The daughter of a woman wrongly accused of causing the deaths of a mother and her two young children in an arson attack says the miscarriage of justice has plunged her mother into drug addiction and deteriorated her mental health. what caused her death.

In a new BBC Sounds podcast: Wrongly Accused: The Annette Hewins Storymother-of-one Nicole Jacob discusses the family tragedy that changed the course of her and her siblings’ lives forever – after they were forced into care while their mother was wrongfully behind bars.

In October 1995, Diane Jones, 21, and her two daughters, Shauna, two, and Sarah Jane, one, died in an arson attack on Jones’ home in the crime-laden residential area of ​​Gurnos in Merthyr Tydfil in Mid Glamorgan, Wales.

Jacob’s mother Annette Hewins was arrested at the time with two other women and two years later she was convicted at Cardiff Crown Court in June 1997 of arson with intent to endanger life and jailed for 13 years.

The original trial heard that Hewins, 31 at the time of the murders, had supplied the petrol that started the fatal fire that led to the triple murder.

Annette’s niece, Donna Clarke, also received a 20-year prison sentence. She was romantically linked to Diane Jones’ boyfriend, Shaun Hibbard, who was the father of her two daughters, which investigators considered a motive for the fatal attack.

A third woman, Denise O’Sullivan, was found not guilty of the murders but convicted of perverting the course of justice – and served almost four years.

Annette, who was pregnant with her fifth child at the time, served 18 months of her sentence – spending a total of two and a half years in prison.

She was released by the Court of Appeal in 1999 after it concluded there was no evidence against her.

The four-star leaded gasoline she purchased was not the same one used to start the fire, the forensic investigation concluded.

In the new podcast, Nicole says her mother’s innocent trip to the garage the night before the murders took place led police straight to their door – and misled a jury into the first guilty verdict.

Audio footage shows her, surrounded by friends and family, addressing the press after her release at the Royal Courts of Justice and during her time in prison.

Annette urged police to “find the real killers” and was heard saying on the tapes: “They took my baby from me.” They wouldn’t do to a dog what they did to me.’

Her niece Clarke’s sentence was also later overturned after judges deemed the original sentence ‘unsafe’.

The podcast also describes in the hours before how Annette tragically died in February 2017, at the age of 51, after a long battle with heroin addiction and mental health issues, which left her with hallucinations and paranoia.

She was admitted to the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant and in her final moments was heard still trying to prove her innocence and saying her baby had been taken from her.

An inquest later concluded that she died of heart failure and that there were ‘areas of concern’ about her care, including the failure to carry out an ECG test.

Annette’s daughter says the conviction haunted her mother until the end of her life, and even after her death.

She remembers how a nurse in the hospital said to her after her mother’s death, “Your mother couldn’t live with herself, could she?”

Nicole talks about her difficult childhood that she was only four when her mother was arrested. She said Annette had felt judged by the wider community in Merthyr Tydfil and feared revenge attacks on her family.

Annette’s heroin addiction began in prison, she says, explaining that her mother had never used “hard drugs” before she was incarcerated.

In the first episode of the podcast, Nicole also visits her father, who now lives in a nursing home after an accident twenty years ago.

He thinks back to happier times for the family, including their wedding and the early years of marriage before their divorce, and says Annette would spoil her children “rotten.”

Describing the impact on her and her siblings’ childhoods – all of whom ended up in the care system – due to the miscarriage of justice, Nicole said: ‘that whole world came crashing down for all of us after her arrest’.

Annette’s daughter says she lived for a ‘happy ending’, saying: ‘When she died it was the ultimate blow, it really hit me that this dream I had since childhood would now not come true.

“It’s bittersweet when you think back on those years and what we had because it never really came back.”

Wrongly Accused: The Annette Hewins Story is now available on BBC Sounds

Zoë Foster Blake has broken her silence on buying back her stake in her skincare brand Go-To after beauty company BWX went bankrupt.

The Australian author, 43, sold her 51.5 percent stake in her beauty brand to the ASX-listed beauty conglomerate for $89 million for the first time in 2021.

But just two years later, Zoë and Go-To co-founder Paul Bates bought back their controlling stake in the company for a fraction of the $21.8 million price, after BWX went into administration in April 2023.

Reflecting on the turbulent time, Zoë admitted she felt ‘way out of her depth’ with the deal as there is no ‘handbook’ for finding the perfect business partner and investor.

“How did you know when it was the right time? How did you know they were the right partner? Because there is no manual,” she told the newspaper Financial Overview. ‘

The wife of comedian Hamish Blake said she felt “motherly” towards Go-To and did everything she could to save the company after the BWX deal unraveled.

‘There’s nothing like seeing your baby in trouble to get you started. I thought, ‘I’m here, I’m going to protect my baby at all costs.’ I felt very motherly, nothing has strengthened me as much as this,” she said.

‘I thought I might leave the company next year [as per the original BWX deal] is unfathomable now, I’m swinging all the way back in,” she added.

Zoe also discussed her blossoming career as a businesswoman and admitted that she was never a child with big business ambitions and that she is the advertisement for learning as she discussed how to overcome recent hurdles.

She said she put everything into her decision to buy back her shares to ensure she was doing the right thing for her brand, admitting: ‘I couldn’t live with myself if I messed up.’

Despite the turbulent times, Zoë is celebrating Go-To’s tenth anniversary this year and organized a party last weekend to commemorate the incredible achievement.

