It looks like good news for Vernon Kay as listening figures have been released, revealing that his show is the most listened to on Radio 2

Vernon Kay has been praised as the latest data from research organisation Rajar shows that he is hosting the most popular radio show in the country.

The presenter, 52, has been the host of the mid-morning slot on Radio 2 – which airs Monday to Friday from 9:30am to 12:00pm – since 2023, taking over from Ken Bruce when he moved to Greatest Hits Radio.

It is not only Radio 2’s most successful show, but is the most successful in the country as Radio 2 remains once again, the most popular station in the country with 12 million listeners each week.

Helen Thomas, head of Radio 2, said of the success: “I’m delighted that Radio 2 remains the UK’s most popular single radio station in the UK. People are tuning in for over 11 hours each week, which is almost a four-year high.

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She then specifically called out Vernon for thanks as she said: “Congratulations to Vernon Kay, who hosts the UK’s most listened to radio show with a weekly audience of 6.8 million, his highest figure since 2024.”

In fact, it looks like good news all around as listening figures show that the number of people listening to the radio has increased by 2 million since 2022 with a record high of 51 million listeners.

Vernon has been praised for his show of late, and just last week halted the show in an emotional moment that resonated with viewers as he broke down in tears after a heart-breaking interview with The Script’s Danny O’Donoghue who was speaking about his late bandmate.

The success comes at a pivotal moment for Vernon, just months after he and his wife of 22 years announced their split.

The former Strictly Come Dancing host, 57, tied the knot with fellow TV star Vernon in September 2003 and they went on to have Phoebe, 21, and 16-year-old Amber together but took to social media in May to reveal that they have called time on their relationship.

A joint statement posted to Instagram read: “After much consideration, and with a deep sense of care and respect for one another, we have made the decision to separate amicably.

“This has not been an easy choice, but it comes from a place of mutual understanding and a shared desire for what is best for both of us. We remain great friends and most importantly, fully committed to our roles as loving and supportive parents, which will always be our priority.

“There are no other parties involved in this decision. We kindly ask for privacy during this time as we navigate this transition together. We will not be making any further public comments. Tess and Vernon.”

It has since been reported that the couple is planning a ‘quickie divorce’ and hoping to get through proceedings as amicably as possible. It is thought the couple is still living together as they navigate their next steps with their daughters.

Vernon and Tess were spotted out together at Pub in the Park just 10 days after their split. Pictures show the duo mingling with fellow attendees, while appearing to be in high spirits.

An onlooker at the event told The Sun: “Tess and Vernon seemed super-relaxed in each other’s company despite the news of their split. It’s clear to see that they are still very much happy around one another and there’s been none of this messy split business. They chatted to fans, posed for selfies and had a well-earned boogie.”

In July at Wimbledon, Tess was still seen wearing her wedding band on her finger, showing there’s no animosity between her and her ex.

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​A former hotel and 60-bed care home in Filey will be turned into 17 apartments following the approval of plans to convert the “historical architectural landmark” at 23 – 26, The Crescent.

​Originally a set of five Victorian townhouses, the Grade II listed building later became the Hylands Hotel and once hosted the Fab Four.

​The former hotel was “well-loved and offered accommodation to a wide variety of patrons, the most notable of these was the visit on the night of December 11, 1963, of The Beatles following a performance at the now-lost Futurist Theatre in Scarborough,” according to a submitted heritage statement.

Hylands Retirement Home 23-26 The Crescent Filey. Courtesy of applicant (Image: Applicant)

​The property will be made up of 11 three-bed flats, five two-bed flats, and a single one-bed flat with no affordable housing provision.

​Concerns about the impact of the scheme on the seaside town’s conservation area were raised by planners, as well as concerns about parking provision made by local residents.

​The council’s conservation officer said: “In order to be fully convinced that heritage benefit can be secured and the identified harm to the listed building outweighed by the benefits, the details of the alterations to the front facade need to be very well specified and of a high quality.

