Wadhurst in East Sussex has beaten 71 other locations to be named the UK’s best place to live.

Judges for the Sunday Times said the small market town offers “pretty much everything needed for modern life in miniature”.

It was praised for its good schools, convenient transport links, variety of high street shops and being surrounded by “stunning scenery”.

The Wadhurst Warriors, a group of fathers who began fundraising for the town’s primary school in 2004 and now raise money for the whole village, were praised as the “stars of the show”.

Judges also praised the town of less than 5,000 people – the smallest winner of the award in its 11-year history – for the many activities available for children, the farmers’ market, clubs, classes and the community cinema at the Community Hall.

Wadhurst Warriors chairman Chris Poulton told PA news agency the group organises events such as fetes, fireworks nights and putting up Christmas decorations- and the money raised is used to help those in the village who need it, such as the Girl Guides and local school.

He said: “We do believe Wadhurst is the best place to live and that is down to us all working together to make it a place where everyone can be supported.

“We don’t do it for ourselves, we do it for the community.

“Being recognised is great but the more we can give back to the community the better.

“Recognition can just be someone coming up to us and saying thank you.”

A parish council spokesperson told PA news agency: “This is really exciting news. Wadhurst is a lovely, lovely place to live with a great community feel.

“What makes it really special is the community, We have lots of different village clubs and a really active community.

“We are all helping each other out and during Covid that really came to the forefront, with lots of groups helping to get food and medicine to people.

“I would say to someone thinking of moving here that it’s a great place to live, you have the best of both worlds.

“You have easy access to towns and cities but if you want a rural lifestyle it is perfect.”

Paula Lee, 58, who owns the @ONE homeware shop on the high street, told the PA news agency: “I would agree completely – it is a lovely place to live and it has got a good sense of community.

“I am not surprised – I think you would be hard-pushed, certainly in the South East, to find somewhere better.

“There are some really lovely shops, it is a well-rounded high street – there is a nice independent butcher, grocers and a nice community spirit.

“The countryside in this area is just outstanding. There is lots of walking and lots of sporting activities in an area of outstanding natural beauty.”

Sam, 50, who runs Wadhurst Flowers but did not want to give her surname, said: “It is a lovely place to live. It still maintains a village feel, even though we are only five miles from Tunbridge Wells.

“The residents use their high street, which is fantastic.

“It is a beautiful area of outstanding natural beauty and there are trains into London and to the coast. We are very lucky.”

Ruthin in Denbighshire was identified as the best place to live in Wales, Dunkeld in Perthshire was named as the best place to live in Scotland, and Donaghadee in Co Down was placed top in Northern Ireland.

A winner was also selected for each region in England.

The Sunday Times Best Places To Live guide is released online on Friday and an edited version will be available in the paper on Sunday.

This year’s list includes more new entries than ever before.

They include Poundbury, a village on the edge of Dorchester in Dorset which was planned by King Charles and celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

At the time critics branded it a “toy town” but judges said its affordable homes, renewable energy and emphasis on walkability suggest it was ahead of its time.

Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle and Sheffield have all made a return – suggesting people may no longer be dashing to the country as cities return to life following the lifting of coronavirus restrictions.

Expert judges visited all the locations and assessed factors ranging from the quality of schools and transport links to broadband speeds, culture, access to green spaces and the health of the high street.

Helen Davies, editor of Best Places To Live 2023, said: “When times are tough, where we live matters more than ever.

“Attractive surroundings, good neighbours and a comfortable home are the best defences when the stresses of modern life seem overwhelming.

“This guide is a celebration of towns, cities and villages that are each a fantastic place to live in 2023 from Orkney to Felixstowe, the Chew Valley to Manchester city centre.

“Whether you’re downsizing, trading up or getting on to the property ladder, there will be somewhere to suit you.”

Region winners are:

Scotland – Dunkeld, Perthshire
The small town was praised by judges for combining “stunning” Highland scenery with “Scandi sophistication”.

Wales – Ruthin, Denbighshire
Judges said it offered the “very best of small town living” with food and craft markets, pop-up restaurants, cafes and independent shops.

Northern Ireland – Donaghadee, Co Down
The town, which is where BBC daytime TV drama Hope Street is filmed, was praised for its clean seas, beautiful views and “lively community.”

East of England – Saffron Walden, Essex
Judges said “youthful vigour” was being injected into the market town as young families move in and new bars, shops and restaurants open.

London- Crouch End, Haringey
The area’s grand Victorian houses are home to celebrities and the “lively North London suburb” has a market town feel, judges said.

Midlands – Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
The tech hub has well-tended parks, good schools, excellent transport links and will get even more of a revamp when a Creative Quarter is launched.

North and North East England – Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear
The town was said to be “catching up fast” with its affluent neighbour Tynemouth after “years in the doldrums” – with cheaper houses and connections to Newcastle which are just as good.

North West England – Liverpool
Judges said there are “lots of reasons to be optimistic” about the city from Eurovision to its reputation for science and technology and grand projects such as the new Everton stadium and film studios. Waterloo was singled out for seaside while Toxteth was praised for its “cultural and community vibe.”

South East England – Chichester, West Sussex
While Wadhurst was crowned best place to live in the UK, Chichester – which has more Ukrainian refugees per head than any other UK city – was praised for its good schools and transport links and was still deemed worthy of inclusion separately.

South West England – Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The heated outdoor swimming pool was marked out as a particular highlight of the capital of the Cotswolds.

– The full list can be found online at thetimes.co.uk/bestplacestolive.

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We all know Elton John’s song “Rocket Man.” It was one of his earliest hits, a staple of his live shows, and, frankly, one of the best songs ever written.

What you might not know about was what inspired it. And until a few days ago, Elton John didn’t, either.

For anyone who’s curious about how this can be, remember that Elton John doesn’t write his songs alone. He writes the tunes, but the lyrics are always done by someone else, usually Bernie Taupin.They’ve worked together since they both replied to the same classified ad in 1967 and they recently sat together for an interview.

The Interview

In said interview, Elton John said of “Rocket Man,”

“‘Rocket Man’ was our first-ever Number One record I think – and it was on the ‘Honky Chateau’ record. It was a pretty easy song to write a melody to because it’s a song about space so it’s quite a spacious song.”

Incidentally, Elton is wrong about “Rocket Man” hitting #1. It only hit #2 on the UK charts. That honour goes to “Crocodile Rock” later that year. And Bernie Taupin set the record straight about the inspiration behind the song, saying “It was actually a song inspired by Ray Bradbury from his book of science-fiction short stories called The Illustrated Man. In that book, there was a story called The Rocket Man, which was about how astronauts in the future would become sort of an everyday job… so I kinda took that idea and ran with it.”

