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Tory Gloom Deepens After Rishi Sunak’s Summer Of Discontent

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It wasn’t supposed to be like this for Rishi Sunak.

At the start of the year and after just two months in the job, he was still enjoying life as prime minister.

At a drinks reception for journalists shortly before Christmas, he had joked about already outlasting Liz Truss in No.10, while poking fun at his own diminutive stature.

“We’ve gone from the shortest-serving prime minister to the shortest prime minister,” he quipped.

When parliament returned at the start of January, he felt emboldened to make five promises on which he said voters should judge his government.

“No tricks, no ambiguity – we’re either delivering for you or we’re not,” Sunak declared.

“We will rebuild trust in politics through action, or not at all. So, I ask you to judge us on the effort we put in and the results we achieve.”

As MPs return to Westminster on Monday, the optimism of those early days has given way to cynicism and a growing sense of resignation among many Tory MPs that the party is heading for inevitable defeat at the next election.

This is despite a summer of frenetic government activity which was aimed at getting the Tories back on the front foot and eating into Labour’s huge poll lead.

Whole weeks were given over to specific topics, such as the NHS and crime, with a series of announcements rolled out in an attempt to seize the news agenda.

However, the failure of this strategy was typified by “small boats week”, which was overshadowed by Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson telling migrants to “fuck off”, the number of asylum seekers crossing the channel hitting 100,000 and the Bibby Stockholm barge being evacuated after legionella was found in the water.

The end result has been, if anything, a hardening of Labour’s poll lead.

In a further blow to the prime minister, his communications director, Amber de Botton, surprisingly quit yesterday after less than a year in the job.

“We’re just going to have a very tough year,” one former cabinet minister told HuffPost UK.

“A lot of our MPs, the ones who were elected after 2010, are just not accustomed to it. We’ve been 20 points behind for a long time and the reality is that at least 100 of them are going at the next election, and possibly 200. We could be down to just 150 MPs.”

A veteran Tory backbencher said many of his colleagues are in for a rude awakening when they start properly engaging with the electorate.

“Judging by the MPs’ WhatsApp groups, a lot of them have spent the summer not campaigning at all,” he said.

“When they wake up and go to people’s doors and they say they’re not going to vote for them, that’ll be a reality check. That’s when things will get quite turbulent for the PM.”

Also looming on the horizon is the Mid-Bedfordshire by-election, which could take place the day after the Tories’ annual conference closes in Manchester.

Although the Conservatives hold the seat with a majority of nearly 25,000, the controversy surrounding the departure of its former MP Nadine Dorries, allied to the unpopularity of the government, means it is vulnerable.

Labour and the Lib Dems both fancy their chances, raising Tory hopes that they could split the vote and let their candidate, Festus Akinbusoye, come through the middle to win.

One senior party figure who visited the seat last week said: “Labour and the Lib Dems are knocking hell out of each other.

“The reception on the doorsteps was strikingly positive for Festus, just because they all recognised him. But it will get more difficult for him once the by-election campaign properly starts.”

Sunak’s decision to delay his long-anticipated cabinet reshuffle until later in the year has also dismayed many Tories, who believe it is a sign of the PM’s weakness.

He was forced into a mini shake-up on Thursday by the resignation of defence secretary Ben Wallace, but the decision to replace him with Grant Shapps just added to the sense of gloom in the Tory ranks.

“It’s completely lacking any inspiration – or maybe Grant was simply the only one who answered his phone,” said one unhappy aide.

“It just feels a bit like we’ve given up. The crime week announcement that we expect the police to solve crime cemented it for me. It’s a bit like telling teachers to teach kids – no shit Sherlock.”

Sunak’s malaise was summed up by polling by Redfield & Wilton Strategies for the Politico website which showed that two-thirds of voters believe Sunak has achieved either “nothing at all” or only “a slight amount”.

One veteran Tory told HuffPost UK: “My view is that because inflation hasn’t come down enough and because the NHS strikes are continuing, there is a sense among voters that there is a lack of progress.