​“There are strong concerns regarding the material of the new doors, which are proposed to be aluminium, which is unacceptable given the heritage status of the building. This is not considered to be a suitable material in a prominent listed building within the conservation area.”

Inside the former Hylands Retirement Home 23-26 The Crescent Filey. Courtesy of applicant (Image: Applicant)

​The Joint Committee of the National Amenity Society also said it was “concerned about the harmful impact that these proposals will have on the remaining internal significance of the building”.

​Several objections were made by members of the public, some of whom said that the scheme had “insufficient parking provision, which may exacerbate existing issues with on-street parking”.

​Officers highlighted that the proposed parking court could accommodate 14 vehicles and “in order to reduce the potential for disputes between residents, consideration may need to be given to the allocation of parking spaces, which should be clearly communicated to the occupants”.

​Planners noted that the property’s external appearance “is of the greatest heritage significance” and that the exterior front façade of the property should retain as much of its original architecture as possible.

Hylands Retirement Home 23-26 The Crescent Filey. Courtesy of applicant (Image: Applicant)

​The conversion of the building was approved by North Yorkshire Council, subject to conditions, on Friday, July 31.

The free interactive theatre show Pipes & Poo is coming to Elizabeth Park as part of the Theatre in the Park programme.

During the six-week holidays, the whole family can head over to the park for some free theatre.

Presented by theatre company One Tenth Human, performances will take place at 11am and 2pm on Thursday, August 20.

If the weather is poor, both performances will move to the Bolton Library lecture theatre.

Described as an interactive family game-show adventure, Pipes & Poo follows Bubbles and Spritz as they take audiences on a “delightfully disgusting” journey.

Families can help Bubbles compete to win the golden crown while discovering what happens to waste after it is flushed away.

Created for everyone aged four and over, the show features interactive dance moves, competitive flushing, real toilets and even edible poo.

Previous audience members have described the production as “brilliant”, “amazing” and “like Horrible Histories for poo”.

One Tenth Human is a theatre company that creates imaginative live experiences with artists, children and scientists.

The company aims to inspire young people through stories that challenge perceptions of science, technology, engineering, arts and maths (STEAM).

The project has been supported by the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Granada Foundation, Backstage Trust, Oldham Gallery and Z-arts.

For more information about Theatre in the Park, visit the Creative Bolton website or email creativebolton@bolton.gov.uk.

No booking is needed and the show is suitable for all ages.

Prof Saul Faust, the director of the NIHR Clinical Research Facility in Southampton, said it gave “equivalent” immune responses to the conventional vaccine as well as being “safe and well tolerated” in the early stage studies.

Faust added: “This obviously has potential to remove cold chain dependence, reduce wastage and improve access.”

A larger trial involving 160 people is already due to start in the coming months.

This would be the final stage of research as the original vaccine is already approved and licensed so there is no requirement to perform large-stage trials needed for a novel vaccine.

The studies are being done to meet the World Health Organization’s (WHO) goal of a vaccine that survives at 30C and 75% relative humidity.

But the research team say separate data shows the components of their vaccine also survive cycling between temperatures of -20C and +40C. That could mean the vaccine being viable after transport in a cold aircraft hold and then in the back of a truck in the heat.

There is not one single reason vaccines are wasted and disposed of, but the WHO estimates this is the fate of half of all vaccines globally. This can include damage in transport, passing the expiration date, and unused doses from multi-dose vials, but a major factor are failures in the cold chain.

While I have avoided tasting menu meals, of course, there are exceptions

As my loved ones like to remind me, I’m a creature of simple tastes. While many of my ardent foodie friends dream of fancy tasting menus, my favourite meal is beans and little sausages on toast. The food of the gods.

The gastronomes I know and love speak reverently about “the journey” at these oft-acclaimed restaurants, whereas I dream of a large bowl of pasta with grated cheddar on top, just like the Italians do it. Ideally before 7pm.

I have an open mind about food, I really do, dear readers. But I have also endured enough snooty tasting menus, typically in expensive London gaffs, to know that somewhere around course eight, time loses all meaning, like a Vegas casino.

