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EastEnders actress and Love Island star confirm romance

EastEnders actress and Love Island star confirm romance

Metro15 hours ago
Love Island star Michael Griffiths has officially confirmed his relationship with EastEnders actress Rukku Nahar after months of fans speculating the pair were together.
The 33-year-old reality TV star, who rose to fame during the 2019 season of the ITV dating show, made things Instagram official with Rukku, 29, as they enjoyed a glamorous night out at the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Daniel Dubois boxing match at Wembley Stadium.
The couple shared a series of affectionate snaps from ringside, leaving little doubt about their blossoming romance.
The duo first sparked dating speculation in October 2023 when they appeared together at the London premiere of Venom: The Last Dance. Since then, fans have kept a close eye on their social media accounts, but this marks the first time they've gone public with their relationship.
In the pictures, the pair looked loved up and inseparable, with Michael planting a kiss on Rukku's cheek and cuddling up to her as they watched the heavyweight fight.
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Sharing the post with his 1 million followers, Michael captioned the moment: 'Her first official fight night 💥🥊 And what a night it was, here's to many more adventures 🌎'.
Rukku Nahar is no stranger to the spotlight. The British actress is best known for portraying Habiba Ahmed in EastEnders between 2019 and 2020.
Her character was introduced as the younger sister of Iqra Ahmed, and the duo made waves as the first Muslim sisters to own and operate a business in Albert Square.
Habiba was known for her fiery personality and romantic entanglements, including a controversial relationship with the much older Adam Bateman.
Rukku's departure from EastEnders in 2020 left fans disappointed, as her character left Walford abruptly following the breakdown of her relationship. Outside of Walford, Rukku has appeared in several popular UK television series, including Wolfblood, Doctors, and Flatmates, showing her versatility as an actress.
Despite stepping away from EastEnders, Rukku has continued to build her career in both television and film. Most recently, she's been linked to new projects and has hinted at expanding into international roles on social media, with fans eager to see her next move.
Michael, meanwhile, continues to be one of the most talked-about personalities from the Love Island franchise. His time on the show was filled with drama, particularly when he dumped fan-favourite Amber Gill in favour of Joanna Chimonides during the infamous Casa Amor twist. Viewers were outraged, but Amber ultimately went on to win the series with Greg O'Shea, and the nation's hearts.
Amber's post Love Island career has flourished. In addition to winning the £50,000 cash prize, she secured major brand deals with Misspap and Littlewoods, and has spoken openly about her experiences in the public eye. More Trending
She also made headlines for her relationship with Scottish footballer Jen Beattie, which lasted nearly a year before ending amicably in late 2023.
With both Michael and Rukku now thriving in their respective careers and seemingly in love, it looks like this reality star and soap actress duo could be a new power couple to watch.
As they continue to share glimpses of their romance with fans, many will be keeping a close eye on what's next for the pair, both on screen and off.
View More »
MORE: Emmerdale star Natalie J Robb reveals why she has never married after her 'world shattered'
MORE: Danny Miller in awe as he issues update on wife Steph after birth of third child
MORE: Coronation Street legend Maureen Lipman reveals difficulties she has on set
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Games Inbox: Why has the Nintendo Switch 2 been so successful?
Games Inbox: Why has the Nintendo Switch 2 been so successful?

Metro

timean hour ago

  • Metro

Games Inbox: Why has the Nintendo Switch 2 been so successful?

