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Who's in the Celebrity SAS 2025 cast? Line-up confirmed including 00s pop legend

Who's in the Celebrity SAS 2025 cast? Line-up confirmed including 00s pop legend

Metro3 days ago
Here's our first look at the newest recruits for Channel 4's Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins (Picture: Channel 4/ PA Wire)
Fourteen famous faces from the world of music, entertainment and sport are being called upon to take part in the latest series of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.
The elite team of ex-Special Forces soldiers – Chief Instructor Billy Billingham and his team of Directing Staff (DS) – Foxy (Jason Fox), Rudy Reyes and Chris Oliver – will be taking the celebrities to Wales, the home of the first phase of SAS Selection.
There, they will be stripped of their home comforts, families, agents and social media.
Together the DS will push the celebrity recruits even further and teach them the key skills to survive.
There will be no room for mistakes as these celebrity recruits face the hardest course yet, in the most gruelling stages of SAS selection.
So, without further ado, let's take a look at who will be made to suffer in Channel 4's hit series.
Adebayo 'The Beast' Akinfenwa
Adebayo Akinfenwa is one of the stars who has signed up (Picture: Channel 4/ PA Wire)
Former footballer Adebayo Akinfenwa will certainly be looking to put his 'beast nickname' to the test on the show.
Speaking ahead of the series, he said: 'I've asked myself time and time again – am I built for the Special Forces?
'One of the reasons why I'm doing this is to find out. I would like to think that, put me in most situations, most environments, I'll be able to put my best foot forward, get out of my comfort zone, hit my responsibilities and do what I need to do!
'I think that's what I want to get out of taking part on this course.'
Troy Deeney
Former footballer Troy Deeney will also be participating (Picture: by Matthew Lewis/ Getty Images)
Fellow former footballer Troy Deeney will also be taking part in the series.
The ex-Watford striker said: 'I'm at a crossroads in my life, so I'm hoping the course can highlight the good and bad in me and hopefully we'll see at the end, that the good outweighs the bad.
'I'm sure the DS will get me irritated very quickly but they will also know how to nurture and to reshape and probably help me along the way.'
Conor Benn
Professional boxer Conor Benn will take on the challenge (Picture: Getty Images)
Conor Benn is renown for his brutal punches in the ring, how will he fare in the SAS challenge?
The sportsman said: 'Although boxing is hard, I feel like this is going to be a completely different challenge and I always want to challenge myself.
'I just want to see and experience the toughness and the grittiness you need to pass this course.'
Louie Spence
Louie Spence is an icon of reality television, but how will this translate to the intensity of SAS: Who Dares Wins?
Asked ahead of the series, he revealed: 'This course I hope can walk away feeling I've actually really achieved something here, that I've really pushed myself to the edge of my boundaries and put myself in a position which is beyond something I could have even imagined a year ago.
'This is a course that is really going to challenge me. This is different to anything I've ever been part of before. There's no fluff, there's no glitter, there's no getting myself out of a situation with a quick bit of wit. It's really refreshing for me to do something like this…and, hopefully come out a much better person, both physically and mentally.'
Tasha Ghouri
Former Love Islander Tasha Ghouri is swapping glamour for the test (Picture: Channel 4/m PA Wire)
Former Love Islander Tasha Ghouri is set for a dramatic change from her daily life as she takes on the course.
Discussing the opportunity, she commented: 'I'm very excited to actually take on the course and just go for it, push myself and really challenge myself. But I also want to show people that having a disability makes you no less able – we can also push ourselves, and do crazy challenges if we put our mind to it.
'I really want to be able to actually walk away from the course feeling like I've accomplished what I wanted to do and I want to look back and think, wow, I did that, I'm proud of myself. I'll be doing this for the people who have doubted me. I want prove to them that they can't bring me down. I can fight my way to the end.'
Harry Clark
The Traitors winner will be making another appearance on the show (Picture: Getty Images)
Traitors winner Harry Clark has already featured on Celebrity SAS, so how will he fare this time round?
'Growing up, I'd watch people close to me be in the SAS, which always inspired me,' he said.
'This show was a different experience to what I had imagined but I always love a challenge and it proves you're always learning new things about yourself.'
Hannah Spearritt
Hannah Spearritt was an original member of the pop group S Club and is known for playing Kandice Taylor in EastEnders.
Speaking to Channel 4, she said: 'I hope to take out of this experience, strength. I want to feel stronger again, mentally and physically, because there's always improvement there. There are always dips that happen along the way with motherhood or whatever but I think when you just experience different stuff, it changes you. I have no idea what to expect, but I do know it will be an experience and it's something that I will have for life.
'However the experience goes, I am going to learn about myself. Maybe I'll find out I am a bit of a mess or I might find out that I'm stronger than I think I am…it's finding out things about yourself that you would never, ever find out.
'We live in this world where it's so easy to live in our comfort zone, so this is an opportunity to get outside of that and…for me anyway, growth and expansion is one of the most important things, and that is something that hopefully I can pass on to my kids.'
