
East of England news quiz of the week 24-30 May
From a 6ft angel to a major new installation in a town, how much East of England news can you remember from the past seven days?
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Powys County Times
9 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
‘Beloved' Race Across The World star Sam Gardiner dies after car crash
A star of BBC adventure series Race Across The World has died after a car crash. Sam Gardiner competed in the global travel competition's second series with his mother, who said she was devastated by his death. The 24-year-old was driving a white Volkswagen Golf R estate when it came off the road and rolled before landing on its side. The accident happened on the A34 in Gatley, near Cheadle on Monday night and he died on Thursday from his injuries, his family said. The landscape gardener had been working on an isolated estate on the west coast of Scotland and was home in Manchester for a family gathering. Mr Gardiner featured in the BBC competition with mum Jo Gardiner, broadcast in March 2020, which saw the pair enjoy adventures across Mexico and Argentina. In a statement, Mrs Gardiner and his father Andrew said: 'We are devastated by the loss of our beloved son Sam in a terrible accident. 'Sam left us far too soon, and whilst words will never fully capture the light, joy and energy he brought into our lives, we hold on to the memories that made him so special. 'Sam was adored by his family. As a son, brother and nephew, he was loyal, funny and fiercely protective. 'He did Race Across The World in 2019, which opened his eyes to the wonder of adventure and travel. 'He was willing to go wherever the trail might lead and he touched everyone he met on the road. He found great happiness working as a landscape gardener on the west coast of Scotland.' — Race Across The World (@RATW_official) June 1, 2025 He added: 'Sam brought warmth, laughter and a smattering of chaos wherever he went. He leaves behind a huge hole in our hearts. 'We will miss him endlessly, but we'll also remember him with smiles, tall tales and a depth of love that will never fade.' A police spokesperson said: 'We sadly must confirm that the driver of a white VW Golf R estate involved in a single vehicle collision on Monday 26 May on the A34 in Gatley has since passed away from his injuries. 'The driver, a 24-year-old man, has been named as Sam Gardiner. 'His family have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers. 'Emergency services attended the scene after a vehicle was reported to have left the carriageway and rolled before landing on its side.' ⭐Meet the teams⭐ Jo & Sam, mother and son from Manchester! Brand new series of #RaceAcrossTheWorld starts this SUNDAY, 8pm @BBCTwo — Race Across The World (@RATW_official) March 2, 2020 A spokesperson for Race Across The World said: 'We are all deeply saddened to hear the tragic news about Sam. 'Everyone who worked with him and indeed everyone who watched Sam could see just how precious and transformative the trip was for both him and his mum, Jo. 'Sam embraced the seven-week trip with an energy, love and a determination that saw the pair enjoy adventures across Mexico to Argentina, making audiences fall in love with them and their special bond as a result. 'Since filming, both Sam and Jo have been an integral part of the Race Across The World cast family and on behalf of us all from the BBC, production and the rest of the cast, we would like to extend our deepest condolences to his parents, Andrew and Jo; his brothers, William and Charlie; his step mum Justine; his family and friends.'

Rhyl Journal
10 minutes ago
- Rhyl Journal
‘Beloved' Race Across The World star Sam Gardiner dies after car crash
Sam Gardiner competed in the global travel competition's second series with his mother, who said she was devastated by his death. The 24-year-old was driving a white Volkswagen Golf R estate when it came off the road and rolled before landing on its side. The accident happened on the A34 in Gatley, near Cheadle on Monday night and he died on Thursday from his injuries, his family said. The landscape gardener had been working on an isolated estate on the west coast of Scotland and was home in Manchester for a family gathering. Mr Gardiner featured in the BBC competition with mum Jo Gardiner, broadcast in March 2020, which saw the pair enjoy adventures across Mexico and Argentina. In a statement, Mrs Gardiner and his father Andrew said: 'We are devastated by the loss of our beloved son Sam in a terrible accident. 'Sam left us far too soon, and whilst words will never fully capture the light, joy and energy he brought into our lives, we hold on to the memories that made him so special. 'Sam was adored by his family. As a son, brother and nephew, he was loyal, funny and fiercely protective. 'He did Race Across The World in 2019, which opened his eyes to the wonder of adventure and travel. 'He was willing to go wherever the trail might lead and he touched everyone he met on the road. He found great happiness working as a landscape gardener on the west coast of Scotland.' — Race Across The World (@RATW_official) June 1, 2025 He added: 'Sam brought warmth, laughter and a smattering of chaos wherever he went. He leaves behind a huge hole in our hearts. 'We will miss him endlessly, but we'll also remember him with smiles, tall tales and a depth of love that will never fade.' A police spokesperson said: 'We sadly must confirm that the driver of a white VW Golf R estate involved in a single vehicle collision on Monday 26 May on the A34 in Gatley has since passed away from his injuries. 'The driver, a 24-year-old man, has been named as Sam Gardiner. 'His family have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers. 'Emergency services attended the scene after a vehicle was reported to have left the carriageway and rolled before landing on its side.' ⭐Meet the teams⭐ Jo & Sam, mother and son from Manchester! Brand new series of #RaceAcrossTheWorld starts this SUNDAY, 8pm @BBCTwo — Race Across The World (@RATW_official) March 2, 2020 A spokesperson for Race Across The World said: 'We are all deeply saddened to hear the tragic news about Sam. 'Everyone who worked with him and indeed everyone who watched Sam could see just how precious and transformative the trip was for both him and his mum, Jo. 'Sam embraced the seven-week trip with an energy, love and a determination that saw the pair enjoy adventures across Mexico to Argentina, making audiences fall in love with them and their special bond as a result. 'Since filming, both Sam and Jo have been an integral part of the Race Across The World cast family and on behalf of us all from the BBC, production and the rest of the cast, we would like to extend our deepest condolences to his parents, Andrew and Jo; his brothers, William and Charlie; his step mum Justine; his family and friends.'


