Jak Jones landed the first ranking title of his career in July and added the second at the British Open on Sunday, but an eventful season for him is only just getting started.

The 33-year-old has been plugging away since first turning professional in 2010, with the notable high point of reaching the World Championship final in 2024, but without lifting any silverware.

Now that has changed dramatically as he won the Championship League at the start of the season and has followed that up with a brilliant British Open triumph.

The Welshman downed Mark Selby 10-6 in a fascinating final on Sunday, having beaten Judd Trump in the semi-finals on a tough run through the random draw.

Jones also beat Chang Bingyu in the last 32, meaning he ousted the three other players to win titles so far this season in Selby (China Open), Trump (Shanghai Masters) and Chang (Wuhan Open).

‘It’s been difficult for the last 15 years,’ Jones told Channel 5. ‘I’ve been battling away, especially for my parents and my wife and son.

Are you snooker loopy?

You’re in the right place. I’m Phil Haigh, and I cover the game we all love for Metro.

In my newsletter, The Table, I analyse the biggest talking points, pull back the curtain on the sport and crown the biggest winners and losers every week.

Advertisement

Sign up here.

‘It’s unbelievable because I haven’t really achieved a lot in the game, but this season, to start winning things just feels amazing.

‘It’s all worth it, I suppose. It’s nice for my parents to finally have something to cheer about!’

Advertisement

He added: ‘It’s nice to do it and beat the best players in the world as well.’

Ask Metro

Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications.

Advertisement

The Jones family will have more to cheer in the coming days as he and his wife are expecting their second child in the coming days.

After his first win in Cheltenham on Tuesday, Jones told Metro of the due date: ‘In the next 10 days or so. So not, ideal preparation, no. My mind’s on other things I suppose at the moment, more important things.

‘But I’ll keep turning up and then hopefully when the little one’s here we can relax.’

It hasn’t held him back though, despite commuting from Cwmbran for every match, which did leave him shattered by the final.

‘I didn’t stay in a hotel at all. I was travelling back and forth. That wasn’t ideal, really,’ he said.

Advertisement

‘Because I was playing in the evening, I was getting home at 1am every morning. But I was kind of getting away with it because I was playing in the evening all the time, until today, where it was a bit of a struggle.

‘I felt unbelievably tired. So, I wouldn’t say I played with freedom, but I had other things on my mind, I suppose.’

The World Snooker Tour rolls on from Cheltenham to Brentwood for the English Open where Jones was scheduled to play Chang Bingyu again on Monday.

Unsurprisingly, he has opted out, saying: ‘No, my wife would kill me, I think.’

Advertisement

Jones paid particular tribute to his parents after landing the £100,000 top prize, thanking them for everything they have done and still do to help his career and family life.

‘Unbelievable,’ he said of mum and dad Debbie and Colin. ‘They’ve gone through all the struggles with me.

‘They’ve supported me from the beginning, taken me everywhere, no matter where it is. My mum still takes me to all the airports now for all the tournaments. She wanted to bring me up here today, but I told her to stay at home just in case my wife needed her.

‘They’ve been unbelievable. Right from first picking a cue up. Taking me all around the UK, Europe, the world. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without them, that’s for sure.’

Jones will likely be back in action on September 17 when he takes on Liam Pullen in an International Championship qualifier in Leicester.

Advertisement

MORE: Liam Highfield lifts lid on resurgence from losing tour card to first semi-final

MORE: Mark Selby offers Jack Lisowski advice after crushing British Open defeat

MORE: Judd Trump says only Ronnie O’Sullivan can match Zhao Xintong in one department

Comments


Add as preferred source

The Table

Stay ahead of snooker’s next big break with Metro’s resident expert Phil Haigh in his new weekly newsletter.

Advertisement

Theo Rae’s funeral will take place at Teesside Crematorium this afternoon (Monday, September 7), with Cleveland Police warning of traffic disruption.

Superintendent John Wrintmore said: “Potential traffic disruption is expected again this afternoon, Monday, September 7, from around 1pm until around 4pm, due to a funeral taking place in the area.

Theo Rae (left), 17 and Cole Robert Worthy (right), 17

“The funeral cortege will travel around Middlesbrough before moving onto St Bede’s Chapel on Acklam Road.

“The roads likely to be affected are Ladgate Lane, Ormesby Road, Cargo Fleet Lane and Acklam Road.