“The good news is that inflation has actually fallen down the list of voters’ priorities recently, but the bad news is that the NHS and climate change have moved up, which doesn’t help us help at all.”

As the first anniversary of Sunak’s time in No.10 approaches, there is little to suggest he will turn around the Tories fortunes in time for next year’s general election.

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Selena Gomez Wishes She Had A Better Story About Breaking Her Arm

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Selena Gomez is reluctantly telling the real story about breaking her arm ― even though she wishes she had a better excuse for the injury.

“I wish I had, like, a really cool story that I saved someone’s life or something,” the Lose You To Love Me singer said during a recent appearance on the Ellen K Morning Show.

“But I was in a long dress ― it was a summer dress ― and I was walking from my car to my house and tripped,” Gomez said.

Ellen K chimed in to tell the singer, “As a mother, I just want to say if you were my daughter, I would say, ‘Thank God you didn’t break your teeth.’”

“Yes, that’s what the doctor said,” Gomez answered. “I guess there is a silver lining. But this is not fun, this is not fun,” she added, waving her black cast in the air.

Gomez revealed her injury to fans on Instagram earlier this week when she commented on a post about her new single, “Single Soon.”

“Broke my hand and had surgery,” she wrote. “I don’t care about selling anything. I’m just happy to make music with my friends.”

The singer continued her active streak on social media as she shut down speculation that her new single was about her ex, The Weeknd, because of the song’s lyrics.

“Should I do it on the phone? / Should I leave a little note in the pocket of his coat? (Yeah) / Maybe I’ll just disappear / I don’t wanna see a tear / And the weekend’s almost here,” she sings.

But Gomez said the implication the song is about the musician “Couldn’t be more false.”

The former Disney Channel star previously told Vogue in 2021 that she was contemplating retiring from music.

“It’s hard to keep doing music when people don’t necessarily take you seriously,” she told the publication. “I’ve had moments where I’ve been like, ‘What’s the point? Why do I keep doing this?’ ‘Lose You to Love Me’ I felt was the best song I’ve ever released, and for some people, it still wasn’t enough.”

She explained, “I think there are a lot of people who enjoy my music, and for that I’m so thankful, for that I keep going, but I think the next time I do an album, it’ll be different. I want to give it one last try before I maybe retire from music.”

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Skin Cycling For The Body: What It Is And How To Do It

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Skin cycling has to be one of the biggest skin care trends to trend on TikTok over the past year. The #skincycling hashtag has over 3.5 billion views on the Gen Z-led platform and unlike many skin care trends, this is one experts can get behind. Until now, it has always referred to a skin care routine for your face. But now, our bodies are getting in on the action.

The coin “skin cycling” was termed by New-York based dermatologist Dr. Whitney Bowe, whose now-viral TikTok video has amassed more than 2.4 million views to date.

“Skin cycling seems to have resonated with so many people around the world because it’s a very intuitive, flexible framework that serves as a blueprint to teach you to listen to your skin,” Bowe told HuffPost. “You have a guide which provides structure, organisation and dials down the guesswork and stress when it comes to optimising your skin care routine.”

Let’s talk about why skin cycling is a practice that can be applied to the skin on your body, not just your face.

What is skin cycling, anyway?

Skin cycling promotes the idea of using fewer skin care products per day. Many followers adopt a four-day cycle (see details here), changing the skin care products they use each night, rather than piling them all on at once. This not only offers a more balanced routine but also a much-needed break from acids and strong active ingredients. It looks something like this:

  • Night one, exfoliation
  • Night two, retinol
  • Nights three and four, recovery

“People were adding layer after layer onto their skin care routines and experimenting with ingredient combinations that were irritating and damaging,” Bowe said. “It was a recipe for destroying your skin barrier.”

Aesthetician and product developer Alicia Lartey said that skin cycling works almost like a doctor’s prescription, whereby you use actives to combat a condition and then focus on hydration and recovery of the skin. This easy-to-follow routine is something that resonated with many people.

So what is body cycling?

