AN ITV boss has broken her silence after receiving 8,000 Good Morning Britain complaints over an interview with Ed Balls and his wife Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.
Fans fumed as the 57-year-old discussed the riots and protests that happened across the country following on from the attack in Southport last month.
Some believed that Ed and his co-star Kate Garraway showed a bias towards her because of Ed’s personal connection.
After the interview, Ofcom received 8,201 complaints – however an investigation into the segment will not be going forward.
Speaking about the interview, ITV chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall said: “It was a very, very tricky morning, there was a national emergency almost being called, and so we got very short notice that the Home Secretary was coming on the show.
“She was doing a whole round, but it was unexpected, and we believe that it was fair and impartial, and actually Ofcom just ruled, but amazingly no one has picked up on the fact that Ofcom are not pursuing these complaints, because they believe it’s fair, balanced and impartial.
“So would we do it again? No.
“Was it impartial, fair and balanced? And did they behave professionally?
“Yes. I mean, he asked her a few questions, but I think Kate (Garraway) was leading on that wasn’t she?
“And so I do think you’ve just got to say, if Ofcom have looked at it and they’re not pursuing this any further because they thought it was fair balanced and impartial, you know, that’s it.”
An Ofcom spokesperson added: “We carefully considered complaints from viewers who objected to Ed Balls interviewing his wife, Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary.
“Taking into account that their relationship was made clear twice, that a range of views about Labour’s handling of the riots were included in the programme as a whole, and given the vast majority of the interview was conducted by co-presenter, Kate Garraway, we will not be pursuing further.
“We have, however, issued guidance warning ITV to take particular care over the compliance of such interviews in future to ensure due impartiality is preserved given the clear potential issues that could arise from such an editorial decision.
“Additionally, we will not be pursuing complaints about an interview with Zarah Sultana MP on this programme.
“In our view, Ms Sultana was given ample opportunity to express her views and respond to the questions put to her, while we consider the robust line of questioning would be consistent with regular viewers’ expectations of interviews with political figures on this programme.”
Many took to X after the interview aired.
One wrote: “Watching The Home Secretary’s Husband , Ed Balls, shout down every guest daring to call these riots what they are, just before his Wife comes on for the most soft Ball Interview, is absolute insanity. How the f**k can this even be considered impartial reporting”
“Does @GMB realise just how utterly ridiculous it looks by continuing to invite @edballs on as a presenter whilst he defends the actions of the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, his wife!?” noted another.
“Now that Yvette Cooper is now a government minister (Home Secretary), @GMB should 100% stand Ed Balls (her husband) down,” said a third. “That’s a massive conflict of interest.”
A fourth noted: “I do feel like maybe the Home Secretary’s husband shouldn’t be involved in interviewing her on breakfast television, like I do think that’s fair to say.”
Ed and Yvette tied the knot in 1998.
They share three children Ellie, Maddy and Joel.
RONNIE O’SULLIVAN has hinted he could QUIT after crashing out of the English Open with an “embarrassing” defeat.
The Rocket was defeated 4-2 by He Guogiang in Essex last night, having fallen three frames behind in the clash.
O’Sullivan made numerous errors as he continued with his left-handed style.
And world no64 He took advantage as Ronnie failed to make up for his quarter-final exit in the Saudi Masters earlier this month.
But speaking after his English Open defeat, O’Sullivan shocked fans by admitting “I haven’t got long” in a hint at retirement.
He told SunSport: “I haven’t got long, I’m not going to deny it. I’m not playing well enough, there’s no point in even worrying about it.
“I’ve just accepted it now which is quite a nice place to be really.”
Ronnie continued: “I don’t even care, I’m just here to fulfil my commitments to my sponsors, get away from home, travel.
“If I can get a couple of years out of it that will be great. If I can’t, I can’t.
“I just want to rinse as much out of it as I can, I’m not going to drive myself mad. If you’re poor, you’re poor.”
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O’Sullivan missed numerous shots in his loss to He, and some big mistakes in the sixth frame proved to be his ultimate downfall.
The Rocket lamented: “I’m awful, it’s embarrassing, I miss so many balls.
RONNIE O’SULLIVAN’S snooker career almost went up in smoke after buying “too much weed and Smirnoff.”
