Christmas lockdown fears as John Swinney warns of 'very challenging period' ahead

This Morning presenter has now opened up in a new interview about her "first love" and the challenges that came with this, as he was a "heartbreaker".Fern married Clive Jones in 1988 and the couple had three children together.After the birth of their daughter, their marriage began to fall apart, leading to their divorce in 2000.Fern then met Phil Vickery and the pair became an item straight away.They had one child together, with their marriage coming to an end in 2020.However, Fern hasn't divulged many details about her dating history away from her marriages, until speaking to Kate Thornton on her podcast White Wine Question Time, released last Friday, about her "first love".She said: "I was a very independent child as I only had my mother as a parent."My stepfather turned up when I was about nine or 10 I think, and then I was really launched into being a separate entity now."My mother had my stepfather and my sister was in London."Then I got into drama school to be a stage manager, which was incredible."I got in and had two wonderful years there."Fern then discussed meeting her first boyfriend during her studies and the impact this had on her.She continued: "I had a boyfriend I fell very much in love with, and he was the first person to tell me he loved me."No one else had ever mentioned that before."So I was 17/18 in love with this guy, naughty Nick."His daughters even tell him now he's a heartbreaker, which he was."There was then a small pause, before Fern continued: "And then I was off into the theatre!"Kate then burst out laughing asking Fern if that was what had really happened.Fern has had a long career in television, starting out on Breakfast Time in the 1980s.She joined mainstream national attention when she

Piers Morgan, 56, last night issued a scathing attack on Joe Biden as he commented on his presidency.The broadcaster took to Twitter, where he boasts a following of 7.9 million, to hit out at the US President amid the Ukraine crisis.Piers has been vocal on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, sparking debate among other Twitter users.In the tweet, the former Good Morning Britain presenter claimed that Biden’s approval ratings had “cratered” and that the Russian President was “making him look impotent.”He wrote: “Hard to overstate the importance of this speech for President Biden.“He's had a terrible year, his approval ratings have cratered, and Putin's making him look impotent.“He needs to change the narrative because the State of the Union, like his presidency, isn't great right now.”The blistering remarks sparked debate among the social media community, with some agreeing with the presenter’s views and others differing.ToniLFC argued: “In his different meetings with Putin, he never looked impotent. Very far from it.“US intelligence and his response to the aggression has been spot on so far.”JRodTitansGrizz said: “It’s been worse than a disaster.“I doubt a speech can do anything for him, he’s too defeated already.”Yingikeme added: “I keep asking.

Britney Spears has branded herself a “free woman” after sharing a series of naked pictures on Instagram.The pop star also decided to strip off once again as she took a stand against her critics on her holiday in French Polynesia.Britney surprised her followers yesterday by posing a series of nude shots taken on the beach.These saw her posing in the waves on the luxury holiday getaway.Now the singer has given some context to her photos and why she decided to share them.Earlier this morning, she took to Instagram again to share a snap of her in a silver dress when she was younger.Alongside this, she penned: “Alrightyyy then folks … showing my bod in French Polynesia as a rebel and free WOMAN !!!!!“I WILL DO BIG LETTERS CAUSE I THINK THAT MEANS IT’S IMPORTANT AND I DON’T WANT TO BE LEFT OUT ….“SHOWING THINGS OF IMPORTANCE.” (sic)Britney went on to speak about her make-up choices, sharing her love of Chanel as well as her choice of picture.The star added: “LET’S TALK MAKEUP !!!!! I’ve always been a frugal buyer ….“If its absolutely amazing I will spend money on it but the way I was raised I’ve always been very conscious with what I spend !!!! (sic)“I just realized TODAY … TUESDAY, MARCH 1 … the only makeup I used to wear was @chanelofficial !!!!” (sic)“I REALLY LIKE THIS BIG LETTER THING !!! ANYWAYS ….

Kanye West has been snapped with his new girlfriend Chaney Jones, who bares a striking resemblance to his ex-wife Kim Kardashian.The Gold Digger rapper, 44, was seen walking arm in arm with the 24 year old model as they packed on the PDA in the lobby of a hotel in Miami after a lunch date. New couple Kanye, who recently hit out at Pete Davidson, and Chaney matched in all black outfits as Ye donned an over-sized black shirt and jeans along with a pair of black Yeezy Slides. Meanwhile Instagram model Chaney showed off her ample curves in a matching black sports bra and high waisted shorts.

