THOUSANDS of people were blocked from checking and topping up their State Pensions ahead of the crucial deadline – but there’s still a chance.
Many people are worried they may have missed their chance to boost their future payouts.
But don’t panic just yet – it’s not too late to fix it.
If you were affected, HMRC has confirmed it will reach out directly and give you another shot at filling any gaps in your National Insurance (NI) record.
The 5 April deadline was the final opportunity to check and fill in gaps in your NI record from 2006 to 2018.
Filling gaps in your NI record is a crucial part of the transitional measures introduced when the new State Pension system was launched in 2016.
By making sure you have enough years of NI to show, you can rest assured that HMRC will qualify you for the full amount of State Pension.
Those aged 40 to 73 have been urged to act before the deadline, as topping up could mean a significant boost to your State Pension – potentially worth thousands, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of pounds over your lifetime.
To qualify for the full State Pension, you need at least 35 years of NI contributions (currently worth £230.25 a week).
Many people don’t have enough years to claim the full amount, and topping up can help fill those gaps.
Normally, you can only make top-ups for the past six years of your NI record.
But here’s where things went wrong: on the crucial 5 April deadline, HMRC’s online service, which allows people to make payments for missing years between 2006 and 2021, went down early – a full day before it was scheduled to go offline.
This caused confusion for the 21,000 people who tried to log in on 5 April to make their top-ups, only to be told that the deadline had already passed.
But don’t worry, because HMRC has promised to contact everyone who was affected by this error directly.
If you were unable to top up your NI record because of this issue, you will get another chance to fill those gaps.
You won’t need to reach out to HMRC or DWP – they will be in touch with you soon.
If you haven’t heard anything yet and are worried they won’t reach out, it is a good idea to hold onto any proof, like screenshots, of the error.
With this, you could try contacting HMRC through its National Insurance channels in the meantime.
HMRC said: “We’re sorry that customers were unable to use our online service on Saturday to top up National Insurance contributions for years prior to 2021.
“We will contact anyone affected directly about the payments they wanted to make to ensure they don’t miss out.”
This issue didn’t affect the separate DWP call-back form, which remained available over the weekend.
If you submitted a request by 5 April, you’ll still be contacted and can purchase missing years back to 2006.
The DWP is prioritising those nearing State Pension age.
Steve Webb, partner at pension consultants LCP said: “There is always a rush of activity just before deadlines, so the system should have been set up to allow top-up payments right up to the final day.
“It is good news however that those who logged on to pay last-minute top-ups should not lose out as HMRC has undertaken to contact them and allow payments after the deadline.
“More generally, there were no doubt thousands of people who registered their interest via the DWP’s callback service and those calls now need to proceed at pace so that people can sort out their top-ups as soon as possible.”
And don’t forget, while the deadline for topping up years from 2006 to 2018 has passed, you can still make top-ups for the last six tax years, going back to 2019/20.
STEVE Webb, partner at LCP and former Pensions Minister, explains what state pension errors are and how they can occur:
The way state pensions are worked out is so complicated that many thousands of people have been paid the wrong amount for years without even realising it.
The amount of retirement pension you get usually depends on your National Insurance (NI) record.
One big source of errors has been cases where NI records have been incorrect, particularly for years spent at home with children.
This is a system known as ‘Home Responsibilities Protection’.
Alternatively, particularly for older pensioners, the amount you get can depend on the NI contributions made by your spouse.
Errors have arisen where the Government has failed to adjust the pensions of married women when their husbands retired or failed to increase pensions when someone was bereaved and lost a husband or wife.
Although the Government has spent years trying to fix these problems, there are still many thousands of people – many of them older women – on the wrong pension.
If you have always thought that your pension seems low, then it is worth contacting the Pensions Service to ask them to check, especially if you spent time at home raising children or if you were widowed and your pension didn’t change when your spouse died.
If you suspect you’re missing National Insurance years, the first step is to check your State Pension forecast.
You can do this, along with finding out your State Pension age, using the government’s new ‘Check your State Pension’ tool at www.gov.uk/check-state-pension.
The tool is also available through the HMRC app, which can be downloaded for free on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
To access the tool, you’ll need to log in with your Personal Tax Account details. If you don’t have an online HMRC account yet, you can easily register at gov.uk.
The tool will show you how much your State Pension could increase and which National Insurance years you need to buy to reach that amount.
Once you know which years to top up, you can make payments securely online without needing to call HMRC separately.
Note that you must pay for these missing years in full – there’s no option to pay in instalments.
If you’re already receiving your State Pension, however, you won’t be able to use the online service. Instead, you’ll need to contact the Pension Service at 0800 731 0469.
Before you go ahead and buy additional National Insurance years, it’s important to check if you were eligible for free credits during any of those years.
For more on how to check your State Pension forecast and how to fill any gaps in your National Insurance record, Martin Lewis has a useful Topping Up State Pension guide on moneysavingexpert.com.
Before making any voluntary National Insurance contributions, it’s crucial to check if you can fill the gaps with free NI credits.
Thousands of people are believed to be missing out on these credits, potentially leaving them worse off in retirement.
