Operation Epic Fury unleashed overwhelming firepower on Iran and a Trump broadside against Britain’s prime minister. The president belittled Keir Starmer as being no comparison to Winston Churchill, raged against caveated British support and placed Britain’s standing as America’s “greatest ally” firmly in the past tense.

Starmer refused the bait. His government is privately contemptuous of the Trump administration. But he still needs to deal with the US president and how he should do that following the recent vitriol is a very live question.

Winston Churchill appropriated the term special relationship after the second world war to refer to the myriad Anglo-American connections. Some were government-to-government, spanning privileged diplomatic, economic, military, nuclear and intelligence cooperation. Others were historical and cultural, from which evolved a sentimental myth of special relations based on uniquely entwined histories, a common language, similar values and so forth.

For 80 years, Britain and the US stood shoulder-to-shoulder in defence of a liberal international order they fashioned from the ruins of war. The US became a hyperpower. Post-imperial Britain settled as a leading medium-sized power. But the song remained the same – at least until the Trump administration’s discordant note.

Brexit made Britain even more dependent on US power. Starmer, therefore, followed almost every prime minister since the second world war in seeking close personal relations with US presidents and the preservation of Britain’s standing as America’s foremost ally.

In fairness, of all the national leaders aspiring to be a “Trump whisperer”, Starmer has been one of the more successful. Routine extensive government-to-government dialogue has been combined with carefully choreographed leveraging of cultural connections to massage the president’s ego. Particularly noteworthy has been recruitment of British royalty to the cause, including the president’s historic second state visit in September 2025.

Still, Trump’s personality and his administration’s policies remain challenging. Starmer risks association with Trump’s political toxicity if he gets too close and will be questioned about whether any rewards from such courtship outweigh the costs.

Fidelity above all else

The Trump administration is anomalous. Unlike previous administrations, it does not consistently work with the British government to put a positive face on Anglo-American relations. The feel-good sentiment generated by the second state visit, for example, dissipated rapidly once Trump carelessly attacked British policies shortly afterwards in the United Nations.

Meanwhile, Trump’s prioritises fidelity above competence and centralises power in his White House. These tendencies, and his suspicion of expertise within the “deep state” weaken Britain’s ability to feed into the American foreign policymaking process.

Trump’s inconsistency, preference for diplomacy by social media, and frequently provocative and erroneous statements often trap Starmer between trying to smooth consequent tensions (in which case he appears as a Trump apologist) or rebutting the president. This was clear when Trump threatened Canadian sovereignty, when he repeatedly implied he would invade Greenland and when he attacked the commitment of British troops in Afghanistan.

Finally, and most importantly, the Trump administration is undermining the liberal international order, casting its anti-liberal, anti-modernist and anti-globalist tendencies against Britain’s preferences for international law, multilateral institutions, collective security and international free trade.

What should Starmer do now?

On balance, Starmer’s best option for now is to hope, hedge and wait. In the short term, Downing Street will hope that US mid-terms return a Congress less pliant to Trump’s ambitions and that legal actions through American courts continue their disruption.

In the longer term, the next three years will constitute a damage-limitation exercise while the world waits for Trump’s successor to arrive. The hope will be that whoever the next president is, Anglo-American relations will improve simply from being liberated from the personal and organisational chaos wrought by Trump.

During this interim, Starmer will routinely align Britain with the US provided doing so neither overly compromises British interests nor further weakens the liberal international order. He will also probably swallow bile and continue to woo Trump. That will potentially include leveraging the 250th anniversary celebrations of American independence. Even this, however, will need balancing against the risk of inferred endorsement of Trump ahead of the midterms.

Meanwhile, the British government will de-emphasise the significance of personalities to the robustness of Anglo-American relations and hedge against over-reliance on the US. This means building ever closer relations with Europe, continuing cautious engagement with China and outreach to other centres of economic power.

Starmer should also seek stronger relations with Canada’s Mark Carney, who has emerged as the most capable leader of the world’s medium-ranking powers and who most shares Britain’s conundrum of needing close but not over-dependent relations with Washington.

One final cautionary note. Trump dominates headlines, but he is merely an awkward symptom of the biggest challenge to the special relationship since its inception. The international order is in flux. How it is reshaped will determine whether Britain and the US remain shoulder to shoulder or return to being the distant cousins of the interwar period.

