THE LONG-running Fiat Panda model is to return this year after being launched in Italy – and it’ll be one of the cheapest EVs in the UK when it’s released.

Boasting retro styling and plenty of new tech, the Grande Panda will replace the current model of the much-loved city car after a 13-year run.

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The new Fiat Grande Panda is coming to the UK[/caption]

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The retro-styled EV will come with updated tech inside[/caption]

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It will be one of the cheapest EVs available to buy in the UK[/caption]

The incredible new Grande Panda was officially launched in Turin on Tuesday – representing the beginning of a new family of Panda’s.

Taking inspiration from the iconic model of the 1980s, a hybrid version of the vehicle will be available starting from £18,975.

And, ahead of the UK ban on new petrol cars being sold from 2030, the Grande Panda EV will start from just £20,975 – making it one of the cheapest electric models on the road this year.

The Panda larger than ever before – hence the name ‘Grande Panda.’

The Grande Panda is at just under four meters long and 1.763m wide, with Fiat saying the vehicle is “designed to be compact but practical and roomy inside, seating five adults in comfort.”

It boasts a dashboard crated out of bamboo-cane fibre and door inserts and cabin parts formed from recycled cups and cartons.

The fully electric model will come with a 44kWh battery and 83kW motor, with an “official” range of 199 miles.

It can also accelerate from 0 to a whopping 62mph in 11 seconds, up to a top speed of 82mph. 

Families will also be buoyed by the 361 litres of luggage capacity.

At the launch there are two versions.

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It’s even set to come with an integrated charging cable[/caption]

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Multiple iterations are to be released[/caption]

One is the entry-level Grand Panda Electric Red from £20,975, while the other is the Electric La Prima from £23,975.

Fiat also says it will come with a “market first” integrated charging cable, capable of up to 7kW AC power delivery.

The hybrid will feature a 100 horsepower turbocharged three-cylinder 1.2-litre petrol engine with a 48-volt battery.

It will have a six-spreed automatic transmission to accelerate from rest to 62mph in 10 seconds up to 99mph.

The new Hybrid starts from just under £19,000.

The current Panda, now commonly known as the Pandina, will remain in production until “at least” 2027, Fiat has confirmed.

The Italian car brand will also expand the Panda family with a new derivative every year until 2027.

This comes as Audi could discontinue two luxury EV models and may even close their Belgium-based factory where it’s built.

Elsewhere, a number of car brands are preparing to revive iconic nameplates in the coming months – including Ford with the Capri.

CIVIL servants and bureaucrats will thwart plans to fix the NHS because they want reforms done slowly, a report by MPs warns.

Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee said officials in NHS England and the Department of Health are “out of ideas and remarkably complacent”.

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An NHS review by Lord Ara Darzi found ranks in Whitehall back offices have swollen while waiting lists have ballooned and patient satisfaction declined[/caption]

A review by Lord Ara Darzi found ranks in Whitehall back offices have swollen while waiting lists have ballooned and patient satisfaction declined.

The PAC accused health officials of being too cautious and blighted by “short-termism”.

Tory MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said: “The Government has transformative ambitions to address the issues plaguing the NHS.

“We were aghast to find some of the worst complacency amongst senior officials in charge of delivering these ambitions.

“Truly fresh ideas and radical energy must be generated to meet the scale of what is required.

“Given the position of the NHS, stale platitudes of incremental change are simply not going to cut it.”

An NHS spokesperson said: “This report contains basic factual inaccuracies and a flawed understanding of how the NHS and the government’s financial processes work.

“While NHS productivity is now improving at double pre-pandemic levels – far from being complacent, NHS England has repeatedly been open about the problem and the actions being taken to address it.

“Reform is part of the NHS’ DNA and has ensured performance improvements for patients in the past year despite capital starvation, unprecedented strikes and a fragile social care sector.”

The Department of Health said: “We have been consistently clear that fixing the broken NHS and ensuring it is fit for the future requires urgent and radical reform.”

Bulging Britain

HOW is Britain meant to absorb a nation-sized population rise in just ten years?

Especially when we have built a tiny fraction of the infrastructure necessary.

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Britain cannot absorb a nation-sized population rise in just ten years[/caption]

The forecast of a five million net increase between 2022 and 2032 solely from immigration is truly staggering.

