World Leaks

RONNIE O’SULLIVAN has pulled out of a major snooker event later this month.

The seven-time world champion has delayed his return to the sport following his “embarrassing” English Open exit.

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Ronnie O’Sullivan has pulled out of next week’s Wuhan Open in China[/caption]

O’Sullivan has not played since his shock defeat to He Guoqiang in Brentwood last month.

He later withdrew from the British Open just hours before his opening match due to “medical reasons”.

The Rocket has now cited the same reasons after pulling out of next week’s Wuhan Open in China.

O’Sullivan had been set to face Michell Mann in their held over qualifying match when the event begins on Sunday.

He has now been replaced in the draw by Mark Joyce, who will have the chance to claim a share of the £700,000 prize pot.

World number five O’Sullivan’s absence comes after he called himself “useless” and “embarrassing” after his loss at the English Open.

The 48-year-old also hinted at retiring from snooker altogether as he reflected on his surprise exit.

He told SunSport: “I’m absolutely useless, that’s why.

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The Rocket has not played since his ’embarrassing’ English Open exit last month[/caption]

“Forget about the Worlds. I’m not even bothered to be honest with you, if I’m going to play rubbish I might as well play left handed.

“Play left-handed and enjoy it, but be useless, or play right-handed, be useless and not enjoy it.

“I haven’t got long, I’m not going to deny it, I’m not playing well enough, there’s no point in even worrying about it – I’ve just accepted it now which is quite a nice place to be really.”

O’Sullivan continued: “I’m awful, it’s embarrassing. I miss so many balls.

“I’ve been missing balls for the last four or five years and every now and then I’ll miss a few less, maybe, and get a couple of results.

“Even in tournaments I’ve won people have missed mad opportunities to beat me.

“I can’t get away from it, poor, but there’s nothing I can do about it.”

World number one Judd Trump will be in action in Wuhan, though, as he defends the title he won in 2023.

The Ace in the Pack faces Antoni Kowalski for a place in the last 64 of the main draw.

Hansen, who has worked for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for more than two years, is the 19th person to leave a full-time role at Archewell.

DIY SOS host Nick Knowles has admitted he cannot assemble flat-pack furniture.

The 62-year-old Strictly star works with tradespeople to transform homes for deserving families on the BBC One show.

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But he revealed his family “laugh at him” when he tries DIY.

However, dad-of-four Nick still reckons he could build his own house.

In an interview with The Times T2 supplement yesterday, Nick said: “My family laugh when I try to assemble flat-packs.

“I get frustrated because, like most men, I don’t read the instructions.”

“But I could build my own house — easily. One day I just might.”

 Nick — who has been married twice and is now engaged to lingerie business owner Katie Dadzie, 34 — also revealed he has lost more than two stone since he began training for Strictly four weeks ago.

He said: “This is much tougher than rugby training.

“I can feel myself transforming from a very heavy bloke lumbering around the room to somebody who’s becoming lighter and more elegant on his feet.”

Meanwhile, Nick has been in hot water after he said women in the North East of England were “munters” in a sleazy chat with a young charity worker, it has been claimed.

The TV favourite allegedly made a string of lewd and offensive remarks to the woman and ogled her breasts while filming BBC show DIY SOS: The Big Build.

It left the 33-year-old support worker feeling embarrassed and mortified, she claimed.

The mum of one said she was interviewed by Knowles in 2018 for an episode of the show about a home renovation for a family with a young disabled child.

She claims he turned up late after boozing the night before — and later kipped in a van.

Knowles was said to have been hung over, looked worse for wear and stank of stale booze and cigarettes after partying at North Shields Fish Quay.

When the then 26-year-old dropped her microphone down her blouse, the star allegedly said: “It’s a shame that’s not a camera.”

The woman, who posed for a photo with the star, said he did not touch her or make a pass.

Knowles said he had encountered hundreds of people in the course of his work and cannot be expected to remember what he has said to everyone he has met.

PA

Nick also revealed he has lost more than two stone since he began training for Strictly four weeks ago[/caption]

GIOVANNI Pernice is eyeing a shock return to Strictly Come Dancing after the BBC released the findings of its investigation into his conduct, according to reports.

The corporation upheld six of the 17 complaints made against him by former celebrity partner Amanda Abbington, including two moments of inappropriate behaviour of sexual banter in the workplace.

Doug Seeburg/News Group Newspapers Ltd

Giovanni Pernice is reportedly keen for a Strictly return[/caption]

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Amanda Abbington is set to meet with BBC bosses this month[/caption]

Giovanni walked away from the show after nine years during the investigation and is currently appearing on the Italian version of the programme.

A source has now told The Mirror that Giovanni could make a surprise comeback on the BBC show.

They said: “Giovanni has not given up on appearing on the Strictly stage. As far as he is concerned, he has been cleared and there is no reason why he couldn’t return.

“He has told his pals he is hoping to be back next year and is keen to speak to the BBC about it. He still feels very much part of the fold, and has a massive fan base who would no doubt welcome him back. But of course the final decision will be made by BBC bosses.”

Following the conclusion of the investigation, Amanda appeared on Newsnight to discuss the outcome.

She told Victoria Derbyshire: “It was an ongoing litany of being verbally abused, sexual innuendo, sexual gestures.

“There was a 35 minute rant at me with him throwing his hands in the air and calling me names and how he couldn’t cope with it anymore.”

A spokesman for Giovanni told The Sun: “It’s disappointing that Ms Abbington would knowingly mislead the outcome of the report in order to further damage Giovanni’s reputation.

“While Ms Abbington may not like the outcome of the six month investigation, she should not seek to spread false and defamatory claims.”

Amanda also revealed she met with celebrities who were previously partnered with Giovanni, 34, and said: “We all cried, we all burst into tears”.

She continued: “We just wanted to make sure that we weren’t on our own and thinking this had just happened to us.

“Everyone I spoke to all said the same thing, it wasn’t pleasant and it wasn’t what everyone else was going through in the other [rehearsal] rooms.”

Following the release of the investigation findings Giovanni spoke of his satisfaction with the result.

He said: “It’s over. It’s finished.

“Six months, seven months of all of this, seven months of reading everyday things in the newspaper and not being able to respond because I wanted to keep the confidentiality and the privacy of the review, was a difficult time.

“It was difficult because reading stuff that was untrue, wasn’t the nicest time of my life, let’s be honest.

“But today I’m happy because at the beginning there were very very serious allegations thrown out at me but as of today, none of the serious allegations have been upheld.

“All the threatening, abusive, harassment behaviour allegations have not been upheld.”

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Giovanni is currently taking part in the Italian version of Strictly[/caption]

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