Latest news with #Portugeuse
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Edinburgh mob boss Mark Richardson's associates 'plotted Spanish hit' at secret gang summit
The murders of Ross Monaghan and Eddie Lyons Jnr were 'plotted during a secret summit', according to new reports. The shooting happened in Costa Del Sol in Spain, after a masked gunman leapt out of a car outside an Irish pub on the beachfront in Fuengirola. Monaghan, 43, and Lyons, 46, were two of the leading members of the Lyons gang, reports the Scottish Daily Express. The planning is said to have taken plane in Kirkintilloch, nine miles north-east of Glasgow, where Daniel clan members 'gathered for a council of war'. READ MORE: Edinburgh locals 'really bugged' by 'glaring mistake' on hit Netflix series READ MORE: Robbie Williams' wife Ayda gives one-word take on Edinburgh as couple take in sights The Scottish Sun reports that top-ranking members of the Daniel clan are said to have gathered at a "secret location" in Kirkintilloch with high-ranking associates of jailed Edinburgh drugs baron Mark Richardson. In recent months, members of this east coast-west coast criminal alliance have suffered in silence in the face of a relentless onslaught from their hated rivals, the Lyons, along with a relatively new face on the scene - Ross 'Miami' McGill. Firebombings on cars, homes and businesses, drive-by shootings that left bullet holes in doors and windows, a violent home invasion in Glasgow that left a young boy and an older woman - both related to the Daniel family - bloodied and battered, and a number of machete attacks. In one, an Edinburgh businessman who just happens to be an old friend of Richardson's, was hospitalised; in another, workers at a Daniel-linked garage East Kilbride were injured by blade-wielding thugs. But nobody had been killed. And the word was starting to go out that the Daniels were defenceless in the onslaught of this violence. Not only that, they were being mocked by McGill and his crew, known as Tamo Junto (a Portugeuse phrase meaning 'we are together'), thanks to a blizzard of TikTok videos. The former Rangers football ultra now lives in Dubai, alongside Steven Lyons, 44 - acknowledged as the head of the gang - and members of the Irish Kinahan cartel. And it is the backing of the Kinahans which is seen as crucial to the recent rise of the Lyons. Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox But to imagine that the Daniels were finished is to ignore the longer-term history of this bloody rivalry, which sparked into life with the bloody Applerow Motors shooting in north Glasgow in December 2006. In events later likened by Donald Findlay KC to "a scene from The Godfather", two gunmen in trenchcoats burst in and opened fire on David Lyons. He dived for cover but his 21-year-old nephew Michael Lyons was shot dead, while Steven Lyons and Robert Pickett were gravely injured. Now, it appears that the Daniels may have pulled off another 'spectacular' that will once again change the face of Scotland's underworld for years to come. The two rival gangs have their roots in the tower blocks and run-down council estates of north-east Glasgow - the Daniels in Possil and the Lyons in Milton. Even today, this turf is jealously guarded; as recently as April, an ageing Daniel gang member was jailed for life for the shotgun murder of a Lyons footsoldier in Milton. Malcom McNee, 63, was told he would die in prison for blasting to death John McGregor, 44. Prosecutor John Macpherson told Stirling Sheriff Court: "The background to this case is an ongoing feud between the Lyons and the Daniels organised crime groups. Westray Street is a regular meeting point for youths associated with the Lyons family, while members of the Daniel family live in adjoining streets." But while the rank and file still live here in some of Britain's poorest neighbourhoods, the bosses have fled to the suburbs and housing estates in the countryside. And here, too, the turf appears to be clearly marked with the Daniels putting down roots in East Dunbartonshire and the Lyons based around Cumbernauld. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. At one stage, Eddie Lyons Sr and other family members all lived in one street - dubbed, inevitably, the 'Lyons Den' - in an upmarket development off the M80, in new-build homes fitted with bullet-proof glass in the windows. Kevin 'Gerbil' Carroll, the feared Daniel enforcer who was shot dead in 2010, moved to Lennoxtown and his right-hand man Francis 'Fraggle' Green swapped the mean streets of north Glasgow for rural Milton of Campsie (once described by the Glasgow Herald as a 'gangland village', much to the embarrassment of the locals). The late Jamie Daniel - who died of cancer in 2016 - lived in a mansion in Glasgow's West End but he too had links to Kirky. In 2012, after a taxi nearly clipped one of his lovers outside the town's Tesco supermarket, the scrap metal dealer turned millionaire crime boss was accused of exacting personal revenge. The taxi driver was summoned to his office, where a man emerged from a BMW with blacked out windows and delivered a savage beating; so savage, in fact, that the driver couldn't recall what happened when the case ended up in court. All the other witnesses developed a similar amnesia and Daniel walked free. Such memory lapses were also common among victims of Carroll's 'alien abduction' crew, rival Lyons dealers who were kidnapped, tortured and 'taxed' of their drugs and earnings, before being dumped in the street. One individual was left wandering in the leafy village of Lenzie, causing net curtains to twitch. When the sadistic Gerbil was lured out of hiding and ruthlessly taken out by the Lyons crew in a sophisticated operation, the hit took place in the most mundane of surroundings - an Asda car park in Robroyston, surrounded by busy, harassed mums and other weekday shoppers. Monaghan had been cleared of Gerbil's murder and he is said to have been a 'marked man' ever since, although it could be argued that the leading members of both gangs have lived their entire adult lives with a target on their backs. Some in Glasgow - including members of law enforcement - are sceptical that the Daniels and Richardson mob had the "wherewithal" to organise the shooting in the Costa del Sol.
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- The Irish Sun
Madeleine McCann cops to scour roadwork trenches near villa & Brueckner's ‘rat run' of paths using radar in new search
POLICE will tomorrow start a fresh dig for Madeleine McCann's body. 19 Police will start a fresh dig for Madeleine McCann's body Credit: Collect 19 The search area will include a cottage half a mile away used by the main suspect, German Christian Brueckner, and nearby scrubland Credit: Darren Fletcher 19 Police tents at the scene in Portugal Credit: Solarpix 19 German cops face a race to charge suspect A source said: 'It's now or never.' A police theory is the three-year-old or her pyjamas might have been dumped in trenches near the READ MORE ON WORLD NEWS At least 30 agents from Germany's FBI — the BKA — acting on a tip-off arrived in They are equipped with ground-penetrating radar that can scan 15ft below the surface. The search area will include a cottage half a mile away used by the main suspect, German-national The area was a rat run for prolific thief Most read in The Sun Police were closing dirt roads and putting up tents in Atalaia, next to Praia, this afternoon. The search comes weeks after a Chilling moment Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner SMIRKS as he's asked 'did you kill Maddie-' He is due for release in September, has never been charged over the toddler, and denies involvement. Investigators need forensic evidence to charge him. An investigation source said: 'German cops know it is now or never so they need to push ahead with every credible tip they have. 'Following Brueckner's trial last year someone contacted them with theories on where anyone who took Madeleine might have dumped her, or her clothes. 'They told cops about trenches that were dug in Praia at the time Madeleine disappeared — and the house where Brueckner had lived on the edge of the village. 'Of course, all these places have been searched over and over again — but now they have a new weapon in their ground-scanning radar. German cops know it is now or never so they need to push ahead with every credible tip they have Investigation source 'It means they don't need to dig for the sake of it. But as soon as they spot anything of interest they are ready to excavate and check it. 'With time running out they are praying they get a breakthrough.' British cops are said to have no involvement in the searches. It is the first official police action in Portugal since the Arades Dam, around 30 miles from Unconfirmed reports suggested a tipster had sent images to German detectives of the The source added: 'Brueckner is still the only suspect and he still maintains silence with German cops. But they have been studying him closely and looking at the way he behaves. 