For instance, individuals receiving certain benefits may qualify for Class 1 credits, including parents who are actively claiming child benefit.
To find out if you’re eligible for these free credits, visit www.gov.uk/national-insurance-credits/eligibility.
The page provides a full list of who can claim credits, outlining both the situations where you’ll need to apply and those where credits are automatically awarded.
In some cases, buying back missing National Insurance years can be highly beneficial, but it does come at a cost.
Voluntary contributions aren’t free, and you’ll pay the 2022/23 rates for contributions if you’re filling gaps between 2006/07 and 2015/16.
The cost is £15.85 per week, or £824.20 for one year of contributions.
While the state pension was £185.15 per week in 2022/23, this boost would add £5.29 weekly, or about £275 annually.
If you pay £8,242 for 10 years of contributions, the annual pension boost could be around £2,750.
Over 20 years of retirement, that would add up to approximately £55,000 before tax.
Anyone under 73 can make voluntary contributions, and if you’re under state pension age, you can check your forecast at www.gov.uk/check-state-pension to see if it’s worth paying.
AT the moment the current state pension is paid to both men and women from age 66 - but it's due to rise to 67 by 2028 and 68 by 2046.
The state pension is a recurring payment from the government most Brits start getting when they reach State Pension age.
But not everyone gets the same amount, and you are awarded depending on your National Insurance record.
For most pensioners, it forms only part of their retirement income, as they could have other pots from a workplace pension, earning and savings.
The new state pension is based on people’s National Insurance records.
Workers must have 35 qualifying years of National Insurance to get the maximum amount of the new state pension.
You earn National Insurance qualifying years through work, or by getting credits, for instance when you are looking after children and claiming child benefit.
If you have gaps, you can top up your record by paying in voluntary National Insurance contributions.
To get the old, full basic state pension, you will need 30 years of contributions or credits.
You will need at least 10 years on your NI record to get any state pension.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
A MUM has taken the internet by storm after showing off her 99 percentile child.
Houri, a teacher from the US, took to social media to show off her chunky baby, admitting she thought his size was a problem at first.
In the clip, the mum picked up her baby and hid him from the camera as the audio said: “I think Moto Moto likes you.
“I like them big, I like them chunky.”
She then showed off her son and said: “Here’s my 99 percentile 6-month-old.”
The term is used by doctors to measure your babies weight against others.
If your child is in the 99th percentile it means that your child weighs more than 99 percent of kids their age.
And when her ‘chunky’ boy came on to the screen it was no surprise to anyone.
The adorable baby was almost half the height of his mum already and his adorable chubby cheeks became the centre of attention.
However, the mum admitted she was concerned by his size when he started putting on weight.
Taking to the comments, she wrote: “I’ve never had a chunky baby, so I have expressed my concerns to the doctor.”
Thankfully, everything is good, they keep reassuring me.”
She also added that her son was tiny when he was younger and had put on weight outside of the womb.
“He was tiny when he was younger,” she said.
The clip quickly went viral on her TikTok account @hourihy with over 12 million views and 1.7million likes.
Does he pay you baby support?
TikTok User
People found her son adorable but couldn’t help make a playful joke or two about his massive size.
One person wrote: “Quick question, are you feeding him formula or protein shakes?”
There are a lot of strange myths around pregnancy - and some of them may surprise you...
Another commented: “He is just pretending to be a baby so he can avoid taxes.”
“Bro drove his parents home from the hospital,” penned a third.
Meanwhile a fourth said: “I worked on his construction crew last year, he’s a good guy.”
“HOW DID SHE SURVIVE??” claimed a fifth.
Someone else added: “Does he pay you baby support?”
Fabulous will pay for your exclusive stories. Just email: fabulousdigital@the-sun.co.uk and pop EXCLUSIVE in the subject line.
FORMER World Snooker Champion has been banned just days before the start of the Crucible.
The Scottish ace, 47, won the iconic Sheffield competition in 2006.
But Dott will not be competing in this year’s event after he was banned by the WBPSA.
It remains unclear why Dott has been suspended.
A WBPSA statement read: “Graeme Dott has been suspended by the WPBSA due to a case which is scheduled to be heard before the High Court in Scotland.
“Whilst court proceedings are ongoing, it would be inappropriate for the WPBSA to make any further comment.”
Dott’s sole World Championship title came 12 years after he turned professional.
The Rangers fan also made two other finals in 2004 and 2010.
The first of those saw him lose to Ronnie O’Sullivan.
While in 2010 Dott was defeated by Neil Robertson.
THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY..
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PRINCE Harry is back in the UK this week for his security court case, but reportedly snubbed attending the wedding of one of his close friends.
The Duke of Sussex missed out on going to the London weekend ceremony for Lord Vivian, who he was pictured with at his 2018 royal wedding to Meghan Markle.
At the time, the photo was dubbed Harry’s “band of brothers”, and included close pals such as polo player Jack Mann.
Charles, Lord Vivian, 58, tied the knot with Saweda Kamara at Chelsea’s Old Town Hall this weekend – where Jamie Laing married Sophie Haboo – before a wedding reception at The NoMad Hotel in Bow Street.
According to the Daily Mail, the Duke of Sussex felt the “risk level was too high.”
