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Love Island Introduces First Two Bombshells Ekin-Su And Afia

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We might only be two days into this year’s series of Love Island, but producers are already getting ready to shake things up.

At the end of Tuesday night’s instalment, during which Liam was left standing alone when newcomer Davide coupled up with Gemma, the show teased the first of this year’s Bombshell arrivals.

The first of these is 25-year-old Afia Tonkmor, a lounge host at a private members club from London.

Admitting she’s fallen in love “too quickly” in the past, Afia has said Love Island “seems like a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet someone… and have an amazing summer”

“[I want to] just have so much fun and have a bit of a summer romance as well,” she added.

Afia is one of two new arrivals in the villa
Afia is one of two new arrivals in the villa

Elisabeth Hoff/ITV

Joining her in the villa will be fellow newbie Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, a 27-year-old actor from Essex.

Ekin-Su has admitted she’s “quite picky”, insisting she’s “not just looking for looks – I’m looking for brains!”.

“I’m looking for someone with intelligence, someone who can have good chats,” she said prior to her arrival in the “Nothing like cockiness! I’m looking for a serious man and a serious relationship.”

She added: “I’m looking for that real genuine spark and they just see me as me. I think the concept of the show brings back true and raw feelings.”

Ekin-Su

The first 11 Islanders were introduced to fans in Monday night’s launch show, which was watched by an average of 2.4 million viewers, holding steady on the previous series’ viewing figures.

Among them were Michael Owen’s daughter Gemma and dancer Tasha, who is the first deaf Islander in the show’s history.

Love Island continues on Wednesday night at 9pm on ITV2.

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Kylie Minogue Reflects On Infamous Kylie Jenner Lawsuit: ‘It Just Had To Be Done’

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Kylie Minogue has reflected on the infamous lawsuit she became embroiled in when Kylie Jenner attempted to trademark their shared first name.

It was reported back in 2016 that the singer had taken issue with the reality star’s plans to trademark the name “Kylie” and become a mononym in the style of Madonna, Cher and Prince on the make-up kits she had become popular for around that time.

The Australian star eventually emerged triumphant in the legal battle, during which the other Kylie was notoriously referred to in court papers as a “secondary reality TV personality”, compared to Ms Minogue, the “internationally-renowned performing artist, humanitarian and breast cancer activist”.

During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live on Tuesday night, the 54-year-old was asked about the lawsuit by a caller.

“When I was named Kylie, I think I met one person older than me called Kylie,” she explained, saying the name was “kind of unusual”.

Kylie Jenner
Kylie Jenner

Mindy Small via Getty Images

Kylie added: “I’ve spent a lifetime protecting my brand and building my brand so it was just something that had to be done.”

“Yes it was,” agreed Andy Cohen, with Kylie adding: “But let me also say we came to an agreement.”

The host then questioned whether Kylie had been forced to have any contact with Kris Jenner (the other Kylie’s “momager”) over the matter, to which she insisted: “No, but I’d love to meet them.”

Kylie at the launch of ABBA Voyage last month
Kylie at the launch of ABBA Voyage last month

Dave J Hogan via Getty Images

In 2018, Kylie admitted she was “upset” that the “secondary reality TV personality” quote had been falsely attributed to her in the press.

“Can you imagine me saying that?” she said at the time. “That was just unfortunate that that is how those lawyers speak.

“So I genuinely hope that it’s understood: That certainly did not come from me.”

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It’s Inevitable Some Ministers Secretly Voted Against Boris Johnson, Tory MP Says

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A Tory MP today admitted it was “inevitable” that some ministers voted against Boris Johnson in last night’s confidence vote.

Ben Bradley, Conservative MP for Mansfield, said the result suggested some MPs on the government payroll voted to oust the prime minister.

The PM won a confidence vote in his leadership by 211 to 148 but it means more than 40 per cent of his MPs want him gone.

