thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-18--Abolishing Private Schools Is The Only Way To Make Things Fair

Youth protests at Parliament square against a new exam rating system which was introduced in British education system and later overturned. NurPhoto via Getty Images
Just days ago, students across the country eagerly tore into their GCSE and A-Level results envelopes, but 280,000 of them were shocked to find their marks being downgraded due to an algorithm designed to predict their exam performance.
It was a disaster, so much so the government has now announced a U-turn on the entire process.
Yet the algorithm isn’t just a “one-off” mistake put in place during cancelled exams and a pandemic.
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It reflects the reality of education in Britain today – a two-tiered schooling system that benefits the rich, while neglecting poor children of the education they deserve.
And now the cracks in our education system have been exposed, it’s high time to abolish private schools entirely.
There was never going to be an easy way to assign grades once exams were cancelled, but the designed algorithm penalised bigger classroom sizes and used previous school performance to ensure national results were “broadly similar to previous years.”
Private school students had the advantage because independent institutions do very well in terms of exam results and have fewer students, but bright students in underperforming schools had results downgraded through no fault of their own, only their post-code.
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Think that’s not fair? Now imagine an entire system built to perpetuate exclusivity and give rich people an advantage that increases the wealth gap by restricting social mobility to lower classes.
That’s the reality of private schools in Britain today.
Only six per cent of schoolchildren are privately educated in our country, but they make up 25 per cent of the student body in UK’s top universities.
“If we lived in a true meritocracy, private schools would already be a thing of the past.”
Universities could be doing everything to widen access and participation but the real problem starts in the schooling system.
As state schools experience extensive cuts, private schools are able to earn and save money. Plus their charitable status means they don’t have to pay tax, having to support outreach programmes to qualify for this status.
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State-run and private education is worlds apart and it makes absolutely no sense that in 2020, our country has an outdated education system benefiting only those who can afford it.
I know how unfair private schools are, because I went to one for seven years after moving to the UK in 2005. My parents put me into an all girls, independent in a leafy London suburb because my mum’s work offered her an education budget as part of her expat package.
Looking back, it’s crazy to think that on top of regular classes, we had elocution lessons and regular afternoon teas with the headmistress to improve our table manners.
Why else would this happen if not to give children an unfair advantage and teach them how to navigate highly exclusive, elitist spaces?
“We need to realise that private school abolition isn’t a radical left-wing dream.”
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It wasn’t a bad school at all, in fact, it was really good for supporting students with learning difficulties who wouldn’t have had the same resources in a financially deprived state school, but surely we need a well-funded system equipped to teach everyone, not just those who can afford it?
I can’t even begin to imagine how different my life would have turned out if I wasn’t afforded the privilege to collect all the “cultural capital”, private school contacts and a horrendously posh accent that only seems to come out when I meet other people who went to private school – it’s like a secret code that makes people think you’re “one of them.”
Besides, you have to be so rich to pay the school fees, most of the people studying and teaching there are out of touch with reality.
I know some children who never got public transport because they were exclusively chauffeured around town in their Land Rovers.
Plus, mocking the nearby state school students, who were mostly working class, was a regular pastime for many and teachers never seemed to intervene.
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I cringe to think how much the word “chav” and other derogatory terms were thrown around in the locker room without any real consequences. Now think of how many people at the top of society, including those governing this country, have attended similarly institutionally elitist institutions that support a hierarchical system.
One of the biggest arguments for not abolishing private schools is the fear it would worsen the standard of education because it would bring everyone down to a lower level.
It’s the idea that some good quality education is better than none. But how do we know that when we haven’t even tried? Nationalisation wouldn’t be cheap or easy, but in the long-term, it would mean redistributing resources which are controlled by those who have the means to afford them.
What we need is a fair taxation system charging parents the amount they’d be paying towards their children’s education anyway but would also benefit the children of those who can’t afford to.
The only reason you wouldn’t want a fair system is if you actively know you’re giving your children a head start in an unfair society.
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Think of all the children who want to fulfil their dreams of being lawyers, writers, doctors, actors, politicians or artists but are stuck in an environment that places hurdle after hurdle and traps them in a cycle of poverty.
If we lived in a true meritocracy, private schools would already be a thing of the past.
We need to realise that private school abolition isn’t a radical left-wing dream but fundamental to a fairer, better functioning society. And now is the time to start talking about what that looks like.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-18--Pitch Perfect's Barden Bellas Reunite With New Beyoncé Cover For A Good Cause

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The cast of Pitch Perfect have reunited to record a new song in character as the Barden Bellas.
Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson and Brittany Snow are among those featured on a new cover of Beyoncé’s Love On Top, with each of them recording their parts from home.
Money raised from the recording – which also features Anna Camp, Hana Mae Lee and Hailee Steinfeld – will go to Unicef’s efforts to help children in the Lebanese capital Beirut and across the world during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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The video also features an introduction from John Michael Higgins and Elizabeth Banks, in character as their Pitch Perfect commentator alter-egos.
Buckle up kids, the Bella’s are back… for a good cause! Families around the globe are suffering from the impact of the #COVID19 pandemic, especially those in Lebanon who are facing crisis after crisis. But we can all pitch in and help. pic.twitter.com/2buOI79H2a — Elizabeth Banks (@ElizabethBanks) August 17, 2020
On Instagram, Brittany Snow wrote: “These pitches are back. Whether you like it or not.
“We are here, again, making music with our mouths for two very important reasons: Beyoncé and a great cause.”
She continued: “There’s nothing perfect about the world we’re living in. Families around the globe are suffering from the impact of the #COVID19 pandemic, especially those in Lebanon who are facing crisis after crisis. But we can all pitch in and help.
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“The proceeds from the downloads & streams of our rendition of Love on Top will go to @UNICEF to help children in Lebanon and around the world who need our support right now.”
Pitch Perfect quickly gained a cult following upon its release in 2012, with two sequels following in 2015 and 2017.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-18--The Covid-19 Pandemic Is Now Being Driven By These Age Groups

