KentOnline

A Real Housewives star has been named as the new owner of a Kent castle.

Hear from our reporter on who Ann Kaplan Mulholland is and what her purchase means for weddings that were due to take place there.

Also in today's podcast, it's a year since the start of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

We've been speaking to one of the founders of Mission Ukraine, a charity providing aid, a volunteer from Sittingbourne who has visited the country several times over the past year and also a Canon from Rochester Cathedral which is holding a special service tonight.

Protesters have gathered outside the headquarters of Medway Council to demand a pay rise.

Bosses were inside the building in Chatham discussing a potential wage increase at the time.

The manager of a Sheppey care home has admitted she doesn't know how they'll cope with an energy pay rise...

Costs for Oakdene Rest Home are set to go up 150% from £2,000 a month to £4,500.

An event's launching in Thanet this weekend to help new parents cope with the rising cost of living.

The first Mummy to Mummy fair is being held in Broadstairs on Sunday. Hear from the founder.

And in sport, the Gillingham manager has been paying tribute to one of their players who has been forced to retire.

Olly Lee announced this week he was suffering from a form of arthritis.

A mum, dad and neighbour have described the moment an explosion ripped through a house in East Malling.

They all suffered burns after it happened at the property on Catlyn Close on Sunday evening.

Hear from Megan and Lee Holland and Curtis Bartley-Rae.

Also in today's podcast, you may well have noticed empty shelves in the supermarkets due to issues with supplies of fruit and vegetables.

We've been speaking to a farmer near Canterbury and also the founder of a food bank in Gillingham who says his staff are being abused for not having enough produce.

A Maidstone man who's been in and out of prison after becoming addicted to heroin says having to say a final goodbye to his mum from behind bars spurred him on to turn his life around.

Dan Grossett was smoking cannabis by the age of just 12 and started stealing to fund his drug habit - he's been telling us his story.

And in sport, one of the biggest ever shake-ups in men's football in England is being published today, following a review by former sports minister and Chatham MP Tracey Crouch.

A new regulator will make sure clubs have a financially sound business model, and fans will get a bigger say on how things are run.

People are being urged not to swim in the sea at a Kent beach because of concerns about the water quality.

Also in today's podcast, a taxi driver from Chatham who helped smuggle Vietnamese people into the UK has avoided going to prison.

Security has been brought in at a Hobbycraft store in Kent after staff and customers were targeted by a group of young people.

Hear from our reporter Sean McPolin who has been speaking to staff at the shop in Maidstone.

Also in today's podcast, hear how virtual wards are helping to reduce bed blocking at Kent's biggest hospital.

Delays in discharging patients can often have a knock-on effect - meaning people who've been taken to A&E struggle to be admitted to a ward.

Now tech has been brought in to monitor patients at home, rather than keeping them at Medway Maritime. Reporter John Nurden has been speaking to a nurse there.

As another earthquake hits Turkey, we're told about fears for the tourism economy in the country.

A Maidstone firefighter has revealed how stopping to have a conversation saved another man's life...

Sam has spoken out as the Samaritans launch a campaign encouraging all of us to have a chat with someone if we're worried about them.

A restaurant run by a celebrity chef in Folkestone is closing after just six months, as the cost of living crisis continues to impact businesses.

Mark Sargeant set up The Brasserie MS last August, but says "tough trading conditions" mean they can no longer operate. Louis Walker has the details.

And find out which part of Kent has been named the dog waste capital of the county.

Three people have been taken to hospital following an explosion at a flat in East Malling.

Also in today's podcast, people living in rural parts of Kent fear they'll be isolated as bus cuts come into force today.

A Medway mum claims to have been held hostage at a petrol station because she was unable to pay for her fuel.

Odette Browning says she called police after a shop worker at the Esso garage on Watling Street in Gillingham refused to let her go.

Our reporter who wrote the story for KentOnline explains the full details.

It could be a busy weekend at the Port of Dover as strikes by border force officers are expected to cause delays.

They're walking out for the next four days over pay, just as thousands of families return home from half-term trips abroad.

Hear from Kent-based company Holiday Extras about how people can manage the potential disruption.

A woman from Kent features as an extra in a new music video, starring a Game of Thrones actor, aiming to raise awareness of MS. 

The life-long condition can cause fatigue, problems with balance and vision, and sometimes serious disability.