They shared: “A source close to the duke has since got in touch to say ‘the main reason’ for his absence was that ‘security wasn’t provided for the visit, which makes attending events or moving around the UK very challenging’.”
Lord Vivian has confirmed that Prince Harry was on the guestlist, but when asked why the royal didn’t attend, he reportedly said: “I don’t know. He has a lot on.”
His absence was particularly notable given he was an usher at Vivian’s first wedding to Elizabeth Wimpress.
This week Prince Harry has been able to attend the Royal Courts of Justice, returning today for day two of the proceedings.
The dad-of-two is attending a Court of Appeal hearing into the Home Office‘s decision to strip him of taxpayer-funded security when he is in the UK.
Harry and Meghan were stripped of their round-the-clock protection when they stepped back from royal duties in 2020.
The royal moaned he was unable to return with Meghan and his children Archie and Lilibet, “because it is too dangerous”.
He was allowed security when he stayed at royal residences or attended royal events but had to fend for himself if he wanted to see friends.
Prince Harry didn’t meet with his dad King Charles after landing in Britain, it is understood.
His arrival came just hours before Charles, 76, flew to Italy with Queen Camilla, for four days of official engagements.
Prince Harry stated in his 2022 Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan: “I miss the UK, I miss my friends.”
He also added that he’s “lost a few friends” after leaving royal duties behind and relocating to a £12million Montecito mansion with Meghan.
Harry shared the famous “band of brothers” black-and-white snap during the episode.
If the Duke of Sussex had attended the wedding this weekend, it would no doubt have been a reunion for him with numerous close pals.
A HANDFUL of working members of the Royal Family have 24/7 protection - but others are assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Senior officers are assigned to specific members of the household and are supported by others, one expert told The Sun.
He claimed there will always be a minimum of one protection officer with a member of the Royal Family, but the protection team is increased according to threat and risk.
King Charles, Queen Camilla and the Wales’ family have round-the-clock protection and the monarch also has a corridor officer based outside his bedroom door, the expert said.
The likes of Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex are given protection when they are taking part in official engagements – but do not have taxpayer-funded security at their homes.
Prince Andrew had his taxpayer-funded security removed following the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
His daughters Princess Beatrice and Prince Eugenie are said to not have funded security as they are not full-time working royals – and are employed elsewhere.
Robert Jobson, an award-winning royal author, explained: “According to a 1917 Letters of Patent issued by King George V, the title of HRH Prince or Princess is passed to ‘The grandchildren of the sons of any such sovereign in the direct male line (save only the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales) shall have and enjoy in all occasions the style and title enjoyed by the children of dukes of this realm.
“Both Harry and Meghan know this. Archie, on the other hand, did not qualify to become a prince automatically.
“In 2012, Queen Elizabeth II issued a Letters Patent to expand on a previous decree that granted such a title only to the eldest son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales.”
Other members of Harry’s inner circle were in attendance, including Harry’s ‘second father’, Mark Dyer, 59, a former Welsh Guards officer.
The “surrogate dad” recently joined the board of trustees in resigning from Prince Harry’s charity Sentebale, following a legal dispute with chairperson Dr Sophie Chandauka.
Mark had served as a trustee of Sentebale, which Harry co-founded in 2006 to help orphaned African children.
It is believed that “Marko” is a godfather to Prince Archie, five.
Harry also skipped the wedding of polo pal Jack when he tied the knot with Isabella Clark in 2023.
It hasn’t been confirmed if Meghan was invited to Lord Vivian’s wedding.
The Duchess of Sussex has had a busy week launching her Confessions of a Female Founder podcast, with the first episode arriving on Tuesday starring Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd.
This follows her As Ever brand – which includes £22 honey and £11 jams – going live this month, following her With Love, Meghan Netflix cooking show.
THIS year’s Celebrity Big Brother is already off to a scandalous start – with Mickey Rourke leering at presenter AJ Odudu and Michael Fabricant flashing his behind – and there will be more dramatic moments before we find out who comes out on top.
But despite winning the hearts of the British public, many of the show’s previous winners have had pretty tumultuous lives in the years since their victory.
Many have been in trouble with the law, one who quit fame for a “normal” job, and another was even accused of bizarrely biting a teenager’s face.
So with this year’s series now underway, here’s where some of the past winners of Celebrity Big Brother are now.
Take That had been broken up for six years when band member Mark Owen entered the CBB house in 2002.
His win propelled him back to fame after years out of the limelight, with the singer releasing a solo album, In Your Own Time, soon afterwards with relative success.
However, it was 2005, when Mark reunited with Take That – minus Robbie Williams – that his career really took off again.
The band’s comeback single Patience was UK number 1 for four weeks while also topping the charts across Europe, and their following single Shine, which Mark sung lead vocals on, became Take That’s 10th number one single.
Their following tour Take That Presents: The Circus Live broke records when it sold over one million tickets in five hours.
Jason Orange left the band in 2014, but Mark has continued to perform with Gary Barlow and Howard Donald to huge success.
However, in 2012, three years after tying the knot with wife Emma, Mark’s marriage was almost blown apart when he confessed to cheating with at least 10 other women during the course of their relationship, blaming it on booze.