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We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus pandemic. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
The Covid-19 pandemic is now being driven by people in their 20s, 30s and 40s, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.
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Speaking at a virtual briefing, WHO’s Western Pacific regional director, Takeshi Kasai, said: “The epidemic is changing. People in their 20s, 30s and 40s are increasingly driving the spread. Many are unaware they are infected.”
As more cases rise among people in their 20s to 40s, “this increases the risk of spillovers to the more vulnerable,” said Kasai. This includes elderly relatives and those with underlying health conditions.
The number of Covid-19 cases reported in Europe has gradually increased in recent weeks.
While there was no substantial change in the number of cases reported this week compared to last week, a number of countries are showing a resurgence in cases including the UK, France, Germany, Netherlands and Spain.
Several Covid-19 clusters, which have contributed to the resurgence of cases, have been reported in meat processing and packaging facilities in a number of countries including Belgium, Denmark and Germany.
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WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said there are two essential elements to addressing the pandemic effectively: “Leaders must step up to take action and citizens need to embrace new measures.
“My message is crystal clear: suppress, suppress, suppress the virus.”
Globally, America remains the most affected region in the past seven days, accounting for 53% of all newly confirmed cases and 75% of reported deaths, according to WHO data.
The south east Asia region continues to report an increase in cases and is currently the second most affected region. Stay at home measures and travel restrictions are being re-implemented there as part of efforts to limit the transmission of the virus.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-18--Gavin Williamson Spends Morning Refusing To Resign Over Exams 'Mega-Mess'

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Gavin Williamson has repeatedly refused to say whether he will resign over the exams chaos that disproportionately hit poorer teenagers and left thousands of students scrambling for a university place.
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The education secretary was forced into a humiliating U-turn on Monday and allowed grades to be based on teacher assessments.
It came after a computer algorithm downgraded almost 40% of grades, with disadvantaged students hit harder than those at wealthy private schools.
In a series of broadcast interviews on Tuesday morning, Williamson apologised to all young people affected by the A-levels crisis but declined to say whether he would stand down.
He told LBC it was a “tough moment” in his political career, but insisted Boris Johnson – who is currently on holiday in Scotland – did not lose his temper over the U-turn.
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He said: “Obviously it’s not a conversation that you would ever want to do, it’s not a conversation that you ever want to have to say to the prime minister that we’d have to make these significant changes.
“But my belief is if something’s wrong, if something isn’t working, the key thing to do is to fix it. That’s what I did and that’s what I’d always do.”
He added: “The prime minister is a very, very even-tempered person and certainly didn’t lose his temper with me.
“He recognised this was the right thing to do, he agreed with me that it was the right thing to do, that’s why we did it.”
Pressed on BBC Breakfast over whether he would resign, he said there was “total consensus that a moderated system of teacher assessment was the right system”.
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When asked a third time whether he would resign, he replied: “What we’re doing is we’re focusing on delivering the grades for those children.
“We’re going to make sure that all schools are returned and I’m absolutely determined over the coming year that I’m going to be delivering the world’s best education system.”
"Will you resign?"
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson refuses to say whether he has offered his resignation over the downgrading of A-level results and subsequent U-turn from government https://t.co/nqaiRWQHxa #BBCBreakfast pic.twitter.com/omGwvjKmBs — BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) August 18, 2020
Asked whether the government should have U-turned earlier, Williamson appeared to try and blame Ofqual by saying he had had reassurances the model was fair, adding: “At every stage of the way we’ve worked incredibly closely with Ofqual in terms of questioning and probing and working with them in order to be able to ensure that we have the best system in place.”
He also acknowledged that universities face challenges as thousands rush to find last-minute places in light of changed results.
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On BBC Radio 4′s Today programme, he again refused to say whether he would resign also, but said: “I’d like to just start off by apologising, saying sorry to all those young people who have been affected by this.
“This is something that, firstly, none of us wanted to see and none of us expected to see.”
When asked if he had confidence in chief regulator Sally Collier, he said: “Well, we’ve worked with Ofqual and at every stage Ofqual have done absolutely everything that they can do to ensure that they have fairness within the system, and (I) continue to work with Ofqual and the head of Ofqual to ensure that we deliver youngsters the grades that they deserve and make sure, as we plan for the next exam season, that we have the right systems in place.”
Tory MP Robert Halfon, who chairs the Commons’ education select committee, described the A-levels crisis as a “mega-mess” and said the problems should be a “massive wake-up call” for the government.
“I want our government to be a government of social justice, of the land of opportunity, of the workers, as the prime minister promised it to be,” he told Good Morning Britain.
“This has been a mega-mess and should not have happened and (Williamson’s) got to, I think, learn from this and just make sure these kind of things do not happen in the future.”
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He added: “I think the lesson of this is you can’t just have technocratic government and government by computer, we’ve got to be a government that empathises with ordinary folk and realise that the decisions that are made affect the lives of thousands of people individually.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-18--Harry Hill Reveals He Was Asked To Return To Pre-Comedy Career As Doctor During Height Of Pandemic

