this is bbc news. we will have the headlines and all the main stories for you at the top of the hour, straight after this programme. you won't get this day back again, alright? keep the pressure on her. boxing actually is my life.

it gives me my confidence, it gives me my purpose in life. i got took off team gb, which it felt like my whole world had ended, because that was my dream since a kid. i went from being where i'd always dreamed of, to these things going on like an abusive relationship, feeling like a failure. i felt like there was no sort of hope for me. it means everything to me, like if i was to lose, i couldn't even imagine.

look at me, i'm stood there in a pair of barbie pyjamas and a cowboy hat, just making myself look an idiot. i don't think anyone would think i'd be able to box. come on, ebonie! music: these boots are made for walkin�* by nancy sinatra # you've been messing where they shouldn't be messing... i # these boots - are made for walking # and that'sjust what they'll do . # one of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you... i i've lived in portsmouth all my life, ijust love it. the only time i've been away from it is when i was in the army for six years. # are you ready, boots?

you know when you walk to the ring, nan? yeah. and people have a song on, that's gonna be the song i'm having. 0h, right. yeah, when i fight. 0h, bless ya. that's my first fight in three years. what have i done with my life in three years to not box? like, for me, boxing is my purpose in life. so, i'd say it's a bit like a comeback. are you ready? start walking, then! my nan doesn't really know much about my boxing, she just sees me as her lovely granddaughter. she probably preferred it if i didn't box because she probably finds it horrible, the thought of me getting punched. 0h, bless your heart. there you go. you are a good girl to me. hi, eb! you alright, mate? alright? alright, jill? hey, logee.

hello, chip. alright? hello, mum. with boxing, it's a lonely sport. you're on your own, but you sort of, like, forget you actually, you need your family around you. hello, dad. alright, mum? how's training going? yeah, alright. i think everyone's got something in them, what they're good at. but, you know, 95% of people never find that... i got this out of the storage today — scrapbook. ..and with ebonie, it was boxing. how old was you there when you won the europeans? 15. you looks younger than that. i really wanted to box when i was younger. we watched a documentary of these kids doing, like, kickboxing on the telly and i was saying, "dad, dad, i want to go, i wanna go there." straightaway he was on the computer searching where to go, took me along with my brother. so it was kickboxing first and then i got into boxing from then.

she liked the dolls and all that, but also, she liked hitting a punch bag. my dollies in the background. she was always beating her brothers up. laughs my aim is to be in the olympics one day. this is what i want to do for the rest of my life is box — boxing. we used to get up 6:00 every morning before school. come on, we got to go out running, you got to carry on, mate, with your fitness and that. how far can ebonie go, she's still at a young age? she's boxed for- england three times and medalled every time. that's it, last one, here we go. - then, obviously we would take her down the boxing gym in the evening where i'd sit in the gym for her for over three hours. she's just returned from winning gold at the european under 22 championships. yeah, i seen nicola adams and i sparred her in preparation for the world championships. i do feel proud representing portsmouth, just making my family proud. i remember the year when you lot was all getting ready to walk over

to watch the fireworks and you'd done sausages, butternut squash soup and all that, do you remember that, nan? yeah, there was lots of things you had to sacrifice and missed out on. and i had to stay at home and go for a run. i can remember a few years when she didn't even have her birthday cake. she'd cut it, freeze it, and then after like obviously she's finished her tournament, then she would get her cake out of the freezer, defrost it and then eat it. this is the sacrifices you gotta make. if you want to be the best, you got to do these things, haven't you? numberone! the champ, ebonie! obviously, i wouldn't have won the things i've won or been the best if my dad didn't just push me that bit. then from behind. yeah! once you're in that ring, it's just you and the other opponent, so, you know, and i know what they gotta go through to get in that ring. it's the most probably — i reckon it's the hardest sport in the world. for me to see her boxing, i love it, you know, to see something, like, i'm proud of her basically. i bet you lot are nervous for my fight? i used to be nervous

but i think... dad, don't try and lie and say you ain't gonna be nervous. no, no... no, no, i'll tell you the reason why i won't be nervous this time is because three years ago you didn't even think you was going to be boxing for a while again, so i'm happy you're just back doing what you love. yeah, i've had a lot of support from my family in the boxing. they're all... my dad's really supportive of it, and so is my mum. whatever outcome, i'm still proud of you anyway. i don't get nervous hoping that you're going to win, but not that i don't care... yeah, well, that's where dad gets nervous doesn't he, �*cause he cares about that. i'm just happy whatever the outcome as long as you're happy afterwards. what day are you going up to wembley arena? tuesday just for the day for a photoshoot, thursday, and then from thursday, thursday press conference, friday weigh in. who else gets to say that their debut is going to be wembley arena on sky sports? i'm just over the moon like that's a dream for me. are you nervous? my chest is killing me. is it? yeah. got your scarf ready, loge? yeah, is that the right way?

