Hoang Viet

Uncategorized

Jun 10 2023

Blundell’s School: Teenager charged with attempted murder and GBH with intent after assaults at Tiverton school | UK News

A 16-year-old boy has been charged in connection with three alleged assaults at a school in Devon.

Two teenage boys and an adult were injured at Blundell’s School in Tiverton on Friday.

A suspect, who cannot be named for legal reasons, will be remanded to appear at Exeter Magistrates’ Court on Monday morning charged with two counts of attempted murder and one count of GBH with intent, a spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said.

Officers were called to a school building at around 1am on Friday 9 June following reports of a serious assault.

The two teenage boys are both students at the independent school and remain in hospital.

One of the boys is in a critical condition and the other is in a stable but serious condition, officers said.

Their families remain with them and are receiving support from officers.

The man who sustained injuries is a member of staff at the school and was discharged from hospital on Friday.

Commander Superintendent Toby Davies said: “Our thoughts remain with the injured boys and their families in what must be a harrowing time for them.

“My officers are continuing to support them and the wider school community.

“We continue to fully investigate this incident and a scene guard remains in place at the school and is expected to remain there for the rest of the day.”

Officers are keen to remind the public not to speculate as to the identity of either the victims or the suspect.

Any suspect under the age of 18 is legally not allowed to be identified.

In a letter to parents and guardians, headteacher Bart Wielenga said the school is “confident” this was an isolated incident and there is “no ongoing threat or concern”.

Mr Wielenga said support is available for pupils following the incident.

Read more from Sky News:
Another Boris Johnson ally to stand down as MP immediately
Second arrest made in search for high risk missing woman
At least three troops faint in military parade as temperatures soar

The mixed school costs £41,325 a year for senior boarders and more than £28,000 annually for those in years seven and eight.

Notable former pupils at the school include Ben Collins, thought to be the face behind Top Gear’s The Stig, and reality TV star Georgia “Toff” Toffolo.

admin 0 Comments

Uncategorized

Jun 10 2023

Boris Johnson branded ‘coward’ for quitting as MP before partygate findings published | Politics News

Boris Johnson has been branded a “coward” and a “disgrace” for quitting as an MP before the findings of a parliament investigation into whether he lied to MPs about partygate were published.

Members of the opposition lined up to criticise the former prime minister, who took aim at the Commons privileges committee in a blistering 1,000-word statement as he resigned on Friday.

Mr Johnson claimed the cross-party group, which has a Tory majority, were “determined to find him guilty” of misleading parliament and claimed a “witch hunt” was under way to take revenge for Brexit.

Politics Live: Boris Johnson’s former press secretary calls exit ‘very Trumpian’

But Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, said the former prime minister had “jumped” to avoid facing a potentially humiliating by-election in his marginal Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency.

“I think Boris Johnson has shown himself to be a coward once more,” she told Sky News.

“He’s a man that can never hold his hands up to what he’s done. And I think he’s an absolute disgrace.”

Ms Rayner pointed out that the Commons get to vote on any recommended suspension from the privileges committee and, if 10 days or more is agreed, Mr Johnson’s constituents would then get a say if there should by a by-election.

She said Mr Johnson had chosen to “dodge all of that because he knows he’s not going get through that process, because it is clear he misled parliament”.

“He’s had a fair hearing. He’s chose to run off and cower away from responsibility of what he’s done,” she added.

“Nobody made him party during lockdown. He knows full well what he should and shouldn’t have been doing. And he let the public down in the most disgraceful way.”

The committee has been investigating whether Mr Johnson lied to the Commons when he said that COVID rules were followed in Downing Street following reports that lockdown-busting parties were held during the pandemic.

It was reportedly preparing to recommend a 10-day suspension from the Commons, a conclusion which, if MPs voted for it, would have resulted in a recall petition among his constituents and a potential by-election in his west London constituency if more than 10% supported one.

