One Direction star, Harry Styles, and actress, Zoe Kravitz, sent fans into a frenzy last week when Zoe was papped in London rocking a huge sparkler on her left hand

Harry Styles and Zoe Kravitz’s wedding will be nothing short of showstopping. The loved-up pair sent fans into a frenzy last week when they were papped arm and arm in London, with Zoe rocking a huge diamond.

The couple, who have been dating since last August, are yet to confirm they’re walking down the aisle. However, their early plans for their nuptials have reportedly been revealed – with no expense spared.

From a summer wedding in either Italy or France, to gorgeous dress designs and stylish themes, Harry and Zoe, who was previously engaged to Magic Mike star, Channing Tatum, are said to be pulling out all the stops for their big day…

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Summer wedding in France or Italy

Reports suggest the couple’s wedding may take place as early as this summer in the South of France – or Italy, as it is special for Harry and Zoe after they spent time together in Rome last year.

Seen strolling around the Italian capital arm in arm – hitting all the headlines – they looked every inch the happy couple, just under a year before they have reportedly taken the next step in their relationship.

Speaking to The Sun, a source Zoe is particularly taken by France, saying: “She talks about it all the time – beautiful locations like Paris or the French Riviera, lots of flowers, stunning outfits, and a ­celebration that lasts all day and night, surrounded by love.”

Could they elope?

While a European wedding looks like it’s on the cards, Zoe is said to be debating between a huge wedding full of family and friends and a far quieter affair with just her and Harry. The source continued: “She’s torn between a very intimate ceremony – possibly even eloping – and a larger celebration with all their loved ones, though a bigger wedding may ultimately win out.”

Already discussing wedding dress styles

With her eclectic style, Zoe, who is the daughter of rocker, Lenny Kravitz, is sure to choose a showstopping frock for her big day. She is said to want something unique and has started discussing ideas for outfits, themes and designs.

Harry is also no stranger to experimenting with fashion, having graced the cover of Vogue magazine, and will no doubt make sure all eyes are on him when he becomes a married man.

Baby plans

As rumours of their wedding begin to swirl, it’s now been suggested that the couple could also be ready take things to the next level.

Harry’s pal told Page Six of the former One Direction star: “He really wants a baby, he’s been telling his friends that.”

“He is completely smitten,” a source previously told the outlet amid the wedding speculation. “He would jump off a cliff for her.” Harry also spoke about his plans for the future with Zane Lowe on The Zane Lowe Show, admitting that he just wants “to be fulfilled”.

He said on the Apple Music series: “I think I had a real honest conversation with myself about, okay, in five years, what do I want my life to look like? And then how do I make changes to aim at that? I don’t want to be the guy who’s on his own but was like, oh, I really did it.

“I want to be fulfilled and I want to be in great relationships with people. I want to have great friendships with people. I want a family. I want these things. It just allowed me to go like, okay, what do I have to do to create space to allow these things to happen? I can’t just expect them to just happen to me.”

Highlighting the importance of being with the right partner, he concluded: “They hold you accountable to the person that they know you want to be. I think accepting flaws and stuff is like, yes, having understanding is wonderful, but you know that I want to be better than that. So when you challenge me on something. It’s a gift to me, actually.”

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Out of 75 councillors, 49 are Conservative, nine Liberal Democrat and Independent Group, six Labour, one Reform, eight in the the Non-Aligned Group (2 Canvey Island Independent Party, 2 Residents for Uttlesford, 1 Independent Loughton Residents Association, 3 Independents), as well as two vacancies.

What began as an ordinary weekday afternoon in Port Talbot quickly took a dramatic turn when a major fire at a commercial waste plant sent heavy plumes of black smoke across the town.

As it began settling over streets and homes residents sealed themselves inside.

Authorities were first alerted just after 3.39pm on Wednesday, April 29, when multiple calls reported a serious incident at an industrial estate in Dock Road.

Police confirmed a large blaze was under way and fire crews were dispatched as thick dark smoke billowed into the sky. Within minutes the skyline had changed from a bright sunny day into something much more sinister.

For those living closest to the site, particularly residents along Green Park Street, concern spiralled into fear as daylight dimmed under the weight of the smoke.

Gemma Jenkins and Paul Currie, who live on the street with their four children, said the situation escalated rapidly. “I came home after the school run and then about 20 minutes later I had a phone call telling me to look outside,” Gemma said. “It was just all black.”

