
I was on Loose Women for 20 years - there was one body part we were all banned from showing as part of exhausting and loathsome ITV dress code
The journalist, 56, appeared on the programme as part of the iconic panel on/off between 2000 and 2023.
According to Carol, during her 23 year stint on the show, the Loose ladies were given some rules on what they could and couldn't wear while live to the nation.
Writing in her recent column for Best magazine, Carol said: 'We went from wearing our own clothes to being bought stuff to adhere to ludicrous wardrobe policies like "no arms on show"...
'Presumably because our ageing biceps were morphing into bingo wings which the (male) boss at the time had decided were offensive.
'Another female(!) boss once ordered all the women to wear high heels as well.
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'I always loathed being 'dressed' or 'styled' as they preferred to call it.
'You always had to be coordinated up to the eyeballs in nice slacks, wrap dresses or boiler suits.'
She added: 'It used to make me shudder, nearly as much as the insane amount of waste on unimaginable amounts of clothes that had mostly only been worn once.'
Carol first appeared on Loose Women in 2000.
Her first stint on the programme was for 13 years.
She rejoined the cast in 2018 and was part of the panel and then left for good two years ago.
The star was last seen on Loose Women back in May 2023.
She previously opened up about the decision to leave in her weekly column for the publication.
Carol said: 'I haven't been on the show for two months now because I've had to step away from it.
'It was causing me too much stress, which was mostly down to a difficult contract issue I'd been challenging since January.
'The problem was, ITV were insisting, for the first time since I went back in 2018, that if I wanted to carry on doing the show, I would have to sign a contract that was totally unjust and unworkable for me, so I had to say no thanks.
'And I know it looks like I've thrown my toys out of the pram, but the whole saga was affecting my health.'
Carol has worked on various other TV shows and radio stations over the years.
She's appeared on the likes of The Wright Stuff, This Morning and taken part in Celebrity Juice, Celebrity Big Brother and Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway.
The star also released her autobiography Oh, Carol! in 2010.
It comes after it was revealed that Loose Women, along with Lorraine, will be axed for half the year.
Loose Women will only air for 30 weeks of the year.
Plus MailOnline recently revealed that ITV will axe a vital part of the show which viewers love in a desperate bid to save money.
The series is scrapping their live studio audience when the programme airs with a reduced schedule of just 30 episodes next year.
Bosses have got rid of the studio audience to save costs, with insiders revealing that it's an expensive feature due to being managed by an external company, who also provides security and a warmup person, but for the presenters, it's going to be a 'disaster.'
A TV source told MailOnline: 'The panelists are really upset over the decision to axe the live studio audience from the show.
'It's what sets the series apart from the rest of ITV daytime and now there are massive fears that viewers will switch off completely.
'The only concern now is to cut costs and having a live studio audience can be expensive, with the added need for security and a warmup artist.
'Presenters already know how it feels to broadcast the show without an audience because that's what happened during the pandemic, and they all know it creates low mood and lack of atmosphere.'
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Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
From planned funerals to spending 'fake' winnings: How dozens of Gala Bingo players thought they'd scooped their share of £1.6million... only to be told it was a GLITCH
More than 1,000 Gala Bingo players were left with shattered dreams and empty pockets after the prizes they thought they had won were the result of an online glitch. The players believed they had nabbed up to £10,000 each from a prize pot of £1.6million on the popular online gambling site. But when they attempted to withdraw their winnings, they were told by the company that they would not be able to cash the money. The glitch in the bingo company's system resulted in the prize pot increasing to £1.6million when it should have only reached a maximum of £150. As a result, 1,188 players were left disappointed and out of pocket. The gambling site then sent out an email to its customers explaining the wins were a result of a technical fault and confirming that they would not be receiving the thousands of pounds some of the players felt they were owed. One family told The Daily Mail that they had hoped to spend their winnings on a funeral for a relative and were upset and disappointed when Gala Bingo said they could not cash the £9,600 they thought they had won. The Scottish pair, who wished to remain anonymous, discovered their accounts frozen and the money nowhere to be seen after playing online on Monday. A Scottish couple had hoped to spend their £7,000 on a funeral for a family member who had recently died and were disappointed when they were told the winnings were not theirs to cash One player even had his account on the website frozen and claims he has had his chat room privileges stopped because he was encouraging others to complain The woman revealed that her partner had recently lost his mother and was over the moon to find the 1p game providing winnings of up to £7,200. She confessed that they both felt like the Scotsman's mother was watching over and smiling down at them. She added that she also tried to cash in on the good luck and enjoyed a game of bingo, taking home £2,4000 herself. The couple were relieved by the surprise windfall and planned to spend the jackpot on a fully pink-themed funeral in honour of his mother complete with pink kilts. The woman said: 'My partner went up to get his medication and when he came back and sat down he looked shocked. I double checked and it said we had won £2,400. 