Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith quits after nine years

Dame Prue Leith has announced her decision to quit Great British Bake Off, saying it “feels like the right time to step back” from the Channel 4 show.

In a statement released on Wednesday (21 January), Leith said: “Bake Off has been a fabulous part of my life for the last nine years, I have genuinely loved it and I’m sure I’ll miss working with my fellow judge Paul [Hollywood], Alison [Hammond] and Noel [Fielding] and the teams at Love Productions and Channel 4.

“But now feels like the right time to step back (I’m 86 for goodness sake!), there’s so much I’d like to do, not least spend summers enjoying my garden.”

“Whoever joins the team, I’m sure they’ll love it as much as I have,” she added. “I feel very lucky to have been part of it.”

Channel 4 has said a new judge will be announced in due course.

Leith joined the programme after it moved from the BBC to Channel 4 in 2017, and faced the daunting task of replacing Hollywood’s original judging partner, Dame Mary Berry.

Fortunately, the new judge soon found her groove in the famous Bake Off tent, winning over fans and critics with her kind-hearted critiques and statement looks. There was one blip, though: in her first year on the show, Leith hit headlines after accidentally revealing the winner hours before the finale aired.

A number of former Bake Off contestants have shared their sadness at Leith’s exit from the programme.

Commenting underneath an Instragram post on the show’s official account, 2025 winner Jasmine Mitchell wrote: “We will really miss you so much. You are just wonderful and incredible.”

Dr Rahul Mandal, who triumphed in 2018, added: “We adored you, you are kind, passionate and above all inspiring. You challenged yourself in every step of your life, which inspired us. I always [tell] my daughter to be as bold and brave like you.”

Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding are the current Bake Off presenters, but Leith has also worked with Sandi Toksvig and Matt Lucas.

Channel 4 chief content officer Ian Katz said: “Prue Leith has been a joyous presence in the tent, pairing absolute culinary authority with great generosity and empathy for the bakers.

“We are grateful for her passion, her wit, her ineffable style, and all the summers she spent in the tent. She leaves an indelible mark on the show and all its bakers.

“We will miss her wry, gentle judgment but look forward to working with her on new projects.”

Nigel Farage failed to declare ‘£380,000 external earnings’ on time

Nigel Farage has breached the MPs’ code of conduct 17 times by failing to register financial interests on time, a probe by the parliamentary commissioner for standards has concluded.

The 17 breaches by the Reform UK leader, who was elected in July 2024, added up to more than £380,000 in outside earnings, including payments for his appearances on GB News and money earned through the Cameo app.

Mr Farage – who has previously faced criticism for his significant earnings outside of his £93,904 per year MP’s salary – has now been accused of being “distracted with tempting failed Tory politicians into his party” and failing to “get the basics right”.

The Reform leader blamed the 17 errors on an aide, claiming he had been “extremely let down by a very senior member of staff”. He also claimed he relied on others to register his outside earnings because: “I don’t do computers”.

In the report published on Tuesday, standards commissioner Daniel Greenberg said: “Following a complaint from a member of the public that Mr Nigel Farage had registered interests outside the 28-day time limit set by the House, I undertook a wider review of Mr Farage’s entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests.

“Having done so, I identified several other interests that appeared to have been registered late, and I opened a formal inquiry on 30 October 2025 to investigate Mr Farage’s compliance with Rule 5 of the Code of Conduct.

“During my investigation, I established that there had been seventeen breaches of Rule 5 of the Code by Mr Farage’s failure to add interests within the 28-day period set by the House.”

Following the investigation, Mr Greenberg said that he had concluded the breaches were “inadvertent” and due to “staffing and other administrative issues”.

He added that the Reform leader had apologised and had promised to meet the deadline in the future.

In a meeting in December, Mr Farage told Mr Greenberg that the late declarations were a result of “severe growing pains” in his party, adding: “The only explanation is that our political lives have exploded in the last 18 months in ways that we could never have comprehended. We are overwhelmed in every sense.

“Even my MP e-mail gets 1,000 emails a day. And we’ve basically failed to cope with, to be frank, not just with this, but with many other things too.”

But a Labour Party spokesperson said: “Nigel Farage is so distracted with tempting failed Tory politicians into his party that he can’t even get the basics right. He isn’t on the side of working people – he’s just lining his pockets when he should be standing up for his constituents.

“He boasts about making money ‘because I’m Nigel Farage’, raking in millions through various outside jobs. But he neglects to do the important work that hard-pressed taxpayers fork out for him to do.

