BAFTA winner Nicola Schindler, who produced Happy Valley, is leading the production

The production company behind popular TV series After the Flood as well as Harlan Coben’s Fool Me Once and Run Away are setting up filming in Stockport.

Residents are being warned of potential disruption while a new TV show is being filmed at a school in the area.

TV crews are set to take over St Elisabeth’s Primary School in Reddish on Monday, with signage at the school seemingly showing a fictional Beacondale Primary School. Householders have been sent a letter from Quay Street Productions detailing what is due to take place during filming of the undisclosed show.

In the letter, residents are told the series is also being produced by BAFTA winner Nicola Schindler, who also produced Happy Valley.

“We plan to film at St Elisabeth’s Primary School on Monday June 1 from approx 08:00-19:00, with up to an hour either side for arrival/prep and packing up,” the letter states.

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“Whilst much of the day is scheduled for filming inside and within the grounds of the school, we do wish to film an arrival scene with a motorbike driving along St Elisabeth’s Way onto David Street, and into the school. This scene is currently scheduled in the morning, after which we will be almost entirely within school grounds.

“To achieve this, we hope to film with a drone flying over the green, following the motorbike. For safety reasons we have therefore applied for some minor traffic management, with holds of up to 2-3 minutes sporadically while the motorbike is driving and drone in flight.

“Please see the traffic management plan attached but note that at no time will we be closing any roads, only short requests to pause – the area within the blue boundary lines would be the area we would control for 2-3 minutes at a time only. Pedestrians on foot and cyclists would also be asked to pause out of shot for the same amount of time.

“We aim to be contained as possible, but due to the heavy nature of the equipment we carry, we will need to park our technical vehicles as close as possible to the filming location. The only road out of shot that is available for parking our trucks and vans nearby is Houldsworth Street, we have therefore asked the council for permission to reserve this stretch of road from the Sunday before filming.

“Alongside this, we will need to reserve and clear of vehicles a large portion of St Elisabeth’s Way and David Street for the motorbike to travel down – we do not wish any personal registration plates to be in shot.

“We realise that this will be an annoyance for some and would very much like to thank everyone in advance for your patience and goodwill.”

A range of acts competed for the coveted title, £250,000 prize, and a performance slot at the Royal Variety Performance.

But tonight, there was only one winner,

It’s Showtime ⭐️

Ant & Dec host a dazzling night of performances as Britain’s Got Talent reaches the spectacular live final where one act will be crowned this year’s winner.

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I’m here to guide you through the Grand Final

Aaron #BGT

— All Things Britain’s Got Talent (@AllThingsBGT) May 30, 2026

Who won Britain’s Got Talent?

The winner was.

Hawkstone Farmer’s Choir.

Who was in the Britain’s Got Talent Final for 2026?

The final of Britain’s Got Talent 2026 took place tonight with 10 acts confirmed to be taking part.

From a magician and poet to a fire-juggler and comedian, there was plenty to look forward to.

The 10 acts in the BGT final for 2026 were:

• Matty Juniosa (singer) – golden buzzer from semi-final one
• Anastasiia and Salsa (dog act) – winner of semi-final one
• LMA (dance group) – golden buzzer from semi-final two
• Fabian Fox (magician) – winner of semi-final two
• Liwei Yang (fire-juggler) – golden buzzer from semi-final three
• Ted Hill (comedian) – winner of semi-final three
• Sonny Green (poet) – golden buzzer in semi-final four
• Rafferty Coope (magician) – winner of semi-final four
• Celestial (drone art) – golden buzzer from semi-final five

The Hawkstone Farmers Choir (choir group) – winner of semi-final five

Ant and Dec catch eye of viewers

One viewer posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Wow, Ant and Dec look smart”.

Another commented: “They really do carry this show Ant and Dec, only reason I still watch it”

Someone else said: “Ant and Dec deserve a pride of Britain for what they do to the entertainment in this country!”

However, some were not impressed.