Ronnie has long linked his performances on the baize with the ups and down in his diet and exercise regime.
The Rocket he has suffered a lifetime of yo-yoing weight, addiction and mental health struggles, and an often unhealthy relationship with food and fitness.
O’Sullivan ballooned to 16st on vodka and takeaways as a troubled teen, while “puffing like a maniac”.
Then, after turning his life around, he even saw his form decline after doing to TOO MUCH exercise.
Now right back to his best, the seven-time world champion has opened up on his struggles.
“I’ve been missing balls for the last four or five years and every now and then I’ll mis a few less, maybe, and get a couple of results.
“Even in tournaments I’ve won people have missed mad opportunities to beat me.
“I can’t get away from it, poor, but there’s nothing I can do about it.”
O’Sullivan also told fans to forget about him setting a new record for World Snooker Championship wins.
He is currently the joint-record holder on seven with Stephen Hendry.
Ronnie added: “I’m absolutely useless, that’s why (I’m playing lefty).
“Forget about the Worlds. I’m not even bothered to be honest with you. If I’m going to play rubbish I might as well play left-handed.
“Play left-handed and enjoy it, but be useless, or play right-handed, be useless and not enjoy it.”
FROM his lightning breaks to blasts at officials, Ronnie O'Sullivan has fired snooker into the spotlight.
The seven-time world champion makes almost as big an impact away from the table as on it.
O’Sullivan has three children – two daughters and a son.
And the Rocket’s on-off relationship with British actress Laila Rouass has also hit the headlines.
He has opened up on battles with his weight and addiction.
While the controversial cueist reckons he wasted NINE YEARS of his career by partying too hard.
Despite being worth £14million, O’Sullivan is renowned for his love of canal boats and snubbing flashy cars.
His rivalry with fellow star Judd Trump has been branded ‘snooker’s greatest feud’.
And Ali Carter had his nose knocked out of joint by the Rocket in their infamous ‘Snotgate’ row.
Check out all our latest Ronnie O’Sullivan articles.
CASEMIRO intervened to prevent Alejandro Garnacho from mimicking Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic celebration.
The telling moment unfolded during Manchester United‘s 7-0 triumph over Barnsley in the Carabao Cup.
Left out of the starting line-up for the first three games of the season, Garnacho was recalled for the defeat against Liverpool.
A ‘liking’ of an Instagram post quoting Ronaldo’s latest rant about Ten Hag had probably not helped his cause to be a starting player in the squad as it made headlines.
And it didn’t as the winger was then dropped again from the starting lineup in their Premier League 3-0 victory against Southampton.
But he was back on Tuesday night and with a bang.
With two goals and two assists he lit up Old Trafford.
And he almost stirred up trouble with the boss once more as the 20-year-old who is a well publicised fan of Ronaldo began to emulate the Portuguese ace’s signature pose after scoring United’s third goal.
However, Casemiro was there to the rescue and swiftly intervened.
One eagle-eyed fan said: “Why is Casemiro stopping Garnacho from doing the Ronaldo celebration? I’m in tears.”
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Another added: “Casemiro was looking out for Alejandro Garnacho when he tried to stop him from hitting Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic “Siuuu” celebration!”
A third then said, “What a funny moment that is.”
The Argentine instead did his own celebration by sitting on the advertising board.
The star is hoping that after his impressive performance against the League One side, he will be back in Ten Hag’s good books.
ANTHONY JOSHUA is the face of British boxing – so it is only right that he has highly-rated Ben Davison as his trainer.
AJ has now won four fights on the spin since putting Davison in his corner.
And the boxing mogul will be hoping to make it a fantastic five as he steps foot in the ring with his fellow British compatriot Daniel Dubois.
But let’s take a deep dive into the man who now prepares AJ for all his big battles.
Born on November 29, 1992, Ben Davison is a professional boxing coach who has worked with some of the top names in the sport.
Following in his father’s footsteps, Davison also took up amateur boxing at a young age but switched it out for a semi-professional football career.
However, he formed a long-term friendship with world champion Billy Joe Saunders and that led to Ben’s introduction to the boxing coaching scene.
