Pope Leo, the first U.S.-born pontiff, has fired back after President Donald Trump lashed out at him over the ongoing Iran war.
Trump derided Leo as “terrible” in an unusual, direct broadside against the leader of the Catholic church, who responded by vowing to continue denouncing war and suffering.
“I have no fear of the Trump administration, or speaking out loudly of the message of the gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do, what the Church is here to do,” he told reporters Monday. “I don’t want to get into a debate with [Trump].”
“I will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems,” Leo continued aboard a papal flight to Algiers, where he is embarking on a 10-day tour to four African countries.
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“Too many people are suffering in the world today,” he said. “Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say there’s a better way.”
‘I will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems,’ Pope Leo said amid a 10-day tour to four African countries (Reuters)
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said he was also disheartened by Trump’s comments.
“Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is the Pope a politician. He is the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls,” he said in a statement.
Trump is facing widespread backlash for his comments, and for sharing an AI picture of himself as Jesus.
“Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” Trump wrote in a stunning 334-word Truth Social post on Sunday night while flying back to Washington, D.C. from Florida.
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“I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon,” he continued. “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States.”
He claimed Leo — formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost — was elected pope only because of the president, and slammed him for meeting last week with David Axelrod, who served as a senior advisor to former President Barack Obama.
“Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician,” the president concluded.
Less than an hour later, Trump posted an AI image portraying himself as Jesus appearing to heal a sick man, encircled by bald eagles and fighter jets.
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He continued his tirade against the pontiff when his plane touched down, telling reporters on the tarmac: “I’m not a fan of Pope Leo.”
Donald Trump shared an AI-generated image of himself as Jesus after bashing Pope Leo (@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social)
His comments came after Leo suggested over the weekend that a “delusion of omnipotence” triggered the Iran war. Late last month, he wrote on X that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.”
And, before the ceasefire, when Trump threatened to strike Iranian infrastructure and warned that “an entire civilization will die tonight,” Leo described these remarks as “truly unacceptable.”
The billionaire president’s scathing attack on the Catholic Church’s leader drew broad backlash in the U.S. — including from some members of his own party.
“The deranged and disgusting post from Trump attacking Pope Leo should certainly help him appeal to the more than 50 million Americans who identify as Catholics,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Washington Democrat, wrote on X.
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“Trump shamefully attacked His Holiness Pope Leo XIV,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement. “People of faith will never worship a wannabe King. We worship an almighty GOD.”
“On Orthodox Easter, President Trump attacked the Pope because the Pope is rightly against Trump’s war in Iran and then he posted this picture of himself as if he is replacing Jesus,” former Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote on X. “I completely denounce this and I’m praying against it!!!”
The Iran war, launched by the US and Israel in late February, has engulfed large swaths of the Middle East in violence. Pictured here, an emergency worker walks among rubble following strikes in southern Lebanon (AFP/Getty)
The Iran war, which has engulfed large swaths of the Middle East in violence, leading to the deaths of thousands, is opposed by a majority of Americans, according to multiple recent polls.
Earlier this month, it was reported that the American Pope may not return to the U.S. while Trump remains in office.
The Free Press reported that in the wake of the Pope’s annual address to the Vatican’s diplomatic corps in January, in which he criticized states seeking conflict around the globe, the Department of Defense invited Cardinal Christophe Pierre for a meeting.
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At the time, Pierre was serving as Pope Leo’s personal envoy to the United States. The Pentagon requesting a meeting with a Vatican official is “unprecedented,” according to the report.
According to Vatican and U.S. officials who were briefed on the meeting and spoke to the outlet, the Pentagon criticized the Pope’s statements in January, interpreting them as hostile attacks on Trump’s policies. U.S. officials reportedly lectured the church representatives, with one even invoking the the Avignon Papacy —a period of time when the French government used military force to exert influence over the Vatican.
A Pentagon spokesperson told Newsweek that The Free Press’ reporting was “highly exaggerated and distorted.”
“I would actually like to talk to Cardinal Cristophe Pierre and, frankly, to our people, to figure out what actually happened,” Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic, told reporters last week. “I think it’s always a bad idea to offer an opinion on stories that are unconfirmed and uncorroborated, so I’m not going to do that.”
Resident Evil Zero – it wouldn’t take much to improve it (Capcom)
The next Resident Evil remake will make some major changes to the original, according to the latest rumours, with a return to online co-op for the mainline series.
Even with a new hack having taken place this week, and it being the most anticipated video game in history, we still know next to nothing about GTA 6. And yet there are some franchises that leak every little detail long before they can ever be formally announced.
