him of cheating on her multiple times. Despite their huge ITV wedding, they never made their union legally binding.

The television personality admitted on Gogglebox: ‘I didn’t think my first marriage would be amazing, but I didn’t think it would be that bad.

‘I’ve decided now I am going to get married a few times, or engaged, because I like the ring.’

After her split from Bradley, Olivia spoke out about what ‘mistruths’ are as she claimed Bradley ‘lied and cheated’ during their relationship, and now she feels like a ‘f*****g idiot’.

The television personality also denied trying to trick fans over her fake wedding scandal, and confirmed her new romance with Pete.

Olivia wrote: ‘I have stood by Brad for the last ten years during which he lied and cheated on me multiple times. The breakdown of our relationship is because of this.

‘I was in love with him and the potential I saw in him and wanted always to help him try to be the best version of himself – as I did for ten years – covering up. Lying to my family and friends. Arranging therapy. Believing the grovelling apologies.

‘I of course now feel like a f*****g idiot. (Especially as more things come to the surface) I never wanted to say any of this. I find the whole situation utterly humiliating.’

The sister of a 24-year-old mother who was stabbed and killed as she lay in bed with her husband and baby in west London on Sunday has said “she was my world”.

Kirandeep Kaur, who was originally from India, was fatally attacked at her home in Hayes.

Speaking through a translator from the Majha region of Punjab, India, her sister Gursharan told BBC London: “She is everything for me, she video calls me and my mum. What are we going to do without her?”

A man has been charged with Kaur’s murder.

Gursharan, who is 21, said her sister came to London looking for a better job so she could support her family.

“My sister moved to the UK in September 2024 to study at Buckinghamshire New University.

“She completed her studies and worked at a grocery store.

“We spoke to each other on the phone. But she hasn’t been back, so I haven’t seen her.

“When she reached London – she told me it was beautiful and she was happy.”

Gusharan said her sister was “very intelligent”.

“She was the top of her class here in India when she was studying, she’s a very hard worker. She loved us all very much.”

Gusharan added: “Our family is very poor. She always thinks about us first. She was very supportive to me. She was my world. My heart hurts.”