Days appear to pass between plates. Civilisations frankly rise and fall in less time. How long does a sliver of beetroot on foam and smoked hay take?!

After 117 courses you hand over enough money to fund a family holiday, despite ingesting the calorific equivalent of a cheese string, then find yourself standing outside half an hour later ordering a kebab.

I’m not against tasting menus. I’m simply searching for one that doesn’t last an entire lunar cycle and require consulting a financial adviser beforehand.

While I have largely avoided pricey tasting menu meals (my friends are obsessed with them), of course there are exceptions.

For me, one of them is The Jackdaw in Conwy, which fully exceeded my expectations. It proves that a tasting menu doesn’t have to be an endurance event. You don’t emerge blinking into daylight wondering what year it is, while absolutely ravenous, thank Thor.

Open since 2021, the Jackdaw is a cheeky nod to the local term for someone born within Conwy’s historic town walls.

My meticulous research (scrolling on Instagram) indicates that it’s an acclaimed, Michelin-recognised restaurant located on High Street. It won Restaurant of the Year – Wales at the AA Hospitality Awards in September 2023. The restaurant has also earned 3 AA Rosettes, promotion to “Exceptional” in The Good Food Guide, and a place among the UK’s top 100 restaurants.

The AA inspector said: “Service is attentive and seasonally evolving tasting menus focus on excellent ingredients.

Currently it costs £125pp for dinner, and you can also get a six-course lunch for £60pp, both typically rooted in Welsh culinary history and folklore.

OK, so not Tesco meal deal prices, but when chef’s table experiences regularly run £200 to £280+ per person, it seems like a reasonable amount for food-loving patrons with a healthy budget.

Visiting for the first time, I admittedly got lost as the entrance is about as obvious as platform 9¾ (I do love a Harry Potter reference pals).

Google Maps will direct you to the neighbouring pub (yay pre-gaming), but what you’re actually looking for is an unassuming doorway marked with a jackdaw motif. Head upstairs and you’ll find yourself on the first floor of what was once a bingo hall, now home to one of Wales’ most exciting restaurants.

Inside, it is all Scandi-cool whitewashed walls, exposed stone and sheepskin-draped chairs, with an atmosphere that feels modern yet medieval, which suits me, having long considered myself spiritually aligned with House Targaryen. Just hand me a goblet of wine already.

After settling in with the wine list, chatty staff inform me that Chef-owner Nick Rudge returned home to North Wales after rising through the ranks at Heston Blumenthal’s three Michelin-starred The Fat Duck, where he finished as Junior Sous Chef.

Nick speaks highly of working with Heston and previously told WalesOnline: “He is probably the closest I’ve ever come to meeting a genius.

“I’m not just saying that because it’s him and it’s his name. He just thinks about food and thinks about everything – life, I suppose as well – in a just totally different way. And he’s a lovely lovely man.”

While Heston is known for molecular gastronomy with ambitious (definitely not weird) creations like snail porridge, Nick has brought the technical precision with him but left any unnecessary fuss behind.

What you get instead is cooking that is technically brilliant yet unmistakably Welsh, rooted in the landscape, the seasons and the people who produce its ingredients.

Like many tasting menu restaurants, dishes rotate, so you never know what you might get, but you can expect dishes like Welsh beef sirloin, Barbecued Scallop & Seaweed, Butter Poached Turbot and Mefys Môn Iced Jasmine Tea.

The thoughtfully curated wine list has its own charming twist, with every bottle arranged according to how far it has travelled from Conwy, measured ‘as the jackdaw flies’. Finally, a wine list that answers the question nobody knew they had – how far has my Merlot travelled today?

There’s a range of international, European and Welsh wines on the list, including Gwinllan Conwy Solaris, Montgomery Vineyard, Sparkling Demi-Sec and Trimbach Riesling.

Beers, wines and spirits are also available for your imbibing pleasure, including several Welsh favourites like Aberfalls, Dà Mhìle and Penderyn.