It is like importing almost all of ­Ireland or New Zealand and expecting our existing housing, hospitals, GPs, schools, roads, reservoirs, and those who currently use them, simply to cope.

Even the Government’s house-building targets won’t nearly be enough.

As our population eclipses France’s, we are already about four million homes short.

This explosion is not specifically this Government’s fault, though it was Labour which first embraced mass immigration.

The totals soared beyond comprehension under Boris Johnson.

But Labour now needs a solution.

There is no way Britain can plan and build fast enough to accommodate a surge as vast as that.

The impact on services alone will be horrific.

If Labour won’t cap the annual influx, what will it do?

Broken NHS

AS we feared, the Health Secretary’s bold ambition to reinvent the NHS appears to be running into a brick wall of apathy.

Officials in his department and at NHS England are “out of ideas and remarkably complacent”, reports the Labour-dominated Public Accounts Committee.

One member says: “The Government has transformative ambitions. We were aghast to find some of the worst complacency among senior officials in charge of delivering those.”

The NHS rubbished their report.

But on Page 17 you can see the real state of it, as elderly patients, robbed of dignity, lie in a packed hospital corridor because the wards are full.

The NHS has had colossal budget rises. But that solves next to nothing, and is a road to ruin, as Wes Streeting knows.

This system designed in 1948 looks unfit for purpose. Time for a new one, Wes.

End this folly

IT’S all very well panicked Home Office ministers running a mile from that ­disgraceful internal report on extremism.

Minister Dan Jarvis says it is not current Government policy. Fine.

But who wrote it, what job do they still hold in the department and why?

Downplaying Islamist extremism and grooming gangs, rubbishing as a “far right narrative” the two-tier policing voters can see with their own eyes, and urging cops to probe MORE “non-crime hate incidents”…

These are the thoughts not of impartial civil servants with expertise in actual extremism, but clueless Corbynites with a hard-left axe to grind.

Why are they still given a hearing in this key department?

HE’S best known as the Hollywood A-list actor behind gritty homicide detective Luther – who spent five series hunting down fictional sadistic killers in bloody scenes on BBC One.

Now, Idris Elba is hoping to tackle real-life crime, by turning his hand to battling the rising rate of knife related deaths in the UK.

BBC

Alamy

The Luther actor said he found solace in acting at an age he could’ve been swayed[/caption]

No less because the actor, who was born and raised in Hackney, London, admits he could’ve ended up on the wrong side of the law, or carrying a knife, without his career.

Idris, 52, said: “It was my drama teacher who said to me, ‘You’re going to be a good actor’.

“I was like, ‘Acting? No. I just like coming to class, I can’t be an actor’, but she was like, ‘Why not?’

“So at 14 years old, I was swayed – and that instead could’ve been someone saying to me, ‘Bro, you can make a lot of money if you just push this bag for me…’ It could’ve swayed me in the same way.”

While Idris found his salvation in acting, he knows that others in his life weren’t as fortunate.

He continued: “Someone very close to me, he’s alive, but he went through it.

“Now, we’re both 52-year-old men, and he’s like, ‘You’re doing the right thing’, but he isn’t as hopeful or as optimistic as I am that this is a crisis we can tackle.”

The crisis in question is one of Britain’s most devastating issues, with new documentary Our Knife Crime Crisis delving into the roots of the growing knife crime epidemic that kills four people a week.

The 60-minute special, which airs tonight on BBC One, also explores the possible solutions to the issue, which Idris says demands more of our attention now than ever.

He added: “We called the film Our Crisis because it is a crisis.

“I already said it was at boiling point a year ago, and now four people are dying a week, that’s four people we might be able to save next week with a few little bits of intervention.

“Ultimately, it’s important that we talk about this – and I’m not one for celebrity politicking, while some people find it quite inspirational when someone they love is on telly talking about it, I find it distracting.

“That said, I do think that we need to talk about this wherever we can, because we are in a crisis, and we need to make some noise, to amplify the issue, whether you’re a celebrity or not.

“It’s always being quietly debated, but we need to be screaming it now, because it shows the kids, the young that are most involved in this, that someone is paying attention. We have to face the reality.”

