Diolch
Thank you for joining us for this evening’s Lottery blog. Tune in again on Tuesday, where we will be bringing you the Euromillions numbers live – worth a lifechanging £50 million.
Diolch all, good night.
NewsBeat
National Lottery Lotto and Thunderball results for Saturday, August 22
Here are the winning numbers from Saturday’s Lotto draw and Thunderball
It’s that time of the week again and tomorrow morning, someone could be waking up as a millionaire. We will be bringing you the winning numbers from tonight’s £2m Lotto draw as well as the results of the Thunderball draw, which stands at a massive £500,000.
The winning National Lottery Lotto numbers are to be drawn at 8pm while the National Lottery Thunderball numbers are announced shortly after. Those results can be found below.
It is important to remember that there are now two rounds to the Lotto draw. Each line of numbers you play will be entered into one draw and played over two rounds, meaning you will now have two chances to win. This gives you roughly a one in 4.9 chance of winning a prize in every draw.
The biggest ever Lotto winner was created in April 2016 when an anonymous player banked £35m. In January 2016 two ticketholders walked away with £33m each. For money-saving tips, sign up to our Money newsletter here
Before that a main Lotto game jackpot of £42,008,610 was drawn in January 1996 and split between three anonymous winners with each being awarded £14,002,870. A single ticket won £26.4m on the New Year’s Eve lotto in 2016.
The UK National Lottery was first drawn on November 19, 1994. Half of all money spent by players goes to the prize fund with 28% to good causes, 12% to the UK Government as duty, 5% to retailers, and 5% to the operator.
Thunderball draw is in…
18, 02, 31, 13, 28
Thunderball: 02
Thunderball next
Up next we will be bringing you the Thunderball results, which could lead to a win of £500,000. Good luck everyone.
Round two
21, 22, 52, 07, 20, 08
Bonus ball: 40
Two numbers or more?
If you match two or more numbers in Round One – you have won a prize.
If you match two or more numbers in Round Two, you have also won a prize.
Round one
28, 11, 48, 59, 41, 57
Bonus ball: 03
Croeso
Welcome to this evening’s Lotto blog, where we will be bringing you the lottery results as they come in. Remember, with your one ticket you have two chances of winning. In just over 15 minutes we will be confirming the numbers so stick with us.
Pob lwc pawb!
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Belfast Live has looked at the three major supermarkets, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Tesco, to see which one offers the best value for money on a selection of items that are commonly found in pack lunches.
The new school term is fast approaching, and families across Northern Ireland will be preparing for the start of September and making sure they have everything they need.
Packed lunches are something that many families will have to budget for throughout the course of the school year, as they have to make sure their children have something to eat throughout the day.
As many households continue to struggle with the cost of living and high prices in the shops, finding a good deal on what your children will be taking to school is very important.
Belfast Live has looked at the three major supermarkets, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Tesco, to see which one offers the best value for money on a selection of items that are commonly found in packed lunches.
Tesco
Tesco Wholemeal Medium Sliced Bread 800g: 75p
Tesco Wafer Thin Cooked Ham 400g: £1.89
Packet of cheese Tesco Mild White Cheddar Slices 200g: £2.85/ two for £4.50 with Clubcard
Tesco Tuna Chunks In Spring Water 4 X 145G: £2.45
Dromona Spreadeasy Butter 500G: £2.95
Dairylea Lunchers Ham n Cheese 65g: £1.60
Tesco Gala Apples: £1.80/ 99p with Clubcard
Tesco Oranges 5 Pk: £1.50
Tesco Seedless Grape Selection Pack 500G: £2
Tesco Small Bananas 6 Pack: 75p
Tesco Carrot Batons Snack Pack 80g: 39p
Tesco Seedless Raisins 500G: £2.30
Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Cereal Milk Bars Multipack 4x20g: £1.35
Cheestrings Original 8Pk Cheese Snacks 160G: £2.45/£2.20 with Clubcard
Skips Prawn Cocktail Multipack Crisps 6×13.1g: £1.60
Wagon Wheel Jammie 6 Pack: £1.50
McVitie’s Penguin Original Biscuit Bar 7 pack x 24.6g: £2/ £1.25 with Clubcard
Capri-Sun Zero Orange 8 x 200ml Kids’ Juice Drink: £3/ £2 with Clubcard
Fruit Shoot Orange Kids Juice Drink 8x200ml: £3.50/ £2,75 with Clubcard
Asda
The BAKERY at ASDA The Bakery Wholemeal Medium Sliced 800g: 75p
ASDA Wafer Thin Cooked Ham 400g: £2
ASDA 10 British Mild Cheddar Slices 250g: £2.45
