Strictly Come Dancing’s long-awaited return is just hours away, and fans have been given their first taster from the glitzy launch show.

The BBC hit is entering a new era with the arrival of new hosts Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe, five new professional dancers and a pivot to sign stars that will help bring the show into the social media age.

Snaps from the launch show Emma, Johannes and Josh arriving in the Strictly ballroom for the first time, while the professional dancers take to the floor for a sultry group number.

No doubt in disbelief that their huge presenting gig has arrived, one image also shows the new hosting trio sharing a group hug. 

This year’s celebrity lineup will feature Love Island winner Dani Dyer, EastEnders‘ Lacey Turner, Gavin and Stacey star Melanie Walters, Australian singer Delta Goodrem, Big Brother host Will Best and Kim Kardashian‘s hair stylist Chris Appleton.

Also joining the celeb cast this year are actress Jaime Winstone, former footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips, Olympians Dame Sarah Storey and Tabby Stoecker, Love Island winner Cach Mercer, House of the Dragon star Bethany Antonia, Graeme ‘The Dogfather’ Hall, Emmerdale‘s Lawrence Robb and social media sensation John Nellis. 

The BBC hit is entering a new era with the arrival of new hosts Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe

The launch will also feature a sizzling number introducing five new dancers: Lethabo Monametsi, Mark Karmalita, Maddie Ingoldsby, Aleksandra Isaeva and Cristian Priori

The launch will see the celebrities finally discover their professional partners, and they will take to the floor in the first live show on September 26. 

Josh was the first to confess on Thursday he is feeling the nerves ahead of the first show airing on Saturday night.

He told The One Show hosts Alex Jones and Roman Kemp: ‘It’s nerve-wracking, we’ve been waiting for so long to do this. I’ve been living in a ball of fear. But since the launch I just want people to see it. Can we just show it now?’

The One Show presenters then tried to tease out of Johannes what his role will be on the show, which has so far remained somewhat of a mystery.

However, he kept the mystery to himself and coyly said: ‘What’s lovely, is that you won’t get to know on the launch. But I say tune in to find out. You have to, it’s fun!’.

They also discussed the dance that will take place in the first episode and consist of all of the couples switching partners. 

Emma explained: ‘There’s much more movement, they’ve never done it before. There’s 3 groups of 5 and they’ll have their own dance. They are paired and it’s like speed dancing. They’re all learned a routine. The music will start, they will dance, and then they switch. And they do five or so seconds and then 30, and they switch.’

Josh added: ‘I think we should do it every week, it’s so entertaining!’

As ever the professional dancers will also take to the stage for a sultry performance

The pro lineup has been given a huge shake-up for the new series, after a string of dancers were asked from the show in a cast ‘bloodbath’

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The launch will see the celebrities finally discover their professional partners, ahead of their first live performance on September 26

The way the stars find out their pro partners has been given a big switch-up this year, as they will discovering who they’ve been paired with during a dance

Reigning Strictly champion Karen Carney will also return to the dancefloor for a reprisal of her winning performance with partner Carlos Gu

Johannes said after seeing how much work went into the routine he admitted he was glad to no longer be one of the professional dancers.

He said: ‘I’m so glad I’ve changed roles, it’s a lot of work and it’s never been done before.’, before backtracking moments later.

Emma said she is constantly looking at Johannes when people are dancing to ‘check if he looks jealous’, as he admitted: ‘The fomo (fear of missing out) is real!’

The presenters will also dance in an ensemble routine, as Emma revealed she had been practicing at home with her husband Matt Willis. 

She said: ‘I like to be thorough, so JoJo had been teaching us, I was going around the supermarket with a trolley, I made Matt learn it with me. I sent it to JoJo to ask if it was right!’

On Saturday, viewers will finally get to see this year’s pairings unveiled, as the celebrities discover which professional dancers they’ve been partnered with.

Already it has been reported that Neil Jones has once again missed out on a celebrity partner, and has been benched for the seventh time after being injured in rehearsals earlier this month.

