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ALDI shoppers are rushing to buy a nifty central heating alternative in Specialbuy that could help slash energy bills this winter.

With temperatures plunging, the retail chain has stocked up on a bargain buy that will help you stay toasty while avoiding the cost of living squeeze.

Aldi

For those feeling the pinch, the retailer has launched a handy fire starters range.

Shoppers can scoop a pack of fire lighters for just £1.49.

Natural kindling is also a steal at £2.49 per bag, while Heatlogs and Kiln Dried Wood Logs will set you back £4.99 respectively.

ALDI WINTER WARMERS

If you’re looking for more ways to stay warm this winter, Aldi has a range of winter essentials.

Recently, Aldi brought back the £7 long hot water bottle to keep you warm.

If a traditional hot water bottle is more your style, you can grab a grey hot water bottle for just £4.49.

This smaller winter essential even comes with a fleece-lined eye mask to help you sleep peacefully.

Aldi is also stocking fleece-lined slipper socks for just £3.99.

If you’re hoping to tackle a draught in your home without breaking the bank, Aldi is currently offering a Draught Excluder from Kirkton House for just £5.99.

Available in four designs, the product is designed to be placed inside your door to prevent cold air from blowing in.

And even if you haven’t noticed a draught in your home, it is still ideal for reducing loss of heat from your room.

However, shoppers will need to act fast to snap up these bargains, as they’re only available while stocks last.

Aldi does not offer home deliveries, but you can check with your nearest store to see if the products are in stock before making the trip.

Shoppers can find their nearest store using the Aldi store finder tool.

COMPARE PRICES LIKE A PRO

JUST because something is on offer, or is part of a sale, it doesn’t mean it’s always a good deal.

There are plenty of comparison websites out there that’ll check prices for you – so don’t be left paying more than you have to.

Most of them work by comparing the prices across hundreds of retailers.

Instead, opt for sites like Google Shopping – a tool that lets users search for and compare prices for products across the web.

Simply type in keywords, or a product number, to bring up search results.

Alternatively, Price Spy logs the history of how much something costs from over 3,000 different retailers, including Argos, Amazon, eBay and the supermarkets.

Once you select an individual product you can quickly compare which stores have the best price and which have it in stock.

DANCING on Ice has found itself embroiled in a ‘fix row’ after fuming fans were left raging at the show’s judging panel and insisted they were repeatedly ‘under-marking’ one star.

The ITV show was awash with backlash when Springwatch presenter Michaela Strachan took to the ice.

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Fans think the judges have repeatedly under-marked the Springwatch star[/caption]

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Despite the high-scores, she fell close to the bottom of the leaderboard[/caption]

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Fans have blasted the judging panel[/caption]

Despite having topped the leaderboard at the start of the series, the TV star’s scores have since been beaten by many of her co-stars.

But this has left a bad taste in fans’ mouths after they insisted she is one of the best celebrities to take to the ice in years and exclaimed that she has “winner’s potential”.

During tonight’s show, Michaela opened the show alongside her pro partner Mark Hanretty as they skated to Venus by Bananarama.

Whilst the pair managed to get a respectable 34 out of 40 – they eventually landed second to bottom of the leaderboard following the first round of skating.

It led many fans to quip that the show judges’ scoring of the star has repeatedly decreased despite the fact they think the performance should have received top marks.

Lashing out at the programme, one enraged viewer slammed the decision on X as they said: “SICK of them undermarking Michaela.

“She’s one of the best skaters they’ve had in years and ever since they told her to stop skating on her own as much the marks have stayed the same.”

Another added: “Michaela could have red,white and blue smoke trails coming out of her tutu like a red arrow and still not get a 10 from the judges.”

A third then penned: “I said this last week, but I feel the judges have really thrown Michaela.

“They criticised her for her solo skating / confidence and now she’s playing safe, which she’s being criticised for.”

Before a fourth went on to say: “Why do I get the feeling that the judges want Dan and Vanessa to win over Michaela and Mark?

“It’s like Beth Tweddle all over again, when the judges clearly wanted anyone but her to win for some bizarre reason.”

DANNII Minogue has revealed how close she came to losing her pop superstar sister Kylie to breast cancer.

Kylie, then 36, was diagnosed in 2005 and had a lumpectomy and chemotherapy before getting the all-clear the next year.

Steven Chee

Dannii Minogue has revealed how close she came to losing her pop superstar sister Kylie to breast cancer[/caption]

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Kylie, then 36, was diagnosed in 2005 and had a lumpectomy and chemotherapy before getting the all-clear the next year[/caption]

Recalling the ordeal, former X Factor judge Dannii, 53, said: “I remember when Kylie was really sick and there was the chance that we were going to lose her.

“As she recovered and the world was celebrating, we were all celebrating.