Will Walden, a former spokesman for Boris Johnson, said his old boss had “seen the writing on the wall” that he could be ousted and called his exit “very Trumpian”.

“Boris hates the comparisons with Trump, but it is the language of vendetta,” he said of Mr Johnson’s statement. “It’s a long rant, and frankly, it’s deeply misleading in places. But it’s very Boris.”

Read More:
What led to the former PM’s shock resignation as an MP?
How a bombastic political career came to a bitter end

Chris Bryant, the Labour chair of the privileges committee who recused himself from the Johnson investigation, said the former prime minister could be levelled with a new contempt of parliament charge after his “narcissistic rant”.

“He’s been so cowardly that he’s not prepared to face the music in the House of Commons,” he added.

The privileges inquiry is due to meet on Monday to finalise its conclusions and is expected to publish its report “promptly”.

In a statement released by the committee on Friday night, a spokesman said Mr Johnson had “impugned the integrity” of the Commons with his attack.

Mr Johnson said he was “bewildered and appalled” at being “forced out, anti-democratically” by a probe that he claimed had set out from the beginning to “find me guilty, regardless of the facts”.

His resignation means Rishi Sunak now faces the prospect of two by-elections, with Nadine Dorries – one of Mr Johnson’s closest allies – also announcing on Friday that she was vacating her seat effective immediately.

The two main opposition parties have vowed to fight hard to win the seats – but the Lib Dems insisted on Saturday there would be no pact with Labour to oust the Tories.

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said: “There’ll be no pacts, no deals. We will fight both by-elections. Voters will make the decision.”

admin 0 Comments

Uncategorized

Jun 10 2023

The Great Cornish Bake Off? Greggs faces battle with local pasty makers as it eyes Cornwall expansion | UK News

Greggs says it wants to open new stores in Cornwall and the South West of England – in a move that could put the bakery chain toe-to-toe with traditional Cornish pasty makers.

The company’s boss, Roisin Currie, says the company is on track to open 150 new shops nationwide this year – and could open even more if the right sites become available.

She says the company is particularly interested in new sites in Cornwall and other areas of the South West of England.

It is set to open its fourth shop in Cornwall, at a business park in Saltash, today.

But Greggs – founded in Tyneside in 1939 and famed for its sausage rolls and steak bakes – will face a competitive grab-and-go market in the county, where the Cornish pasty has been a staple for hundreds of years.

“The opening strategy is going to plan and the new location in Cornwall is a key part of that,” Ms Currie said.

“Obviously we are a brand that started from the North and the natural growth of the business from there means there are some parts of the country, such as in Cornwall and the South West, where we see more scope to open sites.”

Greggs currently operates around 2,300 shops across the UK – and hopes to expand to more than 3,000 as part of its long-term growth strategy.

A number of new sites in the company’s growth plan target tourists and motorists, with openings at forecourts and service stations.

Read more:
Greggs plans to open new stores despite elevated pay and energy costs
Greggs wins battle to sell late-night sausage rolls in Leicester Square

In May, the bakery chain revealed in May that sales surged by nearly a fifth over the start of 2023 – despite the cost-of-living crisis.

It said its cheap meals remained “compelling” to cash-strapped consumers.

“We’re looking very positively towards the summer and hopefully this warm weather will mean more people out and about, and ultimately looking for somewhere to eat,” Ms Currie said.

admin 0 Comments

Uncategorized

Jun 10 2023

There’s no conceivable path for him to become leader again – so what is next for Boris Johnson? | Politics News

It reads like a declaration of war – but in reality, Friday’s resignation statement matters because Boris Johnson is throwing in the towel on his political career.

Yes, there are hints of a third political comeback in his kinetic resignation statement.

“Never write him off,” say the pundits in the cheap seats.

Yes, there will be MPs bemoaning his departure if the Tories underwhelm at the next general election and calling for him to return. But he will not be there.

Johnson had a choice this week – and he could have chosen to remain.