Call Of Duty is one of those and another is Resident Evil, with most of the basics about Requiem having been leaked well before they were officially confirmed. Naturally, the rumours didn’t end there and there’s currently believed to be at least two remakes underway, as well as the inevitable sequel to Requiem.
While talk of a new Resident Evil 1 remake suggests it’s the furthest out, there’s been confusion over whether Resident Evil Zero or Code: Veronica is set to be the next one or not. Capcom hasn’t announced either, but news has leaked about online tests that suggests Zero is well underway.
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The latest rumour, from Marcox on X, is that Capcom is currently testing online co-op for Resident Evil Zero, with the remake apparently being codenamed Chambers – after co-lead Rebecca Chambers.
As a reminder, the original Resident Evil Zero on GameCube was a purely single-player game, but it had two player characters, the other being felon Billy Coen. You could switch control between them and when they weren’t split up the AI would control whoever you weren’t.
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This was seven years before the co-op mode in Resident Evil 5 but while Zero may have acted as a useful experiment for the developers, the dual protagonists didn’t add much to the game, which is one of the least regarded of the mainline entries.
That arguably makes the prospect of a remake more interesting, as nobody’s going to care if Capcom make major changes to Zero, especially in regards to co-op.
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Resident Evil 5 and 6 are the only mainline entries to feature co-op and after their poor reception Capcom has not returned to the option again, except in the two Resident Evil Revelations spin-offs.
In that sense, Zero might again serve as a prototype for Resident Evil 5, which no rumour suggests Capcom is so far planning to remake. Although that is an especially difficult prospect, as not only did the game have a mixed reception in terms of its gameplay but the African setting caused controversy back in 2009 and has not aged well since then.
At the moment, it’s currently believed that Zero and Code: Veronica will be released over the course of 2027 and 2028, and while this latest leak suggests Zero will be first, that’s not certain.
Resident Evil 10, the follow-up to Requiem, is believed to be aiming for around 2029, with the Resident Evil 1 remake sometime after that.
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The further you get the less accurate such dates become though, whether the current information is accurate or not. But with Requiem proving to be the fastest-selling Resident Evil game ever you can guarantee that Capcom will want to follow up on that as soon as possible.
A “criminally underrated” drama with a supernatural twist is ready to stream on Netflix.
Hayley Anderson Screen Time TV Reporter
17:48, 13 Apr 2026
Netflix fans are being encouraged to watch this “genuine and powerful” drama that has garnered widespread acclaim from audiences.
Crime drama fans have their next binge-watch sorted, with UK audiences only now discovering the Taiwanese series The Resurrected, which launched on Netflix in October.
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The English-dubbed thriller, featuring supernatural elements, tells the tale of two bereaved mothers whose daughters were abducted by a human trafficking ring.
Through a forbidden ritual, the mothers bring back to life a criminal mastermind behind a fraud operation in their quest for vengeance against those responsible for taking their children.
Upon its initial release, the nine-episode drama became a phenomenal success for Netflix viewers in territories including Taiwan, Hong Kong and Thailand, and is now making a lasting impression in the UK.
While one viewer described The Resurrected as “criminally underrated”, another echoed: “Why is this so underrated?!! More people should watch this show.
“It was intense and I couldn’t stop binging through all the episodes.”
A third commented: “It was honestly worth the watch. I’m very particular about the things I watch.
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“If it’s boring, I tend to turn it off and never finish it, but I binge watched this all in one night. Finished it at 7am.”
Watch Fury vs Makhmudov with free Netflix subscription
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Tyson Fury has come out of retirement to face Russian boxer Arslanbek Makhmudov in a heavyweight clash in London on April 11. The fight will stream live on Netflix, which fans can get for free with Sky’s £15 Essential TV bundle or £24 Ultimate TV bundle, the latter of which also includes HBO Max and Disney+.
Another viewer concurred: “This drama has one of the freshest and most creative plots I’ve seen in years.
“The acting is absolutely fabulous – every performance feels genuine and powerful.
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“The younger actors deserve special mention too; their performances are truly remarkable and add great depth to the story.”
The Resurrected boasts an entirely Asian cast, featuring Shu Qui from A Beautiful Life, Angelica Lee, known for her role in The Eye, and Fu Meng-Po from Father to Son.
“Welcome bonus: get 150% up to £150 on your first deposit”. It’s the kind of offer that greets anyone who visits a British online betting site. What it doesn’t say is that if you decide to spend £50 on this offer, you’d need to stake an additional £750 of your own money before any winnings could be withdrawn.
Recent research by colleagues and I asked nearly 600 UK bettors to work out the true cost of exactly that kind of offer. Nearly everyone got it wrong, underestimating the real amount often by hundreds of pounds.