19 German cops are equipped with ground-penetrating radar that can scan 15ft below the surface Credit: Alamy 19 Portugeuse police close dirt roads in the Atalaia area near Praia da Luz where the search will take place Credit: Solarpix 19 Police set up the area for the search in Portugal Credit: Solarpix 19 At least 30 agents from Germany's FBI — the BKA — acting on a tip-off arrived in the Portuguese resort Credit: Solarpix 19 German cops face a race to charge suspect Christian Brueckner Credit: Enterprise 19 Madeleine McCann went missing while on holiday with her family in 2007 Credit: PA 'They think his pattern of behaviour is to return to familiar places after he has committed a crime. 'That's why they want to search his cottage — even though he didn't live there in 2007 when Madeleine vanished.' A well-placed Portuguese source said: 'These will be land searches only. The main objective is to look for any signs of Madeleine's body.' Police have previously placed A 30-minute call was connected to the device, suggesting he was likely there. The other party to the call has never been detected and Following Brueckner's trial last year someone contacted them with theories on where anyone who took Madeleine might have dumped her, or her clothes Investigation source The latest tip-off has been with German cops since last year when he was cleared in a separate rape case. However, the search request has been delayed by red tape. Brueckner lived at the cottage around 2005-06. While he did not live there in May 2007, a Sun investigation revealed a satnav showing he often visited and took bizarre intimate selfies at the site. During the 2023 dam searches, soil samples were taken but no Madeleine clues were found. An earlier June 2014 operation saw In a smaller operation in July 2020 Portuguese police and fire-fighters searched three wells for Madeleine, whose parents 19 The house in Lagos, Portugal, where the three-year-old was staying when she went missing Credit: AFP 19 British and Portuguese cops search outside Praia da Luz in 2014 Credit: PA 19 Cops search around the Arade Dam in 2023 Credit: Dan Charity Brueckner is set for release from jail on September 17, with time running out for new appeals and arrest warrants to be granted. Last October, in an unrelated trial, he was cleared of rape and sexual abuse in Portugal between 2000 and 2017. Our recent TV investigation shed new light on his disturbing obsession with children and his potential involvement in the Madeleine case. Among police findings was a hard drive of images reportedly thought to uphold investigators' long-held belief that she was killed. Portugal's Policia Judiciaria confirmed it was complying with a search warrant issued by the Braunschweig public prosecutor's office in Germany. It added: 'This is conducting preliminary proceedings against a German citizen suspected of the murder of British citizen Madeleine Beth McCann, who disappeared from a holiday resort in Praia da Luz on 3 May 2007. 'All the evidence seized by the PJ will, with the prior authorisation of the national Public Prosecutor's Office, be handed over to the agents of the German Federal Criminal Police Service.' German officials did not comment. The Met Police said: 'We are aware of the searches in Portugal and will support our international colleagues where necessary.' 19 Arade reservoir is around 50km from Praia da Luz 19 The house near Praia Da Luz, where German paedophile Christian Brueckner lived Credit: The Sun 19 Cops have previously searched wells near the town 19 Madeleine disappeared 18 years ago Credit: AP 19 Parents Kate and Gerry McCann speak to the press in 2017 Credit: PA 19 Brueckner pictured arriving to court in his prison van Credit: Dan Charity TIMELINE OF EVENTS Here's a timeline of the case which has gripped the world. May 3, 2007 January 15, 2016 Neighbour reports a possible 'grave' at Brueckner's abandoned factory in East Germany. Cops find disturbing February 16, 2016 Christian Brueckner is convicted for abusing a girl of five in a park after images found on his laptop. He was sentenced to 15-months behind bars but was already on the run by then. May 3, 2017 Around this time, He reports an alleged confession by Christian Brueckner. September 27, 2018 On-the-run Christian Brueckner is arrested over outstanding drugs claims in Italy. He is extradited to Germany the following year. December 16, 2019 Christian Brueckner was convicted, in Germany, for the 2005 rape of an American woman in Praia da Luz, Portugal, after his DNA was matched to a hair found on her bed. He was sentenced to seven years behind bars. June 4, 2020 German prosecutors reveal to the world they have a suspect in custody under investigation for the abduction of Madeleine McCann. For the first time they claim German media later name him as June 23, 2023 In his first interview, witness Helge B alleges to German newspaper Bild that Christian Brueckner all-but-confessed the Madeleine abduction to him, by allegedly saying 'she didn't scream' as they talked about the case, at a music festival, in Spain. February 16, 2024 Brueckner goes on trial accused of none-McCann allegations of rape and sex assault, in Braunschweig, Germany. Prosecutors hope for a conviction to keep him behind bars permanently and lead to McCann charges. October 8, 2024 Prosecutors launch an appeal, however. Decision pending. September 17, 2025 Date on which Prosecutors require an arrest warrant for a retrial over claims from last year - or over the McCann case