When Elton heard those words, he replied “Do you know, I never knew that…”

The Story in question

While Elton John doesn’t seem to be familiar with the story in question, I actually am. And it makes a lot of sense when you compare the two. Despite Elton saying it’s a song about space, it seems more interested in the idea of family. Specifically, about how his work in space keeps him away from his family.

And in the Bradbury story, that’s the thrust of the story: an astronaut spends very little time with his wife and son, because he keeps going on missions that keep him away from them for months at a time. And they know that someday, he won’t make it back to Earth. They brace themselves for the thought that, one day, he’ll die on another planet, and they’ll never be able to look at that planet in the night sky again. And then, they get the message that his ship crashed into the sun. After that, they fall asleep at dawn, wake up at dusk, and only leave their homes at night or during rainstorms.

And, surprisingly, this link with the Bradbury story has long been on the song’s Wikipedia page. Bernie Taupin’s actually been open about this, even using it to deflect from accusations of riding on “Space Oddity”‘s coattails. He did, however, note that there was some inspiration from another song by Pearls Before Swine. It was inspired by the same Bradbury story, and even had the same title. They even made it more of a retelling of the original story:

Of course, you’ll find out that this is nowhere near as good a song as Elton John’s variation on the same theme.

At least he changed it up.

Naturally, with that story, a faithful adaptation would probably be a bit of a downer and not the material for a #1 hit. If he did something that dark, it’d be relegated to an album-only track:

So Bernie Taupin wrote it from the point of view of the rocket man himself. The melancholy of the song comes not from the possibility that he might never make it. It comes from his yearning for the inevitable return. And with that, he just wrote the lyrics to the song, and then he sent it off to Elton. The rest is history. And to think that, for much of it, Elton John didn’t know about that crucial part of his history.

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Visitors to Westminster Abbey are to be allowed to stand – in socks – for the first time in the exact spot where the King will be crowned.

Special guided “barefoot” tours in celebration of the May 6 coronation will include access to the Cosmati pavement, one of Britain’s greatest medieval art treasures, which is usually roped off to the public.

The intricate 13th-century mosaic floor – at the heart of the Abbey’s coronation theatre – has been the site of the crowning of Kings and Queens for more than 700 years.

It was covered over with carpet at many previous coronations including Queen Elizabeth II’s in 1953 and George VI’s in 1937, but for the King’s, it will remain uncovered, the Abbey said.

Rich in symbolism, it is said to depict the universe, with a spherical globe at its centre, and even foretells the end of the world.

Tourists – kept to small groups of 10 – will be asked to remove their shoes and walk in socks to help protect the pavement, made of geometric pattens of marble, stone, glass and metal, in the Sacrarium.

The guided Crown and Church visits will begin on May 15, a week after the coronation.

Charles will be crowned sitting in the Coronation Chair which will rest on a low stepped dais above the centre circle of the ancient floor in front of the High Altar.

The tour by Abbey experts will reveal the London abbey’s royal links, tell stories from coronations, visit the chair, and allow access to the pavement and explain its history and significance.

A spokesperson for the Abbey said: “It will be the first time in living memory that the Abbey has invited visitors to walk on the Cosmati pavement where the Coronation Chair will be placed for the crowning of HM The King on Saturday, 6 May.”

The 24ft 10in square pavement was commissioned by Henry III and completed in 1268 as a glittering adornment to his Abbey.

A cryptic inscription even predicts the end of the world, claiming it would last 19,683 years, with a riddle adding together the life spans of different animals including dogs, horses, men, stags, ravens, eagles and whales.

It is considered the best surviving example outside Italy of a rare type of mosaic stonework known as Cosmati after the Italian family who perfected the technique.

The pavement was hidden under carpet and away from public view for 150 years from the 1870s until it was unveiled after a two-year programme of conservation work in 2010.

The late Queen was depicted standing on the spot where she was crowned in Australian-born artist Ralph Heimans’ portrait for her Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

Scott Craddock, the Abbey’s head of visitor experience, said: “The Coronation will be a joyous and significant moment for the nation, and for Westminster Abbey.

“We hope that our special programme of events and digital resources gives everyone an opportunity to join in with the celebrations.”

Other elements of the special programme include a new exhibition in the Chapter House.

It will explain and illustrate the key elements of the coronation service and its artefacts.

The display opens on April 12 and is included in entry to the Abbey.

The Crown and Church tours will run until July 29 and cost £15, plus Abbey entry.

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The King’s first state visit of his reign has been postponed amid widespread French protests over President Emmanuel Macron’s retirement age reforms.

Charles and Camilla were due to begin their historic four-day trip to France on Sunday but, after a night of violent nationwide demonstrations that led to hundreds of arrests and police officers being injured, the trip was shelved.

The decision was taken after President Macron asked the British Government to postpone the visit, Downing Street said.

Images of the town hall of Bordeaux – a city the royal couple were due to visit – set alight by protesters on Thursday evening, was symbolic of the fury felt by some at the reforms, which have led to nine consecutive days of protest.

French unions had also called for nationwide pension protests next week, which would have coincided with the visit by the King and Queen Consort.

President Macron, who would have hosted the King and his wife, spoke to Charles on the phone this morning after discussions between the UK and French governments.

But the postponement of the trip will be a major embarrassment to the French leader, his administration and Buckingham Palace, who had been planning the state visit for months.

Buckingham Palace confirmed the postponement in a statement: “The King and The Queen Consort’s State Visit to France has been postponed.

“Their Majesties greatly look forward to the opportunity to visit France as soon as dates can be found.”

Charles and Camilla were due to travel from France to Germany for a state visit, from next Wednesday to Friday, it is understood the visit to Berlin will proceed as planned.

Downing Street later confirmed Mr Macron had asked the British Government to postpone the trip.

A Government spokesperson said: “The King and Queen Consort’s state visit to France has been postponed.

“This decision was taken with the consent of all parties, after the President of France asked the British Government to postpone the visit.”

It is understood the trip’s logistics had been under review for some days and measures were being considered to reduce interactions with the public.

The state visit was aimed at strengthening ties between Britain and its continental neighbour using the “soft diplomacy” deployed by members of the royal family.

But Charles and Camilla would have arrived in Paris just as President Macron was bracing himself for further public anger at his decision to push through a Bill raising the retirement age to 64 without a vote in the National Assembly, the lower house of the French Parliament.

Lord Ricketts, who was the UK’s ambassador to France during the Queen’s final state visit to the country in 2014, told Sky News any disruption by demonstrators to Charles’s state visit would have “cast a real shadow over it”.