Harry Hill has revealed he nearly returned to his pre-comedy career as a doctor during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic.
The comic trained as a neurosurgeon and worked at Doncaster Royal Infirmary prior to finding fame.
Speaking to the Radio Times, Harry – real name Matthew Hall – revealed he had been asked to start work at the NHS Nightingale Hospital, having filled in an application after a few drinks.
Harry Hill Jon Furniss/Invision/AP
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He said: “In the early days of the pandemic, it was all melting down radiators to make ventilators, the country pulling together and so on.
“I’d had a few drinks so I filled out the form and got an email back saying someone would contact me about my return to work.
“I broke out in a cold sweat.”
When Harry told the recruiter his last medical specialism had been “respiratory emergencies”, he was asked if he could start as soon as possible at the now-mothballed NHS Nightingale Hospital at the ExCeL exhibition centre in east London.
However, he claimed he would have had travelling difficulties from the south of the city.
“In the end it came down to them saying I could maybe do ‘track and trace’ calls on the phone,” he said, although that role never materialised.
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Harry is best known for his outlandish observational comedy series TV Burp, which ran from 2001 to 2012 on ITV, while he has also narrated home video series You’ve Been Framed! since 2004.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-18--Lockdown Shows We Can Defeat Homelessness – If We Care Enough

Two homeless men lie against a building near Victoria rail station Chris Helgren / reuters
Passing by a person curled up on the street, with a sleeping bag, blanket and carrier bags, trying to get rest as the world passes by, conjures up a varied number of emotions – shame, fear, guilt, sympathy.
Homelessness in the UK is a problem that hasn’t seen much improvement over the years.
In 2019, there were over 28,000 rough sleepers in the UK throughout the course of the year – men and women making their “homes” on a piece of pavement or patch of grass.
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Their reasons for being there are varied. Perhaps a relationship breakdown that left them without any place to go for the night. Or an alcohol addiction that drove all their finances into bottles of drink. Maybe it is losing a job. Or having no recourse to public funds. Possibly a mental health issue that has made living on the streets easier than in rented accommodation.
Lockdown has given Britain a chance to see how homelessness can be defeated.
In March, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick announced £3.2 million in emergency funding to help rough sleepers to self-isolate.
To prevent the spread of Covid-19 amongst homeless communities, this “Everyone In” scheme aimed to get people off the streets and into accommodation such as hotels and empty apartment blocks.
Dr Yvonne Doyle, Medical Director at Public Health England, said: “People sleeping rough are often in poor health and are particularly vulnerable. That’s why this funding is so important, ensuring that rough sleepers who get symptoms have somewhere safe and protective to stay, and helping to prevent the spread of the infection”.
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The scheme worked to house 5,400 people through government funding to local authorities during lockdown.
Additionally, support services and healthcare workers were more easily able to engage with the homeless when they were in a safe and stable environment.
In a matter of days, 90% of rough sleepers were placed in temporary, isolated accommodation.
Given the success of the initiative, it leaves people confused at to why the funding is going to stop. And now that the temporary ban on evictions is coming to an end, the problem is only going to get worse.
“Given Britain’s struggle to beat homelessness in the past, it is perplexing why the government doesn’t continue with a scheme that has obviously worked during lockdown.”
The UK has seen a substantial leap in the number of rough sleepers since 2010. On a given autumn night in 2010, there were 1,768 rough sleepers in England.
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At the height of the homelessness problem, in 2017, there were 4,751 rough sleepers on a similar type evening. That is an enormous leap in a small amount of time.
Low pay, less social housing, welfare reform, and local authority budget cuts could all be contributing factors to the epidemic.
The issue of homelessness was thrust into the public conscience in 2018 when a young Gyula Remes was found outside the Houses of Parliament, dead after choking on his own vomit.
Soon after, the Office for National Statistics showed that 600 homeless people were found dead in the streets or temporary accommodation in 2017.
Britain was waking up to the fact that we had a massive homelessness epidemic that was ignoring some of the most vulnerable people in our society.
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Steps have been taken to address the problem with £100 million allotted in 2018 to tackle rough sleeping on the streets of England.
Housing Secretary James Brokenshire promised to make homelessness “a thing of the past” and end rough sleeping by 2027.
Much of that money is used to open new shelters and employ support staff.
Even though it is a generous amount of money, it doesn’t compare to the £26m grants that were given to local councils until 2010 for homelessness projects, at which point homeless began to increase.
And while funding is always needed for projects, homelessness also requires an analysis of root causes if we are to see any lasting change.
We need to spend even more money to support those that have been homeless by helping them improve fractured relationships with family networks and wider society, develop financial independence and employability, access meaningful psychological and trauma focused recovery services, reinstate a sense of their dignity, advocate in the private housing arena to improve tenancy stability, and shift legislation around no recourse to public funds.
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Given Britain’s struggle to beat homelessness in the past, it is perplexing why the government doesn’t continue with a scheme that has obviously worked during lockdown.
They happened upon a solution in the ‘Everyone In’ campaign and yet are keen to drop it only months after its inception.
Naturally, the scheme would require further funding. But Dame Louise Casey, leader of the Covid-19 rough sleepers task force, told Radio 4’s PM programme “the money has not run out and isn’t running out”. Which begs the question as to whether or not the government and British public actually care enough about the vulnerabilities of the homeless to house them unless there is a global pandemic that may threaten their own health and well-being.
We have a window of opportunity, while many homeless are currently housed, to reform the homelessness epidemic. Let’s not ignore the potential for change by overlooking those that have historically been neglected.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-18--Carole Baskin Responds To Tiger King Season 2 Rumours As She Dismisses I'm A Celeb Claims

