One act left the judges stunned with their unique audition on Saturday night’s opening episode

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Viewers of Britain’s Got Talent reckon they’ve identified this year’s champion within moments of the new series beginning.

The popular ITV programme made its comeback on Saturday (February 21) evening, with Ant and Dec presenting the nationwide search for talent. The much-loved show features diverse acts vying for a £250,000 prize and a prized performance spot at the Royal Variety Performance.

Musician and YouTuber KSI takes over from Bruno Tonioli on the judging panel this series, sitting alongside Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, and Alesha Dixon for the opening auditions at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens.

During tonight’s programme, the panel witnessed a performance from Liverpool dance collective LMA, whose distinctive synchronised routine left spectators speechless, reports Belfast Live.

READ MORE: ITV Britain’s Got Talent fans left divided minutes in as many ‘switch off’READ MORE: Britain’s Got Talent chaos as judges left gobsmacked in dangerous show first

An amazed Simon remarked: “Wow, wow, wow. I loved that audition.”

Amanda stated: “We have so many dance groups that come onto the show that promise us difference, and they never are. That was as different and exceptional as it gets. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Alesha observed: “I thought that it was beautiful, really, really beautiful. The way you commanded it was just so strong and central to all of it. Sensational.”

KSI continued: “Visually, my eyes loved it. This is a good watch and it’s the type where you can’t make a mistake. You were all on point and killed it.”

Simon subsequently commended the choreographer for his “on-point” routine, stating: “What you do is incredible.”

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Viewers were equally impressed, with many suggesting the group could potentially claim victory in the competition due to their distinctive performance.

“Ooo, have we just seen this year’s winner?” one viewer posted on X (formerly Twitter). Another commented: “Defo finalists, they were so good.”

A third remarked: “Finally a dance act bringing something different to the table,” whilst another similarly wrote: “LMA wow indeed all in sync All in time well done to every single person Liverpool should be so proud!”

Britain’s Got Talent airs on ITV1 and ITVX

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Lawyers for imprisoned British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell are fighting the requested release of 90,000 pages related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein and Maxwell, saying a law used to force the public release of millions of documents is unconstitutional.

The lawyers filed papers late Friday in Manhattan federal court to try to block the release of documents from a since-settled civil defamation lawsuit brought a decade ago by the late Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre against Maxwell. The Justice Department recently asked a judge to lift secrecy requirements on the files.

Maxwell’s attorneys said the Justice Department obtained the documents — otherwise subject to secrecy orders — improperly during its criminal probe of Maxwell. They said the documents include transcripts of over 30 depositions and private information regarding financial and sexual matters related to Maxwell and others.

Some records from the year-long exchange of evidence in the lawsuit battle were already released publicly in response to a federal appeals court order.

Maxwell’s lawyers say a law Congress passed in December to force the release of millions of Epstein-related documents violates the Constitution’s separation of powers doctrine.

“Congress cannot, by statute, strip this Court of the power or relieve it of the responsibility to protect its files from misuse. To do so violates the separation of powers,” wrote the lawyers, Laura Menninger and Jeffrey Pagliuca about the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

“Under the Constitution’s separation of powers, neither Congress nor the Executive Branch may intrude on the judicial power. That power includes the power to definitively and finally resolve cases and disputes,” the lawyers added.

The release of Epstein-related documents from criminal probes that began weeks ago has resulted in new revelations about Epstein’s decades-long sexual abuse of women and teenage girls. Some victims have complained that their names and personal information were revealed in documents while the names of their abusers were blacked out.

Members of Congress have complained that only about half of existing documents, many with redactions, have been made public even as Justice Department officials have said everything has been released, except for some files that can’t be made public until a judge gives the go-ahead.

Giuffre said Epstein had trafficked her to other men, including the former Prince Andrew, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. She sued Mountbatten-Windsor in 2021, claiming that they had sex when she was 17.

He denied her claims and the two settled the lawsuit in 2022. Days ago, he was arrested and held in custody for nearly 11 hours on suspicion of misconduct in having shared confidential trade information with Epstein.

In a memoir published after she killed herself last year, Giuffre wrote that prosecutors told her they didn’t include her in the sex trafficking prosecution of Maxwell because they didn’t want her allegations to distract the jury.

Maxwell, 64, was convicted in December 2021 and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Epstein took his own life in a federal lockup in August 2019 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges. Maxwell was moved from a federal prison in Florida to a low-security prison camp in Texas last summer after she participated in two days of interviews with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.