“Labour will tighten the rules on MPs’ second jobs to make sure the public get the attention they expect and deserve from their elected representatives.”

Nevertheless one ally of Mr Farage pointed out that Sir Keir Starmer also admitted he had been late in making declarations before the election when he was found to have made eight breaches.

How Trump’s Greenland obsession could spark a World Cup boycott

Senior officials at the top of Fifa and Uefa are “very concerned” about the potential impact of interest by the United States in Greenland on the World Cup and wider game, sources say, as football federations try to navigate a diplomatic crisis.

There have been no official meetings, and no public statements. Everyone is instead looking to Fifa president Gianni Infantino and wondering exactly what he is thinking. It is a consequence of the federation being geared around one central figure; in a way that means it may not have the governance suitable to deal with Trump’s upheaval. If it seems absurd that all of this is the responsibility of one man, that’s just the way the system has been designed. Fifa is not the forum for constructive debate.

This obviously goes way beyond any embarrassment over the Fifa Peace Prize, even as that gained an absurd new symbolism from Donald Trump’s post about its Nobel “competitor”. Where it is really relevant, however, is in how it makes Infantino even more central to a story that could yet collapse this World Cup. If that sounds ridiculous, just look at the headlines.

In normal cases, after all, a more apolitical federation could fairly cast itself as a victim of geopolitical events.

Infantino’s open courting of Trump, however, makes him a much more central character in the drama. “He simply has to be worried about what next,” in the words of one source who knows him.

Other senior officials believe Infantino is hoping this will ultimately pass in the way most Trump flare-ups do. Even if nothing happens, though, it is an unprecedented situation for Fifa to be in – and one accentuated by its president’s proximity to this US administration.

If something does happen, however, Infantino faces the biggest crisis Fifa has ever had. The most lucrative ever World Cup may become the most ruinous. The tournament is square in the centre of it all.

Football’s usual “out” in these situations – as has been witnessed with calls to ban Israel – is that individual national associations are generally guided on geopolitical positions by their governments. As FairSquare’s Nick McGeehan says, though, the World Cup is now “an obvious point of leverage” for European federations.

The idea of threatening a boycott has, according to reports, been raised in German political circles, and there has also been a petition in the Netherlands.

“It would be remarkable if European leaders weren’t seriously discussing a boycott as an option,” McGeehan adds.

While no federation wants to talk openly about “red lines” and is generally referring to “hypotheticals”, any US invasion of Greenland would naturally force a strong response. What especially concerns officials is that the World Cup ban on Russia, over the invasion of Ukraine, leaves the federations with no wiggle room on Trump and Greenland.

Some senior figures additionally believe that a European bloc – and potentially all of Uefa – may have to come up with a stance before any of that. Most want to show solidarity with Denmark. Some of this was discussed between around 20 federations at a ceremony to mark the 150th anniversary of Hungary’s federation.

Again, it leaves many looking at Infantino.

This is where Fifa needs strong leadership. Any time relationships with the US president or actual autocratic leaders, like Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, are raised, the argument from within Fifa is that Infantino has no choice but to facilitate overtures from such figures. The highly debatable idea has even been suggested that such “integration” will actually curb the worst excesses of dictatorships.

In other words, a modern sporting diplomacy.

Fifa has historically rejected such a role due to the awareness that geopolitical events way beyond its control can cause immense complications.

Like, for example, how a peace prize might look.

“This is why they didn’t make themselves political,” one senior executive says. “It’s Harold Macmillan: events, dear boy, events.”

Infantino has rejected that stance.

He has been explicit about the role of football and the World Cup in uniting the world and bringing “people together”. Those close to the president within Fifa have even talked about how few people in the world are as well-equipped to mediate in Israel-Palestine.

Infantino himself has even described the 2026 World Cup as “the biggest moment in history, a moment that brings the whole world together”.

“And we want everyone to be united… the world will stand still and watch what happens in the three amazing host countries.”

That was on his Instagram in 2023. There’s nothing about any of this now. And the world is indeed watching.

If ever there was a time for Infantino’s questionable relationship with Trump to be useful, and even justifiable, it is now. Who is actually better to talk to him about this? Other “premiers” aren’t, given their own national pressures.

Does Infantino even have the skills to talk to Trump in this way, though? Some argue that the Fifa Peace Prize was specifically awarded for this purpose, to court the US president for future political leverage.

That prospect entirely depends on Infantino’s approach.

