From Ginger Spice to UN ambassador... Geri Halliwell's certainly had a colourful life. She popped in to chat to us on Afternoon Live yesterday about the recent Spice Girls' reunion tour and she told us about her new project which means she'll be following in Madonna's footsteps...

A senior prison officers' representative has claimed life behind bars is so cushy prisoners don't want to escape - and that in one jail people had even broken in to deliver drugs to inmates. So, are his claims an accurate reflection of our prison system? We'll be discussing that on the programme today.

And, you may remember last summer, at the height of the prison overcrowding crisis, we spent a day at HMP Nottingham chatting to some of the inmates to find out what life's like on the inside - and we got some surprising answers...

Today is St George's day when Englishness is supposed to be celebrated but a unique Sky News experiment has revealed more than four in five of us believe the ties that bind us together as a nation are getting weaker.

We'll be talking to our correspondents and famous faces across the UK throughout today's show to discuss why British people are becoming less patriotic. Let us know whether you agree and what you think about the state of the union.

On the show today... we'll be following Gordon Brown in America as he takes his economy talks to the bankers of Wall Street. Africa's also expected to be on the agenda during the Prime Minister's three-day trip to the United States. We'll have live coverage of some of his engagements including a meeting with President Mbeki.

Rugby hero Martin Johnson is expected to be named as the new England manager today. We'll be live at Twickenham stadium to bring you the latest on that. He's proved his worth on the field but is he the right man to fill Brian Ashton's shoes on the touchline? And who should he bring in as his backroom staff? Let us know what you think.

And, tune in to see the ground-breaking operation that leaves you free of scars...

Are you tired of hearing the phrase credit crunch? Lately it feels like we're being warned of financial doom and gloom arriving in our own back yard most days. And, whether it's house prices, or rising shopping bills, it really does feel like a bleak forecast.

Gordon Brown's been in the firing-line over the state of the nation's finances a fair bit over the past couple of months. Today, he insisted he's making the right long-term decisions to protect Britain. In particular he stressed the Government is taking steps to underpin the cooling housing market.

But, his confident words come on a day when a new report has revealed a record number of surveyors believe property prices are falling across the UK - and that confidence in the housing market is at its lowest ebb for 30 years.

Personally, after a few years of scrimping and saving to get a first foot on the property ladder my boyfriend and I finally had enough for a 5% deposit mortgage. Our starter pad was within reach at last... but a couple of months ago the building society in question pulled the product and demanded a minimum 10% deposit. They were followed by a string of other lenders and, unable to raise more funds at the drop of a hat, our dream went up in smoke. So, for those with similar mortgage headaches, or those people who may be threatened with losing their job thanks to the fallout from these crunch times... I think we can be forgiven for thinking that the light at the end of the tunnel seems a very long way away.

Laura, Afternoon Live producer

Fantasy author Terry Pratchett chatted to us yesterday. His legions of fans are getting excited about the upcoming film adaptation of one of his best-selling Discworld novels coming soon exclusively on Sky One. But, he had other things on his mind after donating half  a million pounds to help find a cure for Alzheimer's disease for very personal reasons...

In rock 'n' roll terms it's probably the best award you could bag... Last night the Manic Street Preachers were crowned with the Godlike Genius award at the NME bash. We caught up with them on the red carpet to ask them what it's like to have Godlike status.

Police searching a former children's home in Jersey for further human remains say one of their trained dogs has given "an extremely strong reaction".

They also believe there could be another bricked-up room in the area they are searching. Deputy Chief Officer Lenny Harper gave us an insight into what lies behind the walls...

A former resident of the Jersey home where a child's remains were found has given Sky News a harrowing account of life there in the 1970s. In a television exclusive, Pamela (not her real name) claims she was stripped naked, drugged and beaten.

 

Myleene Klass popped into the studio yesterday for a quick chat with us. She's been shortlisted for a Celebrity Mum Of The Year Award. She spilled the beans on how she feels to be nominated, how she coped with being pregnant and her new book My Bump And Me...