Category: Entertainment

Liam Fitzgerald’s devastated family have spoken out for the first time since his tragic death, opening up about the influencer’s ‘battle with alcohol on and off’ during his life.

The fitness content creator sadly passed away on 30 October after being involved in a motorcycle accident. He was just 29.

Confirming his death, his heart-broken girlfriend Jamie Lyn Rinaldi said he’d died at around 2am after he sustained ‘severe injuries’ in the crash.

“Despite the efforts of those who tried desperately to save him, they were unable to bring him back,” she wrote on Instagram.

Liam’s heartbroken family have now broken their silence in a touching tribute to the ‘one-of-a-kind’ influencer who had ‘so much more life to live’.

“There are no words to describe the loss of someone as special as Liam,” the statement shared on Liam’s Instagram read.

“Liam was a shining light. He had a way of lighting up every room he walked into, a personality impossible to forget, and a heart that loved deeply. From family and friends to teammates, strangers, and people around the world, he inspired so many. He loved his people fiercely and would protect them with everything he had.”

His family went on to praise his ‘incredible’ work ethic and how he would set his mind to something and then ‘gave it everything’.

Liam, who lived in Miami, had more than a million social media followers and shared fitness and lifestyle content as well as offering one-on-one fitness coaching.

“He was talented at just about anything he tried and so proud of the life he was building and everything he accomplished,” his family said.

“He loved filming, creating, and editing videos to share his experiences and inspire others. He wanted us to believe that no matter how hard life gets, you can always get back up and become a better version of yourself.”

The family then shared that Liam had his ‘own struggles’, which he tackled during his life.

“He battled with alcohol on and off and knew it was hurting him,” they said.

“This is shared in the hope that his story reaches someone who needs it. If you're fighting that battle, please stay strong, reach out to your loved ones, and ask for help. You don't have to fight alone. Keep going.

“He wasn't perfect, and never pretended to be. But he always strived to grow and do better. He had dreams, ambitions, and so much more life to live.”

The family said his death had left behind a heartbreak that ‘words will never be able to describe’ but that his ‘laughter, energy, accomplishments, and the memories he created will live on’.

The statement concluded by urging people to keep Liam’s loved ones in their thoughts and to ‘hug your people’, tell them you love them and ‘never assume you have more time’.

“Liam, you were one of a kind. You shined so bright, and the world is dimmer without you here,” it added.

“Fly high. You will never be forgotten.”

Well LADs, it’s officially that time of year: the John Lewis advert is here.

And 2026 marks the 20th edition of its iconic Christmas ad, so they’ve pulled out all the stops and given us a banger of a tune to go with this year.

That’s as king of the North East is providing vocals – yep the one and only Sam Fender is this year’s choice.

Hoping for a Christmas number one, he covers The Rolling Stones’ classic ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’. Fender has called this opportunity a ‘privilege’ with all proceeds from the record going to charity.

Releasing today (3 November), the John Lewis advert features Dame Kristin Scott Thomas alongside ‘Pickles the dog’, an old school toy from the retailer voiced by TV royalty, Paul Whitehouse.

The campaign, created by Saatchi & Saatchi and the ad directed by Lucy Forbes, follows Gloria (Scott Thomas) and her faithful companion (and childhood toy) Pickles, on a hunt to connect with her grandchildren,

“Set against the festive tagline ‘Don’t give up on giving,’ the story touches on a relatable modern truth: the fear of not finding the ‘perfect gift’ can overshadow the simple pleasure of giving something thoughtful this festive season,” John Lewis explains.

And that’s where ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’ comes in perfectly.

It honestly feels like a banger for the retailer, likely to get in everyone’s heads these next few weeks – following Fender’s record-breaking success with ‘Rein Me In’ around the world.

The singer said: “It was a privilege to rework such an iconic song by such a legendary band. In the spirit of Christmas, we re-recorded the children’s choir with the kids from my old school, John Spence Community High School, and we arranged a brass section with the Easington Colliery Band.”

It’s a bit of a full circle too, with Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger having spoken earlier this year about his admiration for Fender.

“I’m a fan of Sam’s work, so I was pleased to hear he was covering one of my songs. I think he’s done a great job with it,” the rock legend said.

Well LADs, keep an eye out for the ad on your tellies and social media and I’m sure it won’t be long until ‘You Can’t Get Always What You Want’ is being played at every possible opportunity.

The song is being released today, and physical copies will be available soon on 7” and CD from the John Lewis website. The single is backed with Sam Fender’s 2020 cover of Winter Song, available physically for the first time.

All John Lewis profits from each record sold will be donated to UK leading charity Action for Children, John Lewis' charity partner for its Building Happier Futures programme.

Physical copies will also be available from https://shop.samfender.com/. All profits from the physical sales via Fender’s store will be donated to Teenage Cancer Trust.

Representatives of Lenny Kravitz have issued a statement debunking rumours that the musician was on a Learjet which crashed in Florida.

Nine people, including two crew and seven passengers, were on the plane, with officials confirming that everyone on board the plane was killed in the crash near West Palm Beach on November 1.

Shortly after a the tragedy a screenshot began to circulate on social media which claimed that the pilot flying the plane had posted that she was flying Lenny Kravitz on this route.

Pilot Emily Shelton wrote in the post: “Honored to be flying the one and only Lenny Kravitz from AUS [in Austin] to ELH [in the Bahamas] tomorrow.

“Looking forward to having him on board! ‘It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over’ is going to be playing in the cockpit.”

Shelton is not the pilot who was flying the plane involved in the crash, who has been named in the New York Post as Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, while another pilot has not yet been publicly identified.

Now, a representative of Kravitz has said that the rumours he was on the flight are 'untrue and incorrect'.

The passengers who had been travelling on the flight have not been identified publicly at the time of writing.

Shelton has also made a subsequent post on social media after the crash in an effort to debunk the false claims, saying that she was not the pilot on the flight involved in the crash.

"I was recently made aware that there are rumours that I was the pilot of the recent crash in Palm Beach," she said in a post shared to TikTok.

"I would like to respectfully clarify I was not. I ask that people please stop speculating and spreading misinformation on this tragedy and be respectful of those involved.

"My heart goes out to all those lost and affected.”

In a press conference on 2 November NTSB Member Tom Chapman gave additional information about the tragedy, including shared by the aircraft with air traffic control, including reports of 'ice and turbulence' which was 'certainly a factor'.

Chapman explained that the crew had described the ice as light, while the turbulence was manageable.

"The crew transmitted that they were at 35,000 feet with moderate turbulence with altitude deviations of about 700 feet," said Chapman.

The crew reported the outside temperature was -47 Celsius, which is -53 Fahrenheit, and they were managing the ice but were in moderate turbulence.

"Very soon after the crew transmitted 'we are picking up precipitation requesting to climb to 37,000 feet if able', which was approved by FAA air traffic control.

"Less than 30 seconds later a transmission from the aeroplane announced the descent followed by a Mayday call about 12:48 Eastern, the aeroplane transmitted 'we are in an overspeed condition descending' with the rest unintelligible.

"Subsequent communications described that the aeroplane was descending rapidly and gave an altitude callout. Sadly all aboard were lost."

He added: "Our investigators will work to thoroughly document relevant evidence and gather additional factual information," he told the press conference.

"Our mission is to understand not just what happened but what happened and to recommend changes to prevent it from happening again.

"We will not be determining the probable cause of the crash while we’re here on scene nor will we speculate about the cause."