Lionel Messi’s former Argentina teammates have paid tribute to their retiring captain after the great No 10 brought the curtain down on his international career.

Messi confirmed on Monday that his Argentina career was at an end after 207 appearances and 125 goals for his country.

The 39-year-old, who will continue to play on for Inter Miami, led the nation to World Cup triumph in 2022, and again captained them to the final of this year’s tournament.

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward retires as the second leading male goalscorer in international football, with Messi behind only great on-field rival Cristiano Ronaldo.

“It’s so hard to read ‌that you’re retiring; we won’t be seeing you ⁠wearing the sky blue and white colours anymore,” Angel Di Maria, part of the World Cup-winning side, said. “All I know is that I was born ⁠in the right century to be able to witness you play, relish your performances and, on top of that, share all those ‌years with you in the national ​team. To see you fulfill your dreams, and your ‌greatest dream of all – to become world champion.

“Thank ​you so much for everything; you’re a legend and the greatest of all time.”

Messi made his international debut in 2005 as an 18-year-old and spent 21 years in an Argentina shirt, a period that encompassed a record eight Ballon d’Or wins.

The No 10 actually retired once before after a Copa America defeat to Chile in 2016 meant Argentina had been beaten in three successive finals, but was convinced to return and played a decade more.

“Your unconditional love for our country, your inner struggles to never give up, your strength in always enduring injustice, your leadership and kindness towards every player who stepped onto the training ground to make them feel at home, the little gestures you showed to every member of our national team’s staff,” Rodrigo De Paul said.

“I can only say thank you – you are the greatest of all time. Thank you for making us so, so happy; you have no idea how many smiles you brought to our faces. You are eternal.”

Enzo Fernandez added: “I’ve spent so many years seeing you there that it seems impossible to imagine it any ​other ⁠way.”How lucky I was, Leo… thank you for treating me the way you did, for everything you taught me and for letting me be part of your story. We’re going to miss you so much, captain.”

Messi’s rise was akin to that of Diego Maradona, another diminutive No 10 who led Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986 and is similarly regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time.

“The captain of our dreams,” Claudio Tapia, president of the Argentina FA, suggested. “That kid, ‘La Pulga‘ [The Flea], that alien who made possible what so often seemed impossible…

“You are already a legend of this land, of our national team and of world football. You made us believe in magic. And perhaps thats why `we find it hard to accept that time marches on for you too. The Argentina national team shirt is your flag. And our peoples love for you will last forever.”

The Met Office has unveiled the official list of storm names for the 2026-27 season – including tributes to loved ones, favourite pets and even an animated sheep.

Austen, Boelo and Chloe will be the first named storms of this winter, meteorologists revealed, after more than 40,000 suggestions were submitted by the public.

Weather watchers also submitted names in honour of a five-year-old weather enthusiast, a much-loved Labrador puppy, meteorological pioneers and Shaun the Sheep from the popular animation Wallace and Gromit.

Despite their amusing origins, the Met Office said the purpose of naming storms is also serious as it helps people take notice, prepare and stay safe in severe weather.

It, along with Ireland’s Met Eireann and the Dutch national weather forecasting service KNMI, has been naming storms since 2015, with the list running from early September to the following August.

It coincides with the start of autumn when the likelihood of low-pressure systems and the potential for storms severe enough to be named increases.

Holly Clements, Met Office head of warnings and guidance, said: ‘For more than a decade, storm naming has helped us communicate the risks from severe weather more effectively.

‘A named storm provides a clear focus for forecasts and warnings, helping more people understand the potential impacts and take action to protect themselves, their families and their property.’

In the last year, four names were used from the list: Storm Amy, Storm Bram, Storm Chandra (pictured), and Storm Dave

In the last year, four names were used from the list, reaching the letter D with Storm Dave at the start of April.

However, the UK also saw impacts from a further three storms named by other European meteorological services – Storms Benjamin, Claudia and Goretti.

Under naming conventions used for storms in the North Atlantic, the list runs alphabetically, missing out Q, U, X, Y and Z.

