thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-15--Hundreds Of People Contacted As Coronavirus Case Emerges After London Bus Summit

Hundreds of people contacted as coronavirus case emerges after bus summit PA
Health officials have contacted more than 200 people who attended a conference in central London after it emerged one delegate is suffering from coronavirus.
Public Health England (PHE) sent a letter to those who were at the UK Bus Summit at the QEII Centre in Westminster on February 6, including several MPs, two of whom have now decided to stay mostly at home.
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The person taken ill is one of the nine people diagnosed with coronavirus in the UK.
Dr Yimmy Chow, consultant in health protection at PHE, said: “One of our main priorities has been to identify any people who we think have been in close contact with confirmed cases of Covid-19 to provide public health advice, as they may be at slightly increased risk of catching the virus.
“While the degree of contact conference delegates may have had with the case is unlikely to have been significant, we have taken a precautionary approach and informed them of the situation.”
Sources told the PA news agency the bus summit case is not linked to the UK’s ninth case of coronavirus, who is a Chinese woman.
The Transport Times emailed delegates and enclosed a letter from PHE saying they should take no action if they were well but to stay indoors, avoid contact with others and call NHS 111 if they developed symptoms such as a fever or cough.
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“While the degree of contact you may have had with the case at the summit is unlikely to have been significant, we are taking a precautionary approach and informing you,” the letter said.
The bus conference listed about 250 delegates from the nationwide bus and transport industry.
Among the speakers were buses minister Baroness Vere and former parliamentary under secretary of state for transport Nusrat Ghani.
Labour MP for Nottingham South Lilian Greenwood, who also spoke at the summit, tweeted that she had received PHE’s letter and had decided to cancel appointments.
She added: “I’m feeling completely well but to be extra-cautious I’m cancelling my public engagements until 20th February. Sorry for any inconvenience.”
Just to be clear I’m not exhibiting any systems https://t.co/k52vy3SSgY — ((( Alex Sobel MP ))) (@alexsobel) February 14, 2020
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Labour MP for Leeds North West Alex Sobel, who also attended the summit, said he was not unwell but had decided to stay at home as a precaution.
He has cancelled engagements until the end of next week.
His office told PA he had not undergone any coronavirus testing and was not due to be tested.
He said: “Public Health England gave the advice that I should take reasonable precautions.
“Right now I should be at surgeries with constituents. We thought it a reasonable caution to self-isolate until next Wednesday evening.
“I’m fine. I’ve got no fever. But as you can present after up to 14 days, I’ve taken these precautionary measures.”
Sobel said he only found out about the risk through the media and was “concerned” other attendees may still not know.
Another attendee, who did not wish to be named, said: “We all received an email. The advice was ‘just carry on if you’re feeling fine, if you’re not, lock yourself up’.”
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He said he had no symptoms.
It comes as United Airlines confirmed it offered assistance at Heathrow Airport on Friday after a passenger fell ill on one flight.
Reports on social media suggested the person involved may have had symptoms of coronavirus.
At least one more plane has been held at Heathrow for checks.
A woman seen on a tube wearing a face mask. A total of nine people in the UK are now being treated for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Doctors have warned that the London Underground could be a hotbed for the coronavirus. (Photo by S.C. Leung / SOPA Images/Sipa USA) SIPA USA/PA Images
United Airlines said in a statement: “Our team at London Heathrow Airport is providing assistance related to United flight 901 (San Francisco-London Heathrow) today, following reports of an individual becoming unwell onboard.
“The safety of our customers and employees is our highest priority and we continue to work closely with local authorities.”
Andy West, from Henley-on-Thames, told PA that passengers were warned by the United plane’s captain that they could be on the tarmac for a while because “seven other planes” in the same situation had also landed at Heathrow.
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He did not see the ill person or any medics enter the aircraft.
Passengers were allowed to disembark half-an-hour later after filling out forms asking for their contact details and to confirm they did not have any symptoms of coronavirus.
Meanwhile, a Channel 4 employee is among those being tested for coronavirus after feeling unwell following a trip to Asia.
A Channel 4 spokesman said: “On Thursday, a member of staff at Channel 4 who had travelled to Asia within the last month felt unwell.
Covid-19: confirmed cases PA Graphics
“As a precautionary measure, they decided to seek medical advice and, in line with the latest public health advice regarding the coronavirus, they were taken to hospital for a precautionary test.
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“We have informed our staff of this and continue to follow all the latest public health guidance.”
NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said on Thursday that many more people in the UK may need to self-isolate to contain the illness, which has been officially named Covid-19.
It comes as it emerged that the woman who is the UK’s ninth case of coronavirus took an Uber to A&E after she developed symptoms.
Two staff from Lewisham Hospital in south London are now in isolation at home after coming into contact with the woman.
In mainland China, the death toll from Covid-19 has passed 1,500 after health authorities reported another 143 deaths early on Saturday morning.
That increase saw the total reach 1,523 deaths.
However authorities also said the latest 2,641 daily new cases of the virus represented a “major drop”, due to the widespread implementation of a new diagnostic method.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-15--Robbie Williams And Wife Ayda Field Welcome Fourth Child By Surrogate

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Robbie Williams and his wife Ayda Field Williams have announced they have welcomed a baby boy via a surrogate.
Ayda revealed the birth of Beau Benedict Enthoven Williams to fans on Instagram.
Robbie Williams and Ayda Field David M. Benett via Getty Images
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She wrote: “On this Valentine’s Day, we would like to celebrate love in the most awesome way.
“As with Coco, he is biologically ours, but born via our same incredible surrogate.
“We are so blessed to have our healthy son safely in our arms and are officially complete as a family.”
Alongside the message she shared a photograph of the baby’s feet next to those of his siblings.
The couple’s daughter Colette (Coco) Josephine Williams was also born using a surrogate in 2018.
They also have a daughter, Theodora, born in 2012, and son Charlton, born in 2010.
Following the birth of Coco, Ayda explained that she and Robbie endured a “long and difficult path” trying for another baby.
The 40-year-old said: “Family comes in all forms, and this little lady, who is biologically ours, was carried by an incredible surrogate mother, to whom we will be eternally grateful.”
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Last year, Ayda admitted she was “desperate” to have a fourth child during an appearance on Loose Women.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-15--This Is What Living With Chronic Pain Is Really Like

Illustration by Sara Andreasson for HuffPost
This story is from HuffPost in the US – and part of Pain in America, a nine-part series looking at some of the underlying causes of the opioid addiction crisis and how we treat pain.
Chronic pain comes in all different shapes and sizes — it burns, it aches, it stabs and throbs. Some people’s pain is linked back to muscle and joint injuries, whereas others’ pain is caused from conditions like endometriosis, cysts, nerve damage and inflammation.
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And even though chronic pain — or the type of pain that lingers for months or years on end — affects about 20% of the population, we still don’t know too much about it. Many of the conditions that cause chronic pain are poorly understood, and researchers have yet to clearly identify how the brain processes different types of pain.
For many, the pain is unbearable — 8% say their pain is so intense it interferes with their ability to live. They can’t work, they can’t date, they can’t travel or work out. It can touch every part of your daily life.
Here’s what it’s actually like living with chronic pain.
Diagnosing pain is a tricky business.
Maskot via Getty Images
Identifying the root of chronic pain isn’t easy. According to Christin Veasley, the director of the Chronic Pain Research Alliance, there’s a historic underinvestment in pain research, which means medical experts know very little about the mechanisms behind pain.
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Diagnostic criteria has often been based on pain in a specific body part. “The thought is that if you have pain in your knee, there must be some sort of active disease process going on in the knee,” Veasley said.
But research has since shown that chronic pain is actually linked to irregular pain pathways all around the central nervous system (so while one might feel pain in their knee, that may not be where the pain is actually coming from). As a result, diagnosing pain is a wild game — and many conditions go either undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.
Take Jaime, a 28-year-old marketing manager in Philadelphia who experienced aches in her arm after getting ankle surgery in 2018. She was diagnosed with golfer’s elbow and put on a physical therapy plan. She was given a cortisone shot, ultrasound therapy, massages and acupuncture. Her arm pain didn’t improve and her doctors said there was nothing else they could do.
One year later, Jaime’s physical therapist suspected the pain wasn’t coming from her arm, but her neck. An X-Ray and MRI revealed three herniated discs in her neck causing damage along the nerves running through her arm.
“This entire journey has been incredibly frustrating,” said Jamie, who wished to withhold her last name to talk freely about her medical issues. “Ultimately, each step in figuring out what was wrong with me led me to where I am now, with a correct diagnosis, finally.”
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You often don’t look “sick.”
When it comes to getting help, the stigma associated with chronic pain holds many people back, explained Deena Kuruvilla, a Yale Medicine neurologist who treats headache and facial pain.
“Many patients may not be coming forward due to the fear of being stigmatised,” Kuruvilla said.
Peter Whang, a Yale Medicine spine surgeon, added that there are frequently no tangible signs of chronic pain that people can see, and because of that, people with chronic pain don’t get much sympathy from friends, family, partners and co-workers.
“People may assume you’re faking it, crazy, depressed, or just drug-seeking — in many cases, it can be very difficult for these patients,” Whang said.
Plus, people with chronic pain often feel judged or criticised for how they handle their symptoms. According to the Institute for Chronic Pain, it can seem like everyone in your life has an opinion about how you should or could be coping, causing those with the pain to feel ashamed, misunderstood or defensive.
Finding a treatment isn’t a straight path.
wutwhanfoto via Getty Images
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There’s a major lack of evidence regarding which treatments work for different types of pain.
Veasley, who’s lived with chronic pain for 25 years after a car accident she was in as a teenager, said this process can be taxing as patients and clinicians often follow a “trial and error method” of testing out different treatments. It can take months to years to find the right therapy, and even then it’s not a cure — but just a way to manage symptoms so the person can function again.
Furthermore, pain changes over time and treatments may stop working or start causing a range of side effects.
People give advice, and lots of it.
Nikoly Babikian, who has endometrioma (an ovarian condition causing intense pelvic pain, especially during menstruation), said getting advice from others has been both a blessing and a curse.
On one hand, it eventually prompted her to go to the hospital and demand a diagnosis. On the other hand, the endless advice other women shared about how they handle their own period pain normalised her situation for years. Everyone seemed to have period pain, she said, so she never really thought to seek medical help for her issues.
Much of the advice given is unsolicited, with people sharing what has worked for them.
“While coming from a place of love, I don’t need those close to me telling me to ask the doctor more questions. Trust me, I’m asking all the questions,” Babikian said.
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Additionally, Kuruvilla said she seen tons of patients try out advice regardless of whether it’s been scientifically studied or not.
“Many of my patients come to me after pursuing many treatment options recommended by their friends, co-workers, spouses or even acquaintances,” Kuruvilla said, noting it’s crucial to be very cautious as to which advice you heed as some of it may be quite dangerous.
Pain is inconsistent.
Prakasit Khuansuwan / EyeEm via Getty Images
Pain is hard to predict — there’s usually no concrete way to know how you’re going to feel from day to day, let alone hour to hour, Veasley said. It can ebb and flow depending on various factors: your sleep, mood, activity level, stress levels and diet.
“The only thing that is consistent about my pain is that I have felt some level of pain every single day for about 16 months,” Jaime said of her battle with nerve pain.
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However, it really varies from patient to patient, according to Whang. While some people will be in pain on a daily basis, others will feel it more sporadically.
Because of the unpredictable nature of pain, planning a life can be a huge challenge. Many people with persistent pain struggle to hold down a job or relationship since their pain may flare up at any time and cause them to back out of plans or responsibilities, time and time again.
Learning to live with it is incredibly challenging.
Babikian said one of the hardest things about living with endometrioma is trying not to feel like her body is failing her. At 29, she worries she shouldn’t be experiencing so much pain at such a young age. Her days revolve around her pain and doing whatever she can (from using Advil and heating pads to medical marijuana) to keep it from building.
But that’s the reality of living with chronic pain. You can’t just take a pill and be done with it. It stays, its impact ranging from minimal to complete devastation, Veasley said. For most, pain can have a tremendous psychological impact — because when you can’t do the things you want to do, it can affect every facet of your life: your work, relationships, responsibilities and your ability to function.
“I have to keep reminding myself that I still have a life to live and I need to keep living it,” Babikian said.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-15--Richard Burgon Says Jeremy Corbyn Could 'Come Back'

