Michal Oraczewski was last seen on July 6 and was reported missing earlier this month after failing to get in touch with loved ones.

A Polish man who has been missing for more than two months has sparked an urgent police appeal. Michal Oraczewski disappeared from Wester Hailes near Edinburgh on July 6 and was reported missing on September 3.

The 33-year-old, who has undertaken contract cleaning work in the past, was last seen in the Hailesland Grove area, during which time he suggested he was going to work in Glasgow.

While it is not out of a character for Michal to not be in regular contact with people he knows, officers are growing concerned for his welfare.

Michal’s first language is Polish and he speaks fluent English. He is described as white, around 6ft tall, and of slim build. When last seen he was wearing dark blue jeans and a navy blue T-shirt.

A police search is now underway to find Michal and anyone who may have worked with him during the summer is asked to come forward with any information on his whereabouts.

Officers ask that anyone who has seen, or spoken to Michal, to get in touch.

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Inspector Paul Begley said: “Over the past two weeks we have conducted extensive enquiries in the Wester Hailes and surrounding areas in efforts to trace Michal.

“I’m asking anyone who knows Michal, who may have seen him since July, or has any information on where he may be, to please get in touch.

“I’d also like to directly appeal to Michal; if you see or hear about this appeal, please contact officers and let us know you are okay.”

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Police Scotland via 101, quoting reference 1087 of 3 September 2026.

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Chorley Police said officers carried out a series of targeted patrols across Chorley, Coppull and Adlington in response to concerns raised by residents through Lancashire Talking surveys.

The operation saw officers tackle speeding hotspots, with a number of motorists stopped and warned. One driver was issued with a speeding ticket, while police also handed out a Section 59 warning, which can be used against drivers causing alarm, distress or annoyance through the use of a vehicle.

Officers also seized an illegal e-bike and removed an abandoned car which had been parked at a bus stop.

The force also targeted areas linked to drug use and suspected dealing.

Police said officers carried out 17 stop searches during the operation.

The searches resulted in one arrest and the recovery of a quantity of controlled drugs. A number of people were also warned about the illicit use of controlled substances.

In total, six arrests were made by the task force over the 24-hour period.

A spokesperson for Chorley Police said officers would continue targeting those responsible for nuisance and crime in local communities.

They added that much of the team’s work is guided by information and intelligence provided by members of the public and encouraged residents to continue reporting concerns.

There have been calls to remove Anne Donaghy’s OBE after she was convicted of deleting an email under the Freedom of Information Act.

Donaghy received the honour in The Queen’s Birthday 2020 Honours List for services to local government and the community during the coronavirus pandemic.

She was formerly the chief executive of Mid and East Antrim Council in Northern Ireland.

READ MORE: King Charles applauded as Dragons’ Den star among 15 to lose MBE

However, the honour is now being questioned after the 56-year-old was convicted of two charges at Ballymena Magistrates’ Court last month.

These were deleting an email and having procured the deletion of an email to prevent the disclosure of information through the FoI Act.

Anne Donaghy, former chief executive of Mid and East Antrim Council (Image: Mark Marlow/PA Wire)

Donaghy was fined £750 for each of the two charges she was convicted of. Her legal team has said she will “vehemently contest” the findings.

Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows said he has written to the Cabinet Office “calling for the forfeiture of her OBE” that she received in 2020 for services to local government.

Mr Burrows said: “Let’s be clear.

“That honour was given for services to local government, and now Anne is convicted in relation to her duties as a chief executive in local government I believe that OBE should be stripped, and I have written to the Cabinet Office to that effect.”

In a statement a spokesperson for Mid and East Antrim Council said it is “committed to the highest standards of governance, transparency and information management”.

Cllr Liam Walker (Image: Supplied)

“We acknowledge the verdict and will carefully consider the outcome and any implications arising from it,” they added.

This comes after King Charles has removed 10 honours so far this year.

This includes one knighthood, from Jeffrey Donaldson who was the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party between 2021 and 2024 and has appeared at the Oxford Union, participating in a well-publicised debate in 2004.

However, in June he was convicted of historical child sex abuse offences at Newry Crown Court after which he had his honour removed.

Jeffrey Donaldson (Image: Brian Lawless/PA Wire)

His solicitor John McBurney confirmed that papers have been lodged for an appeal.

Reacting to this, the leader of the Oxfordshire Conservatives Mr Walker said: “Honours are awarded to recognise outstanding service and achievement, and anyone convicted of serious criminal offences has forfeited the privilege of holding them.

READ MORE: King Charles thanked as internet star among 15 to lose MBE

“Stripping those honours helps protect the integrity and value of the honours system.”

Reasons for removing honours includes professional censure, a criminal conviction and bringing the honours system into disrepute.

Rugby star Stuart Hogg had his MBE removed in March 2026 after being convicted of domestic abuse and former training provider boss and renowned entrepreneur Angela Middleton was stripped of her MBE following an investigation into her companies.

Until his arrest in June this year, Nicholas Brandram appeared to be living the most charmed of lives.

Dashing and debonair, his colleagues in the City used to joke that the decorated former Army captain, who was a direct descendant of Queen Victoria, looked so good in the tailored suits he wore to work that he was in the running to be the new James Bond.

