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Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
BBC's Tony Soper left wife eye-watering sum as will revealed year after his death
Tony Soper who worked for the BBC as an acclaimed wildlife TV presenter left his family a whopping six-figure sum of money following his death last year aged 95 BBC TV presenter Tony Soper left his family £628,000 in his will following his death last year at the age of 95. Tony, who specialised in presenting wildlife TV shows, had instructed his legal team to leave the six-figure sum to his wife, Hilary, with whom he shared a home in Devon. Tony first launched his career with the broadcaster in 1947 when he landed a job as a trainee engineer. He then progressed to starting to navigate his way within radio and producing. Through determination, Tony's first break into the world of wildlife presenting came when he stepped in as an assistant floor manager for Wild Geese in Winter, in 1954. But he finally made his debut as a TV presenter when he landed a slot on Animal Magic alongside Johnny Morris during the sixties. Tony then became a co-founder of the broadcaster's Natural History Unit which was launched in 1957 and went on produced a host of wildlife TV shows. The unit was responsible for creating shows including Planet Earth, which was narrated by the iconic Sir David Attenborough. The Sun reported that according to Tony's website he worked as a freelancer from 1963 in order to be close to the sea in Devon, where he lived until his death. Tony's career took on many avenues as he not only became a film producer, led wildlife cruises to the Artic and Antartica, but was also an author. Following his death last year, a string of celebrities and friend rushed to social media to pay their respects. Lorraine Kelly posted a message on her social media that read: "On one of my very first shows presenting on TVam, this wonderful kind man came on to talk about his book on owls." She added: "He was a joy and a delight." Wildlife TV presenter wrote: "Very sad news - Tony Soper was a huge influence on generations of birders and broadcasters." He went on to add: "I had the huge privilege of working with Tony and getting to know him. "The last person who was there at the start of the BBC Natural History Unit - a lovely man." Tony has left behind his wife and two sons Tim and Jack, along with his five grandchildren.
Daily Record
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
John Torode seduced wife Lisa Faulkner with 'cowardly' letter to win her over
John Torode was sacked from BBC's MasterChef yesterday, the show he met his wife Lisa Faulkner on in 2010 whilst they were both married to different partners. Former BBC TV personality John Torode once 'petrified' his wife Lisa Faulkner when they first met on Celebrity MasterChef, before finally seducing her with a 'cowardly' letter two years later. Lisa appeared on the celebrity version of the BBC cooking show in 2010 when she met John - who has now been sacked from the programme following allegations of racism, which he strongly denies - and the pair were married to other people at the time. At the time, both Lisa and John were in other marriages but formed a strong friendship after Lisa blew him away with her cooking skills on MasterChef. Actress Lisa was previously married to former EastEnders actor Chris Coghill, who played Tony King in the soap from 2008 to 2009. While John was married to Jessica, who was formerly known as Jessica Thomas, the pair had two children together before they parted ways in 2011. Despite separating in 2011 their divorce wasn't finalised until 2014, when their union was reportedly dissolved in a matter of seconds at the High Court. When they both split from their previous partners and were single, John asked Lisa out on a dinner date and the pair realised they had great chemistry and hit it off instantly during a shared dinner. Eventually they tied the knot, after John proposed on Christmas in 2018 and they married in October 2019 in a lavish star-studded ceremony at Aynhoe Park, a sprawling 17th century estate in the Northamptonshire countryside. Previously speaking about how they met, Lisa stated: "He was a judge on a show I loved and I was petrified of him. He was brilliant and gave us all tips so you didn't want to let him down." "All I could think was, 'That sauce hasn't worked'. I didn't see anything but food for three months. After I won, we did The Good Food Show and stuff. John and I always got on, but I never thought about me and him," she confessed. Revealing how the pair eventually got together, Lisa told the Daily Mail in 2013 that their friendship changed after John wrote her a letter asking her out on a dinner date. She shared: "John and I were friends. Neither of us thought of it as anything else until..." "I don't know how things change, but something does. He asked me on a date. We went out for dinner. Then it was slightly different. I'm really, really happy. John and I are having such a nice time but we're taking things slowly. There are lots of other people to consider." John later went on to confess that his letter to Lisa was "cowardly," but he did it because it meant there would be no awkwardness for him if she rejected him as it wouldn't be asked face to face. He told the Daily Mail: "I'd separated from my wife [Jessica] which was awful, and I was reluctant to approach Lisa face to face as I didn't fancy the prospect of her saying no, so I wrote her a letter. If I'd got no response, it wouldn't matter. Cowardly? S***, yeah. I'm as cowardly as they get." John previously shared the secret to their happy marriage was a properly made bed. He stated: "A really well-made bed. You spend lots of time in it! Honestly, the bedroom – having that sanctuary of a place to go to, I think that's really important. And nice towels... Looking after yourself is as important as looking after each other."
