By Dolly Busby Showbusiness Reporter

Published: 00:05 BST, 8 October 2024 | Updated: 01:04 BST, 8 October 2024

For more than 30 years they have been television’s favourite Bollinger-guzzling fashionistas.

But Joanna Lumley, 78, and Jennifer Saunders, 66, almost didn’t get the chance to play their career-defining roles in Absolutely Fabulous as a BBC comedy boss said he ‘didn’t find drunk women funny’.

In a new BBC documentary, Absolutely Fabulous: Inside Out, the sitcom’s producer John Plowman revealed: ‘We do the pilot and I see Robin Nash, Who was the then head of comedy and I said, ‘What do you think?’

‘And he said, ‘I’ve never found women being drunk very funny.’ And I thought, ‘Well, that’s it, it’s over.’

Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders  almost didn’t get the chance to play their career-defining roles in Absolutely Fabulous as a BBC boss said he ‘didn’t find drunk women funny’

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‘But we did it in the evening. The audience was wonderful and my most binding memory was at the end of it I saw Ben Elton [comedian] and he said, ‘Well, I’ve seen the future of comedy and it’s that.’.’

Absolutely Fabulous ran for five successful seasons from 1992 to 2003 and one film, boasting a hoard of A-list guest stars including Tom Holland, Emma Bunton and Rosie Huntington Whitley.

But speaking on the documentary, due to air on Thursday, the show’s lead star Joanna Lumley said: ‘I remember a Times television review when the first episode came out and it was, ‘Sorry, no, this is not going to work and it’s not funny. Drunk women aren’t funny. 

‘Goodbye, this is the end of that show.’

Her co-star and the sitcom’s creator, Jennifer Saunders, added: ‘I remember he also said, ‘Beware of the sitcom where the writer takes the main part.’ I thought, ‘Oh!’.’

Jane Horrocks, Lumley, Saunders and Nadia Sawalha reunite for a new BBC documentary, Absolutely Fabulous: Inside Out

Joanna said: ‘I remember a Times television review when the first episode came out and it was, ‘Sorry, no, this is not going to work’

Her co-star and the sitcom’s creator, Jennifer Saunders, added: ‘I remember he also said, ‘Beware of the sitcom where the writer takes the main part.’ I thought, ‘Oh!’

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Read the full interview in this week’s Radio Times

Absolutely Fabulous follows Edina Monsoon, played by Saunders, who is an alcoholic and drug-abusing PR mogul and her best friend Patsy, Saunders, as they spend their time in a haze of inebriated selfishness.

The show is credited for having a ground-breaking influence on female comedy by breaking the mould of roles for women.

Speaking to the Radio Times yesterday, Ms Saunders said: 

‘It went out on BBC2 to begin with, which was more like Channel 4 in those days — you could push boundaries a bit.’

‘There was no great expectation. Some male execs weren’t that impressed by women being drunk.’

‘But the show got audiences.’

By Stacy Liberatore For Dailymail.com

Published: 19:50 BST, 7 October 2024 | Updated: 20:39 BST, 7 October 2024

Southwest Airlines has been hit with a nationwide outage plaguing its website and app.

Customers report not being able to purchase tickets or see flight status starting around 2:00pm ET.

Southwest Airlines acknowledged the disruptions on social media, saying teams are working to ‘get it back up and running ASAP.’

‘We are currently experiencing some difficulties given the high volumes affecting our operation, and all hands are on-deck to restore full functionality,’ it shared on X.

Southwest Airlines is experiencing a nationwide outage that is plaguing its website and app

Downdetector, a site that monitors online outages, shows major travelers in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas and Chicago are being impacted.

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Users issued reports to Downdectector, with 59 percent citing disruptions with the website, 35 percent with the app and five percent of customers cannot see flight status.

Travelers have reached out to Southwest Airlines on X, asking about error messages they are seeing when booking flights.

‘Our Tech Team has been made aware of the issues our Customers are encountering on and we’ll get it back up and running ASAP,’ the airlines shared in response to a post.

These frustrated travels have also noted that customer service is also experiencing a delay, with some see wait times of over one hour. 

Southwest Airlines is available in about 15 cities across the US, which together see more than 4,000 flights per day. 

The outage comes just as many people are fleeing Florida as Hurricane Milton is set to make landfall this week.