Those who knew the 44-year-old millionaire banker were utterly stunned when he emerged as the prime suspect in the notorious ‘Putney Pusher’ case.

How on earth was it possible that a man described as an ‘officer and a gentleman’, whose life had been defined by duty, honour and sacrifice, could be the male jogger who appeared in grainy CCTV footage recorded on Putney Bridge nearly a decade ago, randomly pushing a 33-year-old woman off the pavement and headlong into the path of a bus?

In the wake of Brandram’s suicide on Tuesday evening, serious questions are being asked about the police investigation into that baffling incident in 2017 and how Brandram, whose Greek princess grandmother was Queen Victoria’s last surviving great-granddaughter, suddenly found himself at the centre of it.

His devastated family claim he killed himself ‘after months of immense pressure’ which also saw him suspended from his role as senior relationship manager at HSBC Private Bank.

‘He lived with the shame, anxiety, humiliation and extraordinary pressure created by a wholly unnecessary investigation,’ they said in a searing, grief-laden statement on Thursday which directly pointed the finger of blame for Brandram’s death at the Metropolitan Police.

Just hours later, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it had received a ‘mandatory referral’ from the force.

Nicholas Brandram fought in Afghanistan. Army colleagues believe he was suffering from PTSD, which had a knock-on effect on personal relationships

His sisters Sophie Voelcker, 45, and Alexia Hicks, 40, said their family had ‘put faith in the justice system’ but felt let down. They claim their brother was awaiting a DNA test before his death which they believe would have cleared him and that he had told them just before he took his life that ‘this investigation was murdering him’.

More, later, of Brandram’s family’s insistence that he was not ‘the Putney Pusher’ and there was ‘no credible evidence that he was the man shown in the footage’.

This week, friends, colleagues and former Army comrades told the Daily Mail how the father-of-one was initially confident that detectives would quickly realise they’d got the wrong man – not realising the investigation would drag on.

He’d lived in Fulham with his first wife before they divorced in 2014, although his family say he’d moved to Notting Hill Gate by the time of the pushing incident in 2017.

Another source said he regularly went for an early morning run before work. At the time, he worked for Bank Leumi, which had offices near Bond Street in the West End.

He was arrested in June at his £1.4m home in Chiswick, in west London, which he’d bought in 2018. He told one friend how he ‘walked out of his door and was suddenly set upon and handcuffed and taken to the station’.

‘Nick said that all the way there, he was in the dark about what he was being arrested for,’ said the friend.

‘When the police told him at the station that it was on suspicion of being the Putney Pusher, he said: “I punched the air with relief because I knew it wasn’t me. I was so relieved.” He said he knew he was in the clear and so had nothing to worry about.’

As the months went by his early bullishness gave way to despair, particularly following his suspension from HSBC.

He separated from his second wife last year and was said to be worried, too, about the impact the ongoing investigation might have on his relationship with his three-year-old son.

He told one who met with him just a week before he died: ‘Everyone knows that I’ve been accused, but I didn’t do it.’

He cited as proof the fact that, unlike the figure in the CCTV, he had a withered calf dating back to his time in the Army and a prominent tattoo on his forearm – although admittedly on a section of his arm which would not have been visible in the image.

‘Over the last couple of weeks, the strain of being the most hated man in Britain was taking its toll, even if he appeared to be stoical,’ says the friend.

Even though he was never named in the Press ‘everyone knew who he was because it was all over social media,’ they said. ‘It was weighing on his mind constantly but he swore blind to the end that it wasn’t him.’

If most knew Brandram as an ebullient character with a ready smile, then there was also a darker, more introspective side to his character, a legacy of the psychological trauma he suffered after commanding troops in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Iraq.

Aged 22, he passed out from Royal Military Academy Sandhurst with flying colours in August 2005 – a year ahead of Princes William and Harry. But just 12 months on, in August 2006, his closest Sandhurst friend, Ralph Johnson, was killed in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province by a rocket-propelled grenade when the Taliban ambushed the armoured car in which he was travelling.

‘He was absolutely inconsolable at losing Ralph,’ a former Army comrade told the Daily Mail this week. ‘They considered themselves indestructible, as most young recruits do. Ralph’s sudden death was a horrible shock.’

As well as 24-year-old Johnson, Brandram also lost the man he considered a father figure while commanding an infantry platoon in Helmand, when his second in command, 42-year-old Colour Sergeant Alan ‘Cammy’ Cameron, was hit by an improvised explosive device in Lashkar Gah in April 2010.

Paying tribute to Cameron, who succumbed to his injuries in hospital nearly a year later, Brandram said: ‘The sadness with which I mourn his loss is only matched by the joy and appreciation I had in working with and knowing him.’

Brandram, who was educated privately at Stowe School and studied philosophy and psychology at Newcastle University, resigned his commission soon after the Scots Guards’ 2010 Afghanistan tour, swapping his life in uniform, as many former officers do, for a career in the City.

In 2012 he was awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of his military service.

