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Tributes are being paid to Gogglebox fan favourite Mary Cook, who has died aged 92.

The former hospitality worker joined the Channel 4 programme in 2016 alongside fellow Bristolian Marina Wingrove, and the pair quickly became loved by viewers thanks to their “brilliantly witty and often cheeky” comments.

A statement issued by Channel 4 and Studio Lambert, which makes the programme, said she died in hospital at the weekend with her family by her side.

Mary was a “beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother and dear friend to many” who had been married and widowed twice, the statement said. She met Marina at a retirement village more than 10 years ago and they had been friends ever since.

“They joined Gogglebox in 2016 at the start of series eight and became instant fan favourites due to their brilliantly witty and often cheeky comments.

“Mary will be sorely missed by the entire Gogglebox family, cast and crew. Our love and thoughts are with Mary’s family, friends and Marina.”

Gogglebox, which launched in 2013, features a number of families and groups of friends from all walks of life and different places around the UK, reacting to the week’s TV shows and films from their sofas. The 18th series is due to start later this year.

Fellow armchair critics from the show were among those paying tribute to Mary on social media.

Sophie Sandiford, from Blackpool, who appears alongside her brother, Pete, shared a picture of Mary and Marina in her Instagram Stories, writing: “Rest in Peace Mary.” Ellie Warner, from Leeds, who stars alongside sister Izzi, also shared the photo.

Entertainment journalist Michael Hogan said both Mary and Marina were “always great value with their cheeky twinkle and love of a singsong”, while TV critic Scott Bryan shared a clip of Mary singing to her friend.

Twitter user Monty Moncrieff was also among the fans of the show paying tribute, writing: “Aw, no! How sad. Mary & Marina’s saucy cheek was one of the (many) delights of #Gogglebox. How lovely to have enjoyed some late-life popularity though and a absolute treat for us all to share it. Best wishes to Marina and to Mary’s family. 92! Amazing.”

Bristol’s St Monica Trust retirement home, where Mary and Marina lived, said the pair were discovered by a researcher for Gogglebox during a shopping trip to Asda.

According to their website, Mary said: “I was going shopping, so I asked them if they could wait until we got back. They came up to Marina’s flat, held cards up of different famous people and we had to talk about them.”

The friends had been absent from the programme temporarily due to the the coronavirus pandemic, but did take part in the latest season finale in May.

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Liam Payne: Five charged in connection with death of One Direction star, as judge details his final moments

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Liam Payne: Five charged in connection with death of One Direction star, as judge details his final moments

Five people have been charged in connection with the death of One Direction star Liam Payne in Argentina.

Three people have been charged with negligent homicide and two have been charged with supplying drugs, the Argentinian Public Prosecutor’s Office said.

The 31-year-old pop star died after he fell from a third-floor balcony at the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires on 16 October.

Negligent homicide – similar to gross negligent manslaughter in the UK – carries a sentence of one to five years, while supplying drugs carries a sentence of up to 15 years.

Roger Nores, described as a “representative” of Payne, was one of those charged with negligent homicide, alongside hotel manager Gilda Martin and receptionist Esteban Grassi.

A hotel employee, Ezequiel Pereyra, and waiter, Braian Paiz, have been charged with supplying drugs on two occasions.

All five have been summoned to appear in court.

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A statement from the judge and public prosecutor today said Payne had been “demanding” drugs and alcohol during his stay at the hotel.

On the 16 December, Payne was in the hotel lobby and “unable to stand” due to the “consumption of various substances”, the court document said.

The receptionist and two others “dragged” the singer to his room, and the manager allowed this to happen “at least by omission”.

Given Payne’s “altered” consciousness and the access to a balcony from the room, the “proper thing to do was to leave him in a safe place and with company until a doctor arrived”, according to the judge.

They also accused Payne’s representative, Nores, of leaving Payne on his own in the hotel in a “state of vulnerability”, despite knowing about Payne’s previous addiction problems and that the fact Nores could “not trust that the rest of the hotel staff would act appropriately”.