Downdetector, a site that monitors online outages, shows major travelers in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas and Chicago are being impacted

Many travelers have been given an error message when attempting to book flights

The now Category 5 storm is surging just north of Mexico’s port city of Campeche as it gathers steam on its northeastern trajectory towards Florida’s western coast.

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Milton is currently producing as much as 2-3 inches of precipitation per hour close to the eye of the storm (as of 1pm Eastern time), building momentum as it barrels toward Tampa where the storm is expected to make landfall Wednesday morning.

Meteorologists anticipate life-threatening, nine-foot-high storm surges and winds of up to 150 miles-per-hour (mph) as this once-rare Category 5 crashes into Florida.

As many as six million residents are under hurricane watch warnings, with many being ordered to evacuate — even as commercial air travel hubs like Tampa International Airport plan early closures in advance of the storm.

One person in Tampa reached out to Southwest Airlines on X to asked if ‘a flight from Tampa still take off tomorrow at 8 am?’

Another X users, Bill Graves, posted: ‘You just sold a ticket to my daughter in Tampa after they announced its closure. You also accepted payment for two flights and cancelled because the fair went up. But still withdrew the money. Anyone know what’s happening in your company??!!’

Southwest Airlines reposted that Graves should send the company a direct message to further discuss. 

It is 76 years to the day that Citroen introduced arguably its most influential model of all time.

On 7 October 1948, the 2CV debuted at the Paris Salon de l’Automobile car show. By the time production ceased some 42 years later in 1990, more than 3.8million had been sold.

However, few remain in the time-warp condition of this UK-registered example that’s going under the hammer next month with an estimated sale price in the region of £20,000.

With just over 550 miles on the clock the 2CV being sold at a Birmingham auction has a ‘remarkable tale of love’ between a father and his daughter…

The ultimate 21st birthday gift: This Citroen 2CV is being sold at auction. It is a one-owner car, with the registered keeper being on the V5 document since the age of six…

The one-owner car was purchased 34 years ago by a father as a secret 21st birthday present for his then six-year-old daughter.

It is one of the last examples of the 2CV produced in 1990 at the Mangualde factory in Portugal. 

It was delivered to the father and registered in his daughter’s name in the summer that year, before being ‘wrapped in cotton wool’ and stored for safe keeping to give to her as a birthday present some 15 years later.

The vendor, whose identity has not been revealed but is said to be a former athlete now turned sports journalist, knew of the car during her childhood and there is an old polaroid photograph in the history file of her with the quirky Citroen.

However, she had no idea it was to be presented to her for her 21st as a surprise gift.

The right-hand-drive example, registration ‘H490 SYA’, is a 602cc, Vallelunga Red, 2CV6 Spéciale.

It has been driven a mere 557 miles in its lifetime, surely putting it among the least used surviving 2CVs available in the UK today.

The diminutive French car’s background is described as a ”remarkable tale of love’. The vendor’s father bought it new in 1990 with the intention of gifting it to his daughter 15 years later as a surprise 21st gift

The little red motor has been used sparingly, having covered just 557 miles in its 34-year lifetime. This makes it one of the lowest mileage right-hand-drive 2CVs in the country

The vendor, whose identity has not been revealed but is said to be a former athlete now turned sports journalist, knew of the car during her childhood and there is an old polaroid photograph in the history file of her with the quirky Citroen

The 2CV is one of the last produced at the Portugal factory, which continued to manufacture the model two years after assembly ended in France in 1988

Iconic Auctioneers will be offering it to the highest bidder at the NEC Motor Show on 9 November with no reserve. Yet, it predicts it will go for between £15,000 and £20,000. 

The auction house said: ‘This 2CV comes with a remarkable tale of love for a little girl by her father. 

‘It was purchased by him as a surprise 21st birthday present for his daughter, a lovely gesture but perhaps a touch impulsive as she was only six years old at the time,’ it added.

Despite not being used throughout its early life, the vendor says it was regularly started and maintained to ensure it ran correctly. 

It’s entirely original bar the addition of an electronic ignition for convenience.

The motor is as it was when it left the factory; it even still bears many of the quality inspection stickers that would have been present when it rolled off the production line. 

