STRICTLY Come Dancing’s judges have come under fire for “playing favourites” with this year’s cast.
Movie Week came to the Elstree dancefloor this weekend, with the remaining celebs paying homage to their favourite movies.
Toyah Wilcox was eventually sent home after failing to impress as Ursula from the Little Mermaid and falling to the bottom of the leaderboard.
However, as some noted improvements and others began to slip – in Pete Wicks’ case, quite literally on the dancefloor – fans of the show have criticised the judges for favouritism of Wynne Evans.
The GoCompare opera singer put his best foot forward with a cha cha, giving his take on Mrs Doubtfire alongside pro dancer Katya Jones.
They earned a 30 out of a total 40 points available, putting them high on the leaderboard.
However, fans believed the star was given too high a score, especially when Craig criticised his “wooden and stiff” hip action.
Katya and Wynne also played up an error they made, claiming it was “choreographed” before joking to Claudia Winkleman part of the fun of the character was “blaming any mistakes” on them.
Taking out their frustrations on X, one viewer wrote: “Wynne is too cocky and thinks he’s better than he is….way overmarked as usual.”
“Massive overmarking of Wynne’s cha cha? Constantly overmarked. #Strictly,” said a second.
“Jb undermarked while Wynne is overmarked.. #Strictly,” noted a third.
While a fourth just said: “Wynne overmarked again. #Strictly”
This is the second week Wynne has faced this level of criticism from viewers.
During week two’s routine, Wynne danced a salsa to Help Yourself by Tom Jones in honour of his Welsh heritage.
The fun comedy routine saw him turned into an all-singing, all-dancing chef, with Wynne later ripping off his kitchen whites to reveal a glittery shirt.
The pair ended with an impressive 26/40 score as a result, with Wynne being cheered on by pal, Gavin and Stacey star Joanna Page.
But fans were left debating whether or not they actually deserved such high marks in comparison to Montell and Johannes, who wowed with a foxtrot to Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby? by Dinah Washington.
LOUISE Redknapp has cast her spell on social media by posing in a lace slip and black stockings for a steaming hot photoshoot.
The 49-year-old put on a smoke show for her 800k followers, as she struck a sultry pose with in her black and white lace camisole with a smart Burberry blazer draped over her shoulders.
In the photo her blonde hair falls loosely above her shoulders and the singer’s lips are pouted in a nude shade of pink, in keeping with her subtle make-up.
Writing in the caption the singer said: “Shoes, lace and a whole lot of grace, hope you had a great weekend.”
A slew of her followers rushed to compliment her glamorous look. One said: “Just plain wow.”
Another said: “Absolutely gorgeous.”
Another person commented: “Somebody get the fire extinguisher.”
Meanwhile another person said: “One of the hottest pics I’ve ever seen.”
No doubt the pop singer’s boyfriend Drew Michael appreciated the photos as the pair, having got together in October 2023, are still in the throws of the honeymoon stage of their relationship.
Louise’s romance with Drew is the Eternal singer’s first public relationship since her 2017 divorce from League Of Their Own presenter and former footballer Jamie Redknapp.
The pair split after 19 years of marriage, during which time they had two sons – Charlie, 19, and Beau, 15.
Jamie later went on to marry model Frida Andersson in 2021.
Louise and Drew went public with their romance back in October 2023, attending a red carpet event together.
Since then, they’ve appeared inseparable, often enjoying music events and festivals such as Glastonbury and nights out at the theatre in London together.
YORKSHIRE Vet star Matt Jackson-Smith has revealed he was held at gunpoint in a terrifying robbery.
The 35-year-old Channel 5 star recounted the horrific ordeal, which happened when he was a teenager.
When he was just 18 Matt began his professional working life at a Blockbuster store.
During a shift, Matt was faced with two masked men who burst through the door of the video rental shop.
Desperate to gain access to the tills, Matt had a gun pointed in his face by the robbers.