The judge described Payne’s death as “foreseeable”.

The prosecutor’s office previously ruled out self-harm as a factor in the One Direction star’s death, and said he did not adopt a reflex posture to protect himself from the fall, meaning it can be inferred he may have fallen “in a state of semi or total unconsciousness”.

The new document today reiterated the hypothesis that Payne had “tried to leave the room through the balcony and thus fell”.

The results of toxicology tests revealed that before his death, Payne had traces of alcohol, cocaine, and a prescription antidepressant in his body.

According to the post-mortem examination, Payne died from “multiple” injuries and internal and external bleeding.

Argentine investigators found what appeared to be narcotics and alcohol strewn around broken objects and furniture in Payne’s hotel room, leading the public prosecution to surmise he had suffered a substance abuse-induced breakdown around the time of his fall.

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Chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen rejoins tournament he quit over wearing jeans – after dress code change

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Chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen rejoins tournament he quit over wearing jeans - after dress code change

World chess number one Magnus Carlsen is back in a major tournament after he quit because he was told to change his jeans.

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has now relaxed its dress code to allow “elegant minor deviations”.

Those deviations “may, in particular, include appropriate jeans matching the jacket”, the new rules state.

Carlsen was defending his titles at the Fide World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in New York when he was told to change his trousers.

He had been to a lunch meeting before the competition and had to change quickly.

“I put on a shirt, jacket and honestly like I didn’t even think about jeans,” he told chess publication Take Take Take.

After playing a few rounds of the tournament, he was told he would face a fine because of his jeans, and then was told he wouldn’t be able to play at all if he didn’t change.

The Norwegian refused and left the competition on Saturday, saying he’d go somewhere where the weather was a “bit nicer”, adding: “I am too old at this point to care too much.”

FIDE quickly rewrote the rules after the spat and Carlsen will now return to the championships, which the federation described as “great news for the chess world”.

“The situation was badly mishandled on their side,” said Carlsen in an interview with Take Take Take.

“I was about to book my plane tickets.”

But he told the publication he was pleased to be playing again, as he loved the tournament.

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Magnus Carlsen, pictured here in February, quit the tournament over the incident. Pic: dpa/AP
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Magnus Carlsen, pictured here in February, quit the tournament over the incident. Pic: dpa/AP

The chess federation has warned players against taking liberties with their outfits.

“I sincerely hope that nobody would try to undermine the festive mood, including by abusing this additional flexibility,” said Arkady Dvorkovich, FIDE president in a statement.

“Special assistants” will be on hand to help judges decide whether players’ outfits are acceptable, according to Mr Dvorkovich.

Five-time World Chess champion Carlsen was previously involved in a dispute with rival Hans Niemann.

He accused Niemann of cheating after he was beaten at a tournament in 2022, but Niemann denied the allegations and said he would “strip fully naked” to prove his innocence.

The pair settled a $100m (£79m) lawsuit in August last year.

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Michelle Keegan and Mark Wright announce they’re expecting their first baby

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Michelle Keegan and Mark Wright announce they're expecting their first baby

Actress Michelle Keegan is expecting her first baby with husband Mark Wright, the celebrity couple have announced.

Keegan and former The Only Way Is Essex star Wright, both 37, shared the news on their Instagram accounts with the caption “2025 is going to be a special one for us” followed by a baby emoji.

A picture on the social media site posted on Sunday shows the couple standing opposite each other on a beach as former Coronation Street actress Keegan holds her bump.

Keegan, also known for her roles in Sky comedy Brassic and Netflix’s Fool Me Once, is wearing a white off-the-shoulder top and skirt, while Wright is dressed in a beige shirt and trousers.

Coleen Rooney, comedian Joel Dommett, and Bridgerton actress Jessica Madsen were among those to congratulate the couple in comments on the post.

Radio host Wright, who appeared on ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, began dating Keegan in 2012.

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They got engaged the following year before getting married at St Mary’s Church in Bury St Edmunds in 2015.

The couple now live together in Essex.

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