I'm enjoying life, says Nicola Sturgeon as she replies to questions about her sexuality
In an interview with ITV to be broadcast on Monday night, the former SNP leader – who was divorced in January – was questioned about her sexuality, just days after extracts from her forthcoming autobiography coyly addressed long-running rumours about her personal life.
In the interview, presenter Julie Etchingham asks Ms Sturgeon directly: 'Might we see you in a relationship with a woman?'
She replies: 'I'm just out of a marriage, so I'm not rushing into a relationship with anyone, anytime soon.
'I'm enjoying being my own person for a while.'
Ms Etchingham continues: 'But not ruling it out?'
Ms Sturgeon adds: 'I'm not contemplating, sort of anything of that nature. I'm just enjoying life.'
In the extract from her memoirs, Frankly, which is published on Thursday, Ms Sturgeon wrote: 'I have never considered sexuality, my own included, to be binary.'
But she refused to reveal any specific details, adding that 'sexual relationships should be private'.
During the interview, she also spoke of her 'horror' when police officers showed up at her home in April 2023 and arrested her then husband Peter Murrell, who was her party's chief executive at the time, as part of an investigation into the SNP's finances.
Asked by Ms Etchingham what it was like seeing her husband being led away, the former First Minister, becoming tearful, said: 'I genuinely don't know whether the fact I don't have a clear image of that in my head is because I didn't witness it or that I have somehow blocked it out.
'It wasn't until I got to my mum and dad's that I saw the pictures of my house looking like a murder scene. I had this sense of horror and upset and, you know, the kind of shame of it all.'
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Times
8 minutes ago
- Times
Biddy Baxter obituary: the brains behind Blue Peter
For the best part of 26 years Biddy Baxter was the guiding force behind the children's television programme, Blue Peter, stamping her formidable authority on a series that drew audiences of 12 million with its pet animals, charity appeals and ability to come up with ingenious new uses for discarded toilet rolls. Baxter's Blue Peter was high-minded. She was a firm admirer of the BBC's first director-general, John Reith, and thought broadcasting should have a strong element of education and moral purpose. The show taught children about the Great Fire of London, Florence Nightingale and Scott of the Antarctic, while encouraging them to think of others less fortunate. The Blue Peter appeals became legendary. In one of the early ones, children were asked to send in silver paper to buy a guide dog for the blind. Seven and a half tons arrived. Another featured milk bottle tops. Baxter insisted that the children donated rubbish, not money. A bring and buy sale for refugee children in Cambodia raised £7.7 million and inspired the BBC to start the annual Children in Need appeal. Baxter was a disciplinarian and could be frightening. One of the presenters said she 'came to dread the click of high heels on the metal staircase' as Baxter descended from the gallery to the studio floor. Baxter's retort was that running a live programme twice a week, with items changing almost up to transmission, meant that she had to be tough. This extended to her superiors, against whom she fiercely defended her patch, using what she called a form of Chinese water torture to get her way. However, her reputation for sacking presenters for unacceptable behaviour owed more to tabloid embroidery than fact. Michael Sundin was reported to have lost his job because he was gay. Baxter said it was because he was unpopular. When the unmarried Janet Ellis was revealed to be having a baby she was condemned by the Mothers' Union and the press whipped up a storm. But Baxter supported Ellis and the decision to leave the programme was Ellis's own. The programme had some notable scoops. Baxter was particularly proud of an interview with Otto Frank, father of Anne Frank, in which for the first time in public he showed some of the original pages from his daughter's diary. Simon Groom was one of the first British reporters to get into Cambodia after the fall of Pol Pot and Princess Anne took part in a safari in Kenya with the Blue Peter stalwart, Valerie Singleton. There was fun as well, some of it unscripted. The best remembered episode in the show's entire history, and frequently repeated, concerned a young elephant called Lulu. She had a minder called Smithy, 'a tiny, rotund gentleman. He came with this absolutely horrendous stick with a sharp metal spike like a spear. I said I'm, sorry Mr Smithy but you just can't have that'. Without Smithy to keep her in check, however, Lulu stepped on presenter John Noakes' foot, urinated, and emptied her bowels over the studio. Unusually, for what was usually a live show, the item was recorded. Baxter decided to keep the cameras rolling: 'The defecation', she said, 'was too compelling.' In time Blue Peter was criticised for being too middle-class and