‘Luther wasn’t about glamourising violence’

For Idris, the documentary marks a change in the way he addresses violence and crimes on screen, having previously used TV series Luther as a means to add to the conversation.

He explained: “Luther saw me heavily criticised for emphasising about violence against women, and often the first victim in the storylines was a woman.

“It was our choice as filmmakers to acknowledge our contribution in how that might be glamorising or normalising what was a crisis in our country – though we weren’t the driver of that violence.

“It was entertainment, but we felt if we could do something, we could tell stories.

“There are so many issues in the world that need fighting, but this is the one for me, because it hit home.

“It broke my heart that nobody was piping up, nobody was saying anything.

“I’m not on some righteous path here to be like, ‘I have to do it’ – but these are the neighbourhoods I’m from, and it was just bonkers to me that nobody was speaking up for what they believe in.

“I’m annoying to some people, they’re like, ‘Just go make a movie or something’, but this is important.”

‘Knife crime killers aren’t scary’

The actor gets up close and personal with reality himself by visiting Feltham Prison and Young Offenders Institution as part of the documentary, to sit down with young perpetrators.

“They’re not so big and scary as the way they’re portrayed,” Idris recalled. “These were just young people grasping onto their development, and it was sad.

“I was looking at these kids, and it just felt up they had been banged up and then, nobody cares – that we’d just turned our back on them, and then they are expected to come out of here ready for society.”

Instead of adopting an attitude of fixing the problem with punishment, he hopes the film will make people consider the benefits of intervention, diversion and mentorship – at the very least, because of the costs.

He explained: “When you look at how much it costs to keep a young person in Feltham versus an intervention programme, it’s shocking – imprisonment costs £150,000 a year.

“When kids are young enough, they’re vulnerable enough to be encouraged to do something else – and while some might argue it might not work, we don’t know until we try it.”

‘We need to change the narrative’

Idris is also keen to dispel the myth that knife crime is a problem that is confined to certain communities.

In the documentary, he meets Jordan, a white British teenager diagnosed with ADHD and autism, who turned to carrying and using a knife for safety in his local Coventry suburb.

He explained: “The fact that this narrative is only pushed around black and brown communities is part of the reason this has been an ongoing conversation because it’s been pushed to certain communities.

“It’s really misleading when people think it’s just a black and brown problem.

“Proportionally, you’re seeing black and brown kids in knife-related incidences because the areas where black and brown people live are usually the same areas where there’s poverty.

“But it isn’t largely just a black and brown problem. In fact, it’s the opposite. It can affect everybody, and we need to start thinking about it that way.”

Idris is clear that solving knife crime requires a united effort, and not something we should be leaving to the government or the police to sort, nor should it be down to young people, or parents, alone.

‘I am hopeful we can end this’

He encouraged: “It can’t just be the police, it can’t just be the youth, we can’t blame the parents.

“I grew up in a generation where your neighbourhood raised you, people would see you out and say, ‘What time are you out, get back to your house!’ Those days are gone.

“But this is where education and community have to come in – to get everyone involved.

“And we need young people to be like, ‘Yo, we don’t want to do this any more, we don’t want to carry knives’ – and we need their voices, we need them to be at the table.

“We’re never going to eradicate gangs, knives, and violence – it’s part of human nature, but as a society, we can safeguard our citizens and that’s to me what success looks like.”

Now, working alongside Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the documentary, and sitting down with King Charles, Idris admitted he’s hopeful that this could spell for change.

“I do feel optimistic, I’m not hopeful, but I’m optimistic,” he concluded. “Our current leaders are listening.  Though, listening is one thing, and action is another.

“I just want to spark a big old debate – people calling into their local radio stations to say, ‘Did you see that rubbish last night?’ Whatever it is, I want people talking.”

Idris Elba: Our Knife Crime Crisis airs tonight at 9pm on BBC One

BBC

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The Luther star says he wants to get people talking[/caption]

OUR much-loved astrologer Meg sadly died in 2023 but her column will be kept alive by her friend and protégée Maggie Innes.

Read on to see what’s written in the stars for you today. 

ARIES

March 21 to April 20

Welcoming the new moon of new beginnings into your community chart awakens an urge to try a different way of networking.