The Thursday letters page tries to predict what might be in the next Nintendo Direct, as one reader thinks EA should've made a new franchise instead of Battlefield 6. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@ Beyond the games Really is incredible how well the Switch 2 has done, smashing all records for sales in the US and Japan. And all with what I would call quite a weak line-up of games. Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza have reviewed well but they've not blown the doors off, and I doubt either are going to be getting any serious game of the year nominations. That's fine, some consoles don't get games of that quality in their whole lifetime, but that means there's got to be other reasons for it selling so well, beyond the games. I think it's a mixture of the idea of the Switch – the hybrid console – being just such a great concept, as proven by the Switch 1, and that Nintendo has earned such trust from the last console and its games. I do feel their lack of announcements so far is already playing a bit loose with that trust but so far there doesn't seem to be any sign of them being punished for it. People are buying the Switch 2 not just for what it can do now but for what they believe it'll do in the future, based on the Switch 1. And I think as long as Nintendo don't start resting on their laurels that's fine. Looking forward to the next Nintendo Direct. Onibee Home made Thanks very much for the Amiga top 20. I can think of a few games I would've added but not many I would've taken out, which is probably a good sign. Although I admit I've never heard of or played Warhead, Exile, or Starglider 2 before. The thing that stuck out to me was how almost all of the games were British, which I didn't really think of at the time. But now I realise that most of the games I was playing in my youth were either British or British companies porting over Japanese-made arcade games. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. I actually must've played relatively few American games in those days, which is wild when you think of the industry today, where almost everything is American and there are basically no British games at all. We can't turn the clocks back but clearly something has been lost and I agree that it's a nice treat nowadays to play something that hasn't been made in either the US or Japan. I don't know if we're going to get a flood of French games now, because of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, but I'd much prefer that than another game where I have to save New York City. Columbo The penultimate ninja I recently invested into System 3's Last Ninja collection Kickstarter. I have hoped for an updated/new Last Ninja game for decades. While this collection is a way to keep the purchaser as a custodian of the game of sorts, I do think the inclusion of The Last Ninja 4 demo is proof that the game could be given a new lease of life. As Mark Cale has said, it takes a lot of time, effort, and not least money to make a game these days, so perhaps some rich individual/company might give the game a chance to be played by today's younger gamers and see what a fantastic experience it is. GHH69 GC: Oh, they've also got IK+ in there too. Email your comments to: gamecentral@ Slowly does it I have a feeling we're all going to be disappointed by the next Nintendo Direct. They have got far too much stuff that nobody cares about to talk about at the moment, that I don't think they're going to have time for anything else. We might get some new Mario Kart World content, but we know nothing about Hyrule Warriors and Kirby Air Rider at the moment, or Metroid Prime 4. Even if they split that off and give it its own Direct, I think next year's games are just not what they're bothered about at the moment. Maybe we'll get a mic drop teaser at the end, maybe, but I think that's much more likely in the autumn or at The Game Awards. From Nintendo's perspective everything has worked out perfectly with the Switch 2, I don't think they're in any hurry to move things forward. Grant Boomer extrusion I've got to say, that Fallout 1 remake you mentioned looks really amazing. I'm not familiar with the Doom engine it's made with, but it seems to have the perfect balance between old school and modern, and I'm very keen to see more games made with it. So-called boomer shooters have become quite popular in recent years, but they always seem kind of forced to me. But I really like this approach, of remaking an isometric game in the style of an old school first person game. It makes me want to see other games like Planescape: Torment and maybe even the original Diablo games? It would be cool, I think. Beniz Rainbow 12 I've bought and been playing recently Ready or Not, a cracking game that's just come out on PlayStation 5 and Xbox. It's a mission-based game where you have to storm a building/office/home and take out the bad guys. It can get played single-player with bots or online with friends or randoms. I guess it's a mixture of Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six games and Rainbow Six Siege. It's a very tense game, knowing one wrong move can lead to death and a mission restart. The AI is impressive, especially the enemies who move around the maps very effectively and cause some unpleasant surprises. At £45 I thought this was money well spent – replay is high, as each time the enemies start in different places. All in all, highly recommend. Keep up the good work. Manic miner 100 (gamertag) GC: Thanks. Secret ending Surely there's going to be a Metroid Prime 4 Nintendo Switch 2 hardware bundle by Christmas as well? Which is going to make at least four different official ones. I would warn everyone though that the cheap Mario Kart World one is not going to be around forever. Nintendo hasn't said when it will stop but they have said it won't last past this year. I pointed this out to a friend who was weighing up whether to get one or not and I said to him it's not a good idea to wait until autumn because that deal could just disappear overnight. Lumpy Giving up If Battlefield 6 is as big a hit as EA wants I will be shocked. They've got four separate developers making this?! For a franchise that's always been an also-ran and where the last one sunk without trace within a matter of days? Are we sure this isn't a tax write-off or something? The big problem with the lack of new IP today is that companies would much rather flog a dead horse than just come up with something relatively similar, that has more freedom to try new things. We all know what a Battlefield game is and I'm sure that after the failure of the last one they'll try and paint the new one as being back to its roots or some such tagline. But why not just make something new that doesn't have all that baggage? What are the main elements of Battlefield? 64+ player battles, lots of vehicles, and destruction. There's really nothing beyond that, with no consistent setting, no unique game modes, and definitely no ongoing storyline. Surely it'd be far better to make something new in the same area then spend half your time defending yourself from rabid fans and the other half telling non-Battlefield fans that they shouldn't be scared because it's called Battlefield 6 and yet is actually the 13th sequel. Maybe I'm being naïve, but I think there comes a time where a name becomes more of a hinderance than a help, especially with a franchise that never quite made it to the big time. Lostem Inbox also-ransWhat I don't get with these next gen portable rumours is how much is it all going to cost? If you've got a PlayStation 6 home console and the portable, isn't that going to be the best part of £1,000. And then they turn round in a couple of years and try and push the PS6 Pro? No thank. Grondite I loved the Amiga. I would say Superfrog was my favourite game but then I played it again recently and it was awful. Nostalgia can be a hell of a kick to the head sometimes. The Bishop More Trending Email your comments to: gamecentral@ The small print New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers' letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content. You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader's Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot. You can also leave your comments below and don't forget to follow us on Twitter. MORE: Games Inbox: Will there ever be a new Mass Effect game? MORE: Games Inbox: Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Commodore Amiga MORE: Games Inbox: What is the next big game for Nintendo Switch 2?