Ben trained Saunders, Tom Little, Ashley Sexton and Michael Maguire all in 2017.
But his name began to ring bells when he single-handedly helped a certain Tyson Fury shed over 100lbs to earn a hard-fought draw with American machine Deontay Wilder in 2018.
Fast forward to 2024, Davison is working with former undisputed light-welterweight champion Josh Taylor, world featherweight champion Leigh Wood and the face of British boxing, Anthony Joshua.
ANTHONY JOSHUA VS DANIEL DUBOIS: All the information you need ahead of huge world title fight at Wembley
Tyson Fury’s former trainer Ben Davison first trained Anthony Joshua for his fight against Otto Wallin in December 2023.
Before AJ’s clash with the Swede, he was trained under American Derrick James in Texas for wins against Jermain Franklin and Robert Helenius.
AJ said at the press conference for the fight in January: “I believed that [training with] Derrick was like a process. He’s got an actual style of training, and I had to adapt to his style, it was a process.
“And I’d just changed trainers; I’d been to Rob [McCracken], I’d been with Angel [Fernandez], [Robert] Garcia, now Derrick. I said to the boys: ‘I don’t wanna move again, I wanna make my bed and lie in it.’
“But the thing is, when I was back in the UK, I was in Finchley hitting the heavy bag on my own. They were like: ‘Why don’t you go and speak to Ben?’ He’s good, he’s given us some tips and me some tips, leading up to the fight that was supposed to be with Dillian [Whyte]. ‘Why don’t you just go and see him?’ I was like: ‘Na, na, na, na, I don’t wanna change, I’m pretty set on going to America.’ But I went and saw Ben, had a really good session.”
“The reason I was able to gel with Ben is because he doesn’t try to change your style.
“He kind of looks at your attributes and adds to what you’re good at. I went to a stage where I was trying to change my style: a bit of back-foot boxing, box behind the jab, stick and move, not be explosive, control the pace, and stuff like that.
“But Ben was like: ‘That’s not your body type! You’re a f***ing big unit, you’re explosive, go and knock f***ing people out. Basically, work to your body type. So, we got along in that sense. He gets it.”
Tyson Fury claims that he has not paid close attention to Anthony Joshua and Ben Davison’s partnership.
The Gypsy King told TalkSPORT: “I don’t know, it’s not like [Joshua] is my boyfriend, is it? Like I’m studying him every night, like: ‘Oh, my god. I like your muscles, man.’
“I’ve got my own wife and kids to look after, not focus on other men’s careers.”
The Briton also played down the idea that there is a grudge between him and compatriot Joshua, saying: “What, because I called him a sausage? Has he ever said anything bad to me that’s personal, or me to him?
“If he was here now, we’d go for a beer and a jam sandwich, or I’d take him out for fish and chips. I’d take him back to my house to meet my kids and take a picture.
“What, you think there’s bad blood between two boxers? Behave yourself.”
AN iconic classic car that featured heavily in the last ever Grand Tour has become one of the UK’s must-have motors, sales platforms have revealed.
The model has now seen an eight-fold increase in interest following the emotional special.
Last week, viewers waved farewell to the team of Hammond, Clarkson and May as they came together for the final time.
A 1,200-mile trip across Zimbabwe saw the trio retrace their steps from their first ever Top Gear special 17 years ago, and even reunite with some old motoring friends.
But the show also sparked a renaissance for the car James May used to cross the African nation.
The only criterion the team was given was to pick a motor they had always wanted, which saw James plump for a ’70s legend in the form of the Triumph Stag.
The gorgeous sportster was only made between 1970 and 1978, even through the collapse of Triumph’s parent company British Leyland.
Only around 25,000 were ever made despite achieving a good chunk of popularity in its day.
However, the model was largely forgotten by all but the most ardent classic cars fans, barring a test drive in one episode of Clarkson’s Car Years in which Jeremy used it as a case study of why BL went bust.
Now, though, AutoTrader is reporting that adverts for second-hand Stags have seen a 793% bump in views in the days following the special.
Likewise, interest in the Ford Capri GLX that Richard Hammond used for the episode has increased by 185%.
And it seems likely there would have been a similar spike for Jeremy’s Lancia Montecarlo if not for the fact that none are currently listed on the site.