The right-hand-drive 2CV, registration ‘H490 SYA’, is a 602cc, Vallelunga Red, 2CV6 Spéciale

Iconic Auctioneers will be offering it to the highest bidder at the NEC Motor Show on 9 November with no reserve. Yet, it predicts it will go for between £15,000 and £20,000

The 2CV is entirely original bar the addition of an electronic ignition for convenience

The 2CV is unquestionably one of the most enduring archetypes of global car culture

The vendor, who has driven the vehicle sparingly over the last 19 years, says a ‘loss of its storage space’ is the only reason for it being offered to collectors.

Gary Dunne, sales manager at Iconic Auctioneers said: ‘Rarely does a car of this age with just one registered keeper come to light, even less so when it is a model with such cult status, and offered as it is without reserve, we anticipate that collectors will abound. 

‘This is an iconic car at an iconic sale.’  

The 2CV is unquestionably one of the most enduring archetypes of global car culture. 

When launched on this day in 1948, it was designed to help the French working class get on the road following the end of WWII.

But it did more than that; it became a success story for the domestic economy both from a transportation and a manufacturing standpoint.

The ‘deux chevaux’ name translates to ‘two horses’, referencing its two taxable horsepower figure when launched.

While £20,000 might appear a lot of money for a 2CV, low-mileage rare examples have in recent years been known to change hands for six-figure sums.

John Mayhead, classic car valuations expert and editor of the Hagerty UK Price Guide, says the 2CV enjoyed a post-Covid price increase in line with most other collectible cars, though that has dropped away in recent months. 

‘The very top examples, especially very early ones, still command a higher price, but only in France do they really return huge prices… all the records have been set there,’ he told us. 

The most expensive 2CV sold at auction: This wooden model sold for over £180,000 last year, making it the priciest example of the iconic car to change hands at a public sale

Even if this example does sell towards the higher end of the estimate, it will pale in comparison to the most expensive to ever sell at auction… which is a unique story in itself.

That’s because the title of priciest 2CV go under the hammer is one sculpted out of wood.

French carpenter Michel Robillard sold the piece last summer for €210,000 (£181,000 at the time of sale) having dedicated 5,000 hours crafting it as part of a project dating back to 2011.

The drivable model is made out of four different types of wood: walnut for the wings and a combination of pear, apple and cherry wood for the rest of the bodywork. 

By Ted Thornhill, Mailonline Travel Editor

Published: 16:06 BST, 7 October 2024 | Updated: 16:11 BST, 7 October 2024

Construction work has begun on a megacity in Egypt that will be twice the size of Barcelona, home to two million people and cover 170 square kilometres (65 square miles).

The Mediterranean Ras El-Hekma development, 350km (217 miles) northwest of Cairo, will contain residential districts, international hotels, tourist resorts, golf courses and entertainment venues, as well as hospitals, schools, universities, a marina and high-speed rail connectivity.

It’s ‘envisioned as a fully functional, smart, sustainable, and inclusive urban community situated against the scenic coastline’.

By 2045, the city is expected to contribute $25billion (£19billion) a year to Egypt’s economy and is forecast to create 750,000 jobs.

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When a proposed new airport is created, it will be a four-hour flight for over 400million tourists.

Construction work has begun on Ras El-Hekma (above) – a megacity in Egypt that will be twice the size of Barcelona

The project is being backed by Abu Dhabi-based sovereign fund ADQ, which on Friday appointed UAE developer Modon as the master developer of the vast metropolis in a ceremony attended by UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Egyptian President His Excellency Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

His Excellency Jassem Mohamed Bu Ataba Al Zaabi, Chairman of Modon Holding, said: ‘Ras El Hekma is destined to become a regional crown jewel in a country already famed for its rich and diverse attractions.

‘Modon Holding is proud to bring this 170-million-square-metre visionary megaproject to life, leveraging our expertise and innovative approach.

In the presence of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and His Excellency Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, ADQ, an Abu Dhabi-based investment and holding company, appointed Modon Holding PSC as the master developer for the Ras El Hekma megaproject

‘With our partners, we are poised to transform Ras El Hekma into a dynamic economic powerhouse and a global model for urban development.’

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His Excellency Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi, Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of ADQ, said: ‘As a project of unprecedented scale and impact, Ras El Hekma will be a catalyst for the development of Egypt’s economy by offering opportunities for businesses and stimulate tourism.

‘Modon Holding brings a wealth of expertise in master planning and will pioneer state-of-the-art, innovative solutions, creating a destination that will deliver long-term value for Egypt and its people.’