Rebecca Loos
Former glamour model and media personality Rebecca Loos sees SAS as a once in a lifetime opportunity.
She claimed: 'I honestly don't know whether I am mentally strong enough but one of the reasons I want to do this course is because I want to find out whether I'm able to stick it through mentally.
'I think it's going to be really, really tough. This is by far the toughest thing I've ever done. But I want to do this course because it's a once in a lifetime opportunity to do an SAS training course. It's going to be really interesting to see how far I can go and how strong I'm able to keep myself.'
Bimini
Drag Queen Bimini Bon-Boulash pictured at the BAFTA's (Picture: Getty Images)
Drag Queen Bimini Bon-Boulash has been a staunch advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.
Talking about how this translates to SAS, she explained: 'I want to do this just to prove to myself that I'm capable of anything I put my mind to. I want to prove to myself that I can do it. No glam, no red carpets, no magazine covers. This is literally just going to be me to my core and I am excited about it but I don't think the course is ready for Bimini.
'People in the UK love to debate gender like it's a concept, not a lived experience. It gets reduced to headlines and toilet talk. I'm doing this to remind them that behind every opinion is a human being.
'The course, the SAS and the Army have got a very masculine stereotype and I've got both elements of masculine and feminine and that's my superpower. Vulnerable, raw, and stronger than ever.'
Adam Collard
Adam Collard is one of three former Love Islanders taking part (Picture: Channel 4/ PA Wire)
Adam Collard is one of three Love Islanders taking part in Celebrity SAS.
Ahead of the series, he said: 'Hopefully during the course, the DS will peel back a few layers because I'm stubborn as hell. And maybe I need to be broken down to then go and sort some stuff out.
'I'm doing it for the little boy who hated himself and couldn't do anything and was the last to get picked in everything. And from an emotional point of view, I'm hoping that this spits out a better person.
'I love a challenge. And I really think this course is exactly what I want to really tap into my fitness, the mental strength, the resilience, and see if I've got the grit to finish and go all the way.'
Michaella McCollum
Michaella became famous for being a drug mule, but now as an author she has a further point to prove about herself.
Speaking ahead of the show, she said: 'The level of resilience I learned from being in prison in Peru and knowing how important that mindset is, will definitely help get me through the course, so I'm going to need to use my mental strength to help me along the way.
'In Peru, I was completely stripped back to the rawest version of myself…and I know in this course, it will have a similar effect. I will get to see the real me again and I want to challenge myself to see how capable I am. I don't know if I'm physically fit enough to complete the course but I have good mental strength.'
Lucy Spraggan
Singer Lucy Spraggan pictured on stage (Picture: Luke Brennan/ Getty Images)
Lucy Spraggan is used to rocking on stage, but how will she fare on the course?
'I hope I have the mental grit to get to the end of the course,' she said.
'I have been through quite a lot in my life, and I've done a lot of work to navigate what that left behind, and I really hope that I can apply it to the course, and make it all the way to the end.
'I've always wanted to do this course, and what I love about this course is the sheer pressure it puts on a human being, that you will just not get anywhere else in life. And I've had pressure, I've had so many forms of pressure, nothing like this, so I really just genuinely want to see how far my brain can go.'
Lady Leshurr
British rapper Lady Leshurr is another celebrity who is looking forward to how the course is going to change her.
Speaking to Channel 4, she told: 'I think this course is not only going to make me become the best version of myself, but it's going to make me the strongest I've ever been. It's going to make me realise so much about myself that I've kept in.
'It's going to push, motivate and inspire me. It's really going to make or break me. But regardless, it's going to teach me a lesson about myself that I can definitely work on.'
Chloe Burrows
Reality star Chloe Burrows pictured in SAS gear (Picture: Channel 4/ PA Wire)
As the third former Love Island star to take on the course, could Chloe Burrows reign supreme in Wales?
Commenting on the challenge ahead of her, she said: 'On SAS: Who Dares Wins, everything is completely stripped back. You have absolutely nothing. And I want the course to kind of remind me of that, because I've got a bit lost in myself and the industry. I want to feel a little bit grounded. I want to get a sense of it. I want to push myself, and I want to get a sense of achievement. I want to feel proud of myself for whatever I put into it.
'I think the course is going to give me a bit of confidence. If I even achieve half of the course, then I can walk out and be like, yeah, guess what? I did that on my own. No makeup, no hot shower. I'm very capable…I would love to come out and just feel really pleased with myself and really confident in myself.'
Airing across eight one-hour episodes, the seventh series of Celebrity SAS can be streamed or watched live every Sunday and Monday on Channel 4, starting on August 3.
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Shamed Gregg Wallace says ‘I'm no groper, sex pest or flasher,' as tearful star refuses to accept blame for BBC sacking
Shamed Gregg Wallace says ‘I'm no groper, sex pest or flasher,' as tearful star refuses to accept blame for BBC sacking

