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THE head of the Spanish drugs squad that took down John Gilligan claims the notorious gang boss “likes what he does”.

The Dublin gangster’s Spanish gaff was raided in December as he slept, with cops uncovering a massive drugs lab.

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Crispin Rodwell - The Sun Dublin

Gilligan was handed a 22-month suspended prison sentence in September 2023 after he admitted to running a cannabis and sleeping pill smuggling ring between Spain and Ireland.

He also copped to the ­illegal possession of a gun in Costa Blanca in October 2020.

It was initially feared to be the weapon used to kill Veronica Guerin, before tests ruled this out.

And the senior Spanish officer said his experience of the veteran criminal, 72, is that he revels in his links with the underworld and likes being on the wrong side of the law.

Speaking on condition of anonymity because of his dangerous work tackling some of the worst criminal offenders, he said: “I’ve read claims he was reoffending because he was down on his luck and needed to make some quick money.

“But I believe he likes what he does, he boasts about his criminal past and his links to the world of crime.

“He likes that lifestyle and I don’t think he’s ever going to stop.

“If he ends up being released on bail, I think he’ll go back to what he’s been doing.

“His age and health issues could go in his favour to win his conditional release.

“And whatever he does, he knows that it’s likely to be years before he goes on trial which means he may not even be around when his trial does come around.”

Cops found the drugs lab when they raided a pad in Torrevieja, on the Costa Blanca, on December 18.

It was capable of producing up to €8million of drugs, mainly toxic pink cocaine. They also found a revolver wrapped in plastic and hidden outside.

‘HASN’T CONFESSED’

Offering the first details of the gun that was found, the top cop said: “It was an old revolver but one that could kill.

“He hasn’t confessed to being the owner but we think he could have been using it as a substitute gun and keeping it there in case of some emergency.

“He was the only person held at the property where we discovered the drugs laboratory.

“We raided the house at night when he was still sleeping.

“He hasn’t offered any type of explanation about anything. He’s remained silent throughout.

“He hasn’t wanted to say anything, to the police or the courts.”

DRUG LAB FOOTAGE

Spanish police went public on Thursday with the first images of the drug lab that led to Gilligan’s arrest and subsequent remand in prison after appearing before a judge.

Cops also released footage showing the moment armed officers used battering rams to smash into the property.

In their first comment on Gilligan’s detention last December, they accused him of flooding the region’s streets with illegal narcotics.

They alleged he was working with a “a family crime clan of Macedonian origin”.

PRODUCTION POTENTIAL

More than 16kgs of pink cocaine, or tusi, were seized along with 2.5kgs of cocaine and a mammoth stash of substances and machinery needed to produce drugs.

Spanish cops said: “With the ­substances seized in the lab it’s estimated the ­criminal gang could have produced between 300 and 600 kilograms of drugs.”

Gilligan was acquitted in the Irish courts of ordering the 1996 murder of journalist Veronica in 2001. But he was convicted of importing two tons of cannabis resin and caged for 28 years, reduced to 20 on appeal.

Brian Farrell - Independent News and Media/Getty Images

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DANCING With The Stars pro Laura Nolan has revealed she has gone on a “smile offensive” with partner Rhys McClenaghan.

The Olympic gymnast, 25, is topping the scoreboard on Sunday nights — but needs to “go out and have fun” during the dancing to make it look like he’s enjoying himself.

Kyran OBrien

Dancer Laura Nolan is going on a ‘smile offensive’ with partner Rhys McClenaghan[/caption]

Kyran OBrien

The couple got rave reviews for their performance last weekend[/caption]

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Rhys said he is trying to switch off the serious mode he goes into for gymnastics[/caption]

Laura told The Irish Sun: “With gymnastics Rhys has been going out and doing something precise.

“There’s no element of performance in it.

“Whereas with dance you are showing off the routine you’ve learnt but you also have to let go. So facial expressions has been something we have been working on for the last few weeks. You have to have fun and enjoy the performance on the night.”

Rhys confirmed: “I’m definitely trying to enjoy it more because when I’m doing gymnastics I have to switch into a serious mode that no one is there in the arena watching me. Whereas doing DWTS, we have the same pressure as competing but I need to enjoy the routines we’re doing.

“That’s when I tend to get the best results. But seeing my family in the audience when I’m walking out on to the dance floor puts a big smile on my face.”

