Kelvin Fletcher and Sue Cleaver were there to support their former co-stars

Adam and Ryan Thomas were dealt a “cruel” twist of fate during their Deal or No Deal appearance as they settled for the banker’s final offer after instantly losing out on the jackpot.

Stephen Mulhern fronts a new edition of the classic format where one celebrity player has to bravely decide to keep what’s in their mystery box or go with a deal from the banker.

However, on Saturday (August 8), it was Thomas brothers Adam and Ryan who joined forces, hoping to win a whopping amount of cash for their chosen charity, Arthritis UK, after Adam’s diagnosis.

Their first pick proved to be a bad choice as they instantly lost £100,000 – the largest amount available to them – with Stephen branding it the “worst” first move yet.

It wasn’t until their fourth try that they finally managed to remove a box from the lower blue side. They then turned down the banker’s offer of £4312 in the hope that they could get even more from the floor. Things started picking up for the brothers after a rocky start as they chose multiple blue boxes in a row.

However, as the 25,000, 50,000 and 75,000 also left the game, things weren’t looking great for Adam and Ryan. After a tricky game, they decided to accept the banker’s offer of £2,010 instead of risking losing £5,000 on the final stretch.

During the celebrity specials, the stars are surrounded by their loved ones and for the Thomas brothers it was filled with former soap stars.

Corrie’s Sue Cleaver was there to support Ryan as she played his on-screen mum, Eileen Grimshaw. When Sue decided to leave Corrie last year, Ryan returned himself to bid her farewell on the cobbles.

Eileen was feeling overwhelmed as George Shuttleworth who has been feeling neglected by Eileen over recent weeks, decided it would be the perfect time to propose.

She was saved from giving a response, however, as Jason strolled in with his suitcase and announced: “The rover returns” as he was greeted by surprised faces.

For Adam’s days on Emmerdale, former co-star Kelvin Fletcher who played Andy Sugden arrived in the studio as well as Sheree Murphy who played Tricia Dingle.

Also in the studio was third Thomas brother Scott Thomas, Strictly professional dancer Luba Mushtuk, and Ryan’s partner Lucy Mecklenburgh, and Adam’s wife Caroline.

On X (formerly known as Twitter), fans felt sorry for the brothers “bad luck” throughout the game. @engteachervng wrote: “They could donate more than that themselves! They’re decent lads, what bad luck.”

@2001_joemendy added: “What the……This is a disaster” as @jeffnewton1 said: “For a charity game this is cruel as the 10 grand goes. Only 5k left along with 1p £10 £100 and £500. At least they’re still laughing.”

This is the moment armed police found a stalker hiding under a bed after he mowed down three people while speeding through the streets.

Joseph Wicks, 27, of Colchester, mounted the pavement and hit pedestrians in a Fiat 500 on Queen Street on November 30 last year.

He fled the scene before police later found him hiding beneath a bed frame.

Footage shows officers telling Wicks ‘the game’s up’ as they shine a torch into his hiding place before arresting him.

During the driving incident, Wicks narrowly missed other members of the public as he drove the wrong way down one-way streets, sped along narrow roads and ignored red traffic lights.

He eventually abandoned the car in Wivenhoe Quay, where police discovered his fingerprints inside the vehicle, identifying him as the driver.

While Essex Police were investigating the incident, Wicks went on to commit further offences six months later.

A campaign of stalking and harassment against a woman culminated in an incident on May 8 this year, when Wicks was reported to have attended the victim’s address.

He shouted, swore and acted aggressively, banging on the front door and demanding to be let inside.

After Wicks returned to his van, a man approached and opened the passenger door to confront him about his behaviour.

Joseph Wicks fled the scene before police later found him hiding beneath a bed frame

While Essex Police were investigating the incident, Wicks (pictured) went on to commit further offences six months later

The man reported seeing a metal baseball bat and what appeared to be a handgun inside.

Wicks left the area but continued to bombard the woman with threatening phone calls and messages.

Following the report of a potential firearm, armed officers began searching for Wicks.

The following day, on May 9, officers located his van and discovered the baseball bat, but no firearm.

On May 11, officers arrived at another address, where several people claimed they had not seen Wicks.

However, police searched the property and found him hiding underneath a bed.