The latter is a scenario that ought to cause British officials sleeplessness. A US retreat to a neo-isolationism that broadly embraces the Maga logic would pass the mantle of principal guardianship of the liberal international order to the European Union. Britannia would then face a not-so-splendid isolation, self-exiled from the union and powerless to prevent retreat of the Atlantic shoreland.

Strictly Come Dancing is on the hunt for two new presenters to replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman

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A British daytime television host has been tipped to become one of the new faces of Strictly Come Dancing.

It is believed that Rylan Clark, host of This Morning, would be “a ratings winner” for the BBC programme. The show is on the hunt for two new presenters to replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman after the duo left at the end of the last series.

Tess and Claudia served 21-year and 15-year stints on Strictly Come Dancing respectively, and speculation has swirled about their replacements, The Mirror reported.

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Rylan, 37, is thought likely to succeed one of their roles, having enjoyed a successful career in presenting since 2013 when he had is first role on This Morning.

A source said: “He has so many loyal fans. If he gets the job they will most certainly tune in to Strictly. He will be a ratings winner and the BBC know it.”

Rylan could team up with The One Show host Angela Scanlon, who we reported is also set to have an audition for one of the show’s openings. Insiders believe the pair would have strong chemistry and give the show an exciting revamp.

Rylan already anchored Eurovision coverage for the BBC and is said to be “very keen” to be paired with Angela, who was a contestant on Strictly in 2023.

“Rylan has a long-standing association with the show, and Angela has been a contestant. The main thing is they’d be a totally new pairing – no baggage, no former shows, uniquely Strictly,” one insider told the Daily Mail.

“On top of that, they want to be sure that an all-female presenting line-up isn’t replaced by an old-fashioned male-female duo where the man takes on a dominant role.”

Another source told the outlet that the role on Strictly Come Dancing would be “his dream job.”

It is believed Rylan still faces screen tests in April for producers to assess his chemistry with any possible co-stars, including Angela.

But other names in the frame are One Show host Alex Jones, Zoe Ball and Bradley Walsh, presenter of The Chase. Speculation has already linked the current professional dancer Johannes Radebe to the presenting gig.

The popular Canary Islands hotspot was hit by orange weather warnings just days before Easter getaways

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A beloved British holiday destination famed for its year-round warmth has been transformed into a winter wonderland just days ahead of the Easter break.

The Canary Islands were placed under an orange weather alert following days of torrential rain and gale-force winds, with forecasters warning the miserable conditions could persist for at least another five days – potentially disrupting the plans of countless holidaymakers. Astonishing footage from Tenerife showed the popular resort island blanketed in snow, with icicles forming in various locations.

Bewildered tourists captured videos of the whiteout at Teide National Park, where several roads were forced to close due to the unexpected conditions. Further snowfall is anticipated across areas of the island above 1,800-2,000 metres.

Storm Therese has battered the archipelago with severe rainfall, triggering flash floods and landslides across multiple regions. Meteorological authorities issued warnings on Wednesday (March 18) for the Canary Islands covering various extreme weather phenomena, including storms, flooding, powerful winds, heavy downpours and dangerous sea conditions, reports the Mirror.

Wind speeds have astonishingly surpassed 74 miles per hour in certain areas, with the glorious sunshine British visitors typically anticipate conspicuously absent from forecasts for the coming days. The dreadful weather has also sparked travel disruption, with no fewer than seven flights to the Canary Islands cancelled or diverted on Thursday – following 36 cancellations the previous day.

Friday is set to see a worsening of conditions, potentially marking the most severe phase of Storm Therese. Orange rain warnings have been issued for Tenerife, El Hierro, La Palma and La Gomera, as reported by Canarian Weekly.

The popular holiday destination is bracing for up to 11mm of rainfall within a mere 12-hour period. An amber rain alert has been declared for Gran Canaria, where 80mm of rain is anticipated.

Weather experts are also forecasting perilous sea conditions between Tenerife and Gran Canaria, with waves predicted to reach up to six metres and winds of up to force eight.

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Hungary is blocking the European Union from providing Ukraine with a loan to help its war effort.

Viktor Orban, the right-wing prime minister in Budapest, has been a constant critic of the bloc’s commitment to supporting Kyiv and is seen as one of Vladimir Putin’s closest allies in Europe.

His country is a member of the EU, and he has been accused of undermining the bloc’s position on the war.

Brussels agreed a deal worth €90bn in December to help Kyiv keep fighting for up to two more years, but Mr Orban is blocking the money from being provided.