One person said: “Why are Ant and Dec still on telly every time i switch it on”

Another said: “God I am sick of the sight of these two”

Who did you want to win BGT 2026? Let us know in the comments below.

Plans for the bar, in the outdoor area of Acomb’s Inn On The Green pub, have been withdrawn after they were lodged with York Council in January.

The application from operators Daniel Thwaites PLC would have seen an outbuilding converted into a bar and a log burning firepit installed.

Council planning officers stated they would take no further action on the application and the reasons for withdrawing it have not been provided.

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Plans from stated the bar had been intended to be part of efforts to adapt and change amid difficulties facing the pub industry since the coronavirus pandemic.

They added the facility would have helped improve the existing outdoor area, making it more comfortable and family-friendly.

Plans stated: “For many, the village pub is about bringing people together and are an icon of British life, but unfortunately too many are closing their doors for good.

“Pubs have ability to adapt and cater for changing lifestyles whilst remaining at the heart of the community but like any small business they need support, investment and protection.

Inn on The Green, in The Green, Acomb, York (Image: Google Street View)

“The Inn on the Green is more than just a business, and more than just a drinking establishment, with a well-supported restaurant, which is required to keep the business afloat.

“For this vital community asset in Acomb to remain and to be able to support itself, modern intervention is required to meet the up-to-date standards.

“Once a village pub has gone it is difficult to bring them back, and this is already the case in neighbouring villages who have now lost their focal point and community asset.”

Ant and Dec hosted the Britain’s Got Talent 2026 final but viewers of the ITV show were divided over the winner

The winner of Britain’s Got Talent 2026 has been revealed following months of auditions and live semi-final shows.

Following an evening of fierce competition before judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and KSI, presenters Ant and Dec declared that Hawkstone Farmers’ Choir – initially established by Jeremy Clarkson who was watching from the audience – had secured victory. They defeated Anastasiia and Salsa who came third and Celestial who finished as runners-up.

Ten acts performed on stage on Saturday, 30 May for the live final. The remaining finalists included golden buzzer recipients Sonny Green (spoken poet), Matty Juniosa (singer), LMA (dance group) and Liqei Yang (fire juggler). They were joined by public vote winners – Fabian Fox (magician), Ted Hill (comedian) and Rafferty Coope (magician).

Upon being named the 19th Britain’s Got Talent champion, the choir received £250,000 and an opportunity to appear at the Royal Variety Performance.

They said: “We are the first choir to have won BGT,” while dedicating their victory to farmers nationwide, particularly those experiencing difficulties, reports the Daily Star.

Viewers expressed mixed reactions on social media platform X. One wrote: “A choir finally won!” Another stated: “Fantastic!” A third posted: “Massive congratulations to Hawkstone Farmers Choir. Well deserved.” Someone else remarked: “The most deserving of winners. They are what this country is all about. Support our British farmers!”

However, not everyone was satisfied, with one viewer commenting: “Anastasiia and Salsa were my winners.” Another wrote: “Matty was robbed! As was the Liverpool dancers. Shocking results !!” While a further viewer stated: “Sonny Green was robbed.”

Others called it a “fix” with one saying: “The Jeremy Clarkson Hawkstone Lager Farmers Choir win – What a total fix!!!.. Clarkson literally made the public vote them to win. He promised everyone who voted for them a “free pint.”

Hawkstone Farmers’ Choir join a distinguished line of former champions, including Paul Potts, Diversity and Ashleigh and Pudsey. Last year’s victor was illusionist Harry Moulding. For his closing performance, Harry left the judges spellbound with an array of close-up card tricks in the studio, before raising the stakes in a pre-recorded skydiving segment, where he continued his illusion while airborne.

Following his victory, the Blackpool-born performer faced accusations of the show being fixed. However, the emerging talent fought back against those who questioned his act.

