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Map reveals UK’s 10 most expensive towns & cities where you need a £200k deposit to buy a home – is yours on the list?

A MAP has revealed the UK’s 10 most expensive towns and cities – where an eye-watering £200k deposit is needed to buy a home.

Research has shown the average house prices and how much potential buyers need to save up in order to afford them.

Aerial view of St Albans Cathedral and city.
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St Albans in Hertfordshire was ranked the most unaffordable[/caption]
Bridge over a river in Guildford, Surrey.
Alamy
Guildford, in Surrey, came in second on the list[/caption]

April Mortgages compiled the data and drew up the 16 most unaffordable areas to get on the property ladder.

St Albans, in Hertfordshire, ranked top of the list, with the average home costing an eye-watering £591,000.

Meanwhile, the typical salary is around £41,000, meaning residents would need to have a £406,000 deposit saved up to get a house.

Guildford, in Surrey, came in second place with properties going for roughly £512,000 on average.

With locals earning about £44,000 a year, they would need a hefty deposit of £314,000 to get a mortgage and home.

In third place was Cambridge, just north of London, where similar statistics were recorded.

The average house price was just over £500,000, while income was around £43,000 and deposits required were £308,000.

Most banks will only lend home buyers 4.5 times their gross annual salary, which means around £180,000 for someone earning the salaries set out above.

Mark Eaton, chief operating officer at April Mortgages said: “The speed at which house prices are rising is leaving many prospective buyers unable to afford a home.

“House prices have soared over the last 20 to 30 years and are estimated to be worth over nine times the average household income.

“Borrowers on lower or average salaries are facing an almighty battle to save a large enough deposit to climb onto the property ladder.”

Mr Eaton argued banks need to “wake-up to new ways of thinking” when it comes to mortgages in the midst of an affordability crisis.

Meanwhile, some of the most affordable areas to buy a house included Blackburn, in Lancashire, Darlington, in County Durham, and Sunderland in Tyne and Wear.

This comes as economic turmoil and a low supply of homes coming on to the market has seen property prices soar over the past few years.

Elevated view of Cambridge skyline, including Trinity College and St. John's College Chapel.
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In third place was Cambridge, just north of London, where similar statistics were recorded[/caption]
River Avon in Bath, UK, reflecting buildings and Pulteney Bridge.
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the Empire and River Avon weir in late afternoon sunlight, Bath, UK[/caption]
Row of terraced houses in Darlington, UK.
Alamy
Darlington in County Durham was listed as one of the most affordable areas[/caption]

Alice Haine, personal finance analyst at Bestinvest, said while potential rate cuts and easing inflation could help buyers “affordability levels remain stretched by historical standards.”

But, she added the prospect of more support from the Government if “proposals to loosen lending rules go ahead” could help improve the outlook.

Banks could soon be encouraged to offer more loans to people with smaller deposits and loosen limits on how much they can borrow.

Meanwhile, affordability checks lenders use to see how much you can pay off each month, could also take into account rental payments.

A major barrier for many buying a first home is the stringent checks that look at income to calculate this.

The potential shake up comes as part of plans by Chancellor Rachel Reeves to kickstart the economy.

One of the ideas reportedly floated is to allow banks to give more loans to buyers with smaller deposits.

What help is out there for first-time buyers?

GETTING on the property ladder can feel like a daunting task but there are schemes out there to help first-time buyers have their own home.

Help to Buy Isa – It’s a tax-free savings account where for every £200 you save, the Government will add an extra £50. But there’s a maximum limit of £3,000 which is paid to your solicitor when you move. These accounts have now closed to new applicants but those who already hold one have until November 2029 to use it.

Help to Buy equity loan – The Government will lend you up to 20% of the home’s value – or 40% in London – after you’ve put down a 5% deposit. The loan is on top of a normal mortgage but it can only be used to buy a new build property.

Lifetime Isa – This is another Government scheme that gives anyone aged 18 to 39 the chance to save tax-free and get a bonus of up to £32,000 towards their first home. You can save up to £4,000 a year and the Government will add 25% on top.