A memorandum of understanding has been signed with Accor and Ennismore to operate hotels and resorts in Ras El Hekma.

By Luke Andrews Senior Health Reporter For Dailymail.Com

Published: 20:58 BST, 7 October 2024 | Updated: 20:59 BST, 7 October 2024

Condensing a workout into a single pill has long been a pipe dream of medical scientists.

But now researchers in Denmark say this vision has moved one step closer to reality, with the invention of a promising new drug. 

It mimics the effect of exercising without the user moving a muscle, flushing toxins out of cells and strengthening the heart.

In a study on rats, researchers said the drug caused the same health benefits as running 10km at high speeds.

The new drug causes the same health benefits as running 10km at high speeds (stock)

Dr Thomas Poulsen, a chemist at Aarhus University who led the research, said:  added: ‘It can be difficult to maintain motivation to run many kilometers at high speed and go without food.

‘For people with physical ailments, such as a weak heart or general weakness, a nutritional supplement can be the key to better recovery.’

After exercise, normally the body enters a state of inflammation with increased levels of lactate and ketones.

When these substances are high, it releases hunger suppressing chemicals and clears fatty acids in the blood, which are linked to diabetes, cancer and dementia.

Lactate are released after exercise and keep the metabolism healthy, while ketones are produced by the liver when the body breaks down fat for energy, such as during fasting, long periods of exercise, or when there aren’t enough carbohydrates.

The researchers said the new drug, currently named LaKe, can ‘artificially control the amounts of lactate and ketones safely.’

The drug is now moving into human trials to test whether it is safe, before its effects on humans can also be evaluated.

If successful, the molecule could be developed into a supplement for human consumption.

But scientists warn it will likely take years before it becomes available. 

Dr Poulsen added: ‘We’ve developed a molecule that can mimic the body’s natural metabolic response to strenuous exercise and fasting.

‘In practice, the molecule brings the body into a metabolic state corresponding to running 10 kilometers at high speed on an empty stomach.’

He added: ‘When lactate and ketone levels in the blood increase, the production of an appetite-suppressing hormone increases, and the level of free fatty acids in the blood decreases.

‘This has a number of health benefits, for example, reducing the risk of developing metabolic syndrome [a group of conditions that increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes].’

This causes damage to cells, but also trigger’s the body’s repair systems — improving overall health.

Their study was published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers appeared in court on Monday morning after allegedly slamming his on-off girlfriend’s head into a wall and throwing her down the stairs. 

The Patriots star is a team leader and made it to the league while dealing with his father’s arrest and the tragic death of his brother.

Now, Peppers is at the center of a saga where he is proclaiming his innocence – all while his attorneys say they have evidence to back that up.

Here, DailyMail.com provides you with all of the information you need to know about this case and the football star allegedly at the center of it.

Jabrill Peppers has been charged with multiple counts – including assault and battery

Peppers is a team captain and a star safety for the New England Patriots on a $30m contract

Who is Jabrill Peppers?

Peppers is a team captain and a safety for the New England Patriots, having played on the team for three seasons.

He’s been in the NFL for eight seasons after a promising college career at the University of Michigan.

Currently, Peppers is in the first year of a three-year, $30million contract ($24m + a $6m signing bonus) that he signed with New England back in July.

So far this season, Peppers has the third-most tackles on the team (23) and has one of the Patriots’ two interceptions.

Peppers has been playing in New England for three seasons – on his third NFL stop

He just signed a three-year contract worth $24m – with a signing bonus of $6m back in July

What are the allegations?

The incident in question took place around 4:00am on the morning of October 5, the day after Peppers celebrated his 29th birthday in the Boston suburb of Braintree on the South Shore.

According to police records obtained by DailyMail.com, the safety allegedly got violent with her after she received a phone call during sex that he ‘didn’t like’.

Peppers is then alleged to have demanded that she leave his apartment before he pushed her head against the wall with his hands around her neck – all while both of them were still naked.

According to court documents, the Patriots team captain was then alleged to have pushed her down a set of stairs before tossing her handbag and cell phone down shortly after.

Authorities noted scratches on the woman’s kneecaps and that her forehead area was red when they arrived at the scene.

Peppers has been accused of pushing his girlfriend’s head against a wall and putting his hands around her neck before throwing her down a set of stairs at his apartment complex in Braintree

What is his response?