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Carole Baskin has shut down reports she’s negotiating a big-money deal to appear in a second series of Tiger King.
On Monday, The Sun reported that the hit Netflix documentary would be returning with claims Carole was “asking for a seven-figure sum” to appear in the follow-up.
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However, the activist has denied any involvement in a second series, as she no longer “trusts” the producers.
Carole Baskin Netflix
Speaking to Radio Times, Carole said: “No one has asked me to participate in a second round of Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness and there is no amount of money that would cause me to trust the producers again after their sick betrayal of the animals and me.
“I wasn’t paid the first time around, although several people have come forward saying they were paid. That violates the very nature of a documentary along with so many other things that were staged and taken out of context.”
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HuffPost UK has contacted Netflix for comment and is awaiting a response.
Tiger King debuted on Netflix earlier this year, documenting the wild story of a group of big cat owners in the United States, including the titular Oklahoma zookeeper Joseph Maldonado-Passage, aka Joe Exotic.
Joe Exotic as seen in Tiger King Courtesy of NETFLIX
A reunion special, The Tiger King And I, followed a month later, although conservationist Carole declined to take part, as she was unhappy with how she was depicted on screen.
During her Radio Times interview, Carole also dismissed tabloid reports she is set to appear on the upcoming series of I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, claiming “no amount of money” would entice her to take part.
She said: “I strive towards veganism so there is nothing so gross in the plant world, for me to be forced to eat on camera, as to make for entertaining television.
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“The show has been criticised by animal lovers for the consumption of live creatures, and no amount of money would make me want to be part of something that disrespects nature that way.”
The ITV reality series is set to return later this year, but for the first time in its 18-year history, it will take place in the UK rather than Australia, due to the coronavirus pandemic.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-18--Trump's 'Terrifying' Security Policies Revealed By Former DHS Chief Of Staff

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The former chief of staff of the Department of Homeland Security shared a brutal testimony Monday about his time working under Donald Trump, describing him as a man who prioritises personal revenge over national security.
Miles Taylor, who served in the role from 2017 to 2019, recounted Trump’s “terrifying” behaviour in a video for the group Republican Voters Against Trump and in an op-ed for The Washington Post and said he’s voting for Democratic candidate Joe Biden.
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“We would go in to try to talk to him about a pressing national security issue ― a cyberattack, terrorism threat,” Taylor said in the video. “He wasn’t interested in those things. To him, they weren’t priorities. The president wanted to exploit the Department of Homeland Security for his own political purposes and to fuel his own agenda.”
NEW: Testimonial ad from Trump's Former DHS Chief of Staff @MilesTaylorUSA, declaring his support for Joe Biden and describing Trump's presidency as "terrifying" and "actively doing damage to our security."
WATCH & go to https://t.co/Nz2NiSCquN for more. pic.twitter.com/iChqOdIIew — Republican Voters Against Trump (@RVAT2020) August 17, 2020
Taylor recalled some of the most vindictive or self-serving demands Trump made to the DHS.
“The California wildfires,” he raised as an example. “On a phone call with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, he told FEMA to cut off the money, and to no longer give individual assistance to California. He told us to stop giving money to people whose houses had burned down from a wildfire because he was so rageful that people in the state of California didn’t support him, and that politically it wasn’t a base for him.”
Taylor also said Trump’s policy of separating migrant children from their parents at the border was born out of a desire to punish them.
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“He said he wanted to restart ‘zero tolerance’ and separate families. He said he wanted to go further and have a deliberate policy of ripping children away from their parents to show those parents that they shouldn’t come to the door in the first place,” Taylor said. When the DHS would tell Trump his ideas may be illegal, Taylor continued, the president would boast that he had “magical authorities.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-18--Piers Morgan And Wife Celia Walden Burgled As They Slept In French Villa

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Piers Morgan and his wife Celia Walden were burgled while they slept in their French villa during their holiday, she has revealed.
Celia awoke on the final morning of their getaway to find thieves had stolen jewellery and cash, and taken her handbag from their room as they slept.
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The incident happened early on Thursday morning, shortly before the couple were due to leave the Cote d’Azur in the south of France and return to the UK.
Piers Morgan and Celia Walden PA
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, journalist Celia recalled how she woke up at 6.15am to prepare to check out of the property.
“I knew the second I walked into the sitting room that something was wrong,” she said.
“The previous night had been spent getting our rented house ready for checkout – but the place was a mess.
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“My handbag was upside-down on the sofa, the box I keep my jewellery in lying empty beside it.
“The up-turned handbag found in the sitting room had originally been on a chair in our bedroom.
“They must have crept in there and stood inches away from us while we slept.”
Celia, who has been married to Piers since 2010, said she felt a “stomach-plummeting sense of violation” at the actions of the “depraved and despicable, inhuman” thieves.
Among the stolen items were a number of sentimental pieces including an art deco ring that the Good Morning Britain presenter bought her on their fifth wedding anniversary.
Police said they believed the thieves left the villa after hearing Celia press the snooze button on her alarm.
Piers and Celia cut short their holiday after the UK government announced that anyone arriving in the UK from France after 4am on Saturday would be required to spend 14 days in self-isolation due to rising numbers of coronavirus cases.
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Posting a picture of himself with sons Spencer and Bertie at the airport, Piers joked that they were “quarantine dodgers”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-18--Boy Thrown From Tate Modern Balcony 'Goes Home For A Weekend'

