Wynne Evans is engaged! Strictly star reveals he is set to marry partner Liz Brookes after romantic proposal in Morocco
Wynne Evans is engaged.
The Strictly star revealed he has proposed to his girlfriend Liz Brookes this weekend during a romantic trip to Morocco.
Sharing snaps of her ring and him down on one knee he penned in the caption of is post: 'Big news… I got engaged!
'This weekend in Morocco, somewhere between the couscous, the camels, and me limping around the souks like a man with no spatial awareness, I proposed to Liz — and she said yes! (No take-backs, I've checked.)
'She's clever, she's kind, she's got excellent taste in men. Absolutely no idea how I pulled that off, but here we are!
'Feeling very lucky, very happy, and just a tiny bit smug.'
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The Sun
31 minutes ago
- The Sun
My trip inside ‘world Voodoo capital' that's become dark holiday hotspot for Brits who flock to watch grisly sacrifices
A MASKED goblin figure chases two unsuspecting tourists along the busy streets, shrouded in a long multicoloured cloak. A few feet away, a priest carries a goat, preparing to sacrifice its blood to Voodoo gods and share its meat with other believers. 15 15 15 Welcome to the Voodoo capital of the world: Ouidah, in Benin, West Africa. Here the 'goblin' guardians, known as the Zangbeto, roam the streets wielding wooden swords - ready to ward off evil in both the human and spirit world. Visitors flock to the tiny city, which has a population of 162,000, to witness sacrificial rituals and buy artefacts that are believed to bring good fortune, such as the heads of dogs and other animals. Despite its lack of attention in most mainstream holiday brochures, 337,000 tourists are reported to have visited Benin in 2019 and the numbers are believed to be growing. These so-called ' dark tourists ' include Brits like Viktor Wynd - owner of London-based tour company Gone With the Wynd, who takes up to three tours a year - and Kieran Brown, an ex-barman turned TikTok travel influencer. Benin, for its part, is happy to welcome intrigued visitors, with priests charging for their guidance and private rituals, and public festivals and Voodoo events charging admission fees. Kieran, 30, from Sidcup, Kent, visited the country during his tour along Africa's coastline and recalls his nerve-racking encounters at local landmarks including the Temple of Pythons. Inside a sealed room at a religious sanctuary, locals worship snakes instead of fearing them, and Kieran encountered dozens of the creatures slithering around. Snakes are said to represent the Voodoo god Da, who is believed to bring fertility and life to its worshippers. The priest even put one around Kieran's neck but insisted the potentially deadly pythons do not hurt humans. Inside the Voodoo capital of the world where masked 'goblins' chase tourists and dogs' heads are displayed on spikes Kieran tells The Sun: "There was a thick door, the guy opened it, and there were around 60 to 70 pythons. "He put them around our neck and they seemed pretty chilled. "I didn't feel any energy and I don't believe in that but the people in the town are heavy believers. "That's the most popular religion in that side of the world, there is more Voodoo than Christianity." 'Land of the dead' It's thought 60million people around the world practice Voodoo, which is believed to have originated in Ouidah and where around 60 per cent are said to be followers. Voodoo - known traditionally as Vodoun, or Vodún - was officially declared a religion in Benin in 1996, and the annual festival, on January 10, attracts worshippers from all over the globe. Followers believe spirits control both the human world and the 'land of the dead', with different deities relied on to protect everything from villages to trees and rivers. They not only worship them from small shrines in their homes but they also attend public and private rituals led by community priests, who can be male or female. Voodoo dolls are sold at markets and sellers even claim the infamous figurines are able to make people fall in love with you. Snakes are worshipped as gods and animal sacrifice - including that of dogs - is commonplace and is often part of Voodoo initiation ceremonies. Dark arts During his visit, Kieran also recalls his encounter with one of the striking Zangbeto. These oddly dressed, masked figures act as the unofficial police on the streets of Ouidah, and are believed to keep residents and the religion's witches and spirits in line. Their name itself comes from 'zan', meaning night, and 'gbeto' that refers to person or people - so translates to 'people of the night', although they now appear in daylight hours as well. Kieran said: "When we were there we were walking around and there was a man dressed up as a Zangbeto and people were trying to get close to him and he chased people. 15 15 "We were walking through a street and he saw us. Because we were the only white people we stood out. "It was a man dressed up like a goblin, he had a thick mask on. "I can't explain it but he was dressed like a monster, people were running away when it came close. "People were trying to annoy it by running towards it and eventually it would snap and start chasing you, it seemed to be like a game, everyone was chanting." Temple of Pythons Ouidah is home to the religion's Mecca, The Sacred Forest, where trees are considered holy and capable of granting wishes. Due to the rituals of spells and sacrifices, parallels have been drawn to witchcraft, which was greatly feared in 13th to 15th century Britain and led to the execution of those accused of practising it. However, Voodoo is now recognised as a protected religious belief in Britain under the Equality Act 2010. And expert Viktor explains that Voodoo remains an everyday feature throughout Benin - visible on the streets and with most people's homes featuring aspects of the religion. 