“Trump remains at his heart a ratings man, and a European boycott kills this World Cup and would deprive him of his role in the ‘greatest show on earth’,” McGeehan adds. “Beyond that, a boycott would provoke anger in the host cities, and among sponsors and broadcasters.”

It potentially leaves Infantino hoisted by his own petard, especially as other football figures are generally scathing about his geopolitical “cosplaying”.

“It’s back to him thinking he rubs shoulders with Trump and MBS, whereas they see him as a useful idiot,” one says.

More abrasive officials believe a truly politicised Fifa should now be more hardline, and threaten to move the World Cup now, given that Denmark is one of its members.

Uefa also has the potential power play of finally giving Greenland full membership, as they’ve requested, but there is currently no will to do that.

The situation has rippled out in other ways. US investors have recently been especially interested in Danish clubs due to the football environment and access to Europe, but one source involved in a negotiation says it has been suspended pending what happens with Greenland.

As of now, like much of the world, football is waiting – and hoping. None more so than the Fifa president who brought the tournament to the States. The time for politics is now.

‘I’ve spent 20 years in prison for robbing £20. Now UK wants to deport me to a country I’ve never called home’

A father of five who has lived in Britain since he was a toddler and has spent almost 20 years serving an abolished indefinite jail term for stealing £20 is being deported to Jamaica – despite only having visited the country once in his adult life.

Sheldon Coore, 47, says Huddersfield is all he has ever known since his mother brought him to the UK – at just 16 months old – to join his grandparents, who settled during the Windrush era.

He was handed an imprisonment for public protection (IPP) jail term in 2005 after he put a man in a headlock and stole £20 from his pocket, having already racked up a string of previous convictions when he turned to crime in order to fund his drug addiction.

Despite originally being handed a minimum tariff of two years and 65 days, Coore is still languishing in prison two decades later, and says the open-ended jail term has “ruined his life”.

He is now waiting to be deported to Jamaica from HMP Erlestoke, a category C prison in Wiltshire, after the Home Office successfully applied to remove him despite his having visited the Caribbean country only once in his adult life.

“Every day I wake up, I feel like I am being punished twice and thrice and even tenfold, despite the IPP sentences being acknowledged to be a mistake,” he told The Independent.

The open-ended sentences were scrapped in 2012 following a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights, but they were not abolished retrospectively, which meant almost 2,500 people already sentenced were left trapped without a release date.

Successive governments have rejected recommendations to resentence the remaining prisoners, despite at least 94 inmates having taken their own lives as they lost hope of ever being released.

Victims of the scandal whose tragic cases have been highlighted by The Independent include Leroy Douglas, who has served almost 20 years for stealing a mobile phone; Thomas White, 42, who set himself alight in his cell while serving 13 years for stealing a phone; and Abdullahi Suleman, 41, who is still inside 19 years after he was jailed for a laptop robbery.

The UN is currently investigating whether Britain is breaching human rights law in respect of five IPP prisoners whose cases were lodged in a complaint to the UN’s working group for arbitrary detention.

Coore served 10 years before he was released in 2015, but was recalled indefinitely around 18 months later over allegations for which he was never charged.

He was further convicted of affray and sentenced to 15 months after he ran out with a knife when police came to arrest him, but he insists he only had the weapon to take his own life. He has been in prison ever since.

“I am not perfect, but I do not deserve my current situation,” said Coore, who was also sentenced to 16 weeks in 2017 for assaulting a prison officer.

He added: “I came to prison aged 26 for £20. I will be 47 next month. How can anybody justify keeping someone in prison for so long for £20?”

He now fears he could be put on a plane to Jamaica any day after the Home Office launched action to deport him because he is classed as a foreign criminal.

His latest appeal to remain in Britain, where his five daughters were born, was dismissed by a judge at an immigration tribunal hearing last August.

Coore argued that deporting him would breach his human rights, but the judge ruled that – although he remains in close contact with his family – he has “no realistic or effective integration” with British society because he has been in prison for so long.

Coore, who says he has always considered himself “British”, added: “I came to this country as a 16-month-old baby, and only been back once on a two-week holiday 26 years ago.

“This would ruin me to go back to Jamaica, as it is an ‘alien’ world to me. All I have ever known is Huddersfield in the UK as my home. I would rather take my own life before I go on to a plane to Jamaica.”

Being deported would mean leaving behind his five daughters, aged 27, 24, nine and twins aged 10. He also has a granddaughter, aged four, and another on the way.

His eldest daughter, Karrera Coore, 27, fears he won’t cope in Jamaica without his family support system.

