FIFA president Gianni Infantino is holding on by his finger nails, but his opponents are trying to get rid of him and are ready to take extreme steps to ensure that he is ousted

The leaders of UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC are ready to take extreme measures to oust FIFA boss Gianni Infantino – which includes setting up their own rival competition.

The days of the FIFA president appear numbered in the wake of his failed plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup, but Infantino is determined to fight on. He’s tried to lean on old acquaintances, but he’s lost the faith of several of the world’s major organisations.

UEFA have been the most outspoken federation and have backing from other continental organisations. The Times reports that they’re prepared to create their own tournament and UEFA have a blueprint for a global league having commissioned one in 2017, without using it.

One source told the newspaper: “Everyone is very determined he needs to go, and if not we will take all the necessary steps [to remove him from power]. That includes future international competitions — would the big South American countries prefer to play France or Spain, or Lebanon or Djibouti? Everyone is very determined, there are no backward steps now.”

It remains feasible that Infantino will ignore the noise and try for re-election in March as he eyes a fourth term. Infantino’s opponents would therefore be prepared to impose a “governance boycott” which would see them refuse to take part in FIFA council or committee meetings.

A number of European associations, including England and Wales, have withdrawn letters of support for Infantino’s re-election after his World Cup sale plans fell flat. It comes after the FA had supported Infantino via a letter as recently as June.

UEFA were outspoken against the FIFA president during the World Cup, heavily criticising his decision to suspended the red card handed to Folarin Balogun whilst their president Aleksander Ceferin refused to attend the final last month in New York.

Europe’s governing body has signalled its intent to take legal action after FIFA and said in a letter: “UEFA hereby gives formal notice that it is actively considering legal action, arbitration, and/or regulatory complaints arising out of and in connection with the FFE plan proposed by Fifa and all related matters.

“You and Fifa are required to take immediate steps to identify, locate, and preserve all documents and electronically stored information described in this notice that are in your or Fifa’s possession, custody, or control.

“These obligations arise independently of any internal retention policy you or your organisation maintain and supersede any routine document destruction or deletion policies that would otherwise apply.”

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Jennifer Garner and her boyfriend John Miller made a surprise appearance on Sunday in what marked their first public sighting as a couple in just over a year.

Garner, 54, beamed while putting on a loving display with Miller as they enjoyed a date night at a restaurant in Santa Monica, California, in photos obtained by the Daily Mail.

The couple’s status had been in question in recent months, as they had last been spotted out to a public establishment in July 2025, and their last sighting in general was in December of last year.

But things appeared to be better than ever between the lovebirds, who both smiled while taking a stroll, when they were spotted on Sunday evening.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Garner’s representatives for comment but has yet to receive a response. 

Garner’s vibrant presence was a striking contrast to the somber note she sounded last month, when she revealed that she and her ex-husband Ben Affleck caused so much publicity when they stepped out in public that they were asked to stop attending their children’s soccer practices.

Garner, 54, beamed while putting on a loving display with Miller as they enjoyed a date night at a restaurant in Santa Monica, California, in photos obtained by the Daily Mail

The couple’s status had been in question in recent months, as they had last been spotted out to a public establishment in July 2025, and their last sighting in general was in December of last year

The actress was dressed casually for her date in a light-gray sweatshirt that she paired with cropped white jeans and matching white trainers.

The age-defying beauty wore her long brunette locks pulled back from her face and cascading down her shoulders as she gazed affectionately at her boyfriend. 

For his part, Miller looked dashing in an untucked olive button-up shirt with his sleeves rolled up and a pair of acid-wash jeans with well-worn brown leather Chelsea boots.

At one point on the couple’s stroll, Garner — who alternated between keeping her hands behind her back and putting her left hand in her pocket — affectionately placed a hand on her partner’s back as they walked toward the upscale Italian restaurant Fia.

The 13 Going On 30 star first began dating the CaliGroup CEO in 2018, three years after her separation from her ex-husband Ben Affleck, with whom she shares three children: Violet, 20; Fin, 17; and Samuel, 13.