Love Island fans rage over Megan's shock return as they raise concerns for 'emotionally drained' Shakira and urge 'where's the mental health team?'
Love Island fans rage over Megan's shock return as they raise concerns for 'emotionally drained' Shakira and urge 'where's the mental health team?'

Daily Mail​

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mail​

Love Island fans rage over Megan's shock return as they raise concerns for 'emotionally drained' Shakira and urge 'where's the mental health team?'

Love Island fans shared their fury on X over Megan Forte Clarke's shock return to the villa during Wednesday night's episode. Viewers expressed it was 'unfair' Megan and Blu Chegini were given a second shot in the villa. Blu was the second islander to be eliminated from the ITV show, while Megan was dramatically dumped shortly after by the public. Some fans have even accused producers of creating a 'mean girl narrative' by welcoming Megan back as they claimed she 'bullied' Shakira Khan in her first stint. Some wrote: 'I'm confused who asked for Megan and blue back ? Weren't they gone FOR A REASON. Love island US and UK were trash this year. #LoveIslandUK next thing Meg and d are winning ??? DISGUSTING', 'I don't like the love island twist. I don't like that Megan and Bleu have came back. Because WHY?', 'Why would Love Island producers bring Megan back when the public voted her off #LoveIslandUK', 'atp what is the point of voting on love island UK if people like megan can just rock back up at any point of time, surely this shouldn't be allowed? #LoveIsland #LoveIslandUK', 'Sorry but I hate that Megan is back. Love island FIRE who ever game maker is!! #LoveIsland' Megan's return sparked a wave of concern for Shakira's mental health, who fans said already appears 'emotionally drained' on the programme. Viewers penned on X: 'funny how love island preaches about mental health and how the public should go easy on the islanders only to THEMSELVES use the most amount of vids of shakira for the grafties to push the mean girl narrative and sent back in megan one of the buIIies', 'this princess deserved so much better. i hope she walks for her own mental health. shakira you are loved worldwide and are better than love island', 'Shakira is emotionally drained and not okay Love Island uk is responsible for her mental health the contestants the producers the therapists everyone', 'Really not keen on the production team for the constant shots thrown at shakira. We only see one hour of the whole day and it's clear she's down and not feeling herself. Where's the mental health team love island are so vocal about? #LoveIslandUK'. Some fans have even accused producers of creating a 'mean girl narrative' by welcoming Megan back as they claimed she 'bullied' Shakira Khan in her first stint Viewers expressed their concerns for Shakira's mental health following Wednesday night's episode MailOnline has contacted Love Island for comment. In recent days, Shakira has been in floods of tears and has persistently said she 'can't wait to leave the villa' following a rocky start to her journey with Harry Cooksley. During the episode Shakira shut down her short-lived romance with Conor Phillips after struggling to get over her feelings for Harry. Last week, Shakira broke down in tears after a heated row with Conor after Harrison said during the Couple Of Sorts game that she had deeper feelings for Harry - who she was paired with earlier in the series. She told Conor: 'It's been twisted and you've wanted to believe the boys straight away. It's ego and pride. Wake up, Conor. 'They're literally the biggest game-players here. When have I ever lied to you? Their argument leaves Shakira feeling upset and she goes to Toni and Yasmin for comfort. Upset with the rugby lad, she said: 'I don't want to be surrounded by them all the time. For Conor to straight off the cuff believe them… We've been friends for weeks…' NAME: Dejon Noel Williams AGE: 26 FROM: London OCCUPATION: Semi-pro footballer and personal trainer WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Someone who is beautiful on the inside and out, looks after themselves and is healthy CLAIM TO FAME? My dad being an ex-professional footballer. I've met all kinds of famous people through him. When I was younger it was weird because he was just my dad, but we'd go to a game and fans were asking for photos. I've met David Beckham, he was really nice. Megan Moore NAME: Megan Moore AGE: 25 FROM: Southampton OCCUPATION: Payroll specialist WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? I'd like to meet someone who is tall, with a nice tan, nice eyes and a nice smile. He needs to have a good fashion sense and a really good, funny personality that I can get on with HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LOVE LIFE? Bankrupt, right now. But we're going to make sales and get on that corporate ladder and be booming. Profits, profits, profits! NAME: Helena Ford AGE: 29 FROM: London OCCUPATION: Cabin Crew WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Somebody funny or Northern. I feel like Northern people have much more banter than Southerners. If you look through my previous dating history, you'll see I clearly go for personality. You can pretty much laugh me into bed. WOULD MAYA HIRE YOU FOR YOUR FLIRTING SKILLS? I would say hire but then quickly fire soon after. It would only be a temporary contract. NAME: Shakira Khan AGE: 26 FROM: London OCCUPATION: Construction Project Manager WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Someone who is tall, charming, witty, with big arms, a good smile and just really funny. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LOVE LIFE? Booming, but they're all frogs. It's a busy love life but I've not found 'the husband', I'm looking for 'the one'. I'm looking for the ring. NAME: Harry Cooksley AGE: 30 FROM: Guildford OCCUPATION: Gold trader, semi-professional footballer and model WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? The girl next door that makes me laugh and can hold eye contact with me. I don't think I'd go for the most obvious girl, I like a real sweet girl. CLAIM TO FAME? I'm the body double for Declan Rice. So when he does a shoot, any body close ups will actually be me. You'll never see my face, but you'll see my shoulder or chest, that kind of thing. NAME: Conor Phillips AGE: 23 FROM: Limerick OCCUPATION: Professional rugby player WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?Someone who is really sure of themselves, ambitious, a bit of a go-getter and good craic. I like dark eyes and I don't mind a dominant woman. WOULD MAYA HIRE YOU FOR YOUR FLIRTING SKILLS? Definitely hire. I ask girls if they want to go halves on a baby. It doesn't work, but it gets them laughing. 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NAME: Cacherel 'Cach' Mercer AGE: 24 OCCUPATION: Professional Dancer WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Someone who's emotionally intelligent, beautiful, charismatic, caring, affectionate, and I'd say an intro extrovert. WHAT KIND OF ISLANDER DO YOU THINK YOU'LL BE? I think I'm gonna get into trouble, I feel like I'll be the joker of the group! I'll also be the person people come to for advice… and a bit of eye candy at the same time. ......................................................................................................................... NAME: Angel Swift AGE: 26 OCCUPATION: Aesthetics Practitioner and Salon Owner WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? I'm ready to make memories with someone, go travelling with them and fall in love WHAT KIND OF ISLANDER DO YOU THINK YOU'LL BE? I feel like people have been getting their heads turned very easily. I do feel like I have quite a good chance of turning someone's head.