Edinburgh Live
a day ago
- Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh mob boss Mark Richardson's associates 'plotted Spanish hit' at secret gang summit
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info The murders of Ross Monaghan and Eddie Lyons Jnr were 'plotted during a secret summit', according to new reports. The shooting happened in Costa Del Sol in Spain, after a masked gunman leapt out of a car outside an Irish pub on the beachfront in Fuengirola. Monaghan, 43, and Lyons, 46, were two of the leading members of the Lyons gang, reports the Scottish Daily Express. The planning is said to have taken plane in Kirkintilloch, nine miles north-east of Glasgow, where Daniel clan members 'gathered for a council of war'. The Scottish Sun reports that top-ranking members of the Daniel clan are said to have gathered at a "secret location" in Kirkintilloch with high-ranking associates of jailed Edinburgh drugs baron Mark Richardson. In recent months, members of this east coast-west coast criminal alliance have suffered in silence in the face of a relentless onslaught from their hated rivals, the Lyons, along with a relatively new face on the scene - Ross 'Miami' McGill. Firebombings on cars, homes and businesses, drive-by shootings that left bullet holes in doors and windows, a violent home invasion in Glasgow that left a young boy and an older woman - both related to the Daniel family - bloodied and battered, and a number of machete attacks. In one, an Edinburgh businessman who just happens to be an old friend of Richardson's, was hospitalised; in another, workers at a Daniel-linked garage East Kilbride were injured by blade-wielding thugs. But nobody had been killed. And the word was starting to go out that the Daniels were defenceless in the onslaught of this violence. Not only that, they were being mocked by McGill and his crew, known as Tamo Junto (a Portugeuse phrase meaning 'we are together'), thanks to a blizzard of TikTok videos. The former Rangers football ultra now lives in Dubai, alongside Steven Lyons, 44 - acknowledged as the head of the gang - and members of the Irish Kinahan cartel. And it is the backing of the Kinahans which is seen as crucial to the recent rise of the Lyons. Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox But to imagine that the Daniels were finished is to ignore the longer-term history of this bloody rivalry, which sparked into life with the bloody Applerow Motors shooting in north Glasgow in December 2006. In events later likened by Donald Findlay KC to "a scene from The Godfather", two gunmen in trenchcoats burst in and opened fire on David Lyons. He dived for cover but his 21-year-old nephew Michael Lyons was shot dead, while Steven Lyons and Robert Pickett were gravely injured. Now, it appears that the Daniels may have pulled off another 'spectacular' that will once again change the face of Scotland's underworld for years to come. The two rival gangs have their roots in the tower blocks and run-down council estates of north-east Glasgow - the Daniels in Possil and the Lyons in Milton. Even today, this turf is jealously guarded; as recently as April, an ageing Daniel gang member was jailed for life for the shotgun murder of a Lyons footsoldier in Milton. Malcom McNee, 63, was told he would die in prison for blasting to death John McGregor, 44. Prosecutor John Macpherson told Stirling Sheriff Court: "The background to this case is an ongoing feud between the Lyons and the Daniels organised crime groups. Westray Street is a regular meeting point for youths associated with the Lyons family, while members of the Daniel family live in adjoining streets." But while the rank and file still live here in some of Britain's poorest neighbourhoods, the bosses have fled to the suburbs and housing estates in the countryside. And here, too, the turf appears to be clearly marked with the Daniels putting down roots in East Dunbartonshire and the Lyons based around Cumbernauld. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. At one stage, Eddie Lyons Sr and other family members all lived in one street - dubbed, inevitably, the 'Lyons Den' - in an upmarket development off the M80, in new-build homes fitted with bullet-proof glass in the windows. Kevin 'Gerbil' Carroll, the feared Daniel enforcer who was shot dead in 2010, moved to Lennoxtown and his right-hand man Francis 'Fraggle' Green swapped the mean streets of north Glasgow for rural Milton of Campsie (once described by the Glasgow Herald as a 'gangland village', much to the embarrassment of the locals). The late Jamie Daniel - who died of cancer in 2016 - lived in a mansion in Glasgow's West End but he too had links to Kirky. In 2012, after a taxi nearly clipped one of his lovers outside the town's Tesco supermarket, the scrap metal dealer turned millionaire crime boss was accused of exacting personal revenge. The taxi driver was summoned to his office, where a man emerged from a BMW with blacked out windows and delivered a savage beating; so savage, in fact, that the driver couldn't recall what happened when the case ended up in court. All the other witnesses developed a similar amnesia and Daniel walked free. Such memory lapses were also common among victims of Carroll's 'alien abduction' crew, rival Lyons dealers who were kidnapped, tortured and 'taxed' of their drugs and earnings, before being dumped in the street. One individual was left wandering in the leafy village of Lenzie, causing net curtains to twitch. When the sadistic Gerbil was lured out of hiding and ruthlessly taken out by the Lyons crew in a sophisticated operation, the hit took place in the most mundane of surroundings - an Asda car park in Robroyston, surrounded by busy, harassed mums and other weekday shoppers. Monaghan had been cleared of Gerbil's murder and he is said to have been a 'marked man' ever since, although it could be argued that the leading members of both gangs have lived their entire adult lives with a target on their backs. Some in Glasgow - including members of law enforcement - are sceptical that the Daniels and Richardson mob had the "wherewithal" to organise the shooting in the Costa del Sol.
The Advertiser
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Cook Up's Adam Liaw shows off his magic oven
One of the impressive things about this show is how Liaw and the guests can carry on a conversation while cooking. Well, it's impressive to me, anyway. If I'm putting a meal together, I have to focus on that and any potential discussion goes by the wayside. But the guests here - chef Mark Olive and Food Safari's Maeve O'Meara don't seem to have any problems with that at all. As a tie-in with it being SBS's 50th this year, they're making Special Broadcasting Suppers. Because the initials are SBS, geddit? For me, the winner is Liaw's Portugeuse roast chicken rice. Though it is a little jarring to see him put the chicken in the oven and seemingly pull it back out seconds later completely cooked. There's not even a hint of "here's one I prepared earlier". The only explanation is that Liaw has a magic oven. What has happened to this show? It used to be an oasis of wholesomeness in the oft-sleazy world of dating shows (yeah, MAFS, I'm talking about you). But in this season, things have gone really pear-shaped. Two farmers were allegedly axed before the show went to air for hooking up with other women during the production. So, more Farmer Wants a Booty Call than anything else. Now, Farmer Thomas appears to have been texting one of the women who had already left the farm, while the remaining ladies were trying to woo him. That saw him leave his own farm at the end of the last episode. And probably had the producers rubbing their hands with glee about all the plotlines this delivered. In tonight's episode, the farmers and the ladies are all going to a "Country Ball", which sounds like a rural tradition but is really a staged event where they are the only attendees. The big mystery is whether or not Farmer Thomas will come back to the farm or if the ladies will have to bring in the wheat themselves during harvest time. The title of this series about mixed martial arts definitely suggests some nefarious dealings. But that's not the case, at least not in this first episode. The episode deals with a fighter named Kimbo Slice, who became famous on the internet for his videos of illegal bare-knuckle backyard fights. That fame led him to look at becoming an MMA fighter - well, the fame and the fact he could make a lot more money that way compared to punching on with people in a suburban backyard. Once he developed some wrestling skills rather than just relying on his fists, Slice did pretty well in the cage. He did pretty well out of it as well, becoming one of the sport's recognised faces and