The viewing platform level of the Tate Modern gallery where a six-year-old boy was thrown last August. TOLGA AKMEN via Getty Images
A boy who suffered life-changing injuries after he was thrown from the balcony of the Tate Modern has been able to spend a weekend at home, his parents have said.
The French boy, aged six at the time, spent a month in hospital in the UK after falling 100ft in August of last year.
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He was later moved to a hospital in France, where his family have said he remains in a wheelchair “most of his day” but is able to walk a few metres with support.
In an update posted on a GoFundMe page, which has raised more than £260,000 for his medical treatment, his parents said he had “returned at home for the first time. Just for a weekend”.
They added their “Little Knight” was able to enjoy his first holidays since the incident and was “able to build sand castles with a friend on the beach” by the sea.
“He stays seated in one place, and we bring him what he needs to build. He couldn’t swim, of course, mainly because he still can’t move around without his splints.
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“And he was super happy to see his house and his toys again, even though he couldn’t go upstairs to see his room.”
His family added his breathing and memory have improved enough that he has begun to try singing and is learning to read, “little by little”.
In June, Jonty Bravery, 18, was convicted of his attempted murdered and jailed.
During his sentencing, the court was told the boy – who cannot be named for legal reasons – would require round-the-clock medical care until at least 2022.
Bravery, who has autism and a personality disorder, admitted attempted murder and was sentenced to 15 years in prison at the Old Bailey.
In a victim impact statement read during a sentencing hearing, the victim’s parents described Bravery’s actions as “unspeakable”.
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“Words cannot express the horror and fear his actions have brought upon us and our son who now, six months on, is wondering why he’s in hospital,” they said at the time.
“How can one explain to a child that someone deliberately tried to kill him?


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-18--Marks & Spencer To Cut 7,000 Jobs As Impact Of Coronavirus Pandemic Continues

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Marks & Spencer has said it plans to cut 7,000 jobs as the company looks to slash costs due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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The company says it will reduce the number of roles in its central support centre, in its regional management and UK stores over the next three months.
It comes as M&S revealed total sales in its clothing and home department dropped 29.9% in the eight weeks since shops reopened, with store sales plunging by 47.9% and online sales increasing by 39.2%.
The company said it was “clear that there has been a material shift in trade”.
“Whilst it is too early to predict with precision where a new post-Covid sales mix will settle, we must act now to reflect this change,” it said.
The company expects a “significant” number of these roles will be cut through voluntary departments and early retirement.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-18--Michelle Obama: Donald Trump 'In Over His Head,' Is 'Wrong President For This Country'

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Former first lady Michelle Obama delivered a stirring speech to close out the first night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention on Monday.
In her nearly 19-minute remarks, Obama condemned President Donald Trump’s divisiveness, ineptitude and “utter lack of empathy.” She urged Americans to show up to the polls in November to vote for Joe Biden.
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“Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country,” Obama said in a video address recorded ahead of the convention. “He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head. He cannot meet this moment. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. It is what it is.”
She added: “So if you take one thing from my words tonight, it is this: If you think things cannot possibly get worse, trust me, they can; and they will if we don’t make a change in this election. If we have any hope of ending this chaos, we have got to vote for Joe Biden like our lives depend on it.”
If we want to end the chaos and division—and keep alive the possibility of progress on the issues we hold dear—we’ve got to vote for @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris like our lives depend on it. Register today by texting VOTE to 30330. https://t.co/xPu5o0SYLJ — Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) August 18, 2020
Referencing her iconic 2016 DNC speech, Obama once again called on Americans to keep “going high” while others “go low.”
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“But let’s be clear: Going high does not mean putting on a smile and saying nice things when confronted by viciousness and cruelty,” she said. “Going high means standing fierce against hatred while remembering that we are one nation under God, and if we want to survive, we’ve got to find a way to live together and work together across our differences.”
Americans must do everything in their power to make sure they vote in November, she said.
“Look, we have already sacrificed so much this year,” Obama said. “This is who we still are: compassionate, resilient, decent people whose fortunes are bound up with one another. And it is well past time for our leaders to once again reflect our truth.”
The former first lady and Senator Bernie Sanders, who had previously been one of Biden’s main challengers in the 2020 Democratic race, were the headline speakers on the opening night on the four-day convention.
The gathering was initially scheduled to kick off on July 13, but was delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic. The convention is based at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee, though much of the programming will not take place in person.
Most of the major speeches ― including from Biden, his running mate, Senator Kamala Harris of California, and former President Barack Obama ― are expected to be delivered live from various locations across the country.
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DNC organisers have assigned themes to each convention day. Monday’s theme was “We the People” to reinforce the idea that Americans who stand united “can overcome anything,” according to a party press release.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-18--What Should We Still Be Cleaning And Disinfecting To Prevent Covid-19?

