YPSILANTI, Mich. (AP) — On a damp Wednesday night with temperatures dipping into the 30s, fans in sparsely filled stands bundled up to watch Buffalo beat Eastern Michigan 37-30 on gray turf. The lopsided game was not particularly notable, but it was played on one of the nights the Mid-American Conference has made its own: A weeknight. “A lot of the general public thinks we play all of our games on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, not just some of them in November,” MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said in a telephone interview this week. “What it has done is help take what was a pretty darned good regional conference and has given it a national brand and made it a national conference.” When the conference has played football games on ESPN or ESPN2 over the last two seasons, the linear television audience has been 10 times larger than when conference schools meet on Saturdays and get lost in the shuffle when viewers have many more choices. The most-watched MAC game over the last two years was earlier this month on a Wednesday night when Northern Illinois won at Western Michigan and there were 441,600 viewers, a total that doesn’t include streaming that isn’t captured by Nielsen company. During the same span, the linear TV audience has been no larger than 46,100 to watch two MAC teams play on Saturdays. “Having the whole nation watching on Tuesday and Wednesday night is a huge deal for the MAC,” Eastern Michigan tight end Jere Getzinger said. “Everybody wants to watch football so if you put it on TV on a Tuesday or Wednesday, people are going to watch.” ESPN has carried midweek MAC football games since the start of the century. ESPN and the conference signed a 13-year extension a decade ago that extends their relationship through at least the 2026-27 season. The conference has made the most of the opportunities, using MACtion as a tag on social media for more than a decade and it has become a catchy marketing term for the Group of Five football programs that usually operate under the radar in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and New York. Attendance does tend to go down with weeknight games, keeping some students out of stadiums because they have class or homework and leading to adults staying away home because they have to work the next morning. “The tradeoff is the national exposure,” Buffalo coach Pete Lembo said. “You know November nights midweek the average fan is going to park on the couch, have a bowl of chips and salsa out in front, and watch the game from there." When the Bulls beat Ball State 51-48 in an overtime thriller on a Tuesday night earlier this month, the announced attendance was 12,708 and that appeared to be generous. There were many empty seats after halftime. “You watch the games on TV, the stadiums all look like this,” Buffalo fan Jeff Wojcicki said. “They are not packed, but it’s the only game on, and you know where to find it.” Sleep and practice schedules take a hit as well, creating another wave of challenges for students to attend class and coaches to prepare without the usual rhythm of preparing all week to play on Saturday. “Last week when we played at Ohio in Athens, we had a 4-four bus ride home and got home at about 3:30 a.m.,” Eastern Michigan center Broderick Roman said. “We still had to go to class and that was tough, but it's part of what you commit to as an athlete.” That happens a lot in November when the MAC shifts its unique schedule. During the first two weeks of the month, the conference had 10 games on Tuesdays and Wednesdays exclusively. This week, there were five games on Tuesday and Wednesday while only one was left in the traditional Saturday slot with Ball State hosting Bowling Green. Next week, Toledo plays at Akron and Kent State visits Buffalo on Tuesday night before the MAC schedule wraps up with games next Friday and Saturday to determine which teams will meet in the conference title game on Dec. 7 in Detroit. In all, MAC teams will end up playing about 75% of their games on a Saturday and the rest on November weeknights. When the Eagles wrapped up practice earlier this week, two days before they played the Bulls, tight end Jere Getzinger provided some insight into the effects of the scheduling quirk. “It's Monday, but for us it's like a Thursday,” he said. Bowling Green coach Scot Loeffler said he frankly has a hard time remembering what day it is when the schedule shift hits in November. “The entire week gets turned upside down,” Loeffler said. “It’s wild, but it’s great for the league because there’s two days a week this time of year that people around the country will watch MAC games.” AP freelance writer Jonah Bronstein contributed to this report. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