After leaving the Army he worked at stockbroker Killik & Co. He moved to Israel’s Bank Leumi before moving to HSBC where he managed the assets of wealthy individuals. He was nominated as Private Banker of the Year 2026.

A former colleague describes him as ‘a very archetypal posh ex-Army bloke’.

‘He was very well-turned out, competitive, sporty, had a good sense of humour. I remember him being described as Captain Charm Offensive.’

In a ‘60-second interview’ with website CityWealth in March, Brandram described himself as ‘a co-parenting single father’ and said he turned to ‘gardening, opera and Frederick Forsyth novels’ when wanting to relax.

In August 2017 police released CCTV footage of the ‘Putney Pusher’ incident. Nicholas Brandram said it was clear he was not the ‘Putney Pusher’ because, unlike the figure in the CCTV, he had a withered calf dating back to his time in the Army

The 33-year-old female victim was crossing Putney Bridge when the jogger shoved her so hard she falls into the path of a double-decker bus. Thanks to the lightning reactions of the driver, the bus’s front wheels missed the woman’s head by just inches

Friends, colleagues and former Army comrades told the Daily Mail how father-of-one Brandram was initially confident that detectives would quickly realise they’d got the wrong man – not realising the investigation would drag on

Asked what he considered to be the most important attributes for a leader, he quoted the Sandhurst motto ‘Serve to Lead’ and said: ‘Compassion, adaptability, resilience and humility – the best leaders serve.’

Army colleagues believe he was suffering from PTSD, which had a knock-on effect on personal relationships.

His first marriage, in 2010, lasted four years. He married again in 2021 at the Guards’ Chapel in Wellington Barracks, just a stone’s throw from Buckingham Palace, but he and his second wife split last year.

The Daily Mail has been told that Brandram was in a new relationship with the daughter of a wealthy Greek businessman. She was said to have flown straight to the UK after being told of his death.

A friend said they had planned to go on holiday to Kenya in the summer with his son, but Brandram was unable to travel because of his bail conditions at the time.

A senior Army source who knew Brandram says: ‘He found it hard to settle down into permanent relationships. This is very typical of soldiers. It doesn’t matter how wealthy or privileged military types are – they still have to deal with the horror they’ve experienced for the rest of their lives.

‘They don’t talk about it either, instead keeping it all clamped up inside. Discussing what you’ve done or seen on the battlefield is considered highly dishonourable.’

In October 2013, just three years after he quit the Army, Brandram appeared at City of London Magistrates’ Court and pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention and failing to stop following an accident, after knocking a female cyclist off her bike while riding his Harley-Davidson past Hyde Park Corner seven months earlier.

Representing himself in court, he said the roar of his 1948 motorcycle could be why he didn’t notice any impact. He didn’t stop, he said, because he was unaware of the collision.

After telling magistrates of his glittering military career and insisting he was an ‘upstanding member of society’ he was given five penalty points, a £200 fine and told to pay £105 compensation.

As a three-times great-grandson of Queen Victoria – via her eldest daughter – the story inevitably received media attention.

Nicholas George Brandram was part of an extraordinary blood line connecting him to most of Europe’s royal dynasties.

In 2020 a royal genealogist placed him at 525 in the ever-fluctuating list of those in line to the British throne. Born on April 23 – St George’s Day – 1982, his upbringing was unquestionably privileged. In 1988, aged just six, he appeared in photographs taken at the grand opening of the January sale at Harrods, driving a miniature battery-powered Rolls-Royce.

His grandmother Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark – the youngest child of King Constantine I of Greece and Princess Sophia of Prussia, and first cousin of the late Duke of Edinburgh – met his grandfather Major Richard Brandram in 1946 on board the ocean liner Ascania, which was still in use as a British troop ship.

The princess was returning from exile in Egypt where she served as a war-time nurse. Major Brandram, the son of a Kent prep school headmaster, was on home leave from Baghdad where he was serving with the British Military Mission.

Engaged within three months of their arrival in Liverpool, their marriage in Athens in 1947 made newspaper headlines, as did their close ties to the then Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, who married later the same year.

Katherine dropped her princess title but King George VI granted her the rank of an earl’s daughter and she was known as Lady Katherine Brandram for the rest of her life. She and her husband had one son together, Brandram’s father Paul, who worked in marine insurance and died in 2020.

When he married Brandram’s mother, Jennifer, in 1975, the exiled King of Greece, Constantine II, served as best man.

The Duke and Duchess of Kent were also present. Their daughter, Lady Helen, then aged ten, was a bridesmaid.

‘Everybody joked about Nick being a Royal,’ says one of his Sandhurst contemporaries, ‘but he never boasted about it. He was a typical Guards officer – extremely well-connected, debonair and very low-key, and charming with it.’

Before his 2006 death in combat, his close friend Ralph Johnson used to imitate Brandram’s well-spoken accent and tease him by calling him ‘Your Excellency’.

Nearly a decade has passed since the so-called ‘Putney Pusher’ incident took place during rush hour on May 5, 2017 at around 7.40am.