The classic four-night skin cycling routine is suitable for the body, too, Bowe said. “Based on your skin’s needs, you can adjust the framework to meet your skin where it is. However, I recommend thicker, richer moisturisers for the body as compared to the face on recovery nights.”

The skin on the body is thicker, which means it can withstand stronger ingredients than the face. On the body, heavier creams normally work really well, but on the face they could clog pores.

Extra care should be taken if you are prone to eczema, psoriasis or other similar conditions and consult your doctor before following any new routine.

“The skin on the body tends to have fewer oil glands compared to facial skin, so moisturising is very important, particularly for dry skin and in dry conditions,” said New York-based board-certified dermatologist Dr. Hadley King.

Bowe explained that the face ages faster, as a result of facial expression and contracting muscles, but some areas of the body (like the knees or upper arms) are still prone to thinning. “We can see some similar skin concerns on the body as we see on the face: like breakouts on our chest and back, where oil glands are more concentrated. We see clogged pores on our upper outer arms and thighs,” Bowe said.

There are some ways to enhance this body cycling routine even further, explained board-certified dermatologist Dr. Anar Mikailov. “The key is to apply your body emollient when your skin is still slightly damp, within two to three minutes after getting out of the shower or bath.”

“For normal skin types, exfoliate two to three times a week, either in the shower with a gentle exfoliating wash, or with a gentle body serum or lotion. Look for low-dose AHA or PHA formulas. If you’re using an exfoliating wash, use your normal moisturiser after showering,” Mikailov said. For dryer skin, you might even benefit from moisturising twice a day.

The benefits of body cycling

Exfoliation not only helps with the skin’s texture, but also with dark spots and pigmentation, as well as minimising ingrown hair. Peptides and retinoids can help with the skin’s texture, while also preventing thinning skin, often seen on the hands, chest, upper arms and above the knees. “Retinoids also help to increase cell turnover, increase production of collagen and elastin, and decrease discolouration,” King said.

“Recovery nights are especially important, in my opinion — the skin barrier is just as important to support on the body as on the face,” Bowe said. The products used on recovery nights will strengthen the skin barrier and promote skin repair.

“Use ingredients like squalene, peptides, centella and all other skin conditioning agents like glycerine, hyaluronic acid, fatty acids and sometimes certain butters depending on your skin type (eg. petroleum jelly to act as a barrier),” Lartey explained.

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An Unexpected Strictly Star Stole The Show As The Cast Showed Off Their Moves For The First Time

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With the summer nearly over (although if we’re being honest, did it ever actually ever start?), we’re now fully open to embracing whatever autumn has to throw at us.

And by that, we mostly mean pumpkin spice lattes and the return of Strictly Come Dancing.

The countdown to the new series is now officially on, and to mark the occasion, the BBC has shared a first-look video at this year’s cast in action.

In a social media post, the stars of Strictly 2023 were all invited to show off their signature dance moves, with Krishnan Guru-Murthy offering up a rather subdued shuffle and Zara McDermott showing off her best “inflatable mascot outside a car dealership” moves.

And while others tried out flossing, twerking and the caterpillar, we have to hand it to Angela Rippon, whose moves were probably the closest thing to what the Strictly judges are looking for.

“To go with my age, the Charleston!” the former Come Dancing host announced, before demonstrating a rather impressive swivel.

Angela Rippon showing off her Charleston technique
Angela Rippon showing off her Charleston technique

While the BBC has yet to confirm when Strictly will be back on our screens, fans reckon they’ve worked out that the pre-recorded launch will air on Saturday 16 September, followed by the first live show on Saturday 23 September.

The 15 stars taking part have now been confirmed, with the judging and presenting line-up remaining the same.

Almost all of last year’s Strictly professionals will also be returning to the show, with two notable exceptions.

Cameron Lombard revealed earlier this year that he was stepping down from Strictly, while Amy Dowden is unable to compete as she is currently undergoing treatment for cancer.

However, Amy has insisted she will still be part of Strictly “in some way”, previously telling The Mirror: “Whether it’s on It Takes Two, or being up in Claudia’s area waiting for the scores, I’ll be there.”

