Orlando Pirates fans may never see Monnapule Saleng playing for the Buccaneers again and the club has sent him a message...
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Orlando Pirates send troubled star Monnapule Saleng a message!
Fuel price outlook for April GOOD after Budget Speech 2025
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UK’s ‘best’ Indian restaurant loved by King Charles suddenly announces closure after serving customers for 50 years
THE UK’s “best” Indian restaurant has announced a shock closure after serving guests for five decades.
King Charles even crowned it one of his favourite curry houses – but the iconic eatery is saying farewell.
Brilliant Restaurant in will be making its last dish on April 7 and after being in the family for three generations.
The longstanding eatery in Southall, Middlesex, has been a staple of Western Road since its launch in 1975.
Owner and celebrity chef Dipna Anand said that despite the closure she is thrilled with the reputation the restaurant has developed.
She said: “It may be the end of an era for Brilliant Southall, but after 50 years, the Brilliant brand has gained an iconic status in Indian dining, and we have to ensure that it is constantly evolving to both reflect the preferences of diners, and the food I love to eat, so there’s something delicious for everyone.”
Brilliant reached its superstar status for serving up mouthwatering samosa chaat and masala chicken, gaining a loyal customer base and the attention of A-listers.
From cooking royalty to an actual monarch – the restaurant was voted a favourite by Gordon Ramsay in his Channel 4 series and even was one of King Charles‘ top choices.
His Majesty visited the Indian venue on two separate occasions – once with Camilla in 2008 to check out a range of dishes.
The royal tried the buttered naan, black dhaal, masala lamb, chicken tikka masala and gajar ka halwa and sung its praises.
With such accolades, it’s no wonder it was awarded UK’s best international kitchen last year by the prestigious Hospitality Awards UK.
Brilliant offers Indian classics with Kenyan influences, specialising in north Indian Punjab cuisine.
It’s racked up four star reviews on Google with diners showering the venue with compliments.
One happy customer wrote: “Food was Amazing and the staff and the owner were excellent we really enjoyed our time in your establishment.
“It was the Best food I have had in a long time.”
Another shared: “The food was simply outstanding! Every dish was prepared to perfection, bursting with flavour, and beautifully presented.
“Whether you’re a fan of hearty comfort food or more adventurous culinary delights, there’s something on the menu for everyone.”
A third diner joked: “Yeah yeah yeah. I know. This review is going to say ‘it’s Brilliant’. Inevitable. But the food and service WAS brilliant.
“Highly recommended. It is as good as it looks.”
Dipna, whose talents had her branded the “curry queen,” started working at Brilliant at age seven or eight and was learning from her dad Gulu Anand who was the head chef.
Gulu’s own father Bishen Dass Anand founded the brand in the 1950s and first served food in a restaurant, nightclub and hotel in Kenya.
At 18, Dipna was put on the payroll and she eventually took over from her family and launched her own bestselling cookbook Beyond Brilliant.
The chef legend also used to run her own restaurant inside the iconic Somerset House in The Strand.
Thankfully, for loyal customers who can’t bare to see the restaurant go, Dipna is planning on opening another site in Southall.
Brilliant Gastro, operating under the same brand, should satisfy the cravings the restaurant sparked and should be opening mid-April.
WHY ARE RESTAURANT CLOSING
The hospitality industry is facing mounting pressures, including soaring bills, rising costs, and squeezed budgets.
More closures could be on the horizon due to upcoming hikes in employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and the national minimum wage.
Many food and drink businesses have faced significant challenges recently, as the rising cost of living has led to a decline in dining out.
After struggling to recover from the impact of the pandemic, many establishments were then hit with soaring energy bills and mounting inflationary pressures.
This has forced several well-known chains to shut locations, with big brands like Wetherspoons and Frankie & Benny’s among those affected.
What is happening to the hospitality industry?
By Laura McGuire, consumer reporter
MANY Food and drink chains have been struggling in recently as the cost of living has led to fewer people spending on eating out.
Businesses had been struggling to bounce back after the pandemic, only to be hit with soaring energy bills and inflation.
Multiple chains have been affected, resulting in big-name brands like Wetherspoons and Frankie & Benny’s closing branches.
Some chains have not survived, Byron Burger fell into administration last year, with owners saying it would result in the loss of over 200 jobs.
Pizza giant, Papa Johns is shutting down 43 of its stores soon.
Tasty, the owner of Wildwood, said it will shut sites as part of major restructuring plans.
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Nineties kids’ TV star looks unrecognisable three decades after telly career as she reveals toll fame took on her
A NINETIES kids’ TV star looks unrecognisable three decades after her glowing telly career.