The third name in this year’s list, Chloe, was selected by the Met Office after being put forward more than 120 times, including by the mother of a five-year-old weather enthusiast who is ‘fascinated by the weather’ but can also ‘create a storm by herself’ when she is tired.

The name Finn was suggested for a two-year-old boy described by his family as ‘wild and a force to be reckoned with’.

Meanwhile Ivy was nominated in honour of a nine-month-old Labrador puppy affectionately known as ‘the absolute destructor’.

Nicola was put forward as a tribute to a mother who has ‘weathered many a storm and only come out stronger’, while Theo was inspired by a cat who would hide before thunderstorms, leading his owner to joke that he could predict the weather.

Shaun also joined the list following a public vote that was run as part of a collaboration with the British animation studio Aardman, which was behind the beloved show Wallace and Gromit.

Storm Chandra brought extremely heavy rainfall that led to severe flooding across the UK. Pictured: Axminster fire station flooded by Storm Chandra

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Austen, Boelo and Chloe will be the first named storms of this winter, meteorologists revealed, after more than 40,000 suggestions were submitted by the public. Pictured: Storm Amy arrives over the UK in 2025

The aim of the collaboration was to reach new audiences and encourage conversations on preparedness for severe weather.

To mark its 90th anniversary, Met Eireann selected names that celebrate figures from its history.

This includes Austen, in honour of Austen Nagle, the first director of the Irish Meteorological Service and Evelyn Murphy, the first woman to present the weather on Ireland’s national public service broadcaster RTE.

Meanwhile, KNMI picked names from more than 3,000 suggestions submitted by the public, including Boelo – a nearly extinct name from the east Groningen region that has been passed down through the nominator’s family for generations.

Eoin Sherlock, Met Eireann head of forecasting division, said: ‘We know that naming storms makes it easier for people to track important and up-to-date forecast and safety-related information as we can see from the levels of traffic and activity through our website and across social media platforms during storm events.’

The Met Office said a number of factors were considered for including a name on the list, including how difficult it is to pronounce, if it has different meanings across the different countries, is connected to a public figure or could be controversial in any way.

Storms are given a name when they are deemed to have the potential to cause medium or high impacts in the UK, Ireland or the Netherlands, with wind the primary focus, although additional issues from rain or snow will also be looked at.

Naomi Osaka honored ‘The Answer,’ NBA legend Allen Iverson, with her dramatic on-court ensemble at the US Open on Monday night in New York.

Before beating unseeded Russian Anastasia Zakharova 7-6 7-6 in the opening round, the trend-setting Osaka donned Iverson’s famed arm sleeves and headband as she walked onto center court at Arthur Ashe Stadium in a wide-tulle floor-length skirt and a sleeveless hoodie.

Interestingly, her grey sweatshirt included burnout newspaper clippings of her career exploits sewn into the tattered fabric. 

‘It’s my, I guess, my tribute to Iverson. I really like him a lot,’ Osaka said after the win. ‘I mean, Nike said basketball, so I said, ‘OK, you want basketball, I´ll give you basketball.”

The look was part of Nike’s effort to connect tennis with basketball for this year’s US Open. Earlier on Monday, Aryna Sabalenka sported a mesh jersey for her first-round win over Camila Osorio.

But Osaka happens to be a big fan of Iverson, the legendary Philadelphia 76ers point guard, whom she credits for setting trends both on and off the hardwood.

Facing unseeded Russian Anastasia Zakharova in the opening round, the trend-setting Osaka donned Iverson’s famed arm sleeves and headband

The 2001 NBA MVP, Iverson still has a cult following in basketball and fashion circles  

‘For me, he’s a trailblazer,’ Osaka said earlier in the week, while donning a t-shirt featuring an old issue of SLAM magazine with Iverson on the cover. ‘I think he’s also someone that I look up to a lot, because he’s done a lot in fashion. Whether it’s on purpose or not, he’s shifted the way that NBA players dress. I also think the whole conversation around clothes in sports, and also just expressing yourself through style, I feel like he’s someone that I look up to in that regard.’ 

Osaka said she has never met the basketball Hall of Famer, but said ‘hopefully he’ll see this,’ suggesting a future meeting could be arranged.