She called Paul who had been in work at the time. “She just said: ‘You need to come home because it’s black’,” Paul said. “I said to the boss: ‘Look, I need to go home – there’s a fire opposite my house’ and from there it just got worse and worse and worse.”

The couple had to think about their children who were understandably shaken by the sight of smoke flooding towards their family home. Living directly opposite the river – the only thing dividing them between the raging fire – they could only watch the scenes from behind their windows.

“We’ve got four children,” Gemma said. “My six-year-old boy and little girl – they were scared.

“They were crying when they saw the fire. My other two weren’t here. But it was just chaos out here.”

The scale of the incident was evident through the level of emergency response. Crews from Port Talbot, Neath, Morriston, Ammanford, Tumble, Carmarthen, Pontarddulais, and Glynneath were all involved in efforts to contain it, supported by South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, tackling a blaze that involved around 200 tonnes of commercial waste.

As the response escalated at the site attention in Green Park Street quickly shifted from what could be seen outside to what was entering people’s homes.

“It was coming through the doors and the vents,” Paul said. “We had to tape everything up – even the letterbox.”

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He pointed to the outside vents of his home. “Even though they were shut it was still coming through. It was coming under the door when I taped it.

“The smell, the taste – you could taste it in the house. It was shocking.”

He said the smoke was being driven directly towards the row of houses. “It was blowing against the house, round the house. Just lucky the river was there really otherwise it would’ve spread right across – I think the house would’ve had it.”

For Paul there were also concerns about what was burning. “There were loud bangs from canisters. At one point I saw one shoot up into the air,” he recalled. “It was bad. Bad for the environment, bad for everybody living here as well as Port Talbot.”

At the peak of the fire traffic along surrounding routes was disrupted with some roads partially closed to allow emergency services access. Drivers reported delays as crews worked to manage both the fire and its wider impact on the town.

By Thursday morning the thick black smoke that had dominated the skies had begun to ease, replaced by lighter plumes as firefighters brought the situation under greater control. Even so crews remained at the scene damping down hotspots and working to prevent further flare-ups.

But for residents the disruption did not end when the flames began to subside. Stay informed on everything Neath Port Talbot by signing up to our newsletter here.

Inside their home Gemma said the effects of the fire continued into the night. Their young daughter was unable to sleep in her bedroom because of the smell of smoke.

“She was sleeping on the sofa, because her room is like a box room, but I took her into the bed with me in the end,” Gemma said.

“Our three boys as well – they wouldn’t stay in bed. Their bedroom is a bit bigger but I didn’t like them being in there to be honest.”

Two days on when speaking on Friday, although conditions have started to calm, concerns remained. “My daughter was coughing this morning but she’s not too bad now,” Gemma said.

“We’re lucky that it’s calmed down today and the rain has stopped it a little,” Paul added. “But it’s just been horrendous.”

Not far from Gemma and Paul are mother and son Joanne and Morgan who have lived on the estate for the past nine years. They described the last few days not as a passing disruption but as something that has taken over daily life entirely.

For Joanne that shift began almost immediately after the fire took hold. “I haven’t left the house since Wednesday,” she said, her voice cracking with emotion. “Obviously I could see the thick smoke.”

What followed, she said, was a gradual closing-in of the outside world as the smoke reached the home and stayed there.

Her son’s partner, who is 10 weeks pregnant, left the property shortly afterwards. “She’s had to go and stay with her parents in Cwmbran,” Joanne said. “She didn’t want to. But I was like, with an unborn baby, she can’t stay here. It wasn’t safe.”

During the height of the incident she said Green Park Street itself became crowded with onlookers.

“When the black smoke was outside there were crowds and crowds,” she continued. “People were lying on the grass at the side of my house. There were cars everywhere.

“People with newborn babies walking around. There was a van parked on the grass taking photos. People were watching like it was a movie.”

Morgan shared in his mother’s disbelief and said he didn’t fully understand how bad the situation was until he drove into his street. “It was like probably half a second between me opening the door and covering my mouth,” he said. “As soon as I stepped out of the car I could smell it.”

Joanne added: “His eyes were streaming. He was coughing just getting out of the car.”

Morgan said: “I’m a fabricator welder for work so I am surrounded by hot metal, beam burning and welding every day. Obviously, there’s fumes everywhere but I’ve never smelt anything like the fire. It was just next-level.”

From that point, much like Paul and Gemma, the focus went in to trying to seal the house from the effects of the fire. “The smell – you can still smell it now,” Joanne said. “I’ve had to tape up my letterbox, I’ve had towels on the floor, done all the vents.”