ASDA Tuna Steak in a Little Spring Water 3 x 110g (330g): £3.15
Dromona Spreadeasy Spread 500g: £2.80
Dairylea Lunchers Ham N’ Cheese 65 g: £1.50
JUST ESSENTIALS by ASDA Apples: 99p
ASDA Garden Gang Oranges Super Easy Peelers 500g: £1.07
ASDA Seedless Mixed Grapes 500g: £1.94
ASDA 6 Bananas: 94p
ASDA Carrot Sticks with a Houmous Dip 100g: £1.30
ASDA Seedless Raisins 500g: £1.80
Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Breakfast Cereal Bars 4x20g: £1.24
Strings & Things Cheestrings 80g (4x20g): £1.50
Skips Prawn Cocktail Multipack Crisps 6 Pack: £1.57
Wagon Wheels 6 Jammie: £1.47
McVitie’s Penguin Original Chocolate Flavour Cream Filled Biscuit Bars 7 x 24.6g: £1.25
Capri-Sun Orange 8 x 200ml Kids’ Juice Drink: £2.97
Fruit Shoot Fruit Shoot Orange Kids Juice Drink 8 x 200ml: £2.75
Sainsburys
Sainsbury’s Medium Sliced Wholemeal Bread 800g: 75p
Sainsbury’s British Wafer Thin Cooked Ham Slices 150g: £1.45
Sainsbury’s British Mild Cheddar Cheese Slices 240g: £2.75
Sainsbury’s Tuna Chunks in Spring Water 4x145g: £2.49
Dromona Spreadeasy Tub 500g: £2.95
Dairylea Lunchers 65g Ham ‘N’ Cheese Snack: £1.60
Sainsbury’s Royal Gala Apples x6: £1.80
Sainsbury’s Easy Peelers Oranges 600g: £1.50
Sainsbury’s Red & White Seedless Grapes 500g: £2
Sainsbury’s Fairtrade Bananas x5: 78p
Sainsbury’s Carrot Batons 400g: £1.10
Sainsbury’s Raisins, Seedless 500g: £2.30
Kellogg’s Rice Krispies 4 x 20g Breakfast Cereal Milk Multipack Snack Bars: £1.35
Strings & Things Cheestrings Cheese Snack x4 80g: £1.85
Skips Prawn Cocktail 6×13.1g: £1.60
Wagon Wheels 6 Jammie Biscuits: £1.50
McVitie’s Penguin Original Biscuit Bar Multipack 7 x 24.6g: £2
Capri-Sun Orange 8 x 200ml: £3
Fruit Shoot Orange Kids Juice Drink 8x200ml: £3.75
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.
The duke, who stepped down from the working monarchy six years ago, has levelled a barrage of accusations at the King, his stepmother the Queen, brother the Prince of Wales and sister-in-law the Princess of Wales in his Oprah interview, Netflix documentary, interviews and his autobiography Spare after moving to California.
NewsBeat
Strictly’s big shake-up will see the stars meet their partners for the first time on the dancefloor in the launch show as it ditches video tape introductions
Strictly Come Dancing is bringing back celebrities meeting their professional dance partner for the first time on the dancefloor.
In recent years, the pairings have been filmed in introductory video tapes around the country.
But the show will now revert back to what was done pre-Covid.
TV dog trainer Graeme Hall, 59, who is starring in this year’s series, revealed the change on Radio Northampton this week.
He said: ‘This year, they’re doing it slightly differently. We don’t find out until the launch show. You have no say in it, the pros have no say in it.’
The first show of the new series will air on September 19 when the celebrity and professional pairings are revealed.
Strictly Come Dancing is bringing back celebrities meeting their professional dance partner for the first time on the dancefloor (pictured Dani Dyer will make her return after injury)
In recent years, the pairings have been filmed in introductory video tapes around the country. But the show will now revert back to what was done pre-Covid (pictured pro dancer Nikita)
The first episode is pre-recorded and the following week will mark the return of the live shows, where the new batch of stars will compete for the first time.
But there’s no elimination that week as the first couple is normally eliminated after the following weekend’s performances and public vote, on October 4.
It has been confirmed that the final for this year’s series will take place just days before Christmas Day on December 19.
Graeme also talked about the reaction to the line-up – with some fans of the show branding the cast ‘the worst to date’.
Some of the best known of the line-up are Dani Dyer, Delta Goodrem, Jaime Winstone, Will Best and Gavin & Stacey actress Melanie Walters, however many of the stars have been deemed unrecognisable to viewers.
Stars such as Kim Kardashian’s hair stylist Chris Appleton might not be a household name, but he does boast a huge social media following with four million fans on Instagram.
TV dog trainer Graeme Hall, 59, who is starring in this year’s series. said: ‘This year, they’re doing it slightly differently. We don’t find out until the launch show’
John Nellis has an even bigger fanbase, with 15.7 million YouTube subscribers.
Indeed, while bosses may be keen to attract Gen Z (14 to 29 years old), the majority of Strictly viewers are currently Gen X (46 to 61 years old) and Baby Boomers (62 to 80 years old).