The pommel horse champion, from Newtownards, Co Down, revealed how entering the RTE dance show has been the perfect distraction for him after winning gold for Team Ireland at the Paris Olympics last summer.

Rhys said: “What better way to celebrate after winning an ­Olympic gold medal than dancing for three months straight. So I have been really busy since ­coming back from Paris.

“But that’s me focusing on things outside of the gym. It’s always been in my plan that after a successful Olympics, I would take the opportunity to enjoy life outside the gym. And just celebrate in the manner of being busy.”

But just like he did in Paris, the 25-year-old is back inspiring the nation again but in a more fun way.

Last weekend he dressed up as superhero Spider-Man on DWTS.

Rhys told us: “I was living out a childhood dream because I used to dress up as Spider-Man as a kid.

Scoring the first 10s of the season, Rhys and Laura’s Charleston to the theme from Spider-Man drew rave reviews from the judges with Karen Byrne telling them: “The whole thing was perfect. The traditional steps within were just unbelievable.”

The routine sent Rhys and Laura to the top of the leaderboard and they are now heavily tipped to lift the Glitterball trophy in the final.

But Rhys said he had no idea the impact his Spider-Man routine would have on kids across Ireland.

COPYING MOVES

He said: “I had so many kids watching around the country copying my moves. I walked out of the gym on the Monday and saw five kids in Spider-Man outfits.

“It’s really touching when something like that happens. That’s when you realise how important this show is.”

Tomorrow night is Dedication Week, with the dancers bigging up the people who have inspired them the most. Rhys has chosen to dedicate his jive in honour of his coach Luke Carson.

Luke coached Rhys throughout his career from the lows of coming off the pommel horse mid-routine in Tokyo 2020 to achieving his lifelong dream of winning gold in Paris 2024.

‘IMPORTANT TO GIVE BACK’

Rhys told us: “It’s really important to give back to my coach.

“Without Luke my gold medal would not exist. It’s the athletes who get the medals around their necks but I wouldn’t have had any success at all without Luke. I would never have brought a gold medal back here without him.”

There are no eliminations for DWTS this weekend.

However the couple who receive the highest combined points from the judges and public will earn immunity from the following week’s first dance-off of the series.

• DWTS is on RTE One at 6.30pm tomorrow.

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Rhys has chosen to dedicate his jive in honour of his coach Luke Carson.[/caption]

HE spent his 20s boozing heavily and larking around on reality TV shows – now Spencer Matthews is a record-breaking endurance athlete with an ambitious new podcast.

Kicking on from his superhuman 30 marathons in 30 days on the sands of the Jordanian desert, Spencer is hoping to inspire people to harness their own potential.

instagram/@spencermatthews

Spencer Matthews and Jake Quickenden have launched the Untapped podcast[/caption]

The former Made In Chelsea man, 36, has partnered with Jake Quickenden, 36, to host Untapped – a fun, inspiring podcast with good intentions at its heart.

Starting big and bold, the first guest was rock climbing king Alex Honnold, whose death-defying documentary Free Solo, in which he became the first person to scale the 2,900ft El Capitan rock face with no ropes, won an Oscar in 2019.

While Sir Mo Farah is the star guest of episode two, choosing to talk with Spencer and Jake over the more established High Performance podcast by Jake Humphrey and Damian Hughes.

In an exclusive interview with The Sun, Spencer said: “Our work environment is unlike anything I’ve ever had before in my life. We have the time of our lives creating this show. And I couldn’t be more thankful for the team that we’ve created for it.

“‘Cause it is just awesome. I sometimes get there at nine in the morning, I’ll leave at seven. You know, having been recording for hours and hours and having meetings about who we should get on and chatting to potential partners and sponsors. It’s so exciting.

“I love it. I’m already getting sick for loving it too much.”

Spencer made a calculated gamble to make his dream podcast a reality.

He stepped down from his very successful show with wife Vogue Williams with her sister Amber replacing him.

In a surprise move, he offered his old pal Jake the co-host position eight years after they hit it off on high octane Channel 4 reality show The Jump.

It makes sense though, as Jake has excelled in whatever he’s put his mind to from The X Factor and Dancing on Ice to the theatre stage and even an MMA bout.

“Jake is a remarkable athlete,” said Spencer. “And by that, I mean you’d want to watch out if you’re competing against him in anything.