In an Instagram post, Zoë spoke about her brand’s “brilliant team” as she celebrated ten years of her “thriving” business with a low-key at-home party.

‘It is a real pleasure and a privilege to take care of your skin. I love this company, this community and this adventure. Here’s cheers to ten years,” she wrote.

For the drinks reception, which she hosted at her home, she cut a glamorous figure in a beautiful peach satin dress as she pulled out all the stops for the party.

Last year, Zoë bought back her stake in Go-To Skincare for $21.8 million, after selling it to BWX for $89 million two years earlier.

“This is an incredible brand and company, with a very passionate team and an incredibly loyal and supportive customer,” she said The Australian Financial Review at the time it buys back its shares.

“It is my joy and privilege to give both my full focus and attention [to Go-To].’

Zoë, who founded the brand in 2014, continued as Chief Creative Officer and Director of Go-To after initially selling her shares to BWX, and is now back at full speed running her business.

BWX suffered a $335 million loss in the 2021-2022 financial year, with mining magnate Andrew Forrest stepping in to save the company.

Go-To had distanced itself from BWX, saying it is operationally independent, despite BWX owning 51 percent of the shares.

BWX revealed in February 2023 that it had lost another $100 million in the first half of the fiscal year when the company’s CEO Rory Gration resigned.

In April, BWX was admitted voluntarily. KPMG was appointed to deal with its collapse.

A FORMER pub worker is doing the devil’s deeds – after creating Scotland’s hottest sauce.

Former chef Ewen Mackenzie, 50, makes the infernal concoctions under his Mack Chilli label, which he exports around the world.

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Red Hot Chilli Fifer, owner of Something Different gift shop in Cowdenbeath, said: “The first thing people often ask me is ‘Where’s the hottest sauce?’

“But with chili it’s not about the heat, it’s about the taste. There are more than four and a half thousand peppers in the world and it would be foolish if they were all hot.

“It’s quite a difficult balance to find what people want and what they can actually handle.

“People try the hottest and finish dancing kind of like idiots because they panic. You’d be surprised how many people I’ve seen cry.”

Ewen named one of his sauces Valhalla, after the location in Norse mythology where Viking warriors killed in battle go.

He adds: “I think some of the people who tried Valhalla are there now.”

Ewen worked in pubs and kitchens for years until he got serious raid left him with major health problems.

Forced to reconsider his futurehe chose to become self-employed and took over a gift shop.

It was during that time that he learned all about hot sauce and realized it was going to be big company. Since launching his own brand in 2021, Ewen has been flogging more than 1,500 bottles a year around the world.

With dozens of different options, there is something for everyone on their sliding scale of heat. His most infamous offering, however, is Angel of Dead.

This extreme seasoning is Scotland’s hottest sauce and contains 90 percent Carolina Reaper – the second hottest chili pepper in the world – with 9 million Scoville extracts.

These units range on a spectrum from zero, meaning no heat at all, to 16 million and higher for pure firework. The measurement is carried out by diluting a pepper extract with sugar water and asking human testers to identify the heat level.

The more water needed to beat the heat, the higher the number of Scoville Heat Units (SHU).

Ewen’s scariest offer amounts to being over a thousand times hotter than even the angriest jalapeño.

It’s no surprise that Mack Chilli has a disclaimer accepting no responsibility for misuse of the product.

Despite his reputation for making some of the world’s most fearsome sauces, Ewen would rather people enjoyed the taste than simply see them as a challenge.

He doesn’t recommend that people throw themselves in at the deep end, but instead advises people to build their tolerance level the right way.

Ewen adds: “If you can tolerate the heat, that’s fine, but for a beginner I would avoid anything that is too much.

“Start with jalapeño and don’t go straight in and don’t go too far because you’ll hurt yourself and throw yourself off.

“I’ll take my sauce to the pub and see if they can take it.”

Ewen jokes, “They ask me if I’m trying to kill them.

“There was a man who thought he could handle the heat, but he couldn’t finish his pint and had to go At home.

“Many schoolchildren like it. And girls seem to have a higher tolerance than the boys.

A TikToker has revealed why she loves living on a canal in London – saying she couldn’t afford an apartment as nice as her boat.

Maisy Dewey, 24, originally from Savannah in Georgia, lives on a narrowboat on the River Thames with her fiancé Harry and Dalmatian Kipper.

Maisy says she never planned to live on a boat, but came across this one by accident while hunting after it was advertised as a ‘riverside’ property – and didn’t realize how literal the description was .

Her boat is permanently moored, meaning they are connected to the normal sewage system and can still access utilities such as electricity and Wi-Fi, while drawing water and gas from separate tanks.

Maisie gave a tour of her boat to her 25,000 TikTok followers in a videoshowing off her cheerfully decorated and spacious boat.

Speaking to the camera, she explained: ‘I’ll give you a tour of our boat while I tell you why we love living here. First of all, looking around, we wouldn’t be able to afford a regular apartment as nice as our boat.

‘We have a beautiful kitchen, we even have an extra room as an office/cloakroom and the boat is surprisingly spacious.

‘We lived in three other apartments with our dog Kipper before boarding our boat, and this is by far the most spacious place we’ve lived. We also have a lot of storage space.’

A narrowboat is a type of tour boat, specially built for the narrow waterways of Great Britain. Most are about six feet wide and semi-permanently moored or constantly cruising.