Scottish Sun

time35 minutes ago

  • Scottish Sun

Shamed Gregg Wallace says ‘I'm no groper, sex pest or flasher,' as tearful star refuses to accept blame for BBC sacking

Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) FORMER MasterChef host Gregg Wallace has pleaded his innocence, telling The Sun in a tearful interview: 'I'm not a groper, a sex pest or a flasher.' The 60-year-old, sacked by the BBC after a probe into allegations of bad behaviour, said he wanted to clear his name but is 'not looking to play the victim'. 12 In a tearful interview with The Sun, former MasterChef host Gregg Wallace has pleaded his innocence Credit: Dan Charity 12 Wallace says he has been unfairly bracketed with sex offenders Jimmy Savile and Huw Edwards Credit: Dan Charity 12 Gregg has also backed axed co-host John Torode, saying: 'he's not a racist' Wallace says he has been unfairly bracketed with sex offenders Jimmy Savile and Huw Edwards, adding: 'That's so horrific.' The ex-MasterChef host spoke out in his first interview since the BBC sacked him following complaints from multiple women over several years. He says: 'There's so much that I want to say, and so much that I want to put right, if I can. 'I'm not saying I'm not guilty of stuff, but so much has been perceived incorrectly. Things that really hurt me and hurt my family.' Wallace — who has not been paid for this interview — adds from his home in Kent: 'I'm not a groper. People think I've been taking my trousers down and exposing myself — I am not a flasher. 'People think I'm a sex pest. I am not. I am not sexist or a misogynist, or any of it. 'There never were any accusations of sexual harassment. 'I have seen myself written about in the same sentence as Jimmy Savile and Huw Edwards, paedophiles and sex offenders. That is just so, so horrific.' He adds from his sitting room, dotted with photos of wife Anna and six-year-old son Sid: 'I have learnt a lot about myself over the past eight months or so, and I'm still learning. 'I know I have said things that offended people, that weren't socially acceptable and perhaps they felt too intimidated or nervous to say anything at the time. 'We'll never work with him again', blast BBC as Gregg Wallace report reveals 'substantial' allegations over 19 YEARS 'I understand that now — and to anyone I have hurt, I am so sorry. 'I don't expect anyone to have any sympathy with me but I don't think I am a wrong 'un.' During our interview, Wallace flips between anger and remorse, and bursts into tears when talking about the fall-out for his family. He also backs axed MasterChef co-host John Torode, saying: 'He's not a racist.' The report into Wallace's conduct, from law firm Lewis Silkin, saw 45 of 83 complaints upheld. In total, 41 people complained. I've worked with around 4,000 people - cast, crew, production - which means 0.5 per cent of people found fault with me Gregg Wallace But he says: 'I've worked with around 4,000 people — cast, crew, production — which means 0.5 per cent of people found fault with me. 'That means in a room of 200 people, one person complained about my knob joke. It sounds a lot, but you have to consider that I don't work in an office.' However, Wallace does accept that this 0.5 per cent is too many. The timeline of allegations does not make for pretty reading. 12 The ex-MasterChef host, 60, was sacked by the BBC following complaints from multiple women over several years Credit: Dan Charity 12 I'm not a groper, a sex pest or a flasher, said Gregg in his first interview since his axe Credit: Dan Charity 12 During the chat, Wallace flipped between anger and remorse, and even bursted into tears Credit: Dan Charity One of the worst, which was upheld, was that he groped a woman. Wallace claims he was attempting to flirt, recalling: 'It was 15 years ago. Me, drunk, at a party, with my hand on a girl's bum. 'This girl told me about an affair she was having with a married man who was part of the Conservative government. I can't remember who it was. 'She gave me her phone number. I considered that to be intimacy. I was single at the time . . . well, I was dating, but I wasn't married. Now, even in the report, it says, 'Gregg believes this contact to be consensual'. So, listen, drag me out into the marketplace and stone me now.' 'Jovial and crude' Wallace is also keen to point out that he isn't a flasher. The moment he paraded around the MasterChef studio with a sock on his willy has been heavily reported. He says: 'Yes, that's one of the three upheld, the one with a sock on. Can I ­clarify what that is though? That was 18 years ago. The studio is shut, there's no contestants.' He said outside his dressing-room door was a sofa with four of his mates from the show on it, including Monica Galetti. He went on: 'I was getting changed to go to a black tie event, a charity event. I put my bow tie on and my shirt. It's only them outside the door. I put the sock on, opened the door, went, 'Wahey!' and shut the door again. 