TIPPING Point’s future on ITV has been revealed after no new episodes were recorded for an entire year.

The fan-favourite quiz show is presented by Ben Shephard and has been on air since its launch in 2012.

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Tipping Point’s future has been revealed after no new episodes were recorded last year[/caption]

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The hit game show first launched in 2012 and a whopping 1,500 episodes have been produced to date[/caption]

However, fans have regularly been left fuming over repeats being slotted into the ITV schedule over and over again.

The Sun can reveal production was stopped on Tipping Point last year, sparking fears for its future.

The last batch of new episodes were filmed in 2023, with some yet to even be broadcast.

But despite new hits such as Deal or No Deal’s reboot and Mel Giedroyc’s Pictionary being introduced to the schedule over the last year, ITV has no plans to axe Tipping Point.

A source said: “Tipping Point has a cult viewership and is seen as a flagship show for ITV.

“Last year Ben had a big change in his diary, having taken over as full time host of This Morning alongside Cat Deeley and landing his own adventure series.

“Blocks of new episodes of Tipping Point are typically recorded during the summer, but last year that was Ben’s time off with his family.

“ITV are also sitting on new episodes that were recorded in 2023 and are yet to be slotted into the schedule.

“But there’s no plans to rest the show, they’ve planned to film new episodes later this year.”

Over 1,500 episodes have been aired to date, as well as 103 specials.

In November The Sun exclusively revealed how Ben, 50, was taking time off This Morning to film high-octane show The Summit.

Already a hit in Australia, it will see Brits pushed to their limits when they scale one of the world’s highest mountains – each with a share of the £200,000 jackpot stuffed into their backpacks.

Filming for The Summit took place over two weeks in New Zealand.

ALDI has introduced a £10 pre-payment for shoppers entering a checkout-free store in Greenwich, sparking frustration among customers.

A deposit is taken before entry and deducted from the final bill, but those spending less than £10 or leaving empty handed could wait days for a refund.

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The payment is refunded if they spend less than the deposit[/caption]

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Aldi is the UK’s fifth largest supermarket chain and has 950 stores[/caption]

The ‘pre-authorisation’ charge applies to both app users and contactless shoppers at the Shop & Go store.

Customers tapping their card at the entrance or generating a QR code through the app are automatically charged £10 before being allowed inside.

A refund is issued if they spend less than £10 – but the timing depends on the customers’s bank or card provider.

Some shoppers have also reported being charged multiple times if they accidentally press the app button more than once before entering.

Aldi’s terms and conditions confirm that the deposit is required to verify payment cards and ensure smooth transactions, but customers are given little warning how much is being pre-authorised before payment is taken.

The Greenwich store, which opened in January 2022, is Aldi’s only checkout-free location.

It uses AI-powered cameras to track what customers pick up, automatically billing them as they leave without the need for scanning or till.s

Initially, customers had to download the Aldi Shop & Go app and register a payment card, but in 2023, Aldi introduced a contactless entry option.

This new £10 deposit system follows a similar model used at Market Express in London’s Excel Centre, which also requires a pre-authorisation payment before allowing shoppers inside.

Aldi has defended the trial, stating that the store is constantly evolving to make shopping experience smoother and that in most cases, refunds are processed within 48 hours, depending on the customer’s bank

While Aldi was one of the first UK supermarkets to trial the checkout-free technology, the concept has struggled to take off.

Amazon initially planned 260 Just Walk Out stores in the UK but has since scaled back its ambitions, while Tesco operates just four hybrid check-out free GetGo stores.

Aldi CEO Giles Hurley has previously suggested that self-checkouts, rather than more checkout-free stores, are the retailer’s next focus.

A spokesperson for Aldi said: “This is a concept store that opened in 2022 and is designed so that shoppers don’t have to manually pay for items – they can simply place things in the basket and the store’s camera technology registers the purchase without them having to go to a till – similar to Amazon’s Fresh stores.

“This one store has always required shoppers to download an app to enter the store and takes a small pre-payment (similar to Uber) to ensure the bank account a customer account is linked to has available funds.

“Only relates to a single Aldi concept store in London.”

While Morrisons is planning to scale back the number of self-service checkouts in its supermarkets, after bosses admitted the expansion had “went too far”.

In recent months, Primark has been rolling out self-checkouts at dozens of stores.

AUSTRALIAN OPEN champion Madison Keys will not be able to play in Austin, Texas next month due to a little-known WTA rule.

The American, 29, produced an incredible performance to defeat Aryna Sabalenka and claim the trophy Down Under last Saturday.

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Madison Keys won the Australian Open last Saturday[/caption]

Despite being a former U.S. Open champion in 2017, Keys had gone into the tournament as 19th seed and was not expected to go all the way.

After claiming her first Major title, in addition to winning the WTA 500 event in Adelaide the week before, Keys’ world ranking has shot up to a career-high No.7.

While Keys is relishing her newfound status as a Grand Slam champion, her new ranking has caused her one schedule headache.

She had been due to play at the ATX Open in Austin, starting on February 24.

But WTA rules state that 250 events, worth 250 points for winning the title, must only feature one top 10 player.

This is claimed to “ensure balanced competition across all WTA events held during the same week“.

Keys’ American compatriot Jessica Pegula, ranked No.6, has already signed up to be Austin’s top 10 participant.