Maisy filmed the beautiful interior of the boat, which consists of a combined living and kitchen area, a guest room for an office and wardrobe space, a large double bedroom with extra storage and a bathroom.

The couple moved aboard in November and despite an ‘extremely draughty’ winter, they are generally loving boat life.

Maisy continues: ‘Apart from generally having a nice place to live, we love being on the quay and on the river. It’s just such a great atmosphere and our neighbors are so nice.

‘We’re still getting used to the boat lifestyle, but so far we’re enjoying life on board the boat and all the nice little quirks. I love waking up every night and going to bed on the river, it’s such a dream.”

She added that the boat, which they rent, is the only living space they’ve had that’s big enough for their dog Kipper to run around in.

The boat largely manages to remain stable due to its large size, but can become rocky in windy weather or at high tide.

It has a 50-gallon water tank in the back that provides enough water for the entire boat, and it refills when it becomes empty.

They also have a gas tank, which the landlord refills.

Maisy did not reveal the exact location of the boat or how much she is paying for the rent, but says it is cheaper than apartments she has rented in the past.

Her boat trip video has now been viewed 1.8 million times as people are intrigued by the idea of ​​boat life in the capital.

One viewer said: ‘It’s beautiful!’ while another was also taken back and said: ‘It’s huge.’

Others question the safety of living on a boat, writing: ‘A trailer that can easily sink. Cool.’

It comes amid a growing trend of people leaving their expensive London flats for a cheaper life on the water.

Emily Jones, 32, who is originally from Merseyside, has lived on her narrowboat called ‘Florrie’ in London for four years with her dog Beautiful.

She made the move after feeling ‘trapped’ by the London property market, and previously shared a house with five other people for £800 a month.

After her father passed away in 2020, Emily bought Florrie with a loan for £21,000.

Her rent is now the price of her bills, but she has also warned people that life on a boat is sometimes not as glamorous as it seems.

She spends around £3,000 a year on costs including driving licence, insurance and diesel, but admits she does ‘more cruising than most people in London’.

Emily added that any repairs are always more expensive than repairs to a house – and boaters are advised to always have £1,000 on hand in case of an emergency.

According to the Canal & River Trust, more than 34,000 boats navigate Britain’s 2,000-mile waterway.

After receiving eight nominations over the course of 24 years, Christopher Nolan finally took home the Academy Award for Best Director last night.

The British-American director, 53, who is now based in Los Angeles, appeared emotional as he delivered his heartwarming acceptance speech for his blockbuster Oppenheimer.

Having thanked Universal Studios and his ‘incredible’ cast and crew, the father-of-four moved his focus to his wife Emma Thomas, who has produced all of his films.

He said: ‘Thank you for those who have been there for me and believed in me my whole career […]

‘My family and the incredible Emma Thomas – the producer of all our films and producer of all our children. I love you.’

The Oppenheimer director married his university sweetheart Emma Thomas in 1997 and the couple share four children. He has previously said he fell in love with his wife at first sight.

Christopher and Emma’s eldest daughter Flora, 23, made a brief appearance in his latest film as a woman whose face melted off in a nuclear blast.

But Flora isn’t the only Nolan child who has followed her parents into the creative arts – with her brothers Oliver, Rory and Magnus all having made cameos in at least one of Nolan’s films.

Despite their parents’ high profile in Hollywood, the children side-stepped the red carpet at last night’s Oscars – but were pictured sitting beside them during the ceremony and watching Christopher’s speech with pride. 

Here FEMAIL delves into Christopher Nolan’s family life – after the director praised his wife and four children for their unwavering support. 

‘Incredible’ producer wife Emma Thomas 

Christopher Nolan met his wife Emma Thomas on their first day as students at University College London in 1989.

Emma was born in London but spent time living in the Middle East as a child as a result of her father’s work in the Civil Service.

Christopher and Emma – who studied English Literature and Ancient History – were placed in the same halls of residence and arranged movie screenings as part of their work with UCL’s Film Society.

In 2017, the director was granted an honorary doctorate and told graduating students: ‘We have four children. We have a body of work that we have made together. 

‘So the moral of the story is: pay a lot of attention to who you meet on your first night at your halls of residence.’ 

During his Desert Island Discs interview in 2008, Christopher said: ‘I’ve come to believe in the concept of love at first sight because I realise it actually happened to me.’ 

In 2001, the couple welcomed their daughter Flora together – just one year before the critically acclaimed film Insomnia, starring Al Pacino and Robin Williams, hit screens.

The same year they became parents, the couple opened their own production company Syncopy Films.

Although the couple are fiercely private, they have shed light on their relationship in previous interviews.

In an interview with Variety, Emma gushed about her husband’s most ‘underrated’ quality.

She replied: ‘He’s funny! People think he’s dead serious, they accuse his films of also being so serious.

‘Even in Oppenheimer there are moments I find funny, even in the actor’s expressions. There is humour in his movies, and I don’t think he gets enough credit for it.’

In an interview with Screen Daily in 2018, Emma shed light on their creative partnership and detailed how she’ll often give her husband books she thinks could be adapted on screen.

She joked: ‘Yes, I’ll continue to give him books and he’ll continue to not be excited by some.’ 

In 2018, Christopher said he enjoys working with Emma and writing scripts with his brother because their ‘only agenda is making the best film possible’.

