TV & Showbiz

Twitter slams Leonardo DiCaprio, 48, for huge age gap with new model girlfriend, 19

Leo's rumoured new love interest has now spoken out.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 8th February 2023

Leonardo DiCaprio has reportedly struck up a new romance with model Eden Polani – but people can’t quite get over their age gap.

The Oscar-winning actor and environmentalist is 48, while Israeli model Eden is 19 years old.

She has now appeared to confirm their new relationship on Instagram, saying ‘we all have the right to fall in love’.

Leo’s dating history has been well-publicised, with the ages of his former love interests a hot topic of discussion for years.

His penchant for only dating women aged 25 or younger has become a meme, with one widely-circulated graph showing that his girlfriends stay the same age even as he grows older.

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The oldest woman Leo has ever been romantically linked to was Gigi Hadid – who was 27 at the time – but it’s understood they never actually dated.

His previous romances have included Blake Lively, Erin Heatherton, Kelly Rohrbach, and various other actors and models.

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Leo broke up with long-term girlfriend Camila Morrone just months after her 25th birthday. The same thing happened with his model ex, Bar Refaeli. Which could be a coincidence, but a pattern is definitely beginning to emerge.

Leo’s latest rumoured girlfriend, the Israeli model Eden Polani, has pushed the age gap to a new extreme – she is just 19 years old.

Pictures of the pair at a party together sparked the new rumour (which she has now addressed), and Twitter has reacted in a big way.

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Several people have pointed out that the young beauty wasn’t even born yet when Leo had his big break on Titanic, which came out in 1998 (she was born in 2003).

Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic. Credit: Paramount Pictures

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Others have questioned whether this latest rumoured romance is verging on ‘predatory’.

One person said: “Leonardo DiCaprio is nearly 50 and dating teenage girls. I’m sorry, but a 50 year old man that dates teenagers is a predator. Being a celebrity doesn’t exempt him from being a creep.”

Another said: “Stop making jokes about Leonardo DiCaprio being a almost 50 dating literal teenagers and start calling him what he is – a predator.”

Those jokes include tweets like this: “Leonardo DiCaprio’s girlfriend is so young her high school experience was interrupted by COVID 19.”

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Another was the below:

Several others have pointed out that the age gap between Leonardo DiCaprio and Eden Polani is the same as Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, who are starring alongside one another in The Last Of Us.

It’s also the same as the difference between Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven) and David Harbour (Jim Hopper) in Stranger Things – who literally play adopted father and daughter.

Addressing the rumours that are swirling, Eden posted on her own Instagram stories overnight.

She shared a photo of herself clutching an enormous bunch of pink roses, taken on a balcony in Paris.

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She wrote: “I am not obliged to air my private life. We all have the right to fall in love. Exercise the right of love – Polani.”

Featured image: Instagram @edenpolaniii / Wikimedia Commons

TV & Showbiz

BBC confirm Gary Lineker will leave Match of the Day at the end of the season

Danny Jones Danny Jones Gary Lineker leaving Match of the Day at the end of the season

Following reports late on Monday evening, the BBC has now officially revealed Gary Lineker is leaving Match of the Day at the end of the current Premier League campaign.

Lineker, who has hosted Match of the Day (MotD) since 1999, is set to leave the long-standing British TV and sporting institution after 25 seasons but will still remain associated with the BBC on various other projects moving forward.

Confirming the news on Tuesday, 12 November, the network said that while his MotD tenure will conclude come May 2025, “The BBC and Gary Lineker have agreed in principle a contract extension through to the 2026 World Cup”.

The former footballer will also continue to host the MOTD Top Ten podcast and his The Rest is Football podcast on BBC Sounds alongside fellow co-presenters Alan Shearer and Micah Richards.

Lineker said: “I’m delighted to continue my long association with BBC Sport and would like to thank all those who made this happen.”

The ex-Leicester, Everton, Barcelona and Spurs player was famously suspended from the show back in March 2023 after comments made about the previous Conservative government’s “dangerous” rhetoric.

Shearer and Ian Wright (‘Wrighty’ having also announced he will be leaving the show at the end of the season) both walked out in solidarity with their close friend and colleague before being reinstated after issuing an official apology.

Putting the brief separation aside, Lineker has enjoyed a long and prosperous relationship with the BBC for more than two and a half decades and when the title race does conclude at the end of next spring, he will have been one of the most recognisable faces in British football for 26 years.

Many have rightly pointed out that he served as the Des Lynam – the former MoTD host for 11 years – for multiple generations of young football fans.

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This past August marked Match of the Day‘s 60th anniversary, making it one of the longest-running programmes in British TV history, and to say that the household name and ever-entwined Walkers ambassador has made up nearly half of that is no mean feat.

Lineker has yet to issue a personal response via any channels by the official BBC statement, but viewers can expect to address the situation on the likes of The Rest is Football soon enough.

Thanks for the memories, Gary – especially for honouring your promise and hosting in those comically big white undies.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — BBC

TV & Showbiz

I’m A Celebrity 2024 line-up announced, with Coleen Rooney and Alan Halsall entering the jungle

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson The I'm A Celebrity 2024 line-up has been revealed. Credit: ITV Plc

The full line-up for I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here 2024 has just been announced, with a host of famous faces heading into the jungle.

The hugely popular reality TV show will see the celebrity campmates thrown into the Australian wilderness, ready to take on a series of Bushtucker Trials and other challenges.

This year’s line-up includes Coleen Rooney, Corrie’s Alan Halsall, Strictly star Oti Mabuse and former boxing champion Barry McGuigan.