The 33-year-old female victim, who has never been named, was crossing Putney Bridge towards Fulham when the jogger, wearing a light grey T-shirt and dark blue shorts, approached from the opposite direction. CCTV shows the bizarre moment the man shoves her so hard she falls into the path of a double-decker bus. Thanks to the lightning reactions of the driver, the bus’s front wheels missed the woman’s head by just inches.

While the vehicle stopped and passersby ran to the aid of the shaken woman, the jogger continued across Putney Bridge without so much as a backward glance. Incredibly, he ran back across the bridge 15 minutes later while the woman, who sustained minor injuries, was still being assisted. He ignored her when she tried to speak to him.

It wasn’t until three months later, in August 2017, that police released CCTV footage of the incident. It was viewed by millions globally amid endless speculation as to the identity of the jogger and what lay behind his seemingly unprovoked moment of madness.

The Met Police said it received a ‘huge response’ to its appeal for witnesses. A 41-year-old American investment banker who was arrested days later was told he would face no further action when it emerged he’d been out of the country at the time. He claimed he received death threats and had to hire bodyguards after his name became public.

A week later a second 41-year-old man was arrested but released on the same day. With no further leads to follow, the case was closed in June 2018.

By 2021, the by now notorious ‘Putney Pusher’ incident had become so engrained in the public psyche that it even became the subject of a play, ‘Once Upon A Bridge’ by Irish playwright Sonya Kelly.

Featuring just three characters, The Man, The Woman and The Bus Driver, it explored what might have led to their encounter that fateful day. In Kelly’s fictionalised retelling, ‘The Man’ is never caught but his wife recognises him from the CCTV footage and ends their marriage.

The Met Police re-opened their investigation earlier this year after receiving new information which led to Brandram’s arrest. Once in custody, he was also arrested on suspicion of possessing Class A and Class B drugs.

In 2012 Brandram was awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of his military service

If most knew Brandram as an ebullient character with a ready smile, then there was also a darker, more introspective side to his character, a legacy of the psychological trauma he suffered after commanding troops in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Iraq

His sisters Sophie Voelcker, 45, and Alexia Hicks, 40, said their family had ‘put faith in the justice system’ but felt let down

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Earlier this month he was released under investigation – a status which, unlike bail, carries no conditions or fixed date for a return to a police station.

In the heart-rending statement they released this week, Brandram’s family claimed: ‘He was left for months carrying the stigma of an appalling allegation which the police themselves clearly recognised was unsupported by the evidence.’

The statement added: ‘The Met Police were quick to expose Nick to suspicion and painfully slow to remove it. They failed him. And Nick’s family will now live with the consequences of that failure for the rest of their lives.’

The Met Police, however, insists its investigation ‘remains ongoing’.

Chief Superintendent Dan Knowles, in charge of policing for south-west London, said: ‘We recognise the significant impact his death will have on those who knew and loved him. We also understand the strain that being subject to a police investigation can place on individuals and their families.

‘Following Mr Brandram’s release under investigation, it was made clear that inquiries would continue while officers progressed outstanding lines of inquiry and forensic examinations. This remains the position, and further investigative work is ongoing.

‘Investigations of this nature, particularly those involving complex evidential and forensic work, can take a number of months to complete as officers gather and assess all available evidence.’

Brandram’s sister Alexia said this week that her brother and his lawyer had offered to pay for a DNA test privately to speed up the investigation.

This raises further questions about exactly what evidence the police obtained from the scene of the crime.

Back in 2017, detectives described the man they were looking for as white, in his early to mid-30s, with brown eyes and short brown hair.

This week, among other details they said proved his innocence, his grieving family pointed out that Brandram had ‘distinctive blue eyes’.

Additional reporting: Peter Allen

For confidential support, call the Samaritans on 116 123. Visit samaritans.org for more information.

On Blackburn Road, close to Egerton’s war memorial, the works were set up for “Virgin Media,” it is understood.

They were set up at around 8.30am, with disruption throughout the day to be unlikely.

Works are understood to be improving the electrics under the pavement and by “replacing an electrical box”.

(Image: Public)

One resident said: “This happened right outside of my house, which came as quite a surprise on a Saturday morning, but there you go.

“We get a lot of roadworks on this road, but I am glad we’re getting maintenance with our broadband.”

Due to the timing, delays are seeming to be minimal, with works expecting to take place in the morning.

This is the moment the Princess of Wales effortlessly climbed down from a tractor before cheekily suggesting she was going for a swim off the Isle of Bute – despite  sea temperatures dipping to a chilly 13C (55F).

Kate and Prince William were enjoying their first official visit to the idyllic Scottish island, which sits off the western coast in the Firth of Clyde, to celebrate its community spirit and volunteering ethos.

It came after a war of words broke out this week between William’s father King Charles and uncle Earl Spencer over the latter’s new memoir about Princess Diana. 

New footage shows the royal couple, known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay when in Scotland, taking in the sights and enjoying a royal walkabout with local residents on Thursday. 

In the latest clip, Kate can be seen emerging from the cab of a tractor, with Prince William behind the wheel, as the couple joined local residents on a beach litter pick.

The Princess looked stylish in a chic autumn ensemble, with a chocolate brown trench coat layered over an olive green ribbed turtleneck sweater, topped off with an olive Bakerboy hat.