Though Garner and Miller briefly split in 2020, they reportedly reunited the following year and have largely kept their relationship out of the spotlight ever since.

Despite rumors that she and Affleck were growing close again in the wake of his divorce from Jennifer Lopez, Garner and Miller appeared to be going stronger than ever last year, especially after they were photographed sharing a kiss in April 2025.

Rumors had been swirling that Miller had moved in with his movie-star girlfriend, and he poured fuel on the fire when he was spotted outside her mansion in May of last year.

The actress was dressed casually for her date in a light-gray sweatshirt that she paired with cropped white jeans and matching white trainers

The age-defying beauty wore her long brunette locks pulled back from her face and cascading down her shoulders as she gazed affectionately at her boyfriend 

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For his part, Miller looked dashing in an untucked olive button-up shirt with his sleeves rolled up and a pair of acid-wash jeans with well-worn brown leather Chelsea boots

‘John is basically living with Jennifer,’ a source told UsWeekly in May 2025, noting it was only ‘part time.’

The publication also claimed he moved out of his Los Angeles home after the wildfires ravaged several neighborhoods in the Southern California city in January 2025.

‘He has an office in LA and splits his time between staying there and at Jennifer’s home,’ the source said.

The Daily Mail confirmed in mid-March of last year that Garner and Miller were still going strong, with a source spotting them looking cozy on a date night.

The couple was seen ‘holding hands and kissing’ and being ‘very cute with one another’ as they strolled through the Brentwood Country Mart in Los Angeles.

The PDA-filled outing took place in the evening, according to the eyewitness.

‘They are still going strong and appear to be doing really well,’ the source shared.

‘They looked happy and at ease, like a married couple that is thriving. They laughed and smiled at each other. Very cute.’

At one point on the couple’s stroll, Garner — who alternated between keeping her hands behind her back and putting her left hand in her pocket — affectionately placed a hand on her partner’s back as they walked toward the upscale Italian restaurant Fia

The 13 Going On 30 star first began dating the CaliGroup CEO in 2018, three years after her separation from her ex-husband Ben Affleck

Though Garner and Miller briefly split in 2020, they reportedly reunited the following year and have largely kept their relationship out of the spotlight ever since

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The insider added that both were dressed down for the casual date. ‘She had no makeup on, her hair down. He wore a coat and jeans.’ 

‘There was a lot of affection between them,’ the source continued. ‘They held hands and kissed — just a very normal couple with no Hollywood weirdness.’ 

However, Garner and Miller suddenly dropped off the radar following their last public outing in July 2025, and they weren’t seen again until December, when they were seen during a brief rendezvous to exchange Christmas gifts while Jennifer was preparing her family’s bigger celebration.

Miller, a Stanford Law School graduate, now serves as chairman and CEO of CaliGroup, a tech conglomerate that not only owns the CaliBurger restaurant chain but also invests in innovative ventures in robotics and artificial intelligence. 

He also heads CaliGroup’s portfolio company, PopID, which focuses on facial recognition payment systems.

Despite his impressive resume, Miller maintains a low public profile and rarely seeks the spotlight. 

Outside of his business ventures, he remains devoted to co-parenting his two children with ex-wife Caroline Campbell, a celebrated violinist who has performed with renowned artists like Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban, and Sting. 

The former couple married in 2005 and divorced in 2011, but are said to maintain a cordial relationship for the sake of their kids. 

Rumors had been swirling that Miller had moved in with his movie-star girlfriend , and he poured fuel on the fire when he was spotted outside her mansion in May of last year, but they hadn’t been pictured together at all since December; Miller pictured in 2018

Garner is pictured with her ex-husband Ben Affleck in 2014, the year before they separated. They share three children: Violet, 20; Fin, 17; and Samuel, 13

While Garner’s life continues to play out in the public eye, Miller seems happy to stay behind the scenes, giving her a steady, drama-free presence away from all the Hollywood noise. 

