GIOVANNI Pernice has revealed he has had a "year of hell' after his Strictly axe saw him experience some 'dark times'. The pro dancer was at the centre of a BBC probe in 2024 after Amanda Abbington claimed he was 'abusive' when they were partnered on the show together. Reflecting on the aftermath of Amanda's complaints, Gio stressed he tried to remain calm in the eye of the storm. "But I know what I did – that kept me calm, because I knew the truth from the beginning. As for Bianca, she is equally loved up, saying: "He's goofy and crazy, and that made me fall in love with him.

Tech can help NHS get fit for purposeHEALTH Secretary Wes Streeting puts NHS reform in a nutshell. Unless the health service urgently ups its game, it will stagnate like Woolworths, another much-loved national institution that disastrously failed to change with the times. 1 Unless the health service urgently ups its game, it will stagnate Credit: PATo survive, the health service needs the business savvy and modern thinking of the most successful 21st Century firms. Thirty million of us have the NHS app on our phones. To work effectively, this app needs to be radically overhauled so it is streamlined and effective, with first-class back-up.

Heavy snow and freezing rain are causing travel disruption across the UK with flights cancelled and “a number of collisions” on the roads. Bristol airport suspended operations on Saturday night due to heavy snowfall. An airport spokesman said: “This will mainly affect inbound flights but any concerned customers are advised to contact their airline for more information.”Two amber weather warnings are in effect. Up to 40cm of snow could fall in some areas on Saturday night, which could also impact rail journeys. Ice could make travel on higher ground such as the

King Charles III on Saturday expressed condolence after learning that Edward Pettifer, 31, a British relative of his sons' former nanny, was amongst those killed in the New Orleans truck-ramming incident.The UK's Press Association news agency reported that the King had reached out to the family to convey his personal condolences.It was "understood the King was... deeply saddened, and had been in touch with the family to share personal condolences", the UK's Press Association news agency said in a report.The Prince and Princess of Wales also shared their distress through their Kensington Palace social media, saying they were "shocked and saddened by the tragic death of Ed Pettifer". They extended their thoughts and prayers to the Pettifer family and others affected by the incident. "Our thoughts and prayers remain with the Pettifer family and all those innocent people who have been tragically impacted by this horrific attack," couple's Kensington Palace social media account wrote in a post.Edward's half-brother Tom, who is Prince William's godson, had served as a page boy at the royal wedding in April 2011.Tiggy Legge-Bourke , now Pettifer, was appointed by Charles in 1993 as William and Harry's nanny following the royal separation. Her family maintained strong connections with the royal household.The Pettifer family released a statement expressing their devastation, describing Edward as "a wonderful son, brother, grandson, nephew, and a friend to so many".The incident occurred on January 1, when a US army veteran, reportedly pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group, drove a pickup truck into crowds in New Orleans's French Quarter. The attacker was subsequently killed by police.Foreign Secretary David Lammy expressed his sorrow on X, confirming British support for the victim's family and solidarity with the US against terrorism.

Elon Musk is pushing the hard right in Europe, where progressives are grappling with how, or even whether, to contain him. Elon Musk listens as US President-elect Donald Trump (not in picture) speaks during a meeting with House Republicans at a hotel in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 13, 2024. He met Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a leading figure on the radical right when the latter visited Trump in Florida last month. Musk is also an enthusiastic supporter of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the country's most right-wing leader since 1945, who calls him a "genius." A former European Commissioner, Vera Jourova, went so far as to describe Musk as a "promoter of evil" in an interview with Politico last October.

Unlike previous years when judges decided the list, this time round The Times has used 'facts and figures' to determine the best places. Combining nine different data sets, the national paper looked at crime rates, education and the NHS in each area. Read more: Isle of Wight town of Cowes named in the top places to live in the UKThe number of listed buildings per area, the number of community-listed companies, and how many parks with Green Flags there were, was also considered. The Times has average house prices here as £266,000, while the crime rate is listed as 77.5. Topping the list is Richmond, London and bottom is Blably, in the Midlands.

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'Aftersun' Trailer: Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio starrer 'Aftersun' Official TrailerHollywood star Paul Mescal said that he hates people who "waste time" and "aren't prepared".Talking about his biggest pet peeve, Mescal told W Magazine: "Laziness. I hate people who waste time, people who aren't prepared. Maybe that's because I'm slightly masochistic.He revealed why he does like the feeling of labour, reports femalefirst.co.uk. "But I do like the fact that it feels like a labour of sorts, finishing work and feeling physically tired. "We'd signed the paperwork, I'd gotten the part, and then I'd forgotten about doing my driver's license.

