Messages of support from celebrities, teammates, and members of the public have been flooding in after Cristiano Ronaldo publicly announced the tragic death of his newborn son last night.
The Manchester United star and his long-term girlfriend Georgina Rodríguez announced back in October 2021 that they were expecting a second set of twins, but issued a joint statement on social media yesterday to reveal with the “deepest sadness” that their newborn son had passed away.
The couple confirmed the birth of their baby girl, and said the arrival of their daughter gave them “the strength to live this moment with some hope and happiness”.
They said it was “the greatest pain any parents could feel”.
The couple’s statement reads in full: “It is with our deepest sadness we have to announce that our baby boy has passed away.
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“It is the greatest pain that any parents can feel and only the birth of our baby girl gives us the strength to live this moment with some hope and happiness. We would like to thank the doctors and nurses for all their expert care and support.
“We are all devastated at this loss and we kindly ask for privacy at this very difficult time.
“Our baby boy, you are our angel. We will always love you.”
The couple with children Cristiano Jr, twins Eva and Mateo, and shared daughter Alana / Credit: Cristiano Ronaldo (via Twitter)
Following the announcement of the heartbreaking news, messages of love and support for the the couple have been flooding in on social media from a number of famous names, fans, teammates, and current and former clubs the Portuguese striker has played for during his career.
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Current club Manchester United lead the tributes on social media: “Your pain is our pain, Cristiano.
“Sending love and strength to you and the family at this time.”
“Thoughts are with you and Georgina brother. I’m so sorry,” Marcus Rashford said on Twitter.
Other Manchester United players to share their messages of support on social media include goalkeeper David de Gea, full-back and fellow Portugal teammate Diogo Dalot, left-back Alex Telles, and club captain Harry Maguire.
Spanish club Real Madrid, which Cristiano notably played for from 2009-2018, issued a statement on social media, reading: “Real Madrid CF, its president and its Board of Directors deeply regret the death of one of the children that our beloved Cristiano Ronaldo and his partner, Georgina Rodríguez, were expecting.
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“Real Madrid joins the pain of the whole family and wants to show them all our love and affection.”
Juventus, the Italian club Cristiano played for between 2018-2021 before joining Manchester United said in their statement on social media: “Our thoughts and prayers are with you, Georgina and the whole family during this time.”
A number of other Premier League and international teams also shared messages of support.
Manchester City said in a statement: “Everyone at Manchester City sends our deepest condolences to you and Georgina.”
“All of us here at Liverpool FC send our deepest condolences to you, Georgina and the family,” Liverpool FC said.
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Everyone at Manchester City sends our deepest condolences to you and Georgina. 💙
The Premier League’s official Twitter account also shared a statement, which read: “The thoughts and condolences of everyone at the Premier League are with you and your family, Cristiano.”
Gary Lineker said: “Terribly sad news. Sincere condolences to you and your family.”
Legendary Brazilian forward Pele wrote on Instagram: “My friend, I send you my prayers and my feelings at this very difficult time. May God comfort your hearts and enlighten every step of the way.”
“Sending our heartfelt condolences to you and your family for your unimaginable loss,” Sir Kenny Dalglish said on Twitter.
Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan wrote on Instagram: “Heartbreaking news. My deepest condolences to you and all your family.”
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Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake, Dr Alex George, Jacqueline Jossa, Jake Quickenden were among some of the other famous names to shares messages of support on Instagram.
Manchester Museum saves a ‘national treasure’ to ensure it stays in the UK
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Museum has made a stunning new addition to its natural history collections, and in the process has ensured a ‘national treasure’ stays in the UK.
Not long after claiming the coveted title of European Museum of the Year for 2025, Manchester Museum has done it again – this time working together with John Rylands Library to acquire Henry Dresser’s unique personal copy of his anthology A History of the Birds of Europe so that this ‘invaluable resource’ can remain in the UK for future generations.
The beautifully-illustrated collection of books provide an important historical record to help understand how and why bird populations have changed over time.
Dresser’s personal copy is heavily-annotated with personal notes and observations.
These books are deemed to be of ‘outstanding significance’, not only for scientific purposes but also for their aesthetic value, as they have also been illustrated by some of the leading wildlife artists of the day.