During his appearance on Desert Island Discs, the director – who was promoting Dunkirk at the time – said the key to his success was ‘surrounding yourself with the people who understand and support what it is you’re trying to do, but are unafraid to criticise… You’re looking for honest feedback without an agenda.’

What’s more, Christopher has also previously credited his wife for coming out with the ‘correct answer’ regarding the end of the 2010 movie Inception.

Appearing on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Christopher explained how he was constantly being asked if Leonardo DiCaprio’s character Cobb was still dreaming at the end when the movie first came out.

Praising his wife’s interpretation, Christopher said: ‘I think it was Emma who pointed out the correct answer, really, is that the character, Leo’s character – the point of the shot is the character doesn’t care at that point. It’s not a question I comfortably answer.’

Flora Nolan’s devastating Oppenheimer cameo

The couple’s eldest child Flora appears to be following her parents into the creative industry – having studied Collaborative Arts at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Flora supported her father last year when she made a fleeting appearance in Oppenheimer as a woman who is affected by a nuclear bomb. 

In June 2023, Christopher revealed that he cast Flora as a woman whose face melts off in Oppenheimer in the wake of a nuclear bomb explosion.

Speaking to The Telegraph, the director explained: ‘We needed someone to do that small part of a somewhat experimental and spontaneous sequence. So it was wonderful to just have her sort of roll with it.’

Although Christopher admitted that the casting may have seemed strange at first, the director said watching his daughter play that part brought the subject matter really hit home for him.

He added: ‘The point is that if you create the ultimate destructive power it will also destroy those who are near and dear to you. 

‘I suppose this was my way of expressing that in what, to me, were the strongest possible terms.’ 

In an interview that appears on the university’s website, Flora revealed that she is also an aspiring filmmaker and credits her father for showing her how to film on Super 8 movie film.

She said: ‘My dad taught me how to shoot on Super 8 when I was younger and I’ve been into it ever since. I just love the way it looks. 

‘Shooting on film has given me a really great understanding of light and colour and I would love to shoot on larger format if I get a chance.’ 

What’s more, she also revealed that she is following in her mother’s footsteps by producing a short film with two friends. 

On top of this, Flora is also an aspiring musician – and detailed in the interview how she likes to layer ‘ambient sounds’ in her productions.

She added: ‘I’ll record the birds outside or rain or people talking and use that as a starting point. I love singing and it just feels like a really interesting tool to use. 

‘There are a lot of ways you can sample and chop up the human voice to create all kinds of sounds.’

Aspiring photographer Magnus Nolan

Following in his big sister’s footsteps, aspiring photographer Magnus Nolan, 15, also made a brief appearance in one of his father’s films. 

When he was a toddler, Christopher and Emma’s son played James Cobb in Inception.

He only appeared in fleeting moments in the film and was seen from the back playing on a beach in Cobb’s memory.

What’s more, Magnus’ father has been especially supportive of his dream of becoming a photographer.  

In June 2023, Wired magazine published a profile of Christopher Nolan featuring only images his son had taken. 

The following month, Magnus travelled to China with his father to promote Oppenheimer. 

The aspiring photographer also walked the BAFTAs red carpet with his parents in London last month.

Rory Nolan’s working title for The Dark Knight

Like Magnus and Flora, Rory Nolan has also made a cameo in his parents’ films.

Christopher and Emma’s son is credited as the ‘boy on the bridge’ in the 2014 movie Interstellar.

In The Dark Knight Rises, Rory appeared as ‘the boy on the bus’ during one of Batman’s battles.

According to Screen Rant, Nolan names the working titles of his films after his children and The Dark Knight rises was dubbed ‘Rory’s First Kiss’.

The publication reports that Inception was dubbed ‘Oliver’s Arrow’ for a time while Interstellar had the working title of ‘Flora’s Letter’. 

Oliver Nolan’s Oppenheimer insight

In 2006, Christopher and Emma’s eldest son Oliver was only a baby when he appeared in their film The Prestige, starring Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman and Michael Cane. 

While promoting Oppenheimer, Christopher shed light on a conversation he’d had with his children about the film.

Speaking to Wired, the director said: ‘I told one of my sons about it as I started to write it, and he literally said to me: “But nobody really worries about that anymore.”

‘Two years later, he’s not saying that. The world’s changed again. And that’s a lesson for all of us, but particularly for the young. The world changes fast.’

As well as paying tribute to his wife in his BAFTA acceptance speech last night, Nolan also recognised campaigning groups who have ‘fought long and hard to reduce the number of nuclear weapons’.

He added: ‘In accepting this I do just want to acknowledge their efforts and point out they show the necessity and potential of efforts for peace.’ 

Oppenheimer won a whopping seven Oscars at Sunday night’s Academy Awards – while rival Barbie only won one.

The historical epic directed by Christopher Nolan swept the major categories with wins for Best Actor Cillian Murphy, Best Supporting Actor Robert Downey Jr. and Nolan – with the film also winning Best Picture.

In contrast, Barbie, who memorably won against Oppenheimer in the ‘Barbenheimer’ box office showdown over the summer, walked away with just one award for Best Original Song for What Was I Made For? by Billie Eilish and Finneas McConnell. 

Downey Jr. jokingly thanked his ‘terrible childhood’ as he finally won an Oscar for his portrayal of Lewis Strauss, was delighted as he took to the stage –  after host Jimmy Kimmel made a very awkward quip about his drug use.