Shared ownership – Co-owning with a housing association means you can buy a part of the property and pay rent on the remaining amount. You can buy anything from 25% to 75% of the property but you’re restricted to specific ones.

Mortgage guarantee scheme – The scheme opens to new 95% mortgages from April 19 2021. Applicants can buy their first home with a 5% deposit, it’s eligible for homes up to £600,000.

Deposits are cash payments paid upfront by a person looking to buy a house and are worth a percentage of the property’s value.

Most first time buyers pay a 20% deposit on their first home.

In December 2024 the average price of a house was £360,197, according to Rightmove.

That means wanna-be buyers would need to pay a deposit of £72,000 in order to be accepted for a mortgage.

Meanwhile, extra stamp duty relief available to first-time buyers since 2022 will end in April 2025.

As a result, a first-time buyer purchasing a property valued at £425,000 will incur a stamp duty charge of £6,250.

A glimmer of hope can be found in the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), the Bank of England’s rate-setters, cutting the base rate from 4.75% to 4.5% last week.

The base rate is used by lenders to determine the interest rates offered to customers on savings and borrowing costs.

A base rate cut can mean that mortgage rates are lowered, which is good news for homeowners.

Earlier this week, Santander launched a two-year and five-year fix with a rate of just 3.99%.

It’s the first sub-4% mortgage on the market since November last year.

Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme – Sun Club.

Blackburn Cathedral in Lancashire, UK.
Alamy
Blackburn, in Lancashire, where house prices are far nearer to average salaries[/caption]
Sunderland city center street scene.
Alamy
Tyne and Wear Sunderland city centre was also rated one of the most affordable areas to buy a home[/caption]

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‘He’s in the doghouse’ – Mikel Merino dedicates Arsenal heroics to wife after revealing his Valentine’s Day blunder

MIKEL MERINO dedicated his late Arsenal double to his wife Lola… after forgetting to buy her a Valentine’s Day present.

The Spaniard, 28, rose from the bench to net both of the Gunners’ goals in their 2-0 win at Leicester.

https://twitter.com/footballontnt/status/1890772000701821348
Mikel Merino of Arsenal celebrating a goal.
Getty
Mikel Merino bagged Arsenal’s late double[/caption]
Woman in red bikini in shallow ocean water.
Merino’s wife Lola did not receive a Valentine’s present
Instagram @lolaliberal

After the game, Merino made a cheeky admission while speaking to TNT Sports.

He told reporter Becky Ives: “It’s the first time in my career that I’ve played as a striker. The manager told me to use my strengths and I think I did that.”

On if he expects to play up top more, he added: “I don’t think so, to be honest.

“But it’s a good day to score because I forgot to give my wife a Valentine’s Day present, so I think she’ll appreciate this more than a rose or some chocolates.”

Seeing Merino’s interview, one fan joked: “Brother, you are in the doghouse.”

While a second joked: “How romantic.”

A third quipped: “Merino is so locked in he forgot to get his wife a valentine’s.”

Despite the makeshift forward’s double, Ethan Nwaneri was awarded TNT Sports’ player of the match award.

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On the 17-year-old, Merino added: “He’s an amazing player.

“Every time I do an interview, you guys ask me for him!

“That’s natural because he is such a talent.

“He has such a wonderful left foot and he put the ball right on my head so that all I could do was score.”

Arsenal‘s win saw them reduce their deficit to Liverpool at the top of the table to four points.

Arne Slot‘s men will play their game in hand tomorrow, hosting Wolves at Anfield.

Ethan Nwaneri of Arsenal dribbling the ball during a soccer match.
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LEICESTER, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 15: Ethan Nwaneri of Arsenal runs with the ball during the Premier League match between Leicester City FC and Arsenal FC at The King Power Stadium on February 15, 2025 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)[/caption]

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Beyonce sizzles as she’s painted in gold in raunchy perfume advert pictures

BEYONCE left fans in awe as she sizzled in a raunchy new perfume advert, drenched in gold from head to toe.