While the drinks list is impressive, The Jackdaw’s tasting menu is the main reason to come. Each well-crafted course arrives in a decent amount of time rather than a runtime longer than Lord of the Rings.

Partnering with local fishmongers, butchers, wineries and more, the team has both seasonality and presentation nailed.

Nothing is oversized or fussily overworked. Instead, there is a satisfying rhythm to the tasting menu, and I’m even enjoying the origin story behind the dishes (I am a few glasses of vino in at this point).

Instead of becoming bored, like I usually do, I’m rather enjoying the wine-filled progression of plates that leaves you wondering how the next course could top the last, only for it to do exactly that.

Typical beautifully presented small courses include Lady Llanover’s “Welsh Salt Duck”, pulled from a 19th-century Welsh cookery book, Henryd Courgette, and succulent Dyffryn Conwy Lamb, which is soft as clouds.

One of my other favourites, Hafod and Conwy Sauce Rarebit, takes the humble Welsh rarebit and elevates it to top-tier comfort food. Toasted sourdough is spread with a rich mixture of stout, mustard and Welsh cheeses before being grilled until gloriously golden.

Over the top comes the restaurant’s own Conwy Sauce, an intricate take on Worcestershire sauce that spends two weeks infusing malt vinegar with spices, aromatics, shallots and garlic. A final snowfall of finely grated rich Hafod cheese melts gently into the warmth. I could easily eat 8 more.

The Lamb Cawl is another love letter to Welsh tradition, reimagining our best-known culinary offering. Instead of a rustic steaming bowlful, the dish arrives as a cubist, deconstructed collection of individual elements: meltingly tender lamb neck, braised for 17 hours, carrot and caraway salt-crust swede.

These are united by a crystal-clear broth created from both lamb stock and lamb dashi, blended and clarified to produce remarkable depth and clarity. It is unmistakably cawl, just delivered through a fine-dining lens. Anything deconstructed normally has me heading for the door, but this works, largely because of the extraordinary flavours.

Dessert features a playful note with Gynwys, named after the wonderfully improbable local legend that Guinness was actually a Welsh invention, spirited away from a tavern in nearby Llanfairfechan by Arthur Guinness, who stole the recipe for his famous stout in the 1750s, the rascal.

Whether you believe the story is beside the point. After all, food has survived centuries of myths, legends and questionable family recipes. One more Welsh claim on Guinness is hardly the strangest thing on the menu.

The dessert itself is superb, layering roasted barley cremeux, yeast caramel, malt ice cream, stout gastrique, Citra hop crumble and puffed barley into a dish that manages to be rich, bitter, sweet and deeply satisfying.

My only complaint is that I would have loved a chocolate-based dessert too. Perhaps a deconstructed Mars bar served with salted caramel foam and a single cacao nib harvested at dawn by a monk.

By this point of the night, I had consumed wine from many, many miles, and it was time to bid the lovely staff team a good night and begin my fruitless search for an Uber in North Wales.

As I resigned myself to sleeping outside Conwy Castle, I reflected with my long-suffering husband that I might have crossed a dangerous line. Had I finally become what my Gen Z colleagues might call a “tasting menu girlie”?

Suddenly, chef’s tables and private dining experiences didn’t seem quite so ridiculous. Who was this person? Thankfully, a cab finally arrived, and my relieved husband bundled me safely back towards the hotel before I booked a 27-course experience online.

It might be the Welsh vino talking, but I really did have a splendid meal here, and I didn’t have to have a late-night cheeseburger after due to rampant starvation. Look at me, a tasting menu convert, finally. My bank balance will be thrilled.

President Donald Trump slammed Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Dr. Abdul El-Sayed during a speech on Wednesday in Las Vegas after the Democrat notched a primary win in a closely watched race this week.

The president accused El-Sayed of being part of a wave of “communists” who would bring “squalor” and “death” to America.