The veteran actor – who has acted for over five decades –  took home the Academy Award over stiff competition including Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction, Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon, Ryan Gosling, Barbie, and Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things.

The talented star took to the podium to showcase his signature wit and even joked about his ‘terrible childhood’ while accepting the honor.

He said: ‘Thank you, thank you. Ah — thanks, Sam, thanks, fellas. You only flubbed one line. I’d like to thank my terrible childhood and The Academy, in that order.

‘I’d like to thank my — veterinarian — I meant wife, Susan Downey over there. She found me a snarling rescue pet and you loved me back to life. That’s why I’m here. Thank you.’

The talented actor went on talk about how much he needed his role in Oppenheimer while thanking director Christopher Nolan and castmates Emily Blunt and Cillian Murphy.

While Mauricio Pochettino is struggling to build a team on the pitch, his Chelsea bosses are finding it equally difficult to build a stadium out of it.

The consortium led by Todd Boehly is not only struggling to match the football success achieved under Roman Abramovich.

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Their new regime is also finding it difficult to solve the biggest problem that even the billionaire Russian failed to solve during his 19-year rule.

Namely, how can we provide a stadium and facilities that suit a club that aspires to be one of the best in the world and is necessary to generate the revenue to keep it that way.

Located in one of the wealthiest postcodes in the country, Chelsea is supposed to be the most glamorous place to watch Premier League football, perhaps in the world.

But it’s not even the top destination in London anymore.

Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham all moved into 60,000-seater houses, while Roman’s rubles brought the lion’s share of trophies to SW6.

Stamford Bridge, with its three aging stands and a capacity of just over 40,000, now feels shabby and old-fashioned in comparison.

Just as importantly, both Arsenal and Tottenham earn significantly more money per home game than Chelsea: £870,000 and £1.03 million more per match respectively.

And that’s a big reason why Tottenham overtook Chelsea in terms of total revenue for the first time in the latest Deloitte Money League, becoming the highest-earning club in London in 2022-2023 with £549.2 million.

It would be unfair to say that Abramovich and his henchmen and wives did not see the writing on the wall. Battersea Power Station, White City, Chelsea Barracks and the former Earls Court Exhibition Center – all were considered, rejected and, for some, reconsidered.

To finance the move to a new location, Abramovich wanted to sell Stamford Bridge. But a major problem was – and is – that the club does not have full ownership of the stadium itself.

That was sold in 1997 to a fan-run organization called Chelsea Pitch Owners, in a move designed to protect the club and its home after property speculators almost sold it out from under them.

In 2011, Abramovich attempted to buy back the property.

SunSport revealed how a number of people linked to Abramovich, chairman Bruce Buck and other members of the Chelsea hierarchy bought large numbers of CPO shares in the run-up to the vote.

But perhaps because of the atmosphere of distrust that emerged, they failed to secure the 75 percent of shareholder votes needed to approve the sale.

It wasn’t the kind of dick you’d imagine being made by Abramovich’s old friend Vladimir Putin.

It was Abramovich’s ties to Putin’s regime that ultimately derailed plans for a new stadium during his rule – forcing him to sell the problem and pass it on to new owners.

Chelsea received planning permission for a new 60,000-seat ground at Stamford Bridge in early 2017.

The FA thought it was a good idea to move Tottenham from Wembley and welcome another money-hungry tenant.

But the Blues announced in May 2018 that they would suspend their plans indefinitely, not long after the British government refused to grant Abramovich a new visa.

After Russia invaded Ukraine, Abramovich was among the accomplices sanctioned and for a while the club’s survival seemed to be at stake.

When Boehly and Clearlake Capital bought Chelsea for £2.5 billion in May 2022, they pledged to invest an additional £1.75 billion in a number of projects, including Stamford Bridge.

They quickly appointed Janet Marie Smith, an architect with extensive experience in renovating major sporting venues in America, to oversee the plans to revamp the Blues stadium.

Last October, Chelsea agreed to buy Stoll Mansions and 1.2 hectares of land next to the ground for £80 million.

Even that was not without controversy, as the Chelsea pensioners living there would have to be relocated.

But much bigger problems remain with Chelsea’s current home.

The District Line runs east to west along one side of it and the main line runs north to south on the other side.

There are major roads, social housing, Brompton Cemetery and all kinds of issues that make the redevelopment of the area a complicated, long and expensive process.

The latest view from within the club is that it would take six years to achieve this, but even that inconvenience would be better than the previous standby plan.

The alternative is to cough up prime real estate elsewhere – and the club appears no closer to finding an affordable, viable location than before. Not if Earls Court cost half a billion.

It is a difficult decision, crucial for the future of the club. Not something to rush.

But the longer Chelsea’s owners wait, the more ground they will lose to their rivals, both on and off the pitch.

She once described herself a ‘little girl from Croydon with a dream’ – and at last night’s Brit Awards, they all seemed to finally come true for Raye. 

The singer-songwriter, 26, from South London, made Brit Award history when she scooped six accolades in one night – beating records set by Blur, Harry Styles and Adele. 

Raye, whose full name is Rachel Agatha Keen, won Best New Artist, Songwriter of the Year, Song of the Year, Best R&B Act, Artist of the Year and Mastercard’s Album of the Year.

For the final award, the star – who was forced to release her music independently after being restricted by a previous record label – was in floods of tears as she was joined by her grandmother on stage.

She said: ‘You just don’t understand what this means to me. I’m ugly crying on national television.