Peppers pled not guilty during his arraignment at Quincy District Court on Monday morning – where he was ordered to stay away from the victim.

Both Peppers and the alleged victim have given different accounts of the events of that evening.

While Peppers didn’t speak while leaving court, his attorney told reporters: ‘He’s not going to comment now, but what I said in the court room, I’ll repeat. We have evidence that completely contradicts the alleged victim’s story and I expect my client to be fully exonerated.’

When asked whether it was video evidence, he added: ‘Yes, and other evidence as well.’ 

Per court documents, Peppers maintained his innocence at the alleged crime scene – claiming that the woman became ‘enraged with him when he refused to have unprotected sex with her.’

Police noted: ‘According to Jabrill, [the woman] kept acting erratic and refused to leave. According to Jabrill, [the woman] fell by herself on the stairs because she was intoxicated. He denied pushing her down the stairs, and he said that she was making those allegations to destroy his career.’

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Peppers is proclaiming his innocence – with his lawyers saying they have evidence to prove it

Peppers claims the woman fell down the stairs because she was intoxicated

What have the Patriots said?

A spokesperson for the Patriots released a statement after news of Peppers’ arrest leaked Monday. 

‘We are aware of an incident involving Jabrill Peppers over the weekend in which the police are currently investigating. We will have no further comment at this time,’ the statement read.

Speaking to WEEI radio, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said that Peppers called him on the morning of the arrest to inform him of what happened.

When asked if Peppers is still on the team, Mayo said, ‘I don’t think anyone knows the facts or anything like that. I mean, it’s a process.’ 

Peppers was listed as inactive by the Patriots prior to their game on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. 

The Patriots have said that they are aware of the situation and have no further comment

Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said Peppers called him the morning after the arrest

What is his family history?

Peppers is a native of northern New Jersey who was raised by his mother, Ivory Bryant.

His father, Terry Peppers, was an active part of Jabrill’s life until he was arrested while Jabrill was seven years old. Terry was arrested after being charged in a racketeering case as part of the Bloods street gang. He was released from prison in 2014.

Jabrill faced more tragedy in the death of his older brother, Don Curtis, in January of 2010 – when he was shot standing at the counter of Lucky Joy Restaurant in Newark, New Jersey.

Despite these obstacles, Peppers maintained a 3.8 GPA through high school stops at athletic powerhouse Don Bosco Prep as well as Paramus Catholic High School.

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Peppers was raised by his mother after his father was arrested for racketeering 

Not only that, but Peppers lost his brother to gun violence when he was just 10 years old

What is his career history?

After being rated a five-star prospect out of high school, Peppers left for Michigan and had a prosperous career in college – where he finished fifth in Heisman voting his senior year.

He was taken 25th overall in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns – where he would spend his first two seasons in the league.

In March of 2019, Peppers was packaged in a trade that saw the Browns land then-superstar New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Beckham and Olivier Vernon were shipped to Cleveland. In exchange, New York got Peppers, Kevin Zeitler, a third-round pick, and a first round pick which would be used to draft star pass rusher Dexter Lawrence.

After a strong athletic and academic high school career, he played college ball at Michigan

Peppers was then selected by the Cleveland Browns with the 25th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft

He was then dealt to the New York Giants in a blockbuster trade back in 2019

In his backyard, Peppers suffered an injury in Week 11 of his first of three seasons with the Giants in 2019. While year two was more successful, year three saw a season-ending injury in the form of a torn ACL in Week 7.

Peppers then turned to New England for the 2022 season, signing a one-year deal to play in Foxborough where he’s been ever since.

Throughout his time in the league, Peppers has totaled 494 tackles (including 322 solo tackles), two interceptions, and seven fumble recoveries.

A prisoner is on the run after escaping from Salford Royal Hospital.

Jonathon Windsor, 31, ‘escaped lawful custody’ while being ‘escorted by prison staff’, Greater Manchester Police has confirmed. The public have been urged not to approach him and report any sightings immediately.

A major search was launched after Windsor, a prisoner at HMP Forest Bank, went on the run while under escort after being treated at the hospital site on Stott Lane. He is known to have links across the north west and south Manchester.

Residents near the hospital say they have been told by police that the prisoner was wearing a ‘grey top’ and was in ‘handcuffs’.