Richard Burgon is best known for an unwavering loyalty to his boss, Jeremy Corbyn.
But the Yorkshire MP, who is among five standing to be Labour’s next deputy leader, is also devoted to another high-profile socialist - Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa.
“He correctly said at a Leeds United press conference - and I really don’t think the Yorkshire Evening Post knew how to take it - that the people of Chile have shown the way to the rest of humanity in their opposition to neoliberalism,” the shadow justice secretary tells HuffPost UK, unable to resist cracking up with laughter.
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“The response was: oh yeah, but why’s Patrick Bamford not scoring goals?”
The 39-year-old is cautiously optimistic his beloved team will be promoted to the premier league in second place, much as he might hope he can clinch the deputy leadership with second preference votes, should hot favourite Angela Rayner fail to clean up in the first round.
Burgon refuses to accept that Labour’s radical nationalisation agenda handed Boris Johnson’s Conservatives an 80-seat majority, despite many voters being sceptical the country could afford the full slate of rail, mail and utilities being brought back into public ownership.
Should he win, the party’s new leader - Keir Starmer is the current favourite though Burgon backs Rebecca Long-Bailey - will have to watch their step.
“I will be laser focused on getting them into No. 10,” he says. “But no leader, in my view, has the mandate to throw a single policy from the 2019 manifesto in the dustbin without the express permission of Labour members, despite what some candidates for leadership say.”
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His comments in particular are aimed at Wigan MP Lisa Nandy, who during a debate this week said Labour cannot promise to “nationalise everything”, adding: “We have no idea how we would do it.”
Burgon adds: “It’s not because of those policies that we lost, it is because it became the Brexit election that Boris Johnson wanted.”
He adds of Nandy: “When she made those comments, it was like going back in a time machines to the stale, failed social democracy of the past.
“I am disturbed at the way Lisa Nandy seems to criticise socialist policies in the manifesto and say things weren’t fully costed when they were.”
Richard Burgon MP addresses the protest on January 4, 2020 Guy Smallman via Getty Images
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Burgon would broadly agree with new Labour MP Zarah Sultana, who claimed in the Commons that the country has endured “40 years of Thatcherism”, hitting out at Tony Blair’s New Labour government.
“I think that parameters of Thatcherism and neoliberalism weren’t fundamentally challenged since 1979,” he says.
“So the 1997 to 2010 Labour government did some fantastic things but it didn’t fundamentally alter the power structures of the economy, or the power structures in society in a way to dismantle neoliberalism, and that’s not to undermine the fantastic things that the government did, from the minimum wage to extra investment in schools and hospitals.”
He argues that complacency about hanging on to Scotland and the party’s so-called ‘red wall’ heartlands in the north and midlands began under Blair.
Burgon says: “Obviously it was 2015 when we were crushed in Scotland, but even that was a crisis many years in the making.
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“I remember hearing people during Blair and Brown’s leadership, saying, ’oh don’t worry about Labour in Scotland they’ve got nowhere else to go.”
On calls for a second Scottish independence referendum, he adds: “I think that if the people of Scotland want an independence referendum, then Westminster shouldn’t seek to block it.
“However, my personal opinion is if there is a second referendum I myself would argue against the advisability of independence for Scotland.”
“If he was shadow foreign secretary, that would be ideal” - Richard Burgon suggests Jeremy Corbyn deserves a frontbench role
Burgon says Labour’s decision to back a second Brexit referendum lost Corbyn the election.
“Keir was the architect of our move towards a more ‘Remainy’ position,” says Burgon. “Now, everyone knows that - that’s just a fact.”
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He believes, however, that all should bear responsibility.
Burgon also refuses to criticise Corbyn’s strategic communications director Seumas Milne. Or his chief-of-staff turned digital campaigns chief Karie Murphy who faces a string of bullying allegations, which she denies.
“They are both great people,” he says. “I think they both have done a good job. And the both managed to work for the party under incredible pressure.”
He adds it is for the next leader to decide whether the two stay in post, and adds: “I will defend both Karie and Seumas as decent people who throughout Jeremy’s leadership worked as hard as they could for the movement and worked as hard as they could they could to get a Labour government. I do think that attacking staff is not something I agree with.”
Who is Richard Burgon? Richard Burgon’s favourite book is J.R.R Tolkien’s Lord Of The Rings.
He says he has read it “maybe 15-times” after first encountering the book when he was 12-years-old. “It’s like a book I will read every few years because having a bit of escapism is important,” he says.
His top three favourite films are Terminator 2, Psycho and Remains Of The Day, and his favourite song is Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Iron Maiden.
Asked about MPs from different parties, he cites Caroline Lucas as “very good on green issues” and says Westminster needs “more conviction politicians” like the SNP’s Mhairi Black.
He says: “Mhairi Black has been good at getting people interested in politics she clearly says what she thinks that’s important.”
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One issues that has repeatedly dogged the Labour Party has been Corbyn’s failure to handle anti-Semitism, with Burgon getting into hot water over previous comments about Zionism.
Ex-Labour MP Ruth Smeeth is among those who has accused leadership and deputy leadership candidates of failing to act.
Burgon insists Smeeth’s comments were not directed at him and that Labour is “not a racist party”.
“If Jeremy Corbyn had been elected PM, he would have been the most anti-racist PM in our history,” he says.
Burgon sees the former leader as having a “valuable role” to play in Labour’s future, perhaps even on the frontbench.
“If he was shadow foreign secretary, that would be ideal,” he says.
“He is still young, of course, because [left wing US senator] Bernie Sanders is nearly 10 years older. Who knows, he could come back.”
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It’s not clear that Corbyn backs Burgon’s leadership bid but he calls him “a friend and a comrade”.
“I’ve never met a more principled, less egotistical person than Jeremy Corbyn and plenty of his critics are not fit to lace his boots,” he says.
As secretary of the Socialist Campaign Group of MPs, set up in 1982 by Dennis Skinner and his hero Tony Benn, Burgon is undisputedly the most left-wing candidate for the party’s second-in-command.
“Angela isn’t from the same part of the party that I am,” he says, stressing he nonetheless respects the shadow education secretary. “That’s not criticism, it’s just a fact.”
He admits, however, that he faces an uphill struggle to win.
“One of the things to overcome is the perception it’s a foregone conclusion that Angela will win just because she’s got a lion’s share of CLP nominations,” he says.
“Last time I looked she had about 300, which is very impressive, but I’ve got 70 and 70 is not bad at all.”
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Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn points his fingers at the end of an eve of poll rally in London, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Some of Burgon’s policies have been eye-catching, to say the least.
The Leeds East MP, who is a qualified solicitor, supports reforming the party’s constitution so Corbyn’s public ownership aims are hardwired into Labour’s DNA and open selections, which would see MPs face regular battles to remain the Labour candidate.
His so-called “peace plan” would also see Labour members balloted over military action, unless it had UN backing or was a genuine national emergency, though he insists this policy does not force MPs to vote against it.
“I’m not a pacifist,” he says. “Going back into the dim and distant periods of time, the Spanish Civil War was a time when I think military action was needed in support for the socialist Spanish government. And obviously, defeating fascism, along with our allies was a huge contribution to humanity in the Second World War.
“This policy by the way arises from my experiences as a young labour member marching against the policy my own labour Prime Minister at the time Tony Blair.
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“Never again should Labour members have to protest, not in our name against their own party.
“If Labour MPs are still determined to vote to bomb people in other countries, there would be nothing constitutional stopping them doing that. But they would know that they go into that voting lobby without the support of the Labour Party.”
Born in Leeds, his family supported striking miners during Margaret Thatcher’s reign in the 1980s, but it was during his time studying English at Cambridge University that Burgon became involved in politics
“I was meeting people at Cambridge, who were no cleverer than the people I went to school with school in Leeds, but would end up ruling society through their connections and the confidence that their background gave them,” he says.
“Some of the kind of people I met most people didn’t think existed apart from in a Harry Enfield sketch - you know Tim ‘nice but dim’ - but these people would end up being very powerful. Why should we leave it to them to run the show?”
Burgon backs abolishing private schools - “they are engines of social inequality” - and while he insists “there was no clash” with Rayner over Labour’s failure to adopt the policy, he insists that if party members back a policy it should be in the manifesto.
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Burgon also faces a lot of criticism and abuse, which he puts down to his left-wing outlook.
It doesn’t get to him too much. Burgon, who if he wins the deputy leadership will celebrate with a non-alcoholic beer and a vegan burger, thinks some of it is “quite witty”.
“If people don’t want to carry on brightening up my evening, by putting amusing memes about me or some witty wordplay, then fine, it actually sometimes it gives me a lift,” he says.
“Generally, it doesn’t bother me. I’m not a woman. I’m not black. I’m not gay. So I don’t receive that kind of discrimination abuse that some of my colleagues, unfortunately, do.
“I think some abusive tweets to me, well .... people should get out more and it’s water off a duck’s back.”
He adds that he will spend his energy fighting Boris Johnson.
“One of the reasons I don’t respect Boris Johnson is, quite apart from his odious views, I don’t really know what he believes in apart from himself.
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“So, whereas even Tony Benn had some kind of grudging respect for Thatcher, because she was clear in what she believed in, I don’t even have any grudging respect for Boris Johnson because all I think he believes in is himself.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-15--'I Am Strong': How We Felt Sexy Again After Having Kids