Last month, Strictly became embroiled in a fresh ‘fix’ row as it’s claimed nine of the celebrities have past dance experience.

Throughout the years, the BBC dancing show has come under fire for signing up stars who have some form of dancing or performance history, and it appears that this year is no different if new reports are to go by.

The Sun reported that with nine out of the 15 celebrities having past experience, 60 per cent of the cast will have an advantage over their fellow competitors.

Strictly has gone through a massive shakeup for its 24th series. The show’s long-time hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly made the shock announcement they were quitting during last year’s series, heralding the start of the overhaul.

After months of rumours as to who would replace them, it was finally announced in May that seasoned presenter Emma, comedian Josh and the show’s professional dancer Johannes had landed the coveted gig.

The show shakeup has also included a focus on social media stars, disappointing loyal fans of the BBC‘s flagship show, who have criticised the ‘weak’ line-up, claiming there aren’t enough ‘household names’.

Insiders have revealed the broadcaster has a casting strategy as part of its overhaul and has been deliberate in its targeting of celebrities with big social media followings in a ploy to attract younger viewers to the show.

It has been suggested this is to follow a similar, hugely successful social media strategy employed by its US counterpart Dancing With The Stars. 

Celebrities 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 4million fans on Instagram.

Sports YouTuber John Nellis has an even bigger fanbase, with 15.7million YouTube subscribers.

Dancing With The Stars has used their celebrity contestants’ followings to their advantage, introducing a TikTok Night last year – an episode which saw the contestants perform viral dance routines, sparking an uptick in interaction from younger viewers.

The Dancing With The Stars TikTok account now has more than 5million followers, in comparison to Strictly’s 670,000.

And even before this year’s Strictly line-up was announced, the professional dancers fell victim to the same strategy. In recent months popular dancers Nadiya Bychkova, Karen Hauer, Michelle Tsiakkas, Luba Mushtuk and Gorka Marquez have all been given the boot.

It’s understood pros with bigger online followings have been chosen over dancers who are not so TikTok friendly as the series tries desperately to attract a younger audience.

One example appears to be axed Bychkova, who has 214,000 Insta followers, while Dianne Buswell, with 1.2million Instagram followers and 973,000 on TikTok, has kept her place in the line-up.

Meanwhile five new young pros have been recruited with ballroom champ Maddie Ingoldsby boasting 364,000 TikTok followers. 

Josh has been the first to confess on Thursday he is feeling the nerves ahead of the first show airing on Saturday night

The new hosts come as part of a huge shake-up to Strictly for its 24th series

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The judges, Craig Revel-Horwood, Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke are also back as judges

Strictly Come Dancing kicks off on Saturday, September 19th at 7:25pm on BBC One

The trio of new hosts also have a strong online presence. Comedian Josh Widdicombe has more than half a million Instagram followers on his personal account whilst the Insta page for his hugely popular podcast Parenting Hell has 250,000.

Emma Willis has 2million Instagram followers and fan-favourite dancer Johannes Radebe, who will act as a co-presenter this year, has 458,000 followers.   

The insider has explained that the BBC struggles to attract big-name celebrities these days, because the landscape has changed.

The source told The Sun: ‘Crucially the pipeline that used to feed these big shows has changed.

‘Boyband and girlband stars aren’t as prevalent any more and, once upon a time, getting someone from a soap or a big drama was a massive deal, but now even that has diminished somewhat.

‘Now, though, social media is continuing to boom and big stars from the world of TikTok, YouTube and Instagram are known to a vast section of society.’

Strictly Come Dancing kicks off on Saturday, September 19th at 7:25pm on BBC One. 

STRICTLY COME DANCING 2026: MEET THE CONTESTANTS

LACEY TURNER 

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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

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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!’

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CACH MERCER

AGE: 25

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Won Love Island 2025 and is a TikTok influencer

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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

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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 

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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

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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!’