Fortunately, Iverson caught wind of Osaka and now he’s interesting in meeting. As the Georgetown product wrote on Instagram: ‘Wow, what a honor!! BIG FAN can’t wait to meet you.’

Designers Téla D’Amore and Ev Bravado were happy to use the 51-year-old point guard as inspiration.

‘The look references Allen Iverson, more specifically, his gray sweats and the nonconformist cadence with which he moved through the world as an athlete,’ they told Vogue. ‘Naomi and Law sent two images our way of Iverson wearing a headband—head only—and from there, we had roughly 30 hours to figure out the rest.’  

Osaka would exit the court several hours later after surviving a valiant comeback effort by the relentless Zakharova. 

Fortunately for Osaka, her serve was strong, as she finished with 11 aces to just three double faults. Howsever, she also finished with 30 unforced errors on the evening.

Now the four-time Grand Slam winner moves on to play Kateřina Siniaková in the second round on Wednesday in Queens.

Osaka acknowledges the crowd in Flushing, Queens before her first-round match 

Anastasia Zakharova, of Russia, returns the ball to Naomi Osaka during the first round

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Naomi Osaka did not get an easy first-round draw against Russian Anastasia Zakharova

The 28-year-old made a fashionable start to her tournament before the action began, with a number of staged photoshoots inside the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

Locations included the media room, the player garden, and Arthur Ashe Stadium itself, with Osaka sporting a variety of different looks shared daily in the build-up to the start of the event’s main draw. 

Osaka even enlisted Zendaya‘s stylist Law Roach to assist with the creation of one of the outfits, posing up a storm in an archival Spring/Summer 2003 Dolce & Gabbana dress among the desks and monitors in the press workroom. 

On-court however, her outfits have been even more creative. 

The four-time Grand Slam champion kicked off this season’s majors series at the Australian Open, where she sported an outfit some fans perceived as a ‘jellyfish-inspired’ look. 

Osaka arrived at the Rod Laver Arena with a wide-brimmed hat with a white veil and parasol before warming up in a frilled jacket and dress that looked like tentacles.

In June at the French Open, Osaka was accused of not coming to Paris ‘to play tennis’ by her first-round opponent Laura Siegemund after arriving for her opening match in a flowing black skirt and corset made from her old Nike outfits before unveiling the shimmering gold dress, which the Japanese star said she thought looked like the Eiffel Tower at night. 

The black corset and skirt was designed by couturier Kevin Garmanier, who works with upcycled materials. The pleated black skirt was made using the inner layers of one of her jackets while her old tennis skirts and dresses were also cut up and reused. The outfit was then covered in hundreds of hand-applied crystals. 

‘I came here to play tennis, not to put on a fashion show,’ Siegemund had told TNT Sports. ‘And if others want to put on a fashion show, then they should go ahead and do it. That’s totally fine with me.’

Osaka made a fashionable run-up to the tournament with a series of photoshoots around the Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre

Her second-round opponent Donna Vekic took a different view, calling for critics to ‘relax’. 

‘Some people take tennis way too seriously,’ she said. ‘Relax, it’s just an outfit. I think it’s good that she’s doing different things, expressing herself through fashion. 

‘Whether it’s good or bad, that’s a different thing, it’s fashion.’ 

At Wimbledon, Osaka played with the tournament’s strict all-white outfit by turning to Japanese designer Hana Yagi for a kimono-inspired look which referenced both Kill Bill star Lucy Liu, and kirigami, the Japanese art of paper-cutting. 

Osaka sported the custom white outfit, covered with embroidered cranes and cherry blossom, both enduring symbols of Japanese culture, with bell-shaped sleeves, an obi belt, and a trailing tulle skirt.

Osaka finished the outfit with a kanzashi hair ornament, historically worn by geisha, and Mikimoto jewellery from the famous Japanese luxury pearl brand. 

As Osaka progressed throughout the tournament, she subtly changed the styling of the outfit, opting to wear just the belt and trailing tiered skirt, or the jacket open instead of cinched at the waist. 