Singer Beyonce, 42, turned up the heat in the campaign shots, painted in shimmering gold to plug her latest fragrance, Cé Lumière.

Beyoncé in gold body paint holding her Ce Lumierre perfume.
Instagram
Beyonce left fans in awe as she sizzled in a raunchy new perfume advert[/caption]
Beyoncé in gold body paint and hat.
Instagram
The singer was drenched in gold from head to toe for the shoot[/caption]

In sultry snaps shared to Instagram, the Crazy in Love songstress stared away from the camera, wearing a striking wide-brimmed hat with an armor corset bustier and high-waisted skirt.

In another, she wore a form-fitting dress and matching gold opera gloves while gazing down at the bottle.

Her platinum locks tumbled down to one side of her head as the camera caught her mid-movement.

More saw her holding the perfume in the air against a white spotlight, adding a funky pair of sunglasses to her look.

She simple wrote in her captions: “Love is the only gold,” and: “Sweet like honey.”

Beyonce launched her first fragrance, Heat, in 2010, which became a bestseller and led to multiple spin-offs, including Heat Rush in 2011.

She followed with Pulse the same year and Rise in 2014, inspired by her personal journey and Maya Angelou’s poetry.

After nearly a decade away from fragrances, she returned in 2023 with Cé Noir, a perfume she crafted in France.

Cé Lumière, first dropped in 2024, features notes of black pepper, patchouli, jasmine, and musk, reflecting her evolving artistic vision.

Beyonce’s post came just hours after a woman who accused Jay Z and Diddy of raping her after an MTV party dropped her lawsuit.

Jay Z – real name Shawn Carter – hailed the legal withdrawal as a “victory” after previously blasting the lawsuit as “blackmail”.

The anonymous victim accused the two rappers of raping her at a party following the MTV Video Music Awards in September of 2000.

Documents filed with in New York said the accuser had “volunteraily dismissed” the case “with prejudice” – meaning it cannot be refiled.

It was not immediately clear if the stars had reached a settlement with the woman, who has not been identified.

But 55-year-old billionaire Jay-Z welcomed the closure of the case, which he slammed as “frivolous, fictitious and appalling”.

He said: “This civil suit was without merit and never going anywhere. The fictional tale they created was laughable, if not for the seriousness of the claims.”

“I would not wish this experience on anyone.

“The trauma that my wife, my children, loved ones and I have endured can never be dismissed.”

Jay-Z’s attorney, Alex Spiro, emphasised in a separate statement that the case “never should have been brought”.

He said: “By standing up in the face of heinous and false allegations, Jay has done what few can – he pushed back, he never settled, he never paid one red penny, he triumphed and cleared his name.”

The complaint said Combs and Carter took turns assaulting the plaintiff as another celebrity stood by and watched.

“Many others were present at the after party, but did nothing to stop the assault,” it went on.

“Carter has been with Combs during many such instances described herein. Both perpetrators must face justice.”

Beyoncé in a gold bodysuit and gloves.
Instagram
Beyonce turned up the heat in the campaign shots[/caption]
Silhouette of a woman in a gold dress holding a gold perfume bottle.
Instagram
The star plugged her latest fragrance, Cé Lumière[/caption]
Silhouette of a woman in gold lingerie.
Instagram
Snaps saw her posing against a white spotlight[/caption]

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Martine McCutcheon shows ex what he’s missing as she poses in sexy silk pyjamas after split

MARTINE McCutcheon showed her ex what he was missing as she posed in a pair of sexy silk pyjamas.

The Love Actually star, 48, and musician Jack McManus, 40, shocked fans last summer when they revealed they had split after more than 18 years together, being married for 12. 

Martine McCutcheon taking a selfie in her bathroom wearing a silk pajama set.
Instagram
Martine McCutcheon has been spotted looking slimmer than ever in sexy silk pyjamas after her split from husband Jack[/caption]
Martine McCutcheon on the set of This Morning.
Martine recently made her return to social media
Rex Features

And mum-of-one Martine recently made her social media return after the breakdown of her marriage, saying she’s looking forward to the “next chapter”.