There are also a few big names from the music industry, social media stars, and daytime TV favourites joining the I’m A Celebrity line-up for 2024.

Last year, the hit show – presented by Ant and Dec – was the biggest entertainment series on any channel, with just under 11 million viewers.

This year’s is sure to bring in similar numbers with its star-studded cast.

Coleen Rooney is arguably the biggest name on this year’s I’m A Celebrity line-up (especially once you factor in the rumours that Rebekah Vardy may be added as a surprise campmate later in the series…)

Coleen said that the hardest part of heading into the jungle will be being away from her husband, footballer Wayne Rooney, and their four sons.

She said: “Wayne is supportive. He did say, ‘You know you are going to be on camera 24/7?’ but I said, ‘Yeah that’s the show!’. He is fine with it all.”

Coleen Rooney has joined the I'm A Celebrity 2024 line-up. Credit: ITV Plc
Coleen Rooney has joined the I’m A Celebrity 2024 line-up. Credit: ITV Plc
Oti Mabuse is also heading into the I'm A Celebrity jungle. Credit: ITV Plc
Oti Mabuse is also heading into the I’m A Celebrity jungle. Credit: ITV Plc

“I haven’t spoken about it with my younger two boys as not many know, but my eldest son told me: ‘Yeah go for it’.

“My second one was a bit more emotional. He thought about me being away for a long length of time, but hopefully that will pass. My parents are happy too that I’m doing something for me.”

Coronation Street legend Alan Halsall, who has played Tyrone Dobbs since 1998, is also joining this year’s camp, saying that he’ll miss being on Corrie for a bit (and golf) but hopes people will get to know him rather than his character.

As for phobias, he said: “I’m not scared of anything at home but if you were to put ten snakes on my head, I don’t know how I would feel about that as clearly I’ve never been in that situation before!”

Strictly Come Dancing pro Oti Mabuse will be one of the famous faces around the campfire this autumn – and she’s foolishly admitted she’s petrified of snakes, so will inevitably be faced with a bucket of them on arrival. Great telly.

Corrie's Alan Halsall is on the I'm A Celebrity 2024 line-up. Credit: ITV Plc
Corrie’s Alan Halsall is on the I’m A Celebrity 2024 line-up. Credit: ITV Plc
The famous campmates include Danny Jones from McFly. Credit: ITV Plc
The famous campmates include Danny Jones from McFly. Credit: ITV Plc

She said: “I’d like to think I will be a comfort mum in camp. I can listen to stories, motivate and hopefully entertain everyone with a bit of dancing. I hope to teach everyone a few moves. We will create
our own talent show in the jungle!”

McFly star Danny Jones said that he hopes he doesn’t ‘come home with new phobias’ after his stint in the jungle.

Speak of his prep for I’m A Celebrity, he said: “I’d love to have my guitar… to be without it is going to be a killer.

“I’ve stopped drinking caffeine. I’ve lowered my calories a little bit. It’s going alright. I felt the hunger
for a few days. It’s not going to be anything like the rice and beans!”

Loose Women’s Jane Moore sounds like she’s going to have a horrible time with the Bushtucker Trials – she said: “I’m not sure how I will feel when faced with Australian creepy crawlies, as they are so much bigger and I’m not fond of cold water either – so any of the water Trials I would not really want to do.”

Tulisa Contostavlos of N-Dubz fame said: “I am like Frodo Baggins on an unexpected journey. I feel really adventurous this year and the place I am now in, I want to do things that take me out of my comfort zone.

“I have always said I wouldn’t do this show in the past, as there are things that have terrified me. But the person I am now, I want to throw caution to the wind.”

GK Barry is heading into the jungle. Credit: ITV Plc
GK Barry is heading into the jungle. Credit: ITV Plc
Tulisa from N-Dubz is on the I'm A Celebrity 2024 line-up. Credit: ITV Plc
Tulisa from N-Dubz is on the I’m A Celebrity 2024 line-up. Credit: ITV Plc

GK Barry will be swapping out podcasts for the jungle, saying that she’s an Ant & Dec super fan.

“I can’t wait to meet them in Australia in the jungle. I am also excited to meet everyone on the programme, as the cast is always so amazing.”

Radio 1 DJ Dean McCullough is another one who is apparently scared of everything, saying: “The
more I think about being put in the ground with 50 snakes or getting those green fly things that bite poured over me – well there’s just no point thinking about it, as otherwise I won’t get on the plane!

“When Ant & Dec say things like, ‘We are going to suspend you off the side of that cliff’, you know it is not going to be a fun day out. It’s no Alton Towers – it will be torturous.

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“I made the mistake of watching episode one from last year and I nearly passed out watching it. I had to turn it off. And I hate cockroaches. There was a cockroach in a hostel I stayed in once and I checked out during the middle of the night, as the thought of it – urgh, even talking about it now gives me the chills.”

TV presenter and DJ Melvin Odoom said snoring is his biggest fear and added of his friend Marvin Humes (a previous I’m A Celebrity star): “I want to look like Marvin did last year when he looked sick in the shower!”

Boxing champion Barry McGuigan said his role might fall into the category of referee: “I acted as a referee and appeaser in Hell’s Kitchen. But this is different. A whole different set of circumstances. It’ll be a challenge.

“I would imagine I’ll be one of the elders and you can look at that in a calming down way. I might get irritated. I really don’t know.”

I’m A Celebrity will return to the air on Sunday 17 November 17.

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Featured image: ITV Plc

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