‘All I ever wanted to be was an artist, and now I’m an artist with an album of the year. Thank you so much, this is too much – come on Grandma, let’s go.’

As a teenager, Raye attended BRIT school for two years before then dropping out because she ‘hated being told how to write a song’. 

When she was 17-year-old, the rising star was assaulted by a music producer – and revealed how she turned to alcohol and drugs to cope. 

Since then, Raye has appointed her father as her manager while she also works closely with her sister. 

In June 2021, Raye revealed that her record label, Polydor Records, had been withholding her debut album for several years – forcing her to then release her music independently. 

Here FEMAIL delves into Raye’s incredible rise to fame and her remarkable musical comeback.

South London upbringing and dropping out of school

Rachel Keen was born in Tooting to a Ghanaian-Swiss mother and English father and was one of three daughters.  

When Raye was still a child, the family relocated to Croydon – where she attended Woodcote High School. 

In an interview with F Word magazine, Raye said Croydon was a ‘really great place to grow up’.

She explained: ‘[It is] very down to earth, very multi-cultured, very fun, really great. I grew up in the church as well, so I go to church every Sunday with the family. 

‘That’s where I learnt how to sing and understand my love for music.’ 

When she was 14 years old, Raye was accepted into Brit School – whose alumnae include Adele, Ella Eyre, Jessie J and Leona Lewis.  

Speaking to The Times earlier this month, Raye explained how she dropped out of the school after two years because she ‘hated’ being told how to write a song.

She said: ‘It’s not in my nature to follow rules. I didn’t get on with them in school and I don’t understand why they even exist in music. 

‘I love songs that don’t do what you expect them to. For me it’s liberating to write something sonically different every time that doesn’t sound like anyone else. Otherwise, what’s the point?’

What’s more, the star also told the BBC that she felt ‘confined’ as a student at Brit school – as other students were all ‘cool, underground, indie artists’. 

Bagging first record deal 

When she was 16 years old, radio host Clara Amfo played Raye’s music on her show for the first time.

The following year, she signed a four-album deal with the record label Polydor.

In 2017, she was shortlisted for the BBC Music Sound of… award and came in third place. 

After this, she won at the ASCAP London Music Awards and was nominated for a BRIT award for her You Don’t Know Me single in 2018.

Around this time, Raye was assaulted by a music producer – who forced his hand between her legs when she was 17 years old.  

Whilst performing on the Pyramid Stage last year at Glastonbury she paused between singing the song saying: ‘This next song is about sexual abuse, and rape, and sexual violence. And I know that’s heavy, okay.

‘But I also know one in four men and women will experience that in their lifetime. So I know that I’m not alone when I sing this today.’

In an interview with Cosmopolitan last year, she said she still suffers from panic attacks and PTSD regularly.

‘When I think about the panic attacks, the PTSD…you realise that someone’s actions become your burden to carry, and there is nowhere you can put it other than a therapy session,’ she said.

‘Every girl I know in this industry has some sort of story to tell me. The studio is such a vulnerable space.

‘And if you say something, you create an enemy who will spread rumours or blacklist you – and you need those connections to open doors for yourself.

‘Even though the people decide very much what’s consumed on the outside, inside, the music industry is still very much a gatekept society.’

Despite the buzz around her music and her regular appearances at festivals, Raye’s debut album never materialised – as she later revealed she was in a stand-off with her record label. 

Battle with record label and turning to drugs 

In an emotional interview with Lous Theroux last November 2023, Raye revealed that she was ‘constantly in some kind of sedation’ when she first started her career.

During the television interview, Raye said all she wanted was to be ‘in control of her life’ as she discussed her frustration with her old label Polydor for not allowing her to release an album. 

During the conversation, Raye admitted to taking ‘codine’ and ‘MDMA’ as she ‘reached her limit’ and had ‘nothing left to lose’. 

She said: ‘I think I wasn’t able to get along with my career because I was just constantly in some form of sedation just to get along with it. Whether it be weed or other things which I write about on my album. 

‘This is the thing, when I became sober, I realised, wow, I can’t do this sober. Like, this is deep. It’s actually deep.

‘It’s so deep what I’d realized I’d actually been doing to myself as a person to try and be somebody that they wanted me to be.

‘And it’s so sad. So I just got into that point where I was just like, “What is my life right now?” “What is the point?”

‘Yeah, so I just was at a point where I just had nothing left to lose. Yeah, so I was just like, “F*** it.” I’ve absolutely reached my limit.’

Raye says she reached breaking point when her label would not let her release an album – which led to her venting her frustrations on social media.

She continued: ‘But that is how far you push me. They either listen to me now, listen to their artists in pain, or we part ways, and they can save themselves this headache because I’m about to make it a headache.’

After Raye started giving interviews about her label not allowing her to release her debut album, she was able to part ways with Polydor in 2021. 

Raye’s album My 21st Century Blues is her first project as an independent artist

The singer touches on substance abuse, assault and sexual violence and anxiety in her lyrics, and previously explained why she didn’t want to shy away from ‘difficult’ topics.

She told MailOnline: ‘I just want to be a woman discussing uncomfortable topics that we don’t talk about, these are all things I battled with in the darkness and in silence.

‘You hope in writing about these songs and putting them out into the world, you just hope that people hear them, and and relate to them also.

‘It’s very much medicine in a way that you have a different feeling to to put quite a painful emotion to it.