But despite all her precautions the impact of the smoke has been apparent. “Yesterday you couldn’t see outside. It was just thick.

“That was the worst I personally felt it because the wind had changed and it started coming more towards the property…. I’ve been coughing. I’ve got a massive headache today. My eyes have been burning. It’s just been horrific.”

She said the house has become harder to live in normally – especially with their two dogs. “We had to have the dogs upstairs because they were unsettled,” she said. “I normally wouldn’t do that but I just wanted them up with us. You panic.”

Even basic routines stopped feeling possible. “We couldn’t eat in the kitchen yesterday because the smell was so strong. We were on the sofa last night watching the darts and had to cover our faces. My nose was burning, my eyes were burning,” she said. “You couldn’t see smoke in here but you could still feel it.”

She said the timing has made the experience even more difficult. “My partner passed away nine weeks ago,” she said tearfully. “It’s a lot. I need to get out. But I’m frightened. I haven’t even gotten properly dressed…. I’m absolutely exhausted.”

That sense of fear is shared by pensioner Carole Jenkins who described the past few days as an absolute “nightmare”. Carole has underlying health conditions including angina and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which she said had been badly triggered by the smoke from the fire. She described worsening shortness of breath, chesty coughs, and persistent wheezing since the incident began.

Speaking holding her inhaler in her hand she said: “This really has affected me for the last three days. I have to have my inhaler because I just go out of breath like that. It’s been an absolute nightmare to be fair. I’ve been so scared.”

Reflecting on when the fire first occurred she said the change was sudden and disorientating. “I was in the living room lying on the couch,” she said. “It just went dark and I thought: ‘Oh my God – we’re in for a storm.’”

It was only when Carole was alerted by family she realised what was happening outside.

“My daughter was shouting for me to come out,” she said. “When I went out it was just pure black. I was really, really scared.”

The sight of the smoke and its smell was overwhelming for Carole. “It hit me like a ton of bricks. I’m glad my daughter was here with me.”

Carole said the impact inside her home quickly became unmanageable at its worst. “It’s been a struggle,” she said. “But my family have been coming over. Yesterday was really bad in there. I couldn’t breathe so they took me out for the afternoon. But when I came back it was worse still.”

At one point she said she resorted to wearing a face mask inside her own home. “I had to wear a mask like the ones we had in Covid. I wore that from about half past three on Thursday afternoon until I went to bed because the smell was so strong in there.”

She said she had hoped more support would have been provided to residents. “I wish they’d evacuated us or put us somewhere,” she said. “But I’ve got the dog and I can’t go very far without her. She’s all I’ve got.”

Her family have been supporting her throughout taking it in turns to visit and check on her. “They’ve been coming over to help or stay with me. Today’s been the first day I’ve stayed in but they told me: ‘Mum, keep your doors and windows shut just in case.’”

As withJoanne familiar tasks have become difficult in the wake of the fire. Carole said: “I went to put the rubbish out earlier and when I came back in I could smell it a little bit,” she said. “So I had to go back in and put my mask on.”

She added the emotional and physical strain had continued into the following days. “This morning I had pains in my chest and my back… I thought I was going to have a heart attack. With my illnesses the last three days have really made everything worse. It hasn’t been a lovely three days.”

For Sean Glave, who lives a few houses down from Carole, the effects of the fire forced him and his family to leave their home. He said the decision to go was driven by concerns for his young daughter.

“It’s been bad,” he said. “I’ve got a four-year-old child here and it’s just been smelling of rubber all the time. We’ve had to go out. It’s only since this morning it’s started dying down.”

He described how quickly the situation developed once the fire broke out. “I was home when it happened. I could smell it first – then I came out and the whole street was in black smoke. It was like a dark cloud over everything.”

According to Sean visibility across the street was almost completely lost. “The flames were coming through the trees, the trees were burnt, and it was just black smoke right across – you couldn’t see the houses,” he said. “Crazy, honestly – I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.”

He said his main focus was shielding his daughter from the worst of the scene. “I made sure she didn’t see it – didn’t want to frighten her,” he added. “Even inside the house it was full of smoke – that’s why we had to go out.”

With nowhere immediate to go the family left the area temporarily to stay with relatives. “Lucky enough I’ve got family away from here. So we just went there and came back today.”

As the blaze officially moves into the recovery phase Natural Resources Wales (NRW) waste regulation officers have returned to the site. Working alongside Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service officers confirmed they are continuing to monitor conditions and assess any potential environmental impact following the fire.