Wicks was arrested and charged with a string of offences, including dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance, failing to stop for police, three counts of assault by beating, three counts of attempting to cause actual bodily harm, stalking, possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, sending threatening communications and criminal damage.

While Wicks admitted to many of the charges, he denied having an imitation firearm.

Appearing for sentence at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday, July 31, Wicks was jailed for four years and six months. He was also disqualified from driving for two years and six months.

Inspector Tom Stokes, of our Force Support Unit, said: ‘Our officers are trained to deal with some of the most challenging and high-risk situations policing can present.

‘Every deployment requires calm judgement, clear decision-making and the ability to assess rapidly changing circumstances while keeping the public, colleagues and themselves safe.

‘In this case, officers were tasked with locating and arresting a man linked to a series of serious offences, including dangerous driving which put members of the public at risk and a report involving what was believed to be a firearm. 

‘When information suggests there may be a weapon involved, we must plan carefully and act decisively.

‘The professionalism shown by the officers involved meant they were able to safely enter the address, carry out a thorough search and locate Wicks despite efforts to conceal himself. 

‘Their actions ensured a high-harm offender was brought before the courts and held accountable for his actions.

‘Much of the work carried out by armed officers happens out of the public eye, but it is built on extensive training, teamwork and a commitment to protecting communities across Essex. We will continue to target those who pose the greatest risk and ensure they are brought to justice.’

By TOM LAWRENCE, NEWS REPORTER

Published: 20:46 BST, 8 August 2026 | Updated: 21:16 BST, 8 August 2026

Greater Manchester Police have confirmed there is no further update following the incident in Spinning Meadows, Halliwell, on Friday afternoon (August 7).

Officers were called to the quiet cul-de-sac at around 2.25pm following reports of a man with injuries “consistent with a knife wound”.

A large number of police officers attended the scene, while an air ambulance also landed at the grounds of nearby Bolton Rugby Club.

The man was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

Several police vehicles were at the scene, with a section of the road taped off between two houses.

Ambulance crews were also in attendance, with some arriving by helicopter.

GMP officers at the scene (Image: Phil Taylor)

Eyewitnesses reported that a “machete” had been involved in the attack, although this has not been confirmed by police.

Other witnesses said they had heard people at the scene suggesting the incident may have been connected to “bikes”.

However, this remains unconfirmed and is based solely on reports from people at the scene.

An emergency crew member was seen carrying a bleed kit, which is used to treat serious wounds.

One person who was seen speaking to police at the scene also appeared to have blood on them (Image: Phil Taylor)

As of 4.30pm on Saturday (August 8), no arrests have been made, and GMP said there is no further update at this moment.

The investigation remains ongoing, and the situation could change as police enquiries continue.

We will provide further updates from GMP as they become available.

President Donald Trump’s social media staff took a jab at Taylor Swift after she supposedly had her song august removed from his campaign’s TikTok account.

Trump’s TikTok team posted another video using Swift’s song Red from her 2012 album of the same name.

It was accompanied by a mock-up photo of the album cover but instead of a close-up portrait of Swift wearing her signature red lipstick was a picture of Trump wearing his signature red MAGA cap and a faux ‘Red (Donald Trump‘s Version)’ playlist.

‘Did you know Taylor Swift wrote a whole album about the color of the Republican Party,’ read the needling message.

By Saturday midday, the Red audio track had also been removed from Team Trump’s TikTok by either Swift, 36, or someone in her camp. A pop-up note said: ‘This sound isn’t available.’

The latest musical tug-of-war comes after Swift, whose new husband was slammed for his ‘dad bod,’ allegedly disabled a Team Trump video on TikTok featuring her song august.

The trolling post included a mock-up of Swift’s Red album cover but instead of a close-up portrait of the singer wearing her signature red lipstick was a picture of Trump wearing his signature red MAGA cap and a faux ‘Red (Donald Trump’s Version)’ playlist

The trolling White House clip that was posted four days ago showed the backs of Trump, 80, who said he ‘hates’ Swift, and First Lady Melania Trump, 56, as they watched fireworks light up the night sky.

The text appearing on the image read: ‘Mood because it’s August and Donald Trump is your president.’