The volumes were recognised as a national treasure by the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest, which is supported by the Arts Council, and this meant that the Government placed a temporary export deferral on them to allow time for UK buyers to raise the funds to keep them in the country.
Brilliantly, the acquisition of these books reunites them with Dresser’s own bird specimens that are already cared for by Manchester Museum, including species such as the Slender-billed curlew, which is now believed to be extinct.
The now-extinct species’ presence in both Dresser’s beautifully-annotated volumes and the ornithological collections at Manchester Museum highlights the vital role that historical records play in tracking biodiversity loss over time to uncover the long-term impact of environmental change.
Manchester Museum has saved a ‘national treasure’ to ensure it stays in the UK / Credit: Manchester Museum
“Threats to the natural world and biodiversity have never been greater and while this anthology has historical value, it also speaks to the urgent issues of the present,” commented Esme Ward, who is the Director of Manchester Museum.
“These books are breathtakingly beautiful, and by bringing them together with natural history collections, we believe they will not only provide scientific benefit, but also capture the hearts of future ornithologists and conservationists.”
A History of the Birds of Europe will be officially unveiled at a private view on Friday 27 June, before being displayed to the public for the first time in Manchester Museum’s ‘Living Worlds’ gallery from Saturday 28 June 2025 right through until Sunday 25 January 2026.
Following this, the books will be made accessible to researchers, students, and the wider public at the John Rylands Library.
Featured Image – Chris Bull (via Manchester Museum)
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Channel 4 to air exclusive new documentary about the disappearance and death of Lancashire teen Jay Slater
Emily Sergeant
An exclusive new documentary taking an inside look at the the disappearance of Jay Slater is coming to Channel 4.
On the morning of 17 June 2024, 19-year-old Jay Slater – an apprentice bricklayer from the Lancashire town of Oswaldtwistle – disappeared on the island of Tenerife in Spain, after attempting to walk 14 hours back to his accommodation when there was no local taxi service available and no bus due for 90 minutes.
From then commenced one of the biggest missing persons cases in recent British history.
As the world’s media were following the story minute by minute last summer, producers at Channel 4 were in the incredibly-unique position where they had access to the Coronial process in Lancashire, and this has led to the exclusive documentary title The Disappearance of Jay Slater.
From Jay’s post-mortem to Jay’s inquest, the team have been with the family every step of the way over the last year, as they try and understand exactly what happened to Jay outside of the public gaze
Jay was ultimately pronounced dead on 15 July 2024 after Spanish police reported the discovery of a body in the vicinity of the area of interest, but before this discovery and eventual announcement, the internet became awash with public discourse, conspiracy theories, and more.
The Disappearance of Jay Slater is described as being ‘the family’s story’.
Channel 4 will air an exclusive new documentary about the disappearance and death of Lancashire teen Jay Slater / Credit: GoFundMe
The documentary is set to follow them as they search for answers about what happened to Jay, witnessing the conspiracy theories raging online and the subsequent horrific abuse they received as a family – which is an hourly onslaught that continues to this day.
These cameras were the only media in the world granted full access to film both Jay’s post-mortem and inside the church at his funeral.
But the broadcaster claims this documentary is not only the story of Jay’s tragedy, it’s also the story of ‘the new world we live in’ where so-called true crime armchair detectives run wild.
“The story of Jay Slater captured the nation last summer with a fervour and intensity fuelled by armchair detectives and internet culture,” commented Channel 4’s Commissioning Editor, Rita Daniels, ahead of the documentary airing.
“We are so glad to be working on a sensitively handled exploration of the family’s experience, and understanding the impact of being in the middle of a social media storm, amplified by grief.
“The film holds a light up to our current society and is exactly the story that is a necessity for Channel 4 to tell.”
Executive Producer Anna Hall added: “It is appalling what has happened to Jay’s family, and we hope this film will help to bring awareness of the real life consequences of online speculation. It is an unmonitored world where fake news runs rife, and this film shows the devastating impact this has had on one grieving family.”
The Disappearance of Jay Slater is expected to air on Channel 4 later this year, but no official dates have been confirmed as of yet, so keep your eyes peeled.
Emily Sergeant -
19th April 2022 
