Louise Redknapp has made her first public appearance since being accused of trying to ‘cancel’ her Eternal bandmates Easther and Vernie Bennett in a bitter trans rights row. 

The singer, 48, joined fellow star Kelle Bryan, also 48, on Wednesday’s Loose Women as they addressed the controversy – with Kelle insisting the joint appearance was not planned and she had been booked to appear on the show as a panellist a month ago. 

It was revealed this week that the pair had pulled out of an Eternal reunion tour because Vernie and her sister Easther had refused to play any of the LBGTQ+ gigs they had scheduled over claims the community is being ‘hijacked’ by the trans movement.

Shortly afterwards Louise was accused of trying to get her former bandmates cancelled by ‘misrepresenting’ their views.

Yet in a telling statement, Louise said on Loose Women: ‘I would have always loved to have done a reunion with the girls. I have a lot of love for what we have done together and me and Kelle are still the best of friends.’

Standing by her friend, Kelle added of her time in the band: ‘It’s been life changing for me. Obviously the music and the fans are so important.’

Earlier on Wednesday, Vernie broke her silence on the row, seemingly refuting the claims made by Louise’s team as she released a statement about how she has been ‘blessed to connect with so many diverse and wonderful people from all walks of life during my career.’

Vernie released a statement which read: ‘I am “Eternally” grateful for the family, friends, and amazing fans who have and continue to support our incredible journey and artistry.

‘I’ve been blessed to connect with so many diverse and wonderful people from all walks of life during my career. You all have a piece of my heart.

‘Though it is impossible and counterproductive to respond to the overwhelming number of statements and allegations made online recently, I place this moment in God’s hands.

‘I truly appreciate all who continue to express love and support for my family and Eternal.’

Eternal’s original manager Denis Ingoldsby had furiously defended Easther and Vernie, who remain his clients, previously insisting they are ‘devastated’ and accusing Louise’s team of misrepresenting details of a private email.

He told Sky News: ‘Louise and her team have thrown them under the bus and everyone is totally appalled at their bullying behaviour by totally misrepresenting the situation to suit their own agenda.

‘The girls sent an email to Louise’s camp saying they loved playing Pride, and they loved the ethos of the event.

‘For her camp to go on the record suggesting they are homophobic is utterly outrageous. This is nothing about gay rights.’

Speaking to The Mirror, Denis also claimed there were no confirmed, or contracted dates, in place for the reunion. Louise’s team have denied this to the publication.

He claimed that the sisters sent an email to Louise’s camp saying they ‘loved’ playing Pride and the ‘ethos of the event.’ 

Denis added that the dispute is ‘nothing about gay rights,’ and that the sisters have played ‘numerous LGBTQ+ gigs.’

He added: ‘Vernie said she had some concerns about the Pride movement being hijacked – and she is not alone – but this has now been weaponized against her, with Louise’s team trying to get her cancelled.’

Louise’s publicist Simon Jones has stated that they stand by their previous comments, telling the publication: ‘Denis Ingoldsby was not involved in the discussions about the Eternal reunion including all four members over the last two years. Easther and Vernie can try and dress this up however they wish. 

‘The fact remains that the duo said they would only do the Eternal reunion if no Pride or LGBTQ+ festivals were included.

‘Louise would obviously not agree to excluding the LGBTQ+ community from their touring plans. We as a team absolutely do not agree with dividing the LGBTQ+ community or excluding trans people.’

He added: ‘Absolutely nothing has been misrepresented.

‘We have simply explained the reason why the Eternal reunion is not going ahead with Louise and Kelle.

‘It is a fact that an email was sent saying that Vernie and Easther would only do the Eternal reunion if no Pride or LGBTQ+ festivals were included in the plan.

‘Louise would obviously not agree to excluding the LGBTQ+ community from the band’s touring plans, and as such notified the duo that she would not be taking part.’

On Monday, Louise addressed her decision to step down from the tour by sharing the Progress Pride Flag on her Instagram Stories, writing: ‘Always and forever’.

The flag was created in 2018 by nonbinary artist Daniel Quasar, and is largely based on the iconic 1978 rainbow flag. 

The stripes of black and brown represent marginalized LGBTIQ+ people of colour and the triad of blue, pink, and white are from the trans flag.

Eternal, who shot to stardom in the nineties, were planning a huge reunion tour next year, with the highlights including performances at Pride and Mighty Hoopla.

Both festivals celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, however the tour dates apparently did not go down well with band members Easther and Vernie Bennett.

It was revealed that Louise and her team received a message from Vernie and Easther, stating they would not be involved in any Pride shows or LGBTQ+ festivals.

Louise’s publicist said: ‘A message was sent to the team putting together the Eternal reunion stating that if it was to go ahead, neither Vernie nor Easther would perform at Pride shows or LGBTQ+ festivals.