appearing on plenty of talk shows. But he was facing some serious health problems. It was known that he suffered high blood pressure but what wasn't known is that it was linked to an enlarged heart. At the age of 42, when he was on the list for a heart transplant, Slice was feeling unwell and was admitted to hospital. Three days later he died from congestive heart failure. So this episode is more about the Sad Side of The Cage, rather than the Dark Side. One of the impressive things about this show is how Liaw and the guests can carry on a conversation while cooking. Well, it's impressive to me, anyway. If I'm putting a meal together, I have to focus on that and any potential discussion goes by the wayside. But the guests here - chef Mark Olive and Food Safari's Maeve O'Meara don't seem to have any problems with that at all. As a tie-in with it being SBS's 50th this year, they're making Special Broadcasting Suppers. Because the initials are SBS, geddit? For me, the winner is Liaw's Portugeuse roast chicken rice. Though it is a little jarring to see him put the chicken in the oven and seemingly pull it back out seconds later completely cooked. There's not even a hint of "here's one I prepared earlier". The only explanation is that Liaw has a magic oven. What has happened to this show? It used to be an oasis of wholesomeness in the oft-sleazy world of dating shows (yeah, MAFS, I'm talking about you). But in this season, things have gone really pear-shaped. Two farmers were allegedly axed before the show went to air for hooking up with other women during the production. So, more Farmer Wants a Booty Call than anything else. Now, Farmer Thomas appears to have been texting one of the women who had already left the farm, while the remaining ladies were trying to woo him. That saw him leave his own farm at the end of the last episode. And probably had the producers rubbing their hands with glee about all the plotlines this delivered. In tonight's episode, the farmers and the ladies are all going to a "Country Ball", which sounds like a rural tradition but is really a staged event where they are the only attendees. The big mystery is whether or not Farmer Thomas will come back to the farm or if the ladies will have to bring in the wheat themselves during harvest time. The title of this series about mixed martial arts definitely suggests some nefarious dealings. But that's not the case, at least not in this first episode. The episode deals with a fighter named Kimbo Slice, who became famous on the internet for his videos of illegal bare-knuckle backyard fights. That fame led him to look at becoming an MMA fighter - well, the fame and the fact he could make a lot more money that way compared to punching on with people in a suburban backyard. Once he developed some wrestling skills rather than just relying on his fists, Slice did pretty well in the cage. He did pretty well out of it as well, becoming one of the sport's recognised faces and appearing on plenty of talk shows. But he was facing some serious health problems. It was known that he suffered high blood pressure but what wasn't known is that it was linked to an enlarged heart. At the age of 42, when he was on the list for a heart transplant, Slice was feeling unwell and was admitted to hospital. Three days later he died from congestive heart failure. So this episode is more about the Sad Side of The Cage, rather than the Dark Side. One of the impressive things about this show is how Liaw and the guests can carry on a conversation while cooking. Well, it's impressive to me, anyway. If I'm putting a meal together, I have to focus on that and any potential discussion goes by the wayside. But the guests here - chef Mark Olive and Food Safari's Maeve O'Meara don't seem to have any problems with that at all. As a tie-in with it being SBS's 50th this year, they're making Special Broadcasting Suppers. Because the initials are SBS, geddit? For me, the winner is Liaw's Portugeuse roast chicken rice. Though it is a little jarring to see him put the chicken in the oven and seemingly pull it back out seconds later completely cooked. There's not even a hint of "here's one I prepared earlier". The only explanation is that Liaw has a magic oven. What has happened to this show? It used to be an oasis of wholesomeness in the oft-sleazy world of dating shows (yeah, MAFS, I'm talking about you). But in this season, things have gone really pear-shaped. Two farmers were allegedly axed before the show went to air for hooking up with other women during the production. So, more Farmer Wants a Booty Call than anything else. Now, Farmer Thomas appears to have been texting one of the women who had