Last month, Garner gave a rare look behind the scenes at how her and her ex-husband’s fame has complicated their family life. 

‘If I went through a yellow light, 15 cars would go through the red behind me,’ Garner recalled on Evan Ross Katz’s Shut Up Evan podcast. ‘They would drive up onto people’s lawns, even on a hillside.’

The Alias alumna added, ‘We were trying to have our little one play soccer, and the association asked us to stop because there were 20 cars coming. So it wasn’t just about us. It was just an industry that had gotten out of control.’

She went on to muse on the incessant presence of photographers. 

‘If you show up and you’re trying to get into the pediatrician and you have a sick kid on your shoulder and you’re scared and you can’t get into the door because you’re blocked by photographers, there’s something wrong with that, and the kids are paying the price,’ Garner said.

The screen star pointed out a sense of ambivalence as she recognized the privileged lifestyle her career has offered. 

‘It felt like “poor little me, my poor little kids who have everything in the world,” but it was a danger to everyone around us,’ she said.

Last month, Garner gave a rare look behind the scenes at how her and her ex-husband’s fame has complicated their family life; pictured in February

‘If I went through a yellow light, 15 cars would go through the red behind me,’ Garner recalled on Evan Ross Katz’s Shut Up Evan podcast. ‘They would drive up onto people’s lawns, even on a hillside’; pictured with (L–R) Samuel, Violet and Fin as they walk their adorable cat in 2020

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The Alias alumna added, ‘We were trying to have our little one play soccer, and the association asked us to stop because there were 20 cars coming. So it wasn’t just about us. It was just an industry that had gotten out of control.’; pictured in 2018

Last month, Garner made rare comments praising Affleck. Amid the success of her Hollywood career, Garner said she ‘absolutely’ ‘got caught up’ in motherhood, but described her ex as a ‘great partner’ eight years after their divorce was finalized 

Katz asked Garner what the current climate is like between her and the relentless shutterbugs. 

She said there are two photographers who have been assigned to follow her for over 20 years, and explained their ‘odd’ dynamic.

‘I have a very interesting relationship with my main guy,’ she opened up.

‘I mean, I’ve done anything to ask him to leave. And at the same time, we have an odd respect for each other. I don’t know… we’ve had some really real life moments together.’

Garner recalled, ‘I was followed by someone who, for whatever reason, I thought was going to hurt me, and I ran to him because I knew him and trusted him, and I knew that he and I would be okay.’

‘Like, there’s kind of a Stockholm syndrome thing,’ she explained. ‘And at the same time, I’ve called the cops on him a million times and been like, “Can you please just give me a walk around the block with my kids and my dog?”‘

Earlier this month, the Houston, Texas, native made rare comments praising Affleck.

Amid the success of her Hollywood career, Garner said she ‘absolutely’ ‘got caught up’ in motherhood, but described her ex as a ‘great partner,’ eight years after their divorce was finalized.

The subject arose as she was asked by Entertainment Weekly about ‘the minutiae of raising a family and working.’

‘But my kids are a little bigger 1785778675. Their dad has become this incredible co-parent,’ she gushed about her ex.

She added elsewhere in the interview: ‘When [my kids] were younger, I wouldn’t have done a couple of weeks away without taking them with me. Now they’re in high school. You can’t really do that anymore. But they can stay with their dad. He’s wonderful. He takes care of them. He’s a great partner in that way. And that’s very freeing.’ 

This latest contribution increases the total donated so far to £3,150, representing 56% of the total £5,625 pledged throughout the development.

Taylor Wimpey West Scotland has made a further donation of £1,125 to Share Alike, the volunteer-led community organisation based in East Kilbride, as part of its ongoing per-plot donation initiative at the Amble Court development in Jacktonhall.

This latest contribution increases the total donated so far to £3,150, representing 56% of the total £5,625 pledged throughout the development.

The initiative sees Taylor Wimpey donate £25 for every new home sold and legally completed, supporting Share Alike’s vital work across the local community.