The Aussie Open champion had been ranked No.21 when she signed up to play in Austin.

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But having now joined Pegula in the top 10, Keys cannot now join the 30-year-old in the field.

Confirming Keys’ withdrawal in a statement, tournament director Christo Van Rensburg said: “We love Madison and have been anticipating for months the excitement of her playing here in Austin for the first time.

“While we wish the Top 10 rule didn’t apply to our tournament, we respect the rules of the WTA.”

During the same week as the event in Austin, there is a WTA 500 tournament in Merida, Mexico that Keys could choose to enter instead.

Keys had been due to return to action at the Qatar Open next month, but has withdrawn due to a hamstring injury.

As it stands, she remains on the entry list for the WTA 1000 event the following week in Dubai, commencing on February 16.

AFP

Keys, 29, vaulted up to world No.7 with her triumph Down Under[/caption]

SHE’S a fashion powerhouse whose first clothing line sold out in just 24 minutes.

Molly-Mae Hague launched Maebe – her quality range of staples including boxy jackets, adjustable-waist jeans and short-sleeve knit tops – last year.

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Fashion fans were loving Molly-Mae’s burgundy rugby shirt[/caption]

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Shoppers have spotted a dupe in Primark[/caption]

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It bears a striking resemblance to Molly-Mae’s version but is only £12[/caption]

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It’s also available in a brown and pink striped version[/caption]

But as well as picking up items from her debut fashion brand, fans of the Love Island alum, 25, love to find dupes of her stylish outfits.

Recently, the influencer turned businesswoman sported a burgundy rugby shirt while promoting her Amazon Prime documentary Behind It All.

And shoppers have been left delighted after spotting a £12 version in Primark that bears a striking resemblance to the TV beauty’s.

The long sleeved polo top comes in two colour variations – brown with pink and white stripes, or burgundy with blue and white stripes just like Molly-Mae’s.

It comes in sizes XS to XL and is available for click and collect if you want to make sure your local store has it in stock.

Describing the dupe on their website, the Primark team say: “Don’t worry, you don’t need to know the rules of polo to wear this striped long sleeve polo top (but being versed in fashion rules may help).

“The classic collar adds a preppy twist, while the relaxed fit keeps things laid-back and effortless.

“The contrasting white collar and button placket are signature to the classic polo top (which we love). Play with textures and pair your polo top with jeans or pleated skirts.”

And fashion fans are already going wild for the “gorgeous” buy on social media.

Hailing it as “the viral dupe”, one person said: “That Molly-Mae rugby top from the documentary that everyone went wild for? Primark – You’re welcome.”

A second wrote: “I saw Molly-Mae wearing a stripe rugby top so…I wouldn’t have looked at it before seeing someone else styling it!”

A third chimed in: “Love it! It’s one of those tops I wouldn’t look twice at but it looks so good on!”

“Ok I need asap”, cried a fourth.

A fifth added: “Got mine today. It’s gorgeous!!”

Meanwhile, a sixth joked: “Molly Mae’s wearing rugby shirts, so we’re wearing rugby shirts. I tried it in a S, but maybe would’ve got it M for more oversize. Cute casual summer outfit.

“I actually tried this on before watching the Molly-Mae documentary, and was like ‘girl! Matching!!!’.”

Not everyone’s convinced about the retail giant’s sporty buy, however.

One social media user sighed: “It’s okay to have your own personality. Don’t worry.”

Someone else claimed: “Molly-Mae is going to be the reason that British charity shops are full of [these] in a month.”

“I just can’t get on board with these rugby style tops”, confessed a third.

And a fourth wrote: “Someone said Tracey Beaker and I can’t unsee it.”

New show

Molly-Mae’s very lavish lifestyle has been well documented, and the first three episodes of her latest docuseries gave viewers a closer look into her flashy spending habits.

During the half hour episodes, she spilled the goss on her situation with ex Tommy, how they’ve coped with co-parenting daughter Bambi and even the £140 Maebe blazer that caused widespread backlash.

But fashion fans also noticed her extensive designer wardrobe and beauty products – making it clear that style is a huge passion.

Three years in the making

The mum-of-one said Maebe had been “three years in the making”.

Speaking about the launch, which came just weeks after her five year relationship with Tommy Fury came to an end, she said: “When I became a mum, I changed a lot as a person and different things became important to me in terms of fashion, it was the right time to launch Maebe. I was really ready to sink my teeth into something new.

“I have a really good feeling about this new era of my life and think it’s going to be so special and a great thing for me to focus on and put my time into as well as being a mum to Bambi.”

Mega price shock

Despite the popularity of the long-awaited fashion brand, many shoppers were left gobsmacked at the prices.

The influencer, 25, has been slammed for “not knowing her audience” after revealing how much she’s charging for a basic tee, jeans and blazers. 

Many slammed the “outrageous” prices – which range between £35 and £140 – and questioned why the range is “so expensive”. 

“Why does Molly-Mae’s new range have to be so expensive?” one shopper moaned on X, previously Twitter.

“Molly-Mae charging an arm and a leg for basic clothes is outrageous,” another slammed. 

Whilst someone else chimed in: “Does she realise that a lot of her followers are young girls, uni students or adults that have to pay mortgages?”

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