Now, she’s showed off her physique in a pair of silk pink pjs, while standing in her bathroom.

The brunette beauty gazed into the camera with her legs on display, as she flashed a smile at the mirror.

Holding up her phone, Martine could be seen posing in pyjama shorts and a strappy top.

Martine returned to Instagram with a sweet video last week, and explained that she had taken a social media break so she could “find her feet” after the breakdown of her marriage.

Sharing the clip on her Stories, the Perfect Moment singer said: “Hello everybody it has been a long time since I have been on here but I wanted to say that your messages of love and support and all sorts last year were so so amazing for me last year.

“So thank you so much.

“I have not been on here I have basically been finding my feet, healing, focusing on the next chapter which I am very excited.”

Martine then went on to explain that she was proud that her and Jack have put their child Rafferty before everything else.

The actress last post on social media was an inspirational quote at the end of last year, where she talked about “respect”.

The message read: “The only people who deserve to be in your life next year, are the ones who treat you with love, kindness and respect.

“If the vibes are weird, move on.”

The actress’ break-up shocked fans as it came just days after Martine posted a loved-up birthday tribute to Jack.

She has since revealed he was the one to end their marriage.

Jack McManus and Martine McCutcheon at the Bromley Boys premiere.
2018 Joe Maher
Martine with ex Jack[/caption]
Martine McCutcheon smiling and speaking to camera.
Instagram
Martine explained that she had taken a social media break so she could “find her feet” after the breakdown of her marriage[/caption]

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Top six highest-paid boxers in the world revealed including Tyson Fury, Jake Paul and pound-for-pound legend

JAKE PAUL and Tyson Fury make up two of the six highest-paid boxers in the world.

Business sports page Sportico revealed the world’s 100 top-earning athletes of 2024.

Oleksandr Usyk punches Tyson Fury during a boxing match.
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Tyson Fury and Oleksandr rank as two of the highest-paid athletes in the world[/caption]
Jake Paul and Mike Tyson boxing.
Getty
Jake Paul also makes the list[/caption]

Footballer Cristiano Ronaldo topped the list with £206MILLION made – £170m of that coming on the field.

Basketball star Steph Curry was second with £122m but the bulk of that – £79m – was actually earned off the court.

Fury made the top three with wages of £116m with the majority – £111m – earned in the ring.

The Gypsy King had two massive fights against Oleksandr Usyk last year – appearing to be worth £55.5m each.

Fury lost the first via split-decision – costing him his WBC belt and undefeated record.

And Usyk, 38, then won the rematch in December in a controversial unanimous verdict.

The Ukrainian ranked as the second highest-paid fighter on the list, earning £96.8m – all but £1.5m made through his two bouts.

Fury, 36, has since announced his retirement despite a mega-bout with Anthony Joshua, 35, still on the table.

Table of the top-paid sports stars in 2024.

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Joshua was the fourth richest boxer on the list, making £47m in total last year, £39m in the ring.

AJ fought twice last year, knocking out ex-UFC champion Francis Ngannou, 38, in March before losing to Daniel Dubois, 27, in September.

Canelo Alvarez, 34, was above him in third with £58m and £51.6m of that was through fighting alone.

He beat Jaime Munguia, 28, in May and then Edgar Berlanga, 27, in September.

Canelo was recently in shock talks to face YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul in May.

But he walked away from the deal to sign with Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh and fights William Scull, 32, in May and Terence Crawford, 37, in September.

Paul, 28, meanwhile fought three times last year, most recently against Mike Tyson, 58, in November.

He knocked out boxer Ryan Bourland, 36, and ex-UFC star Mike Perry, 33, before that.

Paul earned £38m last year with £30m of that made in the ring.

Naoya Inoue, 31, was the final fighter on the list taking, home £33m in 2024 with £27.7m coming through fights.

The Japanese pound-for-pound great beat Luis Nery, 30, and TJ Doheny, 38, in that period.