Share Alike provides a wide range of support services aimed at reducing poverty, loneliness, and waste — including a community larder, wellbeing café, baby bank, crisis food support, and a growing programme of community-led activities. Share Alike welcomes Taylor Wimpey West Scotland’s continued support.

Annmarie Campbell, founder of the organisation, said: “We’re so grateful for this continued support from Taylor Wimpey West Scotland.

“Each donation helps us reach more people in need — whether that’s providing food, essentials for families, or a safe and welcoming space for those experiencing loneliness.

With another significant donation received, we’re able to plan ahead with confidence and continue delivering the services our community relies on.”

This is a partnership rooted in community impact as Audrey Ross, Sales and Marketing Director at Taylor Wimpey West Scotland, adds: “We’re delighted to make this latest donation to Share

Alike. Their work is truly transformative for families and individuals across East Kilbride, and we’re proud that our per-plot initiative at Amble Court is helping to support that impact.

“As the development progresses, so too does our commitment to Share Alike and the people they support. It’s a partnership we value greatly.”

For more information about the new homes available for sale at Taylor Wimpey’s Amble Court development, visit www.taylorwimpey.co.uk/amble-court.

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And did you know Lanarkshire Live had its own app? Download yours for free here.

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (AP) — Investigators on Monday were trying to determine what led a 24-year-old man to open fire at an Idaho fast-food restaurant over the weekend, in an attack that left three people dead and seven others wounded before authorities say he killed himself.

Police Chief Matthew Hicks said Sunday detectives are confident that the gunman, identified as Chad Williams, acted alone in the shooting Saturday at an In-N-Out Burger in Twin Falls, a southern Idaho city of about 56,000 people.

He said Williams’ family is cooperating fully with the investigation.

An off-duty state trooper and a civilian fired on the attacker and diverted him from the restaurant, the chief said. Police haven’t disclosed their names or those of the victims. Twin Falls spokesperson Josh Palmer said Monday that police are still trying to identify next of kin.

Two of the wounded were treated at a hospital and released, three were listed as stable, and two others were in critical condition, police said Sunday.

An In-N-Out employee was among those killed, the fast-food chain’s owner, Lynsi Snyder, said in a statement. She didn’t identify the worker.

The restaurant, which opened July 24 as part of the California chain’s Idaho expansion, is in a busy shopping plaza, and hundreds of people were in the area when the shooting happened.

Lane Koehn, 34, said he was at a nearby stoplight when he saw someone with an AR-style rifle emerge from the drive-thru. A man with a pistol started firing at the shooter.

He then saw someone in an In-N-Out uniform drag a person, also wearing a uniform, bleeding from a gunshot wound to her chest across the parking lot. The employee, Koehn and the man with the pistol stayed until paramedics arrived for her.

“She was pretty bad off, but I don’t know. I hope she made it,” Koehn said.

He said the man holding the rifle fired at least three or four rounds, though it wasn’t clear if anyone in particular was targeted.

Video taken by a driver from across the street captured a shooter, who appeared to be dressed in black, walking up to a white car carrying a long rifle, opening the driver-side door and popping the trunk. The person then walked to the trunk and reached inside. At that point, the driver who shot the video left quickly, fearing that the man might be getting more weapons.

Nayeli Rodriguez, 40, of Burley, was inside waiting for food with her daughters when she heard shots from the kitchen. An employee said it was a shooting and told people to get down. Rodriguez said an older man tried to protect her and her daughters, and they were among the last to run outside.

The supermarket will launch sit-down restaurants across a number of its UK stores

Major supermarket Morrisons has announced it will be launching new sit-down burger restaurants across a number of its stores.

Continuing its partnership with Burger Boi, Morrisons has revealed six of its stores will host the brand. But rather than installing small takeaway counters, Morrisons said each of its Burger Boi locations will operate as a complete sit-down restaurant.