He recalled: “It was quite surreal. Two men burst through the door – one in a Green Goblin mask, another in a balaclava – and they put a gun in my face.”
Matt continued to The Mirror: “Everything seemed to slow down.
“The guy with the gun shoved my female co-workers into the backroom and locked them in. The other one was with me, trying to open the tills.”
Eventually the masked men fled the store when a much bigger customer walked in, interrupting the robery.
“That really shook me up,” said Matt. “I remember shaking afterwards when the police came.
“It wasn’t until I left that I remembered there was a panic button I could have pressed that Blockbuster had told me about when I joined.”
The Yorkshire Vet first burst onto screens in 2015 and quickly became a fan-favourite.
To date the show has racked up an impressive 19 series.
A WILLIE MULLINS horse owned by his wife Jackie has been smashed in from 50-1 to 5-1 favourite – as the greatest trainer around aims to plunder another big British race.
Mullins became champion jumps trainer in Ireland and Britain last season, the Grand National among his enormous list of wins.
And it looks like he is throwing his hat into the ring in the Flat trainers’ championship too with an eyecatching entry for Saturday’s Cesarewitch handicap at Newmarket.
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The 2m2f Flat race has been won by some big-name jumps horses over the years including defending champ The Shunter, with their stamina over the marathon trip all but assured.
And Mullins is using some of that logic by confirming Sea Of Sands for the race worth £90,000 to the winner.
Sea Of Sands was available at 50-1 with some bookies a few days ago.
But he has been completely obliterated into as short as 5-1 after the final scratching stage before declarations on Thursday.
Sea Of Sands is a Group 3 winner over 1m2f on the Flat having previously raced in France for trainer Jean-Pierre Carvalho.
But he officially switched to Mullins – and the ownership of his wife Jackie – in August this year, a month before he brushed off a two-year absence to land a Listowel maiden hurdle.
It looks like Newmarket could be the next port of call for this six-year-old gelding, who’s been given a rating of 97.
And champion jockey William Buick has, at things stand, been booked in the saddle.
The duo struck at York in August with Melbourne Cup-bound Vauban, who won the Group 2 Lonsdale Cup from the rapidly improving Al Nayyir.
Willie’s nephew Emmet Mullins has Paddy Power’s 6-1 second favourite Jacovec Cavern, who’s the same price as Gavin Cromwell’s hugely promising filly Sixandahalf.
Cesarewitch odds via Paddy Power
5-1 Sea Of Sands
6-1 Jacovec Cavern, Sixandahalf
12-1 Premiere Ligne, Queenstown, The Shunter, Warmonger
14-1 Dawn Rising, Manxman, Ndaawi, Run For Oscar
16-1 Alphonse Le Grande, Spirit Mixer
20-1 Divine Comedy, Samui
25-1 Anna Bunina, Magellan Strait, Reverend Hubert, Trooper Bisdee
33-1 bar
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DRIVERS have been urged to carry out an easy five second petrol station check this winter to save themselves £3,250.
Anyone can do it and missing it out could leave you without a motor and picking up a massive bill.
Winter is very much on the way, with parts of the country set to see snow this week according to the Met Office.
As temperatures plunge everyone knows to wrap up warm, fiddle with the thermostat and break out the blankets.
But many forget that it’s also important to look after your car as the seasons change.
Helping your motor recover from the summer heat and preparing it for the deep freeze in winter could be key in staying on the road – and save you some serious cash.
One vital area often neglected by drivers is keeping an eye on fluid levels.
Engines run hot, usually between 90C and 105C, causing fluids to evaporate as you go along.
And with temperatures this summer peaking in the 30Cs, that effect is only accelerated.
Coolant, brake fluid and transmission fluid are all critical to the smooth running of your car and letting them run down too low can have disastrous effects.
But perhaps the most important fluid is engine oil, which lubricates and cleans just about every part of the powertrain.
Brits should check their oil levels frequently to make sure they don’t run out.
