thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-24--Clare Balding Reveals She's Lost 90 Percent Of Her Hearing

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Clare Balding has revealed she has lost 90 percent of her hearing.
The BBC sports presenter said she only currently has “about 10 percent” of her hearing left, and often has to “guess” what people are saying to her.
Clare, 49, opened up about her hearing loss during an episode of the upcoming Dave panel show, Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable.
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Clare Balding Simone Padovani/Awakening via Getty Images
She said (via The Sun): “I really need to get my ears done. I’m at about ten per cent and I guess the rest. My wife keeps saying to me, ‘Stop shouting!’ because I’m clearly over-projecting because I can’t hear myself.”
In response to Clare’s comment, 52-year-old host Mel added: “I hear about 60 percent.”
Clare is one of TV’s most prolific sports broadcasters, with a career enduring over 25 years.
However, earlier this week, the star spoke of how her father – horse trainer Ian Balding – didn’t believe she would forge a successful path in the TV industry because she is a woman.
Clare is one of the country's most recognisable sports presenters Charlotte Tattersall via Getty Images
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Speaking on the Paul McKenna podcast, she said: “I was very angry at my parents for their lack of acknowledgements for women’s achievements and that made me really determined to do the things that maybe they thought women couldn’t do.
“I remember when I first presented Grandstand on the BBC my father being absolutely flabbergasted. He didn’t realise that was something any women could do let alone me.”
She continued: “I remember the very first award I ever won was the RTS award for a sports presenter. I went to the dinner and was nominated but thought ‘I’ve got no chance [of winning]’.
“I told dad that I was up against Steve Rider, who is the loveliest man, and another very famous man. It wouldn’t have been Jeff Stelling… but someone of that stature.
“My father just went ‘You’ve got no chance, not against them’. And then I won and you just sort of think ‘this is quite surprising’ – to my father certainly.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-24--The Last Leg's Adam Hills Praised For Undergoing Live Prostate Exam

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The Last Leg comedian Adam Hills has been widely praised after undergoing a prostate exam on live TV.
The Australian comic was screened for the disease during a Stand Up To Cancer special of the Channel 4 comedy show on Friday night, in a bid to break down stigma and encourage men with symptoms to get themselves checked.
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At the end of the show, Adam was invited into a mocked up surgery for a doctor to perform a rectal examination to check his prostate.
Adam Hills underwent a live prostate exam on The Last Leg Channel 4
The test was over quickly and painlessly, after which Adam was asked by co-hosts Alex Brooker and Josh Widdicombe how he found it.
“It was slightly uncomfortable, but to be honest, absolutely fine,” he said before turning to the medic and joking: “I’m giving you five stars on Grip Advisor.”
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Taking a more serious tone, Adam continued: “Here’s the thing though, we usually end the show on something big and flashy, but the whole point of this exam is to prove to men that it’s actually not a big deal.
“I’ll be honest, it’s a little bit uncomfortable, but not painful. It is not a test you should not worry about if you need to have it. The reality is, it was remarkably straightforward. So, let’s end the show by celebrating that.”
Adam encouraged other men to go and get themselves checked Channel 4
Music then begun playing as a socially-distanced celebration broke out in the studio.
However, Adam got a little carried away while shaking the curtain that was protecting his modesty, accidentally knocking it away and leaving him rushing to cover himself up.
Adam got a little carried away at the end of the show Channel 4
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The episode was widely praised on Twitter for helping raise awareness of the disease and for helping break down the taboo some men feel about getting their prostate checked.
@adamhillscomedy high five and gold star to you mate for encouraging the prostate exam💪🏻you’re always a leader and an inspiration 🌟 #the last leg — L Miller (@TheLooseE) October 23, 2020
#lastleg Adam Hills absolutely brilliant what you did, having your prostate checked on live TV, 10 seconds of discomfort for ease of mind. No brainer. Get checked — David Erith (@erith_david) October 23, 2020
@adamhillscomedy Adam just watched last leg 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻for presenting the last few minutes in the position you did!😳😳😳 — mysharona29 (@sharoncove1) October 23, 2020
Soooo happy to have The Last Leg team back. 👏
A little ray of sunshine in the monotony of 2020. 🌞
Great to see Adam taking one for the team and raising money for cancer research. 👍
Donate here. 👇 https://t.co/niN5uqgkXI — Ann Scott (@GenesisPRAnn) October 23, 2020
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Adam Hills #lastleg oh thank you! — Amandac (@Killaheels) October 23, 2020
I still can’t get over @adamhillscomedy prostate exam live on @TheLastLeg last night. It was the funniest, bravest and most important thing I’ve seen in a long time. Bravo sir. — LisaJenkinsonSwayne (@opera_lisa) October 24, 2020
@adamhillscomedy You are truly incredible, that was an amazing thing you did tonight. I hope my husband will now get checked 🤞
Pleased also on your results.
xx — Donna (@dkelly2805) October 24, 2020
Joined twitter for the sole purpose of saying well done to @adamhillscomedy. This is likely to be my first, last and only tweet. — JC (@the_jev) October 23, 2020
Such an important piece of TV. Demonstrates that the arts has real value in our society. Well done to everyone involved 👏👏👏 — Zofia Skrakowski (@ZofiaMS) October 23, 2020
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Hugely impressed seeing this on C4 tonight - so important to highlight how simple this test is. Well done @TheLastLeg and @adamhillscomedy #SU2CUK #StandUpToCancer https://t.co/Eh8iRZWER6 — Amie Prowle (@AmieProwle) October 23, 2020
.@adamhillscomedy you’re a legend! Thank you for having the prostate examination on TV! My friend’s husband has recently been diagnosed with prostate Ca. #SUTC #TheLastLeg — MissSeaPeaches (@MissSeaPeaches) October 23, 2020
Fantastic stuff worth staying up for. Hope it encourages people to get checked and see their GP in person if they have concerns. The curtain malfunction was hilarious! — Kelly F Shurmer (@Kellyfur27684) October 23, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-24--'People Will Die' If Covid Restrictions Relaxed Over Christmas, Top Scientist Warns

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A loosening of restrictions on household mixing over Christmas would lead to further deaths, a top scientist has warned.
Professor Neil Ferguson, whose modelling led to the original lockdown in March, told BBC Radio 4′s Today programme on Saturday that decisions on whether or not to dial back the rules for festive celebrations amounted to a “political judgment”.
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He said: “It risks some transmission and there will be consequences of that. Some people will die because of getting infected on that day.
“But if it is only one or two days the impact is likely to be limited. So that is really a political judgment about the cost versus the benefits.”
His warning follows comments made by a government scientific adviser on Friday that the idea “we can carry on as we are” and have a normal Christmas “is wishful thinking in the extreme”.
Professor John Edmunds, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said “radical action” would be needed to stem the rise in coronavirus cases, particularly in regions with high incidence of the virus.
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Downing Street has previously said it is the government’s “ambition to ensure that people may celebrate Christmas as a family this year”.
Ferguson also warned during the interview that the NHS will be unable to cope in a month’s time if coronavirus cases continue to increase at the present rate.
He explained that while infections among 18 to 21-year-olds were falling, they were continuing to rise in other age groups.
“Unfortunately, in every other age group case numbers continue to rise at about the same rate they were. There are little hints of slowing, for instance in the North East of England, but we are not seeing the sort of slowing that we really need to to get on top of this,” he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.
“It is a worrying situation. We now have 8,000 people in hospital with Covid. That is about a third of the level we were at the peak of the pandemic in March.
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“If the rate of growth continues as it is, it means that in a month’s time we will above that peak level in March and that is probably unsustainable.
“We are in a critical time right now. The health system will not be able to cope with this rate of growth for much longer.”
The top scientist also suggested that schools may have to close to older pupils – who appear more capable of spreading the virus than younger children – in order to reduce the rate of transmission.
Ferguson warned that if restrictions on households mixing fail to stem the rise of coronavirus infections the government may have to take action in education settings.
“That [banning households mixing] should have a significant effect but as yet we have been unable to see it definitively,” he said.
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“If we go beyond that there is a limit to what we can do in terms of reducing contacts, short of starting to target, for instance, the older years in schools and sixth form colleges where we know older teenagers are able to transmit as adults.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-24--Police To Block Long-Distance Drivers At Welsh Border During Firebreak Lockdown

Police in England have said they will patrol routes out of Wales while the country is under a two-week firebreak lockdown, turning back vehicles they suspect of making long journeys.
Gloucestershire Constabulary confirmed they will patrol routes into the Forest of Dean area and pull over vehicles they suspect of driving long distances.
The force said drivers who turned out to have driven out of Wales without a valid excuse would be advised to turn around and, if they refused, would then be reported to police in Wales who can issue fines.
A ban on people from high-risk areas of England travelling to Wales is currently in place, and residents were already unable to move between areas of Wales under local lockdown restrictions without a reasonable excuse such as work or education
Wales’ 17-day firebreak lockdown began at 6pm on Friday.
A spokesman for the force said on Friday: “While we cannot issue fines to those travelling from Wales into the county we can inform the host force of those we stop about what has happened so they can take action.
“Officers will be running an operation from tomorrow and over the weekend that will cover routes from Wales into the Forest of Dean and if we stop someone travelling from Wales we will be engaging with them to find out why, explaining the legislation and encouraging them to turn around if we are not satisfied with their explanation.
“If they don’t turn around we will then inform the force that polices the area they have travelled from so that they can issue a fine.
“It is important to stress that the vast majority of people are abiding by the rules but, in line with our policing approach, we will take action where there are flagrant breaches.”
Gloucestershire Constabulary said the road checks would form part of a wider police operation in response to high numbers of people from outside the Forest of Dean area visiting Cannop cycle centre and causing congestion by parking on grass verges near it.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-24--Trump Hits Out At Borat Creator  Sacha Baron Cohen: 'He's A Creep'