After opening the door, Kate took no time to swing herself round and jump down onto the beach, before slamming the tractor door shut – without even the slightest of stumbles.

It’s not the first time Kate has shown off her natural athletic ability while staying chic.

Kate took no time to swing herself round and jump down onto the beach, before slamming the tractor door shut – without even the slightest of stumbles

Kate left royal fans in awe as she showed off her natural athletic ability while staying chic

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Princess Kate was later seen joking with the crowd: ‘Next time I’m going to go for a swim’

The Princess of Wales made the joke knowing that sea temperatures around the island can dip to as low as 7C during winter

Kate also revealed to the crowd that Princess Anne likes to sail around the Isle of Bute 

Last October, the Princess of Wales left royal fans ‘in awe’ after she seamlessly climbed down a flight of narrow stairs after peering into a cockpit during a visit to RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire.

She amazed observers at the time by flawlessly strutting up and down an aircraft’s boarding stairs in four-inch navy stilettos from Stuart Weitzman.

After she had finished peering into the plane, Kate then followed the pilot, perfectly climbing the narrow stairs backwards without stumbling.

Reacting to the latest video, fans applauded the royal for her natural grace.

One wrote: ‘Elegance, Catherine is thy name. Even getting out of a tractor.’

Another drew comparisons to her visit to RAF Coningsby, adding: ‘Truly. It’s like going up and down the airplane stairs.’

A third said the royal must have ‘some serious arm strength’ because tractor doors ‘weigh an absolute tonne’. 

The couple were later seen on a royal walkabout happily chatting to dozens of residents on the Isle of Bute in Scotland and posing for selfies.

In another video, Princess Kate can be seen joking with the crowd: ‘Next time I’m going to go for a swim, apparently there’s a sauna that appears, live music, apparently that’s really good.’

Onlookers laughed at her humorous suggestion, with locals acknowledging the water temperature would likely feel too cold for all but seasoned swimmers. 

During the winter months, sea temperatures around the island can dip to as low as 7C (45F).

Referring to Princess Anne’s love for the island, she added: ‘The Princess Royal comes sailing around here, I can see why. She often shows us her photographs. It’s really beautiful.’

While on the island, the couple also visited Bute Shinty Club and watched an under-17s match from the side-lines alongside locals.

When it was the couple’s turn to try the sport – which like hockey is played with a curved stick and small, hard ball – they quickly learned hand-eye co-ordination is key as they practised taking penalties.

The royal couple were seen driving a tractor as they joined Beachwatch Bute on a litter pick

Kate looked stylish in an autumnal ensemble featuring a chocolate brown trench coast and Bakerboy hat

William fluffed his first shot, with the ball moving just a few inches, before making solid contact to cheers from the spectators.

Kate fared little better at the start, swinging and missing – but her next shot was cheered by the crowds as it flew at the goalie.

She then peppered the goal with more shots, almost hitting members of the press who were closest to the netting and saying ‘sorry’ in apology.

The couple chatted to the crowds after their shinty display and Kate told content creator Andy McAlindon, known as Andy the Highlander, who was stood beside the goal: ‘I was a bit worried I was going to take your teeth out.’

Former Bute shinty player Tom McMillan said: ‘I think they did very well, Kate hit the ball better than William and she really got into it and was lining the balls up.’

They ended their day at the community-owned Anchor Tavern Pub and Hub in Port Bannatyne and William praised their model, where a large number of volunteers help keep the project financially viable, and Kate described it as something ‘special’.

William and Kate arrived on Bute at their namesake town of Rothesay, arriving by ferry from the mainland.

They toured the islands of Iona and Mull in the Inner Hebrides last year.

Kate and William meet people outside the Anchor Tavern Pub and Hub in Port Bannatyne

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Members of the public watch in Port Bannatyne during the royal visit on Thursday afternoon

Prince William meets a group of schoolchildren in Port Bannatyne on the Isle of Bute 

Their trip came amid a public dispute between the King and Earl Spencer, who claims in a new book about his late sister Diana that Charles told him ‘rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough’ days after her death.

Further claims from the book – serialised in the Daily Mail – said the King sounded ‘giddily elated… like a lottery winner’ when he rang the earl following the princess’s death.

In other passages of the book the earl described how his sister drove ‘more than once’ to the cliffs at Beachy Head in East Sussex and was ‘contemplating ending it all’, adding that ‘her love for her sons stopped her from going further’.

The excerpt went on to claim Diana told her brother ‘my husband is in love with his valet’ after telling him she was going to get divorced.

The palace has yet to respond to the latest claims but a spokesman said on Wednesday that ‘fraternal grief can cloud reason’.

READ MORE:  King at war with Diana’s brother after astonishing response to Earl’s claim that he said she would be ‘forgotten’ days after her death

Several BBC programmes are currently recruiting contestants and contributors, offering TV fans the chance to appear on some of the broadcaster’s biggest shows.

New Gordon Ramsay show

Gordon Ramsay’s television production company is making a new show for the BBC (Image: Jas Lehal/PA Media Assignments)

There is a new cooking show, yet to be named, which is being produced for the BBC by Studio Ramsay Global – Gordon Ramsay’s television production company.