Amy Hinds from Dartford has been campaigning to highlight what it's like to live with, since being diagnosed seven years ago.

And in sport, it's another big game for Gillingham this weekend as they try to avoid falling back into the League Two relegation zone.

The Gills are away to bottom-of-the-table Rochdale - hear from the manager.

A huge entertainment venue hosting West End shows, music concerts and opera could be built in Ashford.

The ambitious plans would see the Vicarage Lane car park and former Mecca Bingo Hall transformed into a 3,000-capacity facility known as Ashford Live.

Multi-millionaire Paul Gregg -  a former director of Everton Football Club - is behind the proposal and has been telling us his vision.

Elsewhere, a vigil's been held on Herne Bay seafront to remember a mother and daughter who were found dead in a burger van in Whitstable.

Leah Churchill and 17 year-old Brooke Wanstall are thought to have suffered carbon monoxide poisoning after turning on a generator.

Tyla - who found his mum and sister's bodies - has spoken to us.

And, parents in part of Ashford have started a campaign to improve safety at a park they've described as "dangerous" for children.

£400,000 was spent on renovating the playground at Central Park in Park Farm last year.

But a local dad has told us he's worried someone will get hurt - if changes aren't made.

Tributes are being paid to a mother and daughter who've died from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning in Whitstable.

Leah Churchill and 17 year-old Brooke Wanstall helped run a burger van business, and were found dead in the vehicle off the Old Thanet Way yesterday morning.

Our reporter tells us the details after speaking exclusively to a family member.

Residents of a flood prone town near Maidstone have told the KentOnline Podcast they're choosing to stay and face future risk instead of moving to higher ground.

Yalding is located between three rivers and is one of the county's most at-risk areas for flooding.

We hear from Village Postmaster Tim Chapman who's home has been affected eight times since 2006.

Cian Ducrot's been chatting to our sister station kmfm about his new song 'I'll be waiting' - and his upcoming tour.

You might have seen his videos on TikTok where he surprises cafe staff with a flash mob choir.

He's been telling Numi about all of that on the Hit List.

And in sport, Gillingham are finally out of the League Two relegation zone after beating Grimsby Town last night.

A dramatic late goal from Oli Hawkins gave the Gills a 2-1 victory at Priestfield.

Manager Neil Harris gave us his reaction. 

Dozens of couples who were due to get married at a venue near Hythe have had their bookings cancelled at short notice.

Lympne Castle has been sold off to a new owner and the company that runs events there will no longer be dealing with the business.

Our reporter explains how this has happened.

Also in today's podcast, a Kent campaigner's backing calls for more regulation on disposable vapes, to stop children buying and using them.

There are concerns about the impact vaping could have on young people's health.

Maidstone Councillor Tony Harwood says the devices are no longer a tool to help people stop smoking.

A Chatham mum whose twin sons were born with two different types of heart disease says she's been blown away with how unforgiving the world can be with two poorly children.

Artemis and Perseus were nearly six weeks premature - and both had to have surgery.

We hear from their mum, Storm Sanson, who's trying to raise awareness and money for support.

And, a 370-year-old inn in Margate, which has been dubbed the 'longest Homes Under the Hammer project ever', could reopen by the summer.

The owner has been showing us around.

The parents of a Gravesend boy who died after being hit by a lorry on the A2 say they have no idea why he took his own life.

16 year-old Ekam Sadana was killed on the coast bound carriageway last September.

Our reporter - who followed the inquest in Maidstone - talks us though the story.

The KentOnline Podcast's been told any hike in the cost a travel pass for school children in Kent could make it unaffordable for lots of families.

The Kent Travel Saver card currently sets mums and dads back £450 a year.

It's understood it could be increased to around £600 pounds - we speak to Mark Hood, who's a Green Party councillor in Tonbridge.

Members of Kent Fire and Rescue are on the ground in Turkey helping authorities search for survivors - a week after two deadly earthquakes 

At least 35,000 people are confirmed to have died there and in neighbouring Syria.

Three firefighters, who are usually based in the county, have been sharing their experiences.

And, major work's underway to prevent potential landslips at six sites on the railway in East Kent.

Thousands of tonnes of earth will be removed from the banks around the track and netting's being put up.

Chris Denham from Network Rail explains why the work is so essential.