“We are aware of some school closures in the area and have liaised with partners in the local authorities regarding the expected disruption today. Again, these closures have not been made on the recommendation of Cleveland Police.

“We are working closely with highways departments from the local authorities, who are leading on the traffic management for this event, in order to minimise disruption.

From left to right: Makai Saddington, 18, Theo Rae, 17, Cole Robert Worthy, 17, Jakub Matusiak, 23, Michael Robert Cahill, 23

“There will be a proportionate visible police presence in the affected areas to ensure public safety, in line with our plans for any significant gathering.

“Should anyone have any concerns, please speak with officers in the area.”

Several local schools have announced they will close early today.

Acklam Whin Primary School and Green Lane School will close at 1.15pm after pupils have their usual lunch.

Acklam Grange and Outwood Academy, Acklam, will close at 12.15pm, while Newham Bridge Primary School will finish at 1pm.

Acklam Grange will provide more information about possible closures on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Pc Matthew Blades, 37, and Pc Tom Clough, 38

The closures come days after several schools shut early for the funeral of Jakub Matusiak, another victim of the A66 crash.

Theo Rae was among five men killed when their Volkswagen Passat collided with a marked Cleveland Police vehicle near South Bank on August 22.

PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, were also killed in the crash.

The Passat was travelling on the wrong side of the road when it hit the police vehicle.

Schools’ decision to close early for Jakub’s funeral sparked concern, with politicians questioning the disruption to children’s education.

A police car blocking off the A66 in the aftermath of the fatal crash

Education Secretary Lucy Powell said there were “huge anxieties and worries in the community” and called the situation “very difficult and delicate”.

She said she wanted schools to stay open but trusted headteachers to protect their pupils’ safety.

She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “As Education Secretary, I want schools to be open. I want pupils attending schools all the time.

“And these headteachers of these small number of schools have taken a very difficult decision with the local authority and the police for the safety of their school community to close early.

“What I would say is that there are huge anxieties and worries in the communities.”

Cleveland Police said Jakub’s funeral last Friday passed without incident and caused minimal traffic disruption.

Theo Rae’s funeral will take place at 2pm on Monday, September 7, at St Bede’s Chapel, Teesside Crematorium, on Acklam Road in Middlesbrough.

Makai Saddington’s funeral will take place on Tuesday, September 8, followed by Cole Worthy’s at the same crematorium on Wednesday, September 9.

The two officers’ funerals will also take place this week.

Education Secretary Lucy Powell said she had contacted local MPs and Home Office ministers to arrange surge policing and extra resources to ease tensions and improve safety.

This Morning presenter Cat Deeley branded a particular moment from her early career as “awful” as she returns to the popular ITV show alongside Ben Shephard following the summer break

Cat Deeley has reflected on an early stage of her career as she returns to This Morning today, September 7. Many may remember the presenter as a familiar face, alongside Ant and Dec, on SMTV Live, which ran from 1998 to 2003.

The programme featured a mix of sketches, competitions and challenges, alongside a line-up of children’s programmes and cartoons.

One of its most popular regular sketches was Chums, the trio’s spoof of the sitcom Friends. Reflecting on that period of her career, Cat believes they were “awful” and claimed the “ratings were so bad”.

She told The Times: “We should have probably been pulled off air. Our ratings were so bad.” According to the publication, however, the show attracted 2.5 million viewers at its peak, overtaking the established Saturday-morning programme Live & Kicking in 1999.

“We were awful,” she added. “But it’s only by being awful when you start off that you learn.”

Cat, Ant and Dec appeared in a reunion show for SMTV Live back in 2020, when the trio returned to the original studio where the programme was filmed and producers rebuilt the old set.

Previously discussing the reunion on Chris Moyles‘ Radio X show, she admitted there were tears all round.

“We all cried,” she shared. “I walked in and they were doing their interview and Dec was crying and I was like, ‘Ok you’re crying!’ and then at the end of my interview I was like [sobbing noise].”

The trio have reunited several times over the years, including when Ant and Dec pranked Cat for a segment on Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.

In 2006, Cat moved to America, relocating to Los Angeles after landing the hosting role on the US version of So You Think You Can Dance.

She went on to spend around 15 years living in LA before returning to the UK in 2020. Four years later, she landed the role as one of This Morning’s presenters alongside Ben Shephard.