Emmerdale casts Slow Horses and EastEnders star as newcomer 'sends shockwaves'
Emmerdale casts Slow Horses and EastEnders star as newcomer 'sends shockwaves'

Metro

timean hour ago

  • Metro

Emmerdale casts Slow Horses and EastEnders star as newcomer 'sends shockwaves'

Notorious EastEnders villain Chris Coghill is making a return to the world of soap, playing mysterious newcomer Kev in Emmerdale. The actor, best known to soap fans as evil paedophile Tony King, will become a permanent fixture in the Yorkshire Dales from September. Though Emmerdale bosses are remaining tight-lipped as to the full scope of Kev's intentions, they have let slip that he arrives searching for one villager in particular…but who? And why? On the new addition to the village, Emmerdale boss Laura Shaw said: 'We are delighted that someone of Chris' calibre has joined our cast. I think the viewers will be intrigued to see how the character of Kev will cause shockwaves this autumn. 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! Kev has a strong connection to one of our characters and it's safe to say his arrival is going to be a massive surprise that will have major repercussions for some of our villagers.' More Trending On joining the long-running serial drama, former Shameless star Chris said: 'I am really happy to be joining the cast of Emmerdale. Who is Kev looking for? 'Kev is definitely going to shake things up a bit and I'm looking forward to getting cracking!' Outside of soap-land, viewers will recognise Chris from Shameless, The Bay and Slow Horses. View More » Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 or stream from 7am on YouTube and ITVX. 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: British ITV drama 'that made TV history' storms Netflix top 10 chart MORE: ITV star reveals gruesome broken bone was kept secret on shark series MORE: Hollyoaks star marries boyfriend as they share loved up pictures

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