Financial inducements, “free” bets, deposit matches and welcome bonuses are a standard part of signing up with almost any UK operator. Their behavioural harms are well established. They encourage people to gamble more often, push bettors towards riskier wagers and are linked to chasing losses. The heaviest effects tend to fall on those already experiencing gambling harm.
But behaviour is only half the story. Harm can also stem from something more basic: not understanding what an offer actually requires of you in the first place. That’s where wagering requirements come in – the rules saying you have to bet the bonus amount a certain number of times over before any winnings attached to it can be withdrawn.
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Until recently, these multipliers could be as high as 50 times the bonus. Since January 2026, the UK Gambling Commission has capped them at ten times and required operators to make their terms clearer. It’s a meaningful step. But it stops short of requiring operators to show consumers what that ten times multiplier actually means in pounds and pence, and that omission turns out to matter.
Our research
We ran an online experiment with 585 adults who had gambled in the past year. Each participant saw a realistic welcome bonus modelled on a real 2025 promotion, fully compliant with the 2026 rules. Half saw it in the standard industry format. The other half saw the same offer with one addition: a three-sentence example spelling out what the 10 times wagering requirement actually meant for a £50 deposit.
The correct answer was £750. The median estimate was £500. More than 90% of participants underestimated the true cost. Only around 5% got it right.
The £500 figure is telling. It is exactly what you would get if you applied the 10-times multiplier to the £50 deposit but ignored the 150% bonus on top. Most people understood part of the calculation but missed the compounding effect.
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Matched bonuses combined with wagering multipliers are among the most common inducements in the UK. Together, they appear to obscure the true cost in a systematic way.
Crucially, this misunderstanding was not confined to any one group. People at low risk of gambling harm miscalculated at almost the same rate as those at high risk. The issue is not that some bettors are bad at maths. It is that the offer itself is structured to make the true cost hard to calculate.
When we added the worked example, attractiveness ratings dropped significantly. Once people could see what the offer required, they found it far less appealing.
Over 90% of UK bettors misjudge ‘free bets’ gambling bonuses. Kaspars Grinvalds/Shutterstock
What bettors told us
Participants’ responses revealed three consistent themes. Many described the offers as manipulative, using words such as “predatory” and “deceptive”. Others argued they were economically worthless, with one participant saying “99% of people will fail to benefit”. Many also called for stronger regulation.
Several made a comparison worth taking seriously: gambling inducements, they argued, should follow the same upfront disclosure rules as credit products. One 23-year-old said wagering requirements should be shown on the advert itself, “similar to how interest rates need to be shown clearly on sites offering loans”.
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They may have a point. The Annual Percentage Rate was introduced in UK consumer credit precisely because people couldn’t compare loan products when costs were hidden behind different headline formats. Gambling inducements present an almost identical problem.
Capping wagering requirements at ten times is welcome. But it’s not the same as making costs visible. Even a reduced multiplier still requires a multi-step calculation, and an understanding of compounding that many people do not have.
A worked example, shown in the same print size as the headline offer, would take only a few lines. It would not ban anything or restrict choice. But our study suggests it would change how people evaluate these offers. Denmark already requires something similar. Australia, Spain, Belgium and Italy have gone further, banning inducements to new customers altogether.
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Worked examples are not a complete solution. But as a low-cost addition to existing Gambling Commission rules, they could help consumers see these offers for what they are before deciding whether to take them up.
Jamie Torrance has received, in the last three years: (1) Open access publication funding from Gambling Research Exchange Ontario (GREO), (2) Conference travel and accommodation funding from the Academic Forum for the Study of Gambling (AFSG), (3) A minor exploratory research grant from the ASFG and GREO, (4) Seed Grant funding from the International Centre for Responsible Gambling (ICRG), (5) Studentship funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), (6) Rapid evidence review (RER) funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), (7) Policy Fellowship funding from UKRI, and (8) A Gambling Harms Research and Innovation Partnership (GHRIP) award from UKRI.
Emergency services attended but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
A man has been found dead at a property in Dundee.
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Emergency services raced to the address on Kinghorne Place in the City of Discovery after receiving a report of concern for a person at 2.45am on Sunday, April 12.
Crews attended but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officers from Police Scotland say inquiries into the circumstances surrounding his death are ongoing, however, there does not appear to be any suspicious circumstances.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 2.45pm on Sunday, 12 April, 2026, we were called to a report of concern for a man at a property in the Kinghorne Place area of Dundee.
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“Emergency services attended however the man was pronounced dead a short time later.
“Inquiries are ongoing however there do not appear to be any suspicious circumstances. A report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal in due course.”