Commenting on the suggestion the planned state banquet at the Palace of Versailles would have jarred with people striking for workplace rights, he said: “It was going to be a great visit in different times.

“Now it jars with the angry mood in France, of course, that anger is not directed at King and Queen. It’s directed at President Macron and his government, but nonetheless, they could have been caught up in it.

“And if there’d been embarrassing incidents during the visit of, I don’t know, blockades or things going wrong in the programme because of the protesters and the demonstrators – we’ve all seen the pictures of the fires and so on in Paris – that would have cast a real shadow over it.”

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Some of the world’s largest natural history museums have joined forces to build what they describe as a “groundbreaking” database featuring all the specimens in their collections.

More than 1.1 billion objects – managed by 4,500 science staff and 4,000 volunteers – are now part of the huge database.

Seventy-three organizations, including the Natural History Museum in London, Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, joined museums from 27 other countries to create the inventory.

Their aim is to help scientists and policymakers find solutions to pressing issues such as climate change, pandemic preparedness, and wildlife conservation, offering the database as a valuable resource.

There are more than 130 million specimens held in some 90 institutions across the UK – some of which are millions of years old.

London’s Natural History Museum is leading the UK program to create digital records of the specimens to share with the world.

It has also digitized its own 80 million specimens, with 5.5 million openly available on the museum’s data portal for anyone to use.

Director Doug Gurr said: “This global view of natural science collections emphasizes their combined potential to help us act in response to the planetary crisis.

“It also demonstrates an ongoing commitment and responsibility to build equitable international collaboration and capacity with partners from all countries, harnessing the latest technological advances to further scientific understanding and make data available for all.

“This vast and progressively united infrastructure of collections and expertise represents a crucial resource in scientific understanding and prediction of global change, supporting action to avoid disaster.”

The team developed a methodology to help document collections across museums at a rapid pace by creating a common vocabulary of 19 collection types spanning biological, geological, paleontological, and anthropological collections as well as 16 terrestrial and marine regions that cover the whole of the planet.

Michael Novacek, curator in the division of paleontology and former provost of science at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, said: “Natural history collections are the evidence from which scientists derive knowledge, including knowledge that can be applied to critical issues facing our planet today.

“This has never been more urgent than today, as global biodiversity loss and climate change are accelerating.”

– A report of their work is published in the journal Science.

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The King is to hand out Maundy money for the first time as a monarch when he carries out the ancient ritual in York.

Charles and the Queen Consort will attend the Royal Maundy Service in York Minister on April 6.

During the Maundy Thursday event, the King will present 74 men and 74 women with specially-minted silver coins to the value of 74p – signifying Charles’s age – to thank the pensioners for their service in local communities.

Last year, Charles, as the Prince of Wales, stepped in to carry out the custom for the first time, acting on the late Queen’s behalf after she experienced mobility problems and could not attend.

He handed out coins to the value of 96p – to represent his mother’s age – in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.

This year will be the first Maundy service since the death of Elizabeth II in September and the start of the Carolean age.

Recipients, who are being thanked for their outstanding Christian service, each receive two purses: one red and one white, with the white one containing the silver Maundy coins.

The red purse will contain two commemorative coins, symbolizing the sovereign’s historic gift of food and clothing.

This year the coins will celebrate the King’s forthcoming 75th birthday and the 75th anniversary of the Windrush Generation.

The Royal Maundy is an ancient ceremony which originated in the commandment Christ gave after washing the feet of his disciples at the Last Supper, before Good Friday.

Following tradition, Charles and Camilla will be presented with nosegays – sweet-smelling bouquets – which in centuries past were used to ward off unpleasant smells.

Recipients are selected from Church of England dioceses across the country, and Anglican and Ecumenical partners around the UK.

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The Grand Dame of movie musicals, Julie Andrews has been a leading lady since she set foot on a West End stage at the age of thirteen.  It wasn’t long until she made her way to Broadway and then to Hollywood.  Most known for her roles as Sister Maria in The Sound of Music and the original Mary Poppins, her career stretches for seventy-five years.  You can imagine that this means she has led quite an interesting life and has many fascinating facts attached to it.  We’ve brought you ten of our favorite facts about Julie Andrews, and you can share your favorite role of hers with us in the comments.

When Life Closes a Door, It Opens a Window

Well-established on Broadway by the 1960s, Julie Andrews was the first actress to play Eliza Doolittle on Broadway.  However, when it came time to make the movie, she was passed over in favor of Audrey Hepburn.  Producers said it was because they wanted an actress who was better-known.  Fortunately for Andrews, the movie came out the same year she made Mary Poppins.

The Sound of Typecasting

Andrews almost didn’t take the role of Maria in The Sound of Music because she was concerned about typecasting after playing a nanny in Mary Poppins.

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Wind Gusts?

Maria singing “The Sound of Music” on an Austrian hilltop is one of the most iconic shots in film, but it caused some problems for Julie Andrews.  The shot was achieved by having the cameraman hang off a helicopter as it buzzed by her.  Unfortunately, the blowback from the helicopter knocked her down every time.  She tried to ask them to make wider circles, but they didn’t take the advice. 

A Rose for a Rose

Julie Andrews has a hybrid tea rose named for her.  Its characteristics include large, fragrant, deep pink blooms, and is disease-resistant. 

What a Dame

Julie Andrews achieved one of the highest honors in the United Kingdom when she was named a Dame in the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire as part of the Millennium New Years’ Honours List.  The honor was in recognition of her decades of service to the arts as an actress, singer, and author. 

Friends and Mentors

Andrews came from a less-than-ideal family life.  Her parents divorced when she was young and her mother remarried to a man named Ted Andrews, who was a violent alcoholic and whom her mother made her call “dad.”  Andrews later trained under Soprano Madame Lilian Stiles-Allen, who stated in a memoir that her star pupil had “perfect pitch.”  Andrews, in turn, considered Stiles-Allen a “third mother”.  Julie Andrews’s best friend since the early 1960s is comedy actress and singer Carol Burnett and the two have performed together several times over their decades-long friendship.  Burnett is also the godmother to Andrews’s first daughter Emma. 

A Final Song

Sadly, Julie Andrews lost her singing voice in the 1990s.  She developed nodules on her throat that had to be removed, a process which damaged her vocal chords.  Happily, though, it did not end her acting career and she’s had many more credits since, including the Princess Diary series. 

A Voice for Film

Among Andrews’s post-surgery roles, she’s played a number of characters in animated films.  She has portrayed the Queen in the Shrek films as well as Gru’s mother in the Despicable Me and Minions animated movies. 