yes. she's been for a rough time, she's had people say to her, like, ex—boyfriends, "you're not going to be nothing, "you're not going to achieve anything," but, well, we'll see, won't we? went to watch the olympics in 2012, coaches from the gym took us, and that was the first year female boxing was ever in the olympics, but ijust thought, right, that's what i want to do, and then as i got older, i got selected to be on team gb, so close to going to the olympic qualifiers. i was that weight when i was probably about 12, so trying to keep that weight to the age of 21 was so unhealthy. you're not drinking water, you're dehydrating yourself, you're not eating, you're basically, like, starving yourself

to try and get to a weight. i felt drained, walking to the scales, like, the weigh—in, i struggled to even walk up the stairs, that's just the way it was. i wanted to go to the olympics so i was willing to do anything. and in the end, theyjust sort of said, "look, ebonie, it's obvious you're killing yourself "to make this weight. "you'rejust going to do yourself damage." so i got took off team gb, which it felt like my whole world had ended because that was my dream since a kid. but also, at this time, i'd been going through an abusive relationship. i remember one day when i was in the pub, and i was obviously really enjoying myself and he'd always wanna ruin it and i remember that day he dragged me up the road by my hair and it was that bad, that he was picking me up and rugby tackling me to the floor. people in the van stopped and said, "look, leave her alone."

i had to get in a van with a random man. i actually felt safer in a van with a random man than being there with him at the time. so a lot of people would say, "oh, well, you're a boxer, "why don't you just knock him out?" what i'd say is it's not as simple as that. how i am in boxing or in the ring isn't...isn't the way i actually am. notjust the physical side of it, but the mental side of it is what done the most. i've never had lots of friends because of my boxing, but, say, iwould make a friend, he was veryjealous, so ijust would sort of not see my family as much, not see friends as much. i'd be kept on, like, a location app. he'd wait outside in

the car outside places. at first you think, oh, �*cause they love me, that's. . .they care. but, really, when it starts to get into things like that, you know something isn't right. these people are good at mind games and mentally breaking you down. i didn't see the point in anything. ijust felt like i was a failure, my confidence just got knocked. well, i had no confidence, i couldn't handle any sort of pressure. so, yeah, i completely changed. i don't like to say a reason why i stopped boxing for them years was because of the abusive relationship because probably hurts for me to say that that person managed to do that to me, that badly, that i couldn't... ..that i stopped boxing. my purpose in life was boxing and ifelt like that had gone, i didn't really know how to handle that.

keep it sharp, keep it clever. good. turn on them ropes. good. guildford city is a home for anyone, from anywhere, from any background, everyone here is like a family. i'm seven and i wanna be a champion boxer when i'm older. when i'm boxing, i feel, | like, good about myself. it's kinda therapeutic in its own sense. - yeah, boxingjust makes me feel powerful. you're all chasing the same thing. you all want to become a champion, otherwise you wouldn't be in here. good! let's come back with something, come on. guildford city boxing club is a massive part of the community. we're known all over great britain

and soon to be known all over the world with the likes of eboniejones here. i found this gym at the worst time in my life. i just sort of forced myself to start coming here. so, ijust felt, like, safe at this gym, you know, and just that i was gonna be looked after. yeah, yeah. how you feeling after all the hard training? yeah, good. it's good you're still smiling, the main thing. yeah, you got all the gear like laura pain, then. ok, girls, you ready? as a coach, i looked at the female boxing, you know, going back 10 years, 12 years, did i really like it? ah...|�*m not sure, but now i love it.