That would have meant to stand and fight the verdict of the Privileges Committee, with all the opprobrium that he feels is unfairly heaped upon him.

Politics live: Boris Johnson quits

Then he would have had to watch as Tory MPs were asked to decide whether to back him.

Yes, some would. But despite the vocal minority of supporters, my conversations suggest that the raw numbers prepared to side with Boris Johnson against a Tory-dominated committee accusing him of deliberately misleading the Commons in pitiless detail may not have gone well for the former PM.

In the event he lost the vote and faced 10 or more days of suspension, he would also face the prospect of a by-election in his Uxbridge constituency.

Its 7,210 majority is well within the margin that could be swept away, which would be a decisively mortifying end to his political career.

Even if he won that vote, what would it be for?

There is no conceivable path to him becoming leader again.

He would continue as he has since being slung out as PM – the ghost at the Tory feast, undermining Sunak and, should the Tories lose the next election, his successors.

Nobody has the ability to suck the oxygen out of the room like Johnson, with the media and a slice of the Conservative Party still hanging off his every word as if it mattered – that will not help current or future leadership contests.

So instead, Johnson opted to leave. It was the bold choice, but one in his self-interest.

This gives him a fighting chance of an exit on his own terms – taking aim at enemies inside and out of the Conservative party and to draft his own first version of history – all with the timing of his choosing and the spotlight firmly on what he wants people to see.

Read More:
Resignation statement in full
What led to former PM’s shock resignation?

It frees him to continue with massive earnings outside Westminster – now without the burden of declaring it in the Register of Members Interests.

And he will continue to comment on politics – perhaps he might return to a column in The Daily Telegraph?

Perhaps he might help buy The Daily Telegraph?

Click to subscribe to the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts

All with the small but vocal hardline supporters suggesting his ousting the reason for the likely electoral difficulties faced by his successor.

There was no sign on Friday night that his departure had triggered a Tory civil war – allies like Priti Patel and Simon Clarke pensive but restrained.

No sign of more by-elections beyond the two already known.

Now he can concentrate on honing his legacy: yes the 2019 election, Brexit, vaccine and leading the world on Ukraine.

But also upending the way politics works in this country, in a way unlikely to unite but will never be forgotten.

He will never shun the limelight, his momentous decision was about making sure it shows his best side. That’s why, once more, on Friday he voted to leave: to preserve the myth, and not put it to test against reality.

admin 0 Comments

Uncategorized

Jun 9 2023

Annecy attack: ‘Backpack hero’ chased ‘possessed’ knifeman after British girl and five others stabbed in French park | World News

A 24-year-old has been hailed the “backpack hero” for confronting the suspect after the stabbing of a British girl and five others in a French park – while using his bag as a shield.

Henri, who was on a nine-month Catholic pilgrimage around France‘s cathedrals, said that after realising the extent of the attack he “followed [his] instincts and tried to protect [the] children”.

Four children, aged between 22 months and three years old, were left with “life-threatening injuries” after the suspect, a Syrian refugee named by French media as Abdalmasih H, rampaged through the lakeside park in the town of Annecy.

The most critically injured children were two cousins.

Two adult men were also hurt during the incident – one of whom was injured with the knife and by a shot fired by police as they were arresting the suspect.

Using his bag to swipe at the attacker, and at one point throwing one of the backpacks to fend off his blade, Henri told broadcaster BFMTV that he acted off his instincts and immediately ran after the suspect, trying to scare him off and distance him from the injured.

“I didn’t even think, I must admit the brain really unplugged,” he said.

“For me, it was just impossible to let those who can’t defend themselves get attacked by someone who seemed like a crazy person.

“I had my big 20kg backpack on my back, I tried to run with the big one at first in the park behind him before realising he was much faster than me so I got rid of my big backpack after and followed him with my little bag.”

Henri added: “He tried to attack me at some point, our eyes have met.

“I understood that it wasn’t a guy in a normal state, something really bad was inside of him and it had to absolutely be stopped.

“I am far from alone in having reacted.