Speaking after a summit on Thursday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz accused him of an act of “gross disloyalty”, while the European Council’s president, Antonio Costa, said his opposition constituted “blackmail”.

How is Orban blocking the money?

The implementation of the interest-free loan requires unanimity among the EU’s 27 member states.

Ukraine’s allies within the bloc had been keen to show they’re serious about stumping up big money to help due to America’s waning support under Donald Trump. The US had been a major provider of aid under Joe Biden.

Mr Orban has justified blocking the €90bn package by citing a dispute over a pipeline damaged by the war. It carries Russian oil through Ukraine to Hungary and Slovakia.

Kyiv and Brussels say a Russian attack in January was the cause of the damage, and it will take another six weeks to repair. Hungary claims it’s already functional and accuses Kyiv of withholding the oil.

Mr Orban posted on X following the Thursday summit: “As long as Zelensky ‌does not lift the oil blockade, they will not receive any money from Brussels.”

Read more from Sky News:
Angela Rayner under fire
Nicola Sturgeon’s farewell advice

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Was Zelenskyy’s UK visit a success?

What happens now?

Some in the EU hope Hungary will change its position once the pipeline is repaired, or following the country’s election next month.

Mr Orban has been prime minister since 2010 and is seeking another term in office. Mr Trump has endorsed him.

But Germany’s Mr Merz has suggested the European Commission look into whether the loan can be implemented without relying on Budapest, which has already been excluded from even having to contribute towards the costs.

Zelenskyy says loan is ‘critical’

EU officials have warned Kyiv could run short of cash within weeks without the loan. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the money was “critical” for his country’s war effort.

“It is a resource ​to protect lives,” he told EU leaders in a video address.

Without foreign aid, Ukraine’s government would likely have to start cutting spending on things like pensions, public sector wages, and welfare in order to keep funding defence.

Bad weather, tourism protests, and war conflicts have had drastic financial implications for holidaygoers worldwide.

But where is it safe to travel to in Europe at the moment?

Hi Lisa, Cyprus is not under FCDO advice against travel, so your holiday is planned to go ahead as normal, and customers in resort are continuing to enjoy their time away 🙂 ^Jo

— tuiuk (@TUIUK) March 17, 2026

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Which European countries may currently be at risk due to conflict or safety concerns?

Jason Margulies, a personal injury lawyer, maritime, cruise ship and resort/vacation injury lawyer at Lipcon , Margulies & Winkleman, said: “Risk can vary drastically by country and region, and understanding what those risks are is key to trip planning.”

Amid Do Not Travel warnings for Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus, he also highlighted how France, Belgium, and Germany also have elevated terror concerns, especially for public areas, tourist hotspots, and transit hubs.

He added: “Some areas, like Cyprus and Turkey, have seen recent incidents related to the conflicts, and those may also give you pause for travel.

“Even when the risk is low, it should come down to your own comfort level for the risk you want to take on.”

The Royal Navy’s radar in the sky🚁

🚨Merlin helicopters provide airborne early warning for the UK’s aircraft carriers — detecting aircraft, missiles and drones from miles away

One has recently been deployed to Cyprus amid rising tensions in the region pic.twitter.com/4Q7NblrRNG

— BFBS Forces News (@ForcesNews) March 12, 2026

What factors contribute to elevated risk in these destinations?

Margulies continued: “The current advisories for Western Europe are elevated due to terrorism, and attacks can happen with little warning in areas frequented by tourists, from markets and train stations to hotels, restaurants, and major events.

“Proximity to active conflict areas elevates the risk for travelling into these areas, though travellers shouldn’t forget that the usual crime-related risks that tourists face are always around.

“As for those going on cruises, check your itinerary to decide if you feel comfortable sailing to European ports that are close to the conflict zones, particularly Izmit, Turkey.

“While it is concerning, it’s not a crisis, and awareness, along with travel insurance in the event you want to cancel or change plans, is the best focus for any of these destinations.”

Tenerife and Lanzarote placed on warning list for tourists

The Canary Islands have been placed on the Fodor ‘No List’ amid anti-tourism protests, environmental concerns and pollution impacting beaches.

Fodor provides travel guides and online tourism information for English-speaking tourists.

During the first six months of 2025, the Canary Islands welcomed more than 7.8 million tourists and more than 27 million airport passengers.