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“I just can’t believe I waited 17 years to get one Green Jacket and now I get two in a row,” he said. “I did the bulk of my work on Thursday and Friday, but I’m just so happy to hang in there and get the job done.”
In terms of being a roller-coaster, it did not begin to rival the unbelievable, gut-wobbling scenes of 12 months before. But then, how could it? In 2025, it had been 11 years since McIlroy had won his fourth major and every year after that he had visited the major that seemingly suited his game most and the pressure had built as he tried to emulate Ben Hogan, Gene Sarazen, Gary Player, Nicklaus and Woods in completing the career grand slam.
At least four times in that crazy scenario, he had one arm in that Green Jacket until he finally saw off Rose in a play-off. This time around it was tense, but it was not on the same level. McIlroy knew it would not be as he explained on Saturday night.
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“I’d like to think that I’ll play a little bit freer and I’ll play, you know, like I’ve already got a Green Jacket, which I do,” he said. “Sometimes I maybe just have to remind myself of that, but I think as well that the stakes in terms of, like, the pairing will be just a little bit easier. You know, the atmosphere out there will be a little bit easier. Yeah, I’m not worried about that at all.”
Some took that to mean he was not as motivated, but if that is the case they do not know McIlroy and they do not remember 2014. That was his most spectacular year to date when, as a player in his mid-20s, he won back-to-back majors. This now has the feel of those days and it will be intriguing to see where he takes this next. He is playing freely and is highly dangerous.
Tottenham captain Cristian Romero is set to miss the rest of the season with the knee injury he sustained in their 1-0 defeat at Sunderland.
Argentina defender Romero, 27, looked visibly upset as he limped off following a collision with goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky in the Premier League fixture at the Stadium of Light on Sunday.
It raised concerns he may have incurred an injury serious enough to rule him out of Tottenham‘s final six games as they battle to avoid relegation.
Following tests, Romero is now expected to miss up to eight weeks with a high-grade partial tear of his medial cruciate ligament.
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His chances of being part of Argentina’s squad for this summer’s World Cup are also left hanging in the balance.
Romero’s absence is a major setback for newly-appointed head coach Roberto de Zerbi as he bids to keep Tottenham in the top flight.
De Zerbi said after the match that Romero was a “good player with a big personality” and a “crucial player” for Spurs.
Tottenham are currently 18th in the Premier League – two points behind West Ham, who are just above the drop zone.
The launch confirmed the progress Scottish Labour has made in the last few years on patriotism.
Sarwar’s party was previously open to the accusation that they were more loyal to UK Labour than to Scots.
His call for Starmer to quit as Prime Minister killed that toxic claim stone dead.
Sarwar was also at his best talking about the country he wants to lead. “Scotland first, everything else after,” he declared.
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He also confirmed a shopping list of policies that put the cost of living crisis at the centre of the election.
Boosting tax free childcare, creating 9,000 new apprenticeships and building 125,000 more homes are intended to help people cope with everyday life.
Backing income tax cuts for Scots earning £33,500 or more, as well as a £100m package of support in response to the Gulf crisis, will speak directly to mainstream voters.
Promising to slash NHS waiting times, end the 8am rush for a GP appointment and create a new mental health emergency service also hones in on the SNP’s weakest area – health.
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But there is a feeling inside Labour that the manifesto lacked ambition after nearly 20 years in the doldrums of Holyrood politics.
Sarwar has committed to keeping every one of the SNP’s universal benefits, from free prescriptions to no university tuition fees.
Some of the anti-poverty policies, such as on breakfast clubs in primary schools and generous payments for babies, were cut and pasted from the SNP Government Budget.
The manifesto showed Sarwar is promising to be a better custodian of Scotland’s status quo, rather than going for the jugular and backing a fundamentally new approach.
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In the question and answer session with journalists, he responded tetchily to the suggestion he was offering “new management” by reeling off all the times the media had predicted a fall for Labour.
“Now you are telling us we can’t win this election. I look forward to proving you all wrong on the 7th of May,” he said, to applause.
But everything about Sarwar’s campaign, from his spring conference in Paisley to the manifesto, shows he is focused on voters’ minds, not their hearts.
He is asking Scots to “hold their nose” and vote Labour tactically, rather than do so with any enthusiasm.
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Sarwar is of the view that Alex Salmond’s victory in 2007 is a template of success for him.
Nearly twenty years ago, Salmond tapped into a vibe of change and promised a series of inexpensive but eye-catching populist policies.
Salmond’s energy also led to the SNP beating Labour by a single seat, a result that changed Scotland forever.