Swift’s song august initially played on the soundtrack, and at the bottom of the post was a message from Team Trump saying: ‘I’m sure @Taylor Swift is going to be super excited we used her song!’ along with the hashtags #taylorswift #maga #august.

By Friday night, the audio was gone and replaced with a message that said: ‘The copyright owner hasn’t made this sound available in your country,’ and which just shouted Swift, whose ‘fairytale’ wedding left some guests ‘weirded out.’

The Daily Mail has reached out to a representative for Swift and the White House for comment but has not yet received a response.

The song august is from the singer–songwriter’s 2020 Folklore album. It’s a bittersweet track about a delicate and fleeting summer romance told from the perspective of a fictional teenage girl named Augustine. 

Swift’s fans rejoiced in the comments with one writing: ‘TAYLOR REMOVING THE AUDIO QUEEEEEEN.’ Another echoed: ‘TAYLOR QUEEN SWIFT.’

A third applauded the singer’s actions by saying: ‘TAYLOR REMOVED THE SOUND HAHAHA,’ and a fourth chimed in: ‘She removed it, clocked you guys.’

The latest musical tug-of-war comes after Swift allegedly removed her song august from a Team Trump TikTok video that showed the POTUS and First Lady Melania Trump watching fireworks

Swift, 36, now owns the copyright of all her songs and recordings including august and Red

Team Trump TikTok followers were quick to comment about the president’s ‘obsession’ with Swift after the latest stunt; the singer is pictured in 2024

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And yet another Swiftie couldn’t resist teasing: ‘Hahahahaha you messed with the wrong successful woman,’ followed by the taunting words of another fan: ‘I hope taylor swift sues you and wins.’

Swift now owns the copyright of all her songs and recordings, including august and Red. 

She officially regained ownership of her original master recordings in May 2025 after a six-year battle.

This isn’t the first time Team Trump has borrowed a Swift track for its TikTok account. In November of last year, a video included the singer’s song Father Figure, which was also removed.

But another clip added in November plugging the president still includes Swift’s The Fate of Ophelia on its audio track. 

Friction between Trump and Swift began in October 2018 when the pop star endorsed Democratic candidates in Tennessee, prompting Trump to remark he liked her music ’25 percent less.’

But their hostile feud really erupted in September 2024 after Swift publicly endorsed Kamala Harris for president. 

‘I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them,’ she wrote on Instagram.

Trump said, ‘I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!’ after she publicly endorsed Kamala Harris for president in 2024; the president is pictured on Friday

The POTUS took a softer stance when responding to news of Swift’s engagement to Travis Kelce, stating that he wished them ‘a lot of luck’ and calling Kelce a ‘great player’ and Swift a ‘terrific person,’ despite their ongoing political discord; Swift and Kelce are pictured in 2024

Trump swiftly retaliated on his Truth Social account, posting: ‘I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!’

The POTUS took a softer stance when responding to news of Swift’s engagement to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce in August 2025. 

He stated that he wished them ‘a lot of luck,’ calling Kelce a ‘great player’ and Swift a ‘terrific person,’ despite their ongoing political discord.

But last month, minutes after Madison Square Garden’s billboard lit up with ‘JUST&T MARRIED,’ announcing Swift and Kelce had tied the knot, the official White House social media accounts on X and Instagram shared an AI-generated image with ‘TRUMP IS YOUR PRESIDENT’ alongside the caption: ‘IT’S HAPPENED!!!’

The defence secretary has faced calls for a public inquiry after four young women told the BBC they had suffered sexual abuse and harassment while attending the Army Foundation College (AFC) in Harrogate.

On a visit to Rosyth, Scotland, on Friday (August 7), Mr Streeting told reporters he would be “looking in detail” at the allegations and a broader programme of “cultural change” across the military.

He said: “I’m absolutely sickened by the reports that we’ve seen, and my heart goes out to this courageous woman who’s spoken up, having been so badly failed.”

“We have a duty to uphold the very highest standards in uniform and to treat every woman with the dignity and respect she deserves,” he added.

“I gather that there have been some improvements since this case came to light, but I need to assure myself that we’re doing everything we can to deliver the culture change that’s needed so that everyone in the uniform upholds the standards that we would expect.”