“He doesn’t know anyone in Jamaica,” she told The Independent. “He would have nowhere to go – he would be at risk.”

His mother, Dorrett Miller-Douglas, 62, said the government has got her child’s “life in their hands”. She fears for his life if he were deported to a country where “he’s got nobody” after years of watching him deteriorate in prison.

“He’s just waiting for his fate,” she added. “He’s got nothing to live for, that’s heartbreaking. Sheldon is my first child and my first love, and it’s heartbreaking.”

She called for him to be released in Britain and given the mental health support that he needs in the community.

Campaigners United Group for Reform of IPP said Coore’s case is an illustration of why the IPP sentence is widely considered to be the greatest stain on the UK’s justice system.

“To serve 20 years for a £20 theft is not justice; it is a life destroyed by a sentence that was abolished over a decade ago precisely because it was found to be unlawful and inhumane,” a spokesperson added.

“Sheldon has spent two decades trapped in a cycle of psychological torture, only to now face ‘double punishment’ through deportation to a country where he has no roots and no support system. It is a cruel and illogical conclusion to an already shameful story.

“The government cannot continue to ignore the human cost of the IPP legacy. We are calling for an urgent review of all IPP cases to ensure that proportionality – the very foundation of our legal system – is finally restored.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “This government will not allow foreign criminals and illegal immigrants to exploit our laws, which is why we are reforming human rights laws and replacing the broken appeals system, allowing us to scale up deportations.

“All Foreign National Offenders who receive a prison sentence in the UK are referred for deportation at the earliest opportunity.”

Raducanu’s Australian Open exit leaves one damning conclusion

As Emma Raducanu acknowledged, winning the US Open as an 18-year-old qualifier was always going to set an extremely unfair level of expectations for an inexperienced player so early on in their career, with so much still to learn. But, four-and-a-half years after that night in New York, the British No 1 admitted the attempts to develop her game have not worked, that it’s time to take a step back, “re-evaluate”, and perhaps play more like she did when she was younger.

Raducanu’s second-round exit to Anastasia Potapova at the Australian Open followed a difficult off-season where the 23-year-old was limited by a foot injury. Making it to the start line in Melbourne, let alone playing five matches so far this season, she said, was pretty surprising. Raducanu said her foot has not been 100 per cent during the Australian Open and it will require further assessment once she returns home. Tricky court conditions, with a swirling wind around the grounds, didn’t help either.

But the biggest problem Raducanu identified after her 7-6 (7-3) 6-2 defeat to Potapova, the world No 55, was the absence of what she called her tennis “identity”. Despite leading 5-3 in the opening set, Raducanu was erratic and tentative, played without confidence behind her attacking shots, and felt she had to scrap to survive. As the errors piled up, the weapon that made her perhaps the most unexpected grand slam champion of all time in 2021 – her big, early forehand strike – deserted her.

“At the end of the day, I just want to hit the ball to the corners and hard,” she said. “I feel like I’m doing all this variety, and it’s not doing what I want it to do. I need to just work on playing in a way more similar to how I was playing when I was younger. I always just changed direction, took the ball early, and went for it. I think I do have the ability to do many things on the court, but I feel like, as I’m learning all those skills, it’s like I need to stick to my guns a bit as well and work on that. For me, it’s pretty simple.”

Raducanu’s admission that she feels she has lost her way is perhaps not surprising given the revolving door of coaches that followed her shock grand slam breakthrough – “I think there are just many iterations that are going on and have gone on,” she said.

Raducanu had appeared to find some stability in Francisco Roig, the Spaniard who was part of Rafael Nadal’s team during a large chunk of his illustrious career. Yet Raducanu was particularly flat and subdued against Potapova, her head dropping after losing the first set, and there appeared to be little to no communication with her coaching box.

“I think I want to be playing a different way, and I think the misalignment with how I’m playing right now and how I want to be playing is something that I just want to work on,” she said, in an ominous sign that a further change could follow.

“I think there are definitely pockets of me playing how I want to play, and it comes out in flashes, which is a positive, and maybe more than certain times in my career in the last few years. But it’s not how I want to be consistently every day. It’s not going to fall into place straight away, but the more I work on how I want to be playing, it will be more of my identity every time I step onto the court.”

Perhaps the most concerning aspect of Raducanu’s dissatisfaction was her struggles with her forehand, which gave up 16 of her 28 unforced errors during the defeat. Before the Australian Open, Raducanu was asked about the different forehand swing she brought to Melbourne, which is now bigger and higher, taking more time to get around the ball, and pointedly said the changes were “not something that I really wanted to happen”.