comfortable but Baxter would have none of it. She retorted that nobody was compelled to watch and middle-class children alone would never have accounted for the large viewing figures. Moreover, young children, at which the programme was aimed, needed something secure in their lives. Ironically for someone who made a successful career in children's broadcasting, and seemed instinctively to understand what children wanted, Baxter had no children of her own. She insisted it was not a handicap, recalling that some of her best teachers at school had been spinsters. An only child, she was born Joan Maureen Baxter in Leicester in 1933. Her father ran a sportswear company and played rugby for Leicester, while her mother was a talented amateur pianist whose life was blighted by premature deafness. Joan found war exciting, rather than frightening, and showed early sings of tenacity when she organised a raffle for a doll she owned. She attended Wyggeston Girls' Grammar School in the town, where she was hopeless in maths but shone in English, and she also joined the Little Theatre, a venue for amateur dramatic productions. Such was her height that in one production she was cast as Britannia, complete with trident, helmet, breastplate and union flag shirt. She was not however allowed to wear her spectacles, and narrowly avoided falling off stage. Baxter went on to the all-women St Mary's College at Durham University, where she studied social sciences. Graduating in 1955 she decided to reject both of the main careers then open to educated women, secretary or teacher. She spotted an advertisement for a BBC radio studio manager but was told by the university appointments officer that nobody from Durham had ever gone to the BBC. In what she called 'a fit of pique' she applied for the job and got it, joining the corporation as a 22-year-old in October 1955. Being a studio manager turned out to be less glamorous than it sounded, consisting of chores such as balancing microphones and creating sound effects. She was determined to be a producer and got her chance three years later, working on programmes such as Listen With Mother and Junior Schools English. In 1961 she moved into television for the first time, after successfully applying for an attachment to the children's department, where she worked with the naturalist Johnny Morris and the ventriloquist Ray Allan. When the attachment ended she was about to go back to radio when she was offered the job of producing Blue Peter. Contrary to a wide popular perception, Baxter did not create Blue Peter, which had been running for four years when she took it over. It originally went out for 15 minutes once a week, with an emphasis on model trains for boys and dolls for girls. By 1962 John Hunter Blair, who had run the programme from the start, was too ill to continue and Baxter, still in her twenties, got her chance over more senior candidates. She soon made Blue Peter her own. She decided it must have a logo and commissioned the galleon design from a young artist, Tony Hart. In 1963 the Blue Peter badge was born, awarded to children who sent in letters, poems and stories. Baxter was determined to involve the viewers and make it their programme. The first special Christmas stamps, issued in 1966, were based on designs by two six-year-old winners of a Blue Peter competition. Another way of encouraging children to do things for themselves was showing how discarded toilet rolls, squeezy bottles and yoghurt pots could, with a bit of imagination and liberal use of sticky-backed plastic, be turned into something useful, such as a pen holder or desk tidy. The phrase, 'here's one I made earlier', entered the language. Realising that many children, particularly those living in tower blocks, were unable to have pets Baxter decided that Blue Peter should feature animals. One of the early ones was a puppy called Petra. The dog died a few days after one brief appearance and was replaced by a lookalike. Nobody seemed to notice and the substitution was only revealed years later. As Blue Peter expanded to 25 minutes and was broadcast twice a week, the original two presenters became three, with John Noakes joining Singleton and Christopher Trace. The eternally cheery Noakes became a star in his own right, celebrated for potentially dangerous stunts such as climbing Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square or becoming the first civilian to do a five-mile high freefall parachute jump with the RAF. Probably Blue Peter's best presenter, Noakes left amid some acrimony in 1978 after a 12-year stint. He was allowed to keep one of the show's pets, a border collie called Shep with whom he had bonded, and intended to use him in television commercials. Baxter was dead-set against the idea. 'I think it would have been immoral' she said. 