'The people interviewed were either amused or bemused. Nobody was distressed.' He takes a dimmer view of other allegations, including claims he dropped his trousers in front of a lady named as Alice by a BBC News investigation. He rages: 'That really damaged me. In the investigation, it says this person's story is simply not credible.' Wallace accepts he regularly got changed in front of people, and showed off his six-pack. One of the main threads of the upheld accusations is the use of sexualised or inappropriate language. He accepts all of these - and blames his background. It was 15 years ago. Me, drunk, at a party, with my hand on a girl's bum Gregg Wallace Wallace insists: 'I'm a green-grocer from Peckham. 'I thrived in Covent Garden's Fruit and Veg Market. 'In that environment that is jovial and crude. It is learned behaviour. 'And that's exactly the persona I brought into the workplace. Nobody ever asked me to change. 'MasterChef was a big hit. They gave me Celebrity MasterChef. That's a big hit. They gave me Professional MasterChef. It's a big hit. They gave me Eat Well for Less. They gave me Inside the Factory. I've got five returnable series. 'They're all big hits, and every day I'm giving them what I think they want. It's jokes, it's banter. 'It's relaxing virtually everybody I work with and we're getting good interaction with them.' 12 Gregg, above with The Sun's Clemmie Moodie, says he's been scared to go out since the scandal broke Credit: Dan Charity 12 Wallace pictured at his home in Kent with wife Anna Credit: Dan Charity 12 He accepts the upheld accusations of use of sexualised or inappropriate language, blaming his background Credit: Dan Charity In January Wallace was formally diagnosed with autism, and he admits he is 'learning every day' about it. He sticks by his awkward claim that his refusal to wear underwear was down to that. Devastated by backlash Wallace says: 'I never wear pants', before raising his short- covered leg as if to demonstrate. 'I'm not wearing socks either.' I tell him to keep his leg down. Bemused he adds: 'Somehow everybody has sexualised this as well. It's not sexualised. It's hypersensitivity — that happens with autism.' Autism charities have dropped him, with some saying it is not 'a hall-pass for bad behaviour'. Wallace understands but has been ­devastated by the backlash. Having spent two-and-a-half hours with him, I believe he is severely on the spectrum. He repeatedly tells me off for interrupting — fair enough — and he is adamant we start the interview his way, which sees him nervously reading scribbled-down thoughts from scraps of paper. I arrived at his home not expecting to like him but left liking him. He peppers every conversation with slightly painful jokes, including: 'What do you call a judge with no thumbs? Justice Fingers!' Another sees him making a curled-finger hand gesture, asking: 'What is this? A microwave!' I know I am odd. I know I struggle to read people. I know people find me weird. Autism is a disability, a registered disability Gregg Wallace I'm still none the wiser. He is like a schoolboy desperate to please without being malicious. I previously wrote about a bruising encounter on a journalists' special of MasterChef in 2014 in which I'd accused him of making me feel deeply uncomfortable. I read out some of my criticism, saying I felt he 'gas-lit' me. Wallace appears confused as he asks me what that means. He replies after a beat: 'I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable. "We were playing pantomime roles, I was playing up to it. I had no idea you felt that way, I honestly struggle to read people. 'I know I am odd. I know I struggle to read people. I know people find me weird. Autism is a disability, a registered disability. Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it's not real.' One of the claims that hurt him most — and saw him trolled mercilessly — was when Sir Rod Stewart publicly said he had bullied his wife Penny Lancaster on Celebrity MasterChef four years ago. He says it was not upheld, adding: 'It was us having a disagreement over whether an orchid should stay in a bowl of soup.' Sighing, he goes on: 'I'm actually a Rod Stewart fan. I've been to see him twice. So that hurt me. Somebody like that carries a lot of weight. But there was no bullying and no harassing.' 