You have the skills to draw the right people towards you, and it’s up to you to use it.

If a new love interest is your aim, this too can work well when you consider a fresh strategy linked to talking.

 TAURUS

April 21 to May 21

You’re ready to review what success means to you and what you discover can be a surprise.

Your star focus is more on people and experiences than money or status, and the more you reach out, the more you can be rewarded.

In love? The best gift is your time and attention. Single? A self-sufficient Aquarius returns.

Get all the latest Taurus horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

GEMINI

May 22 to June 21

Mercury and Pluto make a match in your chart – in a way that could stop a travel plan but then shows you a new route for getting to where you want to go.

Control is good when it works for you, but not when you work for it – that’s the secret of success.

Passion can be whatever you most desire, so wish wisely!

Get all the latest Gemini horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

CANCER

June 22 to July 22

The new moon plus the sun bring your transformation zone to life and you’re half-way towards a new image before you realise it.

At work, playing the part of a boss, even for the shortest time, shows what you are capable of – and the next step can be right there.

At home, keeping words kind, but firm, finds a “C” solution.

LEO

July 23 to August 23

Your natural ability to lead is enhanced by the new moon and you have the power to start and sustain all kinds of teams.

But it’s very important to find the right way forward for everyone. Beware of leaping in before you are ready.

Pluto introduces a big “D” personality and your heart skips a beat.

Get all the latest Leo horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

VIRGO

August 24 to September 22

Scrapping a half-done, or half-hearted career plan and starting again can power your dreams forward so don’t be scared to revise, rethink, reform.

From passion to promotion, you are ready to reveal your true talents.

You can create your own luck when you do the right financial research.

Get all the latest Virgo horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

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The new moon makes letting go, in life and love, easier[/caption]

LIBRA

September 23 to October 23

The star focus falls on parent-child relationships – you have the insight and intelligence to see the way forward but it’s important to act on this.

Any bond can be improved when you give it your whole heart.

Jupiter’s love of personal journeys draws you towards a travel contest linked to a specific location.

Get all the latest Libra horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

SCORPIO

October 24 to November 22

Setting aside any idea that a family shape should be fixed, can free you to find your own ideal home.

You know you have strong ideas about the future, and sharing these can be simpler than you expect.

The new moon makes letting go, in life and love, easier.

The luck factor circles a June date.

Get all the latest Scorpio horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

SAGITTARIUS

November 23 to December 21

You may feel shipwrecked on a stormy sea of words but the new moon is rising to guide you.

Insist on some silence, even for a short time, to allow your mind to clear and your memory to dim.

So the next thing you say can have life-changing potential.

Passion-wise, know who you are and what you deserve.

Get all the latest Sagittarius horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

CAPRICORN

December 22 to January 20

If you’ve felt the need to compromise in loyalty terms, this can change – expecting the best of others is not unreasonable when you are offering so much of yourself.

You have planet protection to issue a final warning and to deal with the response.

At work, the person who most loves a joke, can be a serious ally

Get all the latest Capricorn horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

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Uranus’ input in a property-search leads you towards an unlikely address[/caption]

AQUARIUS

January 21 to February 18

With so much zodiac activity centred on your own sign, you may feel swamped with opportunities yet one project or person simply shines out.

As soon as you recognise this, you can rearrange your day to make the most of it.

Uranus’ input in a property-search leads you towards an unlikely address.

Get all the latest Aquarius horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

PISCES

February 19 to March 20

Breaking a habit of using secrets as weapons helps turn them into tools instead.

Understanding others and yourself is easier when you accept everything, judge nothing establish your own system of trust.

The joy-bringer planet Jupiter hovers in your family chart, and people who share a name can also share a prize.

Get all the latest Pisces horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

KING Charles ordered the Navy to rename HMS Agincourt, in a move dubbed “pathetic”.

The monarch made the intervention to avoid upsetting the French, sources told The Sun.

Crown Copyright 2009

The nuclear-powered sub, still being built, was renamed HMS Achilles this week[/caption]

The nuclear-powered sub, still being built, was renamed HMS Achilles this week.

The proposal was rejected as “woke nonsense” by the last government.

But Charles raised it again after Labour came in.