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US president Donald Trump has hit out at Borat creator Sacha Baron Cohen, branding him “a creep”.
The pair have a long history after Sacha first targeted Trump as one of his other comedy characters, Ali G, in 2003, but launched a fresh attack following the release of the comedian’s latest movie, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.
The president told reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday night (via PA Media): “You know, years ago, he tried to scam me.
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“And I was the only one that said: ‘No way. This guy is a phoney guy.’
Borat and Donald Trump Getty
“I don’t find him funny,” the US leader said, adding: “To me, he’s a creep.”
The episode of Da Ali G Show saw Sacha ’s character try to pitch him a product called ice cream gloves, but Trump walked out when he realised it was a prank.
Trump also branded Sacha “a moron who should have been pummelled” after a red carpet stunt at the Oscars in 2012.
A new promo for latest Borat film – which sees Sacha playing fictional Kazakh journalist Borat Sagdiyev as he interacts with real people – reveals that Borat’s “daughter” managed to get within feet of Trump and shook hands with the president’s son.
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Trump very careful who he let into his events and house. No Covid test necessary - High 5! pic.twitter.com/Kf5gGk3n2M — Borat (@BoratSagdiyev) October 23, 2020
The clip – which released as the film debuted on Amazon Prime on Friday – showed Maria Bakalova, the Bulgarian actress who plays the main character’s on-screen daughter, apparently in the same room as the president.
Maria, who looks to be pretending to be a TV journalist in the clip, is also seen shaking hands with Donald Trump Jr.
The critical response to Borat 2 has so far been positive, with the film holding an 84% rating on review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-24--America's Daily Covid-19 Case Count Hits All-Time High

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Covid-19 infections in the US hit more than 82,000 daily cases on Friday, the highest daily tally in the nation since the pandemic began.
The grim news followed Donald Trump’s declaration Thursday at the debate with Democratic rival Joe Biden that America is “learning to live” with Covid-19 and that it’s “going away.”
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The troubling surge threatens to bring the worst suffering from the disease to date. Covid-19 has claimed nearly 224,000 lives in the US so far. Almost 8.5m Americans so far have been infected.
The previous record of daily cases was on July 17, when 76,553 cases were reported. Those cases occurred in a relatively few hot spots. Just four states then (New York, California, Texas and Arizona) accounted for more than 40,000 of the total.
Now the spread of the coronavirus is bad across the country, as positivity rates and hospitalisations surge and deaths climb. Some hospitals in the West and Midwest are already overwhelmed while they grapple with new cases.
“One key way we got through previous waves was by moving health-care workers around. That’s just not possible when the virus is surging everywhere.” - Eleanor J. Murray, epidemiologist at Boston University
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In the past two weeks, 24 states have broken their single-day case records, The Washington Post reported. Covid-19 hospitalisations increased in 38 states over the past week. The number of people hospitalised with Covid-19 had already risen 40% in the past month. Deaths have regularly surpassed 1,000 in recent days, and it’s expected the daily toll will climb higher.
The geographic sweep of the surge threatens catastrophic shortages of supplies, medical staff and hospital beds.
“One key way we got through previous waves was by moving health-care workers around. That’s just not possible when the virus is surging everywhere,” Eleanor J. Murray, an epidemiologist at Boston University, told the Post.
In addition, “we are starting this wave much higher than either of the previous waves. And it will simply keep going up until people and officials decide to do something about it.”
The surge is occurring as the nation heads into colder months, with more people staying indoors, especially during the holidays. The approaching flu season will exacerbate the health crisis.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-24--HRVY Reveals He 'Bowed Out' Of Strictly Come Dancing Prior To Getting Covid-19 All Clear

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Strictly Come Dancing contestant HRVY has revealed he had “bowed out” of this year’s competition after testing positive for coronavirus.
It was well documented that the singer was forced into a two-week self isolation earlier this month after being diagnosed with Covid-19, but behind the scenes, he had actually preemptively withdrawn from the BBC show.
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Speaking to HuffPost UK, HRVY told of his shock at being told he was still part of the line-up after later receiving a negative result.
HRVY is one of 12 contestants on this year's Strictly Come Dancing BBC
He said: “When I tested positive, I thought, ‘OK cool, maybe next year or the year after, it is what it is, you can’t change it.’ I kind of just bowed out, and was like, ‘No worries, thank you so much for having me there.’
“Everyone was meeting their partners, there was photoshoots, idents and pre-titles, wardrobe fittings – loads of stuff. I was just sitting at home. But in the back of my head, I wasn’t doing it anyway so I wasn’t worried. So when they said, ‘No you’ve tested negative, you’re coming tomorrow,’ it was like, ‘OK, we’re back in the run!’
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“I was so happy and my mum was beside herself, running around the house screaming. It’s cool that I’ve got this far.”
Praising the “amazing” BBC, the 21 year old continued: “When I came out [of isolation] they managed to fit all of the things I’d missed in two weeks into one day.”
HRVY also admitted he “never would have known” he had Covid-19 unless he’d had one of the regular tests the BBC implemented to let the show go ahead safely, as he was asymptomatic.
“I was lucky in a sense,” he said. “But it just shows how easy it is for us youngsters – and others – to get it and not realise and pass it on. Everyone has just got to wear their masks and socially distance and hopefully we’ll be alright.”
HRVY has been partnered with Janette Manrara BBC/Guy Levy
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HRVY said he feels as if he’s “picked a special year” to do Strictly as it is “bringing some entertainment to people’s homes for people that need it.” However, he was actually approached to be part of the 2019 series, which was won by Kelvin Fletcher and Oti Mabuse.
“Last year, they asked my management, but I was on tour,” he revealed. “I loved the idea of it and was buzzing, but I literally couldn’t do it because of schedules.
“This year, my stuff has obviously been moved to next year because of what’s happened, so I was like, ‘yo, have you got another space this year please?’ And they welcomed it with open arms, which was amazing.”
HRVY has since been paired up with professional dancer Janette Manrara, and Saturday’s first live show will see them take to the floor for their first competitive performance, a Jive to Faith by Stevie Wonder feat. Ariana Grande.
Janette has made a huge sacrifice in order to take part in Strictly this year, agreeing to live apart from husband and fellow Strictly pro Aljaz Skorjanec – who is paired up with Radio 1 DJ Clara Amfo – for the first time in 10 years.
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While HRVY says they are regularly keeping in touch via FaceTime in breaks during rehearsals, he revealed the couple have a harsh reality when they see each other at the Strictly studios.
Husband and wife Aljaz Skorjanec and Janette Manrara are being forced to live apart Karwai Tang via Getty Images
He explained: “We’ve been so busy in rehearsals, so her mind has been taken off it a lot, but she definitely misses him. Everyday, she says, ‘Oh I miss Aljaz so much.’
“Sometimes she’ll see him passing through a corridor, but obviously, they have to stand two metres apart. I’m there standing next to her or leaning or her or whatever talking to Aljaz, it’s just so hard. I feel so bad. It will be worth it though and they’re both ready to make that sacrifice.”
And with HRVY already having impressed viewers and head judge Shirley Ballas during his dancefloor debut in last week’s group routine, he’s already become one of the bookies’ favourites to life the Glitterball Trophy.
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Asked if he’s feeling that pressure, he replied coyly: “I can move a little bit but the other contestants are amazing as well. Seeing them dance in rehearsals, I was like, ‘wow, everyone can move, genuinely’. It’s going to be a tough year because everyone looks like they could be a favourite and there’s a lot of dark horses.”
HRVY and Janette during last week's group routine BBC/Guy Levy
Naming Billy Bailey as one to watch, he added: “He’s picking it up. He’s got it in his bones and he’s a musician as well. When I saw him, I couldn’t believe it. I hate to sound so surprised, but he looks great and he was quite proud of himself.
“I can’t wait for him to get better and better each week.”
Strictly Come Dancing airs on Saturday at 7.25pm on BBC One.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-24--Cancer Patients Already Faced Disaster. Now Covid Could Take Their Jobs