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TABBY STOECKER 

AGE: 25

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Olympic champion skeleton racer

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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

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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

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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

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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.’

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WILL BEST

AGE: 41

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Hosts Big Brother and previously TV

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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

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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 

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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

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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!’

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JOHN NELLIS 

AGE: 33

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Face of a popular football-focused YouTube channel

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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!’

 

Police, firefighters and paramedics were called to the two-vehicle crash in Leeds Road, Harrogate, shortly after 8.20am on Friday (September 18).

Leeds Road was closed after the crash but has since reopened.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said all occupants were out of the vehicles when its two crews arrived from Harrogate.

The fire service said the occupants of the vehicles were being treated by paramedics for minor injuries after the crash.

“Crews removed both vehicles from the road to allow carriageway so that the road could be reopened,” a service spokesperson said.

“The incident was left in the hands of police.”

Bethany Hewitt, 34, said she was experiencing ‘suicidal ideation’ during long delays in recieving an assessment

A mum-of-two who told her GP she feared she would be ‘better off dead’ while waiting three years for an ADHD assessment was found hanged, an inquest heard.

Bethany Hewitt said she was experiencing ‘suicidal ideation’ and was ‘bothered by thoughts of hurting herself’ while undergoing long delays in receiving an assessment. During one ‘tearful’ appointment with a GP the 34-year-old said her symptoms were worsening and that she felt ‘very anxious’.

The mum-of-two, of Runcorn, Cheshire, told her doctor she was ‘struggling with tasks and that it was affecting almost everything’.

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Ms Hewitt was found dead on Februry 22 this year. At the time of her death she had still not been assessed – despite being referred in February 2023.

An inquest at Cheshire Coroners Court heard ‘it was known’ there were long waits for assessments. Assistant coroner Sarah Murphy has now issued a prevention of future deaths report warning there was a ‘risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken’.

Ms Murphy said that on October 31, 2024 Ms Hewitt told her GP at Grove House Practice in Runcorn she was ‘struggling with tasks and that it was affecting almost everything’. A request for an expedited assessment was rejected the following month due to ‘insufficient evidence’.

The rejection letter was sent to the doctors surgery, but not shown to a GP. There were ‘subsequent missed opportunities’ at GP consultations to discover the request had been rejected, the coroner said.

Ms Hewitt attended further GP appointments in November 2025 and February 2026. At the November consultation she said she felt her ADHD symptoms were worsening and that she felt ‘very anxious’. She was prescribed antidepressant Sertraline and advised a potential side effect was an ‘increased risk of suicidal ideation’.

Before the February appointment Ms Hewitt ‘disclosed suicidal ideation’ on a questionnaire designed to diagnose and measure depression. She then told the GP she had been ‘been bothered by thoughts that she would be better off dead, or hurting herself in some way’ but denied an ‘active plans for suicide’.

A follow-up appointment was not made. The inquest heard Ms Hewitt scored 15/27 in the questionnaire. Guidelines indicate that a score of 16 should lead to ‘an urgent referral to specialist mental health services’.

Ms Hewitt was found hanged on February 22. The inquest found ‘the question of intent remains unclear’.

Ms Murphy wrote: “It is likely that the long wait for an ADHD diagnostic assessment and a worsening in perceived ADHD symptoms contributed to the decline in Ms Hewitt’s mental health.”

The coroner said that in 2024 ADHD service in Halton, Cheshire, to which Ms Hewitt had been referred, had more than 1,250 people awaiting assessment. Over the last two years the service has seen a 600% increase in referrals.

Ms Murphy wrote: “I heard evidence that staff levels were impacting on waiting times for a routine and expedited ADHD assessment. I am concerned that staff levels are impacting on waiting times for diagnostic ADHD assessments and is causing significant delays.”

She also said she had heard evidence that there are no national guidelines in relation to the ADHD referral process or expedited assessments. “I am concerned that this may result in an inconsistent approach, and that waiting times may vary across the country, with patients not knowing how long they should be expected to wait for a diagnostic assessment,” she added.