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You’re reading How To Get Off, our series celebrating bodies, pleasure and fantasy.
From ads about how to lose baby weight, to discussions over whether Meghan Markle got her ‘pre-pregnancy body back’ as fast as Kate Middleton, the pressure on looking good after having a child is intense, to say the least.
For many parents – particularly mothers, of course – the reality of what happens to your body after having children can be a shock to the system, as you find yourself battling with stretch marks, weight changes and even hair loss.
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But there’s another side to life after children – for some, the confidence gained through becoming a parent leaves them feeling sexier than ever. After all, they’ve been through the pain of childbirth, sleep deprivation, breastfeeding or juggling a work-life balance – and made it through to the other side.
Here, seven HuffPost UK readers tell us how they channel their inner sexy.
‘I have a ‘give no fucks’ attitude!’
Claire Boyle Claire Boyle with her children Edie and Otis
Claire Boyle, 38, has two children: Edie, 5, and Otis, 3.
“I care so much less about how I look now and it’s liberating. My identity shifted after having children and I think more about the decisions I make. Every time I shave my armpits or fret about my appearance, I’m giving my daughter and son a message or expectation, and I need to think carefully about what that message is.
“I’m a stone heavier than I was before. Pre-children, I would’ve felt upset about it. But now, I have more of a ‘give no fucks’ attitude, which means I have more confidence in most aspects of my life. A knock-on effect of that is that I feel sexier. Having a baby – and I don’t just mean the physical act of pushing the baby out, but the whole package – changes the way couples view each other. Seeing my partner with our children makes him more attractive.
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“Perhaps the reason people don’t think you can feel sexy after children is more to do with what their perception of ‘sexy’ is. After having kids, you realise ‘sexy’ can be many things. It’s not just lingerie and candles, it’s seeing the other person in a whole new light and loving that for what it is – not what you thought, or were told, it should be.”
‘Life is too short to wear clothes that don’t make you feel good’
HuffPost UK NicolaEmmett
Nicola Emmett, 39, has two children: Luke, 3 and Alex, 10 months.
“After having my first child, I suffered from postnatal depression and turned to food for comfort. I was lucky I didn’t have long-lasting physical effects from the birth, but I did have stretch marks. Towards the end of my pregnancy I got really itchy and my skin had scarred. The second time around, I had a much better birth and I also saw a women’s health physio. She said something I hadn’t known before: it takes nine months to have a baby, and another nine months for your body to recover.
“So, I gave myself a break. It’s not about getting my ‘pre-baby body’ back, but having gone through labour and birth – and having two little ones to care for – I get less stressed about things that aren’t important. I’ve binned a load of jumpers thinking, ‘Life is too short to wear clothes that don’t make you feel good’ and I’ve bought colourful clothes, because I feel confident and happier. I don’t mind being noticed. My legs and arms are so much stronger. I still have a tummy, but if someone snapped their fingers and said it could go away, I don’t know if I’d want it to, because it’s a reminder of who I am and what I’ve been through. Becoming a mother has made me.”
‘I feel sexier in a bikini now than I did in my 20s’
Gemma Walmsley Gemma Walmsley
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Gemma Walmsley, 38, has two children: William, 7, and Pippa, 6.
“My body massively changed when I fell pregnant. After my first child, I got back into shape quite quickly because I did Pilates and aerobics during pregnancy. I fell pregnant again soon after, but things didn’t spring back as quickly. It was also difficult to juggle being a parent with my busy job in PR, so I gave up work and retrained as a personal trainer.
“While doing that, I was studying physiology and knew I needed to be a good ‘role model’ for my clients. I didn’t have a long work commute anymore so I spent time in the gym. I changed how I ate and thought about the food I was putting into my body. I got into marathon running and that changed the shape of my body, too. Plus, as a mum, it was really the only time I got on my own.
“And the benefit of all that? I feel a lot more sexy in a bikini now than I did even in my 20s. I’m in better shape now than I’ve ever been – I’m now able to run ultra-marathons and take part in 30-mile races up mountains. When you focus more on training and you set yourself goals, your mindset changes too. Age, experience, being a parent and the confidence I get in being able to achieve huge distances with my running definitely affects how I feel about my body.”
‘I’m more comfortable with my ‘new’ body’
Sarah Lang Sarah Lang
Sarah Lang, 35, has four children: Rory, 11, Rowan, 9, Frances, 5 and Harry, 2.
“For me, it took time to get where I’m at now. I feel more sexy and confident than ever before. I’ve become more comfortable with my ‘new’ body and worry less about what other people think.
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“I never used to take time out to look after myself – it was only after I had my third child that I started feeling like me again. I took more of an interest in fashion, makeup and experimenting with different styles, and that’s helped me with my body confidence and self-esteem.
“I’d advise any mum who’s not feeling like themselves to take a step back and go and find your ‘sexy self’ again – because you can definitely be sexy as a mum. It’s all about self-confidence and body positivity, not what your body should look like.”
‘I love everything about this body’
HuffPost UK Megan nichole
Megan Nichole, 30, has two children: Michael, 3, and Maya, 4 months.
“Before my first pregnancy, I felt happy enough with my body. I wished for a bit more muscle tone but overall, I was mostly content with how I looked. I didn’t really focus much on my body during pregnancy, but towards the end – as my stomach started getting large – I started to worry about stretch marks and whether I’d lose the weight. After giving birth, I remember going to the hospital bathroom by myself. I lifted my shirt up and saw my stomach and stood there, with my mouth open. Nothing prepares you for seeing your body in the mirror for the first time after you give birth. It was mortifying.
“Over the next few weeks and months, I forgot about my body given that I was in the throes of first time motherhood. Three years and another baby later, I’ve grown to love my body. I’m five months postpartum now and the weight hasn’t fallen off like it did with my first child. But I am so much more confident and happy with my body. It’s finally sunken in what my body is capable of. I love everything about this body. I’d say I feel ‘sexy’ about 50-60% of the time. If I actually have time to do my hair, put on real clothes, and apply a bit of makeup, yes—sexy it is. But I feel confident in my body about 90% of the time now.”
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‘I feel strong and self-assured as a result of going through labour’
Hannah O'Donoghue-Hobbs Hannah O'Donoghue-Hobbs and her daughter, Cora
Hannah O’Donoghue-Hobbs, 28, has a daughter: Cora, 2.
“I’m so passionate about body positivity and acceptance. When I found out I was pregnant, I was in full wedding mode – I was obsessed with the scales, the gym and my measurements! I was at the gym a lot until I went into labour, but not as a weight-loss thing. It was more because it was my routine. It was one thing I was able to control when everything else was changing.
“Since I’ve had Cora, I have lumps and bumps – some down to her, and some down to my passion for curries and her leftovers – but I feel strong and self-assured as a result of labour and having my girl, and I think with that definitely comes sexiness!
“I grew up worrying about my frizzy hair and my big teeth and glasses – but not anymore! Of course, we all have our wobbles, but when you have little eyes watching you, you have to snap yourself out of it sharpish. I do think that feeling ‘badass’ comes from inside you.”
_______________
Women aren’t the only ones who gain body confidence after having children. Here, one dad shares his story.
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‘I don’t have an issue taking my top off anymore’
Chris Mullan Chris Mullan
Chris Mullan, 39, has two children: Lola, 9, and Tilly, 5.
“Before I had kids, I’d got into a routine of working hard, drinking and eating too much. Then I had children, and settled into mundane life. I was content, I didn’t want to change. But one day I looked at myself and realised I was overweight. As soon as I admitted that to myself, I wanted to do something about it – so I started running. I was working for a charity helping disabled people and signed up to run a marathon to raise money for them. At that point, I was 20 stone.
“The more I ran, the healthier I became – and the happier I was. I started to feel sexy. I don’t have an issue with taking my top off, now – whereas for years I did. I’m quite a stocky guy, and it’s a fine line between ‘moobs’ and pecs! I started getting attention from other people – more ‘likes’ on Instagram, comments from the opposite sex – and it made me feel good about myself.
“I feel amazing now. I feel very confident, but I haven’t forgotten what I was like before. I know that if I’m looking good, I feel good. And I also feel sexier when I’m exercising, because of the endorphins.”
How To Get Off is our answer to Valentine’s Day, celebrating bodies, pleasure and fantasy – whatever your relationship status. We’ll be exploring what really gets us off in 2020, looking at sexual awakenings, toys and erotica, and real-life experience.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-17--5 Things We Learned About The Duchess Of Cambridge From Her First Ever Podcast Interview