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‘It’s A Simple Yes Or No’: Naga Munchetty Skewers Tory Minister Over Crumbling Schools

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A Tory minister was skewered by Naga Munchetty as he struggled to defend the government over the closure of unsafe schools just days before the end of the summer holidays.

More than 100 will have either partially or completely shut their doors to pupils because the concrete used to build them – known as RAAC – is at risk of collapse.

Schools minister Nick Gibb this morning admitted that some of the affected schools have yet to be contacted by the government, and that it is still not known how many will have to close completely.

Appearing on BBC Breakfast, Gibb was grilled on the government’s response to the crisis, which will see thousands of pupils forced to learn from home when the new term starts next week.

The minister insisted the government had been “very proactive in assessing the school estate” and had taken action as soon as the extent of the problem became apparent.

He said RACC was used between the 1950s and 1990s, and that surveys were sent to every school in England in 2022 asking whether it was present in their buildings.

But Munchetty told him: “I’m sorry, please let me interrupt. You’ve given me the history of RACC and the dangers known.

“In 2018 when there was a national audit report saying that it was in 572 schools, why did it take until 2022 until surveys were sent to schools?”

Gibb said “warning notices” had been sent to all schools after that report, but that further evidence had emerged since then about the dangers posed by the crumbling concrete.

He added: “You seem to be criticising us for being more proactive than other governments around the world.”

The minister said that prior to yesterday, the government had already taken action in 52 schools where RACC was identified.

Munchetty said: “Is it fair to say that they were unsafe up until that point – that children were attending schools with buildings unsafe?”

Gibb replied: “This evidence was emerging over time …”

The presenter then interrupted to say: “It’s a simple yes or no, isn’t it? They were either safe or unsafe.”

The minister said: “Well we felt, having had that evidence, that parts of the school that had RACC that was in a criticial condition were not safe.”

“So they could have potentially collapsed?” Munchetty replied.

Gibb said: “Yes and that’s why we took action.”

Labour has accused the government of “staggering incompetence” in not taking action until just before schools return from the summer break.

Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “Ministers have been content to let this chaos continue for far too long.”

Mike Short, head of education at the UNISON union, said the situation was “nothing short of a scandal”.

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Strictly’s Oti Mabuse Gets Candid About One ‘Beautiful Life Lesson’ Pregnancy Has Taught Her

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Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Oti Mabuse has shared a candid Instagram post about the “huge adjustments” she’s made due to her pregnancy.

Over the weekend, Oti announced that she and her husband, fellow dancer Marius Lepure, are expecting their first child, and in a follow-up Instagram post, revealed she had to take an extended break from dancing early on in her pregnancy due to the nausea it triggered.

“I actually do enjoy working out lately again,” she explained. “In the beginning it was the one thing along with dancing that would cause my nausea so I stayed away for the longest of time.

“This obviously was a huge adjustment for my body, mental health and stamina and came with another huge but beautiful life lesson. I am creating a human being and whatever my body needs I should listen to it.

“But now that I can walk, run [and] lift weights again… I’m excited to get active again.”

Oti joked: “And this new ass… OH MY DAYS. I love it.”

In her original post announcing her pregnancy news, Oti wrote: “This is new for us, scarier than swimming with sharks, jumping off cliffs or even swinging from bridges, but the best news we could have ever asked for.

“We love our little bundle of joy so much already… and can’t wait to see what our future will now look like as family of three plus Leo [the couple’s dog].

“It’s been a beautiful journey so far with close friends and family and nearly over but we have learnt a lot a long the way…. Christmas is about to get even louder.”

The South African performer followed this with a beautiful video in which she was seen sharing her happy news with her husband, Marius, as well as different family members and friends.

Oti is most well-known for her seven-year stint as a professional on Strictly, during which she made TV history as the only dancer to have won the show in two consecutive series.

More recently, she joined the panel of ITV’s Dancing On Ice and served as a judge on The Masked Dancer.

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Former Friends Director Names The One Guest Star He Was Less Than Convinced By

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Former Friends director James Burrows has admitted there’s one guest star that he was less than sold on.