“When I watch Abdul, he’s full of s***,” Trump told a crowd at the Red Rock Casino Resort and Spa.

El-Sayed is not a communist, but rather a progressive who is campaigning on issues including Medicare for all and removing corporate money from politics.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Trump accused El-Sayed, who has been critical of the U.S. for supporting Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza, of being hateful and antisemitic.

“Put him in office, you’re going to find out what he loves,” Trump said. “He doesn’t love Israel. He doesn’t love Jewish people. He hates them. He hates them with a passion that burns in his heart.”

The Independent has contacted the El-Sayed campaign for comment.

The Michigan primary race was a key target of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel lobbying group whose super PAC spent an estimated $32 million spreading the message that El-Sayed was pursuing a “radical anti-Israel agenda.”

El-Sayed, a former public health official, has argued U.S. money would be better spent on domestic priorities like healthcare than on supporting Israel’s military.

In a victory speech on Wednesday after his primary win over Rep. Haley Stevens, El-Sayed thanked Jewish supporters of his campaign and affirmed his commitment to representing people of all faiths in Michigan.

“To all of my sisters and brothers of the Jewish faith, or any faith at all, or no faith at all, I want you to know that my commitment to your safety, my commitment to Jewish safety, is the same commitment that I have to the safety of my own daughters,” he said.

He added that he had been “listening to sisters and brothers who said, ‘I want to join this movement because AIPAC doesn’t speak for me, because I understand that self-determination for one people does not require the quenching of self-determination for another people.”

Elsewhere in his speech, President Trump sought to contrast El-Sayed’s left-leaning views with the Trump agenda, which has included a package of tax cuts largely benefitting the upper middle class and new deductions for tips and Social Security.

As for the other big economic factor looming over Americans ahead of midterm season, the Iran war, the president’s Vegas speech was relatively brief. He accused “fake polls” of distorting American economic sentiment and touted the U.S. war effort, which has sent gas prices spiking.

Trump claimed the U.S. had been set at some point to launch “the biggest attack since World War II” against the Iranians, but that Tehran sought to negotiate.

“We are talking,” Trump added of the Iran conflict, which continues to elude a quick resolution for the president. “Let’s see what happens.”

The president has revived a Red Scare-style public campaign against communism ahead of the midterms, as insurgent left-wing candidates such as El-Sayed and New York City’s democratic socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani have risen to prominence in the party’s grassroots.

The president has frequently referred to Democratic rivals as communists, and the State Department last month accused Cuba of a “sustained campaign of subversion” supporting American activists and progressive officials, including the Democratic Socialists of America, Mamdani and Rep. Ilhan Omar, among others.

The Trump administration has also moved to classify various forms of left-wing political activism as a crime.

Last year, the administration labeled anti-fascist activists as members of a “domestic terrorist organization,” despite so-called antifa groups lacking any singular organization or unified agenda.

Meanwhile, a September national security memo on domestic terrorism enforcement lists “anti-Americanism” and criticisms of “law enforcement and border control” as key indicators that could merit an investigation.

The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. has taken steps to protect artwork from “extensive vibrations” ahead of President Donald Trump’s Freedom 250 Grand Prix later this month.

NASCAR and IndyCar racing legends will reach speeds of up to 185 mph during the race in the heart of the nation’s capital, in and around museums and government buildings, including the famed art gallery.

The National Gallery, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, sits in the middle of the 1.7-mile-long racecourse, and the institution is not taking any chances when it comes to looking after the tens of thousands of valuable artworks it houses, The Washington Post reports.

“In preparation for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, the National Gallery conducted an extensive vibration study and based on the results we have implemented a set of measures to ensure the safety of our staff, visitors, collection, and facilities during the race,” gallery spokesman Chris Abanavas told the outlet.

The spokesman would not release any specifics to the newspaper but said it had conducted the study “out of a great abundance of caution.”

Some artworks have “been moved away from the side of the building facing the racetrack,” according to a report by The New Republic last week.