Bradley, who backs the PM, said Johnson knew he never had the “unanimous support” of Tory MPs because that is the nature of broad church political parties.

When it was put to him that 75 per cent of Tory backbenchers did not vote for the PM, Bradley told Sky News: “That’s guesswork really, it’s impossible to know who – payroll or non-payroll – voted in which particular way.”

Asked if he thought some ministers or cabinet members would have voted to get rid of the prime minister, he replied: “I think when you look at the numbers, that’s inevitable, in reality.

“But obviously it’s a secret ballot and we’ll probably never know the exact kind of divide there.”

Badly wounded, Johnson used a cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning to insist the government was getting “on with the job”.

Allies have rallied round him, but former Tory leader Lord Hague said “the damage done to his premiership is severe” and he should quit rather than prolong the agony.

The scale of the opposition was greater than that seen in 2018 when Theresa May faced a confidence vote. She was ultimately forced out within months.

Johnson faces further tests with tricky by-elections on June 23 in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, and Tiverton and Honiton in Devon.

Labour will try to heap further pressure on Johnson by asking MPs to vote on Tuesday to adopt a package of recommendations put forward by a sleaze watchdog aimed at improving standards in Westminster.

Meanwhile, the Lib Dems are pushing for a Commons confidence vote in the PM as a whole after Johnson survived the Tory process, although there is no date fixed for the move and it is unlikely to be successful.

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Boris Johnson Survives Vote Of No Confidence. What Next?

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Boris Johnson’s authority appears to be hugely damaged after 41% of Conservative MPs voted against continuing his leadership on Monday night.

While this means the prime minister did secure just enough votes to stay on in No.10, as 211 Tories claimed they still had confidence in him compared to 148 who did not, the blow to his reputation could be unrecoverable at this stage.

So what next for Johnson? Having repeatedly defied the odds in the past, pundits believe he’s unlikely to step down now.

Despite the exceptionally narrow win, he hailed the result as “decisive” and said it allowed the government to “move on” – although that is improbable, too.

Here’s a breakdown of what could follow as the Tory turmoil rumbles on.

Another vote

The current party rules don’t allow for more than one effort to oust a leader in the space of 12 months.

When Tory MPs botched an attempt to get rid of Theresa May in December 2018, they ultimately had to wait until she quit June 2019.

However, the rules can be changed at the stroke of a pen by the 1922 committee – and there have been two recent, if unsuccessful, attempts to give Tory MPs another shot sooner.

In April 2019, MPs demanded the party cuts the one-year rule to six months, and a similar attempt in January – as confidence in Johnson was draining – was also thwarted. Under the plans the threshold for triggering a second ballot would have doubled.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, leader of the 1922 committee Sir Graham Brady did admit that it was “technically” possible for the one-year grace period rule to be altered.

Government reshuffle

Johnson could attempt to reassert himself by rewarding his loyal allies with new jobs and punishing those suspected of voting against him.

A No.10 source hinted that this could be an option when speaking to POLITICO’s Playbook, but admitted: “We haven’t had that conversation yet.”

Further reports even suggest MPs who were on the fence were promised roles in government to seal the deal, and that a rejig could come within a matter of days with the less enthusiastic ministers being cut out.

Alternatively, ministers who no longer back Johnson could choose to get out of the job themselves by resigning, especially as the chorus of top Tories – such as former Conservative leader William Hague – wanting the PM out is only getting louder.

Leader of the Lib Dems Sir Ed Davey even called for Tory MPs who “care about integrity and decency” to resign the whip and sit as an independent, although no-one in the Tory ranks has hinted at doing such just yet.

By-elections

The next date for the diary is June 23, which will see two by-elections on the same day. Wakefield in Yorkshire and Tiverton and Honiton in Devon. Both are currently held by the Conservatives, but the party risks losing Tiverton to the Lib Dems and Wakefield to Labour.

A loss in Wakefield would not be ideal given its position in the red wall, but it is probably expected. However, losing Tiverton, which has a Tory majority of 24,239, to the Lib Dems, could scare a critical mass of Conservative MPs into acting against the PM.