Daily Mail
11 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Samie Elishi enjoys a night out with Sam Thompson and his Staying Relevant team after the truth about their whirlwind romance was revealed
Samie Elishi made a surprise appearance at Sam Thompson 's night out on Saturday, as their whirlwind romance continues to go from strength to strength. The Love Island star, 25, has been dating the podcast presenter, 32, since last month, when the pair were pictured sharing a kiss at Olivia Attwood 's birthday bash. And as Sam enjoyed a night out with the team on his podcast Staying Relevant, Samie took to Instagram Stories to share a brief clip from the outing. The reality TV beauty shared a video of herself dancing alongside the podcast's executive producer Pippa Morgan, who regularly features on the show, which is hosted by Sam and his longtime pal Pete Wicks. Sam is back home preparing for both Soccer Aid and his latest challenge which will see the star travel a mammoth 260-mile journey on both bike and foot to deliver the Soccer Aid matchball to its new home in Old Trafford. 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. Ahead of the epic feat, which begins on Monday, Pete took to Instagram to share a sweet tribute to his pal. Posting a snap with Sam, he captioned the post: 'Tomorrow this man embarks on a mental and physical challenge for an amazing cause @unicef. 'Mate I couldn't be prouder of you as a friend, a brother and as a man. You are gonna push yourself to the limit and I can't wait to watch you complete this f**king mammoth task. 'I know how much work you've put in and I know you're doing it for the right reasons. Just so you know, you're doing it with every single one of your friends and family right behind you. 'I hope the nation follows your journey and helps you along the way in donations and support. 'You are an inspiration to me and many others and I admire the man you've become this year more than any other year I've known you. Good luck brother, you've got this @samthompsonuk.' Earlier this week, Samie's distance from Sam while she attended a brand trip to Mykonos had briefly sparked rumours they'd split, but a source has since hit back at the claims. A source close to the couple told MailOnline: 'Any suggestion that Sam and Samie have split up is untrue. The Love Island star has been dating the podcast presenter since last month, when the pair were pictured sharing a kiss at Olivia Attwood 's birthday bash 'They're loving spending time together and always make the most of off days between their busy schedules.' Elsewhere Sam's ex Zara McDermott has been packing on the PDA with her new boyfriend Louis Tomlinson during a romantic holiday to Costa Rica. The pair were spotted kissing at the modest Banana Beach Restaurant which overlooks the ocean. Sam first met Samie, who appeared on Love Island in 2023 and returned to the All Stars series this year, through his presenting role on spinoff, Aftersun. Samie previously broke her silence on her new romance with Sam, after the couple attended the swanky celebration held at Bacchanalia in London's Mayfair where they confirmed the romance by packing on the PDA outside the venue. Samie spoke about the blossoming relationship for the first time during an appearance on the Chloe Mediumship podcast. The show is hosted by a psychic medium and in the episode, Samie revealed how she's previously had negative gut feelings in past relationships. She explained: 'I've had gut feelings with guys before. I've had a couple of relationships where I've known it was never it. Like this is gonna come to an end, I'll have something telling me every day it's coming to an end, this isn't for you. 'You put it to the back of your mind and then you start noticing the chaos increase. It's like the universe saying I'm gonna blow you both up if you just do not separate. Then I'm like if I only I listened all those months ago when I got that first message.' Then, host Chloe asked: 'Obviously, you don't have to talk about it too much but the guy you're currently speaking to, do you have that gut feeling? Like do you think it's gonna be really good?' Keeping her cards close to her chest, the former Love Islander replied: 'There's been no bad stuff at the minute so yeah I suppose it is all positive right now. It's early days.' Sam and his ex-girlfriend Zara split in January, with Zara quickly moving on with One Direction star Louis Tomlinson. On his Staying Relevant podcast with Pete Wicks, Sam also revealed he's gone on his first date since his split from Zara, after he reportedly spent a romantic Easter weekend with Samie. Earlier this week, Samie's distance from Sam while she attended a brand trip to Mykonos had briefly sparked rumours they'd split, but a source has since hit back at the claims Hinting towards his heartbreak over Zara, he said he'd gone through a 'pretty tough time', but that he was finally 'comfortable in my own skin again'. He told Pete: 'I feel like I'm ready to get out there. I feel like I'm at a stage now where I feel confident enough that I can start approaching females. 'I feel good, things are really really nice at the moment. And I feel like I'm happy. There's no more brave faces', causing Pete to proudly declare: 'Sam's ready to date!' Next week Sam will begin a 260-mile challenge in aid of Soccer Aid for UNICEF, transporting a football by running and cycling from Stamford Bridge in west London to Manchester's Old Trafford stadium in time for the Soccer Aid match on June 15. The challenge, which will be followed by the ITV documentary Sam Thompson's Match Ball Mission, is a savvy commission from the broadcaster. Because Sam will be taking part in the star-studded match at Old Trafford alongside none other than Zara's new beau, Louis. The football match is already the talk of ITV corridors, with all eyes sure to be on the two love rivals as they go head to head on the pitch.