At the time, Mark said most of his flings had been one-night stands, but one of the affairs, with accounts manager Neva Hanley, went on for more than four years and they spent their final night together in a London hotel only a month before he married Emma.
He insisted he stopped being unfaithful once he and Emma were married.
“On many levels it was a fresh start and that was how I was looking at it,” he said at the time. “It’s going to do good in the long run. It’s for the best, this.”
Emma, who has appeared in The Bill, kicked Mark out of their home when the cheating first came to light.
But Mark entered rehab for alcohol abuse and the couple worked through things, now living in California, having sold their £6.5 million country house in Hampshire in 2021.
Earlier this year their family were forced to flee their LA home after wildfires ripped through the celebrity enclave.
Chantelle Houghton is the only non-celebrity ever to have entered the Celebrity Big Brother house, having gone in as an undercover famous face in 2006, pretending to be a singer in fictional girl band Kandy Floss.
But she won over the hearts of the public – and housemate Preston, from the Ordinary Boys – and actually became a star, winning the show.
She went on to marry Preston in a gown made by Princess Diana’s wedding dress designer, Elizabeth Emanuel.
But their marriage crumbled after just ten months and, following their divorce in November 2007, Chantelle went on to have several high-profile relationships, including with TV presenter Rav Wilding and cross-dressing cage fighter Alex Reid — with whom she shares daughter Dolly, now 11.
Chantelle began struggling with her fluctuating weight, and she showed off her five stone weight loss in an exclusive chat with The Sun, in 2023, revealing she’d gone sugar-free and vegan.
Due to a relationship in which she suffered “narcissistic abuse and coercive control”, Chantelle quit fame for a while, and took a job in The Body Shop, as an Independent Consultant.
She worked her way up to Area Manager within four weeks, selling products through social media “for three to four hours a day”.
She’s since quit that job but is still active as an influencer on Instagram.
Earlier this month she revealed to The Sun that her stint on the show left her with “trauma”, and she is now in therapy.
She added: “I just think if you are prone to having issues with your mental health, then I wouldn’t suggest putting yourself in certain situations.
“One of them would be a reality show where you are going to be really open to criticism, and if you don’t deal with that easily, then you shouldn’t put yourself in that situation.”
Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty won CBB in 2007 by a landslide 64 per cent of the votes, after the late Jade Goody, former WAG Danielle Lloyd and S Club star Jo O’Meara were accused of being racist towards her in the house.
Two years later, she became one half of one of Bollywood’s biggest power couples when she married businessman Raj Kundra.
But in July 2021, he was arrested and jailed for allegedly making adult films, which is illegal in India. He received bail two months later, and the charges of cheating, sale of obscene content and “obscene and indecent advertisements and displays” were dropped.
Shilpa, who stopped filming her show Super Dancer for three weeks, alluded to how tough the scandal had been on her family, at the time.
She posted on Instagram: “I hate bad times as much as anyone does, but I know I’m strong enough to get through them and recover from them.”
When Alex Reid entered the CBB house in 2010, he was famous purely for being Katie Price’s latest boyfriend.
A month after winning the show, he married the former glamour model in Las Vegas – and they announced their separation 11 months later.
Alex went on to have a short-lived relationship with Chantelle, and have daughter Dolly, 11, with her.
In March 2021, he revealed he’d been diagnosed with autism at the age of 45.
A month later, he was sentenced to eight weeks in prison for contempt of court after falsely claiming he didn’t know motorbike rider Darren Summers, in a claim for compensation after a car crash.
Two years ago, Alex welcomed twin boys with his fiancee Nikki Manashe, following a gruelling seven-year IVF battle.
In August he accused ex Katie of “living the high life” and underpaying her “victims” when he turned up to Katie’s recent bankruptcy hearing – as she owes him a whopping £250,000.
Paddy Doherty was one of the biggest stars to come out of Big Fat Gypsy Wedding – and he won CBB in 2011.
Following the show, he went on to have a successful career in TV, but in 2017 a shocking video came to light showing the former bare-knuckle boxer allegedly trying to “bite” a teenager in the face after watching his grandson lose a fight.
It came a week after video footage emerged that appeared to show Paddy’s son John Doherty brawling at a traveller site and attempting to “bite off” a member of the rival Joyce clan’s ear.
In January 2021, Paddy was hospitalised with pneumonia, after catching Covid, and said the virus was his “hardest fight ever”.
But he had another brush with death when her suffered a heart attack in April 2022. Thankfully, he has since recovered.
2001 – Jack Dee
2002 – Mark Owen
2003 – Bez
2006 – Chantelle Houghton
2007 – Shilpa Shetty
2009 – Ulrika Jonsson
2010 – Alex Reid
2011 – Paddy Doherty
January 2012 – Denise Welch
Summer 2012 – Julian Clary
January 2013 – Rylan Clark
Summer 2013 – Charlotte Crosby
January 2014 – Jim Davidson
Summer 2014 – Gary Busey
January 2015 – Katie Price
Summer 2015 – James Hill
January 2016 – Scotty T
Summer 2016 – Stephen Bear
January 2017 – Coleen Nolan
Summer 2017 – Sarah Harding
January 2018 – Courtney Act
Summer 2018 – Ryan Thomas
March 2024 – David Potts
But in March 2024, he was forced to put out a video reassuring fans he was alive after a viral social media post claimed the star had died.