Fortunately for fans, you can still pick up a Stag for a very reasonable price, with listing on AutoTrader starting at just £8,495.
A quick warning to prospective buyers though – as mentioned in The Grand Tour the model was known to suffer from reliability issues (especially the V8 engine) so it’s well worth having one professionally looked at before handing over the cash.
As a rule of thumb, most Stags still around today had the original Triumph engine swapped out for the more reliable Rover V8, although that process itself could cause issues if done shoddily.
Erin Barker, AutoTrader’s editorial director, said: “Classic cars like the Ford Capri and Triumph Stag have always held a special place in the hearts of British car enthusiasts.
“The latest episode of The Grand Tour has brought these iconic models back into the spotlight, reminding viewers of their timeless appeal and that seeing their favourite fellow petrolheads driving them is part of the appeal.
“As a result, we’ve seen a huge surge in interest, with both models becoming incredibly popular on our platform in the days following the show’s release, proving that celebrities and popular culture still have a huge impact on our lifestyles, including purchasing a new car.”
It comes after a one-off Mercedes from the ’30s hit auction after being found under a manure pile in Ethiopia.
WITH the weather all over the place and fears over rising energy bills, it’s important we know how to keep our homes warm on a budget.
So if your purse is feeling tighter than ever before and you’re worried about the cost of putting the heating on this winter, then don’t worry, you’ve come to the right place.
It turns out that there’s plenty you can do to winter-proof your bedroom – without needing to turn the heating on.
Thanks to bedroom furnishings experts at Bed Kingdom, there are seven simple ways you can create a warm home without using the heating.
Not only is layering your bedding key, but there’s a cheap buy from Temu that you’ll need to nab if you want a warm and cosy sleep, whatever the weather.
According to the experts, thermal curtains are perfect for ‘trapping heat’ in your room.
The bedroom pros said: “Opt for insulated thermal curtains to trap heat in the room.
“They act as a barrier, preventing cold drafts from entering and reducing heat loss through windows.”
As well as this, the experts explained that layering your bedding is another way to keep warm at night.
They stressed that layering materials traps body heat effectively, which can be done with weighted blankets, throws or quilts over a duvet.
According to the experts, choosing your materials wisely is extremely important.
They highlighted: “Flannel, fleece and wool are top choices for retaining heat, while down and down-alternative duvets offer lightweight warmth.
“For warm, vegan and eco-friendly options, consider materials like organic cotton, bamboo, recycled polyester, hemp and kapok.”
Not only is layering your bedding key, but an electric blanket should be on your shopping list if you want to keep your bedroom cosy.
If you decide to use electric blankets, opt for one with an automatic shutoff feature to prevent overheating and fires.
Property expert Joshua Houston shared his tips.
1. Curtains
“Windows are a common place for the outside cold to get into your home, this is because of small gaps that can let in air so always close your curtains as soon as it gets dark,” he said.
This simple method gives you an extra layer of warmth as it can provide a kind of “insulation” between your window and curtain.
2. Rugs
“Your floor is another area of your home where heat can be lost and can make your home feel chilly,” he continued. “You might notice on cold days, that your floor is not nice to walk on due to it freezing your feet.
“Add rugs to areas that don’t already have a carpet, this provides a layer of insulation between your bare floor and the room above.”
3. Check your insulation
Check your pipes, loft space, crawlspaces and underneath floorboards.
“Loose-fill insulation is very good for this, and is a more affordable type of insulation, with a big bag being able to be picked up for around £30,” Joshua explained.
4. Keep your internal doors closed
“Household members often gather in one room in the evening, and this is usually either the kitchen or living room,” Joshua said.
“This means you only have to heat a small area of your home, and closing the doors keeps the heat in and the cold out.”
5. Block drafts
Don’t forget to check cat flaps, chimneys and letterboxes, as they can let in cold air if they aren’t secure.
Many of us may already have a hot water bottle in a cupboard somewhere, but according to the pros, these cheap buys, which you can nab from Temu from just £2, are a great winter essential.
The experts advised that a simple hot water bottle placed in your bed before you sleep can warm it up effectively.