But residents have protested in the streets of Tenerife, Gran Canaria, and Lanzarote over the past two years against the usual influx of travellers to the sunny, hot islands.

The Friday letters page is surprised GTA 6 no longer has the most watched trailer record, as one reader laments the death of Red Storm Entertainment.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Crimson letter day
Can’t say I’m surprised at the negative Crimson Desert reviews. Although I guess I should call them ‘mixed’ which seems to be what we’re supposed to say when all the trustworthy sites mark it down and the ones you’ve never heard of give it 9/10.

The graphics do look good, and I can’t pretend I wasn’t swayed by them when I was watching the trailers, but I’m very suspicious of any game that’s claiming to be the next big thing, and it’s made by a developer with very little experience in the genre.

When you know they’ve only ever made an MMO before the whole game seems like exactly what you’d expect from that. Its Metacritic score is lower than some people seem to have expected, so I think it’s clear it’s not a great game, but from what I’ve read the score isn’t low enough.

I also have a really bad feeling about the console versions. The fact that there’s not a single review of the PlayStation 5 version is giving me Cyberpunk 2077 vibes and that’s not going to be a pretty sight.
Hammeriron

Not awful
Can anyone explain to me why anyone thought Crimson Desert was going to be amazing? I’m going to assume it was nonsense whipped up by streamers and YouTube, since as I write this it’s doing really well on Twitch, but why? Surely they haven’t run out of things to talk about or were they just doing advertising for the company?

It may seem harmless but they’re talking people into paying £50+ for a game that doesn’t sound like it’s any good. And we haven’t even seen what it looks like when it runs on consoles, so I can’t wait for that obvious disaster to be revealed.

Of course, the second stage will be people who were tricked into buying it pretending to everyone else that it’s actually really good or ‘not that bad’. I don’t know about you I demand a bit more than that for my entertainment.
Lee Perrin

Losing the crown
Interesting that GTA 6 had its trailer record broken by what I would’ve thought was a relatively ordinary new Marvel movie. I’m sure it will do well, but it won’t do as much as the last Spider-Man film (because it was a crossover) and I doubt it’s going to be a cultural moment like Avengers: End Game or something like The Force Awakens. GTA 6 is absolutely on par with those sort of things though, so I’m surprise it’s not still number one.

I guess population growth alone will mean the number always goes up but with cinema attendances down… it’s just not something I would’ve betted on. I’m not going to say something daft like GTA 6 isn’t going to do well but this is the first sign we’ve had that it does have its limits. But to be fair that surprisingly sensible Take-Two boss does seem to realise that.
Dustin

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Beyond monsters
Been playing Pokemon Pokopia since launch. My, that game is a compulsive one, right?

Anyway, got me thinking, when is a pocket monster not a pocket monster and it’s just an animal? When a bird can fly and dart about quickly, isn’t it just a bird? No room for you in my pocket, pigeon! And if a squirrel doesn’t have a flaming tail or the ability to bend spoons with its mind then isn’t that just a fluffy rodent?! Kicked from the team ya furry rat!

Is there a discernible difference, or was Ash just going around enslaving wildlife for 25 years?
big boy bent
Currently playing: Pokopia and Thank Goodness You’re Here!, was chuckling away as I mowed the park with the daisies because I knew what was coming… I love you… I love you… I love you…. ha ha ha! Looking forward to more.

GC: Pokémon are fully sapient, unlike ordinary animals. No more so than in Pokopia, where they communicate with each other like a human would and perform complex tasks.

BSAA Dispatch
I hope Leon and Ada have hooked up, I think that would be neat. I think other than Barry Burton none of the other characters are confirmed to have a partner of any kind? I love Resident Evil and I would very much support a game that was not a survival horror. Something that was more comedic, sure, but also something that was more dramatic, with time for everyone to sit around and chat.

I don’t even know if half of these people have even met each other. Does Leon know Jill? Does Claire know anyone that isn’t Chris? Why has Sheva never come back and do they keep in touch?

I’m imagining some kind of visual novel/point ‘n’ click thing. Maybe something like Dispatch, where action is happening but it’s all about how the people are behind the scenes, I think that’d be a great idea.
Lobbie

La fin
Very sad to hear about the death of Red Storm Entertainment. I used to love the early Rainbow Six games, back when they were primarily tactical games, with action only as a minor aspect. Those days are obviously long gone but then so too is the whole franchise. Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon are both dead, and so is all the experimental stuff like EndWar and H.A.W.X.