Double trouble on June 23 – and a sense from the electorate that the next general would be disastrous for the Tories – could be the trigger for Cabinet ministers to move. This is what did for Thatcher when “big beast” Michael Heseltine launched another leadership challenge in November 1990.

It’s worth remembering that the disastrous May local elections were not enough to shake Johnson from his post, even though the Tories lost around 500 council seats in total.

Parliamentary inquiry

Let’s not forget partygate is not “over”.

MPs on the Commons privileges committee are still investigating whether Johnson misled parliament during his explanations of rule-breaking parties during lockdown.

Despite defying calls to quit after the Sue Gray report and denying that he misled the Commons, if the committee finds him in contempt of parliament, it could recommend he is forced to apologise, suspended from the Commons, or even expelled. Any sanction would need to be approved in a vote by all MPs.

But Johnson has changed the rules so ministers will not automatically lose their jobs if they breach the ministerial code, including himself.

A refreshed government policy statement – published just two days after the Gray report – said it was “disproportionate” to expect ministers to resign or face the sack for “minor” violations of the code’s provisions.

An early general election

A snap vote is unlikely, but still an option if Johnson feels he can get a fresh mandate from the country. It may his last roll of the dice if Tory pressure builds and senior ministers start to call for him to go.

The next general election does not have to happen until January 2025.

Johnson insisted in the immediate aftermath of the vote that he is “certainly not interested in snap elections”, and pushed instead for the government to “move on”.

But bizarrely, the prime minister also claimed that he now had “a far bigger mandate from my own parliamentary colleagues than I had in 2019”.

The snap general election he called two and a half years ago to consolidate his new position in No.10 saw 365 Tories elected.

This was a landslide majority – and a far cry from the 211 MPs (59% of the total parliamentary party) who voted in favour of keeping him in Downing Street on Monday.

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Jeff Goldblum’s Tale About Sitting Next To ‘Spectacular’ Princess Diana At Early Jurassic Park Screening Is All Kinds Of Iconic

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Jeff Goldblum has recalled the time he shared popcorn with Princess Diana at a special screening of the first Jurassic Park film, almost 30 years ago.

Although he didn’t reveal if the treat was salty or sweet, the actor did describe Diana as a “spectacular lady” after they were seated next to one another at the showing at London’s Natural History Museum.

The Hollywood star was joined by his fellow cast members including Sam Neill and Richard Attenborough at the event in 1993.

Diana, Princess of Wales (1961 - 1997) attends the premiere of the Steven Spielberg film 'Jurassic Park' in London, 15th July 1993. From left to right, she is meeting star Ariana Richards, director Spielberg and his wife Kate Capshaw, and stars Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum and Richard Attenborough. (Photo by Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images)
Diana, Princess of Wales (1961 – 1997) attends the premiere of the Steven Spielberg film ‘Jurassic Park’ in London, 15th July 1993. From left to right, she is meeting star Ariana Richards, director Spielberg and his wife Kate Capshaw, and stars Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum and Richard Attenborough. (Photo by Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images)

Princess Diana Archive via Getty Images

Recalling the premiere of Jurassic Park, he told Entertainment Tonight: “I’m remembering London.

“We showed it to – speaking of the Jubilee, the Platinum Jubilee – we showed it to Princess Diana and we had a kind of a royal screening.

“Sam Neil was here, Princess Diana was here, you know, and we showed them the movie.”

“I was standing there next to Diana… sitting, with popcorn.

He added: “I was very much a gentleman and she was a spectacular lady.”

Jeff isn’t the only star who has memories of sitting next to Diana at a film premiere.

Michael J Fox found himself in just that situation back in 1985, when Diana plonked herself down next to him at the world premiere of his movie, Back To The Future.

But instead of pinching himself, all the then-24-year-old Michael could do was cross his legs.