Cancer sufferers fear being unfairly laid off by employers desperate to make savings as the second wave of coronavirus pummels the UK.
That’s on top of the fact they’re already at risk of piling up debts for heating and transport, discrimination at work, and even homelessness.
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These are among the appalling stories HuffPost UK heard from staff at Macmillan’s lifeline support service when we asked how coronavirus has changed life with cancer for Brits.
The charity has taken 10,000 calls related to Covid since the pandemic hit – an average one in three is now linked to coronavirus.
Ghazala Anjam is an adviser and team leader for Macmillan’s work and money team. Since lockdown in March, she and her 276 colleagues in Shipley, Yorkshire, have been working from home trying to help people deal with the massive repercussions of cancer during the pandemic.
Before the virus hit, HuffPost UK spent a day at the Shipley office to find out more about the cases they deal with.
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But the story changed days later. Now cancer patients and their families are struggling to cope with the repercussions of a diagnosis and treatment during a global crisis – and all the added financial pressures it brings.
Ghazala Anjam, team leader of the Macmillan work support service Aasma Day
“When lockdown happened, we were inundated with calls from people living with cancer and their carers,” said Anjam.
“People were particularly concerned with issues around work, and worried about their jobs, furlough, redundancy, shielding and general financial pressures as a result of the lockdown.
“People have also expressed worries over being discriminated against when employers are looking to make savings. They are worried about being unfairly selected for redundancy, based on the fact they have been off a long time due to their illness or because they are not able to do their job fully.
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“It has been a very tough situation for people, especially when combined with the extra difficulty of people’s cancer treatment being delayed on top of the emotional impact of dealing with their diagnosis.”
Macmillan’s support line is a free and confidential telephone service for people living with and affected by cancer, and can help with clinical, practical and financial information seven days a week.
Ghazala Anjam, team leader of the Macmillan work support service Aasma Day
During the pandemic, up to a third of the 1,000 weekly calls have been about coronavirus. The service has taken more than 10,000 calls related to Covid-19 since the start of lockdown.
But even before coronavirus, a cancer diagnosis meant a huge financial hit for many people.
“We live in a culture now where most people live within their means,” Paul Barron, energy advisor at the Macmillan support line, told HuffPost UK when we spent the day at the Shipley centre. “Previous generations may have been able to save so might have been able to cope with a drop in their income when they had an illness, but the reality is a lot of people don’t have much money in savings.
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“When someone has cancer, they can be off work a long time and the financial impact can be massive, particularly when someone goes from full time pay down to statutory sick pay or even no pay.
“People having cancer treatment can potentially be off work 12 months or longer.
“Even when we’ve spoken to people who have had savings of £20,000, that can soon disappear when you’re not working.”
Paul Barron, energy advisor at the Macmillan support line Aasma Day
Then there are extra costs like patients needing to travel 50 miles or more daily for radiotherapy treatment for several weeks, and higher heating costs due to feeling the cold more.
““We live in a culture now where most people live within their means. Previous generations may have been able to save so might have been able to cope with a drop in their income when they had an illness, but the reality is, a lot of people don’t have much money in savings."” - Paul Barron, Macmillan Cancer Support
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“People with cancer are having to juggle their finances,” said Barron. “They are having to pay extra money due to their treatment. But then how do they pay their bills?
“I often hear people say: ‘If only I had some money put aside.’ But the reality is with the housing market and the cost of living, most people cannot afford to put money aside.”
Latest figures from research by Macmillan reveal more than a third of people with cancer (39%) are severely financially impacted by their diagnosis. Of those, almost one in three (31%) have had to take out a loan or go into credit card debt.
Macmillan Cancer Support describes cancer as being like a “financial wrecking ball”. The diagnosis can result in reduced income, rising household bills and mounting transport costs to hospital appointments.
The research showed one in five UK adults have £250 or less in savings while one in eight don’t have any savings at all.
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Calls to Macmillan’s financial guidance team on the support line have been increasing steadily over recent months and are now 32% higher than during the first month of lockdown.
Every day, Macmillan staff hear from people living with cancer who are desperately worried about everything from paying their mortgage to putting food on the table or switching the heating on.
One recent caller, a single woman, went from paying £70 a month for her gas and electricity to paying £220 a month while going through chemotherapy – which makes people more susceptible to the cold. She was only receiving statutory sick pay of £94 a week.
Macmillan Cancer Support is based in Shipley, Yorkshire – but staff are currently working from home Aasma Day
Support line staff first ensure callers are claiming all the benefits they are entitled to, as well as looking at their heating appliances and energy efficiency, whether they’re on the right heating tariff, any grants they can access, and directing them to debt help.
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Barron said: “Sometimes, people are more worried about their financial hardship than the cancer and treatment itself.
“Some people end up forcing themselves to return to work sooner than they should due to financial worries.”
Legally, employers cannot discriminate against cancer patients or treat them less favourably, but not everyone knows that.
Anjam said: “We encourage people to have early conversations with their managers. The legal obligation only kicks in if their employer knows they have cancer.
“We support people, make them aware of employment rights at work and help them think about the kind of adjustments they might need and how to ask for them.”
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Anjam says the team also helps people deal with victimisation and harassment. “Sometimes, callers tell us other workers were making jokes or comments about their colostomy bag.
“Making belittling comments is discriminatory so we let them know this is not acceptable.”
One case that sticks in Anjam’s mind was dealing with a man in his 20s who had been diagnosed with testicular cancer. He returned to work in a male-dominated factory environment and kept hearing “jokes” about the fact he had lost a testicle.
“He called Macmillan’s support line and told us he felt he was going to have to leave his job,” said Anjam. “He did not feel they were doing it maliciously and said it was ‘banter’.
“But he felt singled out and just wanted to go to work and do his job.”
Macmillan explained how the language could be considered discriminatory.
With Macmillan’s help, the man raised the issue with his line manager who spoke to the people concerned informally.
“The outcome was his co-workers felt uncomfortable as it had not been intentional and they didn’t realise the effect they were having on him,” said Anjam.
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“The man called us back and said the outcome was very positive and he was a lot happier and was no longer looking for another job.”
Daisy Cox, welfare rights advisor at Macmillan Cancer Support Aasma Day
Daisy Cox, welfare rights advisor, said she often comes across people who are in arrears with council tax or energy bills. Some are having to use food banks due to the drop in income or because they are waiting for Universal Credit.
Cox says she was dealing with one mother-of-four whose youngest was only 10 months old. She had been diagnosed with cancer shortly after his birth but delayed treatment as she was breastfeeding.
“She waited eight months and the cancer had progressed. But she had split from her partner and was facing eviction from her private rental property.
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“This lady was desperately fearful of being evicted and had lost a lot of weight through worry and the chemotherapy.
“I signposted her to Shelter and an organisation called Mummy’s Star for mothers who are diagnosed with cancer while pregnant or shortly after giving birth, and we also applied for a grant for her.”
Michelle Sterling, who was suddenly diagnosed with cancer and then made homeless Michelle Sterling
Michelle Sterling’s world was thrown into turmoil when she was suddenly diagnosed with leukaemia – and then had to deal with being made homeless and facing the prospect of life on the streets.
Michelle, 60, who lives near Cardiff, was fit and active before her diagnosis and had even climbed the Himalayas before the disease struck.
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She became ill with what she initially thought was a chest infection but ended up in hospital where tests showed she had acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. She was so ill, doctors expected her to die.
Michelle began chemotherapy treatment straight away and her hair fell out. But she then faced further trauma when she lost the roof over her head.
Michelle, whose husband had 16 years earlier from a brain tumour, explained: “I was a mature student at university studying geography and geology at the time and was in my second year.
“I was renting a room at another student’s house and had only been there a couple of months when I was diagnosed with cancer.
“Before going to university, I had sold the house I had with my husband and got rid of all my furniture and I went travelling for a couple of years before starting university.
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“Unfortunately, two days after my cancer diagnosis, the student kicked me out as she did not want cancer in her home.”
Michelle was classed as homeless but she wasn’t able to go into a hostel or sheltered accommodation as the cancer and chemotherapy meant she was very prone to infection.
She spent six weeks as an inpatient, then another four going into hospital for daily treatment. Luckily, her university lecturer gave her a room at her home for that month.
The council found Michelle a flat – but it was completely empty. “I had sold all my worldly goods and had no money to buy anything I needed,” she said. “Luckily, I have amazing friends and they rallied around and got me things like a sofa.”
Michelle was put in touch with Macmillan through her specialist nurse at the hospital and they gave her a grant which she used to buy a secondhand cooker, fridge and washing machine.
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Macmillan also sorted out Michelle’s disability payment in advance so she had money coming in. “Macmillan were a complete lifeline,” said Michelle. “I was so grateful to have that grant which allowed me to get back on my feet and come out of hospital.
“Without Macmillan, I don’t know where I’d be.”
Michelle Sterling climbing the Himalayas before her cancer diagnosis Michelle Sterling
She added: “To suddenly go from being so healthy and active to being diagnosed with cancer and almost living on the streets was very surreal.
“The distraction of being homeless was such a worry that I almost forgot I had cancer as I didn’t have time to worry about what was happening to my body.”
Michelle, who is now in remission, told HuffPost UK: “Every person that has cancer will have a financial burden in some way unless they are lucky enough to have thousands of pounds sat in the bank.
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“Dealing with cancer and financial difficulties is hard enough, but it must be even worse for people during the Covid-19 crisis. People are very scared and stressed.”
“Receiving the life-changing news that you have cancer, for some people, is nothing short of a financial wrecking-ball.” - Lynda Thomas, chief executive at Macmillan Cancer Support
Lynda Thomas, chief executive at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “We hear from people living with cancer every day who are desperately worried about their finances – from worrying about paying their mortgage or putting food on the table, to holding off on switching the heating on when they need it and sitting at home chilled to their bones.
“It’s no exaggeration to say that receiving the life-changing news that you have cancer, for some people, is nothing short of a financial wrecking-ball.”
Anjam says she and her colleagues are gearing up for a fresh wave of calls as the furlough scheme comes to an end.
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“But with the fundraising crisis facing charities, we are not immune either. We are trying to juggle the financial impact on our service with trying to support cancer patients the best we can.
“We want to make sure any monetary and work issues they have are being looked after so they can get the support they need.”
She added: “It has been an honour to be able to carry on delivering this service for people living with cancer through these very difficult times. I feel very proud of everyone at Macmillan.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-24--How Black Businesses Are Bearing The Brunt Of The Pandemic