It was the sixth Navy vessel to be named after the outnumbered English’s 1415 victory over the French.

Ex-Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the switch showed a “pathetic grasp of foreign policy”.

Ex-Nato commander Rear Admiral Chris Parry called it “craven political correctness and ideology gone mad”.

Gavin Williamson, former Conservative Defence Secretary, slammed the move as “pathetic and woke”.

A Royal Navy spokesperson: “We are proud of our nation’s rich military history and the many famous battles fought.

“The seventh boat in the Astute class is to be called “Achilles” – a name which is particularly appropriate this year as we mark the VE and VJ Day 80th anniversaries.

“Achilles received battle honours during the Second World War.

“The name was proposed by the Royal Navy Ships Names and Badging committee and approved by His Majesty the King.”

Buckingham Palace refused to comment.

TEMPLEGATE takes on Wednesday’s action at Kempton looking for winners.

Back a horse by clicking their odds below.

THE OUTLAW (6.30 Kempton, nap)

There was plenty to like about the way he scooted in at Chelmsford 20 days ago. That was just his second handicap and he was always in control before pulling away from his rivals in the closing stages. A 6lb rise in the weights looks more than fair and it will be disappointing if Ralph Beckett’s colt doesn’t end up plying his trade in much stronger company than this.

OPERA BALLO (5.30 Kempton, nb)

Comes from Charlie Appleby who won both divisions of this maiden last season with smart types. This son of Ghaiyyath will be primed for this debut and Billy Loughnane will be keen to make the most of this opportunity for the boys in blue.

SULLIVAN BAY (8.30 Kempton, treble)

Has been in good form over hurdles and on the all-weather. He has not finished out of the frame this season and showed his best when scoring over this trip at Chelmsford in October. He’s a fair 6lb higher than that now and should be right there again.

TROPICAL RETREAT (2.17 Dundalk, Lucky 15)

He caught the eye with a debut fourth in a big field here on debut last month. He went off much too quickly and did well to keep going. Dropping back from six furlongs looks a wise move and he should have learned plenty from that run.

Templegate’s tips

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Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.

SIR Keir Starmer will have to wait at least another week to visit Donald Trump — as he heads to Brussels first.

The PM will meet the leaders of the EU 27 to discuss signing Britain up to a defence treaty with the bloc as well as meeting other European leaders this weekend.

Reuters

AP

Sir Keir Starmer will meet the leaders of the EU 27 to discuss signing Britain up to a defence treaty[/caption]

The new President and the PM agreed to “meet soon” when they spoke on Sunday.

But No10 sources said last night no date had yet been set for a dash to DC.

Last night it was reported Lord Mandelson had “told friends” his controversial appointment to be the next UK Ambassador to the US had been given the greenlight by the Trump White House.

It came amid claims his relationship with China had been reported to the FBI by concerned American senators.

Meanwhile, Trump’s secretary of state warned Foreign Secretary David Lammy to beware China’s “malign influence”.

It came as the White House scrutinises Britain’s deal to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands.

Marco Rubio stressed the need for a “free and open Indo-Pacific that is secure and stable” in his first call with Mr Lammy.

MARRIED At First Sight star Adam Nightingale and Amy Kenyon have continue to fuel romance rumours during a luxury cruise together.

In recent months, the pair hinted that they were more than just friends after growing close after the show.

Amyvictoriakenyon/instagram

Amyvictoriakenyon/instagram

They have now headed off on a no expense spared cruise – just weeks after Adam told The Sun that he has chemistry with Amy.

Adam, who tied the knot with Polly Sellman on the E4 show, looked smitten as he holidayed with the blonde stunner.

They have been documenting their travels – with clips of them boarding a Virgin Voyage cruise ship and enjoying some fine dining.

In one photo, Adam’s hand was wrapped around Amy while sat at their dinner table.

Adam wore an unbutton brown shirt which showed off his heavily tattooed chest and Amy opted for a chic strappy black dress.

But the pair have insisted that they are “just friends”, despite the affectionate display.

Amy cleared up any confusion, writing on Instagram: “Just because I’ve been asked this 400 times. We are friends.

“We’d have no reason to deny if we were in a relationship. Sorry to disappoint you.”