‘This was because the duo felt that the gay community was being hijacked by the trans community and they do not support this. 

‘Louise is a huge supporter and ally of the LGBTQ+ community and both herself and Kelle told the duo they would not work with anyone who held these views, and as such the reunion as a four would not be going ahead. 

‘The team behind the proposed Eternal reunion are gay including management, PR and tour promoter, and neither myself nor any of the team would work with artists who held such views about the trans community.’

Louise, who recently confirmed she is dating new boyfriend Drew Michael, has performed as a solo artist at many Pride events over the years.

Earlier this summer she took to the stage alone at Brighton Pride in August.

The Eternal tour was set to be the first time the original line-up had performed together since Louise quit in 1995 to pursue a solo career.

They soared to stardom in the early nineties with hits such as Stay and I Wanna Be The Only One.

The band stayed together for another five years after Louise quit, before splitting and reuniting in 2014 on ITV’s The Big Reunion without her.

Earlier this week, Louise paid tribute to her time with the band, taking to Instagram to honour their 30th anniversary.

She wrote: ‘Where it all began… 30 years ago today Stay was released. I remember it like yesterday… Happy 30th Anniversary to my Eternal girls.

‘I remember it like if was yesterday the first radio play sat round my mums kitchen table missing the que to hit record when it played, to going to America to shoot the video and so many more incredible memories.

‘Stay is such a timeless song Easther absolutely KILLING that opening note as she does and I’m so proud this was where it all started for us! I’m so lucky I got to record this song myself for my Greatest Hits this year and girls I hope I did you proud.

‘Happy 30th Anniversary to my Eternal girls Kelle, Easther and Vernie and most importantly THANK YOU to each and every one of you that has been there with us from day 1 buying every record, coming to every show and being so supportive over the last 30 years.’

Tarmac delays are almost double what they were ten years ago, with severe weather and staffing shortages among the contributing factors. 

According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, there were 22,425 tarmac delays over an hour long in the U.S. from January to April in 2023. 

This compares to 12,739 tarmac delays of the same length during the same time period in 2013.   

For the first quarter of this year, Chicago O’Hare International Airport witnessed the highest number of tarmac delays (1,726), followed by John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York (1,307), and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey (1,285). If you’ve got a flight coming up and worried about disruptions, read on for in the in and outs around tarmac delays, as outlined by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT). 

What is a tarmac delay and when to the DoT’s rules apply?

A tarmac delay is defined by law as the ‘period of time when an aircraft is on the ground with passengers and the passengers have no opportunity to deplane.’

The DoT’s tarmac delay rules only apply to incidents at U.S. airports and to ‘covered carriers.’

A covered carrier means ‘a certificated carrier, a commuter carrier, or a foreign air carrier operating to, from or within the United States, conducting scheduled passenger service or public charter service with at least one aircraft having a designed seating capacity of 30 or more seats.’ 

Passengers who experience tarmac delays at a foreign airport while flying to the U.S. may be protected from extended tarmac delays but the DoT notes that these will comes under the laws of another nation.

How long can an airline keep me on the tarmac for? 

For flights departing from a U.S. airport, airlines are required to safely disembark passengers before three hours of waiting on the tarmac for domestic flights and for international flights, the limit is four hours. 

The same timeframe applies to flights landing at U.S. airports. In some cases, the DoT notes that waiting time might be longer due to ‘safety, security, or air traffic control-related reasons.’

Airlines are required to provide passengers with information around a delay after 30 minutes of waiting on the tarmac. Afterwards, it is up to the airline to give updates when they ‘deem appropriate.’

If an airline offers me the opportunity to disembark during a tarmac delay, is it required to let me back on for eventual takeoff?

An airline might offer passengers the option to disembark during a long delay if it is safe to do so.  

However, the DoT says that ‘passengers should be aware that if they choose to get off the airplane during a tarmac delay, airlines are not required to let them back on.’

This means the flight might take off without them and then it would be the passenger’s responsibility to find another flight at their own cost. 

They might also be left without their luggage, as the airline might not be required to unload checked baggage before take off. 

To retrieve their bags, passengers will need to arrange a delivery or pickup with the airline. 

What rights do I have during a tarmac delay?

The DoT stipulates that airlines must provide passengers with ‘a snack, such as a granola bar, and drinking water no later than two hours after the start of the tarmac delay.’

The airlines are not required to serve full meals during delays, even if they are lengthy. But they must have enough food and drinking water to serve every passenger. 

If there are safety or security concerns, the pilot might request for the food and beverage service to stop. For instance, ‘when an airplane is taxing on an active runway, it may be unsafe for flight attendants to hand out food and water.’ 

Along with a snack and water, passengers are entitled to a number of other things during tarmac delays including working toilets, a comfortable cabin temperature and ‘adequate medical attention, if needed.’