The description for applicants reads “Whether you’re hoping to build confidence in the kitchen, master a cherished family recipe, learn a new cooking skill for an important life moment – if food has the power to change something in your life, we’d love to hear from you.”

Anyone aged over 18 can apply now until October 31, but has to be available for filming in November in the UK.

Home renovations

Homes under the Hammer aims to help those who have bought a house at auction (Image: BBC)

Homes Under the Hammer is perfect for those looking to make the most out of property they have recently bought at auction.

Presenters Martin Roberts, Dion Dublin, Martel Maxwell, Tommy Walsh and Jacqui Joseph can help create a dream home or undertake a renovation before selling it on.

The programme is open for people to apply with applicants required to be 18 or over.

Face The Dragons

The Dragons are looking for more entrepreneurs to invest in (Image: BBC)

The Dragons are on the hunt for new applicants to find entrepreneurs to invest in.

People looking to pitch ideas and gain advice from some of the most successful business moguls in the country can register their interest for the next series now.

You’re hired!

Applications for The Apprentice are now open (Image: BBC)

For other business-savvy individuals, people are also able to apply to the next series of The Apprentice until January 2027.

After beating 11 other candidates, the winner will receive an investment of up to £250,000 and will go into a 50:50 business with Lord Alan Sugar.

Thrifting with Stacey

New participants are needed for Joanna Page’s show Shift that Thrift (Image: BBC)

Joanna Page of Gavin and Stacey fame needs couples, friends or family duos who are happy to compete against each other for the second series of her show Shift the Thrift.

The pairs, who should apply by September 27, will try to make the most money for a good cause close to their hearts by auctioning off items they have found in a charity shop.

Images of a Hyrox star accidentally soiling herself during a competition in China – before carrying on regardless and winning the event – have thrust the gruelling fitness contest into the global spotlight. 

Yet it is far from the first controversy to engulf the fast-growing sport. Founded in Germany in 2017, Hyrox combines endurance running with functional fitness, including sled pushes, burpees and throwing a ball at a wall 100 times.

Competitors race through eight 1km runs, each separated by a punishing workout station, with the aim of completing the course in the fastest possible time. The best are elevated to ‘professional’ status, known as Elite 15.

In less than a decade, the sport has grown from a niche fitness event into a global phenomenon, attracting hundreds of thousands of competitors and spectators worldwide, taking its estimated value to $700m (£520m).

Last weekend, Australian athlete Joanna Wietrzyk, 24, went viral after footage emerged from a Hyrox event in Beijing showing her continuing to compete after soiling herself during the race.

Video showed Ms Wietrzyk using shared exercise equipment while visible faecal matter clung to her arms, lower body and trainers.

The decision to allow her to continue – and ultimately win – sparked widespread debate about hygiene, athlete welfare and race management, particularly as other competitors were required to use equipment after her.

But the Beijing incident is only the latest in a string of controversies to hit the rapidly expanding international fitness brand.

The sport’s Instagram page promotes the highly competitive nature of Hyrox, which some have branded ‘toxic’. In 2026, more than 100 events took place dedicated to the fast-growing sport

PRICEY OBSESSION

‘How do you know if someone is doing Hyrox? Don’t worry, they’ll tell you!’ It is a joke that has gained traction among fitness fans – but there is more than a little truth behind it.

Critics have called the events ‘toxic’, ‘individualistic’ and ‘ego-driven’, saying competitors will try and win at any cost, and suggesting some are so ‘obsessed’ they’re prepared to debase themselves for the kudos of going home with an event title.

Last year, an estimated 650,000 people took part in Hyrox competitions around the world, with 40,000 competing at its biggest-ever event at London’s ExCeL Centre.

The sport is regularly described as having a ‘cult-like’ following, placing it alongside other all-consuming fitness crazes such as CrossFit, F45, marathon running, wild swimming and 90-minute hot yoga classes.

And as its popularity has grown, so has the entry fee. Hyrox co-founder Christian Toetzke has said that the very first test event in Hamburg generated average ticket revenue of only around €35 (£30) per competitor. 

Today, entry to major UK races can cost around £125 before travel, accommodation, kit and optional add-ons are taken into account.

Yet higher prices have done little to dampen demand, and when tickets for Hyrox Birmingham 2026 went on sale, one Reddit user said he logged on only to discover he was number 26,000 in the online queue.

Other competitors have described UK ticket drops as a frantic ‘fastest finger first’ scramble, with popular races regularly selling out despite stretching across several days.

But devotion to Hyrox can come at a considerable cost because it’s not just the entry ticket you need to pay for.

The organisers are facing a furious backlash for allowing Ms Wietrzyk to continue to compete despite her faecal matter contaminating carpets and communal equipment at the event 

The brand’s co-founder, Moritz Fürste, apologised over the incident on the Hyrox Instagram page

Evgenia Koroleva, founder of ONE LDN gym, told the BBC that expenses for competitors can be ‘absolutely astronomical’, with a race weekend easily costing between £500 and £1,000 once entry, travel and accommodation are factored in.