It’s important to note that you should make sure to not overfill a hot water bottle with boiling water to avoid spillages and leaks.
As well as layering your bedroom and getting a hot water bottle, the experts recommended installing draft stoppers under doors and sealing window gaps with adhesive strips to keep the cold air out.
Simple actions like layering bedding, using draft excluders, and choosing the right heating devices can make a significant difference
Ashley Hainsworth, from Bed Kingdom
Rugs can also help to insulate the floor and reduce heat loss, which is particularly ideal if you have hardwood or tile flooring.
In addition to this, the experts stressed that it’s important to ensure that furniture or curtains do not block heat sources like radiators or floor vents.
These will help to distribute warmth more effectively, so it is advised to leave curtains open if possible and move items away from radiators.
Consumer reporter Sam Walker explains all you need to know about the payment.
The Winter Fuel Payment is an annual tax-free benefit designed to help cover the cost of heating through the colder months.
Most who are eligible receive the payment automatically.
Those who qualify are usually told via a letter sent in October or November each year.
If you do meet the criteria but don’t automatically get the Winter Fuel Payment, you will have to apply on the government’s website.
You’ll qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment this winter if:
If you did not live in the UK during the qualifying week, you might still get the payment if both the following apply:
But there are exclusions – you can’t get the payment if you live in Cyprus, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Malta, Portugal or Spain.
This is because the average winter temperature is higher than the warmest region of the UK.
You will also not qualify if you:
Payments are usually made between November and December, with some made up until the end of January the following year.
Ashley Hainsworth, a spokesperson for the company, commented: “Staying warm in your bedroom during colder months is essential, but it’s important to do so safely.
“Many people are unaware of the fire hazards that can come from improper heating methods or over-reliance on certain appliances.
“Simple actions like layering bedding, using draft excluders, and choosing the right heating devices can make a significant difference. It’s all about finding that balance between comfort and safety.
“We always recommend taking a proactive approach by regularly inspecting your heating equipment, avoiding overloading sockets, and being mindful of fire risks.
“Following these easy steps can help ensure that you stay warm throughout the winter months without compromising your home’s safety.”
CHILLING footage shows the wreckage of the doomed Titan sub nestled on the ocean floor after suffering a deadly implosion.
The mangled tail cone, with OceanGate‘s logo emblazoned on the side, can be seen pointing up with dozens of cables poking out.
It is the first time footage of the underwater debris has been released since five passengers were killed when the sub imploded last June.
The haunting clip was taken by a remotely operated vehicle during a search of the ocean floor days after the horror dive shocked the world.
But it has only now been shared by the US Coast Guard as part of a two week hearing into the tragedy.
Titan – which was steered with a gaming controller – vanished from radars on June 18, 2023, and failed to resurface from the £195,000-a-head voyage 12,500ft down to the Titanic wreckage.
Hopes of a miracle faded by the hour, and then the day, as desperate rescue crews worked around the clock to find any signs of life.
Five days after the sub was supposed to return, debris was found on the ocean floor.
OceanGate’s CEO Stockton Rush, 61, British billionaire Hamish Harding, 58, French Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77, British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his son Suleman, 19, all died on board.
Now, more than a year on, former employees and experts have been called to Charlestown, South Carolina, to give testimonies over what lead to the deadly implosion.
The hearing – which began on Monday – is investigating alleged negligence of OceanGate before the tragic dive and the reasons behind the failings in the search.
Heartbreaking details have already come to light – including the final words of the Titan passengers.
They told support ship Polar Prince “all good here” before audio became more spotty as it descended.
Crew on the Polar Prince then asked if the Titan could see the Titanic on its display.
Titan passengers were still able to send one message when the submersible was 3,341m deep – an hour-and-a-half after it began its journey.
The message read: “dropped two wts” and was sent at 10.47am.
Six seconds after the message was sent the Titan was pinged for the final time at a depth of 3,346m.
There was no communications between it and the Polar Prince mother ship the indicated any trouble or emergency on board the sub.
The Polar Prince began to there was a major issue when it sent a message to the Titan at 10.49am saying it had “lost tracking”.
They continued to message the doomed sub every two to three minutes, but by 11.15am they told the Polar Prince’s master there had been a loss of communication.