AFC Harrogate provides training for under-19s, including the Army’s junior soldier training for those aged 16 and 17.

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On Thursday, the BBC reported four women had come forward making allegations of sexual abuse during their time at the college over the past five years.

A woman whom the BBC called Tilly told the broadcaster she had been raped aged 17 at the college by fellow soldiers.

She said the attack lasted for hours and took place after she was casually invited into a soldier’s room.

Another woman whom the BBC called Monica said she was sexually assaulted by a fellow soldier who trapped her in a room before kissing and touching her without her consent.

A third woman, whose story was shared with the BBC by her mother, was allegedly sexually assaulted and subjected to sexual harassment during her training and would sleep across the door to her room to stop male soldiers from entering.

Instructors were also accused of inappropriate behaviour including marking girls’ looks out of 10 and walking into the girls’ dorms without knocking while cadets were undressed, according to the BBC.

The Army has described the reports as “extremely distressing” and “unacceptable” and called for victims and witnesses of criminal behaviour at the college to come forward.

North Yorkshire Police has confirmed that investigations are ongoing into “three cases”.

James and Ola Jordan have broken their silence after ending their 22-year marriage. 

It was announced on Friday that Strictly‘s longest-standing couple had split for good after a trial separation ‘some time ago’ with James moving out of their Kent family home.  

James, 48, shared a joint statement 24 hours later on his Instagram and spoke about his struggles with his mental health and their ‘incredibly painful and emotional decision’ to part ways. 

It said: ‘After 26 years together, this is something we never imagined we would be sharing.

‘Following recent reports in the press about our relationship and after receiving messages asking if everything is okay, we feel it’s important to speak directly rather than let speculation or hearsay tell our story.

‘We have always tried to be open and honest with the people who have supported us over the years and we feel it’s only right that this update comes from us. 

‘At the moment we’re taking some time apart as we work through very difficult personal challenges. (James) moved out of the family home some time ago. This has been an incredibly painful and emotional journey for us both and it certainly wasn’t an easy decision.’

They went to say their ‘absolute priority is their daughter, Ella, six.

They said: ‘Our absolute priority, now and always, is our beautiful daughter Ella. She’s at the centre of everything we do. We are committed to co-parenting her with all the love, care and stability she deserves.

‘Speaking personally (James) my mental health hasn’t been in a good place for quite some time. I’ve been struggling more than I’ve let people see and I’m taking the time I need to focus on getting myself into a healthier place, both for myself and for Ella.

‘Neither of us is in a good place right now. We’re both doing our best to navigate one of the hardest chapters of our lives and we ask that people remember there are real people and real emotions behind every headline, every comment and every post. 

‘We don’t know exactly what the future holds. For now, we’re taking things one day at a time, doing what we both believe is best for ourselves, our family and most importantly….. Ella.

‘We’re incredibly grateful for the love, kindness and concern so many of you have shown us over the years. You’ve been part of our journey for a long time and wanted to honour that with an honest update. Right now, more than anything we ask for kindness, empathy and a little privacy as we work through this as a family. Thank you for understanding.’

It was announced on Friday that Strictly’s longest-standing couple had split for good after a trial separation ‘some time ago’

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 ‘After 26 years together, this is something we never imagined we would be sharing. After receiving messages asking if everything is okay, we feel it’s important to speak directly’

The former couple said they are working through ‘difficult personal challenges’ with James moving out ‘some time ago’ but they remain committed to co-parenting their daughter 

‘Neither of us is in a good place right now. We’re both doing our best to navigate one of the hardest chapters of our lives’, they said

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James also shared the statement in his Instagram caption 

The pair were the show’s longest-standing couple after they started dating in 1999 and married in 2003 (pictured) 

James has previously spoken about how he battled with crippling anxiety following the death of his beloved father, Alan in 2021. 

He said at the time how his grief made him feel extremely weak, he woke up panicked thinking someone had broken into his house, and he experienced severe anxiety.

Citing his daughter as a Godsend, James said his family, specifically his wife and dance partner Ola, had pulled him out of the emotional and dark time.

The couple started dating in 1999 and married in 2003. 

They welcomed their daughter Ella in February 2020 via IVF following a three-year fertility battle.