Advertisement

Reports at the time claimed viewing figures had plummeted since the pair took over. However, an ITV spokesperson said the show still reached around four million viewers a week across all platforms, including catch-up viewing.

This year, the channel also said that videos shared on This Morning’s Instagram account in 2026 had collected 399 million views so far.

“Everyone can see that the volume of people watching terrestrial telly is shrinking,” Ben told the aforementioned publication. “But the show has a life way beyond when we’re actually on air.”

“I’ve got mates in LA that see it all the time,” Cat added.

The pair said feedback from viewers is what they value most, with the show’s 2025 National Television Award win offering a major vote of confidence.

The victory came after the programme missed out on the gong for two years in a row, bringing its 13-year winning streak to an end.

The win “was a stamp of approval that we were doing OK”, Cat admitted.

This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV and ITVX

By CIARAN FOREMAN, HEALTH REPORTER

Published: 08:52 BST, 7 September 2026 | Updated: 09:41 BST, 7 September 2026

The rumours were true – The Inbetweeners is officially returning.

Netflix has confirmed that a third film is in the works following weeks of speculation, dropping a surprise announcement video this morning and offering a look at the cast.

The 40-second teaser clip showed the four main characters we all know and love climbing into their old, banged-up car and struggling to get it started… Let’s hope the film itself has better luck.

Cameras then cut to the number ‘3’ smeared into the car’s dirty back window, as the streamer reveals it is ‘now in production’.

Fans will be thrilled to learn that James Buckley, 39, Blake Harrison, 41, Simon Bird, 42, and Joe Thomas, 42, will reprise their roles as Jay Cartwright, Neil Sutherland, Will McKenzie, and Simon Cooper, respectively, after a hugely popular sitcom run and two record-breaking movies.

And the comedy’s comeback is in safe hands, as The Inbetweeners creators Damon Beesley and Iain Morris will also return to write and direct the film.

It’ll be produced by Claire Jones alongside Banijay’s Patrick Holland and Fudge Park Production’s Mark Lesbirel.

Executive producers Damon Beesley and Iain Morris said: ‘It’s been super-fun hanging out with our friends again, and we’re going to work hard every week to ensure there are no problemos making this new film for humans.’

Plot details are being kept under wraps for now, but it’s been 12 years since the chaotic foursome was last on our screens in The Inbetweeners 2, so it’s fair to assume there’ll be plenty to catch up on.

The Inbetweeners originally ran from 2008 to 2010 for three seasons on E4 before its subsequent films in 2011 and the 2014 sequel.

Ever since, viewers have been desperately hoping for news of a revival, especially after feeling disappointed by the 2019 Fwends Reunited special, which was a Jimmy Carr-fronted talk show, not an actual episode of the beloved programme itself.

Following today’s announcement, fans flooded social media with excited reactions, declaring ‘IT FINALLY HAPPENED’.

Still, naturally, people have reservations, with @Popcorn_For_One on X predicting: ‘This is either gonna be the best thing ever, or so cringe’.

@Davii0_ also quipped that the characters, who were in high school when the show was on air, are ‘gonna be old af 😂’ now, which will likely make the task of perfecting the jokes and storylines all the more challenging.

But for the most part, fans are well and truly seated and eager for that nostalgia hit.

‘They really brought them back 😭 I need this movie to still have that same chaotic energy’, wrote @Maximumolusegun.

‘I will be there DAY ONE’, stated @chill_pervert.

‘The Inbetweeners is coming back?! 😭🔥 This could either be absolute cinema or pure chaos… and honestly, I’m here for both. 😂’, added @DansonPhil222.

Echoing what many others are thinking, @noxyDog said: ‘been waiting years for this, hope it doesn’t ruin the original 🫣’,

Guess only time will tell…

MORE: Emily Atack is brilliant – but she shouldn’t be in the Inbetweeners reboot

MORE: Emily Atack ‘holding up The Inbetweeners reboot due to James Buckley feud’

MORE: The Inbetweeners star James Buckley, 38, ‘at high risk of heart attack or stroke’

The Inbetweeners are back, with a third movie set to his screens.

It was revealed that filming started on Monday in the UK The Inbetweeners 3, with Simon Bird, James Buckley, Blake Harrison and Joe Thomas will reprising their roles as Will McKenzie, Jay Cartwright, Neil Sutherland and Simon Cooper.