The race will see drivers race 147 laps around the track on August 22 and 23. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, Air and Space Museum, in addition to the National Archives, also sit within the racetrack, a map of the course released by Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office showed.

Freedom 250 said event organizers hold “tremendous respect for the history” and structures surrounding the racecourse and pointed out that IndyCar has been hosting races in downtown urban areas “for decades.”

“With this excellent track record and the thorough preparation we have done for this event working closely with all the appropriate local and federal agencies, we do not anticipate any impact on the structures surrounding the circuit,” a spokesperson said.

Still, some preservationists said they were concerned about how the vibrations could impact delicate artwork and called for a more comprehensive review.

Michelle Arcari Rose, a former associate general counsel at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, told the Post it was “a huge risk” to “unleash cars at 185 miles per hour in a place where we’ve never had cars really going more than 25 miles an hour.”

Sara Bronin, a Biden-era chair of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, warned of the potential impacts on some of the statues on the Grand Prix route. “You wouldn’t want to see some of these things topple over because of the rumblings and the vibrations,” Bronin told The New Republic.

“Excess vibrations and sound, as well as the construction of the racetrack itself, could very well cause damage,” added Mary Okin of the nonprofit Living New Deal.

Studies about the impact of racing events on museum collections vary. A 2023 report cited by the Post about the effects of vibrations featuring a NASCAR race on an art gallery in Chicago found that foot traffic from visitors caused greater vibrations in the gallery than the race itself.

The report noted that in addition to one-time events, other activities inside museum buildings, including crowd movements, elevators, heavy doors, the use of carts and lifts to move objects, and activities at loading docks, could also “have a detrimental impact on museum collections.”

The White House said “all appropriate protocols” were followed ahead of the event, the latest sporting spectacle Trump has hosted in Washington after throwing a UFC Freedom 250 fight.

The Trump-backed Freedom 250 was responsible for its Great American State Fair, fraught with low attendance and technical difficulties.

A father impersonated his 11-year-old daughter in order to bring her alleged rapist to his home to shoot him.

Malik Chandler, 31, posed as his child on TikTok to lure in a suspected sexual predator Diego Montoya Gonzalez.

Gonzalez, 20, arrived at the family home in Grove City, Ohio, where he was shot by Chandler twice.

The father had been shown evidence of Gonzalez sexually assaulting his daughter via a video on her phone, the New York Post reported.

Gonzalez was discovered by officers sitting in a chair at Chandler’s home with two gunshot wounds, for which he was taken to hospital to be treated.

Several clips were later found on his phone allegedly showing young children being sexually abused.

He was later charged on five counts of pandering sexually oriented material, two counts of rape and one count of obstruction of official business.

He was required to pay a $20,000 (£14,868) recognisance bond as well as a $50,000 (£37,158) cash bond pending further trial.

If allowed to walk free, Gonzalez will be banned from contacting the victim and going online except for work purposes.

Chandler later told police he had initially intended to bring Gonzalez to his home to beat him up and then call police while holding him there, but shot him when he thought he saw the man was about to draw his gun.

He was given a $100,000 (£74,399) cash bond after being charged with a felony assault.

Metro has contacted the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office for comment.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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Sarah Clougher, from Thirsk, will run the Great North Run on September 13 wearing a blindfold to raise awareness for children with sight loss.

Her one-year-old daughter, Indiana, was diagnosed with a vision impairment just one day after birth.

Sarah Clougher and her daughter, Indiana. (Image: SARAH CLOUGHER)

Following Indiana’s diagnosis, Sarah turned to Guide Dogs for support, which inspired her to take part in the Great North Run to raise money for them in return.

Sarah will be guided by her friend, Lucy.

Ms Clougher said: “We’ve decided to do the Great North Run blindfolded with Lucy tethering me to raise as much awareness as possible for children with a vision impairment.

(Image: SARAH CLOUGHER)

“We are not runners, but we will give this our all.

“It’s going to be a huge challenge for me, especially being blindfolded, but I’m so excited to do it.