Jonathon Windsor is on the run after escaping from Salford Royal Hospital. The 31-year-old ‘escaped lawful custody’ while being ‘escorted by prison staff’, Greater Manchester Police has confirmed

A major search was launched after Windsor, a prisoner at HMP Forest Bank, went on the run while under escort after being treated at the hospital site on Stott Lane. Here a police officer can be seen making enquiries in the local area

A number of police vehicles have been parked on Wilton Road, directly behind the hospital site, with uniformed officers speaking to local residents. One resident has said officers were asking locals if they had any doorbell or CCTV footage as part of enquiries

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Windsor was under escort at the hospital, the prison has confirmed. The Manchester Evening News understands the prisoner was taken to Salford Royal for treatment but escaped, prompting a major search stretching as far as Sale.

The Category B men’s private prison is situated in the Agecroft area of Pendlebury, in Salford, and is operated by Sodexo Justice Services. 

Police officers have been conducting enquiries and knocking on doors in the vicinity of Salford Royal Hospital this afternoon.

A number of police vehicles have been parked on Wilton Road, directly behind the hospital site, with uniformed officers speaking to local residents. One resident has said officers were asking locals if they had any doorbell or CCTV footage as part of enquiries.

A police helicopter has also been circling the area, near to the De La Salle playing fields, as officers were seen along nearby Lancaster Road and Wilton Road carrying out enquiries. Officers have also been conducting searches near Sale Water Park this afternoon.

Police vehicles were seen parked in Salford Royal and a helicopter circled the area. One resident said: ‘There have been police everywhere and I was told a prisoner has escaped and is on the run’

One resident, who lives near to Salford Royal, saw the police helicopter circling and was told about the incident by a neighbour. He said: ‘There have been police everywhere and I was told a prisoner has escaped and is on the run.’

Another resident living closeby to the hospital said they first heard the helicopter at around 1pm but ‘thought nothing of it’ initially. 

They claimed a neighbour informed them police had been knocking on doors nearby and disclosed that a prisoner had fled the hospital ‘in a grey top and handcuffs’.

‘We hear things all the time with the hospital being on the doorstep and the motorway nearby,’ they said.

‘It was only when I went outside at about 2.45 and a neighbour said the police had spoken to them and asked them if they had seen anything, as a prisoner had escaped wearing a grey top and still in handcuffs.

‘There were police cars and and motorbikes everywhere and they were checking all the roads near Wilton Road and then checking the field at De La Salle.

‘They were walking round the back of the building on the playing fields obviously looking for him. It’s gone quieter now but we’ve not been told if the prisoner has been found or not.’

Video footage given to the Manchester Evening News shows officers conducting searches near Sale Water Park this afternoon. 

The person who took the footage says officers said the searches were being carried out in relation to a prisoner who had absconded.

Police vehicles have been seen parked up near Rifle Road – around six miles away from Salford Royal Hospital. Residents living in the Ellesmere Park area of Eccles, in Salford, also saw a police helicopter hovering overhead earlier this afternoon.

Further details about the prisoner and his offences have not yet been confirmed by Greater Manchester Police. The force has been contacted for a statement.

An HMP Forest Bank spokesperson said: ‘We are aware of an incident involving an HMP Forest Bank prisoner who was under escort at a local hospital.

‘We are working closely with Greater Manchester Police and cannot comment further at this time.’

For centuries, Catholics have flocked to the Italian city of Turin to be in the presence of its famous shroud. 

The venerated piece of linen, measuring 14ft 5in by 3ft 7in, bears a faint image of the front and back of a man – interpreted by many as Jesus Christ. 

Believers say it was used to wrap the body of Christ after his crucifixion, leaving his bloody imprint, like a photographic snapshot. 

Despite repeated ‘hoax’ claims, a scientist is now convinced that the object really did wrap Jesus – and says there’s an ‘enormous quantity of evidence’ to prove it. 

Professor Liberato De Caro, a committed Catholic and a deacon in his local church, rubbished claims that it was produced in medieval times with his recent study.

The Shroud of Turin features the image of a man with sunken eyes, which experts have analyzed under different filters to study it (pictured) 

Professor De Caro told the Telegraph: ‘If I had to be a judge in a trial, weighing up all the evidence that says the Shroud is authentic and the little evidence that says it is not, in all good conscience I could not declare that the Turin Shroud is mediaeval.

‘It would not be right, given the enormous quantity of evidence in favour of it.’ 