Scottish Sun
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
‘They shouldn't allow it' – John McEnroe calls for Wimbledon rule change live on BBC ahead of Anisimova vs Swiatek final
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) JOHN MCENROE called for a Wimbledon rule change live on BBC TV. The seven-time Grand Slam champion is never afraid to make his feelings clear in his role as a pundit. 6 John McEnroe called for a rule change at Wimbledon Credit: Getty 6 Iga Swiatek walked out on to Centre Court with her usual ritual Credit: Getty And he did exactly that before the ladies' singles final on Centre Court. Iga Swiatek and Amanda Anisimova prepared to make the famous walk along the corridor and out on to the famous lawn to the packed 15,000 iconic stadium. But the Polish star, 24, did so wearing her over-ear headphones. Swiatek revealed she listens to classic rock bands before matches to psych herself up. READ MORE ON WIMBLEDON UNBE-LOO-VABLE I commentated on Alcaraz epic and somehow held my pee for over five hours She said: "There's some AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones. So yeah, rock but not too hard. "Everybody's asking me if I listen to that all the time. They keep buying me vinyl records and everything, and I'm like, 'Guys, if I listen to that all the time, I wouldn't be able to sleep.' So it's just pre-match, just to pump myself up." However, McEnroe wants players to be forced to take in the moment and the atmosphere by having headphones banned when stepping out for a Wimbledon final. The no-nonsense BBC pundit, 66, said: "They shouldn't allow them to wear AirPods or headphones because you have got to get them to enjoy this instead of playing some music. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS "Come on now, ladies!" But despite McEnroe's protestations, it clearly did the trick for Swiatek. Princess Kate beams as she hands over Wimbledon trophy to women's final winner & then consoles runner-up after thrashing She raced to a stunning 6-0 6-0 victory in just 57 minutes. It was the first double-bagel Wimbledon ladies' singles final for 114 YEARS. Swiatek picked up a £3million prize cheque for her brutal battering - which worked out as more than £52,000 per minute of the final. Anisimova was allowed to go off court after match point to recompose herself. She then sobbed into the microphone as the understandable emotion of the occasion took over. 6 WIMBLEDON 2025 LIVE - FOLLOW ALL THE LATEST SCORES AND UPDATES FROM A THRILLING FORTNIGHT AT SW19 Unstoppable Swiatek said: 'It seems super surreal. 'I want to congratulate Amanda for an amazing two weeks. No matter what happened, you should be proud of the work you are doing. 'I hope we are going to play many more finals and in other tournaments. You have the game for that. 'For me, this was way too far to dream about. I feel like I'm already an experienced player after winning the Slams before. But I never expected this one. My team believed in me more than I did. 'This tournament is unique. And I was anxious of that. 'Walking around here, being on Centre Court felt like a huge pressure. This year I really enjoyed it and improved my game. 'I will always remember the opening of champagne bottles in-between serves – a sound that will keep me up at night. I will enjoy these moments.' 6 Swiatek made the walk along the corridor wearing headphones Credit: BBC 6 She revealed she likes to listen to classic rock before going on court Credit: BBC
The Irish Sun
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘They shouldn't allow it' – John McEnroe calls for Wimbledon rule change live on BBC ahead of Anisimova vs Swiatek final