“Many other people around started, like me, to run after him to try to scare him, push him away.

“And other people immediately went over to the children to take care of the injured.”

Read more:
British girl, 3, has ‘woken up’ – Macron
Victim was there on holiday
What do we know about the Annecy knife attacker?

President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that the victims would “continue to improve”.

The two cousins have been stabilised and the three-year-old British national is “awake and watching television” after being treated at a hospital in Grenoble, Mr Macron said.

A wounded Dutch girl has also improved and a critically injured adult is regaining consciousness.

He said that the children were saved by the “swiftness” of those who intervened after the incident, including Henri.

Henri asked the French president if he could be invited to the inauguration of Notre-Dame Cathedral – which was partially destroyed in a fire in 2019 – when it re-opens.

Mr Macron said he will personally make sure he is invited.

“Thank you immeasurably for your courage,” Mr Macron said to those who intervened. “You experienced very hard moments, traumatising. I am very proud of you.”

Motives for the attack remain unknown, but there was “no apparent terrorist motive”, according to local prosecutor Line Bonnet-Mathis.

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said the 31-year-old suspect recently had an asylum request rejected because he has held refugee status in Sweden for the past 10 years.

French authorities rejected the request on 26 April but the suspect only learned of the decision on 4 June, French broadcaster BFMTV said.

Henri’s father, Francois, said his son “told me that the Syrian was incoherent, saying lots of strange things in different languages, invoking his father, his mother, all the Gods”.

“In short, he was possessed by who knows what, but possessed by folly, that’s certain,” he said.

admin 0 Comments

Uncategorized

Jun 9 2023

Huge fire destroys part of listed building – man arrested | UK News

A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson after a huge fire at a grade II-listed building.

Dramatic pictures show large sections of the roof at Henderson Old Hall in Heaton, Newcastle ablaze.

The building had previously been part of Newcastle University’s student accommodation but is now disused.

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) said at one point 54 firefighters, 10 fire engines and two drones were at the scene to help douse the flames.

Area Manager Dave Leach, of TWFRS, said: “This is the largest fire we have seen in some time and it has been a very protracted response for everyone involved.

“The drone footage we are releasing shows the scale of the damage this fire has caused, and the nature of what we have been faced with since that first emergency call.”

Firefighters worked overnight to dampen down the flames – two crews remain at the scene.

There were no reports of anyone being injured.

admin 0 Comments

Uncategorized

Jun 9 2023

PM makes some progress with Biden, but promised free trade deal with US is yet to materialise | Politics News

The prime minister leaves Washington with some progress on two of his goals on this trip: to get his foot in the door on the global response to the risks of artificial intelligence, and deepen economic ties with our biggest trading partner.

The announcement of the first global AI summit to discuss how the world might multilaterally mitigate risk in London is a win.

Mr Sunak wanted to use this visit to directly impress upon President Joe Biden that the UK has the knowhow to take a bigger lead in the regulation of AI, and this summit is a start in the bigger push to locate any global watchdog in London.

And from the language used by Mr Biden at the news conference, it looks like Mr Sunak succeeded.

The US president told his audience in the East Room of the White House: “We’re looking to Great Britain to help me in that effort to figure out a way through [the handling of AI].

“So we’re in full cooperation. Because there’s no one country we have greater faith in being able to negotiate this. We’re in lockstep.”

For a country that has been shut out of negotiations between the EU and US on regulatory frameworks, this would have been very welcome language.

Mr Sunak prides himself on his knowledge of AI and thinks it’s an area where he can stake ground for the UK.

He likes to share an essay with AI novices called Why AI Will Save The World by Marc Andreessen, which presents a bullish case of how artificial intelligence can enhance our lives.

But, as Mr Sunak told me in our interview this week, he is also very cognisant of the existential threat to humanity it poses if left unchecked, and needs grasping quickly given that AI is evolving faster than expected.