The Australian Open saw Osaka wear an outfit some fans compared to a jellyfish with its billowing veil

In Paris, the 28-year-old was inspired by local landmark the Eiffel Tour for Roland-Garros

Her opponent in the first round Laura Siegemund was critical of her choice, but received compliments from elsewhere in the draw

At Wimbledon, Osaka was able to get creative with the tournament’s strict dress code

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After defeating Aryna Sabalenka to book her spot in the quarter-finals however, Osaka changed her tune somewhat, saying that she felt inspired to ‘dial back’ her focus on outfits, and instead switch it to tennis. 

Discussing her photoshoots before the tournament, Osaka shared that she had been inspired by her own experiences spending time on-site late before the crowds pour in.

‘I feel like I’ve just been running around the grounds earlier in the morning just before, like, the crowds come in, and I feel like I’ve also just been exploring places that I’ve never been to before,’ Osaka shared. ‘And I always feel a little, like, am I allowed to be in here? But we keep getting by.

‘So I would say we just open doors and kind of like peek in. But also Seb (photographer Sebastian Arriagada) kind of led me into the media room. Yeah, thank you for letting me take photos in your workplace.

‘Honestly, like, nothing I do, I do it to make a statement. I think it just ends up being that way,’ she said of her eye-catching on-court looks. 

‘But I literally do the things that I love to do, and I feel like people relate to it, and I’m really glad and grateful for that, because I feel like the type of person I am, a lot of people can see themselves in me. I really, honestly, I love that about myself.’ 

Despite Ryan Thomas proposing in 2019, Lucy Mecklenburgh tells us any hopes of nailing down plans for their big day have fallen by the wayside for now.

“I think it’s become harder because we had kids before we got married,” says the mum of two. “So then your priorities change a little bit, and we actually fell pregnant with Roman the night we got engaged. Then that became a priority, then Lilah, and then we moved to Manchester, and it’s all been really full-on.”

Lucy, 35, does insist that getting hitched is still on the cards for her and former Corrie star Ryan, 42 – who she shares Roman, six, and Lilah, four, with. “We would love to one day,” she says.

But for now, she has another more pressing wedding to think about. She says, “My sister is getting married next summer, so the focus is on her at the moment. We went wedding dress shopping the other day. I’d love to do it too one day, but I’m trying to put my focus on her and enjoying the process for her first.”

Lucy and Ryan first fell for each other in 2017 after meeting on Channel 4 ’s Celebrity Island With Bear Grylls. But the couple made headlines earlier this year when Ryan confessed they sleep in separate bedrooms – and even watch TV apart.

But as Lucy explains, the night time arrangement ensures both can get some proper rest. “Ryan snores and sleep talks, and I need my sleep,” she says. “I have to sleep, especially with two young kids. It’s full-on, so I’d just turf him out to the spare room because I’d be like, ‘Shut up!’, and that kind of evolved.”

As for their TV-watching habits, she adds, “Of course, sometimes we sit in the same living room. But I like stuff like The Summer I Turned Pretty and Off Campus, which Ryan won’t watch. So he sits in the other room watching documentaries and things. That works for us.”

Ryan first shared the anecdote about their sleeping habits on At Home With The Thomas Bros, his podcast with brothers Adam and Scott. And Lucy says she learned very early on in her relationship that being with one of the siblings meant taking all three on.

“They are a very close family,” she says, adding that Adam’s wife Caroline once gave her some advice. “They’ve been together since they were about 16, so she’s been there for a long time. When I met her for the first time, she said, ‘When you get one Thomas, you get two free,’ and it’s so true.

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“They work together and that’s made them even closer. We’re a close family and all get on well. It’s lovely for the cousins to be so close.”

But when the three brothers are together, she says the noise level is off the scale. “When they’re all in the house together, I’m like, ‘I need earplugs’. They’re so loud,” she laughs.

Last year, Adam struggled during his time on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!. Lucy says she and Ryan were both on hand for support. “We were all there for him. Afterwards Adam put a lot of his energy into training, which I think is a really healthy thing to do after something traumatic.”