Rainbow Six itself is essentially dead, with Siege being all that’s left of it, and it has nothing in common with the old games. The only other thing is The Division, which I would’ve sworn is also dead but apparently has a third game on the way, but either way it’s just another live service game.
As an adult, I have to admit I do look on the games in a different light.

They’re very right wing (as Tom Clancy was himself, even if he wasn’t a nut about it) and the whole gun fetish thing is kind of distasteful in the current age. As was said, it’s completely different to what Ubisoft used to be about and in that sense I’m not as sad to see the end of it all.

Let’s face it, if they were to bring these franchises back it’d be in name only, like Ghost Recon Wildlands, so what’s the point? I wouldn’t have shut down Red Storm but I would’ve had them making something that was a bit more political nuanced and not so much trying to appeal only to Americans.

I don’t have much faith that Ubisoft can make it through the next few years but if they do I hope they can get back some of what made them interesting in the early 2000s. Military games are fine, but they have to make them more than just shooting galleries. They need a more European perspective, not an American one.
Claborn

Petition for a petition
Can confirm that boost mode on the Switch 2 is really good. It’s the only thing that’s got me off Pokémon Pokopia (for a while) and while it is a shame that not all games are affected equally, I do think it’s a good start.

I would definitely sign the petition for a Switch 2 edition of Astral Chain, but I realise that’s never going to happen. I would love to hear of a sequel though, because I thought the original did better than expected. PlatinumGames seemed like they were in trouble for a while there but Ninja Gaiden 4 reviewed well, so hopefully they’ve still got the juice.
Luminous

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Cheap graphics
I found the DLSS 5-ified images revealed the other day a bit off putting to be honest.

While clearly a lot better in the amount of detail over the original images I do think they all were overly bright and had that artificial, unnatural feel you see with a lot of AI.

While not AI, the first thing that sprang to my mind was the awful, garish, pimped up remaster of Halo: Combat Evolved. I’ve played the game several times since and always use the original graphics, just at a higher resolution, as I think they look much better and atmospheric than the technically better, more detailed, retina burning newer graphics.

I’m sure DLSS 5 and its implementation will improve though and look more natural. It’ll probably be useful for a lot of smaller devs to punch above their weight in the graphics department.

I quite like that Take-Two guy but GTA 5 is generally considered the highest grossing entertainment product ever, with something like $10 billion in revenue. He’s got a bit more resources at his disposal than nearly everyone else.
Simundo

GC: That doesn’t seem like a good reason to put up with AI slop. Many lower budget and indie titles are visually impressive already, the idea of losing that in favour of a generic AI look is an awful thought.

Inbox also-rans
Why would Sony change the name of PlayStation Network? PSN is a perfectly good acronym and unlike most Xbox names it means what is. I’ll put it another way: I’m jealous of how many millions of dollars some marketing consultant charged to change it to PlayStation Online, or whatever it’ll be.
Cinder9

I am also very keen to know what Persona 6 is like. I’d be going through the roof now, annoyed at the lack of news, but I remember it was exactly like this waiting for Persona 5. That was worth it so hopefully this will be too.
Tater

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The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

MORE: Games Inbox: Are people right to criticise Nvidia’s DLSS 5 tech?

MORE: Games Inbox: Is Starfield a good game?

MORE: Games Inbox: Is Requiem the best Resident Evil game?

Marks & Spencer brought back its Outrageously Chocolatey Custard Cream Biscuity Egg this Easter and I tried the viral chocolate egg to see if it lived up to the hype

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Each season, it appears, a Marks and Spencer item becomes a sensation. Be it their strawberries and cream sandwich, their Dunked N’ Loaded doughnuts or loaded cookies, there’s invariably a culinary creation from M&S making waves across social media. Last year, the multinational clothing, food and homeware retailer launched the ‘Outrageously Chocolatey Custard Cream Biscuity Egg’, a sizeable hollow custard cream-shaped ‘egg’ that rapidly gained traction on social media platforms alongside Waitrose’s ‘No.1 Chocolate Croissant’.

This year, the custard cream Easter egg has returned, and I embarked on a mission to determine whether it lives up to the hype. Securing my egg proved challenging. I popped into my local M&S Food Hall on a Sunday and instantly wished I hadn’t when confronted by the crowds. The Easter chocolate aisle was heaving with customers browsing the supermarket’s vast array of chocolate eggs, ‘Big Daddy’ chocolate bars and chocolate-shaped animals.