St. Thomas secures 100-61 win over Crown (MN)NEWCASTLE’S fine form came to a screeching halt as West Ham pulled one out of the bag to potentially save Julen Lopetegui’s job. Eddie Howe’s side could have climbed into the top six with a win over the struggling Hammers. 10 Tomas Soucek was on target as West Ham beat Newcastle 2-0 Credit: Getty 10 Aaron Wan-Bissaka also netted to bag the Hammers a much-needed win Credit: AFP But Tomas Soucek and Aaron Wan-Bissaka came up trumps to stun the Toon and earn a huge win for their under-pressure boss to lift them six points from safety. Toon started fast and Isak had the ball in the net after peeling off the last man and dinking it over Lukasz Fabianski only for an offside flag to ruin the party. But the Hammers knocked the stuffing right out of them in the tenth minute. Soucek was given the freedom of St. James’ as he escaped Lloyd Kelly, in for the suspended Dan Burn, and headed home Emerson Palmieri’s outswinging corner. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL SOUND OUT Forgotten ex-Newcastle star who swapped national teams now a RAPPER This was not part of the script, but it was just the start Spaniard Lopetegui had dreamed about. And he was kicking every ball in his technical area throughout an animated first half performance that led to him being booked for dissent by referee Craig Pawson. That was his third caution of the campaign and he’ll now have to serve a touchline ban and miss Arsenal’s visit on Saturday. Not that he cared one jot at the time as he continued to bark orders at his side while Toon could only muster a curling effort from Joe Willock that went wide. Most read in Football WRONG MOVE Joining Rangers was biggest mistake of my life - I could've played for Man Utd TICKED OFF McGinn's brief ultimatum for Villa v Celtic & prediction for Hoops v Club Brugge KEANE OBSERVER Sky Sports launch Roy Keane probe and ask Redknapp and co for statements VINDA-BLUES Gers greats from 9IAR era spotted at private meal with Helicopter Sunday heroes FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS It was all feeling rather flat from those in Black and White and it could have gotten even worse as the visitors nearly doubled their advantage when Carlos Soler, replacing Guido Rodriguez, shot round the post. Despite needing a new passport following his drama in the international break returning from Ghana, the tireless Michail Antonio was left requiring a shirt here. Meet West Ham wonderkid Kaelan Casey 10 10 After what seemed like his 100th tussle with the defence, he emerged with a huge rip right down the middle of his jersey, and he revelled in the minute or so it took for him to change it while the game was stopped. Longstaff headed straight at Fabianski while Lewis Hall’s drive and shot got the locals back off their seats. But both Anthony Gordon and Isak blew chances to go in level at the break. 10 Soucek headed West Ham into the lead against the run of play Credit: AFP 10 The goal galvanised the visitors as they grew in confidence Credit: Rex Match Stats The England winger capitalised on Jean-Clair Todibo’s poor clearance inside the area. However, his strike was saved by the leg of the Hammers goalie before the striker’s had an effort deflected wide. Harvey Barnes came on for Willock at the break and teed up Gordon to drag an effort off target. 10 Wan-Bissaka's second-half shot doubled West Ham's lead Credit: Alamy 10 The Hammers never looked back after going two goals up Credit: Getty Match Stats But any momentum was soon cut-short as West Ham doubled their lead eight minutes after the restart. Lucas Paqueta won the ball back and Jarrod Bowen broke and found Wan-Bissaka on the underlap, and the ex-Manchester United full-back took a touch before firing across goal and into the far corner. Pope then saved from Bowen as things threatened to get worse before Sandro Tonali and Jacob Murphy came on along with Callum Wilson, making his first appearance of the season after injury. Read more on the Scottish Sun 'DISAPPOINTED' Harry Potter steam train blasted by passengers who 'dreaded' return journey COLD BEERS SPFL side spotted going for a PINT after their bus got stuck in the snow But even that trio could not conjure up some magic for the Magpies, despite the returning forward being convinced he should have had a penalty when bundled over by Konstantinos Mavropanos. That leaves them sat in tenth, while Lopetegui lives to fight another day at West Ham. 10 Julen Lopetegui looked a relieved man after West Ham's solid performance Credit: Rex 10 Eddie Howe was disappointed to see Toon's winning run come to an end Credit: Getty
BEIRUT (AP) — Insurgents' stunning march across Syria accelerated Saturday with news that they had reached the gates of the capital and that government forces had abandoned the central city of Homs. The government was forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The loss of Homs is a potentially crippling blow for Assad. It stands at an important intersection between Damascus, the capital, and Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus — the Syrian leader’s base of support and home to a Russian strategic naval base. The pro-government Sham FM news outlet reported that government forces took positions outside Syria’s third-largest city, without elaborating. Rami Abdurrahman who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Syrian troops and members of different security agencies have withdrawn from the city, adding that rebels have entered parts of it. The insurgency announced later Saturday that it had taken over Homs. The city's capture is a major victory for the rebels, who have already seized the cities of Aleppo and Hama , as well as large parts of the south, in a lightning offensive that began Nov. 27. Analysts said rebel control of Homs would be a game-changer. The rebels' moves around Damascus, reported by the monitor and a rebel commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including several provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. For the first time in the country’s long-running civil war, the government now has control of only three of 14 provincial capitals: Damascus, Latakia and Tartus. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. In their push to overthrow Assad's government, the insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army. The rapid rebel gains, coupled with the lack of support from Assad's erstwhile allies, posed the most serious threat to his rule since the start of the war. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose country is Assad's chief international backer, said he feels “sorry for the Syrian people.” In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands went to Syria's border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those still open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some were selling items at three times the normal price. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” It was the first time that opposition forces reached the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. The U.N. said it was moving noncritical staff outside the country as a precaution. Syria’s state media denied social media rumors that Assad left the country, saying he is performing his duties in Damascus. He has had little, if any, help from his allies. Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine . Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad's forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday posted on social media that that the United States should avoid engaging militarily in Syria. Pedersen said a date for talks in Geneva on the implementation a U.N. resolution, adopted in 2015, and calling for a Syrian-led political process, would be announced later. The resolution calls for the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. Later Saturday, foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran, along with Pederson, gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit to discuss the situation in Syria. In a statement issued late Saturday, the participants affirmed their support for a political solution to the Syrian crisis “that would lead to the end of military activity and protect civilians.” They also agreed on the importance of strengthening international efforts to increase aid to the Syrian people. Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents were in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya. Opposition fighters were marching toward the Damascus suburb of Harasta, he added. A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces had begun the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. HTS controls much of northwest Syria and in 2017 set up a “salvation government” to run day-to-day affairs in the region. In recent years, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has sought to remake the group’s image, cutting ties with al-Qaida, ditching hard-line officials and vowing to embrace pluralism and religious tolerance. The shock offensive began Nov. 27, during which gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama , the country’s fourth largest city. Opposition activists said Saturday that a day earlier, insurgents entered Palmyra, which is home to invaluable archaeological sites had been in government hands since being taken from the Islamic State group in 2017. To the south, Syrian troops left much of the province of Quneitra including the main Baath City, activists said. Syrian Observatory said government troops have withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces. The Syrian army said in a statement that it carried out redeployment and repositioning in Sweida and Daraa after its checkpoints came under attack by “terrorists." The army said it was setting up a “strong and coherent defensive and security belt in the area,” apparently to defend Damascus from the south. The Syrian government has referred to opposition gunmen as terrorists since conflict broke out in March 2011. The foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey, meeting in Qatar, called for an end to the hostilities. Turkey is a main backer of the rebels. Qatar's top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticized Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems. “Assad didn’t seize this opportunity to start engaging and restoring his relationship with his people,” he said. Sheikh Mohammed said he was surprised by how quickly the rebels have advanced and said there is a real threat to Syria’s “territorial integrity.” He said the war could “damage and destroy what is left if there is no sense of urgency” to start a political process. Karam reported from London. Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria; Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad; Josef Federman and Victoria Eastwood in Doha, Qatar; and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington contributed to this report.A Republican senator has blocked the promotion of a general who oversaw the US withdrawal from Afghanistan , according to a source familiar with the matter, as President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to go after the officials involved in the withdrawal. Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma blocked the promotion of Lt. Gen. Chris Donahue to four-star general as the commander of US Army Europe-Africa. Donahue was the last US soldier on the ground in Afghanistan at the end of the withdrawal, according to the Pentagon. The night-vision picture of Donahue boarding a cargo flight out of the Kabul airport become a symbolic image of the end of a 20-year war and a chaotic withdrawal that saw the deaths of 13 US troops in a suicide bombing. Trump said he will demand the resignation of “every single senior official who touched the Afghanistan calamity.” Vice President-elect JD Vance also promised to go after those involved in the withdrawal, saying, “the people who screwed this up are going to suffer some consequences.” Donahue serves as the commander of the 18th Airborne Corps at Fort Liberty in North Carolina. At the time of the Afghanistan withdrawal, he was a major general commanding the 82nd Airborne Division. “We are aware that there is a hold on Lt. Gen. Donahue,” Sabrina Singh, deputy Pentagon press secretary, said at a press briefing Monday. Singh said she is not aware of any other holds on promotions related to the Afghanistan withdrawal. On November 19, the Senate Armed Services Committee announced the advancement of 984 military promotions, including nominations from each of the branches of the military. But Donahue was not on the list of nominees advanced. The Pentagon announced four days earlier that he had been nominated for promotion to general. In addition to leading a storied military corps, Donahue has also been critical in the US effort to help Ukraine, helping to establish the Security Assistance Group-Ukraine. The organization was established in November 2022 as a more long-term extension of the work of 18th Airborne Corps, which deployed to Europe to reinforce NATO’s eastern flank after Russia invaded Ukraine. CNN has reached out to Mullin for comment. On the third anniversary of the Abbey Gate bombing that killed 13 US service members, Mullin said that “not one person has been held accountable for the disaster” and explicitly named Donahue and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley. Republicans have railed against Milley and the Afghanistan withdrawal even though it was Trump who negotiated directly with the Taliban to remove US forces from the country, despite Milley and Gen. Frank McKenzie, former commander of US Central Command, recommending against withdrawing. This story has been updated with additional information.What are Solar superflares? Wamiqa Gabbi radiates grace and charm in ethnic attire How to make Gobhi Paratha for breakfast Princess Diana to Selena Gomez: Most luxurious celebrity engagement rings ever Manasi Parekh shines bright Malavika Mohanan’s London holiday Katrina Kaif showcases her enduring elegance in sarees yet again 10 ways to say no to people who constantly ask for loan and help Bridal Fashion Goals Ft. Sunanda Sharma 8 reasons why the Snake plant is a blessing for the home and garden
3 explosive ASX growth shares to buy nowJadion Anthony Richards, 44, and Akwele Nickeisha Lawes-Richards, 45, both of Danbury, Connecticut, were charged this month with one felony count of organized retail theft. Both went free last week after posting bail bonds of $100,000 for him and $30,000 for her, court records show. They're due back in Ramsey County District Court in St. Paul on Dec. 16. According to the criminal complaints, a Lululemon investigator had been tracking the pair even before police first confronted them on Nov. 14 at a store in suburban Roseville. The investigator told police the couple were responsible for hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses across the country, the complaints said. They would steal items and make fraudulent returns, it said. Police found suitcases containing more than $50,000 worth of Lululemon clothing when they searched the couple's hotel room in Bloomington, the complaint said. According to the investigator, they were also suspected in thefts from Lululemon stores in Colorado, Utah, New York and Connecticut, the complaint said. Within Minnesota, they were also accused of thefts at stores in Minneapolis and the suburbs of Woodbury, Edina and Minnetonka. The investigator said the two were part of a group that would usually travel to a city and hit Lululemon stores there for two days, return to the East Coast to exchange the items without receipts for new items, take back the new items with the return receipts for credit card refunds, then head back out to commit more thefts, the complaint said. In at least some of the thefts, it said, Richards would enter the store first and buy one or two cheap items. He'd then return to the sales floor where, with help from Lawes-Richards, they would remove a security