The couple have long been open about the ups and downs in their decades-long romance, often opening up to fans about everything from disagreements to their sex life.

Back in 2017, when they’d been together for 18 years at the time, James said ‘life isn’t all smooth sailing’ as he admitted to troubles in the relationship.

During an appearance on Lorraine, he said life with Ola has not always been easy as he revealed: ‘Life isn’t all smooth sailing – we have had ups and downs.’

The couple spoke in the past about their love woes, with Ola saying: ‘It’s not all beautiful and sometimes you can look at people’s posts on Instagram and Facebook and you think, oh they’ve got perfect lives, but it’s not like that…

‘Marriage is not like that, no one’s got a perfect marriage. It’s a work in progress and I think if two people want to be together, they’ll make it happen.

‘Sometimes you have dark times and you need your other half’s support, and it’s not all pretty and perfect that people seem to think.’

Meanwhile, in July 2023, the pair revealed that their sex life was back on track after previously confessing sex is ‘definitely not better with mum and dad bods’.

The former Strictly Come Dancing professionals admitted that their bedroom activities had hit an all-time low after the couple became ‘obese’.

Ola said their ‘bellies got in their way’ of their romance the previous year before they shredded the pounds with their own fitness plan, Dance Shred.

She cheekily gushed that her partner’s slimmed down figure has boosted the appearance of what he’s packing in his underwear.

She told The Sun: ‘Well, let’s face it. It’s much more pleasant nowadays, isn’t it? The bellies don’t jiggle as much as they used to.’

The split comes just three years after they revealed their plans to renew their vows at Elvis chapel during their 20th anniversary trip to Las Vegas.

Speaking to The Sun in 2023, the pair enthused over their upcoming getaway to mark the special occasion and admitted that they just might end up getting hitched again.

James said, ‘You never know where you’re gonna end up after a few drinks. We used to go there loads before Ella was born and we like letting our hair down every now and again.

‘We might end up somewhere saying, “I do”,’ he confessed while Ola chimed in, ‘At the Elvis chapel!’

James and Polish-born beauty Ola first met at a dance competition in Blackpool in 1999 and married four years later.

They were initially dance partners before their professional relationship developed into romance, James proposed two years later and the couple tied the knot in October 2003.

The pair shot to fame as professionals on BBC One celebrity competition Strictly Come Dancing, which they both joined in series four back in 2006.

James bowed out of the show after season 11 in 2013, while Ola left at the end of series 13 in 2015.

If you are struggling, you can contact the Samirtans on  116 123 or jo@samaritans.org. 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement took issue Saturday with reporting by The Associated Press on a policy to publicly release body-worn camera footage only when the agency determines it is in its “best interests.”

David J. Venturella said ICE policy “clarifies that it’s not appropriate to release footage when doing so could compromise investigations or privacy. This approach mirrors other federal law enforcement agencies’ policies and is fully consistent with the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act.”

ICE policy calls for the release of footage in the immediate aftermath of a serious injury or death in custody, ideally within 72 hours, if in the “best interests of the agency.” It was adopted in February 2025, after President Donald Trump took office.

“If there are specific and compelling circumstances justifying an objection to public release that cannot be resolved by redaction or other means, when determined by the ICE Director or his or her designee, ICE may withhold or indefinitely delay the release,” the policy states.

Venturella said in a statement that ICE was “committed to transparency and accountability” and was “on track to equip every officer and agent in the field with body-worn cameras by the end of August.” He said the AP conflated “the expedited release of footage following a serious bodily injury or death in custody with ICE’s broader authority to release body-worn camera footage.”

The AP quoted Christopher Schneider, a sociology professor at Brandon University in Canada, who said that selective releases are routine in some law enforcement agencies but usually not so clearly contemplated in policy. “In some ways, ICE is saying the quiet part out loud,” he said.

The AP said policies vary among other law enforcement agencies and cited examples of major police departments that routinely release footage.

The story noted that ICE’s sister agency, Customs and Border Protection, has not released footage of the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis in January. CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott told lawmakers that it was part of an investigation and would be made public “when it’s appropriate.”

ICE has been under heightened scrutiny since the fatal shooting in July of a 25-year-old motorist in Maine by an ICE officer with a history of violent behavior. Days earlier, another ICE officer shot and killed a Houston homebuilder driving to work. Neither shooting was recorded with body cameras.