12 Wallace, who was formally diagnosed with autism in January, says he is 'learning every day' about it Credit: Dan Charity DAVIE WON'T MIX WITH LIKES OF ME By Clemmie Moodie BBC Director-General Tim Davie failed to get in touch with Gregg Wallace after his sacking, he claims. Wallace also hit out at the decision to pay off disgraced newsreader Huw Edwards. And he accused the organisation of being out of touch with working-class people. He said: 'I haven't heard from Tim at all. 'I think people like Tim were told that if they worked hard at school, they wouldn't have to mix with people like me. 'The BBC right now, absolutely everybody's been to Guatemala and nobody's been to Lewisham. 'I don't have an uncle who works for the BBC who's doing me any favours. They gave me big shows and they were all a success. So it was a massive shock to me in 2018 to find that what I was doing could cause problems.' Wallace was dismissed by production firm Banijay and did not receive a pay-out. While not disputing this, he is angry they paid off Edwards. He added: 'Huw Edwards received a £200,000 pay off after he was arrested — I didn't get so much as a pat on the back and a tenner. 'I'm not complaining, I'm pointing out a fact. I'm not looking to play the victim.' There was also a 2018 complaint from his time on BBC One's Impossible Celebrities, where he told a female employee she was 'very bright and very pretty' and was 'rude' to the show's production runners. He says: 'I asked for a healthy lunch and they gave me a packaged sandwich I didn't want so I was a bit cross.' Another complaint referred to him asking a model what she ate in a day to stay so thin. The BBC sent him on a course which was, he claims, like 'telling someone with a heart condition to go and fix their own heart rate'. I'm scared' He adds: 'They told me about how to interact with young people. 'My problem was that I saw myself the same as them, but they weren't perceiving me the same as them. They saw me as a position of authority. So I was being too familiar and I was told I shouldn't try to talk to them about what they might be doing at the weekend or where they're going on holiday because I might be forcing them to converse with me on personal details that they might not want to give. 'And I didn't know I was autistic at the time. So all that did was just confuse the living daylights out of me. So from that point on, I just stopped talking to young people because I realised that I was working in a complaints culture. 'And if I could get in serious trouble for telling a girl she was attractive, what would happen if I went out drinking with people and said something political or sexual? 'So I just stopped talking to young people. In fact, I stopped socialising on MasterChef. It just panicked me.' From then on, there was only one allegation of inappropriate behaviour. Wallace has, he says, spent the past seven years 'hiding behind my sofa reading history books'. My biggest, biggest regret is that I ever went anywhere near a television studio - I was doing just fine as a greengrocer Gregg Wallace Since the scandal broke, he says he has been scared to go out 'in case people, who think I'm a sex pest, abuse me in the street'. He went on: 'The first time I went to the gym afterwards I was shaking. I have been so scared. I go out now in a disguise — a baseball cap and sunglasses, I don't want people to see me. I'm scared.' Wallace also admits a level of guilt for what happened to his Aussie co-star John, who had an allegation of racism upheld against him during the investigation. He storms: 'I've known John for 30 years and he is not a racist. 'And as evidence of that, I'll show you the incredible diversity of the people that he has championed, MasterChef winners, over the years. There is no way that man is a ­racist. No way. And my sympathies go out to John because I don't want anybody to go through what I've been through.' Following the investigation, Wallace unfollowed John and his wife Lisa Faulkner on social media. He says: 'We never really did get on that well. 'We're two very, very different characters. But we made bloody good telly together for 20 years.' Wallace says that the only ­positive from this is getting to spend more time with his non-verbal autistic son Sid. He admits he wished he had stayed in his former profession instead of embarking on a TV career. He says: 'My biggest, biggest regret is that I ever went anywhere near a television studio — I was doing just fine as a greengrocer." 12 Wallace also admits a level of guilt for what happened to his Aussie co-star John Credit: BBC 12 Wallace says that the only positive from this scandal is getting to spend more time with his non-verbal autistic son Sid Credit: Rex