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The Duchess of Cambridge has spoken candidly about her “utterly rotten” experiences of pregnancy, as well as her journey into motherhood.
Joining Giovanna Fletcher on her Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast, Kate reflected on her own happy childhood, and said being a parent is a huge challenge.
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“You are pulled to your toughest and the most unknown places that you hadn’t necessarily known about before,” she said.
Here are five things we learned about the Duchess from her first ever podcast interview.
HuffPost UK Kensington Palace
She used hypnobirthing during labour
The Duchess revealed she used hypnobirthing, which includes techniques such as deep breathing and visualisation, to help her through pregnancy and birth, saying she discovered the “power of the mind over the body”.
Hypnobirthing helped her deal with hyperemesis gravidarum – a severe form of morning sickness, which she described as “utterly rotten” – during her pregnancies. She also used the techniques during labour.
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“I saw the power of it, the meditation and the deep breathing and things like that ... and I realised that this was something I could take control of, I suppose, during labour,” she said.
“It was hugely powerful and because it had been so bad during pregnancy, I actually really quite liked labour! Because it was an event that I knew there was going to be an ending to.”
She was intimidated by that first post-birth photocall
Yui Mok - PA Images via Getty Images
When Kate walked down the Lindo Wing steps clutching Prince George in 2013, mums around the world were gobsmacked by her polished appearance. So much so, some shared jokey pictures of what they looked like post-birth.
But on the podcast, Kate revealed that while she looked cool as a cucumber on the outside, it was a different story on the inside. Asked how she found doing that first photocall, she replied: “Yeah, slightly terrifying, slightly terrifying, I’m not going to lie.
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“Both William and I were really conscious that this was something that everyone was excited about. And, you know, we’re hugely grateful for the support that the public had shown us, and actually for us to be able to share that joy and appreciation with the public, I felt was really important,” she said. “But equally it was coupled with a newborn baby, and inexperienced parents, and the uncertainty of what that held, so there were all sorts of mixed emotions.”
She practised the car seat manoeuvres with William
Remember when Kate passed baby George to William, who then secured him in a car seat and drove off? The seemingly seamless manoeuvre was carefully choreographed, Kate revealed, but still didn’t go exactly to plan.
“We were like: ’What do we do? He’s going to be in a swaddle. How is this even supposed to work?” she laughed.
“We’d even tried to practise with a little doll at home – but it just never works out the way you’ve planned it. It was quite hard to do that, I think, on the world’s stage, but he did a very good job.”
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She underestimated how parenthood would impact her life
The Duchess revealed she didn’t know she was going to have a boy with George, saying she wanted the gender to be a “surprise”. She then pointed out that you can’t plan for every element of a pregnancy and parenthood.
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“The challenge is then when you’re sent home with your newborn baby, particularly as a first-time mother, and you’re like: ‘Oh my goodness, am I okay to do this?’” she said.
“Particularly with your firstborn baby, you think everything is going to go back to the way it was before. I think I totally underestimated the impact it was going to have on our lives, really. And I think unless you’ve got children, you don’t realise – no amount of planning and preparation can get you ready for that moment.”
Things didn’t necessarily get easier with Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, she said, adding: “No pregnancy is the same, no birth is the same.”
PA In the podcast, the Duchess said she treasures this photo of Charlotte smelling a bluebell. "It's moments like that that mean so much to me as a parent," she said.
She experiences ‘mum guilt’
When asked if she ever experiences “mum guilt”, Kate replied: “Yes absolutely! I think anyone who doesn’t as a mother is actually lying.
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“Even this morning, coming to the nursery visit here, George and Charlotte were like: ‘Mummy how could you possibly not be dropping us off at school this morning?’
“It’s a constant challenge, you hear it time and time again from mums. Even mums who aren’t necessarily working, aren’t pulled in the directions of having to juggle work life and family life – there’s always something.”
Kate added that a “wise man” told her she doesn’t have to be “everything to all people, all the time” – and that’s been “a real weight off [her] shoulders”.
″[I’ve learned] the more people you have around your children who are safe and loving and caring, the better,” she said.
“It’s not totally my responsibility to do everything. We all have good days and bad days and actually, if you can dilute that with others who aren’t on that particular day struggling, I think it makes such a difference to your child and actually, to keeping them as happy and as constant as possible.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-17--Trump's Campaign Manager Tweeted A 16-Year-Old Photo Of Air Force One

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President Donald Trump’s campaign manager Brad Parscale tweeted – then deleted – a stunning image of Air Force One behind a large crowd at Florida’s Daytona 500 after Twitter users noted that the image was 16 years old.
The tweet, which was posted on Sunday and stayed up for around three hours, was retweeted at least 6,700 times and liked 23,000 times before it was removed, CNN reported.
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″@realDonaldTrump won the #Daytona500 before the race even started,” the image was captioned.
The picture, which was shot by photographer Jonathan Ferrey in 2004, depicts Air Force One taking off from the Daytona Beach International Airport, which is adjacent to the speedway where the NASCAR race takes place. It was used as a file image in media reports in the lead-up to Trump’s appearance at Sunday’s event, but actually carried former President George W. Bush.
In this 2004 file photo, Air Force One takes off with former President George W. Bush aboard after attending the NASCAR Nextel Cup Daytona 500. Jonathan Ferrey via Getty Images
After removing the tweet, Parscale posted a new and less dramatic image from Sunday’s race with the same caption:
.@realDonaldTrump won the #Daytona500 before the race even started. pic.twitter.com/nzZXK6Gww6 — Brad Parscale - Text TRUMP to 88022 (@parscale) February 16, 2020
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Prior to its deletion, Twitter users identifying as Trump supporters replied to the original tweet with messages like “Amazing shot wow” and “WOW WHAT A SHOT!!!!!!!!!” CNN reported. Others pointed out the image’s origins and questioned whether it was an honest mistake or intentionally misleading:
Brad, that photo is from 16 years ago. — Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) February 16, 2020
The question is always—-was this an honest mistake or is trumpworld using an another presidents photo dishonestly. https://t.co/w22UjkQVI4 — Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) February 16, 2020
The Trump campaign did not immediately return HuffPost’s request for comment.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-17--Elton John's Tour Promoters Speak Out After Singer Tearfully Cancels Show Halfway Through

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Tour promoters for Sir Elton John have confirmed the singer fully intends to go ahead with the rest of the dates on the current leg of his world tour, after having to cut a performance short due to ill health.
Over the weekend, the singer broke down in tears in the middle of a show in New Zealand and had to be escorted off stage to a standing ovation, hours after bein diagnosed with “walking pneumonia”.
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Posting on Instagram, he explained: “I was diagnosed with walking pneumonia earlier today, but I was determined to give you the best show humanly possible.
“I played and sang my heart out, until my voice could sing no more. I’m disappointed, deeply upset and sorry. I gave it all I had.”
A representative for Chugg Entertainment has now confirmed that, aside from one rescheduled date, Sir Elton will now continue the rest of the New Zealand leg of his world tour as scheduled.
“Elton John was disappointed and deeply upset at having to end his Auckland concert early last night,” they said. “At this stage, all remaining shows will go ahead as planned.”
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His scheduled performance in Auckland on Tuesday night will now go ahead on Wednesday night instead, while another show is also set to go ahead on Thursday.
Elton John performing in Auckland, before he was forced to cut his show short Dave Simpson via Getty Images
According to the American Lung Association, walking pneumonia is a “non-medical term for a mild case of pneumonia”.
Generally called atypical pneumonia, it can be caused by bacteria or viruses and symptoms, including a cough, fever, chest pain, mild chills and a headache, are similar to that of a bad cold.
Symptoms are usually mild enough for a sufferer to be able to continue their daily activities.
Sir Elton’s Auckland show came less than a week after he won the Oscar for Best Original Song, along with his long-time writing partner Bernie Taupin, for their contribution to the Rocketman soundtrack, (I’m Gonna) Love Me Again.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-17--The Definitive Ranking Of The 35 Greatest EastEnders Characters Of All Time