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The sales of disinfecting sprays and wipes skyrocketed in recent months as the public scrambled to more frequently disinfect commonly touched surfaces and items that could spread the coronavirus. We were told to wipe down groceries, packages, doorknobs, counters, toilet seat handles ― you name it. People were worried that contaminated objects could be a significant way of contracting Covid-19.
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But as time went on, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention clarified that transmission through surfaces might not be as common as originally feared. While disinfecting objects can still help curb the transmission of contaminated droplets, Covid-19 largely spreads from person-to-person contact — meaning that disinfecting your personal items will not totally protect you from contracting the coronavirus.
“Relative to other things that one might want to do, such as wearing a mask, avoiding large gatherings and maintaining distance from other people, the importance of disinfecting surfaces after being outside is not the highest of priorities,” said David Dowdy, an associate professor of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University.
“I’m not going to say there is zero risk ― we know that this virus can be transmitted from surface to surface. But if you think through the amount of virus that’s likely to be on many of these surfaces relative to the amount of virus that is in one cough or sneeze, the surface is relatively small compared to the size of the cloud of particles that someone can generate with one cough or one sneeze,” Dowdy said.
While other precautions are more crucial to preventing Covid-19, David Mushatt, chief of adult infectious diseases at the Tulane School of Medicine, encouraged the public to continue disinfecting high-touch surfaces in addition to following all the other CDC guidelines.
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Mushatt noted the value of the “Swiss cheese model” when considering Covid-19 risk reduction. The “Swiss cheese model” essentially means that when something bad happens, it is rarely due to one mistake. It’s more commonly a series of things that were done improperly — like the multiple holes in Swiss cheese. And the way to fix the problem is by fixing the system, or plugging the holes, at all levels. To get past this pandemic, we need to plug the holes by hand washing, social distancing, mask-wearing and disinfecting, Mushatt said.
“It’s rare for one change in infection control to lower infection rates. Usually, it’s trying to improve every step that you can identify,” Mushatt said. “In the end, it doesn’t really matter how much of the virus is spread by door handles or how much is through the air. It’s a matter of addressing all of those areas because we may never know, we still don’t know exactly how the flu is spread.”
So the disinfection of surfaces will still help protect you from contracting Covid-19. Below, infectious disease experts share the most important areas to clean, along with the most important precautions to take, to keep yourself and your loved ones healthy.
Disinfect digital screens and surfaces
We’re arguably spending more time on our phones, computers and tablets than ever ― items that even before the pandemic were known for their germy surfaces. Now they possess a slight risk of Covid-19 transmission.
“As far as common surfaces to clean during the Covid-19 pandemic, the most obvious surfaces are the most touched surfaces such as cellphone screens and covers,” said Avisheh Forouzesh, founder of Advanced Infectious Disease Medical LLC in New Jersey.
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She also suggested disinfecting your computer mouse, touchpad and keyboard, since “they are highly touched surfaces throughout the day and we are prone to touching our face, nose and eyes constantly.”
“If we could keep the surfaces that are repetitively touched throughout the day disinfected, then there is less chance of transmitting germs or viruses if we accidentally touch our eyes, nose or face,” Forouzesh said.
Grace Cary via Getty Images
Consider cleaning your home’s main doorknob more often
People have been urged to use hand sanitiser when they are out and about and can’t wash their hands. But it’s not a perfect solution ― and not everybody does it.
“If you come back from shopping and you clean your hands when you get out of the car with hand cleanser and you touch your doorknob, if nobody else has touched the doorknob, then you probably don’t need to do anything,” Mushatt said. “But if you have kids and other family members coming and going, then it may behoove you to wipe down the door handle.”
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He recommended disinfecting your doorknob once or twice a day if other people in your household or apartment complex are touching the same surface.
Disinfect the high-touch surfaces inside your car.
From day one of the pandemic, many have used cars to run essential errands while potentially coming into contact with the virus. Forouzesh warned that the high-touch surfaces in vehicles can hold virus-carrying particles that can be transmitted from our hands to our eyes, nose or mouth.
“We may get in and out of the car multiple times a day after having come into contact with other perhaps contaminated objects or surfaces,” Forouzesh said.
She suggested that drivers disinfect the door handles, the steering wheel and the radio inside their car. She also noted that disinfecting these surfaces is more important if the car is used by multiple members of a household.
And if you’re a rider in a car that isn’t your own ― aka an Uber or a Lyft ― be sure to use hand sanitiser or wash your hands after getting out. Wear a mask and don’t touch your face during the ride as well.
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Wash your hands frequently.
Dowdy stressed that the surface people need to be most aware of is their hands, which is where the majority of surface-based virus transmission occurs.
“It’s great to disinfect surfaces that you come into contact with, but the most important surface, by far, is your hands. Keeping your hands clean is going to do far more than disinfecting your cellphone, your glasses, your doorknobs, your grocery cart handles and your keys altogether,” Dowdy said.
He added that he doesn’t want to discourage people from disinfecting surfaces, but that the amount of transmission prevented by disinfecting personal items is small when compared to ― you know this by now ― washing your hands, maintaining distance from others, not attending large gatherings and wearing a mask.
Nontapan Nuntasiri / EyeEm via Getty Images
Be sure to disinfect surfaces more diligently if someone in your home has Covid-19, has symptoms of the virus or is awaiting test results
The importance of disinfecting increases when someone in your household has, or may have, the coronavirus.
“If somebody in your house is sick, you have to be more diligent,” Mushatt said. “If they’re a person who might have Covid or are waiting for a test to come back, then you have to clean more.”
If someone is being tested for Covid-19, he said, you should assume they have the illness until they get the results. Moving forward with life as normal when test results are pending could expose other members of the household to the virus.
“If you have a high suspicion that someone in your household has typical Covid symptoms or they have a known exposure, then they really should be sticking to their rooms, and when they come out, they should wear their mask and clean their hands — they need to take some personal responsibility,” Mushatt said.
“But the people they’re living with can also help and take on additional disinfection,” he continued. That includes disinfecting all risky surfaces throughout the home — counters, doorknobs, remote controls, light switches — more frequently. Mask-wearing and distancing should also be enforced.
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“It’s all about risk mitigation. You can’t eliminate risk but you minimise it and when you do that, you’re stacking the odds in your favor,” Mushatt said.
Most importantly, don’t just stress over surfaces.
People who do a lot of this disinfection feel a false sense of security as a result. You think, ‘Because I’m doing all of these things to keep all of the surfaces in my home, my car and my pockets clean, I can’t get this disease.’ And that’s just not true,” Dowdy said.
“We are all at risk and every day that we go out into society, we need to be thinking, number one, could I have this disease even if I don’t have any symptoms? Could I be infecting other people? And number two, that the best way for me to avoid getting this disease is to avoid getting in other people’s space,” he continued. “Wiping down your sunglasses, your keys and your cellphone is not going to prevent those events from happening.”
Dowdy stressed that the public must maintain social distance, avoid crowds, wear masks and wash their hands. Disinfecting surfaces is a helpful piece of the puzzle, but not the most crucial step in preventing the spread of the coronavirus.
Experts are still learning about Covid-19. The information in this story is what was known or available as of publication, but guidance could change as scientists discover more about the virus.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-18--Families Bereaved Amid Covid-19 Are Having To Crowdfund Funerals