Two weeks ago, she declined to answer questions from House Oversight Committee lawmakers in a deposition conducted in a a video call to her federal prison camp, though she indicated through a statement from her lawyer that she was “prepared to speak fully and honestly” if granted clemency.

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday.

Thousands of people were hoping to impress the judges with their talents and get that all-important golden buzzer.

Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon were back on the judging panel with KSI, who has become a permanent judge following Bruno Tonioli’s exit.

However, viewers seemed somewhat worried about Mr Mean himself, Simon Cowell.

Watch these top Golden Buzzer moments on BGT

One viewer posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Seriously, what is going on with Simon Cowell? Looking like Tom Hanks in Philadelphia. Also what’s with the Bono glasses… #BGT”

Another said: “Genuine Question, with all the people who have been knighted in the UK some for ridiculous reasons. How the **** has Simon Cowell not been knighted? #BGT #Britiansgottalent”

Someone else noticed Cowell’s now signature glasses: “Simon Cowell makes me laugh in his Anastacia glasses”

The media mogul, 66, is one of the most famous faces on telly.

The dad-of-one has battled several health woes, including a bike crash, which nearly killed him and left him doubting if he would ever walk again.

Then last year, the star was forced to miss some of BGT’s auditions after falling ill when filming started in Birmingham, and he needed Stacey Solomon to step in for him.

How much do you know about Simon Cowell’s career?

Recommended reading:

Bruno Tonioli quits Britain’s Got Talent

In September, Bruno said in a statement: “After three incredible series, I’ve sadly had to walk away from a job which has opened my eyes to so much incredible talent and step down as a judge on BGT.

“And whilst I look forward to filming a new series of Dancing With The Stars in the US, I will miss the chaos and joy that BGT brings, as well as all the wonderful people I’ve had the privilege of working with.

“They truly are a brilliant team who make brilliant television, and I know KSI will be a fantastic judge too, as he’s already proven this year.”

Due to this, musician, YouTuber and boxer KSI was announced as Bruno’s permanent replacement as a judge on BGT, which will once again be hosted by Geordie duo Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly.

The U.S. Olympic team won its record-breaking 11th gold medal of the Winter Games on Saturday, with at least one more good possibility when its men’s hockey team wraps up the action on closing day with the title game against Canada.

The trio of Kaila Kuhn, Connor Curran and Chris Lillis gave the U.S. the record by capturing the American team’s second straight title in mixed aerials.

The 11th gold breaks the country’s mark set at the last Olympics on U.S. soil — in Salt Lake City in 2002, which has long stood out as a turning point for a winter sports program that had struggled over previous decades.

This could end up being another turning point, not so much for the sheer number of medals but the variety of places from which they came: Twelve of the 17 sports disciplines represented in the Winter Games produced medals for the U.S.

“Our focus and our strategy has always been about breadth,” said Sarah Hirshland, the CEO of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. “We want to win in everything. We want to make every sport better. Some could argue there are countries that go a mile deep in certain sports and really dominate. Our goal has been to improve Winter sport across the board.”

The aerials medal, then a bronze in speedskating from Mia Manganello later in the day, lifted the U.S. to 31 overall for the Olympics with one day left.

That’s second to Norway, which had a record 18 gold medals and 40 overall through Saturday evening. Seventy-two percent of the golds came in the endurance sports of cross country, biathlon and Nordic combined. The biggest gold-medal hauls for the U.S. came in four disciplines — two each (18%) in Alpine skiing, freestyle skiing, figure skating and speedskating.

There are 38 more medal events on the program this year than there were in 2002. A lot of the new events have come at the snowpark — halfpipe, slopestyle and big air — which used to be America’s domain but has now been taken over by Japan, which, for instance, won nine medals in snowboarding, compared to two for the U.S.

“We stated we wanted to be a podium nation,” Fin Kirwan, the USOPC‘s chief of Olympic sport, said of the U.S. goal of being top-three on the medals table. “We said it will likely take 30 medals and we got after it. The athletes delivered on their potential and, by turn, we hit the record on gold-medal performance, which shows that our very best were able to execute.”

Here are some looks and links to the rest of the 11 U.S. gold medal winners:

Alex Ferreira, freeskiing

Halfpipe skier rounds out his Olympic collection — gold, silver, bronze. Back home, he’ll keep going with streamer “Hotdog Hans” where he dressed up like an 80-something ski sensation.

