Five election moments you may have missed

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Five election moments you may have missed

The 2026 elections for English councils, the Senedd in Wales and the Scottish Parliament have seen thousands of candidates competing for seats, and millions of votes cast.

Emotions have run high, there has been jubilation and hugs from winners, some tears from losing candidates, and even a few angry heckles.

But there have also been some moments of humanity and quirkiness through the long election counts overnight on Thursday and on Friday that you may have missed.

Here are just a few.

Former Big Brother star elected

Alex Sibley

Former Big Brother heartthrob Alex Sibley shot to fame in the 2002 series, appearing with housemates Jade Goody and Alison Hammond.

He became known for his love of hygiene, which won him work promoting bleach.

More than 20 years later, he stepped back into the limelight alongside fellow Reform candidate, David Johnson, with a social media post captioned: "It's Official. 7th May 2026.

"With a combined age of 126 years old and no degree from Oxford or Cambridge in Politics, we are Emerson Park candidates for Havering and Reform UK."

Both candidates won their seats from Havering Residents Association in the early hours of Friday morning, and the 47-year-old dad raised a laugh from exhausted candidates by telling them he had to get off to do the school run.

Two by-elections in Scotland as MPs move to Holyrood

New rules mean two MPs who stood and won seats in the Scottish Parliament will need to stand down from Westminster.

Under the rules, it's not permitted to be an MP and an MSP.

Now SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has won a seat in the Scottish Parliament as MSP for Aberdeen Deeside and North Kincardine, he has 49 days to step down from Westminster and allow a by-election in his seat of Aberdeen South.

Flynn, who has been widely tipped as a future SNP leader, said he would be a champion for North Sea oil and gas workers, those struggling with the cost of living and "young people searching for hope and aspiration".

Another Stephen, this time Stephen Gethins, will also need to step down as an MP now he has won the Dundee City East seat at Holyrood.

Gethins had been elected as the MP for Arbroath and Broughty Ferry in 2024 and shortly afterwards announced he would seek a dual mandate.

That means another by-election for his Westminster seat.

Lib Dem candidate collapses and is treated by Reform candidate

There was some drama in the early hours of Friday morning at the Merton count in London, when a Liberal Democrat candidate wearing a bright yellow tie collapsed.

A Reform UK candidate, who is a doctor, sprung into action to make sure the Lib Dem candidate was okay when he fell about 4am at the Canons Leisure Centre in Mitcham.

Politically the two parties are poles apart, but that was all put aside in the emergency and the candidate headed home to rest.

Captain Beany stands as an Independent in Wales

There was a flurry of excitement as Independent candidate Captain Beany arrived at Afan Ogwr Rhondda count for the Senedd on Friday afternoon.

The 71-year-old was sporting a fluorescent orange suit, matching orange spectacles, and a tie covered in a baked bean print.

The baked bean obsessive has been standing in elections in local and general elections throughout Wales since the 1990s, as well as raising money for charity, but told the BBC this would be his last attempt.

He told our reporter he had "election fever" and hoped to inspire young people to get involved in politics.

Former footballer tackles politics

Former Stoke City footballer Graham Shaw has swapped the football pitch for a seat on the council in the Midlands.

And he's put it straight into the back of the net by getting elected to represent the Knutton ward on Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council.

The newly-elected Reform councillor told the BBC he felt voters were willing to "give him a chance" due to their frustration with national politics.

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