sensor from another item and put it on one of the items he had just purchased. Lawes-Richards and another woman would then conceal leggings under their clothing. They would then leave together. When the security sensors at the door went off, he would offer staff the bag with the items he had bought, while the women would keep walking out, fooling the staff into thinking it was his sensor that had set off the alarm, the complaint said. Richards' attorney declined comment. Lawes-Richards' public defender did not immediately return a call seeking comment Monday. “This outcome continues to underscore our ongoing collaboration with law enforcement and our investments in advanced technology, team training and investigative capabilities to combat retail crime and hold offenders accountable,” Tristen Shields, Lululemon's vice president of asset protection, said in a statement. "We remain dedicated to continuing these efforts to address and prevent this industrywide issue.” The two are being prosecuted under a state law enacted last year that seeks to crack down on organized retail theft. One of its chief authors, Sen. Ron Latz, of St. Louis Park, said 34 states already had organized retail crime laws on their books. “I am glad to see it is working as intended to bring down criminal operations," Latz said in a statement. "This type of theft harms retailers in myriad ways, including lost economic activity, job loss, and threats to worker safety when crime goes unaddressed. It also harms consumers through rising costs and compromised products being resold online.” Two Minnesota women were also charged under the new law in August. They were accused of targeting a Lululemon store in Minneapolis.AP News Summary at 5:30 p.m. EST
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NEW YORK (AP) — Lawyers for tried for a third time Friday to persuade a judge to let him leave jail while he awaits his but a decision won’t come until next week. Judge Arun Subramanian said at a hearing that he will release his decision on Combs’ latest request for bail after Combs’ lawyers and federal prosecutors file letters addressing outstanding issues. Those letters are due at noon on Monday, Subramanian said. Combs’ lawyers pitched having him await trial under around-the-clock surveillance either his mansion on an island near Miami Beach or — after the judge scoffed at that location — an apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Their plan essentially amounts to putting Combs on house arrest, with strict limits on who he has contact with. But prosecutors argue that Combs has routinely flouted jail rules and can’t be trusted not to interfere with witnesses or the judicial process. “The argument that he’s a lawless person who doesn’t follow instructions isn’t factually accurate,” Combs lawyer Anthony Ricco argued. “The idea that he’s an out-of-control individual who has to be detained isn’t factually accurate.” Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to for years with help from a network of associates and employees while silencing victims through blackmail and violence, including kidnapping, arson and physical beatings. His trial is slated to begin May 5. The Bad Boy Records founder remains locked up at a where he spent his Nov. 4 birthday. Two other judges that Combs would be a danger to the community if he is released and an appeals court judge last month denied Combs’ immediate release while a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals weighs his bail request. Friday’s hearing was the second time Combs was in court this week. On Tuesday, a judge from using as evidence papers that were seized from his cell during jail-wide sweep for contraband and weapons at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. As he entered through a side door, Combs waved to relatives including his mother and several of his children in the courtroom gallery, tapping his hand to his heart and blowing kisses at them. He then hugged his lead attorney, Marc Agnifilo, before taking a seat at the defense table. He was not handcuffed or shackled and wore a beige jail uniform, occasionally pulling a pair of reading glasses from his pocket as he peered at papers in front of him. Prosecutors maintain that no bail conditions will mitigate the “risk of obstruction and dangerousness to others” of releasing Combs from jail. Prosecutors contend that while locked up the “I’ll Be Missing You” artist has orchestrated social media campaigns aimed at tainting the jury pool. They allege that he has also attempted to publicly leak materials he thinks would be helpful to his case and is contacting potential witnesses via third parties. “Simply put, the defendant cannot be trusted,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik argued. Combs’ lawyer Teny Geragos countered that, given the strict release conditions proposed, “it would be impossible for him not to follow rules.” Michael R. Sisak, The Associated PressQ: My college professor claims that science has disproved much of the Bible — and the Gospel — and if I expect to have any faith at all, my faith should be placed in mankind because of the incredible success in education, medicine, science, and technology. My faith