Mobile air quality monitoring have been deployed and remain in place with initial readings showing particulate levels were “moderate” and below thresholds where the general population would be expected to experience health effects over a 24-hour period. While agencies have stressed long-term health impacts cannot be entirely ruled out they say current assessments indicate the risk is likely to be low.

Residents and businesses in surrounding areas are continuing to be advised to keep windows and doors closed while any smoke remains visible and to ventilate properties once conditions improve. Anyone experiencing symptoms has been urged to seek appropriate medical advice.

Fire crews also remain on site continuing damping-down operations and monitoring for any remaining hotspots. Officials say this work is expected to continue for the foreseeable future as material within the waste pile is carefully turned and extinguished.

Further increases in smoke or small flare-ups may still occur as part of that process, particularly given current weather conditions, but agencies have stressed this is consistent with the final stages of stabilising the site rather than any deterioration in the incident.

For now, as the recovery phase continues, residents can only speculate on how long that recovery will take.

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Shuttleworth House is celebrating its 150th anniversary

A museum that is easy to reach from Cambridgeshire where you can see many historic aircraft is set to host a free event to celebrate its 150th anniversary. Shuttleworth, which can be found just outside of Biggleswade in Bedfordshire, is home to “some of the world’s oldest airworthy examples of historic aircraft” and holds air shows throughout the summer.

The museum is also home to the Regency Swiss Garden and Jacobean-style mansion making it a popular attraction for families to visit. On Sunday, May 17, the museum will be holding a free event to celebrate 150 years of Shuttleworth House.

The historic mansion was designed by the Victorian architect Henry Clutton with the first stone of the house being set by Caroline Shuttleworth on May 17, 1876. The house is now regarded as “an iconic example of Jacobean revival architecture in Bedfordshire”.

The free event will allow visitors to explore the house and learn more about its history through the special exhibition called “Shuttleworth House Through the Ages”. The exhibition explores the construction of the house as well as the lifestyle of the Shuttleworth family through the Victorian and Edwardian periods.

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You can find out more about the house’s role as a convalescent home during both world wars before its focus shifted to heritage preservation and becoming an award-winning events venue that people know today. If you want a more in-depth tour of the house, you can pay £15 for a guided tour that will give you more information about the décor and personal stories of those who have lived there.

There are plenty of family-friendly activities for children to get involved in including picking up colouring sheets or working on picture puzzles. There is also a tile trail to follow or you might like the “Find the Ducks” challenge that will encourage children to explore the house while learning about its history.

There are a few hands-on experiences like flag signalling lessons that have been inspired by the Shuttleworth family’s yachting days. Children could also try traditional napkin folding and learn about the standards of service maintained at the house.

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Rhys Horan, Operations Manager, commented: “As we commemorate 150 years of Shuttleworth House, we’re not only honouring its past but also celebrating everyone who has shaped its story, especially the staff and volunteers who bring it to life today. This milestone gives us a wonderful chance to look back with pride and look ahead with excitement for what’s to come.”

While you are at the museum, you might also like to check out the collection of vintage vehicles and aircraft. The collection includes a few replica aircraft as well as airworthy planes that regularly feature in the air shows and old fashioned cars.

You can also make a stop at the Runway Cafe if you need any food and drinks. The café offers plenty of coffees and teas as well as soft drinks that can be enjoyed alongside either a breakfast or one of the lunch options such as jacket potatoes and burgers.

Normal admission fees for the museum cost £19.50 for adults with children under 18 going for free. Shuttleworth is a 44-minute drive away from Cambridge via the A603 and the museum has a car park onsite.

Police were called to reports that a lorry had left the road and crashed into a ditch

A driver has died after a lorry crashed off the A1 near Cambridgeshire on Friday (May 1). Leicestershire Police were called at 11:18am yesterday following a report that a lorry had left the road near Great Casterton before stopping in a ditch.

The driver of the vehicle, believed to be a man in his 50s, was pronounced dead at the scene. No other vehicles are reported to be involved.

As of Friday night, the southbound carriageway between Stamford and Great Casterton remained closed and traffic was being diverted. The northbound was closed and has since been reopened.

Anyone who may have seen the crash or the moments leading up to it is asked to contact the police on 101 quoting incident 234 of May 1.

The Lib Dems warned Scottish education is “already under heaps of pressure even without pipes and bathrooms causing chaos”.