15 15 15 Viktor, who is also a Voodoo artefact collector and runs The Viktor Wynd Museum in Hackney, East London, said: "Wherever you go in Benin, everyone has a Voodoo altar and everyone goes to the Voodoo priests. "Each person has one main Voodoo spirit that they serve. "People dressed as Zangbeto do these dances to regulate the spirit world and the world of the living. They're intermediaries with the other world. "There's always something happening so a few weeks before we go we'll WhatsApp the priests and get all sorts of interesting invitations. "There's Voodoo in the Caribbean and it's very underground but in Benin it takes centre stage. That's why people find it so interesting. "It's fought back against the dominance of Muslims and Christians, who have marginalised the religion in other parts of the world." Dark side of religion While tourists in Benin are offered goat meat and trinkets with animal heads, over the years Voodoo sacrifices have been linked to much darker occurrences across the world. Notoriously, in 2001, a young African boy's torso was found in the River Thames in London. His head, arms and legs had been removed. Police investigators at the time believed that the killing was part of a Voodoo ritual. It's believed the body part may have been in the water for up to ten days and tests showed he lived in West Africa shortly before his death. Police believe he was trafficked to the UK, specifically for the purpose of a sacrifice. One factor that linked the torso to Voodoo was it had been carefully dressed in bright orange shorts before being dumped. Police eventually discovered that the colour was seen as powerful and used in specific sacrificial spells by those who practised Voodoo. However, due to the state of the body when it was found and cops facing a wall of silence during their investigation, the mystery remains unsolved. While Benin is credited as being the origin of Voodoo, it has spread to neighbouring countries such as Nigeria, Togo and even the Caribbean. In Togo, Kieran visited the world's biggest Voodoo market, where he found skulls of various animals - including dogs. The traveller spoke to the local Witch Doctor, who said each skull has different properties and are often prescribed to cure illnesses. Kieran said: "That region of the world in particular, I went to the world's biggest Voodoo market in Toga, where you can buy every type of animal skull. "It was a bit creepy, we were walking and there was every skull you can buy. "We spoke to the Witch Doctor, he explained it's normal in this culture. When I posted a video people were horrified but they could be horrified with some of the things in Western culture. "There were Voodoo dolls and spells, he said it is possible to make another person fall in love with you, but I didn't believe it." 15 15 Goat slaughter Every year on January 10 the Vodoun (Voodoo) Festival is celebrated across Benin and especially in the city of Ouidah, where practitioners gather to honour their spirits with sacrifices, dancing and singing. The festival begins with the slaughter of a goat to honour the religion's spirits. The blood is used as an offering to the spirits and the animals - such as chickens, goats, sheep and cows - are then cooked and shared amongst the worshippers. Despite experiencing the 'creepiness' of the voodoo market and rituals, Kieran would recommend Voodoo tourism to Brits who want to explore that part of the world. Meanwhile, Viktor is keen to share his passion for the area and religion with the world and invites those who are intrigued to his museum and to join his unorthodox holiday tours. 15
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Henry Cavill shows off his flowing locks as he makes rare appearance with glam fiancée Natalie Viscusso at the Taormina Film Festival in Italy
Henry Cavill cut quite the dapper figure as he showed off his flowing locks while posing with fiancée Natalie Viscusso at the 71st Taormina Film Festival in Italy on Wednesday. The Witcher star, 42, was suited and booted in a black tuxedo and bow tie on day two of the film event, with Henry's mane looking longer and curlier than in previous appearances. The actor was in good spirits as he made a rare appearance with his glamorous wife-to-be, who turned heads in a draped peach satin gown. Natalie boosted her height with strappy gold sandals and was sure to flash her dazzling engagement ring as she cosied up to her fiance. During the event, Henry was seen on stage introducing producer Charles Roven, who was being honored on the night. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the Daily Mail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. The Witcher star, 42, was suited and booted in a black tuxedo and bow tie on day two of the film event, with Henry's mane looking longer and curlier than in previous appearances The actor was in good spirits as he made a rare appearance with his glamorous wife-to-be, who turned heads in a draped peach satin gown The Man Of Steel star also stopped to pose for a photo with a fan amid hiss appearance, with Henry having stepped somewhat away from the spotlight in the latter half of 2024 in the lead-up to the couple welcoming their first child. They welcomed their first child earlier this year, after revealing they were expecting a baby together back in April 2024. Henry and Natalie, who went public with their relationship in April 2021, keep their personal lives largely private. News of the pair becoming engaged first broke in January when they arrived together in Australia. They were spotted taking a stroll on the Gold Coast in Queensland as Natalie pushed along a baby pram and sported a huge diamond ring. The couple are yet to confirm wedding plans, but speculation is rife that a big announcement could be on the horizon. Henry had earlier asked fans for some parenting 'tips' in a sweet Father's Day post last year. The Superman star took to Instagram at the time as he asked for some parenting 'tips' ahead of becoming a dad for the first time. During the event, Henry was seen on stage introducing producer Charles Roven, who was being honored on the night The Man Of Steel star also stopped to pose for a photo with a fan amid hiss appearance, with Henry having stepped somewhat away from the spotlight in the latter half of 2024 in the lead-up to the couple welcoming their first child They welcomed their first child earlier this year , after revealing they were expecting a baby together back in April 2024 Henry lay beside a baby cot as he wrote: 'Oh yeah... and Happy Father's Day ye dads out there. 