He told Yahoo News: “About the ‘fixed’ allegations – if you want to call it that – first and foremost, thank you so much to everyone for giving their opinions. Just the simple fact that people have their own opinions of magic is great in itself.

“Ultimately, with magic, almost the biggest compliment to a magician is where someone doesn’t know how they don’t know how it’s done! So often the only explanation for the method they can think of is, ‘Oh, well, it must be a fix, because if not, I just can’t fathom how that would have happened.’”

Britain’s Got Talent is available to watch on ITVX

Manchester United star Ayden Heaven has seen several of his teammates respond to one of his Instagram posts

Several Manchester United players light-heartedly mocked Ayden Heaven over one of the defender’s latest social media posts. United’s players are currently enjoying a break following the end of the Premier League season last week.

Michael Carrick guided United to third place in the Premier League table, which was enough to qualify for the Champions League.

Heaven made 19 appearances for United over the course of the season, playing the full 90 minutes on seven occasions, including in wins over Liverpool, Brentford, Chelsea and Newcastle.

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On Friday, Heaven took to Instagram to post a series of photos of himself enjoying a holiday. The defender could also be seen wearing a gold chain around his neck, which featured the No.26, the same squad number he has for United.

The post from Heaven to his 782,000 followers also featured a location which stated ‘In Heaven’, alongside a smiley face.

Several United players took to the post to leave a comment of their own, including club captain Bruno Fernandes, who wrote, “Why you delete my comment? Is that really fake.”

Harry Maguire also left a comment, which referenced the chain that Heaven was wearing. He wrote: “Did you get that chain in a McDonald’s happy meal?”

Diogo Dalot couldn’t help but tease his team-mate, sending a message to Patrick Dorgu about Heaven. Dalot wrote: “Buy your boy a belt, please.”

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Joshua Zirkzee posed the question, “Is he alright?” in his comment, while Bryan Mbeumo left two clown face emojis.

Tyrell Malacia, who will leave United this summer, could not hide his amusement with his comment. The left-back wrote: “HAHAHAHAHAHA what a legend”.

In a recent interview with Jamie Redknapp for Sky Sports, Mason Mount revealed that he believes Heaven is the funniest person in the dressing room at Old Trafford.

“I don’t want to say it, but it is Ayden,” Mount told Sky Sports. “He is just silly. He is a youngster and he is silly about everything.

“But you need that around the place and it keeps it very light at the training ground, but sometimes he needs to be put in his place and that happens. But he’s a really good character.”

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

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US presidents have always told lies. Richard Nixon famously lied to Congress over his knowledge of the Watergate scandal while Bill Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives after declaring that he did not have “sexual relations” with Monica Lewinsky.

How much does the American public care about politicians lying and could a new law stop it from happening?

In today’s Americast, Justin and Sarah speak to a former federal prosecutor who wants to hold politicians accountable if their lies damage democracy. Andrew Weissman played a major role in former FBI director Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, and now believes the US should bring in laws to protect elections from lies.

HOSTS:
• Sarah Smith, North America Editor
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 Presenter

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This episode was made by George Dabby with Tom Gillett, Grace Reeve and Oscar Pearson. The technical producer was Rohan Madison. The series producer is George Dabby. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including Newscast. If you enjoy Americast (and if you’re reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below.

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Coastguard crews received frantic reports of three kids in serious danger off the Ayrshire coast at around 3.45pm on Thursday.

Three children stranded at sea on inflatables have been rescued off the coast of Ayrshire.

Coastguard crews received frantic reports of the kids in serious danger at around 3.45pm on Thursday. The youngsters had been enjoying the sweltering weather at Ayr beach when they were swept out to sea.

An emergency lifeboat from Troon raced across open waters to retrieve the terrified kids. It was later discovered, though, that the Belfast Coastguard had already escorted them safely ashore.

A statement shared by RNLI Troon Lifeboat read: “At 3.47pm on Thursday May 28, the pagers were activated by Belfast Coastguard following reports of three children in difficulty on inflatables at Ayr.