Breezy Johnson, Alpine skiing

Her long journey included a knee injury four years ago on the same mountain where she won the gold.

Elizabeth Lemley, moguls

Nicknamed “Lizard,” she joins a long line of great U.S. moguls skiers, including 2010 champion Hannah Kearney and her teammate, Jaelin Kauf, who now has three silver medals.

Alysa Liu, figure skating

The 20-year-old stepped away after the 2022 Beijing Games, rediscovered her love for figure skating and happily claimed the title.

Elena Myers Taylor, bobsled

At her sixth Olympics, she finally broke through, becoming the oldest Winter Olympian to win gold at age 41.

Mikaela Shiffrin, Alpine skiing

The most winning skier of all time cashes in at the Olympics with slalom gold after a tear-stained shutout four years ago.

Jordan Stolz, speedskating (2)

Joined Eric Heiden at Lake Placid in 1980 as only the second man to capture the 500 and 1,000.

US figure skating team

Liu, Amber Glenn and Ilia Malinin are among the members of a team that brings home second straight gold; the last one took two years to capture after a Russian doping saga.

US women’s hockey team

A tense thriller, highlighted by Hilary Knight’s equalizer with 2:04 left, then Megan Keller’s winner in overtime.

___

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Ian Murray Erskine’s death still remains a mystery to this day.

Upware is usually a sleepy village in Cambridgeshire. However, the whole county was shocked in 1990 when on Sunday, March 25, two men on the River Cam found a decomposed body wrapped in a black plastic bag floating in the water.

Dental records confirmed that these remains were of a man called Ian Murray Erskine. Ian, 44, had been working as a senior economist at the Bank of England and lived at Norland Square in Notting Hill, miles away from where he was found.

Described by his neighbours as a “very pleasant and quiet” man, Ian would frequently visit the Norland Arms pub close to his home. He often sat with a couple who were regulars at the pub.

He started to meet another man there throughout October and November of 1989. A later investigation suggested that Ian met this man through the personals in a gay magazine.

On December 13, 1989, Ian had a friend at his flat for dinner and told him he was meeting another man from the magazine. This unknown man was originally from Zimbabwe and had served in the army before moving to England.

On December 15, two days after the meeting, Ian left for work in the morning and carried out his usual day but never returned home. He disappeared for four months until his body was found miles away from London in Upware.

A police investigation was opened that revealed someone had been using Ian’s credit card and check book throughout December and had bought items including a watch, rented a car, and made several cash withdrawals. The man who had bought the items had been described as a man with a beard and a trimmed moustache.

A transaction was blocked on January 8 when someone tried to used the card to purchase a five-day return ticket to the Netherlands. The police tried to locate several people of interest in the case but were unable to find them and the murder remains unsolved.

Julien Macdonald made a high-shine return to London Fashion Week, staging his autumn/winter 2026 comeback on the interior rooftop of The Shard with a collection that reaffirmed his reputation as fashion’s self-styled “king of glamour”.

Perched high above the capital, guests nursed martinis as the Welsh designer sent out a procession of sequinned, sculpted silhouettes against the glittering night skyline.

Singer Ella Eyre was among those seated front row, watching as Macdonald delivered a show steeped in his signature high-octane energy.

It marked Macdonald’s first London Fashion Week runway since restructuring his business in 2023, and the message was unmistakable: unapologetic, maximalist glamour is back.

Macdonald, 54, who launched his label in 1997 and has previously held high-profile roles at Chanel and Givenchy, has long been synonymous with red-carpet showstoppers. His return leaned fully into that legacy, delivering a collection of high-impact eveningwear designed for drama rather than understatement.

The show opened with fluid, body-skimming gowns in metallic tones, including a liquid gold halter-neck dress that plunged dramatically at the front and twisted into a draped, thigh-split skirt.

The silhouette elongated the body, the fabric catching the light with every step, evoking the kind of paparazzi-ready moment Macdonald’s celebrity clientele – from Beyonce to Jennifer Lopez – have made their own.

Sequins were deployed liberally across the collection. A sharply cut, long-sleeved column dress in burnished bronze shimmered under the spotlights, its structured shoulders lending to Macdonald’s siganture statuesque quality.