“She was sitting next to me. The lights go down and the movie starts and I realise I am one fake yawn and an arm stretch away from being on a date with her, which is hilarious,” Michael recalled.

“The movie started and also I had to go pee. So for the rest of the movie, I’m sitting there like dying. I can’t say anything to her and I can’t walk away from her because I can’t turn my back on her.”

The star added: “So it was just agony. What could have been the greatest night of my life was a nightmare. A pee-holding nightmare.”

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Jesy Nelson Speaks Out Amid Reports Her Solo Album Has Been Pushed Back

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Jesy Nelson has spoken out following claims her debut solo album has been “delayed”.

Over the weekend, The Sun reported that Jesy’s upcoming release was “on ice” after “early versions of her new tracks failed to impress record label bosses”.

The former Little Mix singer has now had her say on the matter, insisting that her album is actually “almost finished” after working on new music in Los Angeles.

“Don’t usually comment on stuff like this because I can’t be bothered to waste my energy on total and utter nonsense,” Jesy wrote on her Instagram story on Monday morning.

She added that she would “address this once and once only”, to put fans who were “freaking out” about the reports at ease.

“I promise you there is absolutely nothing to worry about,” she insisted. “I’ve had an amazing time in the studio in LA working on my album which is almost finished.

“I’m so excited for you all to hear the next single which is coming soon. So, stay tuned. I love you all and thank you for being so patient.”

Jesy addressed fans in an Instagram post
Jesy addressed fans in an Instagram post

Instagram/Jesy Nelson

HuffPost UK previously learned that Jesy’s label was yet to hear her new music, and a release date for the album would not be decided upon until she finished recording songs and choosing which tracks would make it onto the collection.

Jesy released her debut solo single Boyz in October last year.

Jesy announced she was leaving Little Mix after almost a decade with the group in December 2020, telling fans at the time that being part of the group was taking a toll on her mental health.

While this was initially thought to be an amicable exit, Jesy has since revealed that she and her former bandmates are no longer in touch.

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Tory MPs Trigger No Confidence Vote In Boris Johnson’s Leadership

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Boris Johnson is on the verge of being ousted as Conservative Party leader and prime minister, after the number of Tory MPs demanding he resign reached the threshold for a vote of no confidence.

Chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee Sir Graham Brady has announced that 54 or more Tory MPs have requested a vote of confidence in the PM, triggering a leadership vote.

Tory MPs will vote this evening between 6pm and 8pm on whether they want Johnson to remain.

While plenty of Westminster insiders predict Johnson will survive the vote, the fact it has been called is damaging for the prime minister.

Brady said in a statement: “The threshold of 15 per cent of the parliamentary party seeking a vote of confidence in the leader of the Conservative Party has been exceeded.

Sir Graham Brady making the announcement to camera
Sir Graham Brady making the announcement to camera

“In accordance with the rules, a ballot will be held between 6pm and 8pm today Monday June 6 — details to be confirmed.

“The votes will be counted immediately afterwards. An announcement will be made at a time to be advised. Arrangements for the announcement will be released later today.”

Speaking to journalists, Brady suggested some MPs had post dated their letters so the vote did not overshadow the Queen’s jubilee celebrations.

It comes after former minister Jesse Norman became the latest Tory MP to announce that he has submitted a letter calling for a confidence vote in Johnson.

Norman, the MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire, said Johnson had presided over “a culture of casual law-breaking” in No.10 and that his claim to be vindicated by the Sue Gray report was “grotesque”.

In order to oust him, 180 MPs would have to vote against Johnson in the confidence vote.

However, the odds are in the PM’s favour with around 140 MPs on the “payroll” alone including ministers and aides.

Cabinet ministers have been lining up to declare their support for the prime minister.

Foreign secretary Liz Truss tweeted: “The prime minister has my 100 per cent backing in today’s vote and I strongly encourage colleagues to support him.