A Disney Legend

Julie Andrews became a Disney Legend, one of the company’s greatest awards for its talent, in 1991.  Her association with the company didn’t end with Mary Poppins as she also hosted the television special about the opening of Walt Disney World in 1971.  She also played another nanny in the Eloise TV films for Disney as well as the aforementioned Princess Diaries movies. 

A Horse is a Horse, Of Course

Disney also honored Julie Andrews with her own horse on the King Arthur Carousel in 2008.  Jingles is the lead horse on the carousel and celebrates both the Disneyland park’s 50^th Anniversary as well as Andrews’s contributions to Disney and her status as a Disneyland park ambassador. 

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The Prince of Wales has thanked British troops based roughly an hour’s drive from the Ukrainian border for “defending our freedoms” as he kicked off a surprise trip to Poland.

William told soldiers at an air defense military base in the south-eastern Polish city of Rzeszow that their work to keep “an eye on” the situation in Ukraine is “really important.”

After arriving at the base on Wednesday afternoon, the prince, dressed casually in a black puffer jacket and trousers, was shown a missile launcher.

William said the two-day trip will allow him to personally thank troops and pay tribute to the “inspiring humanity of the Polish people” aiding Ukrainian refugees.

Speaking to the soldiers, he said: “I just wanted to come here in person to say thank you for all that you’re doing, keeping everyone safe out here and keeping an eye on what’s going on.

“So, just a big thank you for what you do on a day-to-day basis.”

He added: “You’re doing a really important job out here and defending our freedoms is really important, and everyone back home thoroughly supports you.”

The base, made up of a coalition of British, Polish and US troops, is helping to aid support to Ukraine.

Major Richard Kaye, who met the prince, said: “We’re here to protect critical national infrastructure in the region.

“We’re absolutely privileged to host His Royal Highness The Prince Of Wales and privileged that he’s chosen to come and visit us.”

William also visited Polish soldiers at the 3rd Brigade Territorial Defence Force base in Rzeszow.

On arrival, the prince was greeted by Poland’s defense minister and deputy prime minister Mariusz Blaszczak.

Mr. Blaszczak expressed his gratitude for the cooperation between British and Polish troops.

William was then shown a Polish self-propelled howitzer artillery system that had a British turret.

Major Przemyslaw Garema, 35, a professional soldier in the brigade, said: “It is very important equipment which Poland donated at the beginning of the war to the Ukraine, we delivered a few batteries then.

“We have been training the Ukrainian soldiers in order to teach them how to use this.”

William will later travel to an accommodation center in Warsaw to meet Ukrainian refugees who have fled and found sanctuary in the Polish capital.

Landing in Warsaw, the prince said: “It’s fantastic to be back in Poland.

“Our nations have strong ties. Through our cooperation in support of the people of Ukraine and their freedom, which are also our freedoms and yours, these ties are further strengthened.

“I’m here because I want to personally thank the Polish and British troops working in close and crucial partnership.

“I also want to pay tribute to the inspiring humanity of the Polish people. You have opened your hearts as much as your homes.

“That’s why this afternoon I visited Rzeszow to meet troops based there to hear their stories and recognize their duty.

“I was struck by their passion as well as their shared determination to defend our shared freedoms.”

The accommodation center houses about 300 women and children who have arrived in the country recently, providing residents with two meals per day, and offers Polish language lessons, employment support, a children’s play area, psychological support and kickboxing classes.

William will hear from residents about their experiences before meeting volunteers.

He spoke of wanting to “underline” his continued support and gratitude to the Polish people.

On Thursday, the prince will meet Polish President Andrzej Duda at the Presidential Palace and visit a local food hall to speak with Ukrainian refugees.

He will also lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a monument dedicated to Polish soldiers who lost their lives in conflict.

The late Queen Elizabeth II and the late Duke of Edinburgh laid a wreath during their state visit to Poland in 1996.

It is William’s first trip to Poland since he visited in 2017 with his wife the Princess of Wales.

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BBC series This Is Going To Hurt and The Responder lead the nominations at the Bafta television and craft awards with six each.

The broadcaster was the clear leader with a total of 81 nominations across both TV and craft categories, while Channel 4 was second with 33, Netflix has 24 and ITV 19.

This year’s TV categories also included first-time nominations for acting heavyweights Cillian Murphy, Gary Oldman, Daniel Radcliffe and Taron Egerton.

Dark medical comedy This Is Going To Hurt, based on the best-selling book of the same name by Adam Kay, has among its nominations Ben Whishaw for leading actor and a nod for best mini-series.

Comedian and former doctor Kay said he was “thrilled” and described the show as “a love letter to the NHS and the staff who work there.”

He added: “The series was set in 2006, which it turns out were the good old days – the NHS is unrecognizably tougher today. Morale and retention of staff have never been lower than it is today. And nor has real-terms pay.

“If the government don’t put their hands in their pockets and fairly reward healthcare professionals for their work, the show will soon be a historical anachronism from the days that we used to have an NHS.”

Whishaw, who stars as Adam, will go up against Murphy for Peaky Blinders, Oldman for Slow Horses, Egerton for Black Bird, Chaske Spencer for The English and Martin Freeman for The Responder.

Liverpool-set thriller The Responder’s nominations also include supporting actor for Josh Finan, supporting actress for Adelayo Adedayo and drama series.

The series follows Freeman’s character Chris across six night shifts as an urgent response police officer and won plaudits for its gritty style and narrative.

Bad Sisters, The Crown, The English and Slow Horses received five nominations each.

The Crown’s nominations include leading actress for Imelda Staunton playing the Queen and supporting actor for Salim Daw as Mohamed Al-Fayed.

Staunton will battle it out for leading actress with Kate Winslet for I Am Ruth, Billie Piper for I Hate Suzie Too, Maxine Peake for Anne, Sarah Lancashire for Julia and Vicky McClure for Without Sin.

Sara Putt, deputy chair of Bafta and chair of Bafta’s Television Committee, stressed that despite a lack of ethnic diversity among the performing nominees – with all six leading actress nominees being white – there was more diversity in terms of age and socio-economic background.

She said there was an “ongoing conversation” and the industry needs to keep “diversity in all its forms at the front of our minds.”

“I would imagine what you’re referencing is ethnic diversity but we’re aware of diversity across socio-economics,” she told a media call.

“I think we could say that that is probably fairly well represented in certain areas … We’ve been discussing gender, disability – all of these things are factored into our thinking and our conversation.

“And again, as I said earlier, we are a barometer of the industry. We reflect what’s out there, what’s being made, the performances that have been during that year.”

Channel 4’s strong showing – including nods for its reboot of Friday Night Live, Derry Girls and Taskmaster – comes after the Government’s plans to sell the broadcaster were scrapped.