'I'm part of British royal family after Queen's secret marriage and love child'
'I'm part of British royal family after Queen's secret marriage and love child'

Daily Mirror

time35 minutes ago

  • Daily Mirror

'I'm part of British royal family after Queen's secret marriage and love child'

Queen Victoria had a secret lovechild with her manservant, a new documentary claims. Here a woman, who believes she's a descendent of the royal, speaks out Queen Victoria and John Brown were not only secretly married, they had a love child, a new documentary will claim. Historian Dr Fern Riddell believes she has found proof that the monarch and her manservant were deeply in love – and that the Queen gave birth to her tenth child, a girl called Mary-Anne, whose father was John. ‌ "I believe Victoria and John were madly in love. I believe I've found evidence that they got married, and I really do believe there's a strong possibility they may have had a child together," she says. ‌ TV lawyer Rob Rinder, who appears in the documentary to cast his sceptical eye over her findings, says: "Big claims. If you're right, that changes our understanding of history." ‌ In her new book, Victoria's Secret, Riddell reveals that she has located a direct descendent of Mary-Anne _ Angela Webb, who lives in Minnesota, USA. John Brown was her grandfather's great uncle and she grew up knowing all the stories about her family coming from an illegitimate branch of British royalty – but never thinking it could be proved. She shows off a basket of heirlooms in the Channel 4 programme and explains: "They were originally Queen Victoria and John Brown's and have made their way to me. There are books, there's jewellery, there's documents. ‌ "This brooch was commissioned by Queen Victoria. It says March 29, 1896. It does have a lock of hair in the back as well. "This is a handwritten note from Victoria. It has the royal seal. It says to place a wreath and flowers in dear John Brown's room on his bed on the 27th, which would have been the anniversary of his passing." ‌ Angela says the story she grew up with is that John Brown was far more than a close companion of Queen Victoria's. She says: "We were told there was a romantic relationship, that there was a long boat journey and there was a baby, Mary-Anne, that was Queen Victoria's and John Brown's – and my family has descended from that baby." Dr Fern says that the secret Brown family archive that she has unearthed proves beyond all doubt that the pair were lovers – and had a baby girl who was given to John's brother Hugh to bring up with his wife Jessie. The couple, who were childless, then moved to New Zealand with the baby, and it helped to avoid a scandal. But later it's said that Queen Victoria begged them to return to Scotland with the child – and they did. In the film, Dr Fern says that the end of Victoria's marriage to Prince Albert had been an unhappy time. Victoria had struggled through her nine pregnancies and suffered from post-natal depression, plus symptoms including hallucinations that may have been mistaken for the madness that had afflicted King George. ‌ She says doctors had warned against any further pregnancies, meaning the couple would have had to practice celibacy. "So in her late 30s, she is told to no longer have a sexual connection with her husband. It's going to cause a real issue in their marriage for her." Dr Fern believes the Queen always had a strong sex drive. "She was sensual, she adored physical pleasure." One example of this is a young Victoria writing that she had been riding in the rain with Albert, who was wearing "tight white cashmere pantaloons" and noting that he had on "nothing under them", which she had also underlined. ‌ Fern says that she can understand why Victoria would have been drawn to John Brown at this time, because he was young and handsome and dashing. She explains: "When you look at this, you can see why Queen Victoria is irresistibly drawn to him." When her marriage to Albert becomes strained, the couple spent more time in Scotland at Balmoral, where John would have spent much time with Victoria. "This allows a space for a wounded Queen to indulge in a flirtation with a strong, sexy young man," Dr Fern says. There are many examples of love letters, unearthed from the Brown family archive, including one that the monarch wrote to John's brother Hugh in 1886, to let him know how she felt about his brother. It says: "I took and held his dear kind hand. I told him no one loved him more than I did. And he answered, nor you than me, no one loves you more." ‌ In one Christmas card she tells her lover: "My lips may give a message better of Christmas love than even my letter." And in case that wasn't clear enough, another says: "I have loved thee with an everlasting love." Rinder agrees this could only mean they had a "deep, meaningful and enduring" love affair. But the affair was hushed up, and so too was the pregnancy, Dr Fern believes, which happened when the Queen was in mourning over Prince Albert and out of public life. ‌ She finds evidence to suggest that Victoria and John were secretly married and declares: "I think there was a surprise baby, spirited away to New Zealand. Then, once Victoria and John had committed to one another, they decided to bring Hugh and Jessie and Mary-Anne home." Angela was "flabbergasted" when Dr Fern contacted her to ask questions about her ancestry. She believes she can "see myself" in pictures of Queen Victoria and is now keen to do a DNA test. She says: "I'd love to be able to prove that they had a really beautiful love story. I'd love to be able to say this was a legitimate part of John Brown's life - that he was her second greatest love." But the American admits: "If it's proven that I am a descendent of Queen Victoria, I'm not sure how I'll feel."