He said: ‘I think you get it every year, it’s this “oh I don’t recognise a single one of them. They’re not celebs”. But do you know what? I was watching it last year and I thought George was great, I didn’t know him from Adam when he was on.’
Of starring in the show, he added: ‘It’s a dream come true There are not a lot of people in the world that have had the chance to do this. So I’m just going to love every minute, enjoy it for what it is and hope it keeps going as long as possible.’
LACEY TURNER
AGE: 38 BEST KNOWN FOR?: Playing Stacey Slater on BBC’s EastEnders
WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I’m so excited and terrified at the same time but I’ve had so many friends do Strictly and I thought it was about time that I plunked up the courage and made my way onto that dance floor.’
DELTA GOODREM
AGE: 41
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Played Nina Tucker in Neighbours and has released eight music albums
WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I’ve been incredibly honoured to perform on many different stages throughout my career – from tv, theatre, film sets, to touring my own shows around the world, there is however one stage I’ve never stepped onto and that is the ballroom floor!’
CACH MERCER AGE: 25
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Won Love Island 2025 and is a TikTok influencer
WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I have grown up watching the show with my family and am so excited to now be part of the cast. Dancing is a huge passion of mine and I can’t wait to learn Ballroom and do the Foxtrot for the first time!’ DAME SARAH STOREY
AGE: 48
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Britain’s most successful Paralympian WHY STRICTLY?: ‘Embarking on a new challenge so soon after stepping down as an athlete is hugely exciting.’
BETHANY ANTONIA
AGE: 28 BEST KNOWN FOR?: Plays Lady Baela Targaryen in House of the Dragon
WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I have grown up watching Strictly, and I am so excited to take the challenge on and (hopefully!) learn a new skill.’
GRAEME ‘THE DOGFATHER’ HALL
AGE: 59
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Hosts Channel 5 series Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly
WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I have watched the show for years, so to be a part of it feels like a very exciting challenge, albeit more than a bit nerve-wracking!’
TABBY STOECKER AGE: 25
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Olympic champion skeleton racer
WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I’ve had the wildest year of my life so far, so to be rounding it off with a childhood dream of dancing in the Strictly ballroom is surreal and I can’t wait to get stuck in!’ MELANIE WALTERS
AGE: 64
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Playing Gwen West in BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey WHY STRICTLY?: ‘Performing in Pantomime for the last 15 years, my Strictly ‘fix’ has always been watching in a dressing room rather than my front room.’
DANI DYER
AGE: 30 BEST KNOWN FOR?: Winning Love Island and being the daughter of actor Danny Dyer
WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I am so excited to be back in the ballroom this September! I just cannot wait to get my dancing shoes back on and hopefully this time around I can actually make it to week one!’
CHRIS APPLETON
AGE: 43
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Hairdresser to the stars – including Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez
WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I’m thrilled to be joining Strictly and coming home to the UK for this incredible experience. I’ve always believed that the best things happen when you take a chance and try something new.’
WILL BEST AGE: 41
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Hosts Big Brother and previously TV
WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I’ve been lucky to do lots of live telly before, but absolutely nothing like this. And I cannot wait!’ JAIME WINSTONE
AGE: 41
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Starring in films such as Kidulthood and Tomb Raider WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I am no stranger to a dance floor, but the ballroom is a whole new world for me.’
SHAUN WRIGHT-PHILLIPS
AGE: 44 BEST KNOWN FOR?: Footballer who played for the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City
WHY STRICTLY?: ‘Strictly is definitely outside my comfort zone, but I’m super excited to get started and really looking forward to the challenge!’
LAWRENCE ROBB
AGE: 34
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Plays Mackenzie Boyd on ITV’s Emmerdale
WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I can’t quite believe that I am going to be getting my dancing shoes on this September on one of my favourite shows of all time!’
JOHN NELLIS AGE: 33
BEST KNOWN FOR?: Face of a popular football-focused YouTube channel
WHY STRICTLY?: ‘I can’t wait to meet everyone, learn a new skill and, hopefully, be much better at family parties by the end of it!’
STRICTLY COME DANCING 2026: MEET THE CONTESTANTS
NewsBeat
The popular St Neots tapas restaurant with ‘exceptional’ food that whisks you away to Spain
It offers an iconic seafood boil ‘extravaganza’
As the summer nears the end and fewer people are heading away on holiday, the travel blues can really set in. You may find yourself longing for the cuisine and atmosphere you experienced during your trip.
Although it may not be quite the same as dining at sunset in Barcelona, a charming restaurant aims to bring a bit of Spain to a Cambridgeshire town. Vino Tapas and Wine opened more than a year ago in June 2025.
The menu features honey roasted chorizo, patatas bravas, grilled Mastelo cheese, and the all-time favourite, paella, served with either seafood or chicken and chorizo. On Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, this tapas restaurant adds an iconic touch by serving up a seafood boil ‘extravaganza’.