Last month, he returned to our TV screens a new travel show, Dan’s Travels with Paddy Doherty, with actor pal Daniel Coll.
Rylan Clark – who was known for being the “joke act” on X Factor – became one of the biggest stars on TV following his CBB win in January 2013.
The Big Brother superfan, who now presents on BBC Radio 2 and This Morning, went on to host Big Brother’s Big Mouth and even met his ex-husband Dan Neal through the show.
Rylan married Dan, who was a Big Brother contestant, in 2015.
The couple split with him in 2021, after Rylan admitted to cheating on him “years ago”.
Following the split, Rylan took a four-month break away from the spotlight, cancelling all his work commitments.
The presenter confessed he tried to take his own life twice during that dark period of his life, reaching a point where he was unable to “see, hear, eat, breathe or sleep”.
In February 2024, he released an emotional documentary called Rylan: Football, Homophobia and Me, where he opened up on the abuse he suffered growing up as a West Ham fan while being gay.
He also joined Rob Rinder for a travel show which saw them follow in the footsteps of Lord Byron round Italy.
Geordie Shore star Charlotte Crosby won CBB in the summer of 2013, after getting drunk most nights and even wetting the bed on one occasion.
After her win, she became a regular face on TV, and her autobiography, Me, Me, Me, topped the Sunday Times bestseller in 2015, as did her second book.
She also got her own MTV show, The Charlotte Show.
In 2016, Charlotte was banned from driving for three years and was fined £1,185, when she was found to be driving three times over the limit.
In 2022, she was added to the UK’s Advertising Standards Agency list of “non-compliant social media influencers,” after being found to not be stating when she was posting products as part of an advertising campaign.
In more recent years, Charlotte has settled down, becoming a mum to daughter Alba in October 2022, with her fiance Jake Ankers.
In January, the couple welcomes a second daughter, Pixi.
In November 2024, Charlotte was the victim of a terrifying home invasion while she was asleep inside, with Jake forced to chase the burglars out – describing it as the “scariest moment of [her] life”.
She’s since put the house up for sale and has assured fans she won’t be revealing the location of her next home.
Hollywood star Gary Busey was one of the show’s most unlikely winners after causing a series of arguments while in the house in 2014.
He also holds the record for the most amount of nominations in ANY CBB series.
In August 2022, the actor was charged with sex crimes that took place during a Monster Mania convention at a hotel in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, where fans get the chance to meet performers.
According to the release, Gary was charged with two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, a single count of fourth-degree attempted sexual assault and a single count of harassment.
Cherry Hill Police Lt. Robert Scheunemann said: “It was about contact. It was about touching.”
Busey later told TMZ that the women’s claims were “all false” and that “nothing happened”.
But in March this year he was back in court over the accusations, pleading not guilty.
Considering he was in the same series as Megan McKenna, Gemma Collins and Tiffany Pollard, Scotty T’s win was shocking.
The Geordie Shore star was known for his wild partying and regular one-night stands, but in 2018 he was sacked by producers for being pictured ‘snorting a suspicious substance’.
He went to rehab, and the following year, the reality star blamed the death of his stepfather and three close friends in 2018 for his habit which saw him snorting cocaine every day in a bid to block out his pain.
In the exclusive interview with The Sun, Scotty confessed he was still sometimes using cocaine, but “wasn’t addicted”.
In 2019, he was declared bankrupt, after owing at least £147,000.
But in 2021 he was banned from running a business by the UK government until July this year, after he was found to have taken that money from his failed company’s account to fund his party lifestyle.
Scotty joined OnlyFans in 2020, in order to earn some cash.
However, his cocaine troubles never left him and he was axed from the new series of Geordie Shore after pleading guilty to driving under the influence of the drug.
A source told The Sun that “bosses couldn’t stand by his recent off-screen antics”.
Ex On The Beach star Stephen Bear proved to be one of the most controversial winners ever in 2016, after sparking several rows and getting steamy with Chloe Khan during his time in CBB.
Two years ago, he was jailed for sharing a private video of him and ex Georgia Harrison having sex on OnlyFans.
Despite boasting about his “millionaire” lifestyle, a court heard how Stephen had no more than £60,000 to his name and his “most valuable asset” was selling sex videos, earning £22,350 for his video with the Love Island star.
Stephen served 11 months in HMP Brixton for his crimes.
Meanwhile, Georgia was granted damages of £207,900, the highest ever sum awarded in an image abuse case.
The monster is currently living in Brazil with his girlfriend, earning a living via OnlyFans. This month he bizarrely begged followers to donate towards the construction of a Christ the Redeemer-inspired statue in his honour.
Girls Aloud member Sarah Harding became the winner of CBB in 2017, and came out of it with a brief relationship with co-star Chad Johnson.
But in August 2020, Sarah announced the devastating news she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and it was terminal by March 2021.
She died of complications from breast cancer on the morning of September 5, 2021, at the age of 39.