keep your feet nice and wide. girls are no different to the guys, but they're more disciplined, they learn the skill better, and they give you more. nice, what a combination. training is like my therapy, mentally ijust feel... i feel strong. i've come such a long way, like a completely different person. i've got so much hope for the future. unreal, just do the same again, alright? yeah. unreal. obviously, ifjohn wouldn't have welcomed me with such, like, open arms or, like, helped me out, listened to me, yeah, it probably wouldn't have been the same, no. edge in, don't bomb in. in women's boxing it's really important to have like an advocate and a role model. ebonie sort of has always given me really good advice on how to keep yourself like mentally healthy and that it's okay to speak up about your mental health and how you're feeling and that it's not the end of the world

if you think that you're in the lowest point of your life. body, go for the body. it's really nice to see her so happy, ijust don't think the world understands how... how big a sensation she's gonna be. hopefully ebonie can inspire the next generation of females. she's definitely inspiring the young ones here. so hopefully she can do that all over the country and all over the world, you know cos she is going to be a big star. i think women's boxing isjust getting bigger and bigger, now people are wanting to watch it. it's... it's getting more and more popular. i can make a career out of something that i love to do and i think i'm so lucky to be able to do that.

ebonie is a first—class boxer, won medals all over the world, but the professional game is totally different. she's fighting with no head—guard, little eight—ounce gloves, you know, longer round duration. yeah, she'll rise to the occasion. cream always comes to the top. there's still a little part of me that will worry about the way i look and when i weigh in for this fight it's gotta be like it's in front of a lot of people

and stuff like that, but i think you've just got to remember there's... you're there to show your talent, your boxing, there's more to it than like the way you look. this is part of your fight now, alright? yeah. so you got to be the best at everything, everything you got to be 100%. okay? yeah. deep breaths and do your job, this is yourjob. so the weigh—in is the day before for safety reasons. the opponent will weigh in first. and her...weight 127 lbs and four ounces. | ebonie will weigh—in after. go on, ebonie. so obviously the day of the weigh—in you never really want to eat or drink much anyway because i mean, do you know what i mean? it's even a sip of water could put you over. so obviously i had my food last night cos... but before obviously when i had to make weight, which was really hard, i wouldn't have ate even the day before hardly. and weighing - in officially at 127 lbs and five ounces. and then they'll have a face off. a face off's a part of the drama, part of the — part of the game. professional boxing's a business and it's also entertainment, so that's part of the entertainment. job done.

let's get thatjacket on. it'sjust weird innit being half like naked in front of that many people, but it's what, what's got to be done. it's like having a bikini on down the beach, that's what i was thinking of. well done, mate, on the weight. hmm, lightest i've been in a long time. long time innit, strong at it. ok, relax a little bit now, alright, well done. cheers, john. see you in a bit. as i love a bit of country music. got my hat for tomorrow. i'm going to walk in with this, look, let me show you. obviously, my hair will be braided tomorrow, but i would actually wear this normally i think. i would wear this normally but, yeah, i'm going

to wear it into the ring. urm, not so much nervous yet, i'm more excited. it's more ijust want to get in there and perform to be honest so all the training i've done leading up to it, urm, just want to get in there and sort of show people what i'm about. look at me, i'm stood here in a pair of barbie pajamas and a cowboy hat making— just making myself look an idiot i don't think anyone would be able to think i'd be able to box. it means everything to me. like if i was to lose, i couldn't even imagine. i couldn't even imagine that. i don't think i'd wanna leave my room. it is all or nothing. and when the action begins, your referee in charge - is charles coa kley.

got them scissors ready, please? every boxer in the changing rooms before a fight will think to themself why the hell do i put myself through this you think why do i it? this is what i've been wanting, in them years that i haven't been boxing, in them years i've been down. this is what i ve been dreaming of doing, so i m thinking ebonie don t start getting nervous now and thinking oh i don t want to do it because this is all i wanted. i've never wanted something to be over so fast in all my life. i just want it to be fast forwarded to her being... like her hand being put up in the air and all that and just done. and now set to make her way

into the arena, ebonie jones. j go on, ebonie! go on, girl! she's talented, she's got an eye—catching style - as she enjoys her first ring walk- avec the cowboy hat in a prime tv - slot, some entrance. come on, eb, come on baby. okay ladies, i've already spoke to you both, - keep those punches up, j no putting the heads in. touch gloves, good luck. the only real opponent is yourself and the mental challenges in yourwill to win yourself y'know. .. she's quick. you can be coached, but if you don t haven't got

the will to win then, goodbye. loved up at team gb, didn't quite work outl in the weight categories for the olympics. - oh big shot. listen, everything in your life happens for a reason. so these things what happened for her were bad, but then what happens in life is you take the bad and you make it good. bit of a swelling on the forehead of eboniejones. you know i think these things what have happened, you know, is going to make ebonie really really really strong in the mind. that's better from maisoke, using the jab, trying to use her range there, she's having a bit of success now. you never knows, she might even take all that aggression out in the ring, so you might see a new ebjones in the ring.