Illustration of the highest-paid boxers in 2024, ranked with earnings.
Canelo Alvarez landing a punch on Caleb Plant during a boxing match.
AFP
Canelo Alvarez walked away from a fight with Jake Paul[/caption]
Anthony Joshua boxing at Wembley Stadium.
REUTERS
Anthony Joshua fought twice in 2024[/caption]
Naoya Inoue holding multiple boxing championship belts.
AFP
Pound-for-pound superstar Naoya Inoue[/caption]

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‘Nightmare fuel’ – Man Utd fans terrified at prospect of Casemiro-Eriksen pivot amid TRIPLE midfield injury blow

MANCHESTER UNITED fans are dreading the prospect of seeing two senior stars starting against Tottenham.

Ruben Amorim warned that his side had suffered some setbacks in training this week.

Soccer players battling for the ball.
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Man Utd may be forced to play a midfield pivot of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen against Tottenham[/caption]
Kobbie Mainoo of Manchester United in a red jersey.
Rex
It comes after a trio of injuries to Man Utd in midfield, including to Kobbie Mainoo[/caption]
Two shirtless wrestlers in a wrestling ring.
X/@UtdFaithfuls
Fans were not ecstatic at the prospect of seeing the veterans play against Spurs but tried to see the funny side[/caption]

A report from The Athletic has now revealed three of the affected stars are Kobbie Mainoo, Manuel Ugarte and Toby Collyer.

The trio have been a major part of the Red Devils squad in recent weeks, with Ugarte and Collyer in particular providing much-needed energy in midfield.

However, all three are now set to miss Sunday’s trip to Tottenham.

Ugarte and Collyer are said to be major doubts for the mid-table clash, while Mainoo is reportedly set to be sidelined for more than a couple of weeks.

While club captain Bruno Fernandes has filled in as one of the two pivot players in recent weeks, a lack of options up front may prompt Amorim to play him in the front three.

That would leave veteran duo Christian Eriksen and Casemiro as the only two senior midfielders in the squad who can play in the engine room.

However, the pair have a combined age of 65, and it has shown this season.

The last time the pair started together in the Premier League was in the 2-0 defeat to Newcastle at the end of December.

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Since then, Eriksen has played a total of ten minutes off the bench in the league while Casemiro has been a permanent bench-warmer.

Reacting to the potential midfield pivot tomorrow, one fan said: “Good heavens what next??? I see Casemiro & Eriksen starting & getting run through like a hot knife through butter.”

A second said: “Hopefully we keep possession if not, Spurs will run this Casemiro and Eriksen partnership.”

Another fan said: “Hopefully one of Ugarte/Collyer will be alright. Otherwise it’s Casemiro/Eriksen again and we saw what happened vs Newcastle United.”

A fourth added: “Casemiro/Eriksen pivot?! We won’t be there!!”

A fifth said: “Nightmare fuel.”

The injury crisis has also seen Amorim call up a number of stars from the club’s Carrington academy.

Jack Moorhouse, 19, is travelling with the first-team squad after an impressive season with the Under-21s.

Manchester United potential starting XI vs Tottenham.

Amorim, 40, personally watched the midfielder during a 5-1 win over Southampton in December, in which the Manchester-born star scored twice.

Injuries across the board have seen Amorim promote a number of youngsters into first-team training.

Striker Chido Obi and winger James Scanlon were not included with the Under-18 squad on Saturday following their participation in first-team training this week.

Asked specifically about 17-year-old Obi, Amorim said: “I don’t want to say names.

“We have to be careful on that. We have problems this week, we called some young players to be in our training. We have some data evaluation. He is one of them.”

Amorim was forced to name 21-year-old goalkeeper Hubert Graczyk on the Man Utd bench for the first time in the FA Cup triumph over Leicester with both Altay Bayindir and Tom Heaton out injured.

Graczyk is effectively seventh-choice at Old Trafford, but fifth and eighth-choice players Elyh Harrison and William Murdock have been included in first-team training this week.

New arrival Ayden Heaven was also named on the bench after recently signing from Arsenal, while Patrick Dorgu started the game before he was hooked at half-time of the 2-1 win.