Ms Murphy added: “I am concerned that there is a risk that important external communication is not reviewed by GP’s at the Grove House.”

In response the Department of Health and Social Care said it was ‘deeply sorry’ about the significant delays Ms Hewitt faced. It added: “The government recognises that, nationally, demand for ADHD assessments has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays for accessing such assessments.”

Grove House Practice said it had amended its ‘correspondence management policy… to ensure that any correspondence relating to the outcome of a referral, including requests for expedited assessments that are declined or where further information is requested, is allocated to a GP for clinical review’.

Does anyone seriously believe King Charles, a man whom countless people have described over the years as being seriously affected by Princess Diana’s death, regardless of their disaster of a marriage, would say such “monstrous” words?

The pointed language used by Earl Spencer is so outlandish and hyperbolic that even the most committed Republicans would struggle to get on board. But this war of words, which is already spiralling wildly out of control, endangers the very fabric of the monarchy.

And all in the week that Prince Harry has turned up to cosplay being a royal, with 48 hours of public engagements as he strives to rehabilitate his own image now he’s parked up in Britain once again.

Forget the notion of “your truth” – ridiculously peddled by Oprah Winfrey following her interview with Harry and Meghan after their explosive exit from royal life – there is only one truth here. Princess Diana’s brother Earl Spencer has abandoned his self-imposed shackles from publicly talking about his sister’s experiences within the royal family – all in good time to publicise his book and cash in ahead of the 30th anniversary of Diana’s death.

How convenient then that he has suddenly lifted the lid on private conversations with the then Prince Charles, where he allegedly “sounded giddily elated” upon the tragic news of the death of the mother of his children. Spencer knows the framing around it has the potential to inflict the most damage.

Claiming Charles’s “pent-up contempt” for his former wife, and adding that the King sounded almost gleeful – comparing his tone to that of “a lottery winner” – at the very moment the nation was collapsing into grief, is simply staggering. Spencer has laid down the gauntlet to the King his own version of “recollections may vary” is anything but a rebuttal of his version of events.

These aren’t simply unflattering anecdotes about a phone call 30 years ago, they are a direct challenge to the version of events the monarchy has quietly relied on for years – that Charles was a grieving father doing his best amid impossible pressure, not a man irritated by his ex-wife’s popularity.

If the public believes Spencer over the Palace, it doesn’t just tarnish a moment in history; it corrodes the trust that underpins the King’s own reign, at a time when Charles is already contending with health concerns and a slimmed-down, ageing monarchy, and how he will respond to his estranged son’s homecoming.

For an institution that survives on the idea of quiet dignity and closing ranks, those days are over. What happens next will be for the King to decide.

After publishing images of a new clothing line with ‘United 93’ printed on the back, Oxford United say it ‘didn’t understand the historical context’ of the hijacked aircraft

Oxford United have hauled their new merchandise range off sale after coming under-fire for a ‘United 93’ clothing range the day after the 25th anniversary of 9/11.

The League One club have been forced to apologise for the wording on the back of its Campus Collection and will no longer be flogging the items. United Airlines Flight 93 was one of the planes hijacked by al-Qaeda terrorists on the morning of September 11, 2001.

The clothing was supposed to make reference to the year the club was founded, 1893, and the season they won promotion, 1993. But fans were quick to pick up on the problem, and ordered the Us to re-think the range.

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Today, the club have issued a statement saying it ‘did not understand the historical context and associations‘ of the wording on the back of the new shirts. United Airlines Flight 93 did not reached its intented target and crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing all 44 people on board.

A film titled United 93 was made about the tragedy and was released 20 years ago, focusing on the passengers and crews’ fight against the terrorists after learning about the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. In a statement, the club said: “Oxford United would like to sincerely apologise for the recent launch of the Campus Collection.