Following her tragic death, Chad, who remained friends with Sarah until her death, said he felt sad Sarah had never been able to fulfil her dream of becoming a mother.
AN ICONIC Ford Mondeo with an amazing racing history and an incredible hidden bonus feature is set to go on auction.
The classic motor had been used as a test car ahead of the 1999 British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) and helped the American carmaker to produce a range of fiercely competitive vehicles.
Ford Mondeos took home the top prize in 11 of 24 races in the 2000 season, elevating the racing team to win the Drivers’ Championship, and also nab both second and third place.
This incredible vehicle, now on sale through Iconic Auctioneers, is believed to be a “replica” of the test car used in the 1999 season.
The Mondeo Supertouring car is expected to sell for anywhere between £10,000 and £12,000.
It was converted from a racing motor into a simulator to feature on Ford’s stand at the Millennium Dome in 2000.
Although it can’t drive on the road anymore, all the bodywork and the interior are believed to be kept the same from when it was a road-going car.
Its door is even signed by famed Swiss racing driver Alain Menu, who won the BTCC in 2000 driving a Mondeo.
Ford Team Mondeo also won the 2000 Manufacturers’ Championship and the 2000 Touring Teams Championship
The cabin of the racing motor still has its proper pedals, steering wheel, gearbox, and switches attached.
Bits of carbon trim can be spotted throughout the vehicle, which also comes with the added bonus of a TV built for the simulator experience.
It even comes pre-loaded with a copy of TOCA Touring Car Championship for the Playstation 1 in the car.
The racing game can be played on the large screen, which is fitted to a black stand and placed in front of the driver’s seat.
Top Gear described the second-generation Mondeo as having some “seriously sporty cues”, including “angry” curved headlights and a low boot lid.
The motor also comes with its iconic blue and yellow livery, famed in touring car history.
On top of this, the slight damages and blemishes to the bodywork and interior of the motor help to add to its authenticity.
The auction will end on Thursday, April 10, at 7pm, with the highest bid currently being £2,500.
Its listing states: “This is a rare piece of Ford and Prodrive history, perfect for the garage.”
This comes as an iconic 1965 Ford GT40, which once starred in Top Gear, is set to go on auction.
The eye-catching racing car has been dubbed one of the most “historically significant” GT40s to ever go under the hammer.
The P1018 has been meticulously restored to its striking maroon design, and features a contrasting white stripe detail along the side panels.
Its interior is in excellent condition – with an impressive dashboard filled with dials and switches.
And if you want to know how the racer is powered you only have to lift up the back of the car to reveal its spectacular engine.
But what makes this car extra special is that it is one of just two GT40s constructed to this spec.
It was also the first to feature the three-hole chassis panel – which later became standard.
And what’s more – the car up for grabs is one of only two GT40s driven by racing legend Carroll Shelby.
THE FIRST time Jann Mardenborough sat behind the wheel of a racing car in 2011, his only experience of being on a track was in a video game.
The teenager had failed his driving test for being too hesitant and he had only tried out a go-kart at a friend’s birthday.
Yet, aged just 19, he found himself clocking 185mph around Silverstone’s Grand Prix circuit as he competed for the chance to be a professional racer.
He later reached the podium in the gruelling Le Mans 24-hour race, won in Formula 3 and was signed by Formula 1 team Red Bull’s chief Christian Horner.
Jann, who grew up in Ely, Cardiff, showed that he could keep up with the rich kids who dominate the sport – as it typically costs hundreds of thousands of pounds a year to compete at the European level.
He started gaming well before you could earn a living from electronic sports — better known as esports — so his mum Lesley and dad Steve, an ex-journeyman footballer who played for Cardiff City and Wolves, did not approve of his obsession.
Jann says: “They would turn the internet off during those times when I would ignore them.”
FROM a refreshing smoothie to a scrumptious loaf, banana is a staple in most of our diets.
The potassium-rich fruit aids in digestion, can help with shedding those extra pounds by promoting satiety, as well as maintaining a healthy blood flow pressure.
On TikTok, beauty buffs have even dubbed the common lunchbox essential the new Botox, as they rave over its fine line-banishing potential.
But did you know what a real banana is supposed to look like?
Gobsmacked social media users have been left with their jaws on the floor after making the shocking discovery – as they insist they’ve been ”eating fake bananas” their whole lives.
Turns out, most wild bananas have large seeds inside – and significantly less pulp to the ones we usually snap up from the supermarket.
However, when you buy your bananas from stores like Aldi or Tesco, the seeds are barely noticeable.
This is because most of us these days are chomping down on Clones of the Cavendish variety, Bright Side reported.
There are estimated to be over a whopping 1,000 different varieties or cultivars of bananas, belonging to the genus Musa, with the Cavendish variety being the most common globally.
That special type was chosen because it’s seedless – and has a longer shelf life.
While the wild seeds are edible, they are not considered a primary food source and can be difficult to digest.
As of now, bananas are grown in more than 150 countries, and 105 million tonnes of fruit are produced each year.
Some horticulturists believe that bananas were the first fruit on earth, reported Banana Link.