'We thought we could take care of the funeral with no worries about the expense.' The Scot added that she feared something wasn't right when she saw there were as many as 1,000 winners and the jackpost was still available. But she and her partner continued to play and their fears were even soothed by the bingo chat room host who told them to enjoy their winnings. She explained that she believed to have had a lucky streak, winning a pot worth £2,400 three times in a row but when it came to cashing the money, her account was frozen She said: 'I wasn't sure about it all but then the host said "enjoy your winnings" - they obviously didn't realise what was happening.' The 52-year-old woman said that some players were able to withdraw the money straight to their Santander bank accounts but others couldn't. She told the Daily Mail that since the shocking incident, Gala Bingo has frozen her and her partners accounts and even disabled her husband's chat room privileges. because of his complaining. As recompense, she said they had been given some money back in the form of vouchers but felt it wasn't enough. She said: 'My partner is angry and it's become all-consuming, especially at such a difficult time. this has just knocked him sideways. 'It's all been dealt with so badly, it wasn't right.' And the husband and wife weren't the only ones blindsided by the Gala Bingo glitch. Victoria Geer, 28, and a full time mother from Oxford confessed she was 'shocked and so disappointed' to be told by the gambling site that her winnings were in fact not hers at all. She explained that she believed to have had a lucky streak, winning a pot worth £2,400 three times in a row but when it came to cashing the money, her account was frozen. The mother-of0one said: 'I put in £15 at around 8pm and played the 1p Bingo but by 8.30pm I'd been roped in to run-up rewards but I didn't know what that was and then suddenly I got told I had won £2,400 three times in a row.' She said the company's decision to blame a glitch and refuse to pay out was 'very sneaky and crafty.' Ms Greer added that she had thought the prize money was real throughout because even the chat host congratulated her and told her to spend her winnings. The mother told the Daily Mail that she had hoped to spend the small fortune on things for her new baby boy and a holiday but revealed they were all now on hold. 'I was going to spend the money on my 18-week-old boy and get him some lovely things for Christmas and go away on holiday with my partner to Spain for a week in March. 'I wanted driving lessons and a test because I don't drive at the moment so I'm disappointed,' she said. The mother said that while she initially bought her daughter a pair of Crocs instead of a pair of 'cheap sandals from Primark' she was loathed to do any more shopping in case Gala Bingo decided to take her winnings from her bank account. Mother and daughter Susan, 64, and Beth, 31, said they couldn't believe it when they thought they had won almost £10,000 together. The pair said they had withdrawn as soon as they could after seeing the winning notification pop up on screen but their payment never made it to their account. 'We were playing and then Emily said she had won something and it turned out we had won £9,600 each and I just couldn't believe it,' Susan said. 'I was worried it wasn't legit and so I tried to withdraw it but after about four hours it said the payment was cancelled.' The 64-year-old, who recently suffered a stroke, said she thought the money would go some way to renovating her cottage to make it more accessible following the change in her health. 'I was going to spend my winnings on changes to my cottage to help now that I've had this stroke.' She added that she thought Gala bingo needed to be held accountable and said she wanted some recompense for the stress of the whole experience. Bethand Susan received one per cent of the money they thought they had won and a Gala Bingo voucher but have said it's not enough. 'Somebody has to pay for this and something has to be done. 'Why did no one flag the error? I was told I had won £2,4000 three times in a row - how did no one spot this mistake? 'And to only give people one per cent back - it's not enough, it doesn't cover the stress this has caused. We've only got £96 out of the £9,600 we thought we had. Beth had some better luck than her mother and managed to withdraw some of the money before the transaction could be cancelled, but it was just a small amount of the full total she believed she had won. She said: 'I managed to withdraw about £250 but now the rest in my account has been frozen and I can't withdraw it. Some people might have been able to withdraw thousands but we couldn't and we don't know. 'Now we've just been given a bingo bonus of £20 but has to be spent on Gala Bingo and within a week so we're tied in because it's not withdrawable.' She added that both she and her mother would not be returning. Beth said: 'I won't play again. I've vowed never to play again. It's ruined my trust.' But not everyone had such a difficult time and one Manchester resident, who wished to remain anonymous, was one of the lucky few who managed to cash in all her winnings. The woman was able to cash in £2,400 from Gala Bingo and has been spending the money on clothes and shoes for her eight-year-old daughter ahead of their caravan holiday. She explained that she didn't think there was anything odd about the win because she had previously managed to bag £1,500 from the site but withdrew the cash immediately to put towards her family holiday. She said: 'I was playing and realised I'd won at 7.44pm and withdrew the money to my bank account at 7.46pm and it was there within ten minutes. I didn't even think there was anything wrong or it was a glitch because I've won a few times before and once won £1,500.' She added she thought her success was down to her speed and said she assumes she was one of the first to cash in her prize. The Bingo player added that she was also led to believe her success was nothing out of the ordinary because she received an official email from the company warning her to consider what to do with such a large sum and signposting gambling support. But the Manchester mother confessed she has since been wracked with guilt knowing that not everyone was as lucky as her. She told the Daily Mail: 'I feel so awkward and guilty - people are talking about suing them and saying they are owed money but I don't know. 'I can't sleep - I didn't get to sleep until 4.30am on Monday and it's put me off spending the money. ' The mother said that while she initially bought her daughter a pair of Crocs instead of a pair of 'cheap sandals from Primark' she was loathed to do any more shopping in case Gala Bingo decided to take her winnings from her bank account. 'I went to the Old Trafford Centre but I couldn't buy anything, I'm scared that if I spend it and they ask for it back - I can't have that kind of debt. 'I'm just trying to buy sensibly for my daughter for the holidays.' The Daily Mail has contacted Gala Bingo for comment.


Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
BBC AXES critically-acclaimed drama after just ONE series - despite Oscar-nominated creator's plans for even more episodes
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A BBC spokesman told The Sun: 'We're hugely grateful to Steven Knight and the cast and crew for bringing This Town to life — in no small part due to Steven's passion for the West Midlands. 'We look forward to working with him on new projects in the future, and we're in talks about what's next.' Despite winning the Royal Television Society Award for Limited Series and Single Drama earlier this year, the show lost over a million viewers during its six-week run – pulling in more than 3.2 million for its premiere but failing to maintain those figures. According to The Sun, a BBC insider confirmed that the decision to axe the show was not due to Steven's busy schedule – which includes the ten-part World War Two epic Roads To Freedom. Nor was it due to the availability of the star-studded cast, which included Downton Abbey's Michelle Dockery. Daily Mail has contacted the BBC for comment. However, it's not all bad news for Steven, as he's just been signed to write the latest James Bond movie, Amazon MGM Studios confirmed earlier this week. The British screenwriter – best known for creating the hit BBC crime drama Peaky Blinders starring Cillian Murphy - said penning a 007 script has always been on his 'bucket list'. The latest Bond film is currently in development and is to be directed by Dune's Denis Villeneuve, with Amazon MGM Studios overseeing the project after longtime producer Barbara Broccoli gave up creative control. Meanwhile, Amy Pascal and David Heyman are on board to produce the movie via Pascal Pictures and Heyday Films, respectively, while Tanya Lapointe will serve as executive producer. Speaking about his involvement in the film, Steven told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast: 'It has always been on my bucket list and it's fantastic to be invited to do it - I can't wait to get started. 'I'm hoping that, being a Bond fan for so many years, it will be imbued into me and I will be able to produce something that's the same but different, and better, stronger and bolder.' However, Steven failed to give any indication about who will replace Daniel Craig in the titular role. The actor, 57, stepped down from the iconic spy role after 2021's No Time To Die, having starred in five of the films over a 15-year period. Several actors have been tipped to step into his shoes, with stars including Taron Egerton, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Paul Mescal, and Theo James thrown into the mix. When pressed on who could be the new Bond, he responded: 'That is a very, very good question, and one I can't give you the answer to'. The last outing for James Bond was 2021's No Time to Die, with Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Cary Joji Fukunaga on the writing team. Speaking of the selection process for the latest film, Steven shared: 'I was invited to a meeting with [producer] Amy Pascal, didn't know what it was about, and very quickly discovered what it was about and became very, very excited and hopeful. 'And then a process is followed where you do some meetings, you discuss some ideas, and then you find out you've got it. 'So I found out a while ago, but it was announced last night, which is great.' He added that it was a 'high pressure' job, before noting: 'you've just got to do what you do, do it as well as you can'. It comes after Taron Egerton responded to speculation that he could be the next James Bond after Daniel Craig 's exit. Many A-list names have been thrown into the ring during the months of speculation about who will play 007 next following Amazon's takeover of the franchise. Rocketman star Taron, 35, has been rumoured to be in the running to be Bond as far back as 2019, with Sir Roger Moore 's son Geoffrey even backing him for the role. However, Taron has now dashed fans' hopes as he poured cold water on the idea, insisting he is too 'messy' to play the suave secret agent. 'I don't think I'm a good choice for it, I think I'm too messy for that,' he told Collider. 'I really love James Bond and particularly Daniel Craig's tenure, but I think I wouldn't be good at it. 'I think there's so many cool, younger actors who would be great for it, I think it would be wasted on me, probably.' Taron also acknowledged that taking on the Bond mantel is quite an undertaking and insisted nobody has actually approached him about the role. But he didn't rule out taking on another major commercial project as he revealed he wouldn't turn down a different opportunity, though he remained coy about what that might be.


Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Secret police auction where you can buy cut-price Rolexes, designer handbags and even homeware, champagne, cars and cosmetics confiscated from criminals. SARAH RAINEY reveals the steal of the century
A Rolex watch. A Moschino handbag. A hedge trimmer. A water butt. A job lot of nappies. It would be hard to find a more eclectic list of items. So what do they have in common?