'Turns out I shall be joining your hallowed ranks soon! Any tips?? 'And don't worry, pillows won't be in the crib when the wee one arrives, just glue and scalpels so he or she can build Warhammer miniatures.' Back in April, Henry revealed that he was 'very excited' to be expecting his first child with Natalie, admitting that he can't wait to become a dad for the first time. The Man Of Steel star shared the news at the premiere of The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare in New York City.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Revealed: How Harry is the 'spare in his relationship' as the prince struggles to carve out a career for himself following the Sentebale debacle
It was widely seen as the charity perhaps closest to Harry's heart when he founded Sentebale in 2006 when the prince was just 22 years old. The charity - which helps children and teenagers tackle HIV or AIDS diagnoses - was after all named after the Sesotho word for 'forget-me-not' in reference to Princess Diana 's favourite flower and her much praised charity work during her life. But now Prince Harry finds himself no longer part of the charity he spent nearly 20 years building after he dramatically parted ways with Sentebale. The charity's chair Dr Sophie Chandauka made several damaging claims against the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, calling their brand 'toxic' and accusing Harry of 'harassment and bullying at scale' - a claim that is denied. This followed claims that Meghan Markle disrupted the Sentebale charity polo match in Spring last year when she turned up at short notice alongside tennis legend Serena Williams. The duchess had originally said she would not be attending. Speaking to MailOnline, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams said that Harry's struggles to carve out a career for himself, coupled with Meghan's own 'ruthless' ambitions, have meant the prince has found himself 'the spare' in their relationship. Richard said that Meghan has ambitions to become a billionaire with her various projects including TV and investing in start-ups, but Harry lacks the same 'ruthlessness'. Dr Sophie Chandauka, the chair of Sentebale. Dr Sophie made several damaging claims against the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, calling their brand 'toxic' 'Harry is increasingly finding himself as the spare in a relationship with Meghan which undoubtedly involves mutual affection, but where their priorities differ widely.' He said that Harry's comfort zone is his charity work, and this is the direction in which he naturally finds himself leaning. 'Invictus means a lot to him, it was a joy to see him at the WellChild Awards last year. He genuinely enjoyed being with the children, it seemed as though the "old Harry" was temporarily back,' he said. However, he cautioned that the duke has made a 'large number of mistakes'. These include his 'angry and resentful half-hour interview with the BBC after he lost his court case over security and his ill-judged memoir Spare'. Richard added: 'However, though often emotional, he lacks Meghan's ruthlessness, which was so apparent in the Oprah interview.' Although The Mail On Sunday revealed in May that Prince Harry is planning to launch his own as-yet-undisclosed commercial venture in the next few months, he remains focused on his charity work. Harry is still involved heavily with the Invictus Games and the foundation that supports the tournament as well as the HALO Trust - a charity working to remove landmines, which Princess Diana was supportive of. The Duke of Sussex also launched more new projects in recent years including an eco-travel campaign through his non-profit Travalyst, aimed at encouraging sustainable travel. Harry with Sentebale in 2006. The charity - which helps children and teenagers tackle HIV or AIDS diagnoses - was named after the Sesotho word for 'forget-me-not' in reference to Princess Diana's favourite flower and her much praised charity work during her life In November 2023 he became the global ambassador for Scotty's Little Soldiers - a charity that cares for children whose parents died while serving in the armed forces. Earlier this year, Harry had his most high-profile fallout with a former charity to date when he, alongside Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, resigned from their roles as patrons of Sentebale. This followed a dispute between the charity's trustees and Dr Sophie - the charity's chair. Harry and Dr Sophie's working relationship had been in trouble for some time but it was only after the duke announced he was stepping down that an excruciating video showing Meghan Markle moving the Sentebale chief away from her husband took on new importance. It was claimed the polo event was gatecrashed by the former Suits star with Serena Williams and a Netflix crew in tow. The Duchess of Sussex seemingly forced Dr Sophie Chandauka to duck under the trophy as Harry celebrated the Royal Salute Polo Challenge in Wellington, Florida, in support of Sentebale's work. Moments before, Meghan had kissed her husband to celebrate his win – with a Netflix camera crew there to capture the moment for his TV series on polo. The footage of Meghan and Dr Sophie with Harry at the centre has been watched millions of times online in the past year but is being viewed again in a new light after Dr Sophie's bombshell interview with Sky News where she discussed the notorious clip. Speaking to Sky News' Trevor Phillips, Dr Sophie recalled the chaotic event, telling him: 'We would have been really excited had we known ahead of time [Meghan was coming], but we didn't. 