Manchester United midfielder Jack Moorhouse playing in a soccer match.
Alamy
Ruben Amorim has called up Jack Moorhouse, 19, to the first team[/caption]

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Dani Dyer reveals honeymoon with West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen is ‘on pause’ – and admits sad reason why

DANI Dyer has revealed that her honeymoon has been put “on pause” as she prepares to marry Jarrod Bowen.

The podcaster and reality star is set to marry the West Ham right-winger this year after dating for four years – but with commitments back in the UK, getting away for a honeymoon is proving difficult.

Screenshot of a woman gesturing during a video call.
Dani has opened up about her plans for the future with Jarrod Bowen
Jarrod Bowen and Dani Dyer at the Luzia premiere.
Getty
Jarrod and Dani are set to tie the knot next year[/caption]

Posting a new Q+A vlog on her YouTube channel, Dani revealed that she doesn’t know when they’re going to make it work – but has a destination in mind.

“The honeymoon is on pause at the moment, because you never really know with football where we’ll be at, so we’ll probably book a honeymoon a couple weeks before we’re actually gonna go,” she explained.

“It’s really hard with the football thing, because you just never really know. I really want to go to the Lake Como for my honeymoon. I absolutely love the Lake Como.

“I remember when we, me and my dad, filmed a show, and we ended up at the Lake Como, and I was like, ‘oh my god, this is just gorgeous. It’s beautiful.’ And yeah, the Lake Como is somewhere I really want to go.”

“We’ll definitely have a honeymoon, hopefully in the summer, I really, really hope that,” Dani added. “But we just kind of have to wait until we kind of know where the plans are.

“Also I want to film something which could potentially be around that time. We will have it, but it’s just matter of when.”

She then joked: “And will the kids be coming? Absolutely not!

“If I didn’t have children, we’d probably go away for a lot longer. I’d love to go to the Maldives. That’s a place I’ve always wanted to go to, but I couldn’t leave the kids that long yet, and I’ll probably wait until they’re older to take them.

“We just need four nights, three or four nights, just us without being parents. I love my children so much, but I would like a honeymoon without them. That would be great.”

Dani revealed the wedding will be a private affair, explaining that while she comes from a reality TV background, Jarrod prefers to keep things private.

She also joked that fans will only get to see one of her two planned hen dos, with a planned trip to Ibiza staying off the record as she plans to ‘party’ more than her London event.

Once married, Dani – who famously shares her name with her father, Danny Dyer – will be double barrelling her name to become Dani Dyer-Bowen.

But her reason, rather than being her namesake, is because she wants to maintain the surnames she shares with her children.

Her eldest, Santi, 3, was from a previous relationship, while Jarrod and Dani share one-year-old twin girls Star and Summer.

Jarrod proposed in July last year while the pair were on holiday in Ibiza, with the footballer getting down on one knee on a boat trip.

Prior to the proposal, he had asked dad Danny for Dani’s hand, getting his approval before doing so.

Dani previously opened up to Fabulous magazine about how the proposal went down and said: “It was so special, as we hadn’t really seen each other properly for nearly two months, as Jarrod was at the Euros.

“It was just the perfect trip. On the day he proposed, he put a little shirt on and said: ‘You should put a cute dress on.’

“I thought: ‘Maybe it’s gonna happen!’ But then you don’t want to think: ‘This is it,’ in case it isn’t,” she laughs.

“You don’t want to get your hopes up. But we were on the boat and it was just lovely. I was actually speechless.

“I was so overwhelmed. Afterwards, he said: ‘I didn’t know when to do it, because the boat was really rocky,’ then as we got off we both nearly fell over. But it was all so special.”

Dani Dyer and Jarrod Bowen with their two children on family holiday.
Instagram
The pair are planning a holiday without their children[/caption]
Dani Dyer and Jarrod Bowen announcing their engagement on a boat.
Instagram/danidyerxx
The couple got engaged in July last year after three years of dating[/caption]
Dani Dyer and Jarrod Bowen in a close-up photo.
Instagram
The couple will be having a private ceremony with Jarrod veto-ing a TV show idea[/caption]

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