“He’s a hundred kilos. He’s incredibly strong. He can roundhouse kick an apple off your head, you know, with insane accuracy, phenomenal fighter, very competitive.

“His sense of humor is incredible. He’s a very beautiful soul. Jake’s energy is incredibly palpable, very positive, but he’s also been dealt terrible cards in life. Lost his father, lost his brother.

“So he has a real depth to him, but he’s also able to be light-hearted. If I’m being completely honest, he’s the perfect co-host because there’s no one mold that fits him.”

Like Spencer before him, Jake is also taking on a huge physical challenge this year when he will attempt to kayak 1,200km in the Yukon for charity.

And Spencer believes Untapped could end up removing them both from the reality sphere altogether.

“I think Jake isn’t delighted with some of the career moves he’s made in his life,” he said. “It’s very similar to me. And I think I really want us to grow out of it all together.”

Instagram/spencermatthews

He was greeted at the finish line by his two eldest children[/caption]

Social Media Collect

Wife Vogue Williams supports Spencer’s endurance cahllenges[/caption]

STANDING OUT

The podcast market is as saturated as its ever been, with new shows cropping up weekly and celebs favouring it as an outlet to get their voices heard.

But Spencer believes it’s ultimately the concept and high quality content that will elevate Untapped above the competition.

“I’m not going to say here and say that I’m not interested in being one of the largest podcasts in the country,” he said.

“Because we absolutely are interested in having as large a listenership as we could possibly have. I believe this podcast can really help people. We’re trying to draw out potential from our listeners.

“Social media is a really dangerous place. And I want to make sure that every single thing we put out is of a really high standard and created artistically and creatively in ways that is superior to our competition. And I’m loving that process.

“Of course, if I can earn good money from building Untapped, that’s fantastic. And essential. I have three kids, I need to support my lifestyle, but I think they kind of go hand in hand.”

They’ve got off to a roaring start.

Spencer’s success in Jordan has helped get the attention of athletes that might not have made themselves available otherwise.

He’d tried to book Farah for a previous podcast but had always been unable to… until now.

Spencer said: “I really didn’t know what to expect with Mo, very funny, very honest. There’s all kinds of stuff in the episode that I don’t think you would have heard before from Mo.”

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He hopes Untapped will inspire people to unlock their full potential[/caption]

RECORD ATTEMPT

Later in the year Spencer will tackle another record-breaking feat when he takes on seven Ironman triathlons in seven continents back to back.

Each event will see him swim 3.8km, bike 180km and run a marathon distance of 42.2km.

He insists his body will break before his mind, but is doing everything he can to ready himself for the ridiculously tough undertaking.

That includes learning to swim properly, a discipline he is yet master.

He said: “If I jumped in a calm lake now with a wetsuit, so like perfect conditions, I’m not sure I’m swimming 3.8km safely, seriously.

“It’s going to be incredibly difficult again, like the 30 and 30, there’s no guarantee that I’ll be able to achieve this. I like the unknown element of it. If it was easy, it wouldn’t feel fun to me.”

“I’m not going to worry about anything until something goes wrong, which will probably be during the events or in an accident and training or hopefully not, touch wood. It’s all just exciting to me.

“I’m not going to be filled with dread at any point. I’m not going to lose any sleep over it. I’m just going to get on with it and crack on.”

Untapped, Spencer Matthews’ new weekly podcast launches today on all platforms. Produced by the team at High Performance and co-hosted by Jake Quickenden.

This neo baby has proved he’s inherited his famous mum and dad’s good looks while making his Paris Fashion Week debut.

The 19-year-old looked incredible as he was snapped on the runway at the Lena Erziak Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2025 show.

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This nepo baby has made his modelling debut at Paris Fashion Week[/caption]

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He opened the Lena Erziak Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2025 show[/caption]

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The model is the son of two Hollywood A-listers[/caption]

Wearing a backless black suit and lace-up shoes, the fresh-faced model oozed sophistication during the show at Hotel Le Marois in the French capital.

His black dreadlocks were pinned on top of his head and he wore an oversized black scarf with gold brooch.

The man in question’s name is Henry Günther Ademola Dashtu Samuel – but do you know who is parents are?

Henry is in fact the son of Hollywood A-listers Seal and Heidi Klum.

Born in Los Angeles, Henry is the second eldest of the English singer and the America’s Got Talent judge’s four children.