Raducanu knows she is not the same player without her favourite strike. “I definitely want to feel better on certain shots before I start playing again,” she said, identifying that fixing the forehand will be more of a priority than her foot.

After a positive 2025 season, where Raducanu returned to the world’s top 30 and ensured she was seeded for a major for the first time in three years, being sidelined for the majority of the off-season undoubtedly stalled her progress. She was limited to static drills before flying to Australia and, at a time of the season when the majority of other players are fresh and ready to go, Raducanu did not feel set once the year began. Last season, her exits at the grand slams came to the very best players in the world, in Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina. Still, another tough draw followed. Despite her seeding at the Australian Open, a third-round clash with top seed Sabalenka loomed large in Melbourne.

But Raducanu did not even make it that far. It is, in many ways, a backwards step, which in turn may lead to Raducanu returning to square one and winding back the clock in a bid to find the answers.

Pick your paradise: uncover nature, wellness and luxury in the idyllic Maldives

When it comes to bucket-list destinations, look no further than the Maldives for a truly unforgettable trip. It’s an extraordinary place, scattered across hundreds of coral islands in the Indian Ocean, and feels almost unreal when you first arrive. Life moves more slowly here, shaped by the sea, with days spent swimming, snorkelling and taking in the idyllic views. It’s also home to some of the world’s most polished island resorts, making it easy to slink into the laid-back rhythm of island life.

Travelbag takes the hassle out of planning a Maldives holiday, with a carefully chosen mix of resorts to suit different types of trips. Whether you’re looking for something romantic, low-key, or family-friendly, their Travel Specialists can help shape the details. There’s also a ‘Sale On, Switch Off’ offer running from now to the end of February, with up to 50 per cent off selected hotel stays and added discounts across selected resorts and added extras, for a luxury stay that works for your budget.

Here are six incredible resorts to inspire you to finally book that dream trip to the Maldives…

Only a 10-minute speedboat ride from Malé, on the first private island resort in the North Malé Atoll, Niva Kurumba Maldives is one of the easiest resorts to get to, but still serves that dreamy castaway feeling. As the country’s first private island resort, it leans into its history, offering thoughtfully curated excursions such as snorkelling trips, a dolphin-exploration cruise, and guided visits to Malé.

There’s plenty to fill your days on the island, from snorkelling around the house reef to watersports and relaxing classes like yoga or cocktail making. You’ll also be spoiled for cutting edge cuisine here, with several restaurants to choose from, including Hamakaze, an overwater teppanyaki spot for sushi and sashimi, and Athiri, a barefoot beach bar that’s ideal for long evenings.

If true escape is the goal, Niva Velassaru Maldives offers a refined island retreat designed for effortless relaxation. From the moment guests arrive, a sense of calm sets in, with the resort’s spa thoughtfully positioned at the heart of the island, nestled beneath swaying palms and featuring overwater treatment rooms, couples’ pavilions, steam rooms, and shaded daybeds for moments of rest between treatments.

The surrounding lagoon invites discovery, with guided snorkeling along the house reef, daily dive excursions led by a PADI-certified team, and the presence of an on-site marine biologist. Additional experiences include dolphin cruises and glass-bottom boat tours, offering a closer look at the island’s marine life.

Accommodation ranges from villas set amidst lush greenery to elegant overwater retreats, each offering privacy, comfort, and uninterrupted views – ideal for complete relaxation. For guests seeking more active pursuits, the resort provides access to water sports equipment, a fully equipped gym, a tennis court, a Pilates studio and an infinity pool overlooking the beach. Wellness and movement are seamlessly woven into the guest experience, with complimentary morning cruises and sunset yoga sessions available for those wishing to begin or end the day with intention.

Set in the western Raa Atoll, Niva Dhigali Maldives sits among greenery and white sand, with the landscape itself very much part of the experience. Villas are spread across the island and out over the water, offering gorgeous garden or sea views. The overwater villas are the most open, with wide views of the Indian Ocean and direct access to the water.

Days tend to unfold slowly here, with snorkelling and diving on nearby reefs, dolphin cruises, time on the beach and spa sessions beneath the palms all shaping the pace of your stay. You’re spoilt for choice in terms of dining, with several restaurants and bars across the island, including Haali Bar at the quieter west end, which is a favourite for cocktails as the sun drops into the ocean.