“The range was released without understanding of the historical context and associations. It should not have reached the point of sale and we take full responsibility for not undertaking proper due diligence. We have removed the collection with immediate effect and are reviewing our approval processes to ensure nothing like this happens again. Once again, we would like to put on record our sincere apologies for this error and for any offence caused.”

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Fans were still unhappy despite the withdrawal of the items, with one tweeting: “If there is genuinely not one single person at the club who doesn’t have the historical knowledge or context on this then you have to question who are we appointing (or which agencies) to produce and manage this type of thing.”

The world stood still last week to remember the atrocities which claimed the lives of 2,977 people and injured tens of thousands more. Flight 93 is the only plane on 9/11 which failed to reach the intended target of hijackers and it remains a mysterious talking point with unanswered questions

One of the hijackers aboard, Ziad Jarrah, a trained pilot, turned the aircraft around back towards Washington. The 9/11 Commission Report, the most comprehensive study of the terrorist attacks, concluded the plane’s target was either the White House or the Capitol but the final destination of the flight remains somewhat unknown.

In 2003, while being interrogated by US agents, al Qaeda mastermind Sheikh Mohammed claimed there was difficulty deciding where to attack within the terrorist group.

Osama Bin Laden wanted to destroy the White House, Pentagon and World Trade Centre, but his co-conspirators wanted to strike the Capitol instead. Before he was captured and arrested, Sheikh Mohammed also reportedly told an Al Jazeera reporter that Flight 93 had been headed for the Capitol building.

England bowler Brydon Carse will face no charges after an investigation into an alleged assault was closed by Derbyshire Police.

Carse was handcuffed by officers after a celebratory night out with Durham team-mates on August 23 and it was later confirmed he had been arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly, before being “de-arrested” after agreeing to depart.

Derbyshire Police said they were investigating an alleged assault in connection with the incident but have now determined no further action will be taken.

In a statement, Derbyshire Police said: “An investigation into reports of an assault in Derby city centre has been closed.

“Officers attended Molly Malones in the Wardwick, Derby, in the early hours of Sunday 23 August. A man was arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly and was then de-arrested after his details were taken by officers.”

Subsequent enquiries were made pursuing the allegations of an assault but, after the alleged victim was identified and spoken to, no further action was taken, police said.

The matter is now in the hands of the independent Cricket Regulator, which will assess if Carse has a disciplinary issue to answer to relating to his conduct.

Carse has continued playing for Durham since the episode took place, helping his side win the Division Two title of the Rothesay County Championship, but he has been overlooked by England.

He was immediately removed from the squad ahead of the second Test against Pakistan, then left out of the final match too. While officially considered available for selection for the ongoing white-ball series against Sri Lanka, he was left on the sidelines once again.

Speaking earlier this week, England’s limited-overs head coach Brendon McCullum called for his side to be mindful of their off-field responsibilities and added: “I’ve spoken to Carsey a lot and it’s the same message – you need to make good decisions off the field that allow you to be able to be the best version of yourself.

“As far as Carsey is concerned, it’s a good chance for him now to get his house in order and then push for selection for the next opportunity that arises.”

Test captain Joe Root also had his say ahead of the Lord’s Test when he described himself as “hacked off” by the growing list of alcohol-related incidents involving England players.

On Carse, he said: “I don’t think I’m speaking out of turn in saying he’s very upset, very apologetic and understands his actions. I’m sure when he gets his chance, he will say that himself.”

Grand Tour fans will be able to bid to own three of Jeremy Clarkson’s personal cars from the hit TV show.

Nostalgic motorheads will be particularly keen to own the Lancia Montecarlo Spider driven by the TV star in the final ever episode of Amazon’s motoring show.

His Alfa Romeo GTV6 and Lincoln Continental Mark V are also going under the hammer, making up the trio of wheels Clarkson is selling from his personal collection.

Eager viewers of Clarkson’s Farm – the reality series that follows his attempts to run a farm in the Cotswolds – will find out the reason for the cars’ sale in the forthcoming series.