Black entrepreneurs have spoken of their struggles during lockdown in the wake of a report showing most received no financial support from the government.
The government is facing renewed demands to address systemic inequalities head-on after research found nearly two thirds of Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) business owners felt unable to access relief in the early days of the pandemic.
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As reported in The Telegraph this month, an inquiry by a committee of cross-party MPs and the Federation of Small Businesses found a large number of BAME owners said they could not access support because they were rejected, or because of strict qualification criteria and a lack of information.
HuffPost UK has spoken to Black-owned businesses who suggested a lack of trust in the government was also a factor.
It comes as another new report, published on Wednesday, finds systemic disadvantage is a key reason Black entrepreneurs experience worse business outcomes than their white counterparts.
The research by British Business Bank and Oliver Wyman, titled Alone Together: Entrepreneurship and Diversity in the UK, examines the effects ethnic and economic background, gender and geography have on business outcomes.
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The research, which will feed into the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities established by the prime minister in the wake of the George Floyd killing, showed that on average, Black entrepreneurs report much lower turnover (over a third less), productivity and profit than White owners.
Temu, owner of Ribbons & Bow Supplied
Temu is the founder of south London based gift hamper company Ribbon and Bow. Established in 2017, each gift box is curated with the idea of helping people to connect with their loved ones near or far.
During lockdown, the business saw a rise in monthly sales with more people buying self-care packages and lockdown birthday gifts due to restrictions. But being a mother of two young children, Temu found it difficult to work, with limited childcare options while her husband worked on the frontline.
She also found it difficult to access financial assistance from the government and said a webinar with the HMRC for business owners struggling during Covid-19 was “overwhelming” and geared to more established businesses.
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“It was off-putting and I actually feel that it was intentionally so to make the process so long that you decide it’s not something you want to do,” she told HuffPost UK.
“When it comes to taxes and doing your self employed assessment the process is simple. So I was surprised that this wasn’t reflected when it came to accessing financial assistance during Covid.
“A lot of the people who attended were asking the same questions, in the comments section, about how it works. I was told that if your business is eligible for the assistance you’ll be contacted – I wasn’t.”
Ribbon & Bow - Nov '19 Jade Golding
Temu is pushing forward as best she can. Not just for the sake of her business but to challenge negative perceptions around Black enterprise and help nurture much-needed visibility for such brands.
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“In the gifting industry, there’s a stigma that Black-made products aren’t good quality, or aren’t as great looking and professionally done as white counterparts. My products are for everybody but I think that some people are surprised when they realise that a Black woman is behind it. I work with Black owned brands and the quality of their products is amazing – that’s what I like to portray.
“For a lot of Black businesses it’s harder to be seen and showcased on broader platforms. That’s why I felt the need to not give up during lockdown and keep pushing, because it’s important that this changes.”
Sandra Monero was forced to close her Dalston shop Monero Dolls in July after her business was badly hit by lockdown.
The businesswoman, who opened the boutique selling her hand-crafted Black dolls in 2018, was initially unaware that she was even eligible for financial assistance from the government. Between March and June she signed on for Universal Credit to make ends meet.
“I didn’t know what to do, I was low, depressed,” she said. “My dolls weren’t selling, so I created a website. Things were still slow even up until June and then I found out, through word of mouth, that I was eligible for financial help help via the council.
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“I was forced to close but it has been a blessing in disguise. It caused me to stop and reflect on what to do next because, at the end of the day, this is my bread and butter”.
Sandra Monero Guinness Partnership
Monero, who now runs a pop-up shop nearby, selling her dolls alongside other traders, pointed to a number of “complex” reasons why Black business owners in particular are bearing the financial brunt of this pandemic including inadequate information, a strict qualification criteria and a fundamental lack of trust between marginalised communities and the government, something Temu also highlighted.
“Some are thinking: ‘What’s the catch?” said Monero. “What’s in it for the middle class, white government?’. Some people may ask questions like: ‘Why would someone want to give you free money?’”
She continued: “I can understand why people wouldn’t have faith in their government. They had to find the money all of a sudden – even when, for all of these years, people have been crying out for funding for mental health and youth services, the elderly...only to be told that there wasn’t any!”
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BAME campaigners have been calling for the government to launch a Covid-19 race equality strategy in the wake of growing evidence of inequalities amid the pandemic and fears of a deep recession.
Lord Woolley, former chair of the government race disparity unit’s advisory group, said he had had conversations with No.10 about such a review being instigated across Whitehall.
“It gives us a unique opportunity to tackle those deep-seated inequalities, which existed even before Covid-19, that could get very much worse, without dramatic action, without radical action,” he told The Guardian.
PA
Similarly, London mayor Sadiq Khan told HuffPost UK at the beginning of October: “The issues that affect the structural racism that exists haven’t been addressed and the government seems to be hesitant to accept there’s a problem and if you can’t accept there’s a problem, you can’t take action.
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“My fear is amplified by the fact that we know we’ve entered a recession but also if we’re not careful this recession will be extremely deep and having lived through the 1980s where Black people suffered disproportionately with mass unemployment I worry about another generation being written off in the 2020s like they were in the 1980s.”
During a private briefing for non-white journalists in April, HuffPost UK asked Chancellor Rishi Sunak if the Treasury will assess structural difficulties facing BAME businesses and individuals, to establish whether there are economic inequalities, above and beyond the idea of poverty.
He replied: “We are very cognisant of the types of sectors that are disproportionately impacted by what is happening and the types of people that work in those sectors.
“And it may not just be ethnicity that is important there, it might be there are various other factors as well that characterise people working in particular sectors of the economy that are impacted.”
But the reality is that Black businesses are continuing to struggle immensely.
In a Public Health England (PHE) review into how different factors can affect people’s health outcomes from coronavirus was published in June, poverty is flagged as an issue.
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Erika Brodnock, founder of diversity research organisation Extend Ventures, said a review by the Treasury would have “immeasurable” impact.
“By doing something like this, the treasury would be taking a genuine step towards putting systems in place that are evidence backed that will enable communities that are historically disadvantaged to level up,” she told HuffPost UK.
This summer Extend Ventures and Your Startup Your Story (YSYS) worked with community organisations to survey Black and ethnic minority founders to understand how they are surviving in this economic climate and whether the current government support meets their needs.
The results, published before this second wave of the Covid-19, were damning. Some 48% did not access or expect to qualify for any government support scheme, just 2% of the businesses were seeking government help and only 32% applied for grants.
monkeybusinessimages via Getty Images
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Brodknock added: “Entrepreneurship is often seen as a means to escape poverty and facilitate economic growth and that growth is then proliferated throughout communities.
“The fact is that Black and minority communities are consistently locked out of access to entrepreneurial support and funding for anything more than a kind of one man band-type shop or market stalls that can only really impact one family.”
Patricia Hamzahee, co-founder of Extend Ventures, told HuffPost UK: “Black people are the foot soldiers of small businesses in towns and communities around this country. As the government’s programmes for supporting businesses and self employed people were being rolled out, my anecdotal understanding from the people I know who are entrepreneurs and are managing businesses was that it isn’t getting to them.”
In June Ubele Initiative, a BAME-led intergenerational social enterprise, called for urgent action to support BAME businesses.
Writing to Alisson Rose, the CEO of Natwest bank, the group said: “BAME founders and owners, who are amongst the vulnerable customers you serve, feel their needs have been overlooked, before and after the onset of Covid-19. We must highlight that equal access to apply for support is not the same as ensuring equity in outcomes in accessing support.”
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A government spokesperson told HuffPost UK: “We are committed to levelling up opportunities for all – and that includes supporting entrepreneurs from all backgrounds to succeed.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-24--Then & Now: These 26 Photos Show How 2020 Changed The World