Earlier this month, Adam addressed whether there are any ‘romance’ possibilities with Amy.

A MAFS insider told The Sun: “Polly and Adam really tried to make it work and weathered many storms during the experiment but at final vows, they realise their relationship has run its course and call it a day.

“It’s all quite emotional viewing after the rollercoaster journey they have been on, and fans will see how it all plays out tomorrow night.

In the meantime, rumours have been swirling surrounding a potential romance with Amy.

Adam exclusively told The Sun: “I don’t speak to Polly, we haven’t spoken in a long time.

“I’m not missing married life but I am missing everyone, we were one big family.

“I’m on the new reunion show in Feb, there’s a lot of drama but you’ll have to wait and see.

“I’m not dating, I’m single. I’m really close with all the MAFS lot.

“Me and Amy – who knows what will happen in the future, at the minute we’re just really good friends.

” I feel like there is chemistry between me and Amy. We do flirt a lot, there’s a lot of flirt banter.

“Whether something progresses, who knows.”

He added: “I like how it is at the minute, we’re friends that flirt.

“Who knows? Amy’s single. I think everyone is just too busy with their careers at the moment.”

Last month, the pair appeared inseparable at a string of events and were said to be sharing a hotel room.

Following a recent night out, Adam shared a photo to clear up any speculation.

He wrote: Appreciation post. People can think what they want.. but you can have a friend of the opposite sex. I now have a few…” 

Instagram

Channel 4

The pair hit it off on the E4 show – but have denied any romance between them[/caption]

BROOKSIDE fans went wild as a string of the soap’s legends reunited for a night out more than 22 years after show was axed. 

A number of the soap’s cast members including Jennifer Ellison left diehard fans thrilled after they shared snaps from their get together.

Rex

HBO

Steven Cole went on to play Kavarro in Game of Thrones after starring as Leo Johnson in Brookside[/caption]

Channel 4

Jennifer Ellison played Emily Shadwick opposite Philip Olivier in the soap[/caption]

It comes after we exclusively revealed a Brookside star has filmed scenes for Corrie back in November.

Cast members including Jennifer and Suzanne Collins, Leon Lopez, Anne Marie Davis, Steven Cole and Stephen Fletcher were present for the surprise reunion.

In one snap shared to Leon’s social media, the gang can be seen posing for a selfie as they huddle around a table at Liverpool’s PINS social club.

The actor, who has since appeared in Eastenders, added the caption: “What a joy, catching up with these legends.” 

The post was later shared to a fan group dedicated to the soap and fans couldn’t believe their eyes at how the cast have barely aged a day since the show ended in 2003.

One wrote: “Aww the memories, the girls have hardly changed!”

While another gobsmacked fan posted: “Haven’t changed at all!”

A third commented: “Omg I love this.”

And another penned: “Give them a spin off show, the girls still look stunning.” 

Since the soap came to an end in November 2003, the cast members have gone on to forge successful careers for themselves.

Steven Cole, who played Leo Johnson, went on to star in hit HBO series Game Of Thrones.

While Leon Lopez, who played Jerome Johnson, went on to appear in Eastenders before carving out a successful career as a director on shows including Coronation Street, Emmerdale and Death in Paradise.

Jennifer Ellison has gone on to be a household name and has gone on to have a successful career as a model, actress and a dancer.

She has starred in numerous West End productions as well as appearing on reality shows including Dancing on Ice.

While Suzanne Collins recently signed up for a guest stint on Coronation Street.

The actresses, 62, will play a nursery worker where Abi Webster’s (Sally Carman-Duttine) young son Alfie attends.

Suzanne – who played Nikki Shadwick on Brookside – secretly filmed her scenes last November.

She starred in the iconic soap opera between 1996 – 2003.

Since her final scenes in the very last episode of Brookside aired in over two decades ago, Suzanne has gone on to appear in a string of TV and stage roles.

During her time on the show, her character was involved in a number of high profile storylines including date-rape, a stalking ordeal, as well as having to come to terms with her father and her sister being tragically killed.

Suzanne previously made her return to soaps with a guest appearance in Hollyoaks back in 2022.

Channel 4

PA:Press Association

The Sun can reveal Suzanne Collins will make a guest appearance[/caption]