Elsewhere, micro silhouettes dominated: a black, crystal-embellished two-piece with sheer shorts and cut-out detailing left little to the imagination, styled with pared-back heels to keep the focus on the body.

Feathers, which have been trending on the runway, gave a theatrical flourish to the collection.

A mint-green, crystal-studded bodysuit was paired with a matching feathered robe that trailed behind the model, its texture softening the overt sensuality of the barely-there base layer.

In another look, a sheer black gown with feathered hem detailing glided down the runway, balancing transparency with movement.

There was little concession to winter in the traditional sense. Despite the autumn/winter billing, Macdonald’s world remains resolutely summer – or at least permanently party-bound.

Backless gowns, plunging necklines and high-cut bodysuits dominated, with sheer panels and strategic cut-outs forming a recurring motif. One pale green, sequin-drenched gown featured a deep V neckline gathered at the waist and a front slit that revealed just enough leg, merging red-carpet polish with beach-club ease.

The setting at The Shard amplified the excitement for this comeback show. With London’s skyline twinkling beyond the glass, the show felt less like a seasonal presentation and more like a celebration – a statement of resilience and return.

If much of this season’s schedule has leaned into restraint then Macdonald offered a fun alternative of high-octane, unapologetic, old-school glamour.

The designer has signalled a shift towards a more accessible luxury ready-to-wear model, focusing on versatile embellished pieces. While the collection remained firmly in the eveningwear sphere, several looks – streamlined sequinned dresses and sharply cut cocktail numbers – suggested a commercial sensibility beneath the glitz.

Macdonald was named British Fashion Designer of the Year in 2001 and appointed chief designer at Givenchy the same year, succeeding Alexander McQueen. More than two decades later, his formula of sequins, skin and skimpy silhouettes remains largely unchanged.

Julien Macdonald’s return delivered something of a jolt of joy above the London skyline.

“Temperatures well above average at first, likely falling closer to average with alternating colder and milder spells towards the end of February and into March.”

The Met Office has revealed where snow could fall in the UK as early as next week. Despite sunshine being forecast for this weekend, “blustery showers” could arrive in the north.

Elsewhere will remain “largely dry with sunny spells”, reports the Mirror. For Sunday, the weather forecast adds: “Staying breezy but feeling pleasant in the sunshine.”

For Monday, the Met Office says conditions will start dry before rain moves in from the west. Tuesday will be “similar with mostly cloudy skies, rain in the west and brighter spells east”. However, there is a chance of snow later in the week.

In the forecast starting from Wednesday to March 6, the Met Office says “Atlantic frontal systems” will sweep across the UK, with “rain and showers typically heaviest and most frequent in the west”. There will be “shorter dry and bright interludes” in between bouts of rain.

Conditions are predicted to be “windy” while temperatures will remain “above average” at first before dropping. “Colder and milder spells” are expected before the end of this month, the Met Office says.

The forecast explains these cold spells could be cold enough for sleet and snow. The Met Office says snow is most likely to come in the “north-west”, especially over hills, as temperatures drop.

The full forecast states: “Changeable during this period with Atlantic frontal systems moving across the country and shorter dry and bright interludes in-between.

“Rain and showers typically heaviest and most frequent in the west, with more sheltered eastern areas seeing much smaller amounts of rain. Often windy with a chance of gales at times.

“Temperatures well above average at first, likely falling closer to average with alternating colder and milder spells towards the end of February and into March; perhaps cold enough for some sleet/snow showers in the northwest, especially over high ground, in the colder spells.”

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However BBC Weather says snow is unlikely, but possible, next week. It says: “Next week, temperatures will most likely be above average overall… the position of the jet stream will meander northwards and southwards, so there will still be occasional, short-lived cooler spells across northern regions, particularly Scotland.

“Although it will be milder elsewhere, temperatures may dip slightly toward the end of the week. There will be further wet and windy periods as a sequence of low-pressure systems and associated fronts move through, and any drier, calmer interludes will probably be short-lived.

“Most of the rain in the first half of the week should affect western and northern regions of the UK. It will be particularly mild for a couple of days, with temperatures possibly reaching the mid-teens Celsius in the southeast.

“However, weather systems could take a somewhat more southerly track during the second half of the week, with just enough cold air on their northern flanks to bring some hill snow. Overall, there is no notably cold period on the horizon.”

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Donald Trump has called the Supreme Court’s ruling blocking many of his sweeping tariffs ‘deeply disappointing’ and has announced a new 10 per cent tariff on global imports.