The events of 2020 have changed the world as we know it. Covid-19 has cost hundreds of thousands of lives and jobs, upended the education system and gutted industries. The deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others have further exposed the devastation of systemic racism and police brutality. With life materially changed, we are forced to rethink how we interact with our communities.
In this photo essay, 13 photographers from The Everyday Projects – a global collective working to dispel misperceptions by documenting their home countries – return to scenes they had previously photographed. By contrasting these images of past and present, of then and now, we are reminded of a way of life that once was, and confronted with the grim unknown before us.
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In addition to the 13 sets of before and after photos, you can also launch separate augmented reality experiences for five of the photographers’ locations. Immersive technology like AR has been touted for its ability to bring us virtually to places that we can’t visit physically. Amid the pandemic, this notion takes on an additional layer of relevance as travel restrictions and safety measures continue to limit visits with friends and family as well as the exploration of the world at large. Augmented reality provides an additional layer of depth, adding sound and texture to this important work.
In the five AR experiences below, you can transport yourself to Nairobi, Kabul, Afghanistan, Atlanta, Quito and Wuhan.
Click on the “Launch AR” button below the quotes to be taken into a 3D gallery experience, and hit the “Sound On” button to hear the stories of these five pairs of photographs from around the world.
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YORIYAS YASSINE ALAOUI | CASABLANCA, MOROCCO
Yoriyas Yassine Alaoui
Three men and a bench in Casablanca, but during two very different times. Close physical contact is a large part of Moroccan culture.
Above: June 15, 2016 | Below: Aug. 1, 2020
Yoriyas Yassine Alaoui
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DANIELLE VILLASANA | ISTANBUL, TURKEY
Danielle Villasana
Vendors switch from selling sunglasses to face masks at a stall in the Fatih Market in Istanbul, where wearing a mask in public is mandatory. Markets are an essential part of life in Istanbul, and every neighborhood has its own. Any given market is usually cramped, but since the pandemic, markets are empty compared to what they once were.
Above: July 31, 2019 | Below: July 29, 2020
Danielle Villasana
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BRIAN OTIENO | NAIROBI, KENYA
Brian Otieno
Along the Motione River in Kibera — a neighborhood in Nairobi — the riverbank where children used to play has been heavily polluted. The soil along the riverbank is often dug up by residents and used to build houses in the area.
Above: Nov. 9, 2017 | Below: July 29, 2020
“One day I met this group of children who were out there playing and having a good time. They didn’t understand about politics or elections; it was a moment that was real and different from what I have been photographing the last days.” - BRIAN OTIENO
Brian Otieno
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SHEILA PREE BRIGHT | ATLANTA, USA
Sheila Pree Bright
The locally nicknamed “Lost Cause” Confederate monument in Decatur Square in Atlanta was removed in June 2020 following years of protest. A hologram image of George Floyd, who was murdered by police in Minneapolis in May 2020, temporarily took the place of the Confederate monument. Floyd’s murder sparked international waves of protests.
Above: Sept. 9, 2017 | Below: July 29, 2020
“The only thing I can imagine is what liberation looks like from this painful legacy of violence in the United States for Black bodies.” - SHEILA PREE BRIGHT
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Sheila Pree Bright
ANDRE COELHO | RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
André Coelho
Thousands of people flock to Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro. Beach access was banned in March 2020 due to the pandemic and still remains so, with some exceptions. Despite this, thousands of people still visit Rio’s beaches daily.
Above: Oct. 26, 2008 | Below: July 23, 2020
André Coelho
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LAVINIA PARLAMENTI | ROME, ITALY
Lavinia Parlamenti
According to the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, in 2019, more than 55 million tourists visited museums and archeological sites in Rome, such as the Roman Forum, pictured here. Access to the site has been restricted to reservation-only.
Above: May 29, 2015 | Below: July 31, 2020
Lavinia Parlamenti
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JODI HILTON | SOFIA, BULGARIA
Jodi Hilton
“Before we die from the coronavirus, we will starve to death,” explained Yulian Metodiev, a Roma community leader. Fakulteta, the largest Roma settlement in Sofia, was quarantined in April 2020 after more than 2 dozen people tested positive for COVID-19. For those whose houses were slated for demolition, quarantine provided a brief respite. By July, however, more homes were bulldozed and families were left searching for shelter.
Above: April 20, 2018 | Below: July 29, 2020
Jodi Hilton
FETHI SAHRAOUI | MASCARA, ALGERIA
Fethi Sahraoui
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Where protesters once chanted slogans in opposition to the government of former Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, workers disinfect the Emir Abdelkader Square in Mascara.
Above: March 8, 2019 | Below: July 24, 2020
Fethi Sahraoui
YOLANDA ESCOBAR JIMENEZ | QUITO, ECUADOR
Yolanda Escobar Jiménez
“El Tingo” is one of the most popular local swimming pool complexes in Quito. Every weekend, holiday and vacation, hundreds of tourists flock there. The pool complex was closed in mid-March and there is no date set for its reopening. Above: May 2, 2015 | Below: July 31, 2020
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“If there's no people, there's no life in these spaces.” - YOLANDA ESCOBAR JIMENEZ
Yolanda Escobar Jiménez
XIAOJIE OUYANG | WUHAN, CHINA
Xiaojie Ouyang
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Meat and produce vendors work at a village market in Wuhan, China. At its peak, more than 100,000 migrant workers lived in the village. About 65% of the migrant workers decided not to come back to the village after the COVID-19 outbreak. Sales in the market have been negatively impacted.
Above: March 22, 2019 | Below: July 31, 2020
“What I want people to remember about this difficult period of time is people in Wuhan are very courageous.” - XIAOJIE OUYANG
Xiaojie Ouyang
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NILOFAR NIEKPOR | KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
Nilofar Niekpor
A classroom in the Dasht-e-Barchi settlement in Kabul. Schools in Afghanistan have been closed for nearly five months to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The closure of schools has had a huge economic impact on schoolteachers, and students have lagged behind in their lessons. There is no established online education system to take the place of in-person schooling.
Above: June 12, 2016 | Below: July 29, 2020
“The place that once upon a time was full of students’ laughs is in silence now.” - NILOFAR NIEKPOR
Nilofar Niekpor
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NANA KOFI ACQUAH | ACCRA and CAPE COAST, GHANA
Nana Kofi Acquah
Tribal chiefs in Ghana traditionally have an entourage that, among other things, uses an umbrella to shield the chief from the sun. Here, a chief of the Ga tribe visits the Chale Wote Street Art Festival in Accra in 2015. Below, Chief Nana Munko Eku VIII of the Fante tribe visits a wedding in Cape Coast in 2020, where he and his entourage wear masks.
Above: Aug. 23, 2015 | Below: Aug. 8, 2020
Nana Kofi Acquah
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RITESH UTTAMCHANDANI | MUMBAI, INDIA
Ritesh Uttamchandani
People on the rocks by the Haji Ali Dargah mosque in Mumbai. Built on an islet in 1431 to house the shroud of Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari, the mosque normally hosts more than 100,000 visitors each week. However, with the ongoing coastal road construction around the mosque, a large portion of the rocky bed surrounding the mosque is submerged and likely to sink further.
Above: Feb. 9, 2017 | Below: July 29, 2020
Ritesh Uttamchandani
Credits:
HuffPost: Ivylise Simones, Creative Director; Christy Havranek, Photo Director; Damon Scheleur, Photo Editor
WebAR experiences produced by RYOT: Laura Hertzfeld, Director, XR Partner Program; Guenever Goik, Head of CG; Patrick Love, Producer; Erik Lohr, Audio Director; Matt Valerio, Project Manager; Prabuddha Paul, CG Lead; Ricky Baba, Creative Director; SJ Johnson, Creative Dev Lead
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-24--Coronavirus Has Ushered In A New Era Of Social Media Dependence

Johner Images via Getty Images
It is hard for me to start writing this piece because I have started writing it in my head a hundred times. I have tried to format it into a tweet, then a series of tweets; a long Instagram caption, a Facebook status.
This now happens with nearly every thought I have. It pops into my head and, as it does, I try to come up with a way of expressing it on a social media platform. It is frustrating because that didn’t used to be the case. Well, it was the case for a long time, then it wasn’t, and now it is again.
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Like a lot of millennials hovering around 30, I grew up online and spent my early and mid twenties glued to my laptop and phone screen. a new app or website would launch and within months I would be hooked. I never really questioned it, and the constant technological innovations were too exciting to care anyway.
“With every bit of myself I throw into the online ether, I dissociate a little bit more from what is happening to us.”
First we tweeted by text, then Twitter got on our phones; suddenly there was Instagram, and filters, and Snapchat, and stories you could post, and gifs were everywhere, and Vine compilations were brilliant – and so on. Then something changed, around a year ago; maybe it was that we had hit a tech plateau, where new apps stopped being novel and bold.
Maybe I just aged; I had spent years live-tweeting my every thought, accidentally becoming semi-prominent in the process, and the constant exposure had started to feel draining. I also noticed that a lot of my friends were slowly separating themselves from their online personas. One by one, they started to tweet only sporadically, set their Instagrams to private, and generally became more guarded online.
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I can’t pretend I’d gone off grid by the time the pandemic hit; I was still posting frequently, but had been making efforts to scroll less, read more books, and generally not look at my phone when I didn’t need to. It was a process I was working on. I knew letting go of such a deeply ingrained habit would take time, but I felt I was on the right path.
That all came crashing down the moment lockdown started, of course. Suddenly, there was nothing to do but scroll, and no-one to share my thoughts with unless I tweeted them. I even kept up an Instagram presence.
Looking back, it is impressive I managed to post so many pictures given how starved my life had become of things worth picturing. I soldiered on regardless; selfies, sunsets, buildings encountered on walks, close-ups of the plants I kept compulsively ordering online.
What saddens me is not that I became so hooked to social media again in lockdown – there was nothing else for me to do – but that I am yet to reverse the habit. Even at the height of the summer, when us Londoners were lucky enough to have most of our lives back, I remained glued to my screen.
I used to find it rude when friends scrolled through Twitter while we had drinks, but suddenly I started doing it. On several occasions, I stopped walking in the street to take selfies because the light looked nice on my face, aware and mortified that passersby were clearly judging me.
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Some nights, I would go to bed, think of a quip and make myself leave my bed to tweet it because I knew I wouldn’t be able to fall asleep otherwise.
“I post pictures knowing that I will look at them again in a few months, and suddenly I am no longer stuck in the tedium of our current lives.”
Once again, social media is taking up a huge amount of space in my brain. I check my notifications on each app constantly and always in the same order, like a ritual, and I am frustrated if I have done something interesting on a Sunday afternoon but forgotten to post anything about it. I’d long wondered what it must be like to be a needy, angsty 13-year-old in the era of constant connectivity and now I know; at 28, I have become one.
Still, I wonder if there is some deeper coping mechanism at work here. As middle-aged columnists used to claim, documenting our every move meant that we were not living our lives to the fullest. By obsessing over, say, the pictures we took on a night out, we forgot to actually enjoy said night out. I am not sure their worries were entirely founded – I’m fairly certain I did manage to have fun when I meant to – but perhaps they had a point.
Every time I tweet a fleeting thought and post a picture from my daily walk, I break the fourth wall. I invite an audience into my head and welcome them into my life, and suddenly I am not alone anymore, nor am I living in the present.
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I post pictures knowing that I will look at them again in a few months, and suddenly I am no longer stuck in the tedium of our current lives. I’ve established a link to my future self, who will presumably want to remember what happened in the year of the plague, and scroll down her own Instagram for memories.
With every bit of myself I throw into the online ether, I dissociate a little bit more from what is happening to us. Suddenly, my life becomes a performance; a show about a woman trying to keep going through life when everything is uncertain and she feels quite sad and small.
Perhaps voluntary alienation isn’t the best way to go about all this and perhaps I should be feeling everything I need to be feeling so I emerge in one piece.
But perhaps that prospect is too daunting to consider, and instead I will keep my face close to my screen, where everything is a little bit less real, until it is safe to go out and live fully again.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-24--Black Mental Health Online Is The Next Pandemic