She said: ‘Hyrox has created this addiction for people who do it because they never really do one race. When they do their first race they then sign up for another one and because the course is the same it creates this level of competition with yourself.’

For its most committed devotees, Hyrox can become a serious investment of both time and money, with competitors training for months through pricey officially affiliated gyms, entering race after race and travelling internationally in pursuit of faster times.

One 29-year-old woman told the BBC she had competed in 20 Hyrox races across six countries and 12 cities, and even spent £2,000 attending the World Championships in Chicago.

She said: ‘For competitions abroad, I normally spend approximately £400 per trip for two nights’ stay and travel.’

There’s another big cost, too: kit. She added that her relentless training schedule means that she ‘burns through ridiculous amounts of shoes’.

As well as an excuse to buy a new pair of trainers, completing a Hyrox also brings some serious bragging rights.

Unlike other fitness contests which present you with a medal for crossing the finishing line, Hyrox gives out patches that can be sewn onto gym bags… and leave people in the changing room green with envy.

STAFFED BY VOLUNTEERS 

Despite its deep coffers, Hyrox relies heavily on volunteers to help keep its events running smoothly – and they’re paid in merchandise.

They are openly recruited to judge the competition’s eight workout stations, as well as taking on roles across event operations – from staffing water stations and registration desks to managing bag drops and merchandise stands.

But they are not doing it entirely for free. In return, volunteers can earn entry to a future race – a valuable perk given that many events sell out almost as soon as they are announced – as well as a special T-shirt and a coveted Hyrox patch.

Last month, there was an outcry when Hyrox UK appeared to change the deal, with a new rewards system reportedly offering only a 50 per cent discount on a future race rather than a free entry for an eight-hour shift.

The move sparked a backlash, with some volunteers arguing that the reduced benefit no longer justified the long hours, travel and accommodation costs involved.

One previous volunteer raged on Reddit: ‘My time, travel expenses, tolerance for abuse from athletes who don’t like my calls and risks of being berated publicly on Facebook by the spectators with cameras is not worth a small discount, free T-shirt that stretches after one wash and a cheap ready meal.’

Hyrox relies heavily on volunteers to help keep it’s events running smoothly

Hyrox later reversed the change and reinstated the previous one-shift-for-one-race reward.

The row has also fuelled a wider discussion over whether a rapidly growing – and financially buoyant – international sport should continue relying on volunteers to officiate races, particularly amid repeated disputes over inconsistent judging and penalties.

DEATHS 

This year, two competitors tragically died after collapsing at Hyrox events.

In August, South African-born fitness coach Leroy Saunders, 41, lost consciousness while competing at Hyrox Bangkok and was given CPR by event staff and medics before being taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

His death came just weeks after an unnamed 28-year-old woman died during Hyrox Lyon. French media reported that she collapsed on the running track after suffering acute hyperthermia – dangerous overheating of the body – during an intense heatwave.

Hyrox does not appear to have issued a publicly available statement following either death, although Mr Saunders’ family specifically asked the organisation and media not to comment on the circumstances while his cause of death was being established.

‘TWO TIER’ RULES 

Hyrox competitors are expected to follow a strict set of rules – but there have been accusations that those rules are not always applied consistently, particularly when elite athletes are involved.

At Hyrox Washington in March 2026, eventual men’s singles winner Cole Learn was filmed pouring aid-station water over himself, despite the published rulebook stating that using drinking water for cooling carries a two-minute penalty.

That same month, at the EMEA Regional final, winner Hidde Weersma was filmed discarding a gel packet even though littering is listed as an offence under Hyrox rules.

No penalty was issued to either competitor, despite both breaches being caught on the events’ livestreams.

BULLYING 

Official commentators at the Hyrox Chengdu event were sacked after mocking Chinese Olympic table-tennis champion Zhang Jike while he struggled through the race last month.

As well as making unkind comments about him being better suited to ‘variety TV’, they invited viewers to screenshot his ‘pain face’ to make memes.

The remarks sparked a fierce backlash in China, prompting Hyrox’s local office to publicly apologise to Zhang and cut ties with the commentators.

HYROX CRUISE 

A participant competes at the burpees station during the Hyrox Men Istanbul 2026 fitness race at the Istanbul Expo Center

At the end of next month, the Hyrox cruise will embark on a four-night voyage around the Mediterranean, carrying around 2,300 fitness fans from Palma to Marseille and Barcelona.

According to the marketing blurb, the entire 295-metre cruise liner will be transformed into a ‘full-on Hyrox training ecosystem’, with workouts, coaching from elite competitors, nutrition and recovery sessions, wellness facilities and even Hyrox-themed parties.

A double-berth cabin starts from €2,599 (£2,233), including food and drink and access to more than 350 hours of coaching from Hyrox trainers and brand partners.

But taking the fitness phenomenon to the high seas has not been entirely smooth sailing.

Plans to stage an Elite 15 competition on board were scrapped after Hyrox acknowledged it could not guarantee ‘fair, standardised and repeatable race conditions’ on a moving cruise ship.

There was also anger among some early customers after prices were later slashed by as much as 40 per cent, just months after they had paid full price for the same accommodation.