They are also parents to daughter Leni, 20, son Johan, 18, and 15-year-old daughter Lou and, although the couple kept them away from the limelight as youngsters.

Leni, who Seal formerly adopted when she was five, has already followed in her mother’s footsteps and is a successful model.

But former Project Runway host Heidi was keen to keep her out of the industry until she was 16.

In a previous interview, Leni revealed that her mum had refused an offer for her to model for a US fashion brand aged just 12.

She said: “I was really sad about it, but in the end she was right. And I feel like that’s what sparked me to want to model more.”

Leni’s first modelling gig ended up being for the cover of German Vogue.

Henry, however, insists he didn’t grow up aspiring to walk the runways.

Speaking to the same publication at a later date, he said: “I have many interests – sports, music, film and fashion.

“I want to use the different creative experiences that are available to me to find the right path for my future.”

However, he added that Leni and his supermodel mum were already giving him pointers on modelling.

“Leni told me to look straight ahead and walk as if I was balancing a book on my head,” he said. “My mother told me to do my best and not forget to have fun.”

Heidi has now shared her pride at Henry making his modelling debut at Paris Fashion Week.

Writing on Instagram, she said: “So proud of you Henry – Opening the Lena Erziak Haute Couture Show in Paris @henrysamle @lena_erziak.”

AFP

Henry Samuel is the son of Heidi Klum and Seal[/caption]

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He is the second eldest of the former couple’s four children[/caption]

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The couple split in 2012 but have always successful co-parented their brood[/caption]

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Proud mum Heidi shared her excitement at Henry’s Paris Fashion Week debut[/caption]

BROOKLYN Beckham has been snubbed by his wife Nicola Peltz, as she brutally cut him out of a film she directed him in.

The star couple married in 2022, at a Miami ceremony that reportedly cost £3M, and was attended by all manner of A-list celebrities.

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Brooklyn Beckham has been snubbed by his wife Nicola Peltz, as she brutally cut him out of a film she directed him in[/caption]

Rex

And despite being inseparable and often posting loved-up snaps together, Nicola decided not to include her hubby in her new flick.

The 30-year-old had been working on a directorial debut for 2024 movie Lola.

And Brooklyn was given the role of background work by Nicola, and he even requested a speaking role.

But Nicola has now revealed that she edited out his speaking role and said Brooklyn is “still mad.”

Taking to the Hollywood Reporter, Nicola explained: “I directed a film last year that I wrote when I was 23. And Brooklyn is still mad at me. He was like, ‘Can I be in your movie?’ And I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I would be honoured, but we have to disguise you.’

“Obviously he’s covered in tattoos and he’s British. So he did a few parts in the background which, if you pay attention, you can find, but in one scene he’s like ‘Can I put the mic on, I wanna say a line?’”

Nicola said this caused her to “laugh so hard,” as she added: “He had the most British accent ever. I ended up cutting him out! He sat there, in the editing room, he was like, ‘Did you really just cut me out while I’m sitting here?’ I was like, ‘Yes, I love you so much!'”

In the film, Nicola plays a young woman who struggles to save enough money to get her little brother out of their toxic home.

In a series of cliches she turns to stripping and taking drugs, before becoming a teenage mum.

Lola, which premiered on February 9, with a limited theatrical and digital release, marks Nicola‘s writing and directorial debut, and her first leading role.

But according to the Daily Mail, Brooklyn was devastated that he wasn’t included.

A source said: “Brooklyn loves doing different things. He is always looking for the next thing, when it comes to Brand Brooklyn he’s clever, he has watched his parents build theirs for his whole life.

“Being in a film which is now coming to Britain would have been amazing for him and in his mind could have led to more.

“But the fact is, he just wasn’t very good. Nicola had the chance of a lifetime to make her mark as a film director. She had to let him go, she laughs about it but it was a hard thing for her to do.”

But it was bad luck for Nicola too, as due to the film’s “out of touch cliches” surrounding poverty issues, the movie was panned by critics.

Some even went as far as to call it “poverty porn”.

This means the film is being accused of exploiting poverty for entertainment and artistic recognition.

The movie was meant to see Nicola step into the big league, as a leading lady and also a director.

Since kicking off her acting career at the age of 11 she had small roles in movies like Transformers.

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Brooklyn was devastated, according to a source[/caption]

Rex

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