“All the money we raise will be given back to Guide Dogs for the support they give to children and young people with sight loss.

“Their work really is life changing and I can’t thank them enough.”

Indiana was born with bilateral congenital cataracts in 2024.

Ms Clougher said the news “turned their world upside down.”

She said: “We were sent straight to the eye clinic, where they told us Indiana had cataracts in both eyes that were blocking her vision.”

She has since undergone four surgeries.

Doctors later identified a rare gene mutation behind Indiana’s condition, which has also caused nystagmus and microphthalmia.

Ms Clougher said: “‘For her first 12 weeks, we were at the hospital three or four times a week.

“It was all so intense.

“We didn’t get a minute to digest it all.

“It was quite a depressing time, with so much to deal with.”

In search of support, Ms Clougher reached out to the charity Guide Dogs who encouraged her to attend the charity’s My Time to Play sessions, which she described as hugely beneficial.

Ms Clougher said: “When we first started going, Indiana was very shy.

“She used to be quite wary of different textures, and she was terrified of people.

“Indiana’s gotten so much exposure from the group, and now she’s into everything, and she’s so social.

“She loves her touchy-feely books and her food.

“She’s my little wild child now.”

• For those wishing to support her fundraising efforts, donations can be made via her Great North Run fundraising page.

Guide Dogs has also supported the family through sensory resources, light therapy, and ongoing advice.

Ms Clougher said: “Guide Dogs have provided myself and Indie with incredible support.

“She attends the My Time to Play sessions fortnightly, she’s received sensory bundles and light therapy from them and the support is ongoing.

“They really are Indie’s biggest supporters and will continue to provide support and advice for the foreseeable future.”

To date, Ms Clougher has raised more than £730 for Guide Dogs, surpassing her initial target of £500.

However, the TV star said nerves got the better of her during the process.

She is best known as a member of The Nolan Sisters, who found fame in the 1970s with hits like ‘I’m In The Mood For Dancing’, and as a long-standing panellist on Loose Women.

Ms Nolan has now revealed that her career may have been different, having once tried out for roles on both Emmerdale and Coronation Street.

Coleen Nolan reveals she auditioned for Emmerdale and Corrie

Speaking on her Nolans Uncensored podcast, she said: “I can’t audition.

“I’m just really bad at auditions, my nerves get the better of me.

“I’ve only done literally about two in my career because I walk in going, ‘I will do this rubbish,’ because that’s how nervous I am.

“I didn’t get them.

“[One was] Emmerdale, I auditioned.

“And I think Corrie was one of them.”

The 61-year-old, who was previously married to EastEnders actor Shane Richie, admitted that the thought of a full-time soap role was daunting.

She said: “It’s proper work.

“I don’t think I’ve got the mentality to do that.

“It’s a long, it’s really hard.

“I wanted to say to them that I couldn’t do this part [the audition] but give me the job, and I’ll be able to do it.”

Coronation Street star returning to ITV soap after nearly 10 years

In other soap news, Bolton-born actress Emma Matthews will be making a return to the cobbles, nearly a decade after her last appearance on the long-running programme.

Matthews previously played social worker Fiona Crowley, who featured in two episodes in 2017 and was responsible for taking Abi Webster’s twins into care following a relapse.

Prior to that, she appeared as a nurse at Weatherfield General Hospital in episodes aired between 2012 and 2015.

While details of her new role remain under wraps, Matthews is expected to appear on-screen later in the year, according to The Sun.

This return comes as she balances her acting career with academic pursuits, as she is studying a Master’s qualification in Theatre Directing.

She directed a production of Beautiful Thing as part of her final coursework.

In addition to her work on Coronation Street, Ms Matthews currently stars in the West End production of Billionaire Boy at the Garrick Theatre and has directed theatre in Manchester.

She has also appeared in a wide range of television shows, including Emmerdale, Casualty, The Bay, Prisoners’ Wives, and Until I Kill You.

What is one actor you would love to see join the cast of Emmerdale or Coronation Street? Let us know in the comments.