I succeeded in snatching the custard cream Easter egg from the top shelf and was instantly taken aback by its lightness. I’d anticipated the box would feel heavier; nonetheless, it proved easier to carry home than I’d imagined.

At £12 for 320g, I think it’s reasonably priced for a novelty Easter product. By comparison, Waitrose’s No.1 Almond Croissant egg retails at £15 for 275g. The packaging proved robust, featuring an elegant golden-yellow box and a protective plastic casing for the custard cream egg. Even after a 20-minute walk followed by a 20-minute train ride home, the egg remained completely intact.

The chocolate egg is decorated with crispy biscuit fragments, filled with luxurious white chocolate and a custard truffle. Being a custard cream enthusiast, I couldn’t wait to sample the egg. My hopes were high; I anticipated the crispness of a shortcake biscuit, a sweet yet creamy custard truffle, and smooth chocolate to bring it all together, reports the Express.

When unwrapping the egg, the size took me aback. I’d anticipated something slightly larger, though after tasting it, I understood why this wasn’t necessary.

If a single word summed up my experience with the egg, it would be sickly. I have a massive sweet tooth and adore chocolate; I’ve even sampled numerous chocolate bunnies from British supermarkets to find the best one, yet this egg pushed things too far.

The taste resembles Kinder chocolate, a blend of white and milk chocolate with the odd biscuit fragment scattered throughout. The custard truffle proved excessively sweet alongside the white chocolate and failed to deliver a robust vanilla flavour. It’s possible the flavour was there, but it was overwhelmed by the overly-sweet white chocolate.

For me, the proportions were skewed; it required more biscuit, less white chocolate and perhaps a slightly more bitter chocolate – maybe a dark milk chocolate or a 50% dark chocolate to offset the sweetness and let the custard truffle take centre stage. I can’t dispute that the quality of the chocolate was top-notch. It was creamy and had a premium taste, but the overly sweet white chocolate detracted from it.

The most striking feature of this egg is its visual appeal. It boasts the traditional patterns of a custard cream, the iconic M&S logo, and, as mentioned earlier, remained flawlessly intact. In fact, cracking open the egg proved somewhat challenging.

In summary, I’d say this as a novelty item. It’s fun and would serve as an excellent Easter present for someone with a preference for sweeter chocolate. For me, this prioritises style over substance; I’d opt for a simple custard cream any day.

Rylan Clark has had various presenting roles on This Morning since 2013, one year after he came fifth on The X Factor, which for some time was a direct rival to Strictly Come Dancing

This Morning host Rylan Clark is tipped to become one of the new faces of Strictly Come Dancing.

It is believed Rylan, 37, would be “a ratings winner” for the BBC programme, which is looking for two new presenters to replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. The duo left at the end of the last series, following 21-year and 15-year stints respectively, and speculation has swirled about their replacements.

Now, it is thought Rylan is likely to waltz into one of their places, having enjoyed a successful career in presenting since 2013 when he had is first role on This Morning. He first gave gossip from The X Factor on the ITV programme, and then had a relief presenter post before becoming more regular.

An insider said: “He has so many loyal fans. If he gets the job they will most certainly tune in to Strictly. He will be a ratings winner and the BBC know it.”

READ MORE: Giovanni Pernice to spill on Strictly chaos in tell-all book on his departureREAD MORE: Vicky Pattison’s huge earnings as she enjoys best paid year yet after Strictly

Rylan could team up with The One Show host Angela Scanlon, who we reported is also set to have an audition for one of the Strictly vacancies. Insiders believe the pair would have strong chemistry and offer Strictly an exciting revamp.

“Rylan has a long-standing association with the show, and Angela has been a contestant. The main thing is they’d be a totally new pairing – no baggage, no former shows, uniquely Strictly. On top of that, they want to be sure that an all-female presenting line-up isn’t replaced by an old-fashioned male-female duo where the man takes on a dominant role,” one insider told the Daily Mail.

Another source told the outlet: “For Rylan it is his dream job. He loved It Takes Two and the viewers loved him. It would be a no-brainer.”

Rylan, who grew up in Stepney, east London, has already anchored Eurovision coverage for the BBC. The media personality is said to be “very keen” to be paired with Angela, who was a contestant on Strictly in 2023. She was the ninth contestant to be eliminated after dancing with Carlos Gu.