In the aftermath of Ms Wietrzyk’s Beijing event, a spokesman for Hyrox said a ‘major clean-up operation’ had taken place in the venue where Ms Wietrzyk had competed, including the sanitising of carpets and equipment. 

However, as complaints about the handling of the incident escalated online, the brand’s co-founder Moritz Fürste apologised – and vowed to change the sport’s rules.

Mr Fürste said: ‘Hyrox made a mistake by not reacting immediately during the race. In the end it is my job to foresee these potential incidents – and I did not.’

While incidents of bowel and bladder incontinence aren’t uncommon at outdoor endurance events such as marathons – at the 2005 London Marathon Paula Radcliffe famously relieved herself on the streets during the 26-mile race, contamination in indoor venues poses a much more serious risk to public health. 

She was the longest serving Strictly professional before she was culled from the show in a pro dancer bloodbath.

Yet with the new series set to launch tonight, Karen Hauer has revealed that she doesn’t miss being on the programme and is enjoying the time off after a more than a decade on the dancefloor. 

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Karen mused: ‘For 14 years I was locked in, and that’s what I wanted… You can’t go in halfway and that’s what all the pros do, and that’s why it’s so intense. 

‘You can’t go, well I’m going to take the day off today, it doesn’t work like that, and it doesn’t work like that in any job either way. I was locked in and disciplined.

‘I have some great memories from Strictly, but do I miss being in it? No. I like having a little less stress and a little bit more time.

‘I know the process and I know how hard it is. I love seeing the new trailers and it’s great seeing that energy, but I’m loving my time now. I feel very positive.’

Johannes Radebe, Emma Willis and Josh Widdicombe will make their hosting debut when Strictly returns at 7.25 on BBC – but Karen won’t be tuning in 

Despite Karen enjoying the clips she’s seen promoting the show, she revealed she won’t be tuning in for the launch because she’ll be working. 

Karen is currently starring in the touring production of Stepping Out, in which she plays dance teacher Mavis.

She landed her role in the stage show just weeks after the Strictly lineup reshuffle and explained: ‘I feel like I haven’t stopped in a way, and I think mentally that’s great.

‘I’ve never just laid down and cried about things, I don’t have time for that, you know.

‘I feel really good. I have a really good circle of friends around me that are supportive and my partner Simon and my dogs.’

Of her new job, Karen added: ‘I love what I do. I’ve always loved theatre, and I’ve always loved performing and doing a live performance on an everyday basis.

‘I love that connection that I have with the public and I love that connection that I have with other humans around me on stage.’

Yet while Karen is enjoying her time on the stage, she revealed she hasn’t ruled out a comeback to Strictly, saying she’d be open to returning down the line in some capacity, such as a judge. 

‘I am taking opportunities as they come,’ Karen explained. ‘If an opportunity like that comes I will welcome it. 

‘I have a lot of love for the show and something that I will always carry with me to everything that I do is the experience that I gained for 14 years on Strictly.’

For now, Karen is waiting to see what Strictly will look like after the hosting revamp that’s seen Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman replaced by Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe.

‘It’s hard because you had Tess and Claudia who’d been there for a very long time,’ Karen mused. ‘But you have Emma who is a megastar, she knows what she’s doing.

‘She’s an incredible woman, and I love that, seeing a woman just owning it.

‘And Josh is a dear friend of mine, we were paired up on the Christmas special and we have that connection.

‘I’m really looking forward to his humour and his relatability. He’s done the show so he knows what happens and that’s what you need.

‘And then we have Johannes, who’s incredible on all cylinders. Not only does he know the inside, but he knows the “in-ins”. I mean, it’s a win-win.’

Karen, who danced with Josh in the Christmas special said ‘I’m really looking forward to his humour and his relatability’ when he makes his hosting debut (pictured in 2024) 

Karen is working with Burns Pet Nutrition to host The Burns Bravery Awards in November and is calling on the nation to nominate Britain’s Bravest Dog

Now as Karen prepares for her first winter without Strictly in 14 years, she is working with Burns Pet Nutrition to host The Burns Bravery Awards in November, and is calling on the nation to nominate Britain’s Bravest Dog.

From Search & Rescue and assistance dogs to rescue dogs, working dogs and beloved family companions, the campaign is inviting people to come forward with deserving dogs.

Karen said: ‘I’m a dog lover and I have four incredible rescue dogs who mean the world to me, so being part of these incredible awards is a dream come true in a way.

‘A lot of people have different dreams, but my dream is always to, you know, be talking about dogs and how incredible they are and the meaning that they have to us.

‘We’re asking for everyone across the country to nominate a dog that’s done something for them or that they’ve seen doing incredible jobs.

‘We want to hear their stories and we want to share their stories with everyone around them.

‘What I say about my dogs is that I rescued them, but they actually rescued me. They support us, they comfort us, it’s beautiful. 

‘The instincts that they have to nurture and to know when you’re in danger, when you are feeling low, how it helps with our mental well-being, how it helps with our physical well-being.

‘We have our own little personal trainers with us and our psychologists.’

You can nominate a brave dog and learn more about the awards at https://burnspet.co.uk/pages/burns-bravery-awards