“I had lost my best friend to cancer and I was grieving. Celebrating and grieving.

“And at the same time, there were so many articles about women: What does she look like? How old is she?

“Because if she doesn’t look good for her age, she’s of no value to anybody. I just thought, age is such a privilege.”

Kylie, 56, launched her Tension world tour in Perth, Australia, on Saturday, ahead of UK dates in May and June.

About being part of a famous family, Dannii who posed in leopard print for Stellar magazine, said: “I guess we’ve forgotten what it was like before.

“We have such respect for each other, and love celebrating each other.

“We know that’s special. Not every family has that.”

GETTING rid of limescale isn’t always easy, especially from tricky areas like taps in your kitchen and bathroom.

But did you know you don’t need to fork out on pricey products to get the job done?

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You can banish grim limescale with a bargain hack[/caption]

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The secret ingredient is probably already in your kitchen[/caption]

In fact, the solution you’ve been searching for is likely already in your kitchen cupboards.

Because of minerals like calcium and magnesium in hard water, limescale can form when the water evaporates and and the minerals are left behind.

You can’t use any old products to banish limescale though, as the wrong stuff can damage your taps, depending on what they’re made from.

Speaking to Express.co.uk, cleaning expert Manish Jain, founder of professional cleaning services Ministry of Cleaning, revealed how you can use ketchup to keep your home limescale-free.

“Limescale is not only unsightly but difficult to clean and often requires a whole lot of time as well as expensive cleaning products,” he said.

“That is until now as few realise there are some household ingredients that make removing limescale from certain appliances and items quick and easy.”

According to the pro, ketchup works as a great alternative to harsh cleaning products because of it’s acidic nature.

It turns out the acid in ketchup is perfect for breaking down grime and limescale on your taps – who knew?

So, how should you use ketchup for the best results?

Start with a clean cloth and dip it into the sauce, then simply rub it into your tabs, the pro explained.

Let it sit to work it’s magic for a few minutes before rinsing it off.

The best part is that if you don’t already have some ketchup at home, this hack will cost you as little as 20p, since you can buy a bottle of the red stuff for just £1 in Asda.

And if you don’t fancy that, you can also make use of any lemons you’ve got lying around.

It turns out the citric acid in lemons can also break down mineral deposits, so they’re perfect for cleaning.

Just cut a lemon in half and rub it straight onto your taps before rinsing of minutes later.

OTHER TRICKS TO BANISH LIMESCALE

One clever cleaning fan took to the popular Mrs Hinch Army Cleaning Tip group on Facebook to share her personal favourite hack for keeping limescale at bay – and it’s only cost you 18p.

“So many people ask about cleaning cloudy stained shower screens,” she wrote.

“I’m a cleaner and never stop learning methods. I had the opportunity to do a before and after this week at work.”

According to the keen cleaner, a magic sponge is all you need to banish the white build-up on your shower screen.

“I do this method and the stains vanish every time,” the Facebook user said.

“I use a wet magic sponge (my holy grail!), wipe down with a wet microfibre cloth and buff to a shine with a glass cloth.

“Takes less than a minute. Hope it helps you all.”

The best part is you can snap up a multipack of magic sponges for just a couple of quid, making this hack a budget-friendly one.

 pack of 10 will set you back just £1.78 from Viking Direct, which works out at just 18p each – not too shabby at all.

Similar products are also available in most supermarkets, like the Flash Ultra Power Magic Eraser, which will set you back £3 for a pack of two.

CLARKSON’S Farm made him famous, and it looks like it’s helped to make Kaleb Cooper rich too.

The sidekick of Jeremy Clarkson on the hit Prime Video show has, of course, put in some graft along the way too.

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Kaleb Cooper has announced he is expecting another child, pictured with Jeremy Clarkson on Clarkson’s Farm[/caption]

But judging by his bank account – which shows he has over £1.5m stashed away – the TV show hasn’t harmed either.

His main company, Kaleb Cooper Contracting, now has almost £1.16m in assets and his other firm, Kaleb Cooper Productions has £242,000.

On top of that he has K Cooper Retail and a new firm Cooper Livestock Ltd – not at all bad to say he’s still only 26 years old.

The timing of the new accounts couldn’t be better as the Cooper brood is rapidly expanding.

Kaleb, who’s already a dad to three-year-old Oscar and 19-month-old daughter Willa, announced, via Instagram, that his girlfriend is pregnant with their third child.

Alongside a picture of an ultrasound scan and a baby grow he last week posted the words: “Very excited to announce that’s baby number 3 cooking…going to be a very very busy August.”

His partner Taya, who he’s been with for eight years, also added: “So excited, can’t wait. Our family is growing.”

Fortunately the Cooper business is booming too.

Kaleb has previously revealed how he struggled watching Taya give birth in the past.