Sarwar’s problem is he possesses Salmond’s drive but lacks the pledge card-style policies the former SNP leader had in droves.
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The Glasgow MSP believes that once voters are interested in the campaign, they will see Labour as the best option to call time on two decades of SNP rule.
He is confident switchers will deliver him ten to fifteen SNP constituencies.
But anger with the UK Government means he still has three mountains to climb to win the election.
Sarwar has to claw back support lost to Reform, eat into the SNP’s huge lead and halt the rise of the Greens. All in less than 25 days.
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If the pro-UK parties pull off a majority, which no poll is showing, Sarwar would then require Reform support to become First Minister.
The best Sarwar can hope for is sneaking a narrow win and crawling into the Bute House.
A man in his 20s and a woman in her late teens were pronounced dead after the crash on the C267 School Lane around Derwent Reservoir, by Winnows Hill Farm, on Sunday (April 12).
Police say the VW Polo was driving north on the road when it left smashed into a tree just before 6pm.
A third occupant of the car, another man in his 20s, was taken to hospital and the road remains closed.
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Sergeant Craig Bartle, of Northumbria Police, said: “Our thoughts are firmly with the family and loved ones of the man and woman who have sadly died as a result of this traffic incident.
“We will continue to offer their loved ones all of the support they need as we begin our investigations and seek to provide them with answers.”
“We are now appealing for any information and in particular, anyone with dashcam footage of the incident, or the moments leading up to it.
“We are particularly keen to speak with anyone who was travelling in the area in either direction and who may have seen what happened.
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“If this was you, or you were in the area around the time of this collision, please come forward and speak with us.
“Any information you are able to provide could prove crucial to our enquiries.”
Anyone with information is asked to send Northumbria Police a direct message on social media, use the live chat and report forms on the force’s website, or call 101 quoting reference NP-20260412-0711.
The Love Island star spent the weekend partying at the well known music festival, held in Los Angeles, and shared plenty of snaps with pals including Millie Court posing up a storm throughout their trip
Zara Zubeidi Deputy Showbiz Editor
16:55, 13 Apr 2026
Chloe Burrows left her Kiss Breakfast Show co-host Tyler West to hold the fort on Monday morning after claiming she was “stuck” at Coachella. The Love Island star spent the weekend partying at the well known music festival, held in Los Angeles, and shared plenty of snaps with pals including Millie Court posing throughout their trip.
In one photo, Chloe could be seen sitting on the bonnet of a pink car as she modelled a white crop top, some shorts and boots. Tyler left listeners in stitches when he called up Chloe live on-air to “check in” with her. Sounding groggy, Chloe seemed confused, asking “Who is this?” followed by “What do you mean Tyler?” She then said she was “stuck” at the music festival.
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Chloe found fame on season seven of Love Island back in 2021. She was coupled up with Toby Aromolaran but the pair split soon after living the villa.
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She made a comeback to the All Stars edition of the series in February to offer her friend Millie advice via a video link. Following her initial stint in the villa, Chloe has appeared on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, Celebrity Mastermind, and Celebs Go Dating.
She appeared to be all geared up for Celeb SAS, but abruptly ripped off her armband after the second episode while declaring that the series was: “The worst thing I’ve ever done in my whole life!”
Fans were shocked by Chloe’s decision, however the podcast host later explained why she chose to quit in a straight-talking post on Instagram.
Chloe said: “As much as there’s not the nicest comments about SAS, I’m overwhelmed by how many of you have been lovely.
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“For context, girl had done EIGHT DAYS in Ibiza and then went straight from there to film the Sideman Show for a week and then STRAIGHT from there to film SAS.
“I was f*****g exhausted and wanted my own bed and a cuddle from my mum. Forgive a girl for being so naive, but jumping at opportunities I’d never thought possible.”
Chloe ended her post, calling out ‘weird, older women’, saying: “Also surprised at how many older women are commenting awful things with their kids in their bios. Weird x.”
As the celebrities, which previously included Hannah Spearritt and Louis Spence – who quit after the first episode – were tasked with hiking up a ravine, Chloe was seen struggling and had already told her co-stars she couldn’t handle the intensity of the show.
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She complained about the conditions as she was heard moaning before she declared: “I can’t do it”. However, the Special Forces staff were predictably pushing all the contestants, and the DS yelled at Chloe: “Can’t do what? We’ve walked 300 metres up a f*****g hill!”.
The DS then told his recruit she was “wasting a massive opportunity”, but Chloe had already made a decision and said through her tears: “I’m done, I’m done.”
Chloe then handed over her arm band and started walking in the opposite direction, back down the hill. She was upset as she declared: “F*** off, this is the worst thing I have ever done in my whole life!”
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