in God is certain, but how does one debate this? — F.U. A: When we are confronted with someone who claims that the Bible has been proven a fraud, we should always ask where such is the case. True science and true understanding of the Bible are never at variance. If the person making such a claim is antagonistic to the Christian faith and God’s Word, he or she is prone to back the position by supposed inaccuracies in the Bible. But the best answer to such people is to insist on the statement, on their part, of just what the inaccuracies are. Most of the time, they are not forthcoming and don’t really expect anyone to doubt them because of their credentials. If we are uncertain of what the Bible teaches on the subject, we should also do our part in seeking others’ wisdom and answers from the Word of God. When people doubt that the Bible is the true Word of God, they are often unwilling to ascribe to God anything they cannot themselves achieve. Above all, let’s remember that Satan exalted himself above God and endeavored to get man to doubt the reliability of God’s Word. The gospel of Jesus Christ is not anti-intellectual. It demands the use of the mind along with faith in the authoritative Word of God and what Jesus did on the cross, making salvation possible. The Bible is God’s message to us. It is the infallible Book.Supreme Court dismisses constitutional claim in California air pollution case
US Unveils $988 Million Aid Package for Ukraine Including Rockets and DronesOur community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Gregg Wallace 's main TV rival is said to be taking the lead in the running to replace him on MasterChef , as Wallace faces an external review over historical misconduct allegations and new claims of harassment. The 60-year-old presenter, who has temporarily stepped away from the BBC cooking show , has been accused of touching a woman's bottom at an event and making unwanted contact with another woman while filming a different show. His lawyers have strongly denied the allegations, stating that it is "entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature". However, several MasterChef staff members and former contestants, including celebrities Emma Kennedy and Kirsty Wark, have come forward claiming that Wallace made them feel uncomfortable on set. Furthermore, Wallace's ghostwriter, Shannon Kyle, made additional accusations against him on Newsnight, alleging that he asked a British Sign Language interpreter to sign inappropriate phrases, including "big boobs" and "sexy bum", at the BBC Good Food Show in 2012. "There was a British Sign Language interpreter there and he wandered over to her at one point and just said: 'Do you have to sign everything I say?' And she said yes, and then he just started saying, 'big boobs', 'sexy bum' – this sort of thing, in order to get her to sign it. It was like he could control her, I suppose," an attendee told the Guardian. Now, it seems that fellow TV chef James Martin, 52, is the favourite to take over his role, according to bookies. The beloved Yorkshireman hosts his own ITV series, James Martin's Saturday Morning, and previously presented Saturday Kitchen on BBC. His "impressive" career could see him replace Gregg and co-host MasterChef with John Torode, 59. Bookies BetFred have priced him as the favourite, with odds of 5/2 to replace Gregg, reports the Mirror . However, John's wife Lisa Faulkner is also in the running with odds of 3/1, followed by Nigella Lawson at 4/1 and Gino D'Acampo at 5/1. Betfred spokesperson Kayley Cornelius said: "With Gregg Wallace unlikely to return to MasterChef, the big question is who might step into his shoes." "At the moment, TV chef James Martin is the bookies' favourite to take over as the new face of the iconic series, with odds of 5/2. With experience hosting Saturday Kitchen and regularly appearing on This Morning , a prime-time show could be the perfect next step in James's already impressive career." The news follows the removal of two MasterChef celebrity Christmas specials from the BBC's schedule. On Monday, Wallace apologised for suggesting that complaints about his behaviour came from "a handful of middle-class women of a certain age", and announced that he would be taking a break. He is currently facing allegations from 13 individuals across various shows spanning 17 years, as reported by BBC News on Thursday, with many others sharing their experiences since then. According to a statement from Banijay UK, the show's production company, Wallace is "committed to fully cooperating throughout the process" of the BBC's investigation and has stepped away from his role on the show. On Sunday morning, Gregg took to social media to dispute the allegations, claiming they came from "middle-class women of a certain age", prompting Ulrika to comment that his "ignorance and arrogance knows no bounds". He later issued a sincere apology and announced that he would be taking a break from social media. OK! has reached out to a BBC spokesperson for comment.
Mohamed Salah and Liverpool finally reach compromise over contract to end saga - Liverpool.comAn archbishop's knock formally restores Notre Dame to life as winds howl and heads of state look on