Inside Escape To The Country star Steve Brown's life off-screen – tragic accident to heartbreaking split

The M.E.N recently reported on the scale of demand for high school places in Trafford, the only Greater Manchester borough which still has a state grammar school system decided by the 11-plus exam. Here, the M.E.N's Damon Wilkinson writes about how Trafford came to be the only borough in our region which kept a selective school system which defined post-war Britain - but only survives in a few parts of the country today.

One of the stars of The Crown believes the show should not be revived, and that the health battles of Kate Middleton and King Charles should not be brought to screen.

Kate Middleton’s cancer announcement in a new interview.The Princess of Wales, 42, delivered the shocking news on Friday that she was diagnosed with the disease and was undergoing preventive chemotherapy. The British actor — who played a young Prince (now King) Charles in Seasons 3 and 4 of the Netflix drama — got candid about his feelings regarding Middleton’s health.At the Sydney premiere of his upcoming tennis flick, “Challengers,” the 33-year-old told the outlet 9honey Celebrity: “I really missed all the Kate stuff that everyone was talking online about.”Since Middleton’s abdominal surgery in January, she has mostly stayed under the radar, with many conspiracies swirling over her whereabouts.

Coronation Street's Amy Robbins, who plays Daisy Midgeley's (Charlotte Jordan) estranged mum Christina Boyd, was so excited to join the cast that she cried when she first heard she got the part. Christina made her first appearance on the show last year and is gearing up to strut down those famous cobbles once more. But what might be a surprise to some is that this isn't Amy's first time starring in a soap.

Michael McIntyre has won the nation's hearts with his cheeky grin and flawless comedic timing.The London comedian, 47, is no stranger to fame as he has been entertaining audiences across the UK for 15 years and even earned the title of highest-grossing stand up comedian in the world back in 2012. Recently, he's been entertaining us on Saturday nights with his star-studded show, The Wheel, which is full of laughs for all ages. But what does Michael do when he's not making us giggle? Let's take a peek at his life off stage...

The Great Celebrity Bake Off is back for another series this year with a fresh batch of famous people. Among those trying their best to bake up a storm is Jodie Whittaker, Paloma Faith, Munya Chawawa, Spencer Matthews and Rhod Gilbert.

Actor Wunmi Mosaku is the star of ITV's upcoming crime thriller series, Passenger, which is set to air at 9pm on Sunday, March 24 on ITV1. Wunmi plays the lead role of Riya Ajunwa, a Former Met Police Detective who investigates a number of strange crimes that have sent the fictional small Northern town of Chadder Vale into a frenzy. The first series focuses on a young local girl who disappears without a trace, only to reappear a mere 24 hours later.Then, as further mysterious happenings and more sinister crimes take place, Riya must try and convince the residents that darker forces might be at play.

TV presenter Jean Johansson has announced some exciting career news.The star, who is known for hosting A Place In The Sun as well as The One Show, has shared her excitement as her latest TV project gets set to launch. Jean, 42, took to Instagram to reveal she'd been doing some reflecting, prompting her to celebrate how far she's come in her television career.The presenter said she is "exactly where I'm supposed to be" in a sweet message to fans. “Cheers.

A couple moved across the world in search for their dream home and were left emotional after finding 'the one'. Tiffany and George from Canada appeared on Escape to the Country and were moved to tears after packing up their life to move to Wales.

Bargain Hunt expert Kate Bliss has been helping the red and blue teams at auctions with her impressive knowledge for years. She made her TV debut on the popular BBC show after being spotted by the crew of Bargain Hunt.The antique enthusiast, who is in her late 40s, has been on other daytime shows including Flog It! and Secret Dealers, along with presenting Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is. Away from TV, she has an eye for jewellery and silver and is part of the fancy Great Britain Gemmological Association.

Sarah Lancashire is reportedly hanging up her acting boots to try something entirely different - working behind the camera.The A-list actress first shot to fame as Raquel Wolstenhulme on Coronation Street from 1991 until 1996, before briefly returning in 2000. Over the years she's become one of Britain's best-loved actresses, even snagging a BAFTA nomination this week for her role as Police Sergeant Catherine Cawood in the BBC drama Happy Valley.

Rock star Steve Harley has sadly passed away at his home in Suffolk on Sunday morning after a short fight with cancer at aged 73.

Sara Cox, the presenter of BBC Radio 2, has had quite a journey from being shockingly stalked by a paedophile to securing herself an impressive net worth.The 49 year old, who hails from Bolton, is now taking on her next venture as she joins this series of The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer.The radio star will tackle technicals and showstoppers as she masters baking in the iconic GBBO tent alongside the likes of Danny Dyer, Paloma Faith, Oti Mabuse and Spencer Matthews.The 2024 celebrity series will kick off from 7.40pm on Sunday, 17 March on Channel 4 with Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith returning as judges and Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond as hosts. As we watch Sara mix her way to become Star Baker, we've taken a look at her life away from the spotlight.

Prince Harry reportedly felt "displaced" and left out as his brother Prince William's family grew with the births of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, according to a leading royal author. The close bond between the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Middleton family left Prince Harry feeling like an outsider.

Hayley Palmer, girlfriend of The Chase star Mark Labbett, has spoken about flirting in their relationship during a debate with Love Island star Chyna Mills on Good Morning Britain. During a short segment on the show, Hayley and Chyna went head-to-head as they debated whether it’s right to flirt with someone else in front of your partner to get better service.

Escape to the Country viewers were left stunned earlier this week when a young couple revealed they had a staggering budget to spend on their first shared home. Anna and Jack, who are engaged and share a dog, Dexter, appeared on the BBC show to find their first home together in Buckinghamshire, and admitted they had a hefty pot of £850,000 to put towards it.

Even though he was third in line to the throne when he was born on 10 March, 1964, the Duke of Edinburgh never faced any realistic prospect of becoming King in the UK - but he almost did abroad! This surprising revelation comes from an odd request made to Prince Edward back in 1994.The Line of Succession is something that can't be changed based on personal preference, but it seems one foreign country didn't quite understand this. In 1994, during a time of big changes in their country, Estonia asked Prince Edward to become their head of state. Buckingham Palace kindly turned down this "charming" offer.

EXCLUSIVE: Altitude Media Group has boarded a documentary shot entirely inside the Grand Theft Auto video game world.

EXCLUSIVE: UK Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer has said the 40% indie film tax relief will bring balance to a movie sector that has swung too far towards big-budget fare in recent years.

A week ago Rochdale was at the centre of British news as voters took to the polls.