The three vehicles will go on sale on Saturday, November 14 at the NEC Classic Motor Show and will be sold by Iconic Auctioneers.

Jeremy Clarkson said: ‘I rarely get a chance these days to drive or enjoy these very special and quite famous cars so it’s probably for the best if they end up with someone who can.’

Within Clarkson’s personal car collection, the 1982 Lancia Montecarlo Spider – an Italian mid-engined alternative to the Ferrari 308 – has a particularly significant place as it was the very last car he drove on The Grand Tour, marking a special moment of the TV presenter’s career on screen.

Finished in Lotus Blue, it was his choice for The Grand Tour: One for the Road, the final episode featuring Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May together as lead presenters.

The famous trio drove across Zimbabwe and into Botswana, where Clarkson was unexpectedly reunited with the Lancia Beta Coupé he had driven in the 2007 Top Gear Botswana Special.

For One for the Road, the Montecarlo was modified with Ferrari 308 rear lights and quad tailpipes, Lancia Delta Integrale wheels, headlights and grille, cloth seats and a simple Alcantara-covered race-style steering wheel.

After filming, Clarkson bought the car himself and added it to his collection. It has since been tidied by Max500 Ltd and today starts, runs and drives well.

The next owner will have a one-of-one Montecarlo with about as much car royalty history as a buyer could want.

The stat lot is Clarkson’s 1982 Lancia Montecarlo Spider which is particularly significant as it was the very last car he drove on The Grand Tour

Finished in Lotus Blue, it was Clarkson’s choice for The Grand Tour: One for the Road, the final episode featuring Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May together as lead presenters

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It was modified with Ferrari 308 rear lights and quad tailpipes, Lancia Delta Integrale wheels, headlights and grille, cloth seats and a  Alcantara-covered race-style steering wheel

The 1982 Lancia Montecarlo Spider is a Italian mid-engined alternative to the Ferrari 308 

Clarkson is also offering up his 1983 Alfa Romeo GTV6 which he used in Well Aged Scotch, first broadcast in 2019.

Clarkson drove the Rosso Alfa GTV6 – an Italian coupé with a V6 engine – around Scotland’s North Coast 500 alongside Hammond’s Fiat X1/9 and May’s Lancia Gamma Coupé, with the Alfa’s gear change and eventual propshaft failure providing some of the episode’s most memorable moments.

After its jaunt around Scotland, it then joined Clarkson’s collection.

The Alfa has covered just 28,315 miles, with maintenance being carried out ‘in-house’.

Clarkson is also offering up his 1983 Alfa Romeo GTV6 which he used in Well Aged Scotch, first broadcast in 2019

Clarkson drove the Rosso Alfa GTV6 – an Italian coupé with a V6 engine – around Scotland’s North Coast 500 alongside Hammond’s Fiat X1/9 and May’s Lancia Gamma Coupé

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The Alfa’s gear change and eventual propshaft failure provided some of the episode’s most memorable moments

Completing the Clarkson car trio is his 1978 Lincoln Continental Mark V from The Grand Tour Presents: Lochdown.

Chosen for the Covid-era special filmed in Scotland, the vast 6.6-litre Lincoln was modified during the programme with nitrous injection.

Motorheads will love that it still retains the NOS equipment today, as well as a set of bagpipes in the boot – a nod to Scotland – and a Cartier clock that particularly caught Clarkson’s attention on screen.

After saying on-screen that he wanted the car in his life, Clarkson added it to his own collection.

Completing the Clarkson car trio is his 1978 Lincoln Continental Mark V from The Grand Tour Presents: Lochdown 

 The Covid-era special was filmed in Scotland, and the vast 6.6-litre Lincoln was modified during the programme with nitrous injection

Motorheads will love that it still retains the NOS equipment today, as well as a set of bagpipes in the boot – a nod to Scotland – and a Cartier clock

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Harry Whale, car specialist at Iconic Auctioneers, said: ‘These cars have a connection with Jeremy Clarkson that goes well beyond simply appearing on television.