He explained that he felt ‘useless’ during fianceé Taya‘s labour as he didn’t know what he should be doing at the time.

He explained: “It was f***ing terrible, because when I’m helping that cow, I know exactly what I’m doing. I can bring the calf around to the mum and so on. 

“Now, when Taya was giving birth, I felt useless. I’m seeing her in pain having one of my kids.”

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AN ICONIC retailer with 1,100 stores across the UK has closed one of its major branches for good – leaving fans in tears.

The closure comes as the retailer struggles to adapt to shifting shopping behaviours and mounting economic pressures.

WHSmith’s branch in Bolton’s Crompton Place has shut its doors for good on Saturday, 15 February.

The well-loved store is said to have closed due to redevelopment plans, according to company officials.

A spokesperson for the retailer said: “We are disappointed to be losing our presence in Bolton and we would like to thank all our customers for their support and for shopping with us.”

Due to the closure, the stock of the store has been reduced to 75 per cent discount.

A member of staff Aaron Highet said: “It has been such a good experience and I’ve enjoyed my time here.

“The customers come in with a smile and want to chat. The staff have been lovely and are brilliant to get on with.”

Another shopper Wendy told the Bolton News: “I’m very sad about the closure. I have been coming here for decades to browse the magazines, books and pens.”

Store manager Sara Goldthorpe said: “We have had a lot of customers say they are disappointed about the closure.

“Lots of them come in to use their National Book Tokens and with World Book Day coming up, they will have to go to another branch.”

This follows the recent closure of two other locations in the area, on Old Christchurch Road and in Boscombe.

WHSmith is also set to close its Newtown branch in Powys, bringing an end to nearly a century of serving the local community in the town centre.

A further nine WHSmith sites will close before the end of the first two financial quarters in:

• Accrington, Lancashire – March 15
• Halstead, Essex – April
• Halesowen, West Midlands – April
• Diss, Norfolk – April
• Newport, Wales – April
• Haverhill, Suffolk – April 26
• Stockton, County Durham – May
• Oldham, Greater Manchester – May
• Orpington, Greater London – no date given

Which stores have already closed?

Over the past two years, WHSmith has shuttered 15 stores, including locations in Manchester, Bicester, Somerset, and Sale.

In June 2023, WHSmith confirmed it would not be opening any more high street branches in a blow for shoppers.

The retailer said opening more high street stores would “just be a duplication”.

It added it intended to focus on expanding its portfolio outside the sector.

Here’s the full list of stores which have closed over the past few years:

• Crewe, Cheshire – March, 2023
• Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire – March, 2023
• Bicester, Oxfordshire – August, 2023
• Manchester – December 2, 2023
• Alfreton, Derbyshire – January, 2024
• Ramsgate, Kent – January, 2024
• Oban, Argyll and Bute, Scotland – February, 2024
• Nantwich, South Cheshire – February, 2024
• Margate, Kent – April 20, 2024
• Sale, Manchester – September 2024
• Bournemouth – October, 2024
• Bournemouth Old Christchurch Road, Dorset – January 18, 2025
• Luton, Bedfordshire – January 18, 2025
• March, Cambridgeshire – January 25, 2025
• Basingstoke, Hampshire – February 1, 2025

What else is happening at WHSmith?

The retailer is actively seeking to offload its entire high street estate in order to focus on its fast-growing travel business of shops in airports and train stations.

WHSmith is working with advisers at Greenhill Investment Boutique. 

It is hoped that a deal can be reached within three months, according to sources.

Potential buyers circling the retailer, which opened its first London shop over 200 years ago, include retail turnaround specialists Hilco and Alteri, along with Doug Putman, owner of HMV, and Modella Capital, owner of Hobbycraft.

Investors have not wanted WHSmith to spend any more money on its high street arm, which has no real growth prospects. 

Russ Mould at AJ Bell said; “Exiting makes strategic sense and there have been plenty of clues it would happen one day soon.

“The travel arm is where most of the profits are made. It makes sense to sharpen the focus on what a company does best by offloading less important interests such as the high street operations.”

HE’S one of the nicest men on telly, but Joel Dommett has shown surprising opportunism in the wake of allegations surrounding fellow TV star Gino D’Acampo.

ITV have just confirmed that it won’t be showing the controversial Italian’s most recently-filmed series of Family Fortunes, which all but spells the end for him in the role.

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ITV have confirmed that it won’t be showing Gino D’Acampo’s most recently-filmed series of Family Fortunes[/caption]

And now that The Masked Singer has ended, Joel says he wants to take the reins on the popular quiz because he’s always fancied Gino’s job.

He told the Always Be Comedy podcast: “Now Gino D’Acampo is gone, maybe I’ve got the chance to slide in. I’ve been waiting for that.