Although Lucy admits “occasionally” needing to tell Ryan off for oversharing on the podcast, she says, “Most of it is light-hearted. It’s relatable and funny. I mean, they do overshare for sure. But I think everyone’s craving that now, aren’t they? To be open and honest and talk about things they can relate to, and also just to have a bit of a laugh.”

Looking back on a busy summer with their children, Lucy says the holidays have been “chaos”. But she has teamed up with vegan brand Beyond Meat to launch a new campaign, Beyond Busy: September Reset, to help families eat healthily as a new school year gets underway.

“I like the idea of the short, under 30-minute meals,” says Lucy, who runs her own successful fitness brand.

Any shortcuts are welcome, since evenings at their house are hectic. “It’s getting the homework done, then me or Ryan will be in the kitchen trying to whip something up, and then it’s bath and bedtime,” she says. “As much as I’ve loved the summer holidays, I’m excited for more time to cook and to make a few changes.”

While she and her family don’t follow a solely plant-based diet, Lucy always tries to make sure they make sensible food choices. She says, “It’s nice to have easy options, and something tasty. I’m trying to add more plant-based things to our diet – whether that’s one or two evenings a week. The great thing about Beyond Meat is you’re not compromising on taste or health goals, because they’re delicious and protein-packed. I love the brand.”

Lucy is working with Beyond Meat on their Beyond Busy: September Reset campaign to inspire the UK to implement healthier eating habits

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But even if this happened Labour would still hold a majority of the 75 constituencies in the capital, 41, compared to 12 for the Tories, eight Reform, six Lib Dems, four Greens and four independents, according to analysis by Dr Eoghan Kelly, a postdoctoral researcher in British Politics at QMUL.

A remarkable summer windows slams shut this evening, but there is plenty more to be done on Deadline Day as Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham. Julian Alvarez has been the Gunners’ dream signing for weeks, but Malick Fofana has emerged as an alternative option. Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus will both leave, for Saudi Arabia and Barcelona, respectively. Man Utd still need a new left-back, and are actively pursuing one in the final hours, but the clock is ticking on a late move.

Surrey Police investigations remain ongoing.

The force said in a statement earlier: “The M25 is currently closed both ways between J10, Wisley and J11, Chertsey due to a serious collision.

“If travelling to Heathrow Airport or Gatwick Airport, please check your travel time before you depart as your journey is likely to be impacted.”

John Healey used his first international meetings with counterparts at the G7 in North Carolina to build an international coalition to target covert Russian networks funding the war in Ukraine

John Healey has announced new actions to clamp down on Russia’s evasion of economic sanctions as he called on international allies to help “disrupt the financial networks fuelling Russia’s aggression”. The new Chancellor used his first international meetings with counterparts at the G7 in North Carolina to build an international coalition to target covert Russian networks funding the war in Ukraine. The primary action announced by Mr Healey targets the so-called “A7 network”, which the Foreign Office said was being used by Russia to evade existing restrictions and channel funds to fuel the conflict.

On Monday, the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Government issued the first ever nationwide alert against A7 to support the private sector in bearing down on sanctions evasion. According to the Government, the alert aims to disrupt Kremlin-backed networks who have sought to escape economic sanctions through a web of financial structures spanning multiple jurisdictions. It also aims to prevent Russian attempts to regain access to the UK’s financial systems.

It was also announced that Mr Healey would double the maximum fine available to the Office for Financial Sanctions Implementation from 50% to 100% of the value of a sanctions breach. “We are ramping up the economic pressure on Putin and leaving those aiding his illegal war with nowhere to hide,” Mr Healey said. “The UK and our allies must step up our international cooperation to expose sanctions evasion, and disrupt the financial networks fuelling Russia’s aggression. “Our commitment to stand with the Ukrainian people is unshakeable. We will bear down on those propping up Putin’s war as we push to secure a just and lasting peace.”

Rachael Herbert, director of the National Economic Crime Centre at the NCA, said: “The National Crime Agency and the National Economic Crime Centre are committed to targeting the nexus between organised crime and sanctions evasion. “Last year, our Operation Destabilise targeted and disrupted a major Russian-speaking professional money laundering network, making it harder for them to operate and degrading the threat they posed. “And through our close working with the financial sector in our public private partnership initiatives, as well as with the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, this alert will continue to ensure the industry is aware of the mechanisms used to attempt to evade sanctions.”