Vino Tapas and Wine, which can be found on Market Square, has achieved an almost perfect score on Tripadvisor with an average of 4.8 stars out of five. One person described the food as “exceptional”.
They added: “My hard-to-please chef partner enjoyed everything, and that almost never happens! The service was excellent and personable. The amount of food was good for the price (we had 4 tapas dishes between 2 and were full!).”
Another pleased customer wrote: “Having chosen just about one of every dish between us I can honestly say that this was one of the best meals I’ve had in years. Everything from the octopus to the beef, aubergines to clams were absolutely exquisite.”
Here is everything we know so far.
What happened?
The crash occurred on the A66 in South Bank at 3.39am today (Saturday, August 22), and involved a marked police vehicle and a Volkswagen Passat.
Cleveland Police said the Passat was travelling in the wrong direction when it collided with the police car, which was travelling in the correct direction.
All seven occupants of the vehicles – two police officers and five members of the public – were pronounced dead at the scene.
The two police officers have since been named as PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough.
Who attended the scene?
The North East Ambulance Service, including 14 ambulances, the Great North Air Ambulance Service and Cleveland Fire Service were at the scene.
What have police said?
Chief Constable Victoria Fuller has issued the following statement.
“At 3.39 this morning, a Volkswagen Passat that was travelling the wrong way down the A66 has collided with a marked Cleveland Police Armed Response Vehicle, which was travelling on the correct side of the road.
“Tragically, two police officers, PC Matthew Blades, aged 37, and PC Tom Clough, aged 38, died at the scene, along with the five occupants of the Passatt as a result of the collision.
“Formal identification has now taken place for the occupants of the Volkswagen Passat and specialist family liaison officers are being deployed to support the bereaved families.
“As is mandatory following any death connected to a police incident, we have referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and are fully cooperating with their investigation.
“While this investigation is ongoing, and out of respect for all those who have lost loved ones, I would strongly urge people to avoid speculation and respect the privacy of the families.”
When is the road reopening?
Police have yet to officially confirm when the road is reopening, but it is expected to remain closed for the rest of the day.
What have politicians said?
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “Devastated to hear that two police officers have lost their lives while on duty in Cleveland this morning, as well as five members of the public.
“My thoughts are with the families and loved ones of everyone involved, and with everyone at Cleveland Police.”
Anna Turley, MP for Redcar and Cleveland, said: “I am deeply saddened to hear of the fatal collision on the A66 this morning.
“My thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives, and with everyone affected by this terrible incident.”
Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen said: “A horrible and tragic incident in South Bank this morning and my thoughts are with those affected, their families and the emergency services who attended the scene.
“Our police officers are heroes who put everything on the line to protect us and I know all of Teesside will want to pay tribute to the officers and other emergency service workers involved for the bravery they have shown in responding to this incident.”
What happens now?
An investigation has been launched by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) to examine what happened.
Nicola Marfleet, IOPC Director of Investigations, said: “This is a tragic incident, and my thoughts are with family and friends and all those affected, including the emergency services in attendance.
“Our investigation is in the very early stages, we have sent investigators to the post-incident procedures to begin reviewing evidence.
“When someone dies following police contact, it is mandatory that the matter is referred to the IOPC.
“Our role is to establish and examine the circumstances of what happened; this work is already underway, and Cleveland Police is cooperating with our enquiries.
“We will provide a further update when we are in a position to do so.”
The incident took place around 2pm this afternoon (August 22) at Royal Bolton Hospital, where what police have called a “vulnerable young person” got onto the hospital roof.
Police and fire services were called to the scene for assistance, with the situation being successfully resolved by around 3pm.
A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: “There were welfare concerns relating to a vulnerable young person.
“The log was closed at about 3pm. No crimes have been recorded.”
Some people had to wait outside the hospital as the situation was resolved, unable to enter the building.
A video shared to social media showed several police vans and fire engines outside the building, near the entrance to the paediatric emergency department.
NewsBeat
Hayden Panettiere’s mom: ‘My daughter didn’t want to be saved!’ Read bombshell hour-long interview on what she thinks REALLY happened at death-scene Airbnb… her jaw-dropping Brian Hickerson allegations… and fury at ‘shameful’ Gayle King
Hayden Panettiere’s mother Lesley Vogel believes the account of her daughter’s death at age 36 given by Brian Hickerson is ‘full of holes’ and believes he’s not telling police the truth about what happened.
In an extensive hour-long exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, Vogel said she pressured law enforcement in South Carolina to investigate Hayden’s death and raised serious questions about Hickerson and his account of her daughter’s final hours.
Vogel said Hickerson, who once served time in jail for beating Hayden, had a toxic ‘codependent bond’ with Hayden that was ‘much more powerful than people realized.’