Good Morning Britain on ITV secured a nomination in the news coverage category for presenter Susanna Reid’s interview with Boris Johnson.

Claudia Winkleman received an entertainment performance nomination as host of BBC’s One hit mystery show The Traitors, with the programme also recognised in the reality and constructed factual category, alongside Freddie Flintoff’s Field Of Dreams on the same channel.

The nominations also highlighted the role the TV sector played in the Queen’s state funeral with the BBC receiving nods in the live event and director: multi-camera categories for its coverage.

Harry Potter star Radcliffe secured his first Bafta TV nomination, in the male performance in a comedy programme category, for his portrayal of ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic, the US singer known for his musical parodies, in the Roku biopic, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.

A special episode of The Repair Shop, which saw host Jay Blades meet the King before his accession to the trone, was tapped for a daytime award.

Notable snubs included Netflix’s queer coming-of-age drama Heartstopper and This Is Going To Hurt star Ambika Mod.

Bafta confirmed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Netflix series Harry & Meghan was not entered for the competition.

Jane Millichip, chief executive of Bafta, said: “Huge congratulations to all our nominees.

“Today a record number of entries in television and craft resulted in 128 nominations, demonstrating fantastic strength and depth in programming and talent in 2022.

“We are also delighted to launch a brilliant new TV awards partnership with P&O Cruises, who will not only be our partners on this extraordinary celebration of creative excellence, they will also be providing valuable support for our remit as a leading arts charity.”

Putt added: “These nominations reflect some of those changes we are seeing today, and will continue to see in the future.

“The Bafta Elevate and Bafta Breakthrough talent schemes have also supported a number of first-time nominees across categories – so if you haven’t seen some of these nominated programmes, do watch them.”

This year’s Bafta TV ceremony will be hosted by comedians Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan on May 14.

The Bafta Television Craft Awards will take place on April 23.

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Kenny Doughty has announced he is leaving hit crime drama Vera after eight years on the show.

The actor, 47, has starred as DS Aiden Healy on the long-running ITV series since 2015 alongside lead actress Brenda Blethyn, who plays the eponymous DCI Vera Stanhope.

The crime program, set against the backdrop of north-east England, follows the detectives and their team as they face a series of murder mysteries.

Doughty praised his co-star Blethyn as he announced his departure on Instagram with a series of photos of them together from past and present.

“After 8 years and 35 Vera films I’ve made the difficult decision of handing over DS Healy’s badge. I can confirm I am leaving Vera”, he wrote.

“I want to thank everyone who’s made this amazing time so joyous, ITV, Silverprint, all the brilliant cast and crew BUT of course my buddy and inspiration Brenda Blethyn.

“The perfect leading star who I owe so much to. I feel lucky to have you as a friend, you make me howl with laughter and have been a rock for me over the years. I can’t thank you enough. Precious times.”

He also thanked those who have supported the show, adding: “And finally the Vera fans: without you and your support I would never have made so many films.

“You really are the best fans in the world. Thank you so much for your loyalty and love for the show. X”

Doctor Who and It’s A Sin screenwriter Russell T Davies was among those wishing the actor all the best for his next move, saying: “Oh mate. Congratulations. You’ve been wonderful. Here’s to the future xx.”

The crime drama also stars Jon Morrison as DC Kenny Lockhart, Riley Jones as DC Mark Edwards, Ibinabo Jack as DC Jacqueline Williams and Paul Kaye as pathologist Dr. Malcolm Donahue.

It returned to screens earlier this year for its 12th series.

The series is inspired by the best-selling novels and characters created by crime writer Ann Cleeves.

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Work has started to unearth a Roman mosaic buried under a pavement outside a vape shop in Colchester in Essex.

The ornate design was originally discovered in the 1980s when services were being installed for the shopping center, but it was then covered back over and remained hidden.

A project to permanently uncover the mosaic at Red Lion Yard and display it beneath glass is now under way, and due to be completed by the end of this summer.

It comes after Colchester, the former capital of Roman Britain, gained city status last year.

Martin Leatherdale, center manager of Lion Walk shopping center, said that displaying the tile art would help promote the city’s Roman heritage.

The initial dig is outside a vape shop but Mr. Leatherdale said that the team, led by Lion Walk and Colchester City Council in partnership with Colchester Archaeological Trust, will be “expanding our hunt”.

“We’re uncovering what’s already been found and we’re also exploring further than that,” he said.

“The amount of traffic and inquiries and engagement that it gets is just off the scale.

“I’ve never seen anything like it.

“There’s definitely an appetite out there for it.”

He said the first stage of investigative works is to “fully understand how much remaining mosaic is underground.”

There will be secondary work to look at the “moisture content of the ground, which needs to be scientifically considered for the encapsulation,” he added.

Philip Crummy, director of Colchester Archaeological Trust, said: “The exposing permanently of part of a decorated Roman mosaic in Colchester is a fantastic idea.

“Over 40 mosaics have been recorded over the past two centuries in Colchester.

“I am fairly sure there are more mosaics in Colchester than any other Roman town in Britain.

“Coloured mosaics are something that people associate with Romans and Colchester is not well enough known for its Roman heritage as it ought to be.

“I look forward to more projects like this.”

David King, leader of Colchester City Council, said: “It is glorious to see our rich history unveiled again.”

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The Princess of Wales urged business leaders to prioritize wellbeing in the workplace to support family life as she launched her Business Taskforce for Early Childhood.

She is hoping global firms who have joined her taskforce will be the catalyst for change and encourage firms across the country to train and help staff to maintain their social and emotional welfare, aiding their work and home life.

The future Queen joined the inaugural meeting of the taskforce, whose members include Unilever, Ikea, NatWest and Lego, an initiative which follows the launch of her Shaping Us project, described as her “life’s work” and aimed at raising the profile of youngsters’ early years development.

Speaking to a group of chief executives in the boardroom at NatWest’s headquarters in the City of London, the princess told them she believes two things are needed “to really transform society for generations to come.”

“The first is to prioritize creating working environments that provide the support and training your workforce needs to cultivate and maintain its own social and emotional wellbeing.

“This will benefit them personally and professionally as well as creating a better working culture within your organizations.

“Given most of your workforce have a role to play in raising the next generation at home, it will also transform the experience of the very youngest in society too.

“The second is a more concentrated effort in supporting the social and emotional development of our youngest children because, as with most human development, the key time to build these social and emotional skills in the first place is in the first five years.

“I know businesses are feeling the pressure across the board. However, I truly believe that, by investing in early childhood, with a specific focus on social and emotional development, businesses in turn will see in the future … better communication, better working relationships, improved resilience, employees finding better work-life balance, less stress, more patience and understanding and increased job satisfaction.”