Most cars still use a dipstick on the oil tank, allowing you to check your levels in seconds.
Simply make sure your car is on level ground and has had at least ten minutes to cool down after use.
Unscrew the dipstick, which is often marked with a circular yellow top, and wipe it clean with a cloth.
Then put it back in the oil tank for a few seconds before removing for a second time and checking the level.
It should be between the maximum and minimum notches marked on the stick.
If you don’t have a dipstick it’s even easier, as the car likely has an oil gauge on the dashboard which can show you the level from the comfort of the cabin.
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Once you’ve measured your oil, just top it up as needed keeping it under the maximum mark.
You should do this at least every three months of 3,000 miles (whichever comes first) as a rule of thumb.
And get your oil changed once a year or every 5-7,500 miles to keep it fresh.
If you let your oil get too low it can cause significant engine damage and even seize your engine – forcing you to get a replacement.
And given that, according to experts at Motorway, replacing an engine costs an average of £3,250, it’s more than worth it to pick up a bottle for £11 to last you for the year.
THE body of a second influencer has been found washed up on a beach after a yacht party on the “Devil’s Throat” coastline ended in tragedy.
The body of Aline Tamara, 37, was found on Itaquitanduva Beach in Brazil just days after rescuers recovered the body of her pal Beatriz Tavares da Silva Faria, 27.
A desperate search for the two women has been underway since last week when their boat capsized in the rough seas on the coast of Sao Paulo.
The body of Aline was found on the beach by rescuers from the Maritime Firefighters Group on Friday morning.
Her devastated mum told local media that she had spoken to her daughter moments before the accident saying: “Mum, I’m going out with a friend, we’re going to go out on a boat and I’ll be home soon.”
Aline had posted photographs on social media showing her and pals on the luxury yacht near Sao Vicente on 29 September, shortly before the tragedy.
Vanessa Audrey da Silva, Camila Alves de Carvalho, Daniel Gonçalves Ferreira, Gabriela Santos Lima and Natan Cardoso Soares da Silva – who were also on the vessel — were rescued shortly after the accident.
Aline had posted photographs on social media showing her and pals on the luxury yacht near Sao Vicente on 29th September, shortly before the tragedy.
The authorities are still investigating what exactly caused the tragedy, with survivor Camila Alves, 20, telling local media that they were at a birthday party on a yacht near Guaruja.
But when things began to wind down and it was time to return, the partygoers split into two smaller vessels and headed back to shore.
One of the two smaller vessels, a rented speedboat, was suddenly hit by a large wave that caused it to sink.
Camila said: “We could see that we wouldn’t be able to hold on for long, we were kicking our feet and swallowing a lot of water.
“Our solution was to throw ourselves on the rocks to try to hold on and save ourselves.”
Another survivor, named as Vanessa Audrey, 35, said that they had held out hope of finding Aline alive.
The other survivors from the sunk vessel were Daniel Goncalves Ferreira, 22, Gabriela Santos Lima and Nathan Cardoso Soares da Silva.
Vanessa said shortly after the incident: “Five people managed to reach that rock, and she (Aline) was wearing a vest. So, the hope was that she survived.”
Camila told her followers on social media that no one had been drinking, saying: “No one was drunk or on drugs on the boat. It was an accident. The truth will come out eventually.”
Wearing a bandage, she said that everyone involved had been badly hurt. She also said that neither of the women who died were wearing life jackets.
The Brazilian Navy said in a statement that they had opened an investigation into the incident, adding: “It is worth noting that there was no record of water pollution resulting from the sinking of the vessel.”
I’ve been a fan of the modern Persona games and their clever mix between dungeon crawling with turn-based combat, and social elements.
The latest game from the creators, Metaphor: ReFantazio, is a massive twist on the tried and tested formula and many fans’ dream come true.
Metaphor takes the best of what makes the Persona series great and brings it into a whole new high fantasy universe.
The game brings the expected great gameplay loop, soundtrack, stylish menus and anime visuals the Persona team is known for.