'And so the choreography went badly on stage because we had too many people on stage. The international press captured this, and there was a lot of talk about the duchess and the choreography on stage and whether she should have been there and her treatment of me. 'Prince Harry asked me to issue some sort of a statement in support of the duchess, and I said I wouldn't. 'Not because I didn't care about the duchess, but because I knew what would happen if I did so, number one. And number two, because we cannot be an extension of the Sussexes.' While Harry's own career aspirations may appear rudderless at the moment, Meghan's appear more ambitious than ever with the former Suits actress reportedly hoping to become a billionaire. As for her hopes of reaching this goal, Richard said that her public image could be problematic. 'Her declining popularity in the United States is partly due to the bullying allegations which have dogged her though she strongly denies them, and partly because, as was pointed out by critics of her With Love, Meghan cookery show, she is too self-obsessed,' he explained. Speaking to MailOnline, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams said that Harry's comfort zone is his charity work, and this is the direction in which he naturally finds himself leaning 'She should take advice from the infamous but pragmatic 16th century diplomat Nicolo Machiavelli who wrote 'It is not necessary that a prince (in her case a princess) be just. It is very necessary that he (she) appear to be'. 'The talent isn't there, the ambition is boundless, the self-love infinite and it shows far too obviously. The novelty has worn off, too. If you preach love but rubbish the royal family, which you married into, you might not make the fortune you seek!' Indeed, Meghan does appear to have focused much of her energy on her solo business projects in recent years. In March 2024, she soft-launched American Riviera Orchard before changing the company's name to As Ever. Announcing the new venture, Meghan said: 'This new chapter is an extension of what has always been my love language, beautifully weaving together everything I cherish - food, gardening, entertaining, thoughtful living, and finding joy in the everyday.' The food products sold by the brand include an assortment of teas, edible flower sprinkles and a £20 jar of honey. Meghan has also invested in a number of companies including the vegan coffee brand Clevr Blends and haircare line Highbrow Hippie. She has also invested in asset manager Ethic, which focuses on sustainable investments. Harry and Meghan signed a lucrative £18million deal with Spotify in 2020. However, despite appearing to be a joint venture, the only show they produced was hosted by Meghan. In the series, titled Archetypes, Meghan interviewed various celebrities from Serena Williams to Paris Hilton. The deal was 'mutually ended' in June 2023 with sources claiming the music streaming giant did not see a enough content to warrant the full payout. Earlier this year, the duchess launched her Confessions of a Female Founder with Meghan podcast which saw her chat with female business owners from an array of successful companies. In a slight career change, Meghan also penned a children's book in 2021 titled The Bench. The book follows the relationship of a father and son through the eyes of the mother. It received mixed reviews from critics. In their television projects, Harry and Meghan have kept a much more united front but even so the couple do now appear to be doing much more separate projects. Although an official figure was never announced, Harry and Meghan's deal with Netflix was allegedly worth around £80million and has seen the couple produce multiple shows. Harry's brief cameo at the end of Meghan's Netflix lifestyle programme. A source from the show has since reported that neither Harry nor their children will appear in the next season of the show In 2022, the first Netflix series about the Sussexes was released aptly named Harry and Meghan. In their television projects, Harry and Meghan have kept a much more united front but even so the couple do now appear to be doing much more separate projects. Although an official figure was never announced, Harry and Meghan's deal with Netflix was allegedly worth around £80million and has seen the couple produce multiple shows. In 2022, the first Netflix series about the Sussexes was released aptly named Harry and Meghan. While it holds the record for the biggest debut for a Netflix documentary it received mixed reviews. The pair were also executive producers on the Polo sports documentary series which followed athletes at the US Open Polo Championship. In 2023, Meghan did not join Harry as an executive producer on the Heart of Invictus series, although the duke and duchess did appear together during the show. Meghan's first major solo television project was her lifestyle programme called With Love, Meghan which saw the duchess team up with a number of famous guests to cook and create homeware products. Harry was almost entirely absent from the series aside from a very brief cameo in the last episode.