A woman employed by billionaire Mohamed Al Fayed at his ‘castle of horrors’ Scottish estate has spoken for the first time about how she was sexually assaulted by the former Harrods tycoon.

The middle-aged mother, who we have named Katie, broke her silence about the ordeal she suffered at his hands – and said that she believed she was targeted because of her vulnerable background.

Katie – the first woman who worked at Balnagown Castle in Ross-shire to come forward – said her horrific experiences have haunted her for the past three decades.

Her testimony comes just weeks after The Scottish Mail on Sunday revealed that Police Scotland has reopened a probe into assault allegations first reported in 2021.

Katie now hopes her experience will help other women, particularly those in Scotland, to have the courage to speak out. She has also backed calls for a public inquiry into the scandal.

Mother-of-one Katie grew up in a Highlands village half an hour from Balnagown. Her upbringing was far from idyllic. She had spent time in care and had to support herself from a young age.

At 18 she was working in a local pub where members of Mr Al Fayed’s security team would socialise while off duty.

Katie said: ‘I was speaking to one of the security guards and he told me there was a housekeeping job going, which was double the money I was earning. I thought “Why not?”. The interview went well and I was offered a job.’

Balnagown castle and estate in Ross-shire has been owned by Al Fayed’s family since 1972

After a month as a housekeeper, Katie said Mr Al Fayed personally asked her to become the family’s nanny and travel with them around the world, looking after his daughters Jasmine and Camilla.

She now believes she was ‘selected’ by Mr Al Fayed as he knew she came from a vulnerable background and believed she would be easy to manipulate.

Katie said: ‘He asked if I’d be his nanny, he would help get my teeth fixed, he’d help with whatever I needed and take care of me. He told me to think of him as a father figure, as he knew I was someone with not much family around.’

Katie had no passport, having never left Scotland before, and Mr Al Fayed swiftly organised one. He also demanded that she have a medical exam.

She was sent to the local NHS hospital in Invergordon, where she said Mr Al Fayed had arranged privately for tests to be done.

Katie said she had a smear test, and blood tests, although she didn’t know what they were for, and she had to send stool samples to a private clinic in London.

She added: ‘It was only afterwards that my GP asked me why I’d had two Aids tests done when I was 18. I was in shock.

‘I didn’t know that they were testing for these things.’

As soon as Katie set off with the Fayed family, she said her passport was taken from her by security guards. She was also forbidden from telling her family or friends where she was.

Katie travelled first to Espoo, Finland, home of Mr Al Fayed’s wife Heini Wathen. From there the family went to Saint Tropez, France, and took a week-long cruise.

She said: ‘He would give me cuddles, touch your bottom, or there were the slight misplacements of hands, but I just thought accidents happen, or it’s just his culture. It was always when nobody else was around.’

But it was when the group returned to the UK that the mogul launched an attack on Katie at his Barrow Green Court mansion in Oxted, Surrey.

She said: ‘He called me around half 10, 11 o’clock at night and said “I’ve had a shower. My shower needs to be clean. Come and clean it, please”.’

Despite not normally having to clean up after him, and being in her pyjamas, Katie said she felt obliged to do as he asked and went to his bedroom in the grade I listed 17th century estate.

She said: ‘I cleaned the shower and he asked me to sit on his bed.

‘He was talking about my family, and how he could help get them a bungalow, talking about what he could do for me and how he would look after me, and how I wouldn’t have to go through any hardship like in the past.

‘Then he made me put my hands inside his dressing gown.’

Katie said she was forced to perform a sex act on Mr Al Fayed, before he tried to make an advance towards her. ‘I said “Sorry sir, I’ve got my period” and ran out of the room,’ she recalls, tearfully.

Katie told how she confided in a security guard about what had happened. The next day she received a phone call from Mr Al Fayed warning her not to ‘tell lies’.

She said: ‘Al Fayed said I was making up lies and that what I said didn’t happen. He said “You’re a liar. Your family’s not going to believe you.” He was saying he could destroy me, destroy my family, he could take everything away.’

When Katie started working at Balnagown she had signed a confidentiality agreement. It was this document, she said, that the billionaire used to silence her following his sickening attack.