A teaser clip for the film, saw the foursome sitting in Simon’s iconic yellow 1996 Fiat Cinquecento Hawaii edition, with the car failing to start much to their chagrin. 

The news follows months of speculation over the revival of sitcom, which was originally broadcast on Channel 4 between 2008 and 2010 before the release of two films in 2011 and 2014 and a reunion in 2019. 

Creators Damon Beesley and Iain Morris have returned to write and direct the film, which will be produced by Claire Jones alongside Banijay’s Patrick Holland and Fudge Park Production’s Mark Lesbirel.

Damon and Iain said of the film: ‘It’s been super-fun hanging out with our friends again, and we’re going to work hard every week to ensure there are no problemos making this new film for humans.’

Simon Bird, Joe Thomas, James Buckley and Blake Harrison (L-R) are pictured in 2011’s first movie

They will also serve as executive producers alongside Caroline Levy, Caroline Leddy, Phil Gilbert, Suzanne Knight, Tom Jordan and Farhana Bhula.

Despite excitement over the return, it has been reported that streaming bosses aren’t satisfied with just the main men returning – they also want to see Emily Atack, 36, reprise her role as Charlotte ‘Big Jugs’ Hinchcliffe.

The move comes as a surprise after Emily was axed from the Inbetweeners reunion five years ago following a ‘past fling’ with James.

A source told the publication: ‘The creators of the show have written the script and are ready to roll – but Emily is one of the missing pieces in the project they’re keen to get in place.

‘Fans will already be delighted that the four main leads are returning as there was concern that a reboot might see new, younger actors cast in the roles of the lads, who were all supposed to be teenagers in the show.

‘But it’s fair to say getting Emily back would be the cherry on the Inbetweeners cake.’

Last month, sources told The Sun that all four of the main actors were ‘thrilled’ to be asked back, but noted that things would be a bit harder for Emily to commit to a reboot movie considering everything she’s got going on at the moment.

The teaser saw the group sitting in Simon’s battered car 

Despite excitement over the return, it has been reported that streaming bosses aren’t satisfied with just the main men returning – they also want to see Emily Atack, 36, reprise her role as Charlotte ‘Big Jugs’ Hinchcliffe 

In 2019, Emily was reportedly axed from the Inbetweeners reunion after James told producers ‘it’s her or me’ following a past fling they had when they were both single.

Reports suggested at the time that James was afraid his wife, Clair Meek, would find out about the brief relationship they had during their days in the show during 2008 to 2010.

As well as starring in Disney series Rivals, Emily is in the process of making a new programme for the BBC called Reputation.

She’s also waiting to find out whether or not ITV will commission a second series of Nobody’s Fool – the game show she hosts with Rivals castmate Danny Dyer.

If filming on the Inbetweeners kicks off soon, the results could air as early as 2027, the source added.

Emily has been asked about a potential Inbetweeners return on numerous occasions in the past, telling Capital FM recently: ‘I don’t know. We’d all be quite a lot older now.

‘What was quite funny was when we filmed the series I was only 17, I’d just left school, but the boys were well into… I think they were in their late twenties, early thirties.’

Elon Musk and Europe’s hard-right figures today celebrated the historic state election victory of the Alternative für Deutschland party in Germany.

The tech billionaire wrote ‘Well done!’ after the party won a decisive victory in Germany’s eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, far ahead of mainstream rivals.

In an interview following the results, AfD co-founder Alice Weidel said she expected the current German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, to be ‘replaced before Christmas‘.

But preliminary results show the party fell short of the outright majority needed to govern alone, with 43.8 per cent of the vote to the conservative Christian Democratic Union’s (CDU) 17.2 per cent.

The AfD was pursuing an absolute majority in the state legislature to govern alone and overcome the so-called firewall of mainstream parties’ refusal to work with the group. 

Now, tricky negotiations on who will run the state lie ahead, with final results showing the AfD falling three seats short, with 39 lawmakers in an 83-member parliament.

‘We have received a very clear mandate to govern here,’ Weidel told reporters.

‘We ran on a clear platform of representing the interests of our country, not those of Ukraine or any other country,’ she added.