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Hundreds, if not thousands, of people have graced Walford with their presence since 19 February 1985. But as we celebrate 35 years of Walford woe, which EastEnders characters have made the biggest impact?
Who have been the most memorable drama kings and queens over the years? Narrowing down this list was no mean feat, so please don’t give us any Argee Bhajee about not including Fat Elvis or Mr Papadopolous.
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We’re kicking off with numbers 35-21...
35. Lou Beale
Anna Wing 1985-88
BBC
They sure don’t make ’em like they used to, and Lou Beale represented a generation of battle-hardened, no nonsense East End women. Her final scene, delivering home truths to her assembled family, is a masterclass in tough love.
34. Patrick Trueman
Rudolph Walker 2001 –
BBC
A hit with the ladies, the elder statesman of the Square brightens up every scene he’s in thanks to that twinkle in his eye. He’s also easily the best dressed man in Walford.
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33. Colin Russell
Michael Cashman 1986-89; 2016
BBC
‘Yuppie’ graphic designer Colin wasn’t the first gay man in British soap – that was Brookside’s Gordon Collins. But it was kind hearted Colin who made a bigger impact, sending the tabloids into a rabid froth while winning over the viewers.
32. Shabnam Masood #2
Rakhee Thakrar 2014-16
BBC
The second version of Masood and Zainab’s daughter saw the character become a complex, spiky, layered and smart young woman. Her stillbirth storyline was truly devastating.
31. David Wicks
Michael French 1993-96; 2012-14
BBC
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Car salesman David managed to combine two recurring ’Enders tropes – the rubbish parent and the disappointing son. But he did it with such charm and swagger that we can see why Cindy and Carol couldn’t resist him.
30. Sonia Fowler
Natalie Cassidy 1993-2007; 2010-11; 2014-
BBC
The trumpet was packed away years ago and life has made one long ‘sad trombone’ sound ever since. She’s one of Walford’s less showy residents, but you underestimate Sonia at your peril.
29. Ian Beale
Adam Woodyatt 1985-
BBC
In a show with such a high mortality rate, being the longest serving character is quite an achievement. (If a nuclear bomb ever goes off in Walford, Ian would probably survive it). We’ve seen him go from teenage Thatcherite to successful businessman, but his pursuit of money and status hasn’t made Ian happy. His wives all left him, his children are either dead, absent or despise him and even his own mother barely has a good word to say about him.
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28. Zainab Masood
Nina Wadia 2007-13
BBC
Outspoken, gossipy and obsessed with her family’s standing in the community, Zainab could have been an unlikeable character. Yet her insecurities made us embrace her flaws and we were always Team Zainab when it came to her battles with judgmental frenemy Bushra. Zainab’s deep-rooted struggle to accept that son Syed was gay was powerful stuff.
27. Bianca Jackson
Patsy Palmer 1993-99; 2008-14; 2019
BBC
Gobby, stroppy and her own worst enemy at times, Bianca could be a puffer jacket-clad nightmare who thought the world was out to get her. But we all knew that behind that bravado she wasn’t quite as tough as she made out – and that’s why we loved her. Patsy Palmer probably dies a little inside when yet another member of the public yells ‘Rickaaaaay!’ at her in the street, though.
26. Kathy Beale
Gillian Taylforth 1985-98; 2015-
BBC
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Nobody brings glamour to the greasy spoon like Kathy. This husky-voiced diva has been known to serve up life lessons with the fry-ups, but her wisdom has been hard earned as she’s endured unspeakable tragedy. (No, we don’t mean the knitwear she wore during the ’80s). Responsible for one of the show’s most jaw-dropping twists when she stepped out of a black cab looking remarkably fresh for a woman who had been ‘dead’ for a decade.
25. Carol Jackson
Lindsey Coulson 1993-97; 1999; 2010-15
BBC
Feisty, proud and protective of her diverse brood, Carol is one of the strongest matriarchs to ever grace the Square. Constantly let down by the men in her life, Carol remained dignified and we genuinely think she wouldn’t look out of place in a Mike Leigh film.
24. Ronnie Mitchell
Samantha Womack 2007-11; 2013-17
BBC
Misery loves company, and Ronnie’s batshit crazy trials and tribulations were extreme even by Walford’s standards. She went from Ibiza party babe to a woman whose grip on reality was tenuous and she made some very questionable life choices. The ice cool blonde baby-swapping, car boot assassin was a divisive, larger than life character who was always watchable.
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23. Frank Butcher
Mike Reid 1987-2000; 2002; 2005
BBC
Would you buy a used car off this man? Absolutely! Frank was the original diamond geezer, a real charmer whose gift of the gab sealed deals and made Pat and Peggy go weak at the knees. Much more than just a spinning dickie bow, Frank was a towering physical presence but he was also deeply flawed and often unable to face problems head on. Yet he rightly remains one of the show’s best-loved male characters.
22. Stacey Slater
Lacey Turner 2004-10; 2014-19
BBC
Despite not being part of the original Slater family set-up, Stace quickly established herself as one of the show’s dramatic heavyweights. Whatever is thrown at her– bipolar disorder, rape, murder, postpartum psychosis – there’s an intensity which fans just can’t get enough of. And the reveal of Stacey’s affair with father-in-law Max is a proper ’Enders Christmas classic.
21. Lisa Fowler
Lucy Benjamin 1998-2003; 2010; 2017; 2019-20
Lisa Fowler BBC
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In 2001, a whopping 22 million viewers tuned in to discover ‘Who Shot Phil?’ The culprit – the emotionally volatile Lisa – has been a recurring thorn in Phil’s side. But if he ever thinks that his ex is weak due to her fragile mental state, he should remember that she survived having both Peggy and Pauline as a mother-in-law. Lisa’s journey hasn’t all been about being a victim though, as her friendship with Mel will always be one of the strongest that Walford has seen.
Coming tomorrow: Numbers 20-11.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-17--ITV Insists They 'Constantly' Offered Caroline Flack Guidance After Assault Charge

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ITV has claimed the corporation “constantly” offered guidance to Caroline Flack, following her tragic death at the age of 40.
In the weeks leading up to her death, Caroline had pleaded not guilty to an assault charge, after being arrested at her home in December, and was awaiting trial.
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On Monday morning’s Good Morning Britain, guest presenter Richard Madeley shared a message from ITV bosses, who assured viewers they had been in regular “close contact” with the late Love Island host about her legal battle.
“We ought to say one thing,” Richard told viewers. “ITV has asked us just to make it clear – because there’s been some discussion about this – that they did actually keep in close contact with Caroline since this domestic incident and they were constantly offering her assistance and help.”
He added: “They wanted to make that clear on this programme.”
Caroline Flack at last year's Brit Awards Mike Marsland via Getty Images
In January, it was revealed that Caroline had stepped down as host of the first ever winter series of Love Island, claiming she didn’t want to be a “distraction” from the show.
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Shortly after this, a producer maintained that the door would have been open for Caroline to return as host of a future series.
Following the news that Caroline had taken her own life, ITV made the decision to pull Sunday night’s episode of Love Island, though the show will return on Monday, and will include a tribute to the late presenter.
Richard Madeley shared ITV's response to Caroline's death on Monday's GMB Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
A number of stars – including those who worked with Caroline on Love Island and Strictly Come Dancing – have been publicly paying their respects in the last few days.
Among them was Laura Whitmore, who opened her BBC Radio 5 Live show on Sunday with an emotional speech, urging her listeners to be more kind to one another.
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Amanda Holden has also suggested that Caroline was “thrown to the dogs” following her assault charge, calling out what she described as the “criminal gaps” in the way the Love Island host was treated compared to other stars who have faced struggles recently.
Downing Street said Caroline’s death was a “tragedy”.
A No.10 spokesperson said: “Caroline’s death was a tragedy and our thoughts are with her family and friends at this very difficult time.”
Useful websites and helplines:
Mind , open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393
, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill.)
offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill.) The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email: help@themix.org.uk
is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email: help@themix.org.uk Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0300 5000 927 (open Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on www.rethink.org.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-17--What Is Walking Pneumonia And What Are The Signs?

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Sir Elton John cut his New Zealand concert short this weekend after losing his voice – the tearful 72-year-old told fans he’d been diagnosed with walking pneumonia just hours before the gig.
But what is walking pneumonia? And how can you tell you have it?
The term is an informal name given to a less severe form of pneumonia that doesn’t usually require bed rest or hospitalisation – hence the ‘walking’ part.
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Professor James Chalmers, GSK/British Lung Foundation chair in Respiratory Research at the University of Dundee, tells HuffPost UK: “Walking pneumonia is not a term we use in the UK but it is often used in the US or Australia. Here we would probably call it ‘mild pneumonia.’”
gigavector via Getty Images
It can be caused by a bacteria or virus, and symptoms are usually more mild than full-blown pneumonia. However, you’re still likely experience a cough, fever, chest pain, mild chills and headache. So it’s probably not wise to try and work through it.
“Many people develop coughs and colds at this time of year but this is not the same as ‘walking pneumonia’ – it is only pneumonia when the infection spreads to the lungs,” says Prof Chalmers. “It is important to note that pneumonia is diagnosed by an x-ray.”
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If you have mild pneumonia, though, you may not need to have a chest X-ray. A GP may be able to diagnose it by asking about your symptoms and examining your chest, states the NHS.
Mild pneumonia can usually be treated at home. The typical route of treatment involves plenty of rest and antibiotics – you should take the full course, even if they start to feel better – as well as drinking plenty of water.
Although most cases of pneumonia are bacterial and are not passed on from one person to another, ensuring good standards of hygiene will prevent germs spreading.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-17--The Funniest Tweets From Parents This Week

Me: is everything ok today?
8: yeah, I'm just really emotional right now.
Me: I understand that. Is it friends? Or a class? Or anything you want to ask us?
8: no. It's just that this is the restaurant that doesn't have rice pudding. I just hate this place.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-17--Dancing On Ice's Hamish Gaman Misses Live Show After 'Worst Three Months Of His Life'

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Dancing On Ice professional Hamish Gaman pulled out of appearing in Sunday night’s live show, after a difficult few months.
Hours before the show went live, Hamish explained to his fans on social media that he “could not face” taking to the ice this week, following “the worst” three and a half months of his life.
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“I’m struggling,” he wrote. “It might look like things have been calming down, but they aren’t.
“Numerous defamatory articles have been stopped from running in the press over the past few weeks. These untrue stories are continually being fed to the press by a ‘source’.
“I’ve been told by various people where these articles and source quotes are coming from, and it’s clear they’re trying to destroy my reputation.”
Hamish Gaman David Fisher/Shutterstock
Hamish continued: “It’s become relentless and I feel extremely vulnerable. I’m asking them to stop.
“I desperately want to move on from all this and focus on the skating. I’ve done absolutely nothing wrong, and was told by the team who reviewed all the rehearsal footage that I was an ‘exemplary pro’.”
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I’m sad to say that I’ve pulled out of appearing on @dancingonice tonight.#DancingOnIce ❤ pic.twitter.com/Y2XzA3Of2n — Hamish Gaman (@HamishGaman) February 16, 2020
In recent times, Hamish has been at the centre of several tabloid rumours, following the news that he and his celebrity Dancing On Ice partner Caprice had chosen to “part ways”.
Following this, Caprice was paired with a new addition to the show’s professional line-up, Oscar Peter, but ultimately chose to quit, revealing that being part of Dancing On Ice had begun to “affect her mental wellbeing”.
Caprice and Hamish on the ice for the first time Matt Frost/ITV/Shutterstock
At the end of last month, Hamish spoke out about the matter for the first time, thanking his supporters and explaining: “Honestly, I’m not okay, but I’d like to thank Amelia [Humfress, his long-term partner], my pro family and ITV for doing all that they can to support me.
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“I’m comforted knowing the truth always comes out in the end and I hope we can focus on the skating again now.”
Dancing On Ice airs every Sunday night at 6pm on ITV.
Useful websites and helplines:


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-17--Caroline Flack Remembered By Dancing On Ice Hosts, As Joe Swash Fights Back Tears

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Sunday night’s Dancing On Ice was an especially emotional one, following the death of Caroline Flack.
The live show opened with a tribute from presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, with the former struggling to hold back tears as he remembered the late Love Island host.
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“We’d like to begin tonight’s show by taking a moment to remember Caroline Flack in light of yesterday’s awful news,” Phillip began.
“We wanted to say that our hearts go out to her family and friends.”
Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby Matt Frost/ITV/Shutterstock
Holly continued: “Many of us here on the show knew Caroline as a friend and we will all miss her enormously.
“As Caroline herself recently posted, in a world where you can be anything, be kind.”
Later in the show, contestant Joe Swash was also visibly emotional as he took to the ice a day after the death of his friend and former co-host.
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Caroline Flack at last year's Brit Awards Mike Marsland via Getty Images
After completing his routine, which earned him his highest score of the series, Joe became tearful as he admitted it had been a tough day.
Joe was then comforted by Holly and Phil, as well as his partner Alex Murphy, with Phillip telling viewers: “We’ve got to point out to everybody you were very, very close with Caroline. So I know this has been an amazingly tough day. She’d be so proud of you Joe.”
“I just want to send my love to her family and my condolences, you know?” Joe responded.
Joe Swash said he found Sunday's show particularly difficult Matt Frost/ITV/Shutterstock
Joe co-presented two series of I’m A Celebrity spin-off series Get Me Out Of Here NOW! in 2009 and 2010, and remained friends after she left the ITV2 show.
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Since her family’s lawyer revealed Caroline had taken her own life, a number of stars who knew and worked with her have been paying their respects, including stars from both Love Island and Strictly Come Dancing, which she won in 2015.
Love Island presenter Laura Whitmore also paid an emotional tribute on her BBC 5 Live show on Sunday morning, urging people to be kind to one another.
Downing Street said Caroline’s death was a “tragedy”.
A No.10 spokesperson said: “Caroline’s death was a tragedy and our thoughts are with her family and friends at this very difficult time.”
Dancing On Ice airs on Sunday nights on ITV.
Useful websites and helplines:
Mind , open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393
, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill.)
offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill.) The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email: help@themix.org.uk
is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email: help@themix.org.uk Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0300 5000 927 (open Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on www.rethink.org.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-17--Amanda Holden Says Caroline Flack Was ‘Thrown To The Dogs’ As She Hits Out At Treatment Of Love Isla

Amanda Holden Says Caroline Flack Was ‘Thrown To The Dogs’ As She Hits Out At Treatment Of Love Island Star

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The Britain’s Got Talent judge says the Love Island star was “thrown to the dogs” after she was charged with assault following a row with her boyfriend, Lewis Burton.
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In an emotional Instagram post, Amanda said she was “utterly devastated” about Caroline’s death and called out the “criminal gaps” in the way she was treated compared to other stars who have faced struggles recently.
“Utterly devastated to hear of the sudden death of this funny bright beautiful young girl,” the post begins.
“My heart goes out to her family. For Caroline to feel that death was the only way out breaks my heart.
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“Anger doesn’t even begin to cover how I feel about her being thrown to the dogs like she was ..Why was she not shown the same level of consideration, protection ,warmth and importance as other artists in our industry who have struggled recently?
“There are criminal gaps in the differences. I am certain there is more to her story... I know the truth will out. May she rest in peace and those responsible for this lack of humanity be brave enough to admit their shame.”
Caroline Flack Lia Toby via Getty Images
After talks yesterday, ITV decided to push ahead with the current series of Love Island but cancelled Sunday night’s episode out of respect for Caroline’s family.
The reality show’s current series will continue on Monday with a tribute to its former presenter.
Caroline stepped down from hosting the first ever winter series of Love Island after she was charged with assault.
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In a statement, her management said the CPS should “look at themselves” for pursuing “a show trial that was not only without merit but not in the public interest”
Caroline Flack leaves Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court where she plead not guilty to assaulting boyfriend Lewis Burton. PA
Their full statement read: “We are devastated at the loss of our client and friend Caroline Flack.
“An immensely talented young woman who was at the top of her game professionally and loved by television viewers across the country.
“In recent months Caroline had been under huge pressure because of an ongoing case and potential trial which has been well reported.
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“The Crown Prosecution Service pursued this when they knew not only how very vulnerable Caroline was but also that the alleged victim did not support the prosecution and had disputed the CPS version of events.
“The CPS should look at themselves today and how they pursued a show trial that was not only without merit but not in the public interest. And ultimately resulted in significant distress to Caroline. Our thoughts are with Caroline’s family at this time.”
Ahead of her first court hearing she told fans she was going through the “worst time of her life”.
She wrote on Instagram at the time: “This is the worst time of my life. I don’t know where to go to. Where to look. Who to trust. Or I even am.”
Downing Street said Caroline’s death was a “tragedy”.
A No.10 spokesperson said: “Caroline’s death was a tragedy and our thoughts are with her family and friends at this very difficult time.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-17--Trump’s 29th Trip To Mar-a-Lago Brings Golf Tab To 334 Years Of Presidential Salary

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President Donald Trump returned to Mar-a-Lago on Friday evening for the 29th golf-related trip of his presidency to his for-profit Palm Beach, Florida, resort, raising his total taxpayer golf tab to $133.8 million (£102M).
That figure translates to 334 years of the presidential salary that Trump and his supporters frequently boast he is not taking.
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During Barack Obama’s presidency, Trump frequently claimed he was playing golf too much and at too great an expense to taxpayers.
“I play golf to relax. My company is in great shape. @BarackObama plays golf to escape work while America goes down the drain,” Trump tweeted in December 2011.
“Can you believe that, with all of the problems and difficulties facing the US, President Obama spent the day playing golf. Worse than Carter,” he wrote three years later.
As he began his own run for the White House, candidate Trump repeatedly promised that golf would never make it onto a President Trump’s schedule. “I love golf, but if I were in the White House, I don’t think I’d ever see Turnberry again. I don’t think I’d ever see Doral again,” he told a rally audience in February 2016, referring to his courses in Scotland and Miami. “I don’t ever think I’d see anything. I just want to stay in the White House and work my ass off.”
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Yet after three years in office, Trump has spent two-and-a-half times as many days on a golf course as Obama had done at the same point in his first term. If Trump plays golf both Saturday and Sunday, he will have played 248 times. Obama by his 1,123rd day in office had played 92 times.
President Donald Trump departs from the White House for a weekend trip to Mar-a-Lago on Jan. 31, 2020. Sarah Silbiger via Getty Images
And because Trump insists on playing at courses he owns, the cost to taxpayers has been nearly four times as high as it was for Obama. More than two-thirds of Trump’s golf outings involve seven-figure trips aboard Air Force One, mainly to Florida and New Jersey, but also to Los Angeles, Ireland and Scotland. Obama, in contrast, played most of his golf on courses at military bases within a short drive of the White House.
What’s more, Trump’s insistence on playing at courses he owns and profits from has put at least a few million taxpayer dollars into Trump’s cash registers in the form of hotel room and restaurant charges for the White House staff and Secret Service agents who accompany him.
The Washington Post found recently that Trump’s business has charged the Secret Service as much as $650 a room per night at Mar-a-Lago ― more than three times the normal rate that federal employees are supposed to spend in South Florida ― and $17,000 a month for a cottage at Trump’s Bedminster, New Jersey, resort. During an early Mar-a-Lago visit, White House employees ran up a $1,006 bar tab, which taxpayers also paid.
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How many taxpayer dollars precisely are flowing into Trump’s pocket is not known because the White House refuses to detail how many executive branch employees stay at Trump properties and how much they are being billed. The White House on Friday did not respond to HuffPost’s queries on the matter for this weekend’s trip.
The president is the sole beneficiary of the trust that now owns his family business. He promised during his campaign that he would separate himself from the Trump Organisation should he win, but reneged on that pledge even before taking office.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-17--Minister Admits Government 'Will Never Be Able To Protect Every Household' From Flooding