Their origin is placed in Southeast Asia, in the jungles of Malaysia, Indonesia or the picturesque Philippines, where many varieties of wild bananas still grow today.
One person who recently got to try out a wild banana was TikToker Simon (@fitshortie) – who also showed 1.8million viewers what the nutritious fruit looked like inside.
”This is what a real banana looks like. See, look at that,” the travelling fan said, as he pulled out a large black seed.
According to Simon, the wild banana ”tastes exactly the same like a regular banana”.
He went on: ”You can actually plant these seeds and have a new banana tree.”
The clip, posted less than a week ago, has since gone viral, winning Simon close to 74k likes and over 1,100 comments.
One TikToker was jealous, writing: ”Bro located the garden of Eden.”
”So we’ve been eating fake bananas our whole lives?” someone else was gobsmacked.
”So I’ve been eating panana,” a third joked.
THE 89th Masters gets into full swing at the prestigious Augusta National on Thursday for the season’s first major.
Will in-form Rory McIlroy finally wear the green jacket and complete a career Grand Slam, or will world number one Scottie Scheffler successfully defend his title in Georgia?
SunSport’s betting experts have taken a closer look at the tournament to provide you with the best bets, exclusive offers, bonus deals and amazing price boosts.
Here’s your opportunity to get more bang for your buck at the 2025 Masters! We’ve listed the best free bet and bonus offers from our industry-leading partners.
talkSPORT BET odds
William Hill are celebrating the blockbuster competition with a blockbuster offer, giving brand new punters the opportunity to get their hands on a whopping £30 in free bets and bonuses.
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At BetMGM you can choose between their standard outright offering of 7 places or their alternative 10 places market at the 2025 Masters!
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talkSPORT BET are celebrating The Masters 2025 with a new customer offer. New customers who sign-up and stake a tenner on any sports – including golf – will receive £20 in free bets.
talkSPORT BET have a super fun offering called Lucky Dip available at this year’s Masters. They will give customers odds of 80/1 on the first player to hit a hole-in-one – but it’s luck of the draw who you’ll get!
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William Hill has a major offer on The Masters 2025, giving punters the opportunity to claim Money Back as a Free Bet (up to £50) should Rory McIlroy win in Augusta this week!
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There’s no messing around from Betfred! They are offering all brand new customers a colossal £50 in free bets if you sign-up and stake just £10 on sports.
Betfred are giving all customers who place a £10 pre-tournament bet a £5 free bet to spend on the Masters 2025.
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Tote have a generous welcome bonus for new customers with a massive £40 in free bets and bonuses up for grabs when new customers place a £10 bet on the Masters.
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Our man in Augusta, Dave Facey, has provided his top tips and best bets for the competition. You can read his full article HERE
Russell Henley was put forward here as an early bird choice at 50-1. You can still get 45-1 even though the bookies are now offering a few more places in the each way market.
And Collin Morikawa, officially rated the best tee to green player in the world at the moment, is a 14-1 shot to make amends for fluffing his lines 12 months ago.
Morikawa went into the final round in second place, just a shot behind Scheffler. But a ragged closing 74 dropped him into a tie for third place. I would not be surprised to see him finish higher this time.
Bryson DeChambeau, widely available at 16-1, is another player who appeals near the top of the market.
DeChambeau’s recent form in LIV events has been nothing to write home about, but he seems to be developing as a player who saves his best stuff for the Majors – at least those played in America, anyway.
He followed up his best performance at Augusta – a share of sixth last year – by finishing runner-up in the USPGA and winning the US Open. He is a player you want in your corner at all three events again this year.
Find our the rest of our tips HERE
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SHE has already proven to be a hit with Celebrity Big Brother viewers thanks to her sassy one-liners and flirtatious ways.
Just last night, newly-single Ella Rae Wise left viewers blushing as she flirted with ex-Love Island star Chris Hughes in the house.
During the first Celebrity Big Brother highlights show, the pair had a flirt while cleaning the kitchen.
Ella asked him to get some wipes from the cupboard, he then cheekily asked her: “Anything else while I’m down here?” before she quipped: Don’t ask.”
The blonde beauty also recently revealed she could flirt with just about anything – and anyone after splitting with her g-term partner Dan Edgar.
Ella, who once dated Pete Wicks, giggled: “I could literally float with a loaf of bread. I could flirt with anything! I’m flirting with the camera.”
But newly single Ella Rae Wise – who revealed that she dumped her on-off boyfriend Dan Edgar just days before entering the house, leaving him “blindsided” – has plenty of other reasons to get fans hot under the collar.
Since joining TOWIE in 2019, Ella, 24, has gone from girl next door to sexy siren, thanks to a series of cosmetic treatments, makeup tricks and diet secrets.
Here, we can reveal how the young girl who launched herself on social media in 2016 has transformed into one of TV’s most desirable stars, with a little help from a specific washing routine and a £9 miracle cream loved by the A-list…
Ella’s flawless face is a result of regular ‘babytox’ – a type of Botox using a smaller amount than usual – as well as a bizarre cosmetic procedure that helps to remove her dimples.
Sharing a picture on Instagram, the TV star and influencer admitted to having anti wrinkle injections in her chin to dispose of the cute little facial dents.