Huvafen Fushi is a small island resort in the North Malé Atoll, around 30 minutes from Malé by speedboat, and it’s ideal for couples seeking utter serenity. With just 46 beach and overwater bungalows and pavilions, this is the perfect setting for a complete escape. The main talking point is the underwater spa, where treatments take place eight metres below the surface, with coral reef views, alongside a handful of overwater treatment rooms and saltwater flotation pools.

Wine is a serious focus too, and oenophiles will be in their element at Vinum, the first underground wine cellar in the Maldives, which hosts tastings and intimate gourmet dinners beneath the island. It’s a place made for honeymoons, special occasions and switching off completely.

Milaidhoo Maldives sits in the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, an area known for some of the country’s most diverse marine life. The nearby reefs are colourful and teeming with life, and during the right season, trips to Hanifaru Bay give guests the chance to swim with manta rays and whale sharks. Villas are spacious and built around outdoor living, with plenty of natural light, a private pool and a sundeck with lagoon or sea views – perfect for laidback days enjoying the wonderful peacefulness of this idyllic island.

Dining is a major draw, particularly at Ba’theli, the world’s only Maldivian fine-dining restaurant set on a traditional boat, where local dishes are inspired by the ancient Spice Route.

Baros has been welcoming guests for over five decades, and is a true local icon, offering guests the feel of authentic Maldives. It sits in the North Malé Atoll and is best known for its house reef, which you can snorkel straight from the shore. There are also resident marine biologists on site, working on conservation projects and running trips out to nearby dive sites, of which there are more than 40 in the area.

Villas are either tucked into the leafy surroundings or set out over the lagoon, each boasting its own private sun deck and a host available when needed. Sustainability runs through everything they do, including reef-protection work and all the biodegradable products used across the island.

To plan your own Maldives escape, explore exclusive offers and speak to a Travel Specialist, head to travelbag.co.uk

Prince William to visit Saudi Arabia after request from Keir Starmer

The Prince of Wales will conduct his first official visit to Saudi Arabia in February at the request of the UK government.

Kensington Palace said the trip comes as the UK and Saudi Arabia near a century of diplomatic relations in 2027 and the countries “celebrate growing trade, energy and investment ties.”.

William’s first official visit to the country will take place between Monday February 9 and Wednesday February 11.

The Prince of Wales has previously visited neighbouring countries – the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.

This is a breaking story – more follows…

Ryanair boss challenges Elon Musk to arm-wrestling match in ‘battle of the billionaires’

Ryanair’s chief executive, Michael O’Leary, is to challenge Elon Musk to an arm-wrestling match in a bid to settle the “battle of the billionaires”.

The two tycoons have been engaged in a war of words that began when the Ryanair CEO rejected the idea of fitting Starlink wifi to his fleet of Boeing 737s because of engineering complexity and aerodynamic drag.

They have been trading insults over the last few days and calling each other “idiots”. Mr Musk, owner of Tesla, X/Twitter and SpaceX, said he might buy Ryanair – prompting a post from Mr O’Leary on X asserting: “Musk knows even less about airline ownership rules than he does about aircraft aerodynamics.”

Now, though, the feud could come to a head with the two businessmen staging an arm-wrestling fight to the finish.

The idea of a public test of strength was proposed by The Independent during an interview with the Ryanair boss.

Mr O’Leary said: “I think that’s a brilliant idea. I think we should challenge Mr Musk to an arm-wrestling match.

“Let’s settle this like two idiots should: two old farts arm wrestling or having a boxing match or something with each other.

“It may be the best way of actually entertaining the world.”

In 1992, Herb Kelleher, co-founder of low-cost Southwest Airlines, challenged another aviation boss to a public arm-wrestling match in Dallas to settle a dispute over who could use the slogan “Just plane smart”.

Ryanair has launched a seat sale that is claimed to be “only available for Elon Musk and any other ‘idiots’ on X”.

The airline’s CEO said while anyone could buy the tickets, “we’ve deliberately pointed the seat sale at Elon Musk and idiots on X”.

He said: “If we can widen our passenger profile, encourage more people to get out of their bedrooms, posting anonymous rubbish on social media platforms and get out and travel and see more of Europe and interact with actually real human beings instead of bots on X, I think it would be a great service for humankind and certainly for Europe’s citizens.”

The Ryanair boss also called Mr Musk’s social media platform “a cesspit”, but said he would not take his airline account off the platform.

Mr O’Leary also vowed that he would not be buying a Tesla, saying: “My favourite vehicle is a Landini tractor”. He lives amid farmland outside Mullingar, 50 miles west of Dublin.

Read more: Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has been given a free Ryanair ticket