Channel 4 reality star lands major Hollywood role in record-breaking series- and she's already on set filming
Channel 4 reality star lands major Hollywood role in record-breaking series- and she's already on set filming

Scottish Sun

time3 hours ago

  • Scottish Sun

Channel 4 reality star lands major Hollywood role in record-breaking series- and she's already on set filming

The star was a fan favourite during her reality TV stint big break Channel 4 reality star lands major Hollywood role in record-breaking series- and she's already on set filming MARRIED at First Sight star Sacha Jones has cracked Hollywood after landing a role in an Amazon Prime drama. The reality star - who found fame while paired with Ross McCarthy on last year's series - is set to star in The Chosen. Advertisement 4 Married At First Sight's Sacha Jones has landed a Hollywood role Credit: Instagram 4 She tied the knot with Ross McCarthy on the show Credit: Channel 4 4 Sacha is set to appear in The Chosen Credit: Netflix She has flown out to Dallas today to start filming for the drama series. A source said: 'Sacha is very religious so this part means the absolute world to her as the series tells the story of Jesus. 'She auditioned for the role and producers fell in love with her. 'It could make her a huge star. Her parents are absolutely delighted.' Advertisement The Sun has contacted a rep for Sacha for comment. The historical drama depicts Jesus' life through ordinary people - such as his disciples and the government. Sacha was a fan favourite on Married At First Sight, but split with Ross at the end of the series. They tied the knot at the start of MAFS' 2024 series when sparks flew and everything seemed perfect between the pair. Advertisement The couple went from strength to strength, with them dubbed as one of the strongest couples early on in the series. Not everything progressed as well as it could for the couple when cracks began to show and Ross' temper began to flare. Furious MAFS star slams 'desperate' rival and reveals the 'real reason' for reunion feud in 'final word' video after she's accused of abuse Sacha was keen to move to Manchester to be with Ross, with her even open to leaving her life in Birmingham behind. Despite their vow renewal ceremony ending in married bliss, it was revealed the couple split two weeks after filming wrapped. Advertisement A source at the time told MailOnline: "Sacha had an incredible experience filming Married At First Sight UK and she truly thought her marriage with Ross would work. "She moved to Manchester to be with him but after just two weeks he went cold and ended their romance for good." Earlier this year, Sacha addressed comments on her "new boyfriend" following the relationship breakdown on the show. It came after she posted a series of images to mark her dad's birthday. Advertisement Married At First Sight viewers will be familiar with her West Midlands-based parents Bryn and Alison, who gave their take on her marriage to Ross. Yet while E4 fans will recognise the duo on the snaps, a mystery male is seen at the dining table at Willow, in Sutton Coldfield, too. One fan - who saw Sacha break down on-screen after her renewal vows with Ross, before the dad of one dumped her - put two and two together to link the blonde influencer with the male diner. This follower commented: "Aw glad you found love x" Advertisement Married at First Sight UK 2024 Here's who you can expect in the Mafs 2024 cast: Emma, 31 from Bristol Sacha, 29 from Birmingham Kristina, 31 from East Sussex Eve, 31 from Omagh Holly, 29 from Huddersfield Charlie, 30 from Surrey Richelle, 48 from London Polly, 28 from Kent Lacey, 27 from Hertfordshire Adam, 33 from Nottingham Alex, 28 from Birmingham Casper, 34 from New Forest Kieran, 28 from Newcastle Nathan, 24 from Somerset Orson, 41 from St Kitts and Nevis Ross, 32 from Manchester However, Sacha replied: "Took me a good while to work out what you was on about. "You mean my little brother? Haha. Only man in my life that isn't family is still only Jesus currently hahahaa x" After Sacha had set the record straight, another fan posted: "Happy Birthday Papa Sacha." As a second shared: "Aww your parents are so sweet x" Advertisement

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