She spoke of how business has a role to play in ensuring the protection of what she described as “social ecosystems,” just as many executives have embraced the net zero target.

It is hoped the taskforce will produce a set of broad principles that could be adopted by businesses wanting to help promote wellbeing in the workplace.

She also told the executives gathered around the boardroom table: “I know many of you are already doing incredible work in this area, not only through supporting parents in the workplace but also prioritizing diversity and inclusion, as well as the general wellbeing of your staff, customers and communities.

“It is and will remain important to find new ways of adapting to your workforces, especially given that many are parents, carers and extended family members, and we know that the wellbeing of the adults in a child’s life is the single most important factor in the healthy development of children.”

The Princess and the taskforce, who also include senior executives from Deloitte, Aviva, Co-op and Iceland, discussed the issue of workforce wellbeing for about an hour before Dame Alison Rose, chief executive of NatWest Group, took her royal guest to admire the views of the City from a ninth-floor roof terrace.

Dame Alison said afterwards that an action plan will be drawn up and the taskforce will meet again in the autumn.

She added: “I think the main point, which is a real positive here, is this is a non-competitive sport… business doesn’t need to compete on this agenda.

“Business can work together on this agenda, because the outcome will be more resilient, young people coming into adulthood, more resilient families, more time for people to do that.

“So this is something that business can collaborate on, share best practice, and hopefully then we can have a big impact.”

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The Queen Consort has shared her love for poetry with poet and Waterstones children’s laureate Joseph Coelho to celebrate World Poetry Day.

She met the performance poet, playwright and children’s author in the Clarence House library to discuss their mutual love of verse.

In a video of the conversation, shared by children’s reading charity BookTrust, Coelho asked Camilla if she enjoys reading poetry and for her thoughts on the power of reading poetry out loud.

She replied: “I think it’s wonderful. You know, it’s a hundred years back, but when I was at school, we had to learn things by heart.

“And you think, ‘Oh, goodness, I could never recite them now’. But little things you’ve learned as a child that you think are long forgotten, those suddenly pop up and suddenly these verses come back to get you.

“And I love reading poetry, but if you read it out loud, it takes on a different dimension.

“I love the rhythm of poetry. I love feeling you’re being taken along by a poem, that you’re almost in it.

“And I think as a child, you learn so much from poetry because such lines that go together, they sort of sink into your brain.”

During the conversation, which was organised by BookTrust, Coelho also spoke to Camilla about his Poetry Prompts campaign – which uses videos to help break down the barriers which often surround poetry and open it up to children from all backgrounds.

While explaining Poetry Prompts to Camilla, Coelho said: “Every Monday we release a video to get kids writing, and I get kids saying to me, ‘Oh God, we wrote this poem and we’ve written this poem’.

“And they have their display boards up in the classroom because often writing, I think, for many children can be quite a scary prospect.

“And so if we can just try and enable them to see that actually putting pen to paper doesn’t have to be that scary.

“And I feel very passionately about letting kids know that they are writers, too, because once they realise that they are writers, then it gives them a new appreciation of the printed word, because their voices are valid and they start to explore and discover the voices of others.”

Camilla replied: “But I think with poetry, too, to get children writing poetry early is wonderful because to get them to be able to get the rhyming, getting the rhythm of poetry, it also gets some thinking in a different way, doesn’t it?”

They discussed how Coelho became a poet and the legacy he hopes to leave when his tenure as children’s laureate ends in 2024.

Coelho succeeded Dame Cressida Cowell last year.

Literature lover Camilla, who set up her own Reading Room online book club, is a passionate advocate of encouraging children to read.

She holds a number of patronages related to literature, including the BookTrust and the National Literacy Trust, and has presented the prestigious Booker Prize.

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Sir David Attenborough has planted an oak tree in honor of the late Queen to officially open a new Platinum Jubilee woodland in Richmond Park.

The famed naturalist and TV presenter, 96, described Elizabeth II as a “great lover of trees” and “very fond” of the Royal Parks, and said the new wood was a fitting tribute to her memory.

He shared a strong rapport with the late monarch and selected the English oak as his chosen tree himself.

It is one of the final few to be planted as part of The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) initiative.

The nationwide Plant a Tree for the Jubilee project, which concludes on March 31, has seen more than a million new trees planted in the Queen’s name to celebrate her reign and create a lasting environmental legacy.

It was extended beyond the end of the jubilee year on the wishes of the King to give people the chance to plant trees in memoriam of his mother, who died in September.

Broadcaster Sir David settled the young oak into place in the new four-acre Platinum Jubilee Woodland – which is larger than the size of two football pitches – in the west of Richmond Park, one of London’s eight Royal Parks.

He said he was “thrilled” to be opening it to celebrate the Queen’s life of service.

“The late Queen was very fond of the Royal Parks and was a great lover of trees, so this is a fitting tribute to her memory,” Sir David said.

“Its creation also marks the continuing conservation of this protected landscape, and the wonderful wildlife within, so that it can be enjoyed by many generations to come.

“The Queen’s Green Canopy has created an invaluable national legacy for our children, future generations and the planet itself.”

The oak is one of 70 new young broadleaved trees – one for each year of the Queen’s reign – in the new woodland, joining Dutch elm disease-resistant elms, small-leaved limes, and sweet chestnuts.

They have been planted around a focal point which will later incorporate a seating area for rest and reflection, with the larger canopy trees complemented by smaller native trees and hedging such as hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel, elder and dogwood.

It is hoped it will create a new habitat to support wildlife, including the endangered white-letter hairstreak butterfly and the cardinal click beetle.

Volunteers and the local community have worked together to help plant the wood, and Sir David was joined by local schoolchildren from the QGC junior foresters and Friends of Richmond Park Discoverers educational program, and presenter Clare Balding.

Sir David, who, just like the Queen was, is considered a national treasure, was born in the same year just days apart from the late monarch.

They appeared in an ITV documentary together – The Queen’s Green Planet – in 2018 to mark a Commonwealth project to create a network of protected forests across the world.

He also produced the Queen’s televised Christmas Day address for more than five years in the 1980s and 1990s and is a Queen’s Green Canopy ambassador.

Paul Richards, Richmond Park manager, said: “This tranquil new woodland marks 70 years of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign by providing a welcoming community space for all.

“We hope that by enhancing the rich diversity of wildlife within this important national nature reserve, the woodland will inspire discovery and enjoyment of the natural environment for future generations – and that our youngest visitors especially will enjoy returning over the decades to notice the changes in the woodland as the trees mature.”

Sir David is showcasing the natural wonders of the UK and Ireland in his new BBC One series Wild Isles, which began this month.