She revealed she spoke with a police officer at the scene and asked if there would be a further investigation. ‘She said to me, “Well, what do you think about Brian Hickerson?” And I said, “I think he’s culpable.”‘
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has since joined the investigation. Hickerson has not been accused of any crime and the Daily Mail makes no suggestion of wrongdoing.
Hickerson, Vogel claimed, told police that Hayden was doing her makeup in the Greenville Airbnb around 10.30am on Sunday, August 16, and he went out for something.
She said Hickerson told police that he returned later and went to take a nap. Vogel’s account of what Hickerson told police does not include him seeing or speaking to Hayden after he returned, she claims.
According to Vogel, Hickerson told the officer that at some later point, his brother Zach knocked at the door and Brian went to answer. Hayden was then found unresponsive.
Hayden Panettiere’s mother Lesley Vogel insisted she never stopped trying to protect her daughter, despite their complicated relationship, in an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail. Pictured in
Panettiere was found ‘unresponsive’ in an armchair at a Greenville, South Carolina apartment where on-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson was also staying on Sunday. She was later declared dead just five days before her 37th birthday. Hickerson previously faced domestic abuse charges involving Panettiere
Vogel believes there are unexplained gaps in that account, especially the presence of Narcan, which, according to Hickerson’s brother Zach, had been administered by Brian.
‘I think there will be a discrepancy in the timeline, meaning Brian had to go out and buy the Narcan while he left her there because I do not believe he happened to have two bottles of Narcan on him, like he carried them around in his back pocket.’
She also doubts his claim that he simply found Hayden unresponsive.
‘I don’t know how you can take a nap near someone who’s dying and not realize something’s wrong. How do you do that?
‘When the EMTs came it was for a cardiac arrest. People in cardiac arrest aren’t just lying still. They make noise.
‘I think Brian called his brother. My opinion. I think he knew she was deceased. Called his brother, and tried and built this story.’
Vogel also lashed out at brutal accusations by CBS’ Gayle King, podcaster Megyn Kelly – and even her deceased daughter – that she’s an ogre who pushed Hayden as a child actress and only cared about money.
Vogel, 70, now says that she ‘wants justice’ for Hayden – and that the tragedy has been made worse by public insults hurled at her.
A heavily redacted police report released Tuesday revealed Brian Hickerson (left) and his brother Zachary (right) were with Panettiere inside the luxury Greenville apartment complex loft when she was pronounced dead
The couple were staying at the swanky Judson Mill apartment complex where she was found unresponsive on August 16
‘There is infinite sadness,’ Vogel said about the loss of her daughter, which came three years after her 28-year-old son, Jansen, died from heart issues.
‘But this is not the time for me to be weak. I don’t have the luxury right now of being weak. I have too much to do for Hayden. When I’m done with that, then I will give myself the luxury to mourn – deeply mourn.’
‘I’m not saying I’m not grieving now. I am, and I do have my moments. But the bigger picture right now is I have to stay strong. I don’t have an option.’
Gayle King slammed a brief statement Vogel made after Hayden’s death in which she said her daughter had ‘lost her way’ by addressing Vogel directly:
‘It makes me so sad of the opportunity that you have after your daughter’s death that that’s what you choose to leave us with… You read this and all I can think is, “Thanks, Mom, for nothing.”‘
Megyn Kelly was harsher, telling Vogel: ‘You failed at your job… You got an F as a parent. You made a bunch of money off of your daughter. You probably have a super nice car and a big house. You failed. You raised someone to the age of majority who doesn’t feel safe, loved, or cherished. You’re a loser.’
Vogel, who was also portrayed as a hard-driving, demanding stage mother in Hayden’s May 2026 memoir, ‘This is Me: A Reckoning,’ said her relationship with her daughter was ‘complicated’ but she doesn’t deserve being trashed by people who have never met her.
‘I was very, very hurt and deeply disappointed in the lack of professionalism, the lack of compassion in slamming someone who’s lost two children, without even a modicum of consideration,’ she said. ‘No one reached out to me before. It’s shameful. It’s unconscionable to me.’
Panettiere spoke publicly about the abuse and the complicated bond that repeatedly drew her back to Hickerson
Earlier this week, Greenville police officers were snapped arriving at the South Carolina home linked to Brian and Zach Hickerson to conduct a welfare check, the Daily Mail revealed
An officer was seen knocking on the door of the four-bedroom home repeatedly but received no response from anyone inside
Gayle King was among those who publicly criticized Vogel’s statement about Panettiere’s tragic death saying: ‘It makes me so sad that of the opportunity that you have after your daughter’s death, that that’s what you choose to leave us with’
But Vogel said she has ‘huge responsibilities’ which involve both keeping on top of the investigation into Hayden’s death – and the closure of her estate.