Protesters demonstrate outside the Nigeria High Commission in central London, over the Nigerian federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Sars) PA
Months after a surge of organisations and institutions committed to supporting Black people and turning the tide on anti-Blackness, social media companies are still yet to truly play their part.
And with the rise in devastating content of police brutality against End SARS protestors in Nigeria, social media companies can no longer waver on this issue.
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In May and June, there were waves of dedication to #BlackLivesMatter by all kinds of organisations and institutions. For many Black people, the sudden “white urgency” and spotlight was an overwhelming and intense period of time.
This was not least of all due to a continuous stream of graphic videos on social media, signifying even more that institutionally, both online and off, Black lives did and do not matter.
A few months later after hundreds – if not thousands – of commitments from these organisations and institutions, what progress has been made? At a time when protestors in Nigeria are fighting for their lives against police brutality, and people are using online mediums more than ever before, what are these institutions doing to show that Black Lives Matter online too?
Uploading and or sharing a piece of bystander content that shows violent, traumatic and triggering racial injustice with intention to spark a change has become a common tactic across our socials.
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In March, we saw that with Desmond Ziggy Mombeyarara, in May, we saw that with George Floyd, and we’re currently seeing it with the #ENDSARS movement in Nigeria.
There is an argument that with the right intentions, this can spark offline action and those with privilege and power to do more. It’s incredibly important to raise awareness of the injustices that Black people face worldwide. Without people posting about the Lekki Massacre, the world may not have known about it.
“Graphic content of police brutality has an impact on the mental health of Black people.”
But even the purest of intentions can cause unintended consequences and harm to Black communities – many of us want to be informed about what is happening and how to help without seeing public executions.
For Black people, the trauma contained in these videos translates offline – knowing that it could be us in a similar situation struggling for our lives, or knowing that it is our friends and family currently experiencing this trauma.
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Graphic content of police brutality has an impact on the mental health of Black people. Ultimately, social media companies should have an explicit duty of care to ensure that all users are protected when accessing their platforms, in the same way that it would with other graphic content, such as animal cruelty.
Platforms must make a commitment to shedding light on injustices as well as a commitment to digital citizenship so viral content on their platform doesn’t grow and generate profit at the expense of already marginalised communities.
Google, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok could – and should – ensure that those engaging with their platforms are given more autonomy with what they choose to engage in, through blurring violent imagery, trigger warning labels and filtering content.
It’s not easy to add trigger warnings when live streaming or documenting what is happening on the ground. What we all must avoid is publicly reprimanding brave activists and potentially triggering a pile on.
This where tech companies can facilitate – giving all users more autonomy to responsibly upload content in the first place as well as adding trigger warnings on trending topics and hashtags when they are aware there is graphic content. This already applies to some topics, but is not always consistent.
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Thousands of videos of police brutality and racial injustices worldwide have circulated on social media and will continue until there is systematic change.
Until we reach a point where videos like this no longer exist, and no longer need to be circulated, social media platforms must invest and facilitate more appropriate ways to campaign online, a way that centres the dignity, humanity, mental health and wellbeing of Black users.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-24--I Would Never Have Chosen Homelessness. But This Is What It Taught Me About Resilience

LOADING ERROR LOADING
I would never tell anyone that there are positives to experiencing homelessness. But equally, I think it’s important to look back at experiences of adversity, and consider what they taught us.
Looking back, my experiences of homelessness made me far more resilient. They enabled me to look at tough situations as things I can get through rather than just things I have to accept. And they’ve taught me that to make it through, you have to truly believe you can find a solution.
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Resilience can take many forms, but broadly it means we develop coping mechanisms and maintain balance in what could otherwise be overwhelming situations. It means the ability to stay calm in the face of a crisis. Something I know about first-hand.
It’s without a doubt terrifying when you don’t know where you will be sleeping from one night to the next, but when it’s your only option you have to just get on with it. Fight or flight takes over, and without knowing it you’re on autopilot.
When you’re expecting to stay in the same place all weekend and then you’re told with half an hours notice you have to leave, there is literally nothing you can do about it. At first that lack of control is hard to deal with, but you realise that kicking off or trying to fight it will only make things worse for you. The only way to deal with it is to focus on the few things you can control, your attitude, your mindset, and getting through one hour at a time. You have to learn to accept the things you can’t control, including the unpleasant feelings and emotions that undoubtedly come with any experience of homelessness. You get to a point where you realise you can’t avoid them; you just have to let them pass.
“When you get put in a hostel with 18 other young people where drugs and antisocial behaviour are commonplace, it changes how you view the world.”
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When you get put in a hostel with 18 other young people where drugs and antisocial behaviour are commonplace, it changes how you view the world. It makes you realise that while everyone is responsible for their own behaviour, they are not responsible for many of the often traumatic things they have been through, which have a direct affect on their attitudes, thoughts and actions. Often people have very few options, and you can never judge the choices someone makes when you don’t know what options they had to begin with.
While you come to understand that everyone you’re living with is dealing with a tough situation the only ways they know how, it doesn’t make it any easier when you’re living it. You have to learn to live with the constant noise, arguments and fighting and the fear that brings, because what other option do you have?
Things will kick off. It’s inevitable when so many young people are living under the same roof, so you can’t show weakness; it can and will be used against you – your sexuality, your mental health, the fact that your best friend died recently, anything that will get a reaction. At first you react. How could you not? Eventually you learn that whilst it’s hurtful, it’s also coming from a place of hurt – they want to get to you, but they don’t really mean it.
It makes you more responsible for your own behaviour when you realise how much of an impact other people’s behaviour has on you. You have to respond positively and treat everyone how you want to be treated, even if it’s not reciprocated.
You have to stand up for yourself otherwise people will walk all over you. Whether it’s saying no to drugs or lending someone money, people will take advantage of your kindness, but that doesn’t mean you should stop being kind. At times the fear takes over and will continue to if you let it, but sitting around and feeling sorry for yourself will get you nowhere. You have to be proactive, come up with your own solutions and make the best of bad situations.
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“It’s safe to say that the things I learnt whilst I was experiencing homelessness helped me massively during six months of lockdown.”
Services that are stretched beyond their means will give up on you; they will pass you off to the next charity. But it teaches you that no matter how many people give up on you, you must never give up on yourself. You have to have your own back even if no-one else does.
It’s safe to say that the things I learnt whilst I was experiencing homelessness helped me massively during six months of lockdown. I was able to stay calm and develop coping mechanisms to deploy when my usual support networks weren’t available. I was also aware that many of the things I was seeing online we’re fuelled by fear as so many people we’re suddenly living in fight-or-flight, and I know what that’s like. I was used to the unknown, so I found not knowing how long I’d be stuck inside, or unable to see my friends for, easier than a lot of people.
Resilience isn’t something you either have or you don’t, it’s something we can actively choose to build and work on. It’s about coping in tough situations, but also about adaptation and positive growth.
Anyone who has experienced homelessness will tell you that it doesn’t define them, however some of the thing’s homelessness teaches us, such as resilience, do and will continue to define us. It can be hard knowing that we can never forget tough experiences, and obviously I couldn’t choose not to experience it. Some days I wish more than anything I could forget, but I know I can’t, so I choose to use what the experience taught me as a force for good.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-24--Is The World Ready For Harry And Meghan – The Reality Stars?