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A minister has admitted the government will not be able to protect every house from flooding after the country was hit by a second major storm within a week.
New environment secretary George Eustice told Sky News that the government had not been caught off guard by the floods caused by Storm Dennis.
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Speaking during a visit to York to discuss tackling flooding, Eustice said that there was always more that could be done.
Eustice added: “We’ve done a huge amount – we can’t do anything about these extreme weather events but the steps we’ve taken have meant the impact of those weather events have affected fewer properties.”
He blamed the “nature of climate change” for the scale of the damage, and said: “There is always more that can be done.
“We’ll never be able to protect every single household just because of the nature of climate change and the fact that these weather events are becoming more extreme, but we’ve done everything that we can do with a significant sum of money, and there’s more to come.”
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George Eustice, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs visited #York today (shown centre next to the Foss flood barrier) to meet local residents, MPs, councillors & @EnvAgency staff and talk about tackling #flooding #StormDennis @EmmaHowardBoyd @EnvAgencyYNE pic.twitter.com/4TcwDp50UL — Defra UK (@DefraGovUK) February 16, 2020
The environment secretary’s comments come after the country took a battering of heavy rain and strong winds as Storm Dennis lashed the UK, just a week after Storm Ciara.
Parts of the UK were buffeted with winds of more than 90mph, while more than a month’s worth of rain fell in 48 hours – leading to to a record number of flood warnings and alerts in England.
Roads and railways were flooded on Sunday morning after torrential downpours and high winds caused by the second storm in just over a week.
Earlier, the Ministry of Defence deployed Army personnel to assist people in West Yorkshire areas badly hit by flooding during last weekend’s Storm Ciara.
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The situation was said to be “life-threatening” in South Wales, where the Met Office issued a red warning due to heavy rainfall and flooding risk until 11am on Sunday.
EA’s flood and coastal risk management executive director John Curtin said that there were a record number of flood warnings and alerts in force.
The EA said on Sunday that there had been more than 600 flood warnings and flood alerts in place across England – covering an area from Scotland’s River Tweed to the rivers of west Cornwall.
Rescue operations continue as emergency services take residents of Oxford Street, Nantgarw to safety, after flooding in Wales as Storm Dennis hit the UK. PA
But the government was criticised for its response, including a Tory MP telling it to “pull its finger out”.
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Conservative MP Philip Davies told the Daily Telegraph on Monday that “precious little” had been done since the floods in 2015 to prevent his constituents in Shipley, West Yorkshre, being flooded again during the two most recent storms.
He added: “My constituents who were flooded were the same people who were flooded on Boxing Day 2015.
Severe flood warnings were issued for the rivers Neath and Taff in South Wales, as well as the River Teme further north.
Pictures on social media show the Taff bursting its banks and flooding parts of Pontypridd, while rescue workers were using boats to get families to safety after further flooding in nearby Nantgarw.
South Wales Police said it had declared a major incident due to the flooding and severe weather.
Local residents remain cheerful as walk through receding floodwater in Mountain Ash, Wales as Storm Dennis hit the UK. PA
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Torrential rain brought by Storm Dennis over the weekend has left more than 300 flood warnings in place across the UK, including five severe warnings in the west Midlands.
The National Rail network has said some routes will be closed for hours on Monday due to flooding.
This includes disruptions between Three Bridges and Brighton until 7am, Southampton Central and Bournemouth until 9am and from Glasgow Central via Cathcart until 10am.
A man in his 60s died after being pulled from the River Tawe ear Trebanos Rugby Club, despite paramedics battling to save his life – police said he was pronounced dead at the scene.
An employee cleans a nail salon, after Storm Dennis hits the UK leading to widespread flooding, in Pontypridd, Wales. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Dyfed-Powys Police said that the man had been seen entering the River Tawe near Gorsedd Park in Ystradgynlais area, in South Wales, at about 10am on Sunday morning.
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The force said the death was not being treated as suspicious or being linked to the bad weather.
A fire crew on its way to an emergency got stuck in the floods and had to be rescued.
Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service told the PA news agency that a water rescue unit had been rushing to a report of two people being swept away in the River Teme when it got submerged in flood water.
A spokesman said the crew were safe and had been pulled to safety but the vehicle was still to be recovered.
An ambulance, left, and a vehicle are submerged after flooding in Nantgarw, Wales. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Many flights have been grounded for safety reasons, with British Airways and EasyJet confirming cancellations.
More than 230 easyJet flights in and out of the UK on Saturday were cancelled, while several sporting fixtures were also called off due to the weather.
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Two bodies were pulled from rough seas on Saturday, before the worst of the storm hit.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-17--Exclusive: Women As Young As 35 Are Being Denied NHS IVF Because Of Their Age. This Is The Impact

Despite official recommendations stating women should be eligible for IVF up to the age of 42, Steph’s local clinical commissioning group (CCG) has decided it will only offer treatment to women under 35.
But Steph is not alone. HuffPost UK can reveal that one-in-nine CCGs that offer IVF in England has opted to block women under the age of 40 from receiving treatment.
In many cases these commissioning groups, which decide how money is spent on healthcare locally, rule that women who need IVF must be referred – or even start treatment – before their 35th birthday.
While most CCGs say they will reconsider otherwise ineligible women in “exceptional circumstances”, these rules still mean a woman’s window to access fertility treatment – and ultimately have a baby – can differ by as much as seven years depending on where she lives.
It is a postcode lottery charities have slammed as “shocking” and “desperately unfair”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-17--What To Do If Texting Stresses You The Hell Out

d3sign via Getty Images
Do those little grey typing bubbles (you know the ones) make your heart race? Can a group chat with your friends feel just as overwhelming as a Trader Joe’s line on a Saturday morning? Does the sight of a singular “k” send you immediately into a spiral?
If you’re an anxious person (*clears throat*), texting can feel like a particularly special circle of hell. While it is a convenient method for sending and receiving information, the use of emojis, abbreviations and punctuation (or lack thereof) can leave plenty of room for misinterpretation and subsequent miscommunication.
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It also doesn’t help that texting feels more conversational ― unlike email ― therefore a more immediate response usually feels expected. Throw dating someone new into the equation and texting can feel downright excruciating at times.
Of course, texting has been around for decades so this is hardly a new phenomenon. But experts say it’s increasingly becoming a problem for people ― especially as more companies develop apps with DMs, captions, comments and other ways to connect. The more “online” you are, the more potential for anxiety.
“I refer to this as the ‘Instant Gratification Society,’” said Karla Ivankovich, a psychologist based in Chicago. “The immediacy of texting has brought with it so many difficulties that are epidemic, it’s causing a decline in communication from a multigenerational standpoint. I’d love to say this is just a millennial thing, but that is far from the case. I see adults and even senior citizens with their cell phones tethered to their hands with a kung fu grip.”
But just because texting culture has seeped into our everyday lives doesn’t mean it has to take over your life. We spoke to experts about the strategies you can implement if those notifications on your phone ― or the content inside them ― are causing you to stress:
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Start by identifying where your anxiety is coming from.
10'000 Hours via Getty Images
Take a moment to think about what exactly is causing you to feel stressed in the particular texting situation.
“These fears are often borne out of expectations we have not articulated in the first place,” Ivankovich said. “Be honest with yourself about how your fears impact the process. Many times we look at the content of the messages rather than the process by which this keeps happening. Evaluate the patterns that set you off.”
Ivankovich said a good starting point is to ask yourself if this is your issue or an issue with the person you are texting. If it is yours, evaluate the situation. Can you fix this on your own or do you need to reach out to a counsellor to help you address the situation?
If it is the other person’s issue, have you talked to them? Have you established an expectation of which they are unaware? If so, communicate and compromise to find a desired outcome that works for both of you.
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“Recognise fear of rejection and how it plays out in this scenario. Is it the text message you are anxious about or the fear of being left behind by the texter?” Ivankovich said.
And remember: “Overthinking the situation is not a means of problem solving,” she said.
Distract yourself.
Keep your brain busy and your phone away from your fingers in moments where it’s particularly causing you distress.
“My friends know it’s a classic move of mine to send a slightly risky message and then immediately turn my phone on airplane mode, delete the thread so I don’t have to see it, etc.,” said Tess Harkin, a 22-year-old who lives in New York. “I know it’s something some of my friends do now as well. It’s reassuring because I know even within my friend group that other people feel the same way. It sort of normalised that it’s OK to feel anxious sometimes.”
Other things you can do to keep from feeling high-strung is to put your phone away in another room or take part in activities that specifically keep your fingers active, like painting your nails or even taking a shower. If anything, use your texting anxiety as a reason to do something you enjoy such as reading a book, practicing yoga or watching a movie.
Communicate your needs.
Tom Werner via Getty Images
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It’s that simple. For example, if you’re someone who needs a timely reply from a loved one, kindly express that. Or if you’re someone who can’t keep tabs on a group chat, make sure you communicate that.
“The worry is in what is NOT said,” Ivankovich said. “If we had the answers up front, then there is no need to begin fearing the worst.”
Similarly, in addition to your needs, take inventory of the needs of others. You might enjoy texting 24/7, but that doesn’t mean certain friends, family members or partners feel the same way.
“Pay attention to when your friends are communicating to you and the style of communication that works best for them,” said Shivonne Odom, a therapist based in Maryland. “You’ll find that you’re more inclined to have communications with that person when you communicate in a method that works best for them.”
Don’t text complex information.
Repeat after Odom: “Not everything needs to be a text.”
Breakups, emotional conversations ― save that stuff for in-person convos. It’ll cause you less anxiety as a texter and hopefully encourage others who are texting you to do the same (especially if you’ve already communicated to them what you need, like mentioned above).
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“When it comes to texting, less is more,” Odom said. “Text directions or simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions, like, ‘Hey, wanna hang out?’ or ‘When are you free?’ And then walk away from your cell phone.”
The more complex your text message is, the chances of it becoming misinterpreted are more likely.
“On more than one occasion, I have had individuals, and/or couples come in for therapy as a direct result of a misunderstood message,” Ivankovich said. “When you are face-to-face or speaking over the phone, you can identify body language typically supporting the conversation. Additionally, you can request clarification much easier face-to-face. Via text, we are stripped of this capability and often fall to the side of fearing the worst before we shrug off the text as a possible miscommunication.”
Establish boundaries with your phone.
Maskot via Getty Images
“Consider texting breaks, even if your phone is in your pocket,” Ivankovich said. “During this time, utilise the ‘Do Not Disturb’ feature on your phone. Start with short periods of time and build up gradually to a time that you are comfortable with.”
Other strategies to consider are leaving your phone at home or setting aside specific time frames during the day where you will look at your messages and nothing more. You can also turn off your notifications if you don’t want to be alerted.
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But no matter how stressful texting can get, remember to cut yourself some slack and know that your feelings are real.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-17--Who Dies In EastEnders' 35th Birthday Week? An Examination Of The Key Theories And Evidence