And this goes beyond just the PM’s personal interests – from a UK perspective, in a post-Brexit world where London no longer acts as the natural transatlantic bridge between Washington and Brussels, Mr Sunak is trying to stake a claim to leadership elsewhere.

The UK’s leadership on Ukraine, kickstarted by Boris Johnson and continued by Mr Sunak, has been noted, both on Capitol Hill and in the White House.

While Washington has size and scale, London, say UK officials, can demonstrate first-mover advantage, unencumbered by the EU.

What Mr Sunak wants to show is that the UK can be a nimble operator – and from his remarks at the news conference, President Biden looks like he could have bought in.

For there’s no doubt, after that scratchy period during the Johnson years and Truss days, that relations were strained.

Mr Sunak has remedied that: in the Oval Office on Thursday, the two leaders spent 40 minutes in a one-on-one meeting, and another 30 minutes in a more formal bilateral with advisers.

No 10 insiders tell me they were pleasantly surprised by Mr Biden’s warm language following those discussions in the news conference.

There is a feeling on the plane back to London that Mr Sunak landed his pitch to be a leader in AI regulation with the US.

Time will tell whether the UK’s hosting of a global conference on mitigating AI risks in the autumn will evolve into the UK hosting the first AI global regulator, something the PM is pushing for.

From a No 10 perspective, this is an administration that is getting wins on the international stage, be it the Windsor Framework with Brussels or the Hiroshima accord with Japan.

And from a prime ministerial perspective, the foreign policy progress Mr Sunak’s making is perhaps the most successful aspect of his first six months in No 10.

This is a leader who seems genuinely comfortable on the global stage and seems to build genuine rapport with allies from the EU’s Ursula von der Leyen to Mr Biden.

As for the deepening of economic ties between our two nations, the announcement of the Atlantic Declaration to strengthen the special relationship was a further sign that allies are trying to cut China out of supply chains amid fears of Beijing’s growing aggression.

But the hard reality is that the free trade deal hailed as a big Brexit win for the British people had failed to materialise after Mr Biden, perhaps constrained by congressional constraints, put that trade deal in the deep freeze.

Read more:
PM blames pandemic and war for failure to strike US trade deal
Sunak criticises Starmer over ‘bizarre’ North Sea oil and gas ban

Click to subscribe to the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts

Mr Sunak has long said that he wants to focus on the quality rather than speed when it comes to trade deals (the US-UK deal will be looked at again in 2025), but the hard facts are that the Conservatives promised a free trade deal with the US by the end of 2022, and that deal has failed it materialise.

It is a broken promise.

When I asked the PM in Washington on Thursday to acknowledge this government had failed on this election pledge on Thursday, Mr Sunak said the “macroeconomic situation had evolved” and insisted that the UK-US economic partnership was still strong and reflected new threats.

“Since [that pledge] then we’ve had a pandemic. We’ve had a war in Ukraine and that has changed the macroeconomic situation,” he said.

“And the right response to that is to ensure that we’re focusing our engagement economically on the things that will make the most difference to the British people.

“The real challenge we face are the threats to our economic security. And actually what I’ll be talking to President Biden about today is how can the UK and the US work together to ensure that security for our citizens? I think that’s the thing that we should be focusing on right now.”

No trade deal, but for this PM, the special relationship looks in good shape.

An Atlantic Declaration that maps out future cooperation on issues such as artificial intelligence, key supply chains and defence manufacturing is a result.

On politics and policy, the special relationship between not just the US, but the UK on a wider global stage is looking in better shape than it’s been for a good few years.

It might not be a vote winner for Mr Sunak come the next general election, but he comes across as the prime minister who believes this is the right thing to do for Britain’s post Brexit relevance and prosperity.

He is a leader who is winning points on the world stage, but still desperately behind in the polls.

admin 0 Comments

Uncategorized

Jun 8 2023

Boy, 15, dies in crash with ambulance in Salford after police e-bike pursuit | Breaking News News

A 15-year-old boy riding an electric bike has died in a collision with an ambulance after being followed by police in Salford.