As reported by creatorzine.com, the roll out follows on from the opening of a Burger Boi restaurant inside Morrisons’ Manchester Piccadilly store in December last year.

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A second restaurant is set to begin serving customers at Morrisons Wood Green in north London on Thursday, August 6. This will offer the brand’s complete menu and is expected to create more than 20 jobs.

Morrisons’ Watford store has also been confirmed as another upcoming location and is due to open later this month. Burger Boi said four further Morrisons locations are planned to open up before the end of the year, although the remaining sites have not yet been revealed.

Burger Boi sales director Asa Simpson said: “Less than five years ago, Burger Boi opened its first store. On Thursday, we’ll open our second physical location within Morrisons, this time in Wood Green.

“It’s another exciting milestone in what is becoming a fantastic partnership with Morrisons and one that continues to enable us to bring Burger Boi to more communities across the UK. Even more exciting is that this is only the beginning, with four more Morrisons locations already planned to open before the end of the year.”

The company added that the first Morrisons restaurant in Manchester had received an “exceptional” response and its restaurants inside the supermarket were helping it to build a nationwide presence in convenient, high-footfall locations.

Simpson added: “Seeing an opportunity evolve into a scalable retail partnership is something I’m proud to be part of. A huge amount of work goes into every opening and it’s a credit to everyone across both teams who helps make it happen.”

They’re the couple that are so chronically online that they’ve built an entire empire from social media.

But Zoe Sugg, aka Zoella, and her soon-to-be husband Alfie Deyes have been missing for what feels like donkeys years.

Earlier this year we had our first update on the biggest mystery since the disappearance of Tanya Burr and Jim Chapman’s miniature Dachshund Martha.

And while the pair were recently photographed during an outing, their absence from the platforms which made them famous remains a mystery.

The YouTube couple, who have been together since the heyday of the platform back in 2012, are used to sharing every element of their lives with fans, from daily vlogs to brand campaigns galore.

However Zoe, 36, has been totally absent for nearly six months, and after taking part in her usual Vlogmas, she vanished and shared her final post over the festive period.

Alfie, 32, meanwhile, has dipped in and out of his popular social media platforms and last posted back in April. A real contrast to his usual daily YouTube vlogs.

An update on the couple finally came to light recently, and it’s not quite what fans had anticipated.

Zoe and Alfie, who are proud parents to daughters Ottie, four, and Novie, two, have reportedly been building themselves a donkey sanctuary at their huge £1,700,000 home which has escalated into a local planning dispute in their quiet West Sussex village.

A post on the local parish council website in Brighton shows Alfie has submitted planning permission for a donkey farm. Yes, that’s right, Farmer Deyes has entered the chat.

Local planning documents reveal that Alfie recently acquired a five-acre plot of land just north of their home and has submitted a planning application to the local council seeking permission to build a tractor parking area, a donkey enclosure and stable, a wildlife pond, and three shepherd huts.

But the application has angered locals over parts of the development, including 2.1-metre-high boundary fencing and new access gates.

The residents have argued that the works will cause safety hazards over the newly created access point onto their private lane, and that the heavy vehicles needed to care for the donkeys will cause disruption and damage the root systems of mature trees.

Alfie’s planning agent has argued that the huts are not for residential or Airbnb use; instead, they will be used to store beekeeping equipment, land maintenance tools, donkey feed, and serve as a daytime rest room by the wildlife pond.

The project has received support from other neighbours, however, who say that the development is a sustainable return to the land’s historical agricultural roots and a genuine ecological asset.

Does that explain Zoe’s social media absence? Not entirely, but it has reassured fans that all is okay in the Deyes/Sugg household.

Metro has contacted representatives for Zoe and Alfie for comment.

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Pamela Gwinnett stole almost £300,000 from Joan Green, treating her as ‘her own personal cash cow’

A runaway fraudster dubbed ‘the Black Widow’ who fled to Tenerife is finally behind bars. Pamela Gwinnett stole almost £300,000 from vulnerable pensioner Joan Green, who lived in Chorley.