‘He chose each of them for The Grand Tour, then liked them enough to keep them afterwards. 

‘The Lancia is particularly significant as the last car he drove in the programme, but all three will be immediately familiar to fans. 

‘They are genuine pieces of modern motoring television history, complete with the details and modifications viewers will remember.’

It was the CBBC classic which had children shouting ‘Bog off’, but now, actress Montanna Thompson has revealed that Tracy Beaker was almost very different

Tracy Beaker almost had a different actress playing the iconic character. With her constant shouting matches, tears from hayfever and yelling “Bog off” at the top of her lungs, Tracy was perhaps the most well-known children childrens TV character of her generation.

Played by Dani Harmer, the character saw its fair share of heartbreak, with Tracy’s mum Carly leaving her for a “career in Hollywood”, and several foster families before she found happiness with author Cam Lawson, who adopted Tracy.

And it’s fair to say that Justine Littlewood was perhaps Tracy’s biggest archnemesis in The Dumping Ground (Elmtree House). However, things could have been very different, as Dani almost never landed the role of Tracy.

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Actress Montanna Thompson, who played Justine, has now revealed that she initially landed the role of Tracy before Dame Jacqueline Wilson stepped in. “I didn’t actually audition for Justine,” Montanna said.

Speaking on the Embarrassing For No Reason podcast, the actress, 37, went on to add: “I auditioned for Tracy and I got the phone call and they said, ‘Oh, you’ve got the part as Tracy.’ So me and my mum was jumping around…

“We was all jumping around and celebrating and then an hour later, I get a call from the BBC. Jacqueline Wilson said she wanted to keep the illustration of Tracy original. So I was like ‘Ok’, and they was like ‘Would you like to be Justine?’ so I was like ‘Yeah, ok, great’.”

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Montanna went on to tell hosts Sam Darlaston and Tatum McGreal that her mother was asked if she would “cut her hair off” as Dame Jacqueline wanted Justine to have a bob. “My mum said, ‘Well, no, not really,’” she explained.

“I think that’s why Justine has got the plaits, and they made that character like that,” she added. However, Montanna admits that she “loved” playing Justine and, looking back, couldn’t imagine herself playing any other character on the show.

She said: “Dani fits Tracy perfectly, too, and it’s all meant to happen, as you said. Alignment is everything happens for a reason.” But Dani is said to be aware that Montanna was initially cast as the role.

Montanna was around 11 or 12 when she was first cast for the CBBC programme, adding that she can’t watch herself in real time on TV, but she’s now able to look back and watch the first series of the show, which aired on January 8, 2002.

Elsewhere on the podcast, Montanna revealed that there were several “childhood sweetheart” romances on the show. Unbeknownst to fans, she enjoyed a “romance” with Crash, played by Darragh Mortell. Dani enjoyed a childhood-sweetheart romance with Lol, played by Ciaran Joyce.

While The Story of Tracy Beaker may have ended in 2006, Montanna has since reprised her role in a series of spin-offs of the classic programme. In 2012, the actress returned as Justine in Tracy Beaker Returns, before later returning for the series My Mum Tracy Beaker.

And still to this day, the actress is often flooded with supportive messages from fans, and most recently participated in a Comic Con event with her former co-stars.

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If Republicans feared they would lose the House and Senate, this week showed a tidal wave of polls that makes them think no lifeboat could save them.

In Texas, an Emerson College poll showed Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico beating Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton — strongly endorsed and stumped-for by President Donald Trump — by one point after the same poll in August showed a slight lead for Paxton. Last week, polls showed that Josh Turek, the Paralympian Democratic nominee for Senate in Iowa, is beating Trump-endorsed Rep. Ashley Hinson.