Greater Manchester Police said officers began following a boy riding an e-bike at around 2pm today on Fitzwarren Street.

Police were forced to break off their chase because of bollards on Lower Seedley Road.

But in a statement, the force said a short time later the e-bike and an ambulance collided on Langworthy Road.

The police added: “The 15-year-old boy riding the e-bike sadly died.”

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is now leading an investigation into what happened.

A cordon remains in place on Langworthy Road.

Greater Manchester Police said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the boy who tragically died.”

admin 0 Comments

Uncategorized

Jun 8 2023

Croydon tram crash driver tells court he is ‘deeply sorry’ and ‘in some ways I held myself responsible’ | UK News

The driver in the Croydon tram disaster has described to jurors the moment he “collapsed” when he was told passengers had died.

Alfred Dorris also told the Old Bailey “in some ways” he held himself “responsible” for the crash which killed seven passengers.

He was allegedly driving the tram at three times the speed he was supposed to be doing before it derailed on a sharp curve at Sandilands in south London.

As well as the seven deaths, 19 people were seriously injured.

The 49-year-old is on trial for failing to take “reasonable care” of the health and safety of himself and the 69 passengers on Tram 2551 on 9 November 2016.

The prosecution alleged Dorris may have had a “micro-sleep” or become disorientated before the crash.

On Thursday, he broke down in front of the victims’ families as he gave evidence for the first time.

He wiped away tears as he described being arrested and put in the back of a police van after the crash, having never been in trouble before.

The married father-of-one said: “I was told that I was being arrested for manslaughter because of multiple fatalities.

“I was broken. I could not believe what I was hearing.”

On arrival at a police station, he said: “I broke down. One of the officers kind of put his hand on my shoulder, tapped me in a reassuring way that was quite nice, to be honest. I was taken to a police cell.”

Later, he was released under investigation and took his family to stay in a hotel for four weeks due to the intense media interest in the disaster.

Read more:
Passengers ‘flung around’ during deadly tram crash
Families say ‘justice has been suffocated’

On his state of mind at the time, he said: “I was just all over the place, just broken, disbelief at what had happened.

“In some ways I held myself responsible for what happened. I could not explain how it happened.”

The defendant said lighting in the tunnel on the approach to the sharp turn where the derailment happened was “inconsistent”, and in the dark he had to rely on his “route knowledge and experience as a driver”.

Dorris said he got “confused” before the crash but not due to a lack of concentration as it had been a “normal average” day up until that point.

He went on to say how he continued to “struggle” with what happened and reached his “lowest point” during the lockdown when he was unable to start treatment for a “severe case of PTSD”, eventually leading to the breakdown of his marriage.

Asked what he would have done if he had felt tired before a shift, he said: “I could have just explained I was not feeling fit to work and they would sign me off.”

The court heard how Dorris had applied to work on the trams in 2008 as a “stepping stone” to realise his ambition of becoming a train driver on the railways.

Previously, he had also worked early shifts as a bus driver and a milkman.

In his job as a bus driver, his only accident had been a “little scuff” with a car at Sloane Square on his first day out on his own, the defendant said.

Dorris, from Beckenham, southeast London, denies a single charge of failing to take reasonable care at work under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

admin 0 Comments

Uncategorized

Jun 8 2023

Rebecca Ferguson, a former X Factor contestant, calls for investigation into reality TV | Ents & Arts News

Former X Factor star Rebecca Ferguson has called for an investigation into reality TV shows, to “protect future contestants”, claiming there are “terrifying” things going on behind the scenes.

The 36-year-old posted a series of tweets on Twitter, telling her 645,000 followers: “I’m bound by multiple NDAs but I cannot continue to not live in my full truth, being silent is worse. I’ve lived through hell for years.”

She went on to call on Dame Caroline Dinenage, the chair of parliament’s culture, media and sport committee, to ask for an independent inquiry, interviewing herself, and all previous X Factor staff between 2004 and the present day, adding “what you’ll uncover is beyond terrifying!”