JOHN MCENROE called for a Wimbledon rule change live on BBC TV. The seven-time Grand Slam champion is never afraid to make his feelings clear in his role as a pundit. Advertisement 6 John McEnroe called for a rule change at Wimbledon Credit: Getty 6 Iga Swiatek walked out on to Centre Court with her usual ritual Credit: Getty And he did exactly that before the ladies' singles final on Centre Court. Iga Swiatek and Amanda Anisimova prepared to make the famous walk along the corridor and out on to the famous lawn to the packed 15,000 iconic stadium. But the Polish star, 24, did so wearing her over-ear headphones. Swiatek revealed she listens to classic rock bands before matches to psych herself up. Advertisement READ MORE ON WIMBLEDON She said: "There's some AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones. So yeah, rock but not too hard. "Everybody's asking me if I listen to that all the time. They keep buying me vinyl records and everything, and I'm like, 'Guys, if I listen to that all the time, I wouldn't be able to sleep.' So it's just pre-match, just to pump myself up." However, The Advertisement Most read in Tennis Breaking Exclusive CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS "Come on now, ladies!" But despite McEnroe's protestations, it clearly did the trick for Swiatek. Princess Kate beams as she hands over Wimbledon trophy to women's final winner & then consoles runner-up after thrashing She raced to a stunning 6-0 6-0 victory in just 57 minutes. Advertisement It was the Swiatek picked up a £3million prize cheque for her brutal battering - which worked out as Anisimova was allowed to go off court after match point to recompose herself. She then Advertisement 6 WIMBLEDON 2025 LIVE - FOLLOW ALL THE LATEST SCORES AND UPDATES FROM A THRILLING FORTNIGHT AT SW19 Unstoppable Swiatek said: 'It seems super surreal. 'I want to congratulate Amanda for an amazing two weeks. No matter what happened, you should be proud of the work you are doing. Advertisement 'I hope we are going to play many more finals and in other tournaments. You have the game for that. 'For me, this was way too far to dream about. I feel like I'm already an experienced player after winning the Slams before. But I never expected this one. My team believed in me more than I did. 'This tournament is unique. And I was anxious of that. 'Walking around here, being on Centre Court felt like a huge pressure. This year I really enjoyed it and improved my game. Advertisement 'I will always remember the opening of champagne bottles in-between serves – a sound that will keep me up at night. I will enjoy these moments.' 6 Swiatek made the walk along the corridor wearing headphones Credit: BBC 6 She revealed she likes to listen to classic rock before going on court Credit: BBC 6 Swiatek beat Amanda Anisimova 6-0 6-0 in just 57 minutes Credit: PA Advertisement
Daily Record
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Still Game star Gavin Mitchell's dog poisoned in 'frightening' incident
Gavin Mitchell spoke about having to rush his beloved dog Bob to an emergency vet after ingesting poison. Still Game star Gavin Mitchell has revealed his beloved pet dog was left fighting for his life after swallowing poison. The actor, famed for his role as Boaby the Barman in the hit BBC TV comedy, was left shocked after his dog, Bob, began suffering seizures. He rushed the distressed pooch for emergency treatment as vets told him they believed the animal had ingested poison. After an overnight stay, Mitchell said experts hope Bob is on the road to recovery but warned his pet is not out of the woods yet. Experts told Mitchell not to visit Bob, adopted in 2019 from a Glasgow rescue centre, amid fears it may stress the dog. He said: 'After a long, sleepless, dark and teary night, I've been told 'he's amazing'. 'He woke hungry as always, tail wagging and walked, albeit somewhat unsteadily. He has had no more seizures so far and the antitoxin drugs have been doing their job. 'However, we're not out of the woods yet. There's still a problem with his left side and left eye after all the seizures. So they want to keep him in again overnight for observation. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. 'At the moment, no MRI or further investigation, they do think it was something he ate that poisoned him. 'Please, keep those fingers crossed for him. It's been an awful, dark and frightening 24 hours or so. We're not quite there yet but my boy is a fighter and a survivor and so am I. I just want to hold him!' Mitchell also pleaded with fans not to use poison to deal with vermin and issued a stark warning to yobs who harm pets. He added: 'If you put down poison for vermin, please, know that it can also attract and affect other domestic animals. 'Or if there are 'vermin' out there who have done this for kicks, I will f*****g end every single last one of you.'