“On the regular, I have Baby Tox as I like to still be able to show my expressions, profhilo, which is adding hyaluronic acid into the skin which we already have naturally and anti-wrinkle injections in my chin to dispose the 1000% dimples,” she said.
She also revealed how she’s had breast enhancements – which resulted in her losing feeling in her boobs – and had her teeth straightened and whitened as fame came calling.
Ella, who had her boob job at the age of 21, got the £3.6k Harley Street op at half price – to boost her size after trolls told her she “had the body of a 12-year-old”.
Posting about her gnashers in September 2023, Ella revealed she’d had composite bonding with Smile HQ – based in Brentwood, Essex – to give her a full ‘Hollywood smile’.
The exact cost of the treatment depends on the client, but Smile HQ charge a £275 appointment and £600 deposit as a minimum.
They say mother knows best, and no one knows this better than Ella, who swears by her mum Sonia’s top bathtime secret: the three Fs.
Speaking in her CBB promo video, Ella waxed lyrical about the key to her washing routine; and it includes scrubbing the face, feet and ‘fanny’ first, as her mum and nan always taught her.
The star also revealed how she can spend up to two or three hours in the bath and lives like a “24 hour princess.”
No wonder she looks so polished from head to, erm, toe.
Celebrity Big Brother is back for a brand new series, with a whole host of stars set to live it up in the famous compound.
Here’s the FULL line-up of star housemates:
Trisha Goddard – Talk show host
Mickey Rourke – Hollywood actor
Donna Preston – comedian and TV star
JoJo Siwa – influencer and singer
Chris Hughes – Love Island hunk
Jack P. Shepherd – Coronation Street star
Patsy Palmer – EastEnders legend
Daley Thompson – Olympic athlete
Chesney Hawkes – 90s singer
Ella Rae Wise – Towie star
Michael Fabricant – former Tory politician
Angellica Bell – former CBBC presenter
Danny Beard – Drag queen and Britain’s Got Talent
Since rising to fame, influencer Ella knows the power of her beauty recommendations and didn’t hesitate to join forces with Gumi Vitamins, a wellness product she says “taste just like sweets”.
According to the website, these supplements are “specially formulated to support various aspects of your health and well-being, whether you’re looking to boost your energy, improve your skin, or support your immune system.”
Judging by Ella’s flawless face and figure, they’re clearly doing their job.
Ella knows the subtle power of the brow and has reinvented her look over time with the use of microblading.
The CBB fave opts for Foxeye Feather Brows, a technique which beautician Billie Jean created especially for Ella and which has now become one of her salon’s most requested styles.
She charges £330 for the treatment. While Ella has always had good eyebrows, the noticeable difference since microblading – which is essentially a semi permanent tattoo – is obvious, giving her a more defined, fuller arch.
When it comes to semi permanent make up, it’s not just the microblading Ella now swears by.
She’s also a fan of the lip blush treatment, which is basically like having your lips tattooed a certain colour.
Showing off her rosy mouth after the procedure – in which a trained professional fills your lips with a brand new hue – Ella said she “thought it would be nice for a little hint of colour”, thanking the Tracie Giles Salon, which created a special shade just for her.
Now that’s influence. The treatment has a starting price of £595 and promises to last for a minimum of a year.
Although it’s unknown how healthy her diet was before she became a TOWIE regular, Ella certainly understands the importance of eating well now she’s in the public eye.
Speaking about her food habits she admitted to enjoying “sour cream and chive Snack a Jacks” and avoiding brussel sprouts like the plague, but added, “ For the majority of the time, I have lunch at home so it’s quite healthy, either a tuna salad or cheese and onion toastie or mackerel with toast.”
While sources have revealed Ella’s decision to go into the CBB prior to her split from Dan had given her enormous ‘anxiety’, it’s obvious that keeping on top of her mental health is super important to her.
In fact, as she found fame on TOWIE she’s realised the benefits of mindfulness and journaling, writing her feelings in a diary to help keep her moods steady.
“I’ll have a little write down in my diary every so often when I have a really shit day,” she says.
“I’ll put all my thoughts down on paper. I really feel that is a good way to let go of the negative energy that I’ve had that day.”
As well as losing feeling in her boobs following her breast enhancement operation in 2021, Ella has been subject to another terrifying health scare, when she found a suspicious lump on her eyelid in 2023.
She ended up having an operation at Moorfields Eye Hospital to check the lump wasn’t anything sinister, but while waiting for the results she did experience temporary paralysis in her left eye.
She later said the ordeal had given her a panic attack and added, “I had a complete freak out when we went down to theatre.”
Now healthy, the incident certainly didn’t stop her love of cosmetic procedures.
Ella has shared her favourite beauty tip – and it’s one of few things she has in common with A-listers such as Victoria Beckham and Kate Winslet.
Swearing by the Weleda Skin Food primer, which retails at just £8.95 in Boots, Ella credits it as the perfect base for her makeup.
She told fans, “it’s a no-brainer – if you don’t know, get to know.”
Other celeb fans of the brand include Rihanna, Charli XCX and Nicole Scherzinger, so Ella’s in great company.