“Honestly, Family Fortunes for me is the best show on telly and I know people will say, ‘What are you talking about?’. The perfect format is where the right answer or wrong answer, are both satisfying, but that’s so hard to achieve.”

Joel wrapped up the latest series of The Masked Singer on Saturday night, as musical theatre’s Samantha Barks, aka Pufferfish, emerged as the winner.

Now, he’d love to put a twist on the traditional format of Family Fortunes, which has been hosted by Gino since 2020.

He said: “I really think Family Feud, the American version, is THE best telly show in the world.

“So I would love to do the UK gig, but I would turn it into a different show.

“The American one leads you down a fun garden path with every answer, so when they say ‘name a race’, they want you to say ‘the 100 metres’ or ‘a heptathlon’, but someone says ‘Chinese people’ and everyone laughs. That’s what you need in it!”

The third series of Family Fortunes under Gino was scrapped by ITV after multiple allegations of bad behaviour came to light, though the channel has yet to confirm what plans they have for it moving forward.

Meanwhile, Joel’s other ITV gameshow, In With A Shout, has been shelved after two series — and it’s not clear when or if a third will be made.

And his big BBC gig, Survivor, has had a huge question mark over it as it went out in 2023, but the Beeb have yet to confirm a second outing.

Sounds like Joel has plenty of good reasons to eye up Gino’s old role.

Chuffed Puffer’s new gig

FRESH from her Masked Singer victory, when she was unveiled as Pufferfish, Samantha Barks has announced a one-night- only solo concert.

The actress and singer – who played Elsa in the West End production of Frozen and also starred in Les Miserables – will take to London’s Palladium on April 5.

Supported by a live band, the star will reel off her best-known hits – though she will have to get used to the crowds seeing her face again after getting comfy in her costume on the ITV singing contest.

Samantha said: “It’s been so fun to perform inside the mask, it’s so liberating.”

Dates a First for Vic’s Ma

SHE has found fame as Coronation Street’s Angie Appleton, but now Victoria Ekanoye is letting her mum take the limelight.

The actress, who appeared on the cobbles from 2017 to 2019, filled out the application for First Dates on behalf of her mum to give her a boost.

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Victoria Ekanoye filled out the application for First Dates on behalf of her mum to give her a boost[/caption]

Candy will appear on the Channel 4 show at 10pm tonight, on her first date in seven years after a battle with breast cancer knocked her confidence.

Victoria went on to battle the same cancer in 2021, before confirming she too had beaten the disease last year after undergoing a double mastectomy.

Unfazed by the idea her mum might out-do her on telly, and find herself a new career path, Victoria said: “She’ll outshine me, I’m going to retire – because she’s just TV gold.

“She’s funny without trying to be, and I just know people are going to love her!”

Goodish Gregg gag axe

DAVE GORMAN has had to axe an episode of his Modern Life Is Goodish series after material about TV presenter Gregg Wallace was cut.

The U&Dave show will return on February 24, but the run has been shortened to three episodes.

(C) Avalon

It had been written and performed before the MasterChef host was accused of sexual harassment and making inappropriate comments – claims Gregg denies.

Dave’s fascination with Gregg and his rise to fame and role as presenter of Inside The Factory was at the centre of much of his live tour last year.

During the comedy set, Dave referred to the grocer-turned-TV-host as a “six-year-old in a man’s clothing”, as he poked fun at his unusual career path.

'If queer couples want to get married, they should have every right to do so. But I didn’t want that.'

'I think he would look right in a Liverpool shirt.'

WhatsApp is getting a makeover – though, unlike ‘The Princess Diaries,’ there is no eyebrow-plucking and hair-straightening involved.

One of the biggest changes to the Meta-owned app is being introduced in the coming weeks, set to change everything.

The new ‘Chat Theme’ feature was unveiled in a blog post on Friday as part of the latest effort to boost personal customisation.

This means more than 3 billion users across the world will be able to swap the colour of the chat bubbles and background.

Rather than the generic green and white, people can choose from a large selection of colours including purple, blue, orange and pink. 

WhatsApp is also adding 30 new wallpaper options to the app for an extra bit of flair.

Alternatively, people can still upload a background from their camera roll to make them completely unique.

‘You can apply the same theme to all your chats, or make each one extra special with different themes,’ the post on the WhatsApp website read.

‘Either way, your chat themes are only visible to you. You can also change the theme of your channels.’

These features have already started to roll out and will be available globally over the coming weeks.

This comes after a terrifying glitch allowed users to see WhatsApp’s ‘View Once’ photos multiple times earlier in February.

The feature is meant to let users send images which delete automatically after they are seen, without the option to take a screenshot.

But in a worrying error for security, they could actually still be seen in the app’s settings, which includes chat history.

While the flaw – which only affected iPhone users, has since been fixed – it was a big oversight for the privacy feature.

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