“He has delivered on covid recovery and supporting Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. He has apologised for mistakes made. We must now focus on economic growth.”

Levelling up secretary Michael Gove added: “I’ll be voting for Boris this evening. The PM got the big decisions right on Brexit and Covid.

“We need to focus now on defending Ukraine, driving levelling-up and generating growth. We need to move past this moment and unite behind Boris to meet these challenges.”

Conservative MP Michael Fabricant said he thinks Johnson will win the vote no of confidence on Monday evening.

He told Times Radio: “I think he is going to win. I think that something like two-thirds of the party will vote to support him and I really do wonder why it’s happening at this time.”

A No.10 spokesperson said:“Tonight is a chance to end months of speculation and allow the government to draw a line and move on, delivering on the people’s priorities.

“The PM welcomes the opportunity to make his case to MPs and will remind them that when they’re united and focused on the issues that matter to voters there is no more formidable political force.”

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Senior Tories Rush To Defend Johnson As Confidence Vote Looms

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Boris Johnson was publicly supported by top Tories on Monday morning shortly before it was confirmed that a confidence vote in his leadership was going ahead tonight.

Top backbencher Sir Graham Brady announced he had received at least 54 letters of no confidence from Tory MPs, meaning the whole parliamentary Conservative Party will vote on Johnson’s future tonight.

But speaking to broadcasters on Monday, health secretary Sajid Javid said he was not aware of any leaders who had 100% backing among their parties, and that is not “unusual”.

The health secretary maintained that Johnson has delivered since being elected – including Brexit and the Covid vaccination programme.

He said the 14 million who voted for the Conservative Party in 2019 makes them one of the “most successful parties in Western Europe”.

Just half an hour before it was confirmed, he then went on to tell BBC Breakfast that he thought it was “likely” such a vote of no confidence would go ahead – although he didn’t think the country needed one.

Addressing partygate – and the hit it has had on Johnson’s popularity – Javid claimed that he’s “still upset when I think about those things”, but suggested it was time to move forward.

“What the country wants is the government to get on with the job at hand,” the cabinet minister said.

The health secretary also told Sky News that the prime minister will still “fight and stand his corner with a very strong case”, if push comes to shove and that he would be supporting him.

He was not the only person to publicly back the prime minister ahead of Sir Graham’s announcement on Monday.

Writing for Conservative Home, chief of staff for No.10, Steve Barclay, pleaded for the Tories to stay united under Johnson.

He said: “As we return to Westminster today, the Conservative parliamentary party faces a choice: we can focus on delivering the policies needed to meet the challenges faced by those communities – and of people across the whole United Kingdom.

“Or we can choose to waste time and energy looking backwards and inwards, talking to ourselves about ourselves.

“The problems we face aren’t easy to solve. Democracies around the world are all currently facing similar challenges.

“But under Boris Johnson’s leadership, our plan for jobs shows how we are navigated through these global challenges.

“To disrupt that progress now would be inexcusable to many who lent their vote to us for the first time at the last general election, and who want to see our prime minister deliver the changes promised for their communities.”

Although speculation over Johnson’s future was growing last week, concern among Tory ranks seems to have soared over the bank holiday after the prime minister and his wife were greeted with a wall of boos when arriving at an event to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee.

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Boris Johnson Was Also Cheered By Jubilee Crowds, Grant Shapps Has Insisted

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Boris Johnson and his wife were cheered as well as booed by crowds as they attended a Jubilee church service for the Queen, Grant Shapps has insisted.

The transport secretary clashed with the BBC’s Sophie Raworth after she asked him why the prime minister and Carrie Johnson were jeered by the public.

“There were also people cheering and you’re not asking why they did that,” Shapps said.

Television footage showed the PM and his wife clearly being booed as they entered and left the national service of thanksgiving for the Queen at St. Paul’s Cathedral on Friday.

Culture secretary Nadine Dorries, a Johnson loyalist, leapt to the PM’s defence by insisting there were “far, far more cheers” for the couple – prompting a wave of online mockery.