James directed 15 episodes of Friends during its first five years on the air, as well as working on shows like Will & Grace, The Big Bang Theory, Cheers and its spin-off Frasier.

In his memoir Directed By James Burrows, excerpts of which have been published by the Daily Mail, the 11-time Emmy winner reflected on working with Cold Feet star Helen Baxendale, who appeared in Friends’ fourth and fifth seasons.

The British actor played Emily Waltham, who met Ross while on holiday in New York and wound up marrying him in a disastrous wedding ceremony that saw him saying the wrong name at the altar.

In his book, James admitted that while Helen was “nice” to work with, he didn’t find her “funny”, and admitted he wanted to recast the character of Emily.

Helen Baxendale with the stars of Friends on location in London
Helen Baxendale with the stars of Friends on location in London

NBC via Getty Images

“She was nice but not particularly funny,” he wrote. “[David] Schwimmer had no one to bounce off. It was like clapping with one hand.

“’In sitcoms and any type of romantic comedy, the funny is just as important as the chemistry. We discovered that any new girlfriend for Ross needed to be as funny as Rachel.

“Often, you can’t recast, because of tight shooting deadlines or other logistical considerations. You don’t cast anyone to be a straw man, unless it’s for one episode.”

He continued: “You need someone who gets laughs. Sometimes you start an arc and it ain’t working out, so you have to get rid of that person.”

After her ill-fated wedding to Ross, Emily remained in London, with Helen’s appearances in the fifth season of Friends being filmed remotely until she was eventually written out.

David Schwimmer and Helen Baxendale in character as Ross and Emily
David Schwimmer and Helen Baxendale in character as Ross and Emily

NBC via Getty Images

Helen previously told The Mirror in 2012: “I am very proud and delighted to have been in such an amazingly successful and international show.

“It’s always a talking point and it was a very clever set up – even now young people especially seem to love it. But it doesn’t feel like part of my life at all now. I look upon it as a strange surreal little blip in my life almost like a dream.”

She recalled: “They were all very nice and professional. We were never great mates though. People expect because it is called Friends that everyone was great friends, but they were real professionals.

“They’d been doing it for years and I was one of many guest stars to appear.”

Singer Louise Redknapp revealed in 2020 that she’d been in the running to play Emily at one point, but eventually turned the part down.

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Ellie Goulding Shares Update Following Pyrotechnic Mishap During Live Performance

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Ellie Goulding has assured her fans she’s doing well following an incident during one of her recent live shows.

Over the weekend, the chart-topping singer was performing her recent hit Miracle at Victorious Festival in Portsmouth, when a stage firework appeared to go off at the wrong time, and ignited close to her face.

The moment was recorded and shared online, with Ellie heard briefly screaming after the firework went off, before shaking it off and carrying on with the rest of her number.

Shortly afterwards, Ellie spoke out to let her Instagram followers know she was “intact” after the performance.

“To those asking, I am OK!” she insisted on her Instagram story. “Pyro didn’t hit me directly in the face. Face is intact.”

Ellie signed off her message “love you, thank you”, adding a firework gif to her post.

The British star recently enjoyed a chart resurgence after teaming up with Calvin Harris for the trance-inspired Miracle, which reached number one in the UK singles chart.

This marked the third time the two musicians have worked together, previously releasing the top 10 hits I Need Your Love and Outside in 2013 and 2014, respectively.

Ellie Goulding and Calvin Harris in 2014
Ellie Goulding and Calvin Harris in 2014

Dave J Hogan via Getty Images

Earlier this year, Ellie unveiled her fifth studio album Higher Than Heaven, which gave the Anything Could Happen singer her fourth number one in the UK, in the same week that Miracle also reached its peak in the singles chart.

To coincide with the release, she’s set to tour the UK and select cities in Europe in October.

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Ben Wallace Has Resigned As Defence Secretary

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Ben Wallace has formally resigned as defence secretary ahead of a mini-reshuffle of Rishi Sunak’s cabinet.