In 2010, the Liverpool-born singer came second on the seventh series of the show, which was won by Matt Cardle.

Ferguson has previously campaigned for the introduction of a regulatory body for the music industry, in a bid to ensure artist welfare.

She went on to share a screenshot of an email which she said she sent to ITV and Ofcom in 2021 calling for an “urgent inquiry” into the treatment of contestants on reality shows, but said she had been “fobbed off”.

Ferguson wrote: “I was refused by ITV and OFCOM, no investigation was taken place and my concerns appeared to be fobbed off.

“I am open to communication should they now wish to follow up with my private complaint now that I have made my complaint public.”

In the email, she listed reasons for her complaint including contestants being “mentally manipulated and abused whilst having mental health problems” and being “reduced to tears due to pressure/bullying”.

She said contestants were also “forced into contracts without independent legal advice” and made to “sign to a management company with no freedom of choice”. She said contestants were told if they refused, they would be “kicked off the show”.

She said her reason for making the “formal complaint” to OFCOM in 2021 was “to ensure the future safety of contestants and ensure adequate safeguarding measures are put in place to protect future contestants”.

An Ofcom spokesperson said that they did reply to Ferguson and met with her virtually in 2021.

They said in a statement: “We listened carefully to the extent of her concerns about the treatment of contestants during her time on The X Factor in 2010.

“During these exchanges, we explained our powers and how our broadcasting rules apply in detail. We confirmed that new rules introduced to protect participants in programmes were not applicable to programmes broadcast before April 5, 2021.

“We also clarified that our statutory remit, as set by parliament, means that our fairness rules do not extend to contractual matters or conditions imposed by broadcasters on participants, and only to content as broadcast.

“We suggested to Ms Ferguson possible routes to escalate her complaints to ITV and the appropriate authorities.”

ITV responded to Ferguson’s claims, saying they were “committed to having in place suitable processes to protect the mental health and welfare of programme participants”.

Their statement went on: “We have continued to evolve and strengthen our approach, and we expect all producers of commissioned programmes to have in place appropriate procedures to look after the mental health of programme participants as well as their physical safety.

“Those processes and procedures will differ from programme to programme, to ensure that the welfare of all participants in ITV programmes is appropriately safeguarded.

“Whilst the practical detailed processes required to manage participant welfare in each programme must sit with producers themselves, ITV as a broadcaster and commissioner of content provides guidance on what we consider to be best practice: in the selection of participants before filming, in supporting them during filming, and in continued support up to and after the broadcast of the programme.”

ITV said that in its correspondence with Ferguson it had stressed contestant welfare was of the “highest priority”, as reflected in their duty of care charter and “detailed guidance” which was introduced in 2019.

They said: “ITV responded to Rebecca with information provided to us by the producers, detailing their arrangements regarding welfare, aftercare, legal advice, and management, at the time of her participation.”

The broadcaster has faced criticism in recent years following the deaths of former Love Island contestants Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis in 2018 and 2019, and the death of a guest on The Jeremy Kyle Show in 2019, which resulted in the show being axed.

Click to subscribe to Backstage wherever you get your podcasts

After rising to fame on X Factor, Ferguson has gone on to release four albums and became a panellist on ITV’s Loose Women.

In 2021 she met with former culture secretary Oliver Dowden to discuss discrimination in the music industry.

Last month, ITV announced it had instructed a barrister to carry out an external review of the facts after Phillip Schofield’s departure from popular breakfast show This Morning, following an affair with a younger employee.

ITV chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall will be questioned about the Schofield scandal by the DCMS committee in parliament on Wednesday.

Chair of the committee, Dame Caroline Dinenage, told Sky News the meeting will not be a “witch hunt” against the former presenter, but is intended to ask wider questions about workplace culture and practices within both ITV and other public service broadcasters.

admin 0 Comments