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The co-founder of a new £16 million whisky distillery and Anglo-Saxon museum has said she was “privileged” to be able to give something back to her community.

Ad Gefrin will be the latest of England’s 40 whisky distilleries and will bring tourists to Wooler, Northumberland, to see the spirit-making process, enjoy tours and tastings, and to learn about the area’s deep history.

The attraction takes its name from an ancient Anglo-Saxon royal power base which was rediscovered in the middle of the last century, a few miles away in the hamlet of Yeavering.

The British Museum has loaned Ad Gefrin treasures from the time when the nearby fort would attract important visitors from across Europe, and even North Africa, 1,300 years ago.

Eileen and husband Alan Ferguson have invested millions in the project, backed by tourism development funding, which will revitalize Wooler, creating more than 50 full-time jobs for local people.

Mrs. Ferguson, whose father and grandfather ran a successful haulage business from the site, said: “I have deep family roots here, so I feel privileged to have been able to put something significant and lasting back into the community that has given us so much.

“We want to create a long-term legacy, and I hope Ad Gefrin will add a new reason for people to be proud of their town and optimistic for the future.”

It took five years of planning and building, including delays caused by the pandemic, to transform the former haulage yard into a visitor attraction.

Local people, including staff members who will be called “folc”, have firmly got behind the project which has seen one of the largest investments in the area.

Northumberland County Council leader Glen Sanderson said: “I want to pay tribute to the Ferguson family and the team at Ad Gefrin for their vision, passion, and incredible hard work to create a first-class visitor destination and distillery which will boost and regenerate this rural economy.

“Ad Gefrin has highlighted the rich history of the area and will offer a unique, year-round visitor experience with huge financial spin-offs for local shops, restaurants, services and employment.”

The whisky will use locally malted barley, which is claimed to be some of the world’s best, with blended whisky available before a single malt is ready, some time after 2026.

The distillery will produce Northumberland’s first legal whisky for 200 years.

The attraction goes on show to local people this week before opening to the wider public from the weekend.

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Cold snaps, wind, and snow have delayed spring blossom across most of the the UK but there should be “truly incredible show” next month, the National Trust has said.

March’s cold temperatures and the driest February in 30 years have caused difficult conditions for flowering trees and hedgerows across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the charity said.

But launching its annual blossom campaign, it said a milder and wetter April would counteract the earlier dry weather and the snow would not affect the beauty of the blossom once trees were in full flower.

Andy Jasper, head of gardens and parklands at the trust, said: “While we had a mild winter overall, the recent cold snaps have affected how quickly nature progresses, and we can see the effects of this across many of our gardens with blooms delayed.

“We are still in line for a truly incredible show where the delayed blossom will burst forth in waves across the country like an amazing Mexican floral wave – marking the reassuring moment that spring has arrived.

“I hope that when temperatures start rising again, the National Trust’s blossom campaign will play a part in encouraging everyone to take 10 minutes to step outside and to really stop and look at the new life bustling all around us, as it greatly enriches all of our lives.”

But despite many blooms being on “pause,” gardens in the south-west are bucking the trend and remain a haven for early blossom, and those on Cornwall especially have been largely unaffected, the National Trust said.

At Glendurgan Gardens near Falmouth in Cornwall, the magnolias are in full bloom, putting on a spectacular show as some species have bloomed later than usual while others have been early, condensing their blossom into one big simultaneous flowering this year.

Tom Cutter, assistant head gardener for the National Trust at Glendurgan, said: “Thankfully, due to Cornwall’s unique microclimate, we haven’t been hit as badly by the recent cold snap and snow as the rest of the country has been and, as a result, our visitors get to enjoy an utterly beautiful display of magnolias in our garden right now.”

But there have been some cases of weather damage in Cornwall, including at Trengwainton Garden, near Penzance, which is known for its 50 varieties of gigantic magnolias.

Recent strong winds caused damage to one of its largest trees, Magnolia campbellii, in the walled garden which is 102 years old, causing many of the delicate petals to drop prematurely.

The National Trust’s blossom campaign – now in its third year – encourages people to explore the blossom, and share pictures on social media with the tag #Blossomwatch.

Blossom watch is part of a long-term campaign to return blossoming trees to the UK landscape, and create an equivalent of Japan’s “hanami”, where people of all generations gather to enjoy the cherry blossoms in spring.

Throughout spring, the Trust’s Festival of Blossom will take place at over 100 locations across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with blossom-themed events such as picnics, games and walks to encourage visitors to explore and enjoy the blossoms.

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The bible of the priest who smuggled King Charles II out of England during the Civil War is set to fetch thousands at auction.

Father John Huddleston’s bible was bought for the modern equivalent of two and a half pence in the 1950s – but it now has an estimated sale price of at least £2,000.

Auctioneer John Crane said the bible is a “very rare” item, and when he first saw it, in the house of a family in the Wirral, it was “the first time in 40 years since being an auctioneer I could use the word ‘unique’”.

Father Huddleston arranged for King Charles II to seek safety in France during the English Civil War, and attended the monarch’s deathbed to convert him to the Catholic faith in 1685.

Mr. Crane said: “To buy this item is buying a piece of history – it could be assumed quite comfortably that this bible was present at the death of King Charles.”

The bible was purchased for six old pence in the late 1950s, at a bookshop in Moorfields, Liverpool, and contains the signature of Father Huddleston.

Mr. Crane added that the presence of a signature gave an indication of price point. He said “a signature by Huddleston on another disbound book was sold in Edinburgh for £600 but it wasn’t his personal bible.

“The signature alone is probably worth £600 to £800 but the lift in the value would be the fact that it’s his personal bible.

“Most other books you can put a commercial value on, because they’ve been sold before, but this book is so unique, there’s no track record to go on.”

Talking about the importance of the bible, Mr. Crane said: “Its association with King Charles and the friendship between him and Father Huddleston makes it unique.

“If it wasn’t for Father Huddleston organizing King Charles II’s escape, it might have changed the whole course of history.”

Given its historical significance, Mr. Crane hopes the bible will not be sequestered after purchase.

“I’m hoping that a public body or museum will buy it so that it can be on view for the general public to enjoy and see,” he said.

“This isn’t about money, it’s about trying to make sure it goes into safe hands and safe-keeping for the benefit of the general public.”

The bible is part of a timed international auction on thesaleroom.com/catocrane, which will close on March 30.

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The Prince and Princess of Wales’ three children are all expected to take part in the procession from Westminster Abbey, which will follow the King’s coronation on May 6.

Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis are likely to accompany the King and Queen Consort as they leave the Abbey after the service, the Times reported.

The children are expected to join their parents in a carriage behind Charles and Camilla who will travel in the Golden State Coach as they return to Buckingham Palace.