During the nearly hour-long interview, Vogel’s voice only cracked once – while defending her decision to put Hayden into showbusiness when she was only 11 months old.
In her book and in some recent interviews, Hayden called herself a ‘little soldier’ forced into modeling and acting when she was too young and portrayed Vogel as more manager than mother who got angry if Hayden blew an audition.
But Panettiere also admits in her book that she enjoyed a lot of her child stardom. She did more than 50 commercials as a child and at four landed her first soap role, playing Sarah Roberts in ‘One Life to Live.’
At seven she was signed to play Lizzie Spaulding on ‘Guiding Light,’ a meaty part that required her to learn 20 to 40 pages of dialogue a day.
Vogel said she never set out to make Panettiere a professional actress when she first signed her up with the Wilhelmina modeling agency as a baby.
Vogel slammed critics for attacking a mother who has ‘lost two children’. Hayden’s younger brother Jansen died unexpectedly in 2023 at the age of 28 (pictured in 2019)
Vogel defended her decision to put Hayden into show business when she was only 11 months old. The late actress is pictured in one of her child television roles in 1999
‘She started with Wilhelmina at eight months old because she’s a beautiful baby. I mean, really beautiful baby,’ Vogel said.
‘My thought then was, let her do some stuff, we’ll put it in her college fund, and she’ll go to college and she’ll have this. I never expected her to be a professional actor, never.’
But Vogel, who had acting experience herself, said it quickly became apparent that her daughter possessed an extraordinary natural ability, including a knack for memorizing large chunks of dialogue that even the adults on soaps struggled with.
Both veteran soap star Beth Chamberlin, who played Hayden’s mother on ‘Guiding Light’ for three years, and John Loprieno, who played her father on ‘One Life to Live,’ told the Daily Mail that Hayden had an uncanny ability to know her lines, adapt to last-minute script changes on set – and breeze through camera blocking and fast-moving takes with ease.
Chamberlin said she never saw signs of strain between Hayden and her mother, with whom she’s still friendly, adding that Hayden seemed to love her job. Loprieno said the same thing.
‘I mean, she’d come into the studio skipping,’ Chamberlin told the Daily Mail. ‘She was just so happy, and she lit up when she went on the set.
‘We also helped make it a very unique atmosphere for her on the set. She felt safe and protected. And Lesley was always there.’
Vogel acknowledged that she was a demanding mother and acting coach but strongly denied that she forced Panettiere to work or was abusive.
‘I was strong, definitely, but I was not abusive by any stretch of the imagination,’ she told the Daily Mail.
Panettiere, right, and James Marsden greet audience members during the 21st Annual Kids’ Choice Awards in Los Angeles in 2008
Hayden and Jansen were raised by mom Lesley and dad Skip
‘I think that Hayden put a pressure on herself. I know that she has mentioned, you know, always had to please Mom, or make sure it was, you know, I succeeded or whatever. I didn’t put that on her. I think she put that on herself.’
Vogel said the idea that a parent could force a very young child to sustain a successful acting career was unrealistic.
‘Try making a two-to five-year-old child do something they don’t want to do,’ she said. ‘Are you going to be successful? No, you’re not. Probably 99 percent of the time.’
Vogel said her relationship with her daughter remained close through much of Panettiere’s adolescence but began changing when she was about 16 or 17 and older influences entered her life.
But she said Panettiere’s life changed dramatically after Hickerson entered it.
She was already at a low point, having given up the daughter she shared with former heavyweight champion boxer Wladimir Klitschko, because of her struggles with postpartum depression and substance abuse.
‘When Brian came into her life, the changes started to occur,’ she said. ‘Very early in the game, I thought he’s a modern-day gigolo. I know what he’s after.’
She said the relationship eventually became deeply codependent as drugs became part of their lives.
‘I would talk to both of them about it,’ Vogel added. ‘I would say, ‘This is a codependent relationship, and it is not healthy for either of you.’
‘My sadness is that everything that I did, her father did, friends did, business people did – we could not break that codependent bond. It is so much more powerful than people understand.’
Vogel said she ultimately cut off contact with her daughter because she felt powerless to change the situation.
‘When Hayden comes out and talks trash about Mom, it’s because I had to break away,’ she said.
The couple’s years-long on-again, off-again relationship with realtor Brian Hickerson that was marred by domestic abuse
‘I had to go no contact because I could not help her anymore. I could not change this pattern, and believe me, I tried. I didn’t leave because I didn’t care about her or didn’t love her. I put so much effort in trying to save her. You cannot save someone who doesn’t want to be saved.’
Vogel said she believes Panettiere gravitated toward Hickerson in part because the relationship made her feel less inadequate at a low point in her life.
‘Her child’s father is Wladimir Klitschko,’ Vogel said. ‘He is one of the most exceptional people I’ve ever met.’