It doesn’t just repeat Persona’s mechanics but adds some much-needed changes that greatly improve gameplay.
Set in the fictional United Kingdom of Euchronia, the story follows the journey of a misfit from the elda tribe, a minotiry that’s being discriminated upon in this fantasy world.
Your protagonist is tasked with saving the kingdom’s slumbering prince from a terrible curse after the king has been killed by a scheming usurper.
The new theme revolves around Game of Thrones-like court intrigue and politics, which feels fresh compared to Persona’s usual high-school setting.
Much more than just “fantasy Persona”, Metaphor: ReFantazio brings a tonne of welcome changes that long-time Persona fans will appreciate.
Its more relaxed structure gives players enough time to complete all of the game’s content, even without meticulous planning.
Unlike Persona’s tight calendar, Metaphor: ReFantazio timekeeping lets you max out bonds, complete all quests, and level up all Archetypes in a single playthrough.
Metaphor turns Persona’s day-night cycle on its head, and here you dungeon crawl during the day and build relationships at night.
The new game features more dungeons, but they are shorter and very well-designed, so dungeon crawling never feels tedious.
There’s real-time combat for easier encounters and as an opportunity to gain advantage in tougher fights, which improves pacing, and adds a new strategic layer to gameplay.
The world looks gorgeous and is a joy to explore, and although travelling between locations takes time, it doesn’t feel wasted as you always have something to do while on the road.
With the new fantasy setting comes a massive roster of new, interesting characters you will meet and bond with throughout your journey.
Personas are replaced with more than 40 Archetypes, each tied to the bond you nurture with a follower.
A welcome improvement from Persona is that once you max out an Archetype, it can still earn you experience towards another one.
You also transfer up to four abilities from other Archetypes to your current one.
Synthesis attacks push you to experiment with mixing and matching the Archetypes equipped in your party to see what powerful moves you can get.
Metaphor: ReFantazio twists the Persona formula in more than one ways, adding an intriguing new setting, greatly improved gameplay, and many quality-of-life improvements.
Get the lowdown on more of the latest Xbox releases from our expert reviewers.
For PS5 and Nintendo Switch, check out our full game reviews section.
TRAVIS KELCE angered Kansas City Chiefs fans with a cheeky request on the sideline in the middle of a game.
The Hall of Fame-bound star has had a mixed start to the 2024-25 NFL season, struggling at the very beginning.
He failed to live up to his usual high form during the opening three games of the campaign.
But the the tight end had a breakout performance against the Los Angeles Chargers last weekend.
That has helped the Chiefs get off to a 4-0 start, as head coach Andy Reid looks to guide his team to another Super Bowl.
Kelce celebrated his 35th birthday on Saturday 5 October, which included a lavish birthday party.
In honor of their star man, the Chiefs posted a throwback video of Kelce on their official Instagram account.
The clip was of the nine time Pro Bowler on the sidelines in a game during his illustrious career.
They captioned it: “No better day to pull out some of @killatrav’s greatest hits.”
Kelce, who had a different hairstyle at the time, is seen making a request to a Chiefs assistant.
He asks them to call his mom, Donna, about what he wants for dinner that night.
“Can you call my mother for me from that phone right there,” Travis says.
The assistant replies that he doesn’t know if he can use the telephone on the sideline.
“Tell her that I don’t want the macaroni and cheese with the regular noodles,” Travis goes on.
“I want the gnocchi.”
The pair then have a back and forth on how to pronounce the Italian dish gnocchi.
Travis Kelce was asked about his relationship with Taylor Swift during an interview with Good Morning America.
But the Kansas City Chiefs tight end gave a cagey response.
“When you have good family and friends around you, it makes that aspect of life that much easier,” Kelce told GMA.
“I’ve always been a very grounded guy. It might not come off that way when I’m playing football.
“But off the field, I just want to be a genuine person. I try not to get too far down the road.