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“The Shannon class all-weather lifeboat ‘RNLB Roy Barker VI’ was launched to the scene, but thankfully the crew were informed by the Coastguard on route the children were back safely ashore. The lifeboat crew were able to recover the inflatables before returning to Troon where the all weather lifeboat was made ‘ready for service’ with the assistance of the shore crew.”

There were also a number of other emergency callouts across Ayrshire during the heatwave this week. Lifeboat crews raced to rescue jet skiers in difficulty at Stevenston point on Tuesday, and paddleboarders were left stranded at Prestwick the following day.

Mercy crews have now urged revellers to take care when enjoying the sunny weather.

Troon RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager Jim Redmond said: “Following the recent good weather the coast is becoming busier and our advice would be for anyone going out onto the water to please wear a suitable flotation device, check the weather and tides and ensure you have a means of calling for help should you get into difficulty.”

He added: “We would also advise not to use inflatables in the sea – please save them for the pool and if you do see someone in trouble at sea or along the coast, please call 999 and ask for Coastguard.”

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Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal “could easily” have been awarded a penalty in extra time of their dramatic Champions League final loss to Paris Saint-Germain.

With the score at 1-1 in the 103rd minute of action, Noni Madueke and Nuno Mendes tangled in the PSG box, with the Gunners winger vociferously appealing for a spot-kick as he went down. However, referee Daniel Siebert was unmoved and VAR confirmed the decision, without deeming the incident worthy of a pitchside monitor review from Siebert.

Earlier in the match, at the other end of the pitch, Cristhian Mosquera was penalised for bringing down Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the box, although this decision was relatively uncontroversial, and Ousmane Dembele duly dispatched the spot-kick to level the score at 1-1.

The final went all the way to a penalty shootout, where Gabriel blazed over the bar from 12 yards to hand the French side a 4-3 victory as they retained the trophy they won 12 months ago and broke Arsenal hearts in the cruellest possible fashion.

“I’ve watched it back and it could easily be a penalty especially when you see the penalties that they have given in the competition this season,” Arteta told TNT Sports of the Madueke decision in extra time.”

“The referee has made that decision, he made a different one on the penalty with Mosquera and that’s an important one.”

Arsenal were playing their first Champions League final for 20 years and enjoyed a dream start when Kai Havertz smashed home after just six minutes.

They pushed PSG hard throughout but Demebele’s penalty and the eventual shootout heartbreak means Arteta’s men end the campaign with just one trophy – a first Premier League crown for 22 years.

“It’s really tough to accept,” added Arteta. “When you are so consistent in the competition, all the way to the final and at the end, you lose the trophy on penalty kicks. So it’s a difficult one.

“But I’m so proud. And I think, the season that we have had under the circumstances, just internally we know what we’ve been through. The players have given us so much joy. It is just a privilege to manage this group of players, this team. I think the way they carry this badge and how much they put into it… We got a big one [the Premier League trophy] and we missed out on the biggest one.”

Although the manner of defeat in this final will hurt, Arteta is convinced that his side will be able to learn from the experience and use the season as whole as fuel moving forward.

“We need to recognise the season that we had,” he explained. “But at the moment, nobody’s going to take the pain away from you.

“They [PSG] are a superb team, so we congratulate them. They are very difficult to play against, that’s why they are the champions two times in a row. The quality they have, the manner of their coach, they are a top, top team.

“I think you have to go through the emotions and enduring pain goes with it. If you think you could have done something else, learn from it. Reflect on that and show the ambition that we want to again.”

Garden centres are no longer just a place to buy plants and gardening tools

Garden centres are no longer just a place to buy some plants and garden furniture. They have become places where families can enjoy a day out with lots of garden centres having extra activities and cafés for people to enjoy a meal in.

There are plenty of garden centres across Cambridgeshire that have added new attractions to draw people to them. Whether you are looking for some new garden furniture for the summer or want some high quality food for a BBQ, you should be able to find it at a garden centre.

