Gemma Atkinson has written a beautiful tribute to her dog Norman after his death over the weekend, moving people to tears.
The presenter and former model wrote that she had had to make ‘the hardest decision of my life’ so that Norman wouldn’t be in pain or suffer.
Her heartbreaking statement shared with her two million followers has left fellow pet-owners ‘in floods of tears’, who all know the pain of losing a furry family member.
Gemma wrote that Norman, a Springer-Poodle cross, had ‘changed by life and made it so much better simply by just being there’.
The Bury-born beauty detailed how sad she feels for Ollie, her remaining dog, and her little girl Mia.
The Strictly star also said that her four-legged companion was her ‘first experience of being a mum’ and that he had ‘fierce love and loyalty to his family, his pack’.
In a particularly heartbreaking section of her lengthy tribute, which she posted along with a Reel of Norman’s life, Gemma wrote: “In all these years the only time you’ve broken my heart is today, when yours stopped beating.”
And she signed off by saying: “Go and run again and have some fun up there with my dad. You’re such a good boy.”
Gemma’s full statement reads: “My beautiful boy Norman has passed away. My heart is broken.
“12 years ago I made a promise to him that i would always take care of him and never allow him be in pain or to suffer. Had I put off making the hardest decision of my life any longer I would have broken that promise.
Gemma Atkinson has shared a heartbreaking tribute to her dog Norman. Credit: InstagramGemma Atkinson confirmed that her dog Normal passed away over the weekend. Credit: Instagram
“It’s hard to put into words how much Norman changed my life and made it so much better Simply by just being there. Throughout the good & bad experiences the last 12 years he’s been there with Ollie making everything ok.
“My most favourite weekends were spent having long walks exploring together, then home lay in bed cosy with them both watching a film while they snored away peacefully. I think I’ll miss that the most…
“That and the fact Norm was always the only one in the whole house to get up and come downstairs with me in the mornings no matter how early it was. My 5am club won’t be the same without his company.
“He was my first experience of being a mum and having someone other than myself to care for. He’s taught me a lot. Mainly to always live in the moment, remain positive and to keep trying. He never stopped trying to just get up and please me. Even at the end. He was the most gentle and caring soul combined with fierce love and loyalty to his family, his pack.
“I believe he was always meant to be my dog. I feel so sad for Ollie who’s now wondering where Norman is. Smelling him but not being able to see or play with him will be confusing. I’ve read that dogs too notice the absence of other dogs, and i know he’s just as sad as I am.
“And of course I’m beyond sad for Mia. Norman’s woken her up by going into her room and pinching her Snuggie almost everyday of her life. She’s never known him or Ollie to not be here. Her first best friend. And so close to her 5th Birthday.
“They say the sadness we feel when we lose a loved one is the price we pay for loving them so much, and boy did i love you Norman. In all these years the only time you’ve broken my heart is today, when yours stopped beating.
“I’m going to love you, miss you and remember you forever. Until we meet again Norman… Go and run again and have some fun up there with my dad. You’re such a good boy.”
Classic gameshow Wheel of Fortune is looking for Mancs to take part in next reboot series
Emily Sergeant
Classic gameshow Wheel of Fortune is looking for Mancs to take part in the next series of the popular reboot.
In case you missed it, Wheel of Fortune returned to ITV for eight hour-long episodes – which included two celebrity specials – back in 2024, with beloved and seasoned BAFTA-winning TV host Graham Norton fronting the revival, and just like the original run, the reboot proved to be very popular with audiences.
Not familiar with the show?
Based on the successful global brand, and modelled on the still-ongoing American show of the same name, the original British version of Wheel of Fortune first aired all the way back 1988, and went on to run for a whopping 14 series and 746 episodes before ending 2001.
Classic gameshow Wheel of Fortune is looking for Mancs to take part in the next reboot series / Credit: ITV / ITVX
The show’s premise is basically based around a giant carnival wheel that the contestants have to spin to win themselves a life-changing cash prize.
Just like the original, the reboot is also a ‘thrilling game of skill and luck’.
In each episode, the turn of the wheel secures contestants a cash value before they pick a letter to help them solve the puzzle, where, for every correct letter they reveal in the puzzle, they win multiples of that amount.
A casting call for the upcoming series on the ITV website reads: “We’re looking for contestants to take part in this brand-new series of the classic gameshow, Wheel of Fortune. If you love solving word puzzles and would like a chance to spin the wheel and win big cash prizes, then please apply now.”
Fancy it then? You’ll just need to be over 18 years old and a legal resident of the UK to apply, so if you reckon you’ve got what it takes, then you can find out more and stick an application in before the closing date of 19 September 2025.
Police issue response and update after ‘shocking’ BBC documentary on The Moors Murders airs
Emily Sergeant
A response and update has been issued by the police after a new documentary on The Moors Murders aired on the BBC this week.
The Moors Murders: A Search for Justice is a two-part documentary series that takes a look back at what is, undoubtedly, one of the most heinous crimes in British history more than 60 years after it happened in the hopes of discovering new evidence and finding answers to the questions that are still left open.
The show aims to document the six decades of suffering that the victims’ families endured in the case that shook the nation.
A synopsis for the two-part documentary series on the BBC website reads: “The Moors murderers, Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, were sentenced to life in 1966 for killing three children. In fact, they had killed five children, and 12-year-old Keith Bennett has never been found.
Moors Murders victim Keith Bennett / Credit: GMP
“But now a team, including author and film-maker Duncan Staff, former murder detective Martin Slevin and forensic archaeologist Professor John Hunter, has examined past investigations, rediscovered files and delved into Ian Brady’s archive.
“They reveal possible grave sites, uncover critical material and perhaps help to solve a case that’s remained open for nearly 60 years.”
The first episode of the documentary aired on BBC Two on Wednesday night (30 July), and the next episode is due to hit TV screens next Wednesday 6 August at 9pm – with more ‘revelations’ and ‘newly uncovered evidence’ expected to be presented.
Public interest in the case has hardly been lost over the past six decades, but given the recent attention the documentary has brought, this has led Greater Manchester Police (GMP) to issuing a statement and update on their ongoing investigations, and assuring that the case is still very much open and and being looked into.
Myra Hindley and Ian Brady – the serial killers behind the Moors Murders, including Keith Bennett / Credit: GMP
“Greater Manchester Police’s investigation into Keith’s disappearance has remained open since 1964,” the statement begins.
“While visible searches have paused over time, with the most recent taking place in 2022, an investigation team within our Major Crime Review Unit, continues our work to find the answers Keith family deserves.”
GMP confirmed that most of the case’s investigative activity continues ‘outside of public view’, revealing that this is done in the hopes that further evidence relating to this case can be uncovered.
The Moors Murders: A Search for Justice is currently airing on the BBC / Credit: BBC
The update continues: “We are in regular contact with Keith’s family, who are central to any action we take. They are kept updated on the ongoing lines of enquiry – some of which, could be jeopardised by public disclosure, and no further comment on these matters will be given.”
Police say they remain ‘very interested’ in any information that could lead to the discovery of Keith.
“We will be seeking to obtain, review, and establish the relevance of all the information held by the documentary team,” GMP’s statement concludes.
Daisy Jackson -
1st July 2024 