Justin, Sarah and Anthony jumped into action following the President’s press conference to unpack the day’s drama: starting with the US Supreme Court decision to block global tariffs and ending with the President’s withering attack on some of the justices for their decision.

The president spoke a few hours after the US Supreme court struck down the legal justification for a large portion of Trump’s sweeping global tariffs in a major blow to the president’s economic agenda.

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• Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent

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This episode was made by Rufus Gray, Miranda Slade, Grace Reeve and Kris Jalowiecki. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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Chelsea have dropped a league‑high 17 points from winning positions at home and 19 in total – the second‑worst record in the Premier League behind West Ham on 20.

It is another area affected not only by red cards but also by an inability to finish teams off and defensive lapses, particularly from set-pieces.

Chelsea have conceded a league‑high 13.54 expected goals from set-pieces this season, resulting in 11 goals against.

It is unsurprising, therefore, that the combination of dead‑ball specialist Ward‑Prowse and an aerial presence such as Flemming contributed to the equaliser.

“Set plays are massive in the Premier League, they’re so important. Our record this season, defending set plays, is not at the level required for us to achieve what we want to achieve, and that’s something I need to address,” Rosenior said.

There may also be a broader mentality issue, which again could be linked to the youthfulness of the squad – particularly within Chelsea‘s leadership group.

Asked whether Chelsea have enough leaders, Rosenior simply replied “Yes”, before adding: “I think there are certain values you need to have in your team.

“The best teams, the teams that win titles – which is where we want to get to – win games 1-0 when they probably haven’t played at their best.

“That should have been at least a 1-0 today. Even with 10 men for 25 minutes, that should have been a 1-0 at the least. I know what we need to get there. It’s not down to youth, it’s about assessing the players and identifying the ones you can rely on in difficult moments.”

Chelsea were booed off at full‑time, and Rosenior’s reaction may signal the end of a brief period of calm around Stamford Bridge.

It remains a promising start for the Englishman in his 11 games in charge, but he walked into a club already experiencing a febrile atmosphere, with anti‑ownership chants growing louder and fringe protests beginning to move into the mainstream.

It promises to be an interesting few weeks for Chelsea, with Arsenal, Aston Villa and Newcastle to come in a tougher run of Premier League fixtures.

The Boat Race is a historic sporting event for both Cambridge and Oxford University.

For the city of Cambridge, the Boat Race is one of the biggest sporting events of the year. Whether you are a student at Cambridge University or just someone who lives in the city, many people take pride in the Cambridge crews taking to the Thames.

The men’s Boat Race started in 1829 after Charles Wordsworth from Christ Church College, Oxford, and Charles Merivale of St John’s, Cambridge, met during vacation in Cambridge. Wordsworth went rowing on the River Cam and the friends decided to make a challenge out of it.

The first men’s Boat Race took place on June 10 1829 at Henley on Thames. The event happened irregularly for the next 25 years before it was moved to London in 1836.

The women’s Boat Race was founded in 1927 and was held on the Isis in Oxford but didn’t happen every year until the mid-1960s. The first few races didn’t have the two crews on the river at the same time but were judged by “time and style” until 1935 where they started following the traditional format.

For 2026, the Boat Race will taking place on Saturday, April 4. Over 200,000 people are expected to watch the 80th Women’s Race and the 171st Men’s Race along the riverbanks.

The race will take place on a 4.25 mile stretch of the River Thames from Putney to Mortlake in south west London. The women’s Boat Race kicks off at 2:21pm and the men’s Boat Race will start an hour later at 3:21pm.

If you are heading down to London for the event, there are two fan zones that will be open from 11am and will involve food, drinks, and giant screens so you don’t miss any of the action. Hammersmith Furnivall Gardens is right next to the river and will have a range of food spots to enjoy from burgers to Greek street food.

Fulham Pier is open to supporters and alumni of Oxford University and will have a dedicated stand for fans to pick up badges and flags. Cambridge University supporters will also be welcome in this area.

You could also head to a pub nearby or find a spot along the bank to cheer on Cambridge. If you are staying in Cambridge, you can watch the Boat Race on Channel 4 with coverage running from 1:30pm to 4:30pm – the event was previously televised by the BBC, but in a major change it will now be shown by another broadcaster.

If you need any more information about the Boat Race, you can go to the event website for the full day’s schedule.