'How can you have a Blue Peter presenter on commercial television advertising dog food so children think 'I must buy this'?' The show received some 7,000 letters a week, a postbag which required the BBC take on extra help, and each got an individual reply. When Baxter was a child she wrote to Enid Blyton and was delighted to get an answer. She wrote again and was dismayed to receive the same answer. To ensure this would not happen on Blue Peter she had every letter logged. Baxter left Blue Peter in 1988. There were reports of a falling-out with the new head of children's television, though she said her departure was because her husband John Hosier had been offered a job in Hong Kong. She was presented with a gold version of the famous badge. She returned to the BBC as a freelance consultant, serving two Directors-General, Michael Checkland and John Birt. She left the corporation in 2000. Shortly before his death from cancer that year, her husband asked her to set up a charity to support aspiring musicians. In 2003 she set up the John Hosier Music Trust, a cause which she described as 'terribly rewarding. It will be much better when I die. The trust will benefit from my will.' In 2018 she said, somewhat baselessly: 'I have two great failings in life — laziness and procrastination. I'm longing to do absolutely nothing.' Joan Maureen 'Biddy' Baxter MBE, television producer, was born on May 25, 1933. She died on August 10, 2025, aged 92
Metro
10 minutes ago
- Metro
Coronation Street star reveals ‘stressful' time as she makes major change
Coronation Street's Lucy Fallon has reached another huge milestone in her life, as she has now moved out of the home she brought her two children back to after they were born. The 29-year-old star, who plays Bethany Platt in the ITV soap, shared a video on her TikTok recently confirming the belongings in her house are now in storage, ready to complete on the new property. 'So the time has come, we have officially moved out of her house. We've packed everything up, everything's gone into storage, and we are waiting for our house to complete', Lucy said in a voiceover. 'It feels really weird to have moved out of this house because this is the home that Sonny and Nancy were brought back to after they were born. 'We have made some amazing memories here and it was actually really emotional seeing all of their stuff coming out of the room and thinking that we are never, ever gonna come back to this house again.' Lucy and her footballer partner Ryan Ledson are parents to a young boy called Sonny, and a little baby girl called Nancy. Lucy confirmed the arrival of Nancy back at the start of this year. Alongside a sweet picture of the newborn wearing a 'little sister' outfit, Lucy wrote: 'our teeny angel girl is here.' The star announced her pregnancy last year with a sweet video, showing her and Ryan reading to their son before she unveiled her baby bump. The clip also showed Sonny seeing scan pictures, and Lucy holding a pregnancy test. Sonny Jude was born in 2023. Shortly after the arrival of the tot, Lucy opened up about the birth, which saw her have a ventouse delivery after being induced early. A ventouse (or vacuum cup) uses suction to attach a cup onto a baby's head to help the mother give birth, with midwives or obstetrician encouraging her to push in line with contractions. Appearing on Loose Women at the time, Lucy was full of smiles as she discussed life with Sonny Jude and Ryan. 'He's really good, he is. We don't get as much sleep as we used to do, obviously. But he is actually really good.' Lucy was asked how she is feeling after the emotional birth, which saw her induced after 38 weeks when the baby's growth started to slow down. The actress was on gas and air 'for ages' and added she made 'a lot of noise.' On the daytime show, she continued 'I am actually fine, I am genuinely. Obviously it's a massive life change, it's huge!'. 'Looking back, it could've been a lot worse,' she reflected. 'I'd made a full birth playlist that I wanted to be played but that went out of the window!'. Lucy returned to filming at Coronation Street in July of this year, after Nancy's birth. Her character Bethany Platt left the cobbles following a complicated love triangle storyline with Daisy Midgeley (Charlotte Jordan) and Daniel Osbourne (Rob Mallard). Want to be the first to hear shocking EastEnders spoilers? Who's leaving Coronation Street? The latest gossip from Emmerdale? Join 10,000 soaps fans on Metro's WhatsApp Soaps community and get access to spoiler galleries, must-watch videos, and exclusive interviews. Simply click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! Don't forget to turn on notifications so you can see when we've just dropped the latest spoilers! Prior to her departure, Bethany was involved in a narrative that looked at botched plastic surgery. More Trending Struggling with her confidence, Bethany had a liposuction operation in Turkey, but it went terribly wrong for her. She was left needing a permanent stoma bag after she developed sepsis during her op. View More » If you've got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@ – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Coronation Street star Jonathan Howard's real-life relationship as on-screen romance heats up MORE: Emmerdale's Marlon is left reeling as he makes big discovery about April and Dylan MORE: Emmerdale's Paula Lane announces pregnancy with third child and fun due date