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He urged a need to “step up international co-operation” to deal with a “number of challenges” including the Middle East, energy prices, cost of living and growth. “Britain faces these global pressures from a position of relative strength, the fastest growth in the G7 advanced nations in the first half of this year, the deficit being cut faster than in any other G7 country,” he said. “But no country can face these pressures alone. And these shocks are being felt worldwide. They’ve been felt in people’s pockets, in their weekly shops, filling up their cars. “And so I’m here to work with international partner nations to deepen our economic resilience, to deliver good growth and also to give families and businesses just a bit of breathing space.” Mr Healey held meetings with Canadian finance minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, US treasury secretary Scott Bessent and managing director of the International Monetary Fund Kristalina Georgieva, among others.

After a summer holidaying around Europe on their £16million yacht it was time for David Beckham to return to tend to his garden.  

The former footballer, 51, who has become a keen gardener at the family’s £12million Cotswolds home, made sure to impress his wife Victoria as he showed off his plums, garlic, onions and one extra special pumpkin. 

As Victoria filmed her husband as he showed off his wares, the former Spice Girl, 52, was left gobsmacked by a rather bizarrely shaped long pumpkin. 

Asking: ‘What is that David?’ he replied: ‘It is a pumpkin.

‘I have never seen a pumpkin that shape. I don’t even know what to say,’ added a shocked Victoria. 

David also made sure to show off his juicy plums in the innuendo-filled clip before collecting eggs from the chicken coop. 

The former footballer, 51, who has become a keen gardener at the family’s £12million Cotswolds home, showed off his plums, garlic, onions and one extra special pumpkin

Harvesting a large spring onion, Victoria teased: ‘Bit of an anticlimax maybe?’ 

‘You call that an anticlimax,’ replied David as Victoria joked: ‘Well it isn’t as big as the others.’ 

David hit back: ‘Have you ever seen the spring onions that you buy in the supermarket? This isn’t a supermarket spring onion.’

He was also keen to show off his bulb of garlic as he boasted: ‘Not being funny but that is an overachieving garlic.’

‘That is impressive. I love that for you,’ added Victoria.  

In the final video David found himself beaten by a carrot which refused to be uprooted. 

‘Use two hands,’ advised Victoria, as David gave her a cheeky look before she continued: ‘Do you want me to get help? Oh my god the suspense, the suspense is killing me.’

David and Victoria have returned to their Cotswolds home after spending Saturday at Reading Festival to watch their son Cruz perform. 

Harvesting a large spring onion, Victoria teased: ‘Bit of an anticlimax maybe?’ ‘You call that an anticlimax,’ replied David as Victoria joked: ‘Well it isn’t as big as the others’

David also made sure to show off his juicy plums in the innuendo-filled clip before collecting eggs from the chicken coop

He was also keen to show off his bulb of garlic as he boasted: ‘Not being funny but that is an overachieving garlic

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The youngest of the Beckham sons, 21, has had an incredible year touring the UK with his band and earlier this month they released their EP Wear & Tear. 

And his parents made sure to jet back from the Amalfi Coast to rainy Reading in time to watch their son play The Canopy stage at the renowned festival. 

Despite the torrential rain, the couple were undeterred as they watched intently from the side of the stage, Victoria still donning her shades. 

Cruz’s brother Romeo, sister Harper and his girlfriend Jackie Apostel were also watching as they beamed with pride. 

A concertgoer told the Daily Mail: ‘They are all there listening and supporting Cruz and Victoria has been embracing David affectionately while watching.’

Jackie also made sure to support the star as she took to her Instagram Story earlier in the day wearing a bright yellow T-shirt which read: ‘Cruz Beckham sang to me.’  

Cruz became the latest nepo baby to hit the festival stage with Liam Gallagher’s youngest son Gene, 25, performing with his band Villanelle the day prior. 

Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin’s son Moses also played with his band People I’ve Met on Friday and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl’s daughter Violet is due to take to the stage on Sunday. 