Scotland’s crumbling school buildings have caused more than 300 sewage leaks in recent years, shock figures show.

One major leak at a primary in East Ayrshire even saw waste water flow down corridors and into an area reserved for infants. And raw sewage also spilled from staff toilets at a school in North Lanarkshire.

The figures, uncovered by the Scottish Lib Dems, found a total of 312 reports of sewage leaks at schools across nine local authority areas since 2019.

Party leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said it was proof that too many school buildings are in “a right state”. The Lib Dems have called for the modernisation of the educational estate to be sped up as a priority.

Cole-Hamilton said: “Scottish education is already under heaps of pressure even without pipes and bathrooms causing chaos.

“The Scottish school estate is in a right state. If we want teachers to get on with teaching the next generation the skills that they will need, then we need to provide them with the classrooms and facilities they need to do that job.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats want to get Scottish education back to its best – expanding pupil support in every school and giving every child the best start in life.

“In many constituencies we are on the verge of winning against the SNP but wherever you are, every vote for the Scottish Liberal Democrats on the second peach ballot will deliver change with fairness at its heart.”

READ MORE: John Swinney blasts Douglas Alexander as government relations sour over whiskyREAD MORE: Malcolm Offord claims Scots ‘want to be like me’ after sharing pic of his ‘biggest yacht’

Official figures published by the Scottish Government previously found the number of school buildings rated as being in “good” condition has fallen by nearly a fifth since 2021.

A report last year found 24 per cent of state school buildings in Scotland have the highest rating of “good” – defined as “performing well and operating efficiently”.

But the SNP Government insisted the combined number of school buildings rated “good” or “satisfactory” – meaning “performing adequately but showing minor deterioration” – are by far the most common ranking.

Some 189 school buildings were rated “poor” – 7.7 per cent of all schools, down from 9.7 per cent in 2021.

Six school buildings were given the worst rating of “bad” – defined as “economic life expired and/or risk of failure”. In 2021, there was only one “bad” school building.

Since 2019, 14 new schools have opened to pupils as part of the Scottish Government’s £2 billion Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP).

Alex Kerr, SNP candidate for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse: “Under the SNP, over 1,100 schools have been built or upgraded – providing more accessible and more inclusive environments for pupils and staff.

“The latest school estate statistics, show that a record 92% of Scotland’s schools are now in a good or satisfactory condition, which is up from 62.7% in 2007, when the SNP first came to office.

“We have always worked very closely with the Lib Dems – with them voting for our last two budgets and more than 90% of SNP legislation under John Swinney, and we are happy to continue working constructively in the new parliament to drive further progress on the school estate.”

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About 70 people attended a public meeting to discuss a planning application to reconfigure the building, which more than 60 people have objected to. They fear the Half Moon will become a restaurant reliant on outside visitors rather than remain a community hub pub.

Once Barton had five pubs lubricating travellers on the Great North Road passing from Scotch Corner into Darlington.

The Half Moon in the 1930s. Is that landlord Hilton G Curtis posing for the cameraman? (Image: Chris Lloyd)

The Shoulder of Mutton

Behind the Moon, on the terrace which now houses the village shop, were the Voltigeur – named after the racehorse belonging to Lord Zetland of Aske Hall, which won the Derby and the St Leger in 1850 – and the Shoulder of Mutton.

The Shoulder of Mutton pub on the Great North Road in Barton. It lost its licence around 1904 (Image: Chris Lloyd)

The King William IV Inn

Then, a traveller heading north could turn right into a street with the fabulous name of Ugly Porch and find the Wheatsheaf, a coaching inn with stables which shut in the mid 19th Century, or they could go on to the last property in the village which was the King William IV Inn.

The King William IV pub in Barton in 2007 (Image: Sarah Caldecott)

This was built in 1760 as a farmhouse but its name suggests it was one of thousands of pubs which opened after the passing of the 1830 Beerhouse Act, an unpopular government’s attempt to curry favour by liberalising the licensing laws. The Act said that anyone who bought a licence for two guineas – £2.10 – could open a pub as long as they displayed the name of the licence-holder on a board outside. Consequently, many of the new pubs were called the Board Inn although many more were named the King William IV because the Act came into effect just as he ascended to the throne on June 26, 1830.

A decade later, an estimated 45,000 new brewers had been granted licences amid an explosion of drunkenness.

