AMANDA PLATELL: It was a bracing moment when I read that the Church of England, my Church, declared that loving, long-term couples in civil partnerships should not have sex.

ANDREW PIERCE: Tears pouring down my cheeks, I posted the letter to Mum and Dad. I had finally owned up to myself that I was gay. My parents were staunch, working-class Catholics.

ANDREW PIERCE: Sir Keir Starmer managed to find a place in his Shadow Cabinet for onetime 'Continuity Corbyn' candidate Rebecca Long-Bailey.

CHRIS MURPHY IN EPERNAY: Geraint Thomas slipped behind Ineos team-mate Egan Bernal in the Tour de France pecking order on stage three after losing five seconds in Epernay.

CHRIS MURPHY IN NANCY: Elia Viviani won stage four of the Tour de France in a sprint finish in Nancy as Deceuninck-Quick Step team-mate Julian Alaphilippe retained the yellow jersey.

Geraint Thomas survived the first day of racing through the climbs of the 2019 Tour de France but then suggested that team-mate Egan Bernal is favourite for the first summit finish on stage six.

Geraint Thomas breathed a sigh of relief at the finish of stage eight of the Tour de France after he survived a team pile-up at the bottom of a fast downhill section on the approach to Saint-Etienne.

MATT LAWTON IN PAU: The sight of Julian Alaphilippe rising out of his saddle and powering up the steep ramp that came at the end of this individual time trial is sure to trouble Geraint Thomas .

Thomas has blamed a 'minor fuelling issue' on his seventh-placed finish during the Pyrenean stages over the weekend, which saw him twice left behind by his rivals.

Froome posted a picture on social media following the operation, restating his goals of getting back to full fitness in time for next summer's Tour de France and the Olympic road race in Japan.

That rare shaft of sunshine this week was enough for British supercar-maker Aston Martin to launch a blistering £200,000 flagship soft-top, a highlight of its centenary year.

Skoda is about to launch the second generation of its popular crossover sports utility vehicle. The first generation has already proved a big hit.

Melanie Sykes, who is the new presenter of BT Sport's MotoGP TV coverage, has opted for the nippy Fiat 500 super-mini convertible.

The new Chelsea tractor is designed for fashionable, adventurous types who want wind-in-the-hair motoring.

She is scheduled to perform at Sunday night's Billboard Music Awards. But Dua Lipa was already a showstopper when she walked the star-studded red carpet at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

She performed her chart topping single New Rules on Sunday night at the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas. This was the 22-year-old singer's award show debut.

The Jonas Brothers just released some new music -- but this time they've collaborated with Diplo. On Thursday evening the group released their newest single and the music video for their song.

It may not seem like a grand romantic gesture, but making sure your spouse is financially comfortable in retirement, will go a long way towards securing your future happiness together.

Age UK has warned that hundreds of thousands of over 75s could struggle to pay for their TV licences if the BBC scales back on the benefit this summer in an effort to slash costs.

Would tips be taken into consideration for child benefit? If they aren't then his income falls below the threshold at which child benefit is removed. The child benefit rules and common traps explained...

Vanguard says the new self-invested personal pension scheme is designed to cut the 'cost and complexity' of saving for retirement.

The guarantee should be abandoned to ensure the economic recovery from the coronavirus crisis is fair to working-age households, says the Social Market Foundation.

Chelsea war veteran Colin Thackery, 90, told on GMB we have to be 'disciplined' and 'do what we're told' to beat coronavirus - but admitted he finds it 'highly amusing' that people are stockpiling toilet roll.

The Britain's Got Talent judge, 49, and the Pussycat Doll, 38, put on typically playful displays as they larked around their empty office at Global Studios in a bid to cheer up the nation on Tuesday.

Amanda Holden looked effortlessly chic as she left the Heart Radio studios in London on Wednesday.

Taking to Instagram on Sunday, the Britain's Got Talent judge, 49, shared sun-drenched snaps of herself enjoying a boozy day off 'before school is back'

Amanda Holden's charity single, Somewhere Over The Rainbow, has hit the number one spot on iTunes, ahead of music megastars The Weeknd and Dua Lipa.

Less than five patients were transferred from the city's Javits Center to hospital ship Comfort on Friday in New York City.

England defender Kieran Trippier is facing a lengthy ban and a fine after being charged by the Football Association with breaching betting rules.

ROBERT HARDMAN: The crowd went bonkers, giving her a proper A-list, rock star welcome. Among a tearful few - Greta's most ardent devotees - this was nothing short of a Second Coming.

The last time the Countess of Bradford wore a Stewart Parvin creation, it was on the day of her wedding. It was also a very different look from the Parvin ensemble she has been wearing this weekend.

THE NUMBERS GAME: All good things come to an end. For Roberto Martinez and Everton, that finale could come all too abruptly.

RICHARD LITTLEJOHN: If the BBC does summon the courage to revive Life On Mars, it should bring the show bang up to date and catapult Hunt forward in time to the present day.

RICHARD LITTLEJOHN is giving readers an exclusive bootleg transcript of a conversation between Boris Johnson and Her Majesty The Queen, who seems to be quite concerned about how her dogs are fairing...

She was accused on Twitter for lip syncing during a performance on American Idol earlier this year in May. And now Mariah Carey has been blasted for the same offense at the BET Awards.

Amber Rose described her kiss with Courtney Love at a post BET Awards party as epic on Sunday.

Onlookers clearly got more than what they had bargained for as they attended the 2015 BET Awards on Sunday.

When it was announced that she won the viewer's choice award, Chloe x Halle - the young duo signed to Beyonce - recited a speech given to them from the pop star.

Nipsey Hussle was involved in an altercation outside the BET Awards on Sunday. The rapper was caught on video slapping a BET employee who wouldn't let him drive in a restricted area.

Nispey Hussle will receive the Humanitarian Award at the 2019 BET Awards following his death, an achievement that was announced on Thursdya by BET executive vice-president, Connie Orlando.

Larsa Pippen risked an incredibly awkward run-in with Tristan Thompson as they exited the Warwick in Los Angeles on Wednesday night.

John Legend and DJ Khaled gave a spirited and emotional tribute performance to Nipsey Hussle as the late rapper was honored at 2019 BET Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday.

She was one of the headliners on CÎROC's 2019 Days of Summer Cruise, which also featured performances by Lil Nas X, Post Malone and Waka Flocka, among others.

The Brazilian playmaker has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League after failing to impress in Spain. But Setien reportedly plans to play Coutinho in the No 8 role in midfield.

PETE JENSON IN SPAIN: Barcelona coach Quique Setien is in favour of the club recalling Coutinho who he believes can get back to his best. Barca will owe Liverpool more money if he plays 24 more games.

DEREK LAWRENSON - WORLD OF GOLF: It was the hardest piece that I've ever had to write - and the lively aftermath was far, far worse. Seve Ballesteros tore into me in front of my peers.

The former housemate commanded attention in a slinky latex dress that made for an eye-popping display, thanks to its curve-enhancing design as she headed out on Monday night.

Ensuring she'd show off every inch of her cosmetically enhanced frame as she headed to her car, the reality star, 32, removed her robe to show off her underwear.

The 31-year-old reality star, who has been linked to Justin Bieber and Marco Pierre White Junior, shared the news on Instagram by sharing a nude snap with her 96,000 followers.

She's the Australian beauty who first came to fame on season 17 of Big Brother UK.