If you are looking to visit a garden centre in Cambridgeshire, you might want to see which places were voted as the best by residents. You can find the three most popular garden centres in the county below.

3. Simpson’s Nursery & Garden Centre

Location: 42 Station Rd, Fordham, Ely CB7 5LW

In third place is the family-owned Simpson’s Nursery and Garden Centre that has been open since 1988. Whether you want to grow your own fruits to enjoy or need some beautiful roses to add a bit of colour to your garden, you will be able to find it at this garden centre.

You can also find all of the tools you will need to help with your gardening journey. Many of the centre’s staff have been working there for a long time and always available to help customers find what they need.

2. Parkhall Garden Centre

Location: Parkhall Rd, Somersham, Huntingdon PE28 3HW

Found just outside of Somersham, Parkhall Garden Centre is known for its “unusual plants and trees” that you might not see at other centres. As well as plants and pots for your garden, the centre also has a gift shop with lots of cute trinkets, houseplants, and garden accessories that might be good for a loved one’s birthday.

Hollies Tea Room has plenty of both sweet and savoury options for breakfast and lunch including pancakes, wraps, and salads as well as a range of drinks. The tea room has both indoor and outdoor seating making it a good spot to visit throughout the year.

1. Twenty Pence Garden Centre

Location: Twenty Pence Rd, Wilburton, Ely CB6 3RN

The Twenty Pence Garden Centre topped our poll and it might not surprise you considering how much there is on offer at the store. Alongside the huge range of gardening products such as tools and plants, the garden centre has a food hall where you can find a bakery and butchers as well as locally sourced products including cakes, jams, and fresh juices.

For families, there is a garden-themed nine hole mini-golf course as well as go-karts, a play area, and a sand pit. If you need some food after exploring the centre, you can stop by the Applejacks restaurant for breakfast or lunch or even head to the Orchard Ice Cream Parlour in the summer.

CARACAS (AP) — Venezuela ‘s former opposition candidate Edmundo González called on Saturday for presidential elections as the five-month mark of interim President Delcy Rodríguez’s administration approaches in the wake of the U.S. military intervention that ousted Nicolás Maduro in early January.

The 76-year-old former diplomat was recognized by several countries as the legitimate winner of the July 2024 elections amid a post-election crisis and street protests as the opposition alleged fraud.

Electoral records that showed González’s victory over Maduro were deemed credible by international observers.

In a message posted on social media, González stated that it is time to “build the conditions for holding presidential elections that serve as citizen instruments for change” and contribute to the re-institutionalization of the country and lay the foundations for a stable government.

His message comes just shy of the five-month anniversary of Rodríguez assuming power on Jan. 5, following the arrest of Maduro and his wife, who are being prosecuted in the United States.

Maduro’s former ally Rodríguez was recognized as president by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, and the two countries have since made progress on a series of agreements that include the lifting of sanctions and negotiations in the oil and energy sectors, as well as the normalization of diplomatic relations.

Neither Caracas nor Washington has given any indication that elections are imminent in Venezuela. The U.S. has recognized Rodríguez as Venezuela’s sole head of state, allowing her to reestablish ties with Western banks and more freely work with U.S. investors.

According to González, an electoral process must have “independent referees,” national and international observation and political pluralism, among other conditions, with the release of political prisoners and “an end to the persecution” being non-negotiable.

The opposition leader asserted that he is the “guardian” of the mandate of his constituents, who chose “freedom” for Venezuela in the 2024 election. Since September that year, González has been in exile in Spain after Maduro’s administration issued an arrest warrant for him on charges of conspiracy, usurpation and the falsification of public documents — charges that he has vehemently denied.

González gained prominence when he was named as the substitute candidate for opposition leader María Corina Machado, who was barred from participating in the elections.

Corina Machado recently met with opposition leaders in Panama, advocating for a democratic transition in Venezuela. She insisted she would return before the end of the year to run for president.