‘But when you’re not feeling good about yourself, you don’t want to be with someone who makes you feel worse about yourself. So she found a loser. So every day she didn’t feel like she was failing, and he latched onto that and I suppose said everything to her she needed to hear.’
Vogel said Hickerson had ‘no career’ and ‘no money,’ while Panettiere was financially supporting the relationship.
‘I know he put pressure on. I know he threatened. I know he did a lot of things,’ she said.
The bereaved mom says her relationship with her daughter remained close through much of Panettiere’s adolescence but began changing when she was about 16 or 17
Hickerson addressed Panettiere’s death through his attorney Sloan Ellis on Thursday, saying: ‘Hayden’s death remains under investigation and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed.
‘As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play.
‘Out of respect for Hayden’s loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time.’
Vogel, meanwhile, said she remains in contact with 11-year-old Kaya, who lives in Ukraine, and praised Klitschko as a devoted father. She said Klitschko told Kaya the basics of her mother’s death and she is handling it as well as can be expected.
‘He has people surrounding her who are very positive and supportive. So I’m not worried about Kaya.’
Though Panettiere apparently died without a will, Vogel said that under California law the entire estate is likely to go to Kaya, which she is grateful for.
‘This child is exceptional,’ Vogel said of her granddaughter. ‘I mean, she’s an amazing human being. She’s 11 years old, speaks five languages. She’s a hunter jumper and wins.’
For now, Vogel said, she is determined to keep moving forward through both the investigation and the task of settling her daughter’s affairs.
‘There’s a journey ahead here,’ Vogel said. ‘I feel like I’m willing to take it on.’
‘That’s my MO. That’s what I do. That’s my job.’
A number of people were kidnapped from a mosque in a spree of abductions at several villages in Nigeria ‘s north-central Niger state, police said Saturday.
The assailants attacked a mosque in Kpenya village after attacks in a string of villages in the remote Borgu Local Government Area of Niger state Friday, police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun said.
Such attacks are common in Nigeria, where multiple armed groups operate, killing and kidnapping people for ransom. The groups sometimes clash in competition with each other. No group has claimed responsibility for the Friday attacks.
Abiodun did not provide figures but said no lives were lost in the Friday attacks, and said the military was deployed to the area. Residents said scores of people were abducted, with some estimating between 60 and 80 people were kidnapped. A search for survivors was underway Saturday.
Borgu area council chairman Abdullahi Mohammed Nasir said at least 60 people were kidnapped and an unspecified number of people sustained gunshot injuries while trying to escape the gunmen.
“People were abducted while praying at a Juma’at mosque on Friday,” Nasir said. “That was when the bad people came and surrounded the mosque and took them away.”
Zubairu Umar Talba, a youth leader in the Dekara area in Borgu, told The Associated Press that his 85-year-old father was among those who were taken. “Nobody can tell you the exact number of people abducted because, so far, about 80 of our people have been abducted and many have fled the area,” he said.
Alfie Moon (Shane Richie) is only trying to cheer Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) up next week, but his well-meaning plan quickly turns into chaos when the police are called to the Square in EastEnders.
Kat has been struggling recently, and Alfie is desperate to put a smile back on her face. But rather than sitting down and talking to her about what’s really bothering her, he decides that a surprise party is the answer.
It all starts when Alfie is happily watching footage from Bert and Ernie’s school project.
However, his mood soon changes when he spots Kat in the video looking upset.
Alfie immediately becomes concerned and starts wondering what is going on with his wife. Rather than confronting Kat about what he has seen, though, he decides to keep the footage to himself.
Instead, Alfie secretly ropes in the rest of the family to help him put together something special for Kat.
His idea is a Benidorm-themed party, inspired by a happy holiday memory the pair share.
It is certainly an unconventional way of trying to lift someone’s spirits, but Alfie is convinced it will do the trick.
The family, however, aren’t quite as convinced.
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They question why Alfie is avoiding the obvious and not simply talking to Kat about the footage. But before they can push him too much, Alfie unveils his surprise and Kat is left genuinely moved by the gesture.
Soon enough, the whole Square gets swept up in Alfie’s attempt at bringing a bit of holiday fun to Walford.
And when Alfie gets involved, things are never likely to stay calm for long.
The street descends into a full-on party, with Alfie going all out to recreate that Benidorm feeling.
There’s even a paddling pool complete with a slide, giving the residents the chance to cool off and enjoy a rather unexpected day of fun.
Kat is distracted from her worries and the locals are enjoying themselves.
But the fun doesn’t last.
A community officer soon arrives and puts an abrupt end to the celebrations.
The officer isn’t impressed by the impromptu street party and threatens Kat and Alfie with a hefty fine.
Given that the pair are already dealing with plenty of other pressures, the last thing they need is another problem landing on their doorstep.
Unsurprisingly, Kat isn’t exactly thrilled by the intervention.