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EastEnders always pulls it out of the bag when it comes to milestone anniversaries, and it looks set to be no different as the soap turns the grand old age of 35 this week.
The special episodes to mark the occasion will see a group of Walford’s most beloved characters cruising down the Thames for a boat party in celebration of The Queen Vic’s recent victory in a pub of the year competition.
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But in true EastEnders fashion, it will be far from plain sailing, and by the end of the week, we will be saying farewell to one Albert Square resident as they fail to make it out alive.
A recently-released trailer has revealed that a Titanic-style disaster will strike the boat, leaving a number of characters at risk of being the one in the body bag come Friday evening.
BBC/Kieron McCarron/Matt Burlem/Amy Sharp
Fans have been warned that the death will come as a shock, with Mick Carter actor Danny Dyer hinting that it will be a major player who meets their maker.
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He told Radio Times: “It was a real shock to everyone, honestly. It’s really powerful stuff, and we’re trying to get a message across, and sometimes when you do that, you’ve really got to go full throttle with it.”
As speculation mounts as to who will die, here’s a look at some possible theories and some other runners and riders...
Mick Carter
BBC/Kieron McCarron
There would be no bigger shock on the anniversary than killing off the mightily popular Queen Vic landlord.
As we’ve seen in the trailer, he and Linda are firmly in the danger zone as they seemingly get stuck in a room as the boat begins to take on water.
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You might also remember that Mick isn’t the strongest of swimmers, having only learned in a storyline a few years back.
And some fans are already convinced it will be Mick who meets a watery grave as it has been reported that some of Danny Dyer’s costumes has been sold off online.
However, we should point out that old EastEnders costumes are cleared out from time to time (some characters even inherit new ones from Strictly Come Dancing, according to Claudia Winkleman), so we wouldn’t say Mick’s fate is sealed just yet.
Linda Carter
BBC/Kieron McCarron
With Linda currently in the midst of an alcoholism storyline, the landlady causes concern when she drunkenly humiliates Mick on board the boat prior to the disaster – so could it be that she becomes so intoxicated she is not able to escape?
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It’s a plausible theory, which is given strength by a number of references to the fate of former landladies in recent episodes.
First up, it was revealed the first landlord of the Vic, Mr Bagstock, drowned his wife in the bath.
Can we learn more about ‘the notorious Mr & Mrs Bagstock’ please👀 #EastEnders pic.twitter.com/IQmz8A1eNM — EastEnders_CastCards|Josh (@ee_castcard) February 6, 2020
Then, in another nod to the past, Linda served Mick with divorce papers in scenes reminiscent to that of Den Watts doing the same to wife Angie on Christmas Day in 1986.
THAT is what I call an epic parallel celebrating 35 years, a brilliant nod to December 25th 1986. Well done EastEnders, well written and performed. First Den and Angie in that same spot, now Mick and Linda. 👏 #EastEnders @bbceastenders pic.twitter.com/Kl2Lu7VRBC — Tom Gardiner (@IAmTomGardiner) February 7, 2020
Like Linda, Angie battled alcoholism and died off-screen as a result of her addiction in 2002, while you’ll remember Den also ended up in the water when he was shot and presumed dead in 1989.
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These parallels could certainly indicate Linda may await a fate similar to those who’ve stood behind the bar before her...
Dennis Rickman
BBC/Kieron McCarron/Matt Burlem/Amy Sharp
A credible theory from one EastEnders fan on Twitter (@RyanJL) has speculated that it will be Sharon’s son Dennis who perishes in the accident.
With the Sheanu storyline reaching its climax, the theory suggests that Sharon’s first-born could be killed as a result of Phil and Keanu’s fighting.
Can you IMAGINE if Sheanu came to a conclusion with Dennis drowning during an accident caused by Phil / Keanu fighting - while Sharon gives birth.
Holding the new baby as they come to give her the news... I’m already giving Letitia all the awards #eastenders — Ryan Love (@RyanJL) February 10, 2020
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But Dennis is also placed with Ian Beale in a lot of promotional material for the special episodes, as seen in the picture above.
In a second trailer for the anniversary, Dennis and Ian share a guilty look with one another, as a voiceover talks about “living with the consequences”, perhaps indicating that Ian tries but ultimately fails to save Dennis’ life.
BECAUSE (omg i know) the other trailer earlier today had that weird look between Ian and Dennis when the voiceover said about “living with the consequences” #eastenders pic.twitter.com/JVIdVRrqQZ — Ryan Love (@RyanJL) February 10, 2020
The same Twitter user also noticed that Sharon made a remark last week about how “losing a child is every woman’s worst fear”.
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We already know that heavily-pregnant Sharon (who is not on board the boat, or at least that we know of) is set to give birth this week – so could she be welcoming a child as she says goodbye to another?
Ian Beale
BBC / Kieron McCarron
With Sharon taking a central role in the celebrations, it could be that fellow Albert Square original Ian has a massive part to play in the episodes too.
Certainly, there’s no bigger role to play than getting killed off, especially as the death of an original cast member would have ramifications for years to come.
We also know that Ian’s estranged son Peter is returning in the coming weeks (albeit with a new head), but his reasons for coming back to Walford are still unclear. Could it be he’s back for his father’s funeral? Stay tuned.
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Keanu Taylor
BBC/Kieron McCarron/Matt Burlem/Amy Sharp
Danny Walters reprised his role as Keanu Taylor earlier this month, which came as a surprise to fans, who thought his exit storyline had already aired when he went on the run after his affair with Sharon was revealed.
Scenes to air during anniversary week will see Phil and Keanu coming face to face for a final showdown, as the hard man seeks revenge for Keanu’s affair with Sharon.
With Danny still confirmed to be leaving the soap, it could be that Phil really does see off his rival for good this time.
Bex Fowler
BBC/Kieron McCarron/Jack Barnes
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Likewise, it has been announced Jasmine Armfield is leaving her role as Bex Fowler, and the character is among those who boards the disaster-bound boat.
We also know that Phil is not going to be too happy when he finds out Martin and Linda faked Keanu’s death, and he is also seen attacking the fruit and veg seller in the trailer. Could Phil take the ultimate revenge by killing his daughter?
But those that definitely don’t die are...
EastEnders bosses have already released a short set of spoilers for the episodes airing after the anniversary week, which reveal some characters who are still very much alive.
They include Whitney Dean and Stuart Highway, who are both on the boat, while others mentioned in upcoming storylines are Shirley Carter, Jean Slater, Lola Pearce, Gray Atkins and Keegan and Tiffany Baker.
EastEnders: The 35th Anniversary Week begins on Monday, February 17 at 8pm on BBC One and concludes on Friday, February 21 with an episode at 8.30pm. All available on BBC iPlayer.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-17--The 10 Best Collapsible Strollers For Babies And Toddlers

HuffPost may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Prices and availability subject to change.
images by Tang Ming Tung via Getty Images Toddler girl sitting in a stroller smiling joyfully during sunset.
Strollers are a godsend. They are essential for getting anything done with your child, be it travelling abroad, zipping around town or nipping to the shops.
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As soon as you’re out of the teeny baby stage, you’re going to need one. Especially once your child starts walking, as buggies are lower to the ground than prams, making it easier for them to hop in and out.
A good buggy should be forward-facing, smooth-wheeling, easy to manoeuvre, collapsible (preferably one-handed) and have decent storage amongst other things.
Still baffled? Take a look at our list of the 10 best on the market.
Huffington Post UK Mark II, Maclaren, £180
This claims to be the lightest full-size reclining stroller in the world. It also has a state of the art designed chassis and aircraft grade hexagonal tubing (you’d expect nothing less from racing car manufacturers). Maclaren is a firm favourite with mums and dads. This model high safety standards and a lifetime warranty that gives it the edge over much of the competition.
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Huffington Post UK Familidoo Air Pushchair, Cheeky Rascals, from £99
This one’s lightweight and easy to fold (even with one hand) thanks to its handlebar. It also has a fully adjustable, multi-reclining seat, making it ideal for naps on the go. Starting at £99 it’s reasonably priced, and comes with rain cover and a carry bag. Bargain.
Huffington Post UK Pop Quarry Stroller, Silver Cross, £190
This is a top-notch product from a top-drawer brand. We love the UPF50+ extendable hood on this one – great for keeping sun (or rain) off precious faces – and the breathable mesh panels to keep them cool. Puncture-free, lockable swivel wheels promise a smooth ride. This is a nice all rounder for city parents.
Huffington Post UK Recaro Easylife Stroller, Pramworld, £139
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OK, so this is my stroller and I love it. I have to agree that, as the name suggests, it makes life easier. Originally bought to navigate the London Underground, this is a super lightweight, versatile little number. It folds up into a neat size, so it can be stowed away on trains, carted up escalators or stashed under the stairs at home. Brownie points from my partner (and dads in general) for its racing pedigree. Personally, I love the vibrant range of colours it comes in.
Huffington Post UK Push Me 2 U, Red Kite Baby, £37
Amazing value at only £37, the Push Me 2 U has everything you need from a practical city stroller; a recline-able seat, a decent sized shopping basket, an easy folding mechanism and a safety harness. Thumbs up.
This is the one most mums I know rave about. It’s suitable from birth – you just need the 0+ pack – but from six months on you use the 6+. It has an XXL shopping basket, folds away into a small rectangle, and it includes a strap so you can sling it over one shoulder while your child walks alongside you. The French brand has even teamed up with Air France, further underlining its cabin luggage suitability. It ain’t cheap, but this luxe offering, promises good value for the long haul.
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Huffington Post UK Phil and Teds Go Stroller, Babysmart, £139
Billed as an effortless and fuss-free compact buggy, Phil and Teds gets the vote from mums in my ’hood. This is another that’s suitable from birth, with the right bassinet. With all-wheel suspension for easy manoeuvrability, it folds away neatly and comes with nice little features, like a removable handle bar and removable double-sided padding.
Huffington Post UK Diono Traverse, Kiddies Kingdom, £199
This one is designed specifically for travelling, so is super lightweight and compact. It comes with a handy cover for going in the hold or cabin luggage and boasts a telescopic handle, so you can pull it along like the rest of your luggage. I’m not entirely sure why you’d want to do that with a grumpy toddler in tow, but there’s the option at least. The flip-flop friendly brake is a nice little feature (although it’s pushing the brake of a stroller is quite a feat in flimsy shoes).
Huffington Post UK ProFold, Micralite, £225
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Compact and very light, with one-handed folding and extra suspension, this one has been well thought-out for parents and babies alike. The handlebar design allows for one-handed steering, making it easier to seize that rare phone opportunity, whilst your little one naps. It also has a pocket on the hood to store your holy trinity; phone, card and keys.
Huffington Post UK Metro Compact City Stroller, Ergobaby, £269.90
Nice ergonomic design and ultra compact, this is a comfortable, urban stroller. It has been designed with your wee one’s comfort in mind; plush, multi-zone padding and an adjustable footrest to cater for growing legs. It also claims to be the only stroller on the market certified “Back Healthy” for baby and parent by the AGR in Germany.
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All The Gear, No Idea is a regular series from HuffPost Finds where we feature product recommendations for parents, by parents.