already left the farm, while the remaining ladies were trying to woo him. That saw him leave his own farm at the end of the last episode. And probably had the producers rubbing their hands with glee about all the plotlines this delivered. In tonight's episode, the farmers and the ladies are all going to a "Country Ball", which sounds like a rural tradition but is really a staged event where they are the only attendees. The big mystery is whether or not Farmer Thomas will come back to the farm or if the ladies will have to bring in the wheat themselves during harvest time. The title of this series about mixed martial arts definitely suggests some nefarious dealings. But that's not the case, at least not in this first episode. The episode deals with a fighter named Kimbo Slice, who became famous on the internet for his videos of illegal bare-knuckle backyard fights. That fame led him to look at becoming an MMA fighter - well, the fame and the fact he could make a lot more money that way compared to punching on with people in a suburban backyard. Once he developed some wrestling skills rather than just relying on his fists, Slice did pretty well in the cage. He did pretty well out of it as well, becoming one of the sport's recognised faces and appearing on plenty of talk shows. But he was facing some serious health problems. It was known that he suffered high blood pressure but what wasn't known is that it was linked to an enlarged heart. At the age of 42, when he was on the list for a heart transplant, Slice was feeling unwell and was admitted to hospital. Three days later he died from congestive heart failure. So this episode is more about the Sad Side of The Cage, rather than the Dark Side. One of the impressive things about this show is how Liaw and the guests can carry on a conversation while cooking. Well, it's impressive to me, anyway. If I'm putting a meal together, I have to focus on that and any potential discussion goes by the wayside. But the guests here - chef Mark Olive and Food Safari's Maeve O'Meara don't seem to have any problems with that at all. As a tie-in with it being SBS's 50th this year, they're making Special Broadcasting Suppers. Because the initials are SBS, geddit? For me, the winner is Liaw's Portugeuse roast chicken rice. Though it is a little jarring to see him put the chicken in the oven and seemingly pull it back out seconds later completely cooked. There's not even a hint of "here's one I prepared earlier". The only explanation is that Liaw has a magic oven. What has happened to this show? It used to be an oasis of wholesomeness in the oft-sleazy world of dating shows (yeah, MAFS, I'm talking about you). But in this season, things have gone really pear-shaped. Two farmers were allegedly axed before the show went to air for hooking up with other women during the production. So, more Farmer Wants a Booty Call than anything else. Now, Farmer Thomas appears to have been texting one of the women who had already left the farm, while the remaining ladies were trying to woo him. That saw him leave his own farm at the end of the last episode. And probably had the producers rubbing their hands with glee about all the plotlines this delivered. In tonight's episode, the farmers and the ladies are all going to a "Country Ball", which sounds like a rural tradition but is really a staged event where they are the only attendees. The big mystery is whether or not Farmer Thomas will come back to the farm or if the ladies will have to bring in the wheat themselves during harvest time. The title of this series about mixed martial arts definitely suggests some nefarious dealings. But that's not the case, at least not in this first episode. The episode deals with a fighter named Kimbo Slice, who became famous on the internet for his videos of illegal bare-knuckle backyard fights. That fame led him to look at becoming an MMA fighter - well, the fame and the fact he could make a lot more money that way compared to punching on with people in a suburban backyard. Once he developed some wrestling skills rather than just relying on his fists, Slice did pretty well in the cage. He did pretty well out of it as well, becoming one of the sport's recognised faces and appearing on plenty of talk shows. But he was facing some serious health problems. It was known that he suffered high blood pressure but what wasn't known is that it was linked to an enlarged heart. At the age of 42, when he was on the list for a heart transplant, Slice was feeling unwell and was admitted to hospital. Three days later he died from congestive heart failure. So this episode is more about the Sad Side of The Cage, rather than the Dark Side.