Naman Ramachandran Ukrainian film producer and co-founder of the Ukrainian Film Academy Julia Sinkevych (“Heat Singers”) has been selected as jury president for this year’s Series Mania Festival and its international competition. “She has always been committed to supporting Ukrainian artists and the culture of her country from Kyiv, where she lives,” the festival said in a statement.

Max Verstappen has signed a huge new contract with Red Bull following his World Championship win that will see him rake in an estimated £40million-a-year.The Dutchman became the fourth youngest F1 champion after his controversial win against Lewis Hamilton in Abu Dhabi, and Verstappen will now be one of the highest earners alongside the Mercedes driver.The 24-year-old has already taken part in pre-season testing which took place in Barcelona last week, and it is thought that the bumper contract extension was verbally agreed when in Spain.The new deal will see Verstappen stay at Red Bull beyond his 30th birthday, and it is set to be announced by the team within the coming days.Verstappen will effectively double his money with the new deal, putting him right up there with the highest earners following his maiden World Championship success in December.According to the Mail, the Dutchman visited the team's factory in Milton Keynes on Tuesday to complete the deal, after verbally committing to bumper terms during pre-season testing in Barcelona.Verstappen's original deal took him up until 2023, but his new contract is a multi-year arrangement that will see him head into his 30's while at Red Bull, pocketing £40m-a-year.Red Bull are yet to comment on the news, likely due to the fact that a formal announcement is yet to be made, but a source close to the talks said: "It has all been agreed. Max is staying for a long time, maybe even five years extra.

Strictly Come Dancing.He has even taken a foray into presenting, after making his debut as a Good Morning Britain host in November 2021.In his personal life though, the Judge's life is just as interesting, including friendships with a huge Hollywood a-Lister and going on holiday with co-host Susanna Reid.

Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and David Walliams on his first audition on Britain's Got Talent.While he later went on to impress big boss Simon Cowell, who wasn't at his audition on the first day, he sailed through to the live shows and immediately won the hearts of the viewers at home.Although he didn't go on to win the show, Bailey still managed to build up a career in music and his Semi Final song Growing Pains had a music video which landed 1.5million hits.He went on to release other tracks online, but shortly after the stint on BGT, he slowly stopped posting to his YouTube channel.As we near eight years since Bailey first stepped foot onto the iconic ITV screens and blew the judges away with his first audition, Daily Star has looked at what he's up to now.Now in his 20s, Bailey is a far cry from the teenager we first saw step onto the big stage and fight to impress the judges.While he still boasts his trademark blonde hair and a slight quiff - but certainly a smaller and less fluffy version - he is still looking vastly different.Bailey now also dons facial hair and his own sense of elaborate style along with a nose piercing and a small piece of ink below his eye.He's also shown that he has a tattoo on the back of his neck of strong wings floating out.Although Bailey hasn't shared too many snaps of himself on Instagram, it's clear that while he looks different, his goals remain the same, with multiple pics of him sat in the studio posted online.Bailey isn't one to shy away from his success on BGT, in fact, both his Instagram and TikTok bio say "That kid off the TV...", as though to pose as a constant reminder.He has also chosen to do duets with people on TikTok where he recites his initial audition word for word and,

Motsi Mabuse has been left speechless over Russia's attacks in Ukraine.The Strictly Come Dancing pro, 40, took to Twitter to speak out about the "horror" violence in Ukraine - and pleaded for Russia's attacks to stop.The dancer admitted she feared she will never get to visit the hometown her Ukrainian husband Evgenij Voznyuk was born in - Ukraine's second city of Kharkiv.Airing her concerns, Motsi shared a clip of the recent explosion at a government building in Kharkiv's Freedom Square.The clip, from Tuesday (March 2), shows a suspected Russian missile slam into the outside of the state building, causing a huge explosion.Reacting to the clip, Motsi wrote: "I am just speechless!!!!!!!!!!!"The BBC star previously explained she had been unable to visit her hubby's birthplace due to world events such as the lockdown - and it looked increasingly unlikely amid the violence in the country.Motsi said: "2020 we booked our flights to spend Easter in Kharkiv and return a day before my birthday, because of lockdown we cancelled the trip . 2021 we were still on lockdown!"2022 seems I will never see the town my husband was born .

murder after she "strangled and cut up" her lover and put his penis in a bucket before telling cops to "have fun finding additional parts," according to police.Taylor D. Schabusiness, 24, from Green Bay, Wisconsin, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse, and third-degree sexual assault.