An Edwardian postcard of the Great North Road looking south in Barton towards the school with shops, a post office and a petrol station on the left hand side which are all now private houses (Image: Chris Lloyd)

The liberalising of the laws coincided with a new road, which opened in 1832, running from Scotch Corner through Stapleton and over the Tees at Blackwell into Darlington. This put Barton on the main road from London and Edinburgh and encouraged a surprising number of pubs, and shops, cafes and garages, to open up.

A snowy 1970s scene in Barton with the Half Moon in the centre (Image: Chris Lloyd)

It is said that during the Second World War, the village’s position beside the A1, encouraged a German spy to take up lodgings in the Half Moon so he could monitor troop movements along the main road and keep an eye on the airfields of Croft, Scorton and Middleton St George.

After a year of handling post from Switzerland for him, the Barton postmaster became suspicious and called the police. The lodger was carted off and never seen again, and the word was that he had been passing his sensitive gleanings to a safe house in Zurich. His disappearance came at the same time as a group of alleged spies posing as Irish clergymen were rounded up in south Durham.

M*A*S*H actress and sports pioneer Gwen Farrell has died at the age of 93. Her family confirmed the sad news while setting up a GoFundMe page in her honour.

Actress Gwen Farrell, most known for her time in sitcom M*A*S*H, has died at the age of 93. Her heartbroken family confirmed the news while setting up a GoFundMe page in her honour.

The late star is said to have died in LA on Thursday, and her son, Keith Farrell, broke the news the following day. Her cause of death has not yet been shared.

In a lengthy tribute on the fundraising page, her loved ones said: “Today, our family is heartbroken to share the passing of Gwen Farrell Adair. Gwendolyn “Gwen” Yancey Farrell was born in Austin, Texas, and lived a life full of strength, character, and quiet resilience. She was the daughter of Lovie Yancey, founder of Fatburger, and carried forward that same determination and independence throughout her life.”

Describing her life as “anything but ordinary”, they explained that her “true legacy was built in the real world through her strength, her presence, and the way she carried herself every single day”.

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“But beyond her accomplishments, Gwen was so much more to her family. She was a grandmother, a guiding light, and a steady source of love and wisdom. She had a way of making those around her feel supported, understood, and cared for without needing recognition,” they continued.

“Her passing leaves a deep void in our hearts, one that cannot be filled. We will miss her voice, her strength, and the quiet comfort she brought into our lives. While we are heartbroken, we are also incredibly grateful for the life she lived and the legacy she leaves behind.

“As we navigate this difficult time, we are asking for support to help cover funeral and memorial expenses, as well as any related costs that come with laying a loved one to rest with the honour and dignity she deserves.

“Any contribution, no matter the size, means so much to our family. If you are unable to donate, we truly appreciate you sharing this page and keeping our family in your thoughts and prayers. We are deeply grateful for the love and support during this time of grief.”

Texas-born Farrell delighted fans when she made her debut on M*A*S*H in 1972, and played a series of nurses during the show’s 11-year run, sharing the screen with Alan Alda, Mike Farrell, Loretta Swit and many more.

Throughout her stint, she appeared as different medical professionals, including Gwen, Wilson, Able and Butler. Aside from her time in the wartime comedy, her film credits include Billy Jack Goes To Washington, Towering Inferno, Earthquake and Black Gunn.

Away from Hollywood, Farrell famously “broke barriers” as she stepped into the world of boxing, working as a referee in California in 1980 – which was a heavily male-dominated industry at that time.

Her family celebrated: “With confidence, fairness, and unwavering composure, she earned the respect of fighters, trainers, and fans alike. She didn’t just do the job; she broke barriers and proved that strength comes in many forms.”

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British comedian Lucy Beaumont is set to appear on Saturday Kitchen this weekend

Lucy Beaumont has become a household name in British comedy – but many fans might not know about her famous mum and former spouse.

The Hull-born 42-year-old made waves as a So You Think You’re Funny finalist in 2011, before clinching the BBC Radio New Comedy Awards the following year. Her Edinburgh Fringe debut in 2014, We Can Twerk It Out, earned a Best Newcomer Award nomination.

More recently, Channel 4 gave the green light to Hullraisers, a comedy series Lucy created alongside co-writers Anne-Marie O’Connor and Caroline Moran in 2021.

Last year saw Lucy venture to the Scottish Highlands for the inaugural series of Celebrity Traitors, which crowned Alan Carr champion. Claudia Winkleman appointed Lucy as a Faithful, though her journey ended when Traitors Alan, Cat Burns, and Jonathan Ross murdered her in a dramatic face-to-face elimination.