Dressed in chinos and plaid shirts and spilling profundities about climate change with an accent thicker than treacle, Prince Harry is the polar opposite of the classic reality star.
When rumours began circulating that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex might be doing a reality show as part of their much-hyped Netflix deal, many refused to believe it. But why is the idea really so shocking?
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The royal couple’s relationship with the press is well documented. Last year Harry criticised the tabloid’s coverage of his wife Meghan Markle, and has spoken of his disdain towards certain press tactics: “I won’t be bullied into playing a game that killed my mum,” he stated in an ITV documentary last year.
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex at the Commonwealth Day Service 2020, their last formal public appearance as a royal couple. Chris Jackson via Getty Images
But those on the inside say Harry isn’t typically hostile with the media.
Numerous pap shots have surfaced during his short time living in California already, and they’ve shown the prince looking relaxed in front of the camera.
He’s been going about his day job; campaigning and volunteering with charities such as Baby2Baby, which helps children in poverty.
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Sources teased that a reality show was also in the making, but Harry and Meghan have denied they are working on anything of the such following a story The Sun ran in September.
“They may have had all these lofty ideas about producing epics highlighting environmental causes and the poverty gap, but Netflix obviously want their pound of flesh,” a source reportedly told the newspaper.
“It will all be very tasteful, and not Katie Price and Peter Andre-style reality TV, but they want to give people a glimpse into their lives and see all the charity work they do.”
Addressing the rumours, a representative for the couple said in a statement: “The Duke and Duchess are not taking part in any reality shows.”
Of course, ‘reality TV’ is a broad term. The representative’s statement appears to confirm the couple won’t be followed by cameras in the typical reality show format, but part of the couple’s Netflix deal could be a documentary-style project featuring them in front of the camera.
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We already know that Harry and Meghan have founded a production company and signed a deal with Netflix to create new documentaries and feature films.
“Our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope,” the couple have said. “As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us.”
So what might they produce?
Experts that spoke to HuffPost UK believe it’s likely that any docu-film project that the couple put out with Netflix will be focussed more on their campaigning work than the couple themselves, and will be similarly as controlled as their photoshoots showing them conducting charity work in California.
“I would imagine such a reality show would revolve around causes and charity work close to Harry and Meghan’s heart,” says Samir Hussein, a royal photographer who has snapped Harry since 2010. He believes the idea of the couple being in front of the camera isn’t so far-fetched.
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“Provided the reality show was on [Harry’s] terms then he will come across as comfortable,” Samir says.
A show where Harry and Meghan go about their activism in Los Angeles is certainly easier to imagine, even if it’s the inside of their home - and lives - that we really want to see.
Paul Braund, a TV producer who has developed ideas for documentaries in conjunction with royal palaces including Kensington Palace, agrees.
Prince Harry mingling with the press at the Invictus Games in 2016 PA
“All you really want to see is what they’re really like together, what the dynamics are, does Meghan really wear the trouser?” says Paul. “But I’d be very surprised if they did anything reality-like. It’d be amazing if they did, but I can’t imagine anything fly-on-the-wall-esque.”
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Majesty Magazine editor and royal expert Ingrid Sewart says Harry has always been comfortable in front of the camera.
“As Prince Harry is probably one of the most photographed people in the world – because he was in front of the camera from the moment of his birth when he was carried by his mum out of hospital 36 years ago – I think he will be good,” predicts Ingrid.
“He does, however, need to loosen up a bit and not be so serious. But if he is being followed by a camera rather than speaking directly into a lens, he should manage this well.”
“The question about what he will become is dependent on who advises him.”
But producing a good TV show takes more than just a comfortable performance in front of the camera: it requires the perfect team behind it too, reminds PR expert Mark Borkowski.
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“They’ve hardly got the talent to be producing,” he says. “If you think of something like Obama’s great hit on Netflix, think of all the people who got involved to make it: he was a figurehead who bought in lots of people. I’m not seeing any trade news at all so I would assume they’re still playing around with the hype.”
Mark believes that when it comes to the Netflix deal, the devil will be in the detail.
“The question about what he will become is dependent on who advises him,” he says. “Some of the biggest names in Hollywood get submerged in their own ego and hubris and are suffocated rather than listening and being challenged by critical people who keep them on message.”
Providing Harry finds the right team, what does it take to produce a show featuring the most talked-about couple in the world?
“There’ll be so many ideas,” says Paul Braund. “It would be a huge team that would come up with a bunch of wild ideas and a few would get pitched to the couple.”
Countless independent production companies and their development teams would be drumming up new ideas, he says.
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“It would need to be something really credible,” says Mark. “Commissioners always ask, ‘Why now?’ ‘What’s the reason for doing this show now?’ I’ve been in the industry ten years and I’ve pitched 500 channels. You need the right time, the right access, the right talent involved, and a really unique idea no one’s heard of before.”
With the right packaging, photographer Samir believes a production crew should embrace the fact that Harry will probably want to focus the show on his charity work. That will “help him not be too preoccupied with the cameras,” and “allow him to focus on what he cares about in a natural way,” he says.
When shooting passion projects, such as last year’s ITV documentary, Harry is easy to work with: “It would be rare for him to issue special requests,” says Samir.
SIPA USA/PA Images
Whatever the final product, Harry’s establishment upbringing will result in the couple “wanting final say and a lot of creative input,’ believes Paul.
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“You always see a guy who didn’t want to get on with the life he was born into,” says Mark Borkowski, who believes Harry can make a strong success of a career in TV. “He can easily become a campaigner in some sense: not quite an Attenborough, but someone who understands the issues of mental health.
More than a trusted and familiar voice on climate change and equality, Mark believes the prince could go one further, positioning himself as a modern kind of national treasure - one that feeds his home nation as well as the US.
“He could become the ultimate agony uncle as he gets older,” he suggests.
The question left unanswered, of course, is what the contents of the Netflix deal means for Harry and Meghan away from the world of entertainment. Will public opinion soar with the couple allowing us into their lives, and could the shows they produce bring some of their tabloid detractors on side?
They may not care what other people think - but there’s no denying that when these documentaries drop they’ll be some of the most talked-about pieces of entertainment around, defining a new era for the royal family and Harry and Meghan alike.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-24--Strictly's Emotional Return And A Countdown Howler – 10 Things From The Week In Showbiz To Make You

Strictly's Emotional Return And A Countdown Howler – 10 Things From The Week In Showbiz To Make You Smile

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The world around us might be in a sorry state of affairs, but things inside the showbiz bubble were looking a lot more sparkly this week, thanks in part to the return of a certain ballroom show.
But there was lots of other stuff that helped raise a smile in an otherwise gloomy week too.
From Gemma Collins being Gemma Collins and a proper Countdown howler, here’s our favourite moments of the past seven days...
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The return of Strictly
A veritable explosion of joy, glitter and camp, the Strictly Come Dancing launch show was exactly the kind of escapism we needed – as cliché as that may sound.
The BBC pulled out all the stops to get the show on the road in the middle of a global pandemic, and we don’t mind admitting that seeing the pro dancers gliding across the ballroom again in the opening number made us feel a bit weepy.
Bring on the rest of the series.
Adele is back – and with new music?
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Earlier this week, Adele sent her fans into meltdown after announcing she’s set to guest host Saturday Night Live this weekend, sparking speculation new music might be on the way.
While she’s insisted her hosting stint is a “stand alone moment” we can’t help but cross our fingers that she’s about to announce the follow up to 2015′s 25.
In the meantime, a preview of Adele on the SNL set has also got us very excited to see her in action on Saturday – check it out above.
Countdown serves up a howler
Channel 4
Rachel Riley’s face said it all when comedian Shappi Khorsandi suggested “blowie” as a solution to one of the anagrams.
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Sure, it’s not exactly sophisticated humour, but we’ll take the laughs where we can get them these days.
Having a snoop around the old Big Breakfast house
Channel 4/Rightmove
Before the Big Brother house or the Love Island villa, the Big Breakfast mansion was TV’s most famous property, which is why we loved having a good old nose around it this week.
The east London home has recently been put on the market over 18 years on from the end of the Channel 4 breakfast show – and it could be yours, if you happen to have a spare £5.7m lying around.
Drag Race UK is back on track
BBC
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There were two big RuPaul’s Drag Race UK announcements this week. First, judge Alan Carr announced that filming is set to resume in the next two weeks, after it was halted midway through back in March due to the pandemic.
And then, Dawn French confirmed herself as one of the guest judges for the new series, which should hopefully be back on our screens in the new year.
Love Life on BBC iPlayer
BBC
If you’ve finished Schitt’s Creek and rewatched the entire Sex And The City boxset twice over then we might just have the show for you. Love Life has been nestled away on BBC iPlayer for a few weeks now and has become a sleeper hit in the process.
Anna Kendrick brilliantly heads up a superb supporting cast as we follow her character Darby’s quest to find The One in New York. Each episode covers a different ‘love’ (including friends and family, as well as lovers) as Darby navigates her world of relationships from the early noughties to the present day.
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It’s a warm, nostalgic treat that’s perfect for a weekend binge (each of the 10 episodes are only 30 minutes long). Oh and expect to have serious pangs of wanting to fly to New York.
The GC forgets to check her Collins dictionary
Gemma Collins/Instagram
Despite being a self-proclaimed “massive fan of the dictionary”, it seems Gemma Collins didn’t consult one before getting her latest sweatshirt design printed.
Fans of the former TOWIE star pointed out the spelling mistake after Gemma shared snaps of her modelling the new design on Instagram.
Can you spot it?
Gemma Collins has a caravan park meltdown
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Staying with The GC, her reality show continued in ridiculous fashion this week, as she paid a visit to a caravan park.
And despite having a luxury winnebago to kip in, it wasn’t enough for the Essex diva, who was soon on the phone to her manager, begging to be booked into the nearest five-star hotel.
Blake Lively delightfully rips husband Ryan Reynolds
Blake Lively poked fun at her Canadian-born husband Ryan Reynolds after he voted in a US presidential election for the first time.
She posted a picture of her and Ryan – who was born in Vancouver before becoming a naturalised US citizen in 2018 – holding their ballots and the caption was suitably silly.
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“It was Ryan’s first time. He was understandably scared. It all happened so fast. Like, REALLY fast. He wept. I pretended to weep. Then he called all his friend,” she joked.
Gogglebox’s Julie Malone has a hairy moment