Eamonn Holmes shared a throwback snap of his swollen face from when the TV presenter battled with shingles.The 62-year-old took to his Instagram account on Tuesday (March 1) to show the effects of the infection after he was left with a swollen right eye and a nasty cluster of red blisters on his face.The NHS defines shingles as a painful rash caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox (Varicella Zoster) virus.He shared the vulnerable snap to show his support for Shingles Awareness Week online as he revealed his serious bout with the skin infection back in 2018.At the time, the former This Morning star was forced to pull out of the show after he was ordered to stay at home and rest while his body fought off the infection.The GB News host – who recently seemed to reignite his feud with Phillip Schofield – shared a candid post as he recalled his struggles with the condition alongside the troublesome snaps online.He wrote: “Having had shingles, I know how painful and exhausting it can be. That’s why I am supporting #ShinglesAwarenessWeek with @gsk and @intefedaging.

Kate Middleton left a note of thanks in the guest book of a holiday lodge in Kenya where Prince William asked her to marry him.The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were travelling around Kenya for a holiday before they stayed at a lodge near Lake Rutundu in 2010.It was here at the lodge where William got down on one knee and proposed to Kate, according to royal expert Katie Nicholl.The couple reportedly spent the day fishing for rainbow trout before returning to the lodge, where William is reported to have taken Kate out on the veranda before popping the big question using his late mother Princess Diana’s ring.The lodge had only been booked for 24 hours but stated in a guestbook how much they loved their experience.However, Kate did reveal they had a bit of a disaster fishing with no bites the entire day.The couple did say they would return to the lodge again.Kate, who signed the post as Catherine Middleton, wrote: "Thank you for such a wonderful 24 hours!"Sadly no fish to be found but we had fun trying. I love the warm fires and candle lights—so romantic.

Little Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock has perfected her workout routine without stepping foot in a gym. The 30-year-old singer is back to her slender frame which she maintained before getting pregnant - dropping to a size six just six months after giving birth to her two little ones.Leigh-Anne's fans have been left in awe over her recent snaps posted to her Instagram profile as the stunning mother-of-two has been sharing snaps of herself in a bikini.The singer's personal trainer, Aimee Victoria Long, has spilled on Leigh-Anne's secrets after confessing that the star hasn't been going to the gym since giving birth.Aimee, who has been training the star for nearly two years, revealed that Leigh-Anne was back to a size six.

A new cycle route could be created across Dumfries and Galloway.

Vicky Pattison has revealed she plans her weeks out to the tiniest detail, which includes scheduling in sex with fiancé Ercan Ramadan.The 34 year old, who recently apologised for swearing at a photographer, explained in her book The Secret To Happy that she's turning into Monica Geller from the hit sitcom Friends as to-do lists rule supreme in her world and she's ultra-organised. "I live by lists to the point I’m turning into Monica from Friends," she explained.

Members of Castle Douglas Accordion and Fiddle Club have paid tribute to Ian Riddet.

The depute leader of Dumfries and Galloway Council is taking up a role with South of Scotland Enterprise.

A campaign to cut the speed limit through New Galloway’s narrow main street is gathering momentum.

Team GB curlers were greeted to a heroes’ welcome at Dumfries Ice Bowl on Friday.

Actor Sam Elliott, has made headlines after going on a foul-mouthed tirade over the critically acclaimed film The Power of the Dog, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons. Elliott appeared to be particularly incensed by the homosexual subtext of the film.Elliott, 77, was appearing on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast on Monday when Maron asked about his thoughts on the film.

The Co-Founder of the Ukrainian Film Academy has been named Jury President for this year’s Series Mania.