Lucy is scheduled to appear on Saturday Kitchen today (May 2). Matt Tebbutt will host the episode, which also welcomes chefs Vivek Singh and Donna Hay, plus wine expert Olly Smith. Before her Saturday Kitchen stint, viewers might be intrigued to discover Lucy’s connections to two very famous figures, reports the Express.

Who is Lucy Beaumont’s famous mum?

Lucy’s mother is acclaimed playwright Gill Adams, who famously secured the Edinburgh Fringe Festival’s Best New Play honour in 1997.

Gill boasts an extensive career across television and radio, having worked on British staples including Emmerdale and Doctors. She even played a fictionalised version of herself in Lucy’s hit series Meet the Richardsons.

The mother-daughter partnership is set to reunite on screen, with Lucy confirming earlier this year that she’s developing a travel programme alongside her mum. While the series is currently in development, it’s yet to be picked up.

Speaking on the White Wine Question Time podcast, Lucy told host Kate Thornton: “I just find it fascinating that I’m just so sure that with the amount of telly I’ve done now and how funny my mum is, if we were men, we would be in our second or third series. Now I’m so sure of it… I’m not just being flippant. I’m pretty sure about it… I think there’s still just a long way to go.”

Lucy Beaumont’s split from comedian husband

Fans will recall that Lucy tied the knot with fellow comic Jon Richardson, having been set up by mutual friend Roisin Conaty. Following a two-year courtship, the pair wed in April 2015.

Their daughter Elsie arrived in 2016 through an emergency caesarean – a traumatic ordeal that left Lucy genuinely fearing for her life.

Lucy and Jon famously appeared alongside each other in Meet the Richardsons, portraying a fictionalised version of themselves. The programme, which enjoyed a five-series run, appears to have wrapped following the pair’s separation in April 2024.

The comedy pair revealed they were ending their nine-year marriage, sending shockwaves through their fanbase.

Speaking about the separation, Lucy explained: “People might think I should talk about it because we were so public and everyone knew us as a couple, but I won’t, and not because there’s any animosity. We both agreed that while it might be weird for other people not hearing about it, we wouldn’t talk about anything to do with the marriage or each other.”

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This week brought news that Lucy is set to join the line-up for a fresh series of The Great Celebrity Pottery Throw Down, with Liza Tarbuck at the helm.

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There’s a particular kind of homecoming that never quite leaves you, no matter how far you travel.

For actor Daniel Casey, stepping onto the stage at Darlington Hippodrome later this month will be exactly that – a return not just to the North East, but to the places and memories that shaped him.

“It’s coming home – home is always home, no matter where you are,” he says. “It’s going to be very, very emotional. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Casey, best known to millions as Sergeant Gavin Troy in the long-running television favourite Midsomer Murders, is back in that world once again – but this time at its centre.

He takes on the role of Inspector Tom Barnaby in the stage adaptation of The Killings at Badger’s Drift, which arrives in Darlington towards the end of a successful UK tour.

Daniel Casey as Inspector Barnaby, bringing the classic TV sleuth to life on stage at Darlington Hippodrome (Image: MANUEL HARLAN)

Yet for all the intrigue, eccentric villagers and dark secrets of Midsomer, it is Teesside – and nearby Darlington – that remains closest to his heart.

He speaks warmly of his North East roots, having grown up in Stockton, and of his affection for Darlington – a place he visited often in his younger years.

“I can’t wait to go back,” he says, adding that he is relishing the chance to return to and perform at its much-loved theatre, the Hippodrome.

His memories spill out in vivid snapshots of family trips to the town, visits to the indoor market with his mother, and the thrill of childhood milestones.

“I remember when the Dolphin Centre swimming pool opened and standing on the middle diving board, daring myself to dive off it,” he recalls.

Daniel Casey is set for an emotional return as he brings Midsomer Murders to Darlington (Image: MANUEL HARLAN)

Then there are the family journeys to Darlington railway station.

“There were five children in a Toyota caravette. I’d be in there half asleep, in a sleeping bag, driving along the back lane through Sadberge. We’d get to the station to pick my dad up from London, just excited to see him.”

His father, Luke Casey, was a respected North East broadcaster who often worked away from home and who began his career as a junior reporter at The Northern Echo.

“He did his first month as a junior reporter in his school uniform, until he could afford to buy a suit,” Casey says.

Although journalism ran in the family – his sister Siobhan also became a highly respected broadcaster – it was never quite his path.