The AfD was seeking an absolute majority in the state legislature to govern alone and overcome the so-called firewall of mainstream parties’ refusal to work with the party

‘If we receive the mandate to govern at the federal level and assume governmental responsibility, we will cut all unnecessary spending. We will control our borders. We will deport all those required to leave the country and all criminals. We will close the borders.

‘I also expect early federal elections, and I expect the current chancellor to be replaced before Christmas.’

The AfD more than doubled its showing five years ago in the region of 2.1 million people west of Berlin. 

Meanwhile, the CDU, the party of Germany’s unpopular leader, Chancellor Merz, slumped to a disastrous result, winning only 15 seats. 

The centre-left Social Democrats got 9.3 per cent, the Greens 8.9 per cent and the Left Party 8.6 per cent, all winning eight seats apiece. 

The results put a hard-right ⁠party within reach of power at the ​state level for the first time since World ​War Two. 

But because the AfD fell just short of an outright majority, it may not end up governing Saxony-Anhalt.

Rival parties have vowed that they would not form a coalition government with the AfD, whose leaders have previously used Nazi slogans and minimised the Holocaust. 

German intelligence has designated the party as a ‘suspected’ extremist group.

Now, tricky negotiations on who will run the state lie ahead, with final results showing the AfD falling three seats short, with 39 lawmakers in an 83-member parliament

Advertisement

French government ministers expressed their worries on Monday over ​the impact of the victory.

‘It clearly sends out a very, very worrying signal,’ French Finance Minister Roland Lescure told RTL ​radio. 

‘This shows that we face a ​major challenge in the face of a populist wave ‌which ⁠is spreading around the world today and which we must resist,’ added Lescure.

Lescure’s views echoed similar comments made late on Sunday by ​France’s European ​Affairs Minister ⁠Benjamin Haddad.

‘To see the far-right prevail in the German regional election ​marks a very grave moment for ​Europe,’ ⁠he wrote on X.

‘We must listen with humility to the anger, fears and worries ⁠and ​duly respond to these concerns. ​But nationalism and xenophobia will never be the answer,’ added Haddad.

Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD’s lead candidate, rejoiced at the results, saying ‘we have written history’.   

The anti-migration, Russia-friendly politician told public broadcaster ARD that voters had sent a signal that ‘things cannot carry on like this’.

He added that ‘a very good campaigner for us in this election campaign was Friedrich Merz’.

Turnout was very high, at 77.8 per cent, with the AfD appearing to have won over many people who did not vote at all five years ago. 

Italian Deputy Prime Minister and leader of hard-right League party Matteo Salvini hailed the victory, declaring that ‘another Europe is possible’.

Spain’s Vox leader Santiago Abascal called the result ‘a great hope for Germany and for Europe,’ while Portugal’s André Ventura celebrated AfD’s ‘historic’ victory, linking it to public anger over immigration.

Geert Wilders, leader of the hard-right Freedom Party in The Netherlands, wrote ‘congratulations’ to Siegmund and Weidel on X.

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Every morning, Mary Kavutha prepares breakfast for her two young children using an induction cooker in her Nairobi home. Two years ago, the businesswoman relied on a charcoal stove that filled her kitchen with smoke and cost about $1.15 in fuel each day.

Today, she says, for 80 cents in electricity tokens she can cook several meals.

“It cooks much faster, and is much safer because I have young children,” Kavutha said. “With charcoal there was always smoke in the house. Now I can cook indoors comfortably, and I spend much less.”

Nearly 1 billion Africans still rely on charcoal or firewood for everyday cooking. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that household air pollution from these fuels contributes to about 850,000 deaths annually on the continent.

Like millions of other Africans, Kavutha switched not out of climate concerns but because the stoves are affordable since they are underwritten by carbon credit financing, which allows clean cooking companies to raise capital against future revenues from emission reductions.

Clean cooking companies are betting that carbon finance, long criticized over concerns about the credibility of some projects, could become Africa’s most important tool for expanding cleaner household energy and reducing pressure on forests.

Africa is moving faster to adopt clean cookstoves

In June, the IEA announced Africa had secured $900 million in new financial commitments towards clean cooking technologies.

More than 30 governments in countries accounting for about 80% of Africans who still lack access to clean cooking have introduced 121 new clean cooking policies since the Paris climate summit in 2015, the energy agency said.

Clean cooking is not a luxury, but an everyday necessity affecting every household, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu said after co-hosting an IEA conference on clean cooking in Dar es Salaam earlier this year. That followed the African Union’s Dar es Salaam Declaration on Clean Cooking, adopted by 30 governments last year.