True to form, she gives the officer a piece of her mind, while Alfie attempts to calm her down and prevent the situation from getting even worse.
But just when it looks like the drama might finally be settling down, another problem emerges.
Ria is injured amid the chaos, leaving everyone concerned.
The incident immediately raises the stakes for Kat and Alfie, particularly because of the potential consequences it could have for Suki and Eve’s ongoing custody case.
Suki is quick to make her feelings known and threatens legal action, putting even more pressure on the couple.
For Kat, it is all becoming too much.
Already struggling with her emotions, she storms off, leaving Alfie wondering whether his attempt to cheer her up has actually made everything considerably worse.
What started as a sweet gesture based on one of their happiest memories has now resulted in a potential fine, an injury and the threat of legal action.
And Alfie may soon have to face the fact that throwing a huge party wasn’t quite the solution Kat needed.
With tensions rising and Kat furious, will Alfie be able to explain himself?
Or has his attempt to put a smile back on Kat’s face landed the pair in even more trouble?
MORE: All EastEnders spoilers for next week as Denise has hope at last after big breakthrough
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If someone called you “awful” today, you’d probably be offended. But travel back a few hundred years and that same word would have been high praise.
Awful has one of the more dramatic reversals in the English language. It began as something genuinely admiring and ended up as something quite negative in everyday use.
“The word ‘awful’ traces back to the Old English root ege, meaning dread, reverence or profound respect,” Sophie Vignoles, a linguist and head of learning content at the language learning app Babbel, told HuffPost. “That origin shows in its early use. It originally meant something that filled you with awe, describing anything that inspired wonder or terror, often tied to the power of God or nature, and it was a compliment. A mountain range or a storm could be called awful, and that was high praise.”
The word awful goes back to Old English, with experts pointing to a ninth-century citation attributed to Alfred the Great. The Oxford English Dictionary has many examples of “awful” in texts from the subsequent centuries – generally meaning things like “inspiring respect, mixed with wonder or reverential fear.”
Basically, awful was the sort of word people reached for when ordinary language failed to describe things so powerful, majestic and grand that they inspired deep reverence – like the divine.
So, how did it evolve to mean something simply negative?
“The shift happened gradually through the 19th century,” Vignoles said. “Awe itself is a mixed emotion. It carries wonder but also fear and sometimes a sense of insignificance, and over time, English speakers leaned into the fearful side rather than the reverent one. Awful stopped meaning inspiring and started meaning overwhelming in a bad way.”
For a long time, awful captured the complexity of awe and its connection to the sacred and sublime. But language tends to simplify over time, and people gradually started emphasising the dread over the wonder. Eventually “awful” became a weaker, more casual word.
The slide was gradual enough that it drew complaints along the way. Welsh writer Hester Lynch Piozzi asserted in 1794 that the word should “be used with caution and a due sense of its importance”.
“I have heard even well-bred ladies now and then attribute that term too lightly in their common conversation, connecting it with substances beneath its dignity,” she wrote.
Over the next century, the word came into its more modern meaning of unpleasant, not desirable or just very bad.
This kind of drift where a word sheds one meaning and picks up another is known as semantic shift, and it’s one of the most reliable patterns in the history of any language. Just as “nice” shifted from something negative to something positive, awful also completely reversed course – but in the opposite direction of positive to negative.
Thus, a word that once described the sublime now describes the merely terrible. Awful’s close cousin “awesome” makes the reversal even more striking.
Interestingly, the word awful actually predates awesome by centuries, though the two had similar meanings for a stretch. As both words weakened in meaning over time, awesome shifted to a more positive connotation of “good” or “cool” while awful came to mean “very bad.”
“Awesome comes from the exact same root but took the opposite path, which shows how unpredictable this kind of drift can be,” Vignoles noted.
The awful/awesome split isn’t even unique within English. “Terrific” and “terrible” come from the same Latin root and once shared the same basic meaning: inspiring terror or dread. Today, terrible has kept that negative sense while terrific has traveled so far in the opposite direction that it’s essentially a synonym for wonderful. Thus we have another pair of sibling words that started in the same place and ended up miles apart.
“It shows that meaning is never fixed. It is negotiated by whoever is using the word at the time,” Vignoles said, pointing to Babbel’s research on the way American English has evolved in honor of the United States’ 250th anniversary this year.
“Awful is a useful reminder that English often trades one meaning for another,” she added. “This kind of reversal is not unique to English either. In Russian, the word grozny once carried a sense of majesty and awe-inspiring power. Ivan Grozny, usually translated into English as Ivan the Terrible, was not originally meant as a purely negative title. Over time, the word narrowed toward its harsher, more fearsome sense, much like awful did in English.”
So, the next time something is so bad it’s almost impressive, you should feel comfortable calling it awful, in keeping with the word’s original meaning. But if you find something so good it inspires awe, you should probably opt for a different word so as not to offend.
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