“If you told a careers adviser you wanted to be an actor, you were told how difficult it would be,” he says. “So I used to say I wanted to be a journalist.”

In truth, the stage had already claimed him. But his family were firmly behind his decision to pursue acting – something he remembers in a moment that has stayed with him.

“Dad’s local pub was The Blue Bell in Bishopton,” says Casey.

“I was in there once when I was just starting out, and he was chatting to one of his mates who asked him, ‘do you worry about him going into acting?’

“And dad just said, ‘No, I’ve seen him’.

“I overheard him saying that. There’s nothing better than that – what a seal of approval.”

Casey adds: “He was always massively supportive, and mum was too. He used to say ‘you can do anything you want in life as long as you work hard enough’.”

From the Dovecote Arts Centre to Stockton Youth Theatre, Casey’s early years were steeped in performance.

He still remembers auditioning for Bugsy Malone using a speech from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, and performing in Hair at Billingham Forum as a teenager.

He recalls how a young Mark Benton – then the oldest in his peer group and on the verge of heading to RADA – became an early mentor, taking him under his wing.

That grounding would eventually lead to a long and varied career across stage and screen – from Coronation Street and EastEnders to major theatre productions – but for many, he will always be part of the Midsomer Murders story.

Now, he returns to it in a new guise.

Daniel Casey (Barnaby), James Bradwell (Troy) and Rupert Sadler (Dennis Rainbird) in The Killings at Badger’s Drift, a gripping tale of hidden secrets (Image: MANUEL HARLAN)

“It’s felt great to step into playing Barnaby,” he says. “I spent seven years next to John Nettles, so I had a really good sense of who Barnaby was.”

That connection made the transition feel natural – even if the responsibility of taking on such an iconic role was not lost on him.

“I had a lovely long chat with John about the role,” he adds. “There were things he said that made enormous sense.”

Nettles himself gave his seal of approval in the most unexpected way, by quietly turning up to a performance early in the tour.

“He came along one Friday night without telling us,” Casey says. “He took us all out for a drink afterwards and said he loved it. That meant a lot.”

The production, adapted for the stage by Guy Unsworth, brings to life the very first Midsomer Murders story, based on Caroline Graham’s novel.

It follows Inspector Barnaby and Sergeant Troy as they investigate the death of Emily Simpson in the seemingly idyllic village of Badger’s Drift – a place where appearances quickly unravel.

For Casey, part of the show’s enduring appeal lies in that contrast.

“It’s what they call ‘cosy crime’ now,” he says. “You’ve got beautiful countryside and chocolate box houses — but these really dark, twisted things are going on underneath. It’s like a Grimm’s fairytale.”

He believes the series’ cross-generational popularity – from long-time fans to younger viewers – comes down to what is left unseen, even if the crimes themselves are “quite deviant and gruesome”.

“You don’t show the murder. People’s imaginations are more gruesome than anything you can depict,” he says. “It was designed for that Sunday evening audience.”

And while many have tried to replicate its formula, he sees Midsomer as something unique.

“I think it was a trailblazer. It exists in its own world – there’s a sort of 1950s heart to it. It’s escapism.”

Translating that world to the stage might seem a challenge, but Casey says it works.

James Bradwell, Nathalie Barclay, Daniel Casey, Chris Agha and Rupert Sadler in The Killings at Badger’s Drift (Image: MANUEL HARLAN)

“It goes at a real pace,” he says. “There are a lot of characters, and people are always surprised when we take our curtain call and see how few of us there are.”

There is also a personal symmetry in sharing the stage story with actor James Bradwell, who now plays Troy – the role Casey himself made famous.

“When he was cast, he messaged me saying he felt a real sense of responsibility,” Casey says.

“I told him, ‘don’t feel any responsibility to me — do your own thing’. That’s what John (Nettles) said to me too.”

James Bradwell (Troy) and Daniel Casey (Barnaby) as the much-loved TV mystery makes the leap to the stage (Image: MANUEL HARLAN)

For Casey, the joy of the production is simple. “I’m having a ball. It’s absolutely brilliant,” he says.

But as the tour draws towards its final stretch, it is the Darlington stop that looms largest.

“I’m just excited I’m coming home,” he says.

“I’m sure there’ll be people there I haven’t seen for ages. I love chatting to people after the show – I just can’t wait to see who turns up from times gone by.”

Midsomer Murders: The Killings at Badger’s Drift comes to Darlington Hippodrome from Tuesday, May 19, to Saturday, May 23. Tickets are available via darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk or by calling the box office.