George will be nine and Louis will be five, while Charlotte will turn eight just four days before the coronation.

George, who is second in line to the throne, and Charlotte attended their great-grandmother the Queen’s state funeral at Westminster Abbey in September.

Prince Louis was not present and is thought to have been considered too young to attend the service with his parents William and Kate.

It is understood the Prince and Princess of Wales are still considering what roles George, Charlotte, and Louis might play on the day.

The children’s attendance at public events is not normally confirmed in advance, particularly for Louis because of his age.

Kensington Palace declined to comment.

The royal children delighted crowds when they showcased their royal waves as they celebrated their great-grandmother the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee last year.

They made an appearance on the palace balcony for the flypast which prompted some comical reactions from Louis who held his hands over his ears, probably due to the roar of the aircraft overhead.

Louis also shared a sweet moment with his grandpa when he sat on Charles’ lap during the Jubilee Pageant as the parade passed by the royal box on the final day of the celebrations.

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Alison Hammond has announced she will become the new co-host of The Great British Bake Off.

The actress and This Morning presenter, 48, will join forces with comedian Noel Fielding in the next series of the popular Channel 4 baking show.

Hammond is replacing comedian Matt Lucas who revealed in December he was stepping down from the presenting role as he could no longer commit to the program’s schedule alongside his other projects.

On Friday morning, Hammond posted a video on Instagram of a cake designed in the shape of the classic Bake Off tent which featured models of her, Fielding and judges Paul Hollywood and Dame Prue Leith.

In a voiceover alongside the video, the presenter said: “This is breaking news, Alison Hammond is joining the team of The Great British Bake Off.”

As animated microphones appeared on the screen, Hammond asked her figurine if she had any comment at this time to which she said: “Well do you know what? I’m just absolutely thrilled.

“I’m going to be meeting the bakers very soon. I’m joining The Great British Bake Off. I’m so very excited.”

Alongside the post, she wrote: “It’s Official!! It’s happening The Great British Bake off! let’s have it – The cake that is so excited @BritishBakeOff @Channel4 @PrueLeith @PaulHollywood @noelfielding11 #GBBO”

The mother-of-one will be the first non-white host or judge since the show began in 2010.

Following the news, Fielding said he was “absolutely pumped” to be working alongside Hammond, adding that they will be spending the whole time “giggling like naughty school kids”.

The comedian, 49, posted a photo of his new co-host on his Instagram and wrote: “It gives me so much pleasure to welcome @alisonhammond55 into the tent.

“I’m absolutely pumped we are working together. We are gonna spend the whole time giggling like naughty school kids.

“The bakers are gonna love you to bits. x x x @paul.hollywood @prueleith @britishbakeoff x”

Lucas told Hammond she was “born” for the role as he congratulated her on taking over his position.

He tweeted: “Dear Alison, many congratulations! You were born to do it. You will be brilliant! Xx”

Hollywood, who is the only judge or host who has been on the show since it launched, also welcomed Hammond to the tent.

Posting an image of the specially designed Bake Off cake on his Instagram, he wrote: “@alisonhammond55 welcome!!!!! looking forward to seeing you in the tent, you’re going to love it XX”

BAKING NEWS We’re delighted to announce that Alison Hammond will be joining forces with Noel Fielding to host the next series of The Great British Bake Off on @Channel4 later this year. We cannot wait! #GBBO pic.twitter.com/KTI57HcNrU

— British Bake Off (@BritishBakeOff) March 17, 2023

Dame Prue also congratulated Hammond on the new role, commenting on her post: “Huge congratulations Alison, you will be magnificent and I can’t wait for your infectious laugh to be ringing through the tent.”

Hammond is known for her larger-than-life personality and interviewing style, having been a presenter on ITV’s This Morning since 2002.

Prior to the role, she competed in the third series of Big Brother and has since gone on to appear in multiple reality shows including I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, Celebrity Coach Trip, Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity MasterChef.

More recently, she appeared alongside actor Richard E Grant to host the 2023 Baftas.

Hammond also appeared on an episode of celebrity Bake Off, in which she momentarily became confused about the whereabouts of her oven door.

Alison Hammond does have a little bit of history in the Bake Off Tent… #GBBO https://t.co/FCFJpRF6Mo

— British Bake Off (@BritishBakeOff) March 17, 2023

Following Bake Off’s move to Channel 4 from the BBC in 2017, Fielding and Sandi Toksvig took over as presenters from Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc.

Toksvig announced her departure from the show in 2020 and was later replaced by Lucas, who has co-hosted the last three series.

Her new role was also met with enthusiasm from industry colleagues, with Joel Dommett commenting “SUCH GREAT NEWS” and Claudia Winkleman saying “BRILLIANT” in the comments alongside her Instagram post announcing the news.

Lorraine Kelly also tweeted: “Big congrats to the force of nature that is our @AlisonHammond – she will be fabulous on Bake Off #GBBO @BritishBakeOff.”

Channel 4’s official Twitter page reshared Hammond’s video and wrote: “This is more exciting than a cream horn for breakfast. Can’t wait to welcome you to the tent @AlisonHammond #GBBO.”

The broadcaster’s chief content officer, Ian Katz, said: “Alison is much loved, effortlessly funny and the owner of the best laugh in Britain.

“She was a huge hit when she appeared on Celebrity Bake Off and we’re thrilled to have her back in the tent.”

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Royal fans will be able to watch the King’s coronation on big screens across Britain.

More than 30 screens will be erected in cities and towns around the UK ahead of Charles being crowned on May 6 at Westminster Abbey during a ceremony televised around the world.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said: “The coronation will be a magical moment that brings people together to celebrate the best of Britain over a special weekend in May.

“These big screens, in major locations in towns and cities in the four nations of the UK, will make it easier for everyone to take part and have a memorable experience to mark this exciting and historic event.”

Confirmed sites include Cardiff Castle, Belfast City Hall, Piece Hall in Halifax, Jubilee Square in Brighton, and Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has made more than £1 million available for the screens.

Coronation celebrations are planned over an extended Bank Holiday weekend with “global music icons and contemporary stars” due at Windsor Castle for a concert on Sunday, televised live by the BBC.

That day, people are being invited to gather for a “coronation big lunch” overseen and organized by the Big Lunch team at the Eden Project. The Queen Consort has been patron of the Big Lunch since 2013.

Monday, a bank holiday, has been set aside for volunteering and is being billed as “the big help out”.

Organized by the Together Coalition and a wide range of partners such as the Scouts, the Royal Voluntary Service, and faith groups from across the UK, the big help out aims to highlight the positive impact volunteering has on communities.

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