Emma Ledden was a host on Live and Kicking, but after making a massive career u-turn, she is now a business coach who empowers people to present with confidence.
The brunette beauty, who is in her late forties, shot to fame in the nineties on BBC One‘s Sunday morning children’s television before her departure from the show in 2000.
Live & Kicking helped launch the careers of the likes of Zoe Ball, Andi Peters and Jamie Theakston.
It ran for eight years from 1993 to 2001 and many of its presenters went on to become household names.
Emma, who is an Irish and lives in Dublin with her husband and two sons, looks unrecognisable from her TV career after becoming a business coach.
Sharing posts about “finding your pink” and “unlocking new confidence”, Emma has over 3,000 followers and aids women in “elevating their impact”.
Last month she shared a post about fame and how it impacted her more than two decades ago.
“Fame isn’t always what it seems,” she penned in the caption alongside six slides of throwback snaps that had lessons written on them.
“From public scrutiny to unexpected lessons, my time in the spotlight taught me so much—about confidence, resilience, and the power of using your voice,” she went on.
“These lessons shaped the way I present today and the conversations I have on Finding Your Pink,” she concluded in the caption.
She then went through the five things she learned, with the first being that “it’s really fun” which was written over a throwback snap.
“It’s a whirlwind of glitz and glamour, until it’s not,” she said.
The second lesson she learned was “the fun is not for free”, noting how “everyone has an opinion” and that “no matter what, there are critics”.
Thirdly, Emma said that “you can’t have a day off” and being in the public eye means “there’s no room for bad days”.
The fourth lesson was that “fame doesn’t make it better”, adding how if you’re insecure or hurting, “fame won’t fix it” and will instead “make it worse”.
And finally, Emma’s fifth lesson was “what matters most is still the same”.
“Fame is fleeting, but real connections, purpose and self-acceptance are what last,” she added.
“Love this Emma,” penned one person underneath the post.
Another added: “Very true Emma!”
While a third said: “Love love this post. Thank you for sharing.”
MAFS star Holly dating convicted drug dealer who has three kids with three exes – and his newest baby was born LAST WEEK
A MARRIED At First Sight UK bride hard-launched a new relationship with a convicted drug dealer after binning off her controversial groom.
Holly Ditchfield, 29, who appeared on last year’s installment of the hit E4 reality show, is dating Tiktok personality Aaron Summers, after splitting with on-screen husband Alex Henry after their fiery relationship played out on the show.
Aaron, 28, from Dagenham, who pleaded guilty to possession of heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply back in 2021, allegedly cheated on his partner with Holly, and she found out days before giving birth to his third child last week.
Holly is said to have been aware of Aaron’s partner’s pregnancy, but decided to post the PDA-filled snaps just three days after the birth.
A source told The Sun: “[Holly and Aaron] had been talking for a few weeks and finally met up last weekend.
“He was already in a relationship with a different girl who was heavily pregnant and had the baby on Thursday. They met the day after – Holly fully knows about this. She portrayed herself as a girl’s girl on the show.
“Aaron was at the birth and then drove four and a half hours to Holly’s house [in Huddersfield]. The baby’s mum put the photo of the baby on Facebook on Friday and then Holly posted a photo with Aaron on Sunday.”
In 2021, Aaron pleaded guilty to being in possession of quantities of heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply at Hastings Magistrates Court – he also pleaded guilty to being in possession of criminal property.
But it wasn’t his first brush with the law, as the convicted drug dealer was handed a community order and 150 hours of unpaid work at West Sussex Magistrates’ Court after he admitted sending text messages which conveyed a threat to cause distress or anxiety in Bognor Regis, back in 2019.
The new couple allegedly met through Tiktok earlier this year, where Aaron does content creation work under the username bigazz1.
Things are said to have moved quickly with the pair, according to a source, who told The Sun that the convicted drug dealer has already met Holly’s kids.
The source continued: “They started chatting in February – they met through Tiktok. He has a platform on there – it’s where he makes his money. Recently he’s been posting content about going to Morocco, before that he was trolling people online.
“He also classes himself as a bit of a rapper – but he should just stick to the day job.”
His Tiktok engagements were said to be “dying down”, prior to Aaron meeting Holly, according to a source.
They continued: “Now all of a sudden he’s in love with her – she’s had him around her kids and they’re already calling him step-dad.”
Aaron is a father-of-three to a daughter and a son from two previous relationships – and his latest welcome addition on Thursday last week.
Holly’s rep had no comment when approached by The Sun.
In snaps posted on Instagram, Holly – who was married to Alex Henry, 28, in her Married At First Sight journey – can be seen enjoying a cuddle from Summers in an image accompanied by three Emoji icons.