She added: ‘He said that I wasn’t allowed to talk about it, he could take me to court. The threats were all there and I believed them. I believed that I couldn’t say anything – for 30 years.’

In the end, she escaped Mr Al Fayed’s clutches by telling him that a relative was sick and she needed to go home.

She then spent months worrying that she was being followed and monitored by the mogul’s team.

For the next three decades, she kept what had happened to her secret, despite the enduring trauma she lived with.

It wasn’t until a BBC documentary, broadcast in 2024, that she found the courage to share her story. The documentary was based on years of work by Keaton Stone, husband of former Harrods employee Sophia Stone, who had confided in him about the abuse she suffered at Mr Al Fayed’s hands.

Katie said: ‘My partner knew I had worked for Al Fayed and he told me there was a documentary on about him abusing women. I just broke down and told him the whole story.

‘I still haven’t watched the programme, but it was the first time I realised that I wasn’t the only one, and that this had happened to other women.

‘I want other girls to be believed, that’s why I’ve come forward.’

Katie contacted law firm Leigh Day, which is representing dozens of victims of Mr Al Fayed.

The firm is fighting to obtain compensation and campaigning for their cases to be investigated. It has also backed calls for an Epstein-style inquiry in the UK.

Leigh Day partner Emma Jones said: ‘We have seen time and again the kind of open secret surrounding predators such as Al Fayed. It is only when things are brought to light publicly and investigated properly that real change can be made.’

A rare event will take place in the skies next week, but there’s one way to guarantee the best view

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Millions of people will be glued to the skies next week, as a rare solar eclipse sweeps across Europe.

The Sun will be passed by the Moon, casting Earth into shadow in the middle of the day.

And for those unable to see the spectacular event for themselves, there is another way to experience it as it happens.

On Wednesday, August 12, the Moon will pass directly between the Earth and the Sun, blocking some or all of its light and casting its shadow across parts of Europe.

The eclipse’s narrow path of totality, where the Sun will be completely obscured by the Moon, will cross Greenland, Iceland and parts of Portugal and Spain.

Other parts of Europe, including the UK, will experience a partial eclipse, with the Moon appearing to take a bite out of the Sun and temporarily dimming daylight.

To mark the rare event, the European Space Agency (ESA) will be hosting a live broadcast, meaning space fans won’t need to gamble on the British weather to see the spectacle as it happens.

The ESA livestream will run from the Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre in Teruel, Spain, starting at 5.30pm BST (7.30pm CEST).

It will be hosted by British space scientist and science communicator Dame Dr Maggie Aderin, and will be broadcast in English.

Featuring live interviews, explainers and spectacular imagery, viewers can learn about the mysteries of the Sun and its corona, how one famous eclipse changed our understanding of gravity, and how the ESA is now creating artificial solar eclipses in space.

At 6.31pm BST (8.31pm CEST), the Moon will plunge Javalambre into complete darkness for one minute and 21 seconds.

Anyone with questions about the eclipse can ask them using #AskESA on Bluesky or X, with a selection answered live during the broadcast

The Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre is a world-class astronomical observatory located within the path of totality. It mainly consists of two professional telescopes designed to carry out large-sky astronomical surveys that help astronomers study galaxies, dark energy and the structure of the cosmos.

Importantly, viewing conditions at the observatory are excellent, with cloud cover rare and light pollution low. The location offers a very clear view to the western horizon, where the Sun will be beginning to set as it is eclipsed by the Moon.

Additional small telescopes will be taken up to the observatory to observe the eclipse. A live feed from these telescopes at the observatory will provide continuous views as the Moon passes in front of the Sun, offering close-up observations of the different phases of the eclipse.

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When is the solar eclipse?

The solar eclipse will take place on Wednesday, August 12, 2026.

Those in the UK will see a partial eclipse, while locations within the path of totality will experience a far more dramatic event as the Moon completely covers the Sun.

Anyone watching the eclipse must use properly certified solar viewing glasses and should never look directly at the Sun, even when it appears dimmed by the Moon.

Several videos about the eclipse have been posted on ESA’s YouTube, Instagram and TikTok channels.

See here for more information, or click here to watch the stream live.

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