In a letter to the prime minister this morning, he said he had “taken the decision to ask that I be allowed to step down” after four years in the job.

Wallace announced last month that he planned to quit the Ministry of Defence and would also not be standing at the the next election.

He told the Sunday Times he would stay in his post until the next reshuffle.

Among those tipped to replace him are Grant Shapps, Treasury minister John Glen and Cabinet Office minister Jeremy Quin.

Sunak is expected to carry out a limited shake-up of his top time this morning, with a wider reshuffle later in the year.

Wallace became an MP in 2005, but his constituency of Wyre and Preston North is being abolished in a review of boundaries and he will not seek a new seat.

Since 2015 he has also been minister for Northern Ireland and a security minister.

Wallace had hoped to be chosen as the next secretary general of Nato, but his chances were scuppered after the United States decided not to support his bid.

In his letter to the PM, Wallace said: “After much reflection, I have taken the decision to ask that I be allowed to step down.

“I won my seat in 2005 and after so many years it is time for me to invest
in the parts of life that I have neglected, and to explore new opportunities.

“Thank you for the support and your friendship. You and the Government will
have my continued support.”

He also called on the government to boost defence spending as the world becomes “more insecure and more unstable”.

In his reply, Sunak said Wallace had “served our country with distinction”.

He said: “I fully understand your desire to step down after eight years of exacting ministerial duties.

“As you say, the jobs you have done have required you to be available on a continuous basis.

“But I know you have more to offer public life both here and internationally. You leave office with my thanks and respect.”

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Suits Creator Reveals One Word The Royals Apparently Didn’t Want Meghan Markle To Say On Air

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Suits creator Aaron Korsh has claimed he was “irritated” by the Royal Family’s supposed interventions when it came to Meghan Markle’s character after she began dating Prince Harry.

The Duchess of Sussex was still playing Rachel Zane in the US drama when she met her future husband, and her character was eventually written out of the show in the lead-up to their wedding.

Prior to that, however, Aaron has alleged that the Royal Family “weighed in on some stuff” to do with Meghan’s character, which left him rather displeased.

He told The Hollywood Reporter: “I will say, and I think Harry put this in the book, because I heard people talking about it — [the royal family] weighed in on some stuff.

“Not many things, by the way, but a few things that we wanted to do and couldn’t do, and it was a little irritating.”

Aaron went on to say that one particular grievance was related to the term “poppycock”, which he’d planned to have Meghan’s character say as a nod to his in-laws, who use the term regularly.

Meghan Markle as Rachel Zane during the sixth season of Suits
Meghan Markle as Rachel Zane during the sixth season of Suits

USA Network via Getty Images

“The Royal Family did not want her saying the word,” the producer and writer claimed. “They didn’t want to put the word ‘poppycock’ in her mouth. I presume because they didn’t want people cutting things together of her saying ‘cock’.”

Interestingly, Aaron said the term was then changed to “bullshit” in the script, adding: “There was maybe one or two more things, but I can’t remember.”

Asked how the Royal Family got their hands on the script in the first place, Aaron said: “I don’t know how they got ’em. I was aware that they were reading them because I got the feedback, but I don’t remember the process by which they got them.”

Aaron Korsh
Aaron Korsh

Alberto E. Rodriguez via Getty Images

Buckingham Palace had no comment when contacted by HuffPost UK. We have also contacted representatives for the Duchess of Sussex.

Prince Harry previously wrote about Meghan leaving Suits – and the alleged royal interference that preceded it – in his book Spare, which was released at the beginning of this year.

“Meg packed up her house, gave up her role in Suits. After seven seasons,” he wrote.

“A difficult moment for her, because she loved that show, loved the character she was playing, loved her cast and crew – loved Canada.

“On the other hand life there had become untenable. Especially on set. The show writers were frustrated because they were often advised by the Palace comms team to change lines of dialogue, what her character would do, how she would act.”

Harry and Meghan’s wedding in 2018 was attended by a number of her former Suits co-stars, who have also publicly jumped to her defence on several occasions since.

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