“Because you never know what opportunities are going to present themselves.”
“I’ll get that right,” the assistant replies.
“Yeah, not the regular noodles,” Travis adds.
“The ganache noodles.”
Fans reacted with shock and anger that Kelce would have the non-serious conversation in the middle of a game.
One social media user said: “He seriously asked this?”
Another added: “All this while I was thinking they talking tactics there.”
A third replied: “He’s like a golden retriever.”
Kelce’s girlfriend Taylor Swift was a surprise absentee from his birthday on Saturday night.
But he does expect her to make it for the Chiefs game against the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football.
THE Russian arms dealer dubbed ‘The Merchant of Death’ is selling guns to the Houthis, reports claim.
Viktor Bout, the weapons seller who inspired the film Lord of War, has returned to his old trade with UK cargo ships now in the firing line.
The 57-year-old was released by the US in 2022 after he was slapped with a 25-year sentence in 2011 for conspiracy to kill US citizens and officials.
Bout was freed in exchange for US basketball player Brittney Griner, who had been jailed in Russia for nine years due to possession of hash oil.
The Wall Street Journal now reports he is trying to broker the sale of guns to the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen.
The militants’ officials went to Moscow in August to negotiate the purchase of $10m (£7.7m) worth of weapons and met Bout.
The Houthis have been targeting shipping in the Red Sea, seizing and sinking cargo ships as part of Iran’s wars in the Middle East.
Bout is reportedly looking to sell them small arms weapons such as rifles and grenades, rather than anti-ship missiles or drones.
They are yet to be delivered but could be used when the militants board ships to seize them.
Moscow and Tehran have been growing closer with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Putin has turned to the Ayatollah as he desperately needs more ammunition as the Ukrainians smash his armies.
Since returning to Russia, Bout became a celebrity and was elected as a far-right politician in a regional legislature.
Recent footage shows the Houthis launching an explosive drone and striking a British oil tanker.
The Houthi group shared the clip of a big explosion near the side of the Cordelia Moon, which damaged its port side tank and covered it in clouds of smoke.
Last November, 25 forgotten sailors of the hijacked British-Israeli Galaxy Leader cargo ship were taken captive by the Houthi pirates.
The $50million vessel was hijacked by the Iran-sponsored Houthi rebels in the Red Sea on November 19.
Its entire international crew were taken hostage in what the gunmen clinging to the sides of a helicopter screamed was revenge for Israel’s war in Gaza.
The car carrier was pulled back to Hodeidah in the Houthi-controlled north of Yemen as a trophy to taunt the West and supporters of the militants flocked to the site to share in the spoils of war.
Bout exploited the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s and ran a fleet of planes, shipping ammunition to war-torn countries in Africa.
Like Putin, Bout was an intelligence officer, but he shifted to transporting weapons exploiting the new Russian Federation.
He’s also accused of supplying ammunition to brutal regimes and warlords.
In 2011, Bout was convicted on charges of conspiring to kill American citizens and officers.
He was also found guilty of providing resources in the form of weapons to a foreign terrorist organization.
Attorney Preet Bharara said: “He aimed to sell those weapons to terrorists for the purpose of killing Americans.”
Juan Zarate, who served as the deputy national security advisor for combatting terrorism during the Bush Administration, described Bout as a “singular international criminal”.
Viktor Bout was traded by the US in a one-for-one prisoner swap with Russia for WNBA star Brittney Griner in 2022.
Griner was held for months in a Russian prison after being convicted of drug charges after a small amount of hashish oil was found in vape cartridges.
Griner was heading back to New York in February 2022 when she was stopped at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport after a scan revealed that she had cartridges containing liquid with hashish oil.
Bout was serving a 25-year prison sentence in the states after being convicted by a federal court in 2011 for conspiracy to kill US citizens and officials.
US President Joe Biden addressed the US from the White House alongside VP Harris and Griner’s wife Cherelle, saying “this was a day we’d worked for for a long time.”