Supplied Dom Merrix's funeral passes by his beloved Portsmouth FC.
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When Dom and Sarah Merrix’s 10-year-old daughter Ellie-Mae was sent home from school with a cough, the family self-isolated as per government advice.
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A few days later Dom began feeling unwell: he developed a temperature and soon after lost his sense of taste. Fearful of the risk of spreading Covid-19 to his family, he confined himself to the front room. A fortnight later, the 48-year-old was feeling a lot better. He was eating properly again and was more energised. It seemed as if the worst was behind them.
Tragically, his progress was short-lived. On Thursday April 9, Dom felt feverish again, and short of breath. He collapsed suddenly and died, with a team of paramedics unable to revive him.
The Merrix family were awash with grief. Family friend Rachel Hibbert, wanting to help while unable to support them in person, set up a GoFundMe page to help with the task of planning a funeral.
Within days the initial target of £500 had exceeded £12,000.
Supplied Ellie-Mae Merrix at her father's funeral.
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“I honestly don’t know how they would have afforded the funeral because Dom had just been made redundant from his job — his employment literally ended nine days before he died,” Hibbert tells Huffpost UK.
The Merrix family were overwhelmed by the generosity of strangers. The funeral procession began at their home where neighbours lined the streets and, in a heartwarming tribute to Dom, who was a huge Portsmouth FC fan, travelled via the club’s ground, Fratton Park, to the crematorium.
“I told Sarah you need to have the funeral that you want to have not the funeral that you think you can afford,” says Hibbert. “All these people are donating money so that you can give Dom the send off that you want to give him.”
For a while now, families have been turning to crowdfunding pages to cover funeral costs, which have risen at twice the rate of inflation for the past 14 years, according to figures from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
But this has only increased during the coronavirus pandemic, which has devastated people’s incomes as the same time as cutting lives short.
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When 13-year-old Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab died from Covid-19 in March, a page set up for his funeral raised more than £71,000, and GoFundMe now has a dedicated funeral fundraising page with advice and “tips for funeral and memorial fundraiser success”.
Supplied Dom, Sarah and Ellie-Mae Merrix.
The pandemic has also shone a light on an unregulated UK funerals industry, which is estimated to be worth more than £2bn a year and is currently under investigation by the CMA to ensure families get a fair deal.
The average cost of a basic funeral in the UK was £3,785 in 2019, but the CMA declared that the long-term increase in funeral prices did “not appear to be justified by cost increases or quality improvements.” For the UK’s lowest income families, funeral costs can account for up to 40% of a year’s expenditure.
“It is not okay that lots of people are paying over the odds because they are grieving and unable to make informed decisions.”
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“People don’t really know what a fair price is to pay for a funeral is – the price they’re told is often the price they pay,” explains James Daley, managing director of Fairer Finance, a consumer group calling for fairer regulation of the industry.
For families shopping around for a cheaper deal, costs are not clearly set out on different websites, says Daley, who believes people often end up paying twice as much for more flexible arrangements.
“It is not okay that lots of people are paying over the odds because they are grieving and unable to make informed decisions,” he says.
Mary Reed, 63, from Northamptonshire, was still paying off the debt from her husband Richard’s funeral earlier this year when her son Christopher unexpectedly died of two brain tumours in July at the age of 35.
“I had to make the funeral arrangements knowing that I didn’t have any money to make it with,” the 63-year-old tells Huffpost UK. The former carer says her son was ineligible for life insurance because he had Huntington’s disease.
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Reed hadn’t heard of crowdfunding but is grateful to her neighbour’s nephew for setting up the page. “It makes so much difference because I was worrying how I was going to pay for it,” she says, adding that the money raised has allowed her to sleep at night.
Lindesay Mace, acting manager of Down to Earth, a project run by Quaker Social Action, says it is “crushing” that grieving families are unable to mourn without concern over how they are going to pay the bill.
The Funeral Expenses Payment available for those on certain benefits, doesn’t cover the cost of a basic funeral and needs to be raised further, says Mace, who also believes that complicated eligibility criteria excludes a lot of people.
These criteria were criticised in July when 20-year-old Cerys Evans was forced to use her student loan to pay for her father’s funeral.
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Toby Warren, 61, was the main carer for his son and his wife of 32 years who has a severe neurological movement disorder. When he died in July, his daughters Lotus and Amelia – both key workers during the pandemic – had to move home and stop work to become their carers.
A GoFundMe page started by a family friend to cover the funeral and help the Warrens with living costs “is just one thing that makes the whole situation a bit easier,” says Amelia, 25, a newly qualified midwife,
“Not to be able to mourn with the time and space to do so, because they don’t know how they will pay the bill, is a human rights issue.” - Lindesay Mace, Quaker Social Action
“I would’ve been stuck without the GoFundMe,” echoes Mary, who applied to the Department of Work and Pensions for the Funeral Expenses Payment and is waiting to hear back.
Even with DWP funding, Mary is doubtful she could afford the headstone for Christopher that the GoFundMe page may make possible. In 2017/18, the average amount paid out by the DWP only covered 39% of the cost of an average funeral.
When contacted by Huffpost UK, a government spokesperson confirmed that Mary’s claim is being processed. “The financial assistance we offer is targeted at those on qualifying benefits to ensure that the most vulnerable are supported,” they added. “We have also made interest-free Social Fund Budgeting Loans and UC Budgeting Advances available for funeral costs.
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“Providers of funeral services including the church, funeral directors, local authorities and owners of crematoriums all have a role to play in ensuring there are funerals accessible for everyone.”
Mace, who provides practical support to those experiencing funeral poverty, says: “Grieving people are potentially at one of the lowest points in their life. To then not be able to mourn in a way where you have the time and space to do so because they don’t know how they will pay the bill is a human rights issue.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-18--5 Things Women Want You To Know About Perimenopause: 'It's More Than Hot Flushes'