Gwinnett wormed her way into the retired accountant’s luxury bungalow posing as a carer who had the pensioner’s best interests at heart. She then set to work isolating frail Mrs Green from her loving family before plundering the widow’s savings, reports LancsLive.

She changed the locks on the gated bungalow and switched the landline, telling cruel lies about family members who tried to reach her. She used Mrs Green as ‘her own personal cash cow’, splashing out on Botox, lavish meals and a luxury car.

When she was finally arrested, Gwinnett fled to Tenerife in a last ditch attempt to evade justice.

After 16 months on the run, the 63-year-old finally appeared in the dock at Preston Crown Court, dressed in the same leopard print bomber jacket she wore for her return to the UK.

Mrs Green’s grandson, David Bolton, said: “We are just relieved. We are very happy to finally see her in the dock and sent off to prison. It’s been a long time coming.”

Gwinnett’s barrister, Rosalind Scott-Bell, said the escape was driven by ‘fear, anxiety and mental health issues’.

But Mr Bolton said: “She has never apologised once. She’s shown no remorse whatsoever through any of this. Regards her anxiety, that comes with committing crimes and getting caught.

“She wasn’t that anxious when she was swimming in pools and getting her nails done, eating in restaurants and bars in Tenerife.”

In October 2025, Judge Michael Maher sentenced Gwinnett, of Greenfield Road, Adlington, to six years in prison for theft and fraud by abuse of position.

At today’s hearing he added an additional two months after Gwinnett pleaded guilty to a bail act offence.

Judge Maher said: “Despite the apparent difficulties with your mental health it seems you were sufficiently robust to travel outside the UK.”

He said Gwinnett had applied for a variation to her bail in order to scatter her brother’s ashes on the island, but the court was ‘rightly sceptical’’

“No evidence as to the existence of a brother has been produced, much less that he was deceased”, he said. On April 2, additional conditions were placed on Gwinnett, banning her from travelling abroad and ordering her to surrender her passports.

“On April 8, I was informed you had boarded a plane to Tenerife, about five hours after the court had refused your application. Despite the fact one of your passports had been returned to the authorities you used another passport in order to abscond from the jurisdiction.

“During your trial, although you were nearly 2,000 miles away in your Spanish apartment, you continued to besmirch Joan Green’s family with bogus allegations of impropriety.

“You apologise through Ms Scott-Bell for what you did. Quite frankly, your apologies stand no weight at all.”

READ MORE: Cambridge locals at odds over calls for citywide 20mph limit

READ MORE: Firefighters called to fire next to guided busway in Cambridge

Speaking outside court, David Bolton said: “We are relieved. We are happy to finally see her in the dock and sent to prison. It’s been a long time coming.

“My nan unfortunately died under Pamela Gwinnett’s control. Hopefully she didn’t believe the lies that Pamela was feeding her.

“She’ll never get justice but we as a family can get on with moving on with the rest of our lives.”

Gwinnett was ordered to pay £350,180 to Mrs Green’s family during a Proceeds of Crime hearing. It is understood property has been seized in a bid to recover the money.

Coronation Street star Kimberly Hart-Simpson, who played Nicky Wheatley on the ITV soap, shared a humorous update about her new living arrangements on Monday afternoon

One former star of Coronation Street has revealed that she is “back living in student halls” six years on from when she found fame on the ITV programme.

Actress Kimberly Hart-Simpson, 39, became known to fans of the world’s longest-running TV soap when she was cast as escort Nicky Wheatley in 2020, and her character became a love interest for Daniel Osbourne (Rob Mallard) shortly after his wife Sinead (Katie McGlynn) had passed away.

The soap star, who has also appeared in Hollyoaks, Brassic and Celebs Go Dating, is taking her play Amnesia to the world-famous Edinburgh Fringe and posted a humorous update to social media about her living arrangements as she prepares to perform at the Pleasance Theatre.