US authorities said a “catastrophic implosion” occurred, killing all on board instantly.
The coast guard was eventually called at 6.27pm after the Polar Prince had spent three hours searching.
Former OceanGate operations director David Lochridge yesterday branded the sub an “abomination”.
Lochridge was fired from the company after raising concerns about the sub, including over the materials it was made of.
He told investigators on Tuesday it was “inevitable” something would eventually go wrong and that OceanGate “bypassed” standardised rules and regulations.
Lochridge also recalled how Rush threw a Playstation controller at him during a heated disagreement after a sub crash.
Speaking at the hearing, Lochridge claimed that Rush had insisted on piloting an earlier vessel dubbed Cyclops 1 down to the Andrea Doria shipwreck in 2016.
Lochridge said he watched warily as Rush deployed the submersible and ignored his warnings to keep his distance from the deteriorating shipwreck about 250 feet under the Atlantic Ocean.
According to Lochridge, Rush drove the sub “full speed into the port side” of the wreck’s bow and refused to listen to guidance.
He said: “It was an absolute mess.”
Lochridge added that he repeatedly tried to retrieve the controls from Rush, who refused until a paying client shouted at him.
Rush then threw the PlayStation controller at Lochridge’s head.
Lochridge later told the hearing that he compiled a report on the “abomination” Titan sub after he first inspected the Titan hull.
He said: “For me, this was my opportunity, being asked to do it prior to the sub being handed over, an abomination of a sub, this was my opportunity to raise everything that I had seen during the build and the final build of Titan.”
He said the viewport and elements of the dome ceilings deviated from standard design processes.
Lochridge claimed said he was “appalled” by the O-ring – a type of seal.
He continued: “There was so many laminations, so many voids. The imperfections were incredible. There was glue runs everywhere. And that’s a red flag.”
The former employee described the hull as “porous paper. It was disgusting”.
He added: “Everything was reused.
“They reused these domes. They reused these ceiling faces. They reused the acrylic. They reused the interior. Everything was reused. It’s all cost.”
The hearing is set to continue on Thursday.
by Katie Davis, Chief Foreign Reporter (Digital)
FIVE men plunged beneath the surface of the North Atlantic in a homemade sub in the hopes of exploring the Titanic wreckage last year.
Four passengers paid £195,000 to go on the sub, with the fifth member of the trip being a crew member.
But what was supposed to be a short trip spiralled into days of agony as the doomed Titan vanished without a trace on June 18, 2023.
The daring mission had been months in the making – and almost didn’t happen at the hands of harsh weather conditions in Newfoundland, Canada.
In a now chilling Facebook post, passenger Hamish Harding wrote: “Due to the worst winter in Newfoundland in 40 years, this mission is likely to be the first and only manned mission to the Titanic in 2023.
“A weather window has just opened up and we are going to attempt a dive tomorrow.”
It would be his final Facebook post.
The following morning, he and four others – led by Stockton Rush – began the 12,5000ft descent towards the bottom of the Atlantic.
But as it made its way down into the depths, the vessel lost all contact with its mother ship of the surface, the Polar Prince.
It sparked a frantic four day search for signs of life, with the hunt gripping the entire world.
There was hope that by some miracle, the crew was alive and desperately waiting to be saved.
But that sparked fears rescue teams were in a race against time as the sub only had a 96-hour oxygen supply when they set out, which would be quickly dwindling.
Then, when audio of banging sounds were detected under the water, it inspired hope that the victims were trapped and signalling to be rescued.
It heartbreakingly turned out that the banging noises were likely either ocean noises or from other search ships, the US Navy determined.
Countries around the world deployed their resources to aid the search, and within days the Odysseus remote-operated vehicle (ROV) was sent down to where the ghostly wreck of the Titanic sits.
The plan was for the ROV to hook onto the sub and bring it up 10,000ft, where it would meet another ROV before heading to the surface.
But any hopes of a phenomenal rescue were dashed when Odysseus came across a piece of debris from the sub around 1,600ft from the Titanic.
The rescue mission tragically then became a salvage task, and the heartbroken families of those on board were told the devastating news.
It was confirmed by the US Coast Guard that the sub has suffered a “catastrophic implosion”.