no and especially when you re boxing someone like ebonie jones who's as aggressive and as full of energy and a real spirited performer, she comes out of the trap so fast, good right hand to the body there from her. so i've been knocked down to absolute rock bottom, notjust one thing but things pile on top of each other... you're overloading, you're leading off to the right hand, she s a tall girl, we can t do that. and i managed to come up from that. you won't get this day back again, alright? and from that obviously i've learnt, i've learnt that yeah i can come up from anything. seconds out, sixth and final round - final session, eboniejones in with the more experienced vaida masiokaite, 11 years older. this performance from eboniejones, who announces herself on the

professional scene, and the family and friends are all there for her. eb, she came in with the old hat, the western hat, matt wanted a performance and he got one, well done ebonie. oh, ebonie jones, oh eboniejones. this bout goes - the distance and it goes to our referee, scoring the bout 59, j 55, declaring the - winner ebonie jones! it's the best buzz, when your hand gets raised and you've won the fight there's no feeling in the world like it — all the hard blood, sweat, and tears, all the hard training — yeah, this is why i do this. it's just like quite

overwhelming really, especially like the amount of support, all my family and friends being there. i could never have imagined it would have been like that. ijust think it's nice if other people can look at me and wanna do something, do something different. if they're going through a tough for anyone who felt as bad as i did, just that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, sounds like a clich , and stuff like that, people can tell you that when you feel like that and you won't listen to them but it does always get better, it does always turn around. they say success is the biggest revenge but i've done it for me. yeah, you've got to fight— fight for yourself. the big dream is to be a world champion, yeah one day yeah.

hello there. this fine, settled spell of spring weather is set to go on for several more days, with some warm sunshine by day. the nights still rather chilly with some frost and fog in places. one subtle change, a bit more cloud in the north of the uk thanks to this weather front, a very weak affair. for the most part, high pressure is holding firm, and that is what's keeping things fine. but we are going to get off to quite a chilly start to the morning with those clear skies overhead, one or two fog patches around, some general mistiness here and there. that should tend to lift, and then we will see a lot of sunshine across england and wales, just the small chance for a shower, especially over high ground in northern england.

more cloud for scotland and northern ireland, the odd spot of rain, but even here, there will be some sunny spells. temperatures north to south, well, maybe 12 degrees for stornoway, but 18, i9, possibly 20 further south. but with that stagnant air, high pressure in charge, very light winds, air pollution is likely to be a problem. high levels of air pollution, particularly across eastern parts of england. as we go through thursday night, again, temperatures will drop away under the clear skies. there will be some fog patches here and there, more cloud rolling into northern ireland and parts of western scotland. towns and cities typically staying just above freezing, but one or two places in the countryside will drop below, and then for friday, well, more of the same. more sunshine and just a little patchy cloud for england and wales. northern ireland and scotland tending to see a little more cloud, especially up to the northwest. some rain for the northern isles, temperatures getting up to highs of 19, maybe 20 degrees in the sunniest spots. and high pressure is set to stay with us into the weekend. this front up to the north always bringing a bit more cloud, maybe some showery rain for shetland and for orkney.

there will be some patches of low cloud and fog elsewhere as well, particularly around some of the coasts, but some good spells of sunshine. temperatures dropping back maybe a little bit, 15 to 18 degrees. sunday morning could well start with some areas of low cloud and fog, perhaps most especially towards the southeast of england, tending to burn back towards the coasts. lots of sunshine, temperatures of 13 to 17 degrees. but into next week, quite a big change on the way. we will develop northerly winds and we will bring some much colder air southwards across the uk, so the temperatures will be much, much lower than they have been, and there could even be some wintry showers in places.

going to be a big star. welcome to bbc news, i'm mark lobel. our top stories: as the war in ukraine enters its second month, the country's president calls for a show of support around the world. come from your offices, your homes, your schools and universities. come in the name of peace. come with ukrainian symbols to support ukraine, to support freedom, to support life. nato says it'll double the number of battlegroups deployed on its eastern flank, in response to russia's invasion. a siege without end, we talk to one of the survivors of mariupol, the ukrainian city under relentless russian shelling. no return to class for the girls of afghanistan. the taliban orders secondary schools to remain closed.