‘For me is just very empowering, and I hope it can be medicine for anyone else who who needs it.’ 

During her interview with F Word magazine, Raye revealed that her dad is her manager while she also works closely with her sister. One of her younger sister has also had music featured in a Target advert in the US.

Raye added: ‘Music is in all our genes. Mum is the next one, she’s taking some of the workload with Dad. She’s worked in the NHS all her life so she is the next, hopefully in a year or two she will be able to join the team and it’ll be a full family empire.’ 

TikTok support

In January 2023, Raye’s single ‘Escapism’ went to UK number one and became a huge hit on TikTok. The single now has been used in over 700,000 videos on the social media platform.

The star partnered up with TikTok for the launch of their #ElectronicMusic campaign in September and her single Call on Me was also named the platform’s Song of the Summer in 2021.

Speaking to Cosmo Middle East, Raye explained how she never expected to gain such success on TikTok.

She said: ‘I think my sister pointed it out [it was blowing up on TikTok]. I checked, and it had like 1000 videos made to the sound.

‘I was like “oh that’s exciting!” and then the next day it was 2000 and it just kept doubling out of nowhere and I was like “wow!”

‘It’s the kind of thing you can’t plan. You can’t be like “Okay I’m gonna have a viral hit”. You know, it just doesn’t work like that. I’m just grateful that TikTok was like “Yeah we like that. Let’s make so many videos to it”. I was very overwhelmed.’

Despite her music’s sudden surge in popularity, Raye told The Times she does her own makeup and hair while on tour.

She also bought a house in Streatham, South-West London two years and continues living with her two sisters.  

 Career-defining turnaround at BRITs

Raye’s incredible sweep at the Brits last night marks one of the music industry’s greatest ever comebacks – just three years after Polydor refused to release any of her albums. 

This led to Raye leaving the company and releasing her critically acclaimed, and now award winning, debut My 21st Century Blues as an independent artist.

The singer/songwriter scooped the Song of the year award for her hit Escapism ft 070 Shake, shortly before also taking home the R&B Act gong and Best New Artist.

‘I’m shaking. I don’t really know what to say right now, but… thank you. I’ve always dreamed of saying that,’ she said as the reached the podium to accept her first award of the night.

Referencing her new beginning in her Best New Artist Speech, Raye said: ”I have to thank my mum and my dad who are also part of my team, and my grandma. Yes grandma! I, in ways, do feel like a new artist. I released my first song when I was 15, my first mixtape when I was 16, don’t go and listen to it because it’s not that good any more.

‘But I do feel like a new artist, I got to start again. The artist I was three years ago would not believe what she’s seeing today. I’m my own boss now, I’m in control. Thank you!’ 

She also scooped the first ever BRIT Award for R&B act, which is voted for by the public via Instagram and is a new standalone genre category after musicians and fans complained about R&B being conjoined with the pop last year.

Raye acknowledged the the uproar in her speech, telling the crowd: ‘Look I just wanna say, when I was about 16, 15 years old, I wanted to be an R&B artist, that’s what I would say. And I was told, I think, a lie that R&B doesn’t sell in the UK so I needed to learn how to make different kinds of music.’

‘I know that’s a bit shady but I need to say R&B is so important and there are so many R&B artists in the UK eating it up. I wanna shout out to Mahalia, who campaigned for this award, Cleo Sol, who’s immaculate, Sault. This really is a lot – thank you.’

Raye also won Songwriter of the Year, which was announced ahead of the live ceremony, with host Clara Amfo handing her the gong in a surprise moment after her Best New Artist win.

Clara – who gave Raye her first ever radio play – told the star: ‘There is no such thing as an overnight success, I am so proud of you.’

The Prince of Wales today made his first public appearance since withdrawing from the memorial service for his godfather, the late King Constantine II of Greece.

Prince William visited the Western Marble Arch Synagogue in central London to take part in discussions about the rise of anti-Semitism in Britain.

He met two Holocaust survivors, Manfred Goldberg and Renee Salt, as well as young people who took part in the Holocaust Educational Trust’s flagship project ‘Lessons from Auschwitz’.

He received a bouquet of flowers for Kate while standing with Rabbi Daniel Epstein, who has led the Marble Arch synagogue with his wife Illana since 2021.

William told those present: ‘Prejudices have no place in society. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I want you all to know that you can talk about it and your experiences.

“Both Catherine and I are extremely concerned about the rise of anti-Semitism that you have spoken about this morning and I am deeply sorry if any of you have had to experience that.

“There’s no place for that… that’s why I’m here today to reassure you that people do care and people are listening, and we can’t let that go.”

The engagement was originally due to coincide with Holocaust Memorial Day last month and the Princess of Wales was also due to attend.

The event had to be postponed due to the princess’ abdominal surgery last month.

Prince William previously met Mr Goldberg during his visit with the Princess of Wales to the former Stutthof concentration camp in what is now Poland in 2017.

The Lessons from Auschwitz project is helping young people across Britain learn about the history of the Holocaust.

They are taken on visits to the site of the former Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp, where more than a million Jews were murdered by the Nazis.

Karen Pollock CBE, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust said: ‘Today His Royal Highness reminded us that antisemitism is not just a problem for the Jewish community, but for society as a whole.

‘He listened to young Jewish students who are facing an outpouring of anti-Semitic hatred on campus, sharing their personal experiences of this anti-Jewish hatred, and he met young ambassadors from the Holocaust Educational Trust, who are campaigning against anti-Semitism despite that they themselves are not Jewish.