It is believed Rylan still faces screen tests in April so producers can assess his chemistry with any possible co-stars, including Irish broadcaster Angela. Rylan fronted It Takes Two between 2019 and 2023, and he has hosted his own Rylan On Saturday show on Radio 2.

But other names in the frame are One Show host Alex Jones, Zoe Ball and Bradley Walsh, presenter of The Chase. Speculation has already linked the current professional dancer Johannes Radebe to the presenting gig.

​David Skaith, the elected Labour mayor, has responded to criticism from Conservative councillors who said he “hasn’t shown his face at all” regarding a pilot scheme that could force businesses in Scarborough to let out their vacant properties.

​The “carrot and stick” pilot project in Scarborough was approved by North Yorkshire Council’s executive committee this week, and could see it use compulsory purchase orders to address the “blight of empty and increasingly derelict properties” on high streets.

​A spokesperson for David Skaith said it was “disappointing” that he “has never been approached about this programme”.

​At a meeting of NYC’s executive committee in Malton on Tuesday, ​Conservative councillor Richard Foster, executive member for managing the environment, said: “The mayor is supposed to be the man of economic development and he doesn’t appear to be anywhere, or taking on the liability or the costings, and I find that a bit strange.

​“It’s a Labour policy and I thought the Labour mayor would have been all over this, but he hasn’t shown his face at all, which I find poor. After all, he’s the mayor of York and North Yorkshire, and that includes Scarborough.”

​​Fellow executive member, Cllr Mark Crane, said: “I completely agree with you about David Skaith.”

​A spokesperson for Mr Skaith said: “Scarborough is prime for development and town centre renewal, the mayor stands ready to support North Yorkshire Council and others to deliver this.

“The mayor has never been approached about this programme, which given his investments in high street projects in Scarborough and beyond, is disappointing and a missed opportunity by the council to align funding and support.“

​Scarborough has the highest town centre vacancy rate in the county at 18.6 per cent, followed by Malton at 17.1 per cent, while Whitby has a vacancy rate of just 7.6 per cent, according to a North Yorkshire Council report.

​NYC said its previous strategies, including offering fully funded vinyl wraps for vacant properties, had failed.

​​The scheme will see the introduction of new powers that allow local authorities to require landlords to rent out “persistently vacant commercial properties to new tenants such as local businesses or community groups”.

​​Properties that have been vacant for more than 366 days in the past two years would be eligible if they are deemed suitable for high street use, such as retail, offices, public services, hospitality, entertainment, or light industry.

​The council said that the properties would also need to be considered beneficial to the local economy, society, or environment if occupied.

​​Labour councillor Liz Colling, chair of Scarborough and Whitby Area Committee, said: “It’s a marvellous opportunity and there are plenty of places that are vacant.”

​Nic Harne, NYC’s corporate director for community development, said: “These are very new powers and just by bringing this in, we can bring landlords to the table.”

​​​A report prepared for the executive committee meeting stated: “Increasingly, the condition of the town centre of Scarborough, in particular Huntriss Row, where there is a concentration of vacant premises, is being raised with the council.

“Given the lack of impact of earlier initiatives, the limits of existing powers and the local imperative to tackle the issue, it is proposed the council pilots the use of the new high street rental auction (HSRA) powers to compel landlords to improve the vacant premises and secure new tenants.”

While the Europa League will continue to offer respite from an otherwise difficult season for Forest, the additional games present challenges.

Forest will take on Porto in the quarter-final on 9 and 16 April, welcome Aston Villa to the City Ground in between the two legs and then host Burnley the following weekend.

Winning games means positive momentum and that can only be a help when it comes to fighting to stay in the league.

But it also means more games and Pereira, who is set to take charge in his first European quarter-final, must find the balance between keeping his side in the top flight and managing the demands of competing in Europe.

“When we win it’s different,” Pereira said.

“The spirit is different, the energy is different and the boys deserve it because they are a fantastic group, very good players and with team spirit, character – we showed everything today.

“I don’t have any doubt that we have the quality and we will compete to achieve our targets.”

Yates added: “That winning feeling is special, you want to keep that momentum going.

“Momentum at this stage of the season is huge. We’re not going to get ahead of ourselves. Recover now, focus on Tottenham now and keep building, keep getting those wins.

“It’s not over yet, we’re still dreaming.”