Appearing on the BBC’s Sunday Morning programme, Shapps also attempted to downplay the extent of public opposition to his boss.

He said: “Look, politicians don’t expect to be popular all the time. You know, getting on with running the country is a job where you have to take difficult decisions a lot of the time.

“I wasn’t there, but I heard people booing, I heard people cheering, I think it’s best to get on with the job at hand – running the country – rather than being overly distracted by the clips that you just played.”

Shapps said George Osborne, who was Chancellor at the time, was booed at the 2012 Olympics opening ceremony but the Conservatives still went on to win the 2015 election.

Asked why other politicians – including former PMs like Tony Blair and Gordon Brown – who attended the St. Paul’s service were not booed, Shapps said: “Well, he’s the Prime Minister, rather different from an ex-prime minister or a more minor politician.”

Johnson faces another huge week at Westminster amid mounting speculation he could face a vote of no confidence in his leadership.

In a further blow for the PM, a new poll has revealed that the Tories are 20 points behind Labour in Wakefield, where voters will go to the polls on June 23 in a crunch by-election.

Shapps said he did not believe a confidence vote would take place, but insisted Johnson would win it if one did happen.

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Sam Fender Issues Apology Over ‘Ill-Judged’ And ‘Ignorant’ Johnny Depp Post

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Sam Fender has issued an apology after sharing a photo of himself with Johnny Depp on his Instagram page, in which he described the actor as a “hero”.

Earlier this week, Depp won a defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife Amber Heard, over a 2018 article she wrote for the Washington Post.

Although Heard’s article did not mention Depp by name, his lawyers alleged that it falsely implied he had physically and sexually abused her during their relationship.

Having appeared in person throughout the trial in May, which took place in the US, Depp flew to the UK when it was over, where he has been making guest appearances on musician Jeff Beck’s tour.

In Thursday, when the verdict was announced, Depp was in the North East, and shortly afterwards was seen drinking in a pub with both Beck and local musician Sam Fender.

The Seventeen Going Under singer shared a picture of the event on his Instagram story at the time, describing Depp and Beck as “some serious heroes”, although he later issued an apology for his choice of words.

“I want to apologise,” he wrote on his Instagram story on Saturday. “I was invited to briefly meet a musical legend and an actor who has been in almost every film I’ve watched growing up. I went – we chatted music and without thinking I took a photo and posted it as it was pretty surreal”

Screenshots of Sam Fender's recent Instagram story posts
Screenshots of Sam Fender’s recent Instagram story posts

Instagram/Sam Fender

The Brit Award winner continued: “Using the word ‘heroes’ was meant in reference to their careers, but in the context of the trial was severely misinformed.

“I now realise that it was a poor choice of words and timing, but that’s irrelevant. It was naive and disrespectful to those who relate to any of the issues highlighted in the trial and the broader issues it poses. I didn’t think it through and I should have.

“I can’t really say anything other than it was ill-judged and I was ignorant with regard to the trials as a whole, and thoughtless on what my post could imply. I realise this entirely, and for that I’m deeply sorry.”

Amber Heard’s legal team has already made it clear they intend to appeal the jury’s decision, which they’ve claimed she has “excellent grounds” for.

Help and support:

If you, or someone you know, is in immediate danger, call 999 and ask for the police. If you are not in immediate danger, you can contact:

  • The Freephone 24 hour National Domestic Violence Helpline, run by Refuge: 0808 2000 247
  • In Scotland, contact Scotland’s 24 hour Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline: 0800 027 1234
  • In Northern Ireland, contact the 24 hour Domestic & Sexual Violence Helpline: 0808 802 1414
  • In Wales, contact the 24 hour Life Fear Free Helpline on 0808 80 10 800.
  • National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0800 999 5428
  • Men’s Advice Line: 0808 801 0327
  • Respect helpline (for anyone worried about their own behaviour): 0808 802 0321
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