A New Zealand TV show fell victim to a dark joke this week after being duped into wishing serial killer couple Fred and Rose West a happy wedding anniversary.
The unwitting presenters of Breakfast accidentally paid tribute to the nefarious duo during the show’s celebratory ‘Today’s the Day’ segment.
An image of the Wests popped up on screen soundtracked by Sister Sledge’s ‘We Are Family’ – seemingly as part of a macabre prank performed by a viewer.
After failing to recognise the serial killers – which is unsurprising given how the Breakfast show is broadcast 11,000 miles away from where the Wests’ crimes took place – the presenters proceeded to congratulate them on three decades of marriage.
“Today is the day that Francis and Violet Eastwood celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary,” said the co-host, with the Wests’ faces on screen.
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“This is their children’s favourite photo of them, taken on their honeymoon way back in 1990.”
The presenters also said that “adoring” children had described them as “the most caring parents they could ask for.”
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Network TVNZ has since apologised.
General manager of corporate communications, Rachel Howard, told The New Zealand Herald: “An image of Rosemary and Fred West was sent into the Breakfast team along with a false back story for our ‘Today’s the Day’ segment.
“Jenny-May [the host of the show] spoke to our viewers as soon as the mistake was realised and noted that we take responsibility for getting things right and we are now adding extra steps to make sure we’re not taken advantage of in this way again.”
Fred and Rose West are two of Britain’s most infamous serial killers – responsible for the murders of at least nine young women between 1973 and 1987.
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Home Bargains has announced a special two-day closure of all UK stores
Emily Sergeant
Home Bargains has, once again, announced it’ll be closing all its UK stores on both Boxing Day and New Year’s Day this year.
And it’s to make sure staff get a ‘well deserved break’.
After what has been yet another busy year for the retail industry, many workers have been left feeling like they could do with a little extra time off, which is why Home Bargains is following on with what has become a now-annual tradition by shutting up shop on two bank holidays.
All of our stores will be closing for Boxing Day & New Years Day.
Announcing the move in a post on social media, the discount retailer confirmed: “All of our stores will be closing for Boxing Day and New Years Day. We would like to thank all our colleagues for how hard you have worked this past year, and want you to relax and enjoy the Christmas break with your loved ones.”
Of course, this isn’t the first time the retailer has kept its doors shut on bank holidays.
Many shoppers will recall it has made the same decision to give hardworking staff a break every year since 2019.
Explaining a little more about the decision taken to close all its stores, Home Bargains said: “As a family-run business, we know the importance of being together at Christmas with those we care about most, now more than ever.
“This is our way of saying thank you to our colleagues for their continued hard work and dedication.”
Featured Image – Geograph
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Two Greggs in Manchester will be serving their breakfast menu in the evening next week
Emily Sergeant
Who says breakfast has to end at 11am?
In news that’s set to be music to the ears of breakfast lovers in Manchester, Greggs is giving them exactly what they want.
We all know that brunch is a ‘thing’ by now, so now it’s time for brinner to make a name for itself instead, as Greggs has teamed up with Heinz to bring its much-loved breakfast menu back for tea time, kicking off from 4pm onwards.
The move comes as a new survey has found that the majority of Mancs (69%) admit to enjoying eating breakfast food in the evening, saying it’s ‘convenient and comforting’ – even ranking breakfast as a ‘more important’ meal than tea, as well (38% vs 36%).
Two Greggs in Manchester will be serving their breakfast menu in the evening next week / Credit: Greggs (Supplied)
Greggs says it has ‘lost count’ of the amount of customers that have tried to order breakfast items after the usual cut-off time, especially in Greater Manchester.
But luckily for those breakfast-loving Mancs, they can finally get their favourite breakfast and sauce pairing long after the morning rush is over next… but only at two Greggs branches, and only for a very limited time.
On Wednesday 14 and Thursday 15 October, the Heinz x Greggs Brinner collab will be available at Greggs St Mary’s Gate and Greggs Oxford Road, from 4-7pm only.
“We’ve lost count of the number of customers who have tried their luck ordering breakfast after 11am, so when Heinz came to us with the idea of making Brinner a reality, it felt like the perfect excuse to give the people what they want,” explained Zoe Harris, who is the Customer Director at Greggs.
“And let’s be honest, a Greggs Bacon Roll just wouldn’t be the same without a squeeze of Heinz Tomato Ketchup.”
The Manc -
10th December 2020 