“He spent time with Holocaust survivor Renee Salt BEM. When she was liberated almost eighty years ago, she could never have imagined that another global explosion of anti-Semitism would occur in her lifetime.

The visit of ‘His Royal Highness’ sends a strong message that Britain is a country where Jews – whether Holocaust survivors who came to seek refuge or young Jewish students – are welcome and celebrated.

“He reminds us that even in the darkest days, the Jewish community is not alone.

“We thank His Royal Highness for his leadership on this issue and we are so grateful for his continued support for our cause and our community.”

Crown Prince Pavlos, 56, the current head of the former Greek royal family, gave a lecture this week at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, in place of William, after the prince withdrew at 45 minutes’ notice due to what Kensington Palace said only but would describe as ‘personal reasons’.

The Prince of Wales was due to read Revelation 21:1-7, a popular Bible verse for funerals, but instead a moved Pavlos stood up and said: ‘God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, mourning, crying or pain, for the old order of things is gone.”

The official YouTube film from St George’s Chapel, where Elizabeth II was buried in September 2022, also showed the poignant moment Queen Camilla rose to sing the national anthem while her husband was absent as he battles cancer.

Earlier in the service, she appeared to be wiping away a tear at one point.

Charles III would have been there to lead the royal family but is being treated in hospital and has therefore taken a complete break from his royal duties.

Buckingham Palace has said his cancer was detected early and that His Majesty is ‘completely positive’.

On the same day as the memorial service, it emerged that Thomas Kingston had died.

The sudden death of the son-in-law of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent has left the royal family and friends in deep shock. But this was not the reason for Willem’s absence, as it turned out.

The late Constantine II was William’s godfather, close to the Queen and a dear friend and sailing partner of Prince Philip.

Queen Camilla was instead the eldest member of the royal family in attendance – with Prince Andrew also playing a prominent role as he led other royals on foot to the service at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

No further details have been given about William’s absence, and it is not known whether this is related to the recovery of his wife, the Princess of Wales, following her abdominal surgery last month, although royal sources insisted that all was still “well” at home ‘ went with her.

William was last seen at the Baftas on February 18, while Kate hasn’t been seen at Sandringham since Christmas.

Kate will stay away from official royal engagements until after Easter following her surgery.

As for Charles, he was at Windsor Castle earlier in the day but left before the service started – with the reception afterwards hosted by Camilla.

The king was later photographed waving as he was driven into Clarence House, his London residence.

Meanwhile, Andrew was front and center with Sarah, Duchess of York and his daughter Princesses Beatrice – along with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi – as it was considered a personal family event.

It is also believed that the Duke of York attended the service as a member of the British Royal Family and was invited by the Greek Royal Family. Andrew’s other daughter, Princess Eugenie, was not present.

Since Charles performed no public duties, Camilla has become the main royal performer.

Did you know that Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor was asked to star in the iconic Hindi film Rang De Basanti. Read on to find out why Shahid turned down the role.

Mumbai: Shahid Kapoor has made significant strides in the entertainment industry. He is known for his varied film offering and still has a large and devoted fan base. In a surprising admission, the actor revealed he turned down the chance to star in the hit 2006 film ‘Rang De Basanti’ and now regrets that decision. Read through.

This is why Shahid Kapoor rejected Rang De Basanti

During an interview on Neha Dhupia’s show, BFFs With Vogue, Shahid explained the reason behind rejecting Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s film. He expressed his regret for turning down the role of Karan Singhania, which was later played by Siddharth, due to previous commitments. Shahid expressed his regret for not taking up the film. He was offered the role of Siddharth and was deeply moved by the script, but unfortunately could not find time for it.

Shahid Kapoor’s success in Teri Baaton Mein Uljha Jiya

Meanwhile, Shahid Kapoor is currently enjoying the success of his film “Teri Baaton Mein Uljha Jiya” with Kriti Sanon. The film had a decent opening at the box office and has now crossed the 50 crore mark. Kriti recently announced whether there will be a sequel to the film. On social media platform X, a fan asked Kriti, “When can we expect part 2 #TBMAUJ?” The actress replied, “With all the love pouring in, I’m sure Amit and Aradhana (writers and directors) are motivated to write part 2 soon! (heart emoji) (sic).”

Will Shahid Kapoor rewrite Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s legacy? Here’s what we know!

Amit Rai is teaming up with Shahid Kapoor for an upcoming film that aims to celebrate the enduring legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, whose principles and ideas continue to influence India. However, the OMG 2 director is currently looking to collaborate with a leading production studio before moving ahead with the pre-production of the film. According to a source close to the development of the project, as reported by Pinkvilla: “While Shahid has tentatively agreed to helm the film, all official paperwork and announcements will be made once a studio is confirmed as part of the project . The team is in talks with several leading studios and financiers to collaborate on the film (sic).

About Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya

Directed by debut directors Amit Joshi and Aradhana Sah, the film has a duration of 143.15 minutes, which is 2 hours, 23 minutes and 15 seconds. It received a U/A certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya is a romantic drama that follows the story of Shahid, who brings Kriti into his family without knowing that she is actually a robot, the woman he has fallen deeply in love with. The film also features a special appearance by Janhvi Kapoor.

What do you think of Shahid Kapoor’s role if he had taken over Rang De Basanti?