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She wrote on Instagram: “I am officially back living in student halls during Ed run. I don’t know who all of my housemates are yet. But I hope they like ne and we take it in turns changing the bin. Also pray I ain’t the biggest sl*g when we inevitably play never have i ever!”(sic)

The Edinburgh Fringe brings in around three million visitors every year and stages more than 1,000 new productions across the summer. Several famous faces got their start by performing at the festival, with comediennes such as Catherine Tate and Sarah Millican as well as Mr Bean and Blackadder star Rowan Atkinson all starring in shows there early on in their careers.

Hit musical Six, which reimagines the six wives of Henry VIII as pop stars based on the likes of Britney Spears, Ariana Grande and Beyonce, premiered there as a university production before going on to dominate the West End and Broadway.

Written and performed by Kimberly, Amnesia sees the soap star playing Kelly, a dementia carer in Rhyl who risks losing everything when her best friend announces that she is moving to a city with a Pret a Manger in it.

Kimberly was first seen on Coronation Street in 2020, and starred throughout that year but has made various guest appearances since, the latest of which was in 2024.

But her alter-ego managed to make it out of Weatherfield alive, so the actress previously shared that she would be happy to make a return to the programme at some point.

In early 2025, Kimberly told The Mirror: “We met Nicky four years ago and I’m still going,” adding that her appearance on the show was initially supposed to be a brief stint but is still “popping back and facilitating storylines.”

Kimberly added: “That’s the great thing about soaps, you chop and change into other characters’ lives. Of course I’d consider going back – I look at that time with such fond memories and have such positive emotions towards the show.”

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The giant inflatable aqua park is believed to be the biggest in the region

A new giant inflatable outdoor waterpark has opened near Bolton.

With the summer holidays upon us, families flocked to be first to try out the new North West Aqua Park, which opened on Monday morning at the Anderton Centre, Chorley.

Believed to be the biggest in the region, it’s set against the stunning backdrop of Lower Rivington Reservoir and is big enough to fit 60 people at a time.

Designed for families, friends, community groups and thrill seekers alike, the Aqua Park offers an action packed experience featuring giant inflatable obstacles, slides, climbing walls, balance challenges and splash zones, all under the supervision of a fully qualified lifeguard team.

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Tickets have already been flying out for the new attraction, which is open almost every day of August – except for 15 and 22 – and then weekends throughout September.

Sessions cost £20 per person for an hour-long session, which includes a safety briefing. Wetsuits and life jackets are included, but if the water is warmer then wetsuits won’t always be essential. Participants also need grippy gel socks, which cost £2 a pair, or they can take their own trampolining socks along.

The launch of the Aqua Park represents ‘a significant investment’ in outdoor recreation at the centre, which is a registered charity and delivers adventure activities including kayaking, archery, paddle boarding and more. The summer school holiday club is booked up but there are spaces available for October half term.

Those behind the new venture say the response from the public has been ‘overwhelming’, with strong demand and bookings continuing to grow as the summer holidays get underway.

Jason Pendlebury, chief executive of the Anderton Centre, said: “Today marks a hugely significant milestone for the Anderton Centre. Seeing the Aqua Park come to life and watching so many people enjoying the experience has been incredibly rewarding for everyone involved.

“The enthusiasm from our first visitors has exceeded our expectations, and we are absolutely delighted by the level of public interest and the number of bookings we have already received.”

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He added: “This attraction represents much more than just a great day out. As a registered charity, every booking helps us continue our work in providing outdoor learning and adventure opportunities for children, young people and community groups across the region. We’d like to thank everyone who has supported the project and, of course, everyone who has chosen to visit us on our opening day.”

Promising ‘an unforgettable adventure on the water’, the minimum age is six and minimum height 1.1m. Children aged six to 11 must be accompanied by an adult on the Aqua Park, at a ratio of one adult to two children. Children aged 12 plus will need to be accompanied by an adult if they are not confident in open water or in large groups of people.

Sessions run from 9.30am, with the last one from 4pm to 5pm. Tickets can be booked on the website here.