Labour's social care reforms and Luke Littler's darts world title win lead Saturday's newspapers. The NHS is - in the words of the Daily Telegraph, external - "giving priority" to asylum seekers over the general public. The paper says there are schemes in place to allow migrants to be seen within 15 minutes, despite soaring waiting times. Sticking with politics, in the Daily Express, external Labour's social care plan - that will take years to deliver reforms - has been branded a "cop-out" by furious campaigners. According to the Daily Mail, external, the majority of defeated Tory candidates from last year's general election say they will run again despite party's landslide loss in July.

The Reform UK leader told his supporters he would not sue Ms Badenoch for her claim. Reform UK published a membership ticker on its website, along with a “join us” link. Speaking at the Reform UK East Midlands Conference in Leicester on Friday, Mr Farage told his backers: “I don’t take kindly to being accused of being dishonest. Well now the gloves are off.”Ms Badenoch, the MP for North West Essex, had previously written on X: “It’s not real. He was listed as the Reform UK candidate but resigned from the party after the Times reported he previously called on voters online to elect the British National Party (BNP).

File photo: UK health secretary Wes Streeting (left) and Elon Musk (Picture credit: X, ANI)Focus on child sexual exploitationMusk’s online commentaryA senior British government minister has dismissed Elon Musk's recent criticism of Prime Minister Keir Starmer's role in addressing child grooming scandals as "misjudged and certainly misinformed. "Some of the criticisms that Elon Musk has made, I think, are misjudged and certainly misinformed," Streeting said, emphasising the government's commitment to tackling child sexual exploitation . However, he extended an olive branch, adding, "We’re willing to work with Elon Musk, who I think has got a big role to play with his social media platform to help us and other countries to tackle this serious issue. According to political analyst Patrick Maguire, Musk has transitioned from a "commentator to a power player" in British political discourse. He has recently voiced support for Nigel Farage's Reform UK party and has been accused of bolstering far-right movements across Europe.

Write to letters@thetimes.co.ukSir, Wes Streeting oversees the Department of Health and Social Care, the name of which recognises that the two are interrelated. In calling for a new and lengthy commission on social care, when the issues are well documented, the government has missed a golden opportunity to consider social care as part of its proposed ten-year strategic plan for health due this spring (“Reform of social care is pushed back again”, Jan 3). A new strategic plan for health will be incomplete if it has not thought through the equally urgent changes needed to the social care system. David FinlayLondon NW1Sir, It is evident the government has no intention of overhauling social care in this parliament and will waste

I could tell my life story through hair. My Sikh mother found God just before having me, and decided that her fourth and final child should be raised in the orthodox way. Subsequently, my uncut hair, which at one point went down to my knees, set me apart not only at school but also within my own family, where my father and brother did not have topknots. The tresses that took three hours to wash and dry every weekend became a symbol of my closeness to my mother, my religiosity and my difference. Conversely, cutting off my hair during adolescence — the long, disembodied plait plunging to the floor at the barber’s like a dead cat — was simultaneously an act of sacrilege, rebellion, assimilation

A British woman and her South African fiance were found dead in Vietnam's holiday villa on December 26, according to police statements released on Monday.A 33-year-old British national, Greta Marie Otteson , was discovered dead on a bed in a first-floor room in Hoi An, Vietnam, at 11:18 local time (04:18 GMT) while her fiance Els Arno Quinton , 36, was found dead in the separate room.The UK Foreign Office confirmed their involvement with local authorities and their support for the British woman's family, BBC reported.The couple, who worked as a social media manager and musician/livestreamer respectively, had been residing at the Hoa Chuong villa in the Cam Thanh commune since the previous summer. Red Eye Studios had shared their engagement announcement on Instagram on December 11.Initial police investigations revealed no evidence of external trauma on the bodies or signs of forced entry into the rooms. Reports from local media indicate the presence of several empty wine bottles at the location.The investigation into their deaths continues, with authorities working to determine the cause. The UK Foreign Office spokesperson stated: "We are supporting the family of a British woman who has died in Vietnam and are in contact with the local authorities."

Elon Musk wrote 'yes' to a post that asked whether King Charles should call for a fresh election in the UK. What are Pakistan's grooming gangs in UK? Elon Musk supported a call for King Charles to dissolve parliament and order a new General Election as he had been clashing with the Keir Stamer government over grooming gangs. Musk reported that and replied 'Yes'.The UK government criticized Elon Musk as health secretary Wes Streeting said Elon Musk's opinion was misjudged and misinformed. Health minister Andrew Fwyne told LBC that Elon Musk, as an American citizen, should focus on issued on the other side of the Atlantic.