Professor De Caro’s recent x-ray study that found the Turin Shroud does indeed date back 2,000 years – to around the time Christ lived and died. 

We also know from the Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP) in the 1970s and 1980s that the holy fabric was indeed stained with blood. 

The STURP found that the stains have traces of hemoglobin – the protein in red blood cells that delivers oxygen. 

The stains also gave a positive test for serum albumin, the most abundant protein in human blood plasma. 

In 1981, in its final report, the STURP wrote: ‘We can conclude for now that the Shroud image is that of a real human form of a scourged, crucified man.

‘It is not the product of an artist.’ 

So until his new study, ‘the only missing piece of the puzzle was dating’, Professor De Caro told MailOnline. 

He said that everything on the Shroud is ‘highly correlated to what the Gospels tell about Jesus Christ’ and his death. 

The cloth appears to show faint, brownish images on the front and back, depicting a gaunt man with sunken eyes who was about 5ft 7 to 6ft tall. 

Markings on the body also correspond with crucifixion wounds of Jesus mentioned in the Bible, including thorn marks on the head, lacerations on the back and bruises on the shoulders.

Historians have suggested that the cross he carried on his shoulders weighed around 300 pounds, which would have left bruises.

The Bible states Jesus was whipped by the Romans, aligning with the lacerations on the back, who also placed a crown of thorns on his head before the crucifixion. 

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The shroud first appeared in 1354 in France. After initially denouncing it as a fake, the Catholic church has now embraced the shroud as genuine. Pictured, Pope Frances visits the Tourin Shroud in 2015

The Shroud of Turin (pictured) is believed by many to be the cloth in which the body of Jesus was wrapped after his death, but not all experts are convinced it is genuine

Research in the 1980s appeared to debunk the idea it was real after dating it to the Middle Ages, hundreds of years after Christ’s death – suggesting it was an elaborate medieval hoax. 

But the Italian academics using a new technique involving x-rays to date the material confirmed it was manufactured around the time of Jesus about 2,000 years ago. 

Professor De Caro and his team at the Institute of Crystallography in Bari, Italy used a technique called wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) on a tiny sample from the shroud, smaller than a grain of rice. 

WAXS can date ancient linen threads by ‘inspecting their structural degradation’ at a microscopic level. 

The Bible states that Joseph of Arimathea wrapped the body of Jesus in a linen shroud and placed it in a tomb

The scientists obtained small samples of the shroud of Turin (left) and exposed it to Wide-Angle X-ray radiation to create an image of the linen sample (right) which was used for dating 

Part of the analysis looked at the linen’s cellulose patterns, the long chains of sugar molecules linked together.

These sugar molecules break over time, showing how long a garment or cloth has been around. 

Based on the amount of breakdown, the team determined that the shroud was kept at temperatures at about 72.5°F and a relative humidity of around 55 per cent for 13 centuries before it arrived in Europe.

If it had been kept in different conditions, the aging would be different. 

Researchers then compared the cellulose breakdown in the shroud to other linens found in Israel that date back to the first century.

They concluded that the structural degradations were ‘fully compatible’ with those of the other linen sample – dated, according to historical records, to AD 55-74. 

The team also compared the shroud with samples from linens manufactured between 1260 and 1390 AD, finding none were a match. 

Some suggest that the blood stains on the shroud (shown in this negative image) are clear evidence that the cloth was used to wrap an injured person 

The new findings lend credence to the idea that the faint, bloodstained pattern of a man with his arms folded in front were left behind by Jesus’ dead body. 

They also contradict findings in the 1980s that the shroud dates back nowhere near as far as the time of Jesus. 

At the time, researchers analysed a small piece of the shroud using carbon dating and determined the cloth seemed to have been manufactured sometime between 1260 and 1390 – during the medieval period. 

However, the authors of the new study claim carbon dating would not have been reliable because the fabric has been exposed to contamination through the ages that cannot be removed. 

What’s more, there is no way to explain how it could have been forged with medieval technology. 

‘While authenticity cannot be established, it should be fairly easy to determine if it is a medieval forgery,’ said Tim Andersen, research scientist at the Georgia Institute of Technology who was not involved with the new study. 

‘Yet, despite decades of scientific testing and peer-reviewed articles on it, that conclusion has never been demonstrated. 

‘Rather, the evidence has continually pointed away from any known forging techniques.’