Carbon financing is making clean cooking affordable

Carbon finance has transformed what was once an expensive clean-energy product into one that millions of low-income households can afford, said Peter Scott, founder and CEO of BURN, which makes eco-friendly cookstoves.

“The only way clean cooking is going to scale on the continent is through carbon project finance,” Scott said. “Governments earn revenue and customers get a product they would never have been able to afford without that subsidy.”

The Nairobi-based firm said it has distributed more than 7.3 million cookstoves in 11 African countries.

“Our biggest innovation is not the stove itself, but the financing behind it,” Scott said. “Without that financing, many families cannot afford to switch.”

An efficient biomass stove that would normally retail for about $40 can cost customers as little as $5 after carbon subsidies. More expensive induction cookers are financed through carbon credits and short-term pay-as-you-go plans that spread payments over several months.

“Investors provide upfront capital that subsidizes the retail price of our stoves. In return, they receive revenue from carbon credits generated as households reduce their use of charcoal, wood and other polluting fuels,” he said.

Credit markets are still under scrutiny

The industry has adopted strict standards and more sophisticated measuring of emissions, including Bluetooth monitoring, digital verification and real-time usage data to address criticism of carbon credits.

Critics of the approach say relying too heavily on carbon credits to finance clean cooking is still risky.

In one setback, the Kenyan clean cooking firm Koko Networks, hailed as a poster child of Africa’s green transition, closed in February after failing to win a government letter of authorization to sell carbon credits.

Carbon money can help but should not be the foundation of the transition, said George Mwaniki, WRI Kenya representative and head of Air Quality for WRI Africa.

The problem, he said, is that carbon finance generally comes after the investment required to put cleaner cooking equipment into households.

“Carbon financing is more of a second financing source,” Mwaniki said. “That creates a problem for clean-cooking companies as they need money to manufacture and distribute equipment before they can generate the emissions reductions that ultimately produce carbon credits.”

“If we depend wholly on carbon credits to support the transition, it will be extremely slow and will not happen at the pace that we need it to,” he said.

Clean cooking is expanding despite the shortcomings

Companies are adapting their approach to suit local conditions. BURN, for example, says its electric cooking is more viable in Kenya and Tanzania, while biomass stoves are preferred in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Madagascar.

Eco Safi, which operates in Uganda, Kenya, and Malawi, offers forced-draft pellet stoves and clean, renewable fuel made from agricultural waste. In Rwanda, BioMassters produces smokeless, locally manufactured, solar-powered pellet stoves and biomass-residue fuel, while ENEDOM manufactures agricultural-residue briquettes in Kigali.

For households like Kavutha’s, what matters is that a cleaner stove now costs less to own and operate than the charcoal she once depended on.

“My kitchen is cleaner, my children are safer, and I spend less,” Kavutha said. “That is all that matters.”

———–

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

The Chase has been on air for more than 17 years, premiering on ITV back in June 2009.

The programme is hosted by Bradley Walsh and features the likes of Anne Hegerty (“The Governess”), Mark Labbett (“The Beast”), and Paul Sinha (“The Sinnerman”) as the Chasers.

ITV finished recording series 19 of The Chase in April before confirming it would not be recording any new episodes until 2027.

In its place, ITV launched a new spin-off called The Chase Around The World.

The show featured contestants working in pairs to solve clues and track down Walsh and the Chasers for a chance to win £100,000.

The first episode aired on July 19, with the series concluding after six episodes on August 20.

All episodes are available to watch now on ITVX.

ITV to ‘axe’ The Chase Around The World

The show is not expected to return, with reports from the Daily Mail suggesting ITV has axed The Chase Around The World after one series.

A source said: “The Chase is a simple quiz format that has worked incredibly well for nearly 18 years.

“Its spin-off Beat The Chasers also worked because it gave contestants the chance to compete against all six chasers at once, with more banter between the contestants, the chasers and of course Bradley Walsh.

“The Chase Around The World has been one big flop.

“Bradley has pretty much been reduced to a voiceover man, and The Chasers, who are all adored by the viewers, hardly featured at all.

“God knows what they were thinking when this spin-off was dreamt up.

“It’s like they decided to do a Chase version of Race Across The World, and sadly for everyone involved, it has not worked.