Metro
10 minutes ago
- Metro
Coronation Street fans rejoice over return of legendary show feature
Coronation Street fans were elated to see a show legend unexpectedly return during Friday's episode. We're not talking Gail Platt, Emily Bishop or Liz McDonald – but rather a much-missed set on the ITV soap. I am, of course, referring to the interior of The Kabin newsagents, which has finally been spotted following an 18-month break. The toffee shop was last seen on February 12, 2024, with its appearances becoming increasingly sparse in recent years. Currently owned by Brian Packham (Peter Gunn), he employs his predecessor Rita Tanner (Barbara Knox) alongside former Rovers Return landlady Jenny Connor (Sally Ann Matthews) to dish out the newspapers and liquorice allsorts. Last week, Jenny had somewhat have a mishap when a pipe burst in the stockroom, and she darted over to the pub to ask for assistance. Funeral director George Shuttleworth (Tony Maudsley) was enjoying an afternoon pint with sister Glenda (Jodie Prenger), who was encouraging him to get back on the dating game. George assured Jenny that he would be her knight in shining armour, and later managed to fix the issue. She seemed to get all flustered around him, and suggested meeting up later so she could thank him properly. Sadly, when the two crossed paths once again, he was celebrating securing a match on his dating app, and Jen looked seriously disheartened. Jiml took to X to write: 'Shocking when you get excited about seeing The Kabin after all this time, I need to go out more.' Have no shame, Jiml! You're certainly not alone. Mike fancied himself as a new storyliner, suggesting: 'I just loved seeing the Kabin again. It needs to open all the time like the old days. Get Brian back in there or get a jobless resident to run it… we want scenes in a shop like real life!' Spicy Mayo kept it short and sweet, adding: 'It's definitely good to see the Kabin.' Ryan exclaimed: 'THE KABIN IS BACK!' Steve put his foot down and demanded we see more of the shop than other Weatherfield locations: 'Don't be another year till we see a scene in the Kabin again,' he said. 'Fed up of all the hospital & police station scenes.' Luke sent a rather sinister message, writing: 'So we've got the Kabin back but at what cost?' Bethehokey asked: 'When did Jenny start working in the Kabin? And am I the only one who remembers the Kabin used to have a Post Office? I think they just removed it years ago & assumed nobody would notice?' Well luckily for you, I've got a rundown of The Kabin's history… Len Fairclough (Peter Adamson) purchased a tatty old corner shop named Biddulph's in 1973 for £3,000 (that's £32,688 in today's money) and installed Rita as manager. She originally wanted the shop to be named after herself, but had to settle on Len's suggestion. The original incarnation was on Rosamund Street, which is the road beside Coronation Street. Her first shop assistant was Mavis Riley (Thelma Barlow), and within weeks the women realised that former owner Biddulph had secretly been selling top-shelf magazines under the counter when an influx of men arrived to get their subscription. Filth! It also had a small cafe area behind the counter, and in 1986, Alan Bradley (Mark Eden) opened a video library in the space. In 1990, the shop relocated to Coronation Street with a bright yellow sign and a flashy new set, and has been there ever since. The shop briefly changed hands ahead of the millennium when Rita handed over the keys to former foster daughter Sharon Gaskell (Tracie Bennett), but she bought it back for £45,000. More Trending At the same time, Norris Cole (Malcolm Hebden) stepped into Mavis' shoes as Rita's second in command, and the pair had training to open a Post Office counter. Want to be the first to hear shocking EastEnders spoilers? Who's leaving Coronation Street? The latest gossip from Emmerdale? Join 10,000 soaps fans on Metro's WhatsApp Soaps community and get access to spoiler galleries, must-watch videos, and exclusive interviews. Simply click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! Don't forget to turn on notifications so you can see when we've just dropped the latest spoilers! The Kabin was largely destroyed by the tram crash in 2010, just one year on from Norris buying the business. When it reopened, the Post Office was removed. After a brief stint owned by Colin Callen (Jim Moir), Brian became owner in 2019. View More » He took on Jenny earlier this year when she found herself homeless and jobless after losing the Rovers. If you've got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@ – we'd love to hear from you. Join the community by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage. MORE: All 22 Coronation Street pictures for next week as one character reaches breaking point MORE: George's date doesn't go as planned as he tries to move on from Eileen in Coronation Street MORE: Coronation Street legend 'had the best time' as she speaks out on being axed