On Friday, Republicans got hit with a nuclear bomb when another Emerson College poll showed Democratic nominee Adam Hamilton beating Sen. Roger Marshall by two points in ruby-red Kansas of all places. Even Republican-leaning Trafalgar Group showed in a survey that former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown has a slight lead in Ohio against incumbent Sen. Jon Husted.

The generic ballot, which asks if a voter will pick a non-descript Democrat or Republican for Congress, shows a Democratic advantage anywhere from 7 points in the latest Fox News survey to 12 points in an Economist/YouGov poll.

Make no mistake. These are extinction-level numbers for Republicans — and they seem to know.

Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, a Cuban-American Republican from Miami, cut an ad warning “some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far” — after staunchly supporting Trump up till now. Trump made history in 2024 when he became the first Republican president to win Miami-Dade County since George H.W. Bush in 1988, largely thanks to the county’s heavy Cuban-American population, which leans conservative.

That’s why Cuban-Americans breaking from Trump is a five-alarm fire for Republicans.

Vice President JD Vance, the presumptive heir to the Republican nomination for president in 2028, has offered the hollow ask of, “Give us another chance, or give us another couple of years.”

And polling shows that Trump’s pledge to give every American a $5,000 check — but only if Republicans maintain their control of the House and Senate, which many have called a “bribe” — has not helped. Bribe concerns aside, an Economist/YouGov poll showed that 61 percent of voters don’t think Trump will deliver on the pledge.

When Americans either say no or brush off free money, things are shaping up in a bad way.

But Democrats are not popping bottles just yet. And rightly so. They have too much trauma from past elections, where polls showed them in cruise control — or at least ahead — coming into Election Day.

In 2018, during Trump’s first term, it looked like they would be bound for a blue wave, but it barely materialized and Republicans actually gained Senate seats. Polling has also had major misses in recent years. In 2020, Joe Biden looked like he would win by a landslide, but he only narrowly won, Democrats lost seats in the House and only got a 50-seat majority.

Democrats also have a significant cash disadvantage. While individual candidates like Talarico, Brown and Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff have raised massive amounts of money, Republican committees out-raise Democratic ones. The Republican National Committee raised $19 million in July, the most recent numbers available show. The Democratic National Committee by contrast raised $9.2 million that same month.

Trump has also finally opened his MAGA Inc. super PAC to prop up Republican incumbents. Elon Musk’s America PAC has also done the same.

Republicans are also deploying the same attack that they used in 2024: saying Democrats support transgender athletes in women’s sports and allowing minors to receive health care to transition.

But there are some significant differences this time. On transgender policy, Brown is running ads saying gender-affirming care for minors is already outlawed and Husted should answer for raising costs. In Iowa, Lindsay James, who is running in the second district, is running an ad saying “parents know what’s best for our kids. Washington needs to stay out of it.”

In the same token turnout in Democratic primaries has been significantly higher than Republican turnout. And since Trump has largely remade the Republican Party into the party of non-college-educated voters, they do not turn out in midterms the way they do in presidential elections, which has worried Trump.

Lastly, there seems to be no sign that the war in Iran will come to an end any time soon. And even if it does, it’s unlikely voters will feel relief at the gas pump or at the grocery store in enough time.

Still, Democrats understand more than ever that even when they look like they have all the cards, they can still fold. So they are proceeding caution, trying to contain their glee, but also knowing election night could upend their plans.

The arrest stems from a collaborative UK law enforcement response to dismantle EncroChat

An East Belfast man has been jailed for drugs charges linked to an encrypted phone network used by criminals.

The 41-year-old appeared before Craigavon Crown Court on Friday, September 18, in relation to offences linked to EncroChat.

He was sentenced to 22 months, half to be served in custody and half on licence, for the offences of intentionally encouraging or assisting the supply of Class B controlled drugs and three counts of transferring criminal property.

The investigation and subsequent sentencing stems from Operation Venetic, a collaborative UK law enforcement response to dismantle EncroChat, led by the National Crime Agency.

The arrest followed the search of a property six years ago, where items were seized including three mobile phones.