“There’s been quite a lot of embarrassment behind the scenes, and it has already been decided that there won’t be another series.”

The source added: “The Chase just needs to stick to what it is, a simple studio-based quiz show that everyone loves.”

ITV has not officially confirmed the cancellation.

A spokesperson said: “With The Chase Around The World only having finished its linear broadcast just over two weeks ago, discussions are naturally still ongoing about a recommission at this time.”

Did you watch series one of The Chase Around the World? What did you think? Let us know in the poll above or in the comments below.

By CONNIE RUSK, ASSOCIATE SHOWBUSINESS EDITOR and LAURA FOX, ASSOCIATE SHOWBUSINESS EDITOR

Published: 08:00 BST, 7 September 2026 | Updated: 08:48 BST, 7 September 2026

Olivia Attwood and Pete Wicks put on a very affectionate display in new sizzling pictures after they enjoyed a date together.

Last week the Love Island star, 35, ‘hard launched’ her relationship with the former TOWIE personality, 37, two weeks after he first shared photographs of her on his own social media.

And Olivia sent fans wild as she shared another series of photographs on Instagram on Sunday night – just days after admitting she was trying to get better at ‘not oversharing’. 

The reality stars packed on the PDA, with Olivia seductively leaning over Pete’s knees in one snap, while in another he wrapped his arms around her.

Advertisement

She captioned the post: ‘Went on a date with Pete Wicks from Towie can’t believe it he’s so hot in real life too xxxx.’ 

A number of the couple’s showbiz pals took to the comment section to gush over the romance. 

Olivia Attwood and Pete Wicks put on a very affectionate display in new sizzling pictures after they enjoyed a date together

Advertisement

Late last month the Love Island star, 35, ‘hard launched’ her relationship with the former TOWIE star, 37, weeks after he first shared photographs of her on his own social media

She captioned the post: ‘Went on a date with Pete Wicks from Towie can’t believe it he’s so hot in real life too xxxx.’

Chloe Lewis, who is dating TOWIE’s Dan Edgar, said: ‘They’re not bad those ones from TOWIE.’ Lisa Snowdon added: ‘So here for this’.

Love Island’s Kaz Crossley added: ‘Are you guys looking for a third x,’ while Georgia Harrison said: ‘Now that’s the hard launch.’  

Advertisement

The couple first met in 2017 and became firm friends, but things turned romantic this year following the breakdown of Olivia’s marriage to Bradley Dack.

After months of fan speculation and candid moments caught on camera, Olivia finally confirmed the romance with a series of loved-up Instagram snaps, joking in the caption that fans ‘bullied me into hard launching’. 

Now Olivia has confessed she genuinely has been struggling with how much to share about their romance, exclusively telling the Daily Mail: ‘We’re in the infancy of navigating it. So I guess we’re kind of working as it goes.

‘I understand the interest. For a lot of people it’s a crossover of two people that they’ve followed in different ways for a long time. So I understand and I have a very open dialogue with my audience. 

Advertisement

‘Now that people know we’re together we’re working out not shutting people out who have been so lovely and happy for us and excited to watch our relationship grow, but also making sure that we keep enough back like that’s just for us.’

Olivia sent fans wild as she shared a series of photographs on Instagram on Sunday night – just days after admitting she was trying to get better at ‘not oversharing’

The reality stars packed on the PDA in the photographs, with Olivia seductively leaning over Pete’s knees in one snap

Olivia looked stylish in a black minidress, tights and heels for her date night with Pete 

Advertisement

She styled her blonde hair up in a high bun and cut a glamorous figure 

The couple packed on the PDA 

Advertisement

A number of the couple’s showbiz pals took to the comment section to gush over the romance

Olivia, known for her straight-talking, no-nonsense attitude, added she’s trying to work on scaling back what she shares with fans, to ensure she keeps some semblance of privacy.  

The TV presenter mused: ‘I never feel like I’ve said something I shouldn’t. It’s always the opposite. 

Advertisement

‘I come from a reality background and I’ve had cameras in my home and I think that when I don’t share everything, I get a guilt complex!

‘I am reminded by people around me I don’t have to explain everything, but I guess I’m still trying to tell myself that.

‘I sometimes put too much pressure on myself to share more than I need to, which is weird because I think everyone else in this industry is the opposite.’