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-24--Tories Are ‘Praying’ Joe Biden Becomes President. Here’s Why They Want Him

With just over a week to go until the US presidential election, British Conservatives are finally going public with their support for Joe Biden.
Boris Johnson’s former chancellor Sajid Javid has declared that “Britain is better off with Biden”, and many others in his party are “praying” for a Trump defeat.
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Tory MPs told HuffPost UK that they were backing the Democrat because of climate change, foreign policy such as the Iran nuclear deal and “the return of dignity” to the White House.
With Johnson’s Downing Street scrambling to build links with the Biden team in recent weeks, several backbenchers said that the PM’s own standing among the public could also be helped if Trump was no longer on the scene.
Ever since former premier John Major’s government was accused in 1992 of digging dirt on Bill Clinton’s youth in the UK, the Conservative party has been reluctant to wade into presidential elections.
Johnson, who said of Trump in 2015 “I am genuinely worried that he could become president” swiftly changed his tune once the reality TV star and real estate developer looked like a serious contender for the Republican nomination a year later.
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🇺🇸 Running Mate is a US election podcast – just for Brits. Now available everywhere.
Since Trump became president he has torn up convention by undermining Theresa May and openly supporting Johnson as her successor, and the two men have tried to form a strong bond over a post-Brexit UK-US trade deal.
Yet Trump’s divisive rhetoric and his quixotic approach to world affairs has led many Tory MPs to conclude that both the country and their party would be better off if he loses the 2020 election. One insider told HuffPost that “the vast majority” of Downing Street staff wanted a Biden victory.
Former foreign office minister Sir Alan Duncan. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Former foreign office minister Sir Alan Duncan, who had to deal with Trump up close during his visit to London in 2019, said: “Trump has been a global embarrassment and the most unenlightened Western leader I’ve ever come across.
“I very much hope that Biden wins and a modicum of dignity can be returned to American politics. At the very least, we would get better manners and the basis of a government rather than a reality show. Trump has been rude, has degraded all Western politics and has brought shame to America.”
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Sir Alan added that with Congress being the real decision makers on any post-Brexit trade talks, it was moot whether Trump could ever deliver on the speedy, comprehensive deal he had promised.
“A lot of people have deluded themselves into thinking an easy trade deal was always available with Trump. But it never was, because trade deals are extremely complicated.”
Sajid Javid’s long-time unease with Trump finally spilled over into a withering Daily Telegraph opinion article on Friday, in which he attacked the president on his opposition to free trade, his support for “oppressive strongman leaders” in China and elsewhere, and his lack of “moral authority”.
“A Biden administration would quickly realise that Boris isn’t the British Trump some claim him to be. When it comes to policy, Biden will find he has more in common with the Johnson government than Trump ever did. He may not single us out for unique treatment, but in reality neither did Trump,” Javid said.
Suggesting Biden would rebuild and unify America like Ronald Reagan, Javid said the Democrat was appealing to voters’ “best hopes”, not their “worst fears”. “Britain is better off with Biden,” he concluded.
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Prime Minister Boris Johnson with Sajid Javid PA Wire/PA Images
Unlike many ministers in Theresa May’s government, Javid had never been afraid to stand up to Trump.
When the US president retweeted videos from the far-right group Britain First, the then communities secretary accused Trump of endorsing the views of “a vile, hate-filled racist organisation that hates me and people like me”. “He is wrong and I refuse to let it go and say nothing,” he said at the time.
So POTUS has endorsed the views of a vile, hate-filled racist organisation that hates me and people like me. He is wrong and I refuse to let it go and say nothing — Sajid Javid (@sajidjavid) November 29, 2017
Javid was also furious that he was not invited to the Queen’s State Banquet with Trump last year, despite being home secretary and more senior to those who were invited such as Michael Gove and Penny Mordaunt.
But after Trump’s increasingly inflammatory conduct over the Black Lives Matter protests this year and refusal to condemn white nationalists or conspiracy theorists (like QAnon), it seems that Javid’s view of the president has become that of a mainstream majority on the Conservative benches in the Commons.
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Rob Halfon, a former minister and chairman of the Commons education selection committee, said: “The only way the conservative movement around the world can reshape itself is if Trump goes. He’s poisoned the well for a very long time.
“He’s cast a stain on conservatism and it will force the Republican party to reform and get their own version of Obama. Pre-Covid, I actually think Boris was more like Ronald Reagan, with a sunny outlook, than Trump.”
Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the house. Sarah Silbiger via Getty Images
For some Conservatives, however, Biden’s stance on recent claims the UK would break international law on Brexit has proved too big a bar to endorsing him. “Biden annoyed a lot of us with his courting of the Irish vote during the controversy over the Internal Markets Bill,” one former minister said.
Another backbencher and ex-minister agreed that Nancy Pelosi and Biden had gone too far at the time. “Trump may have his fault but he is a good friend of the UK,” he said. “As we leave the EU, he would certainly be a better president to help us get a good and quick free trade deal with the US so I would prefer a second Trump presidency.”
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But several other Tories disagreed. Former minister and newly-ennobled Tory peer Lord Vaizey said that while some right-wing Conservatives were with Trump on his strong stance on Israel, Nato funding and Iran, many would be happy with Biden.
“It’s always been the case that centrist Conservatives have as much in common with the Democrats as they would with Republicans. Most Conservatives from the left to the right would say they were fans of Reagan, and broadly be happy with both Bushes.
“When push comes to shove we tend to be Republican leaning. We were happy with both Obama and Clinton. Clinton’s presidency was only tainted by the fact that it was a bro-in with Blair as we were at our lowest ebb.
“There would be a lot of Conservatives who would feel extremely comfortable with a Biden presidency, because what he’s proposing is not radical in our view: universal health care, and maybe a few tax rises on the wealthiest.
“And you want to deal with someone who is going to be a more predictable partner in terms of the UK-US alliance. You want to see an America that’s stopped turning in on itself and hopeful have a president that can bring the country together.”
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Vaizey said that the UK’s hosting of next year’s climate change talks could also prove the benefit of a Biden presidency. “There are some climate change sceptics in the Tory party, and some who have sympathy with Trump’s latest stance on China.
“But there’s no doubt at all it would be quite useful when we are hosting COP 26 to have an American president who actually does take climate change seriously and puts the might of the US behind it. Because obviously, it’s been very smart of the Chinese to try and seize that mantle.”
One Tory MP, who preferred to remain anonymous, said: “Coming out of the closet as a Conservative for Biden is getting a lot easier, to be frank, given the state of the polls. But some of us just think we should be consistent and stay out of their elections, and they stay out of ours. Having said that, of course I want him to win. It’s a no-brainer to have someone more stable.”
Former minister Sir Simon Burns PA
Sir Simon Burns, a former Tory health minister who retired from parliament in 2017, revealed he had actually canvassed in Manchester, New Hampshire, for the Biden campaign in February, when the former vice president hit his lowest ebb, coming fourth.
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“I came back from America thinking, he’s got an uphill battle if he can survive. And then a few weeks later South Carolina came along and he never looked back.”
“When I supported Clinton in 1992 and 1996, I was the rare exception in the Tory party and was seen as an idiosyncrasy. By 2004, with George W Bush I suspect over half the Tory party were simpatico for the Democrats and that was certainly the case in 2008.
“Now I think a reasonable number of Tory MPs in the lonely early hours of the morning are praying that this nightmare that America has had for the last four years is going to be removed by the American electorate. I would imagine Theresa May won’t be shedding too many tears either, given the way she was treated by him.”
One former senior government figure said: “The vast majority of Tory MPs would agree with Javid. Even the vast majority of people in Downing Street, apart from a few culture warriors who might vote Trump but not very many. I suspect Saj also feels very personally some of the Trump attack on race relations and some of his language he finds very offensive.
“We will get on fine with Biden. There are some people around Biden who view the UK as an irresponsible renegade [given Brexit], but I’m sure they and he can get over that.”
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Freddie Sayers, executive editor of the right-of-centre website UnHerd, said he hoped that a Biden administration would not try to settle scores or try to restore an “establishment elite” that had driven many Americans to vote for Trump in the first place.
But he added: “Personally I think the fact that he is of good moral character is quite important. He’s old, but his heart is in the right place and people care about that.”
Younger Tory party activists really began to lean Democrat under Obama, he said. “I was in Iowa [for the primary] in 2008 and there was a bunch of [David] Cameron staffers who were going wild for Obama.”
However, some former Cameron aides like Steve Hilton have come out forcefully for Trump, and Sayers says for some Brexiteers Trump remains temptingly in line with their “buccaneering” vision of nation states.
“The Tories are so confused as to who they are at the moment. Biden/Trump is a proof of that confusion. Are they the nice multilateralists who are going to restore British values to the world, or are they populists who are wanting to reveal ‘the lie’ of the consensus of the party 30 years and show how it was broken? They just don’t know.”