Posting on his Instagram Story before his festival slot, Cruz shared a close up selfie as he penned: ‘Reading, I cannot wait.’ 

After Reading, Cruz and his band will be moving on to Leeds on Sunday, with a total of six shows planned to coincide with the release of the Wear & Tear EP.

The tracks are titled: Better Times, WANNABE, Seeing Red, Loneliest Boy and Wear & Tear.

Cruz, says the new EP, which he recorded with his band The Breakers, captures ‘a life lived’ – the good, the bad and all the ‘learning curves’ in between.

He added that he hopes the EP gets across the message that, despite people having different life experiences, they can still share emotions.

By LILY JOBSON, SHOWBUSINESS REPORTER

Published: 19:16 BST, 31 August 2026 | Updated: 03:47 BST, 1 September 2026

Love Is Blind UK stars have spilled all the unseen secrets you didn’t see in the pods during this year’s drama-packed season three.

Netflix fans watched 30 singletons date blindly in pods hoping to get engaged to their husband or wife in a bid to see if love really is blind.

The cast members shared that many more connections and proposals happen in the pods than what actually makes the final Netflix cut. 

The series followed just six of the 14 engaged couples as they honeymooned, lived together and walked down the aisle in a huge extravaganza.

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Hosts Emma Willis and her husband Matt reunited with the cast in Sunday’s finale episode to find out if those who said ‘I do’ stood the test of time.

Following the explosive reunion, Ciara and Chevanique have revealed what really went on behind-the-scenes throughout the process.

Love Is Blind UK stars have spilled all the unseen secrets you didn’t see in the pods during this year’s drama-packed season three (Ciara pictured)

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Following the explosive reunion, Ciara and Chevanique (pictured) have revealed what really went on behind-the-scenes throughout the process

Ciara, who married Ajay, was one of the first to fall in love within just two weeks of dating while Chevanique failed to find a suitor.

Reflecting on her ‘intense’ experience in an interview with the Daily Mail, Ciara revealed a lot of her dates weren’t aired.

She said: ‘I experienced every emotion that you physically could and it’s just something you can’t explain to anyone, especially the pods like dating, starting off dating for 15 people. 

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‘Obviously behind a wall, building these intense, strong connection is all consuming because that’s all you’re doing all day, every day for two weeks.’

The Pilates instructor added: ‘There was a lot of mine and Ajay’s relationships that you just don’t see at all, especially in the pods.

‘It’s only [filmed] for 10 hours, you know. I mean, they can’t show everything. There was a really lovely moment where Ajay had actually planned for me to teach him Pilates. I was talking him through a class and that was very sweet.’

While power couple Emma and Matt are rarely seen in the episodes, Ciara and Chevanique revealed they are much more involved behind-the-scenes.

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Revealing the sweet words of advice Emma gave the girls’, Chevanique said: ‘When I spoke to Emma, she’d just say, ‘Be true to yourself’.

‘You know, she’s a fellow brummie girl, so she was like, “Just be you” I think we just all kind of followed that.’

Ciara, who married Ajay, was one of the first to fall in love within just two weeks of dating while Chevanique failed to find a suitor

Reflecting on her ‘intense’ experience in an interview with the Daily Mail, Ciara revealed a lot of her dates weren’t aired

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While power couple Emma and Matt are rarely seen in the episodes, Ciara and Chevanique revealed they are much more involved behind-the-scenes

Join the discussion

Do you think reality TV should show all the behind-the-scenes drama and secrets to viewers?

She added of Emma and Matt’s marriage: ‘They are so genuine as a couple, you can see that connection and they just told us to be open and honest.’

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Chevanique revealed only part of her journey in the pods were aired as she admitted Joshua wasn’t her only connection.

Chevanique said: ‘A lot of people are assuming that Joseph was my only connection. He wasn’t, he wasn’t even my number one connection. 

‘There was two people I was dating in the pods and Joseph being one of them and I walked away from one connection that I didn’t think suited me because the person wasn’t very genuine.

‘And I was still exploring my other connection and that ended how it was supposed to end.’

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