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It can have as many 30 symptoms and be so disruptive that one in 10 women consider leaving their careers because of it. Yet many women are unsure of what the perimenopause is until they’re right in the middle of it.
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For those in the dark, perimenopause is the term used when you’re transitioning towards the menopause – although we often conflate the two terms, medically you only reach ‘menopause’ when you’ve gone a year without periods.
Perimenopause can begin in your thirties – way earlier than many of us realise – and last for up to a decade before you hit menopause for real.
During the perimenopause, you might experience symptoms, such as hot flushes, anxiety and irritability, but still have periods, either every month or irregularly. We learn all this and more in the latest episode of Am I Making You Uncomfortable?, our podcast on women’s health, bodies and private lives.
Dr Nigat Arif and Tillie Harris Dr Nigat Arif and Tillie Harris, the latest #AIMYU guests.
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We’re joined on the podcast by Dr Nighat Arif, who specialises in women’s health, and author and researcher Tillie Harris, who shares her experience of going through the perimenopause as a new parent in her late thirties.
We also hear about the tough symptoms of perimenopause from many of our listeners, but also how empowering it can feel to come out the other side. Here are five things women want you to know about perimenopause below and listen to the episode for the full story.
It’s more than hot flushes
It took several years – and several trips to the doctors – before Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, 53, was finally diagnosed as peri-menopausal and prescribed HRT. She was so frustrated by the experience, she co-founded the group Pausitivity to raise awareness of perimenopause symptoms and campaigned to get posters about menopause into doctor’s surgeries.
Elizabeth Carr-Ellis Elizabeth Carr-Ellis
“I wish I’d know everything about perimenopause, because it’s had such a big impact on my life in ways that I never knew it could,” says Carr-Ellis, originally from Newcastle, now based in Canterbury.
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“From a receding hairline, which I was told was male pattern baldness, to palpitations that meant I ended up in A&E one night after work. Then, paranoia and anxiety, and eventually wondering why I couldn’t just jump in a river and escape everything. I never knew menopause could be so bad.”
The anxiety can be debilitating
Jo Moseley, 54, from Yorkshire, wants women to know that although perimenopause is tough, it does get better. However, she wishes she’d had advance warning about how perimenopause can increase anxiety.
Jo Moseley Jo Moseley
“I’ve always been a bit of a worrier, but this was off the scale. I would worry about what might happen, what had happened, what could happen. I was just paralysed by it sometimes, at work and in my family life,” she says.
“It crushed my self-belief and self-confidence. I would be crying in supermarkets and I would be anxious about things that would never, ever happen. It would keep me up at night until three or four o’clock in the morning.”
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Support isn’t always inclusive
Nina Kuypers, 47, from Merseyside, has recently launched a peer support group for peri-menopausal Black women on Facebook and Twitter, because the little information out there on perimenopause often focusses on white women.
Nina Kuypers Nina Kuypers
“As a black woman I’ve personally found that we are not represented enough. I want menopause information to be more diverse, as well as evidence-based, easier to understand and relatable,” she says.
“One menopause does not fit all, there needs to be a connection, and then maybe more Black women, and women in general, would be prepared to speak more openly about the issue of menopause. It’s not about equality, but equity, and these are distinctly different.”
Perimenopause is often misdiagnosed
Katie Taylor, 51, from London, says she experienced four years of perimenopause symptoms that were misdiagnosed as depression.
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“I didn’t have hot flushes and I was still having periods,” says Taylor, who’s founder of the Latte Lounge digital community group. “But the symptoms of low mood, dry skin, heart palpitations, brain fog, anxiety, low self-esteem and weight gain were passed off by many of my doctors as depression.”
Katie Taylor Katie Taylor
It was only after her father, who’s a breast cancer specialist, suggested that it might be hormonal that she visited a specialist gynaecologist and was diagnosed as being in the perimenopause. She was offered HRT for the first time and says it made a huge difference.
“Ever since then, I’m like a new woman, I’ve got my life back and I feel absolutely fantastic,” she says.
Reaching menopause can be empowering
Rachel Lankester, 54, originally from Birmingham, reached the menopause at 41. She’s since set up a podcast and members club, Magnificent Midlife, to help women embrace life post-menopause.
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“I wish I’d known it wasn’t a time of loss, as we are taught to believe. Rather, it’s an opportunity for us to take stock and work out what’s next,” says Lankester.
Rachel Lankester Rachel Lankester


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-18--Coronavirus Forced Me To Confront The Grief And Loss I’d Been Running From

nadia_bormotova via Getty Images Young depressed female character hugging her knees. Stages of grief. Emotional problems. Suicidal thoughts. Mental health. Modern life of millennials. Grey colours.
By the time coronavirus hit London I had already lost so much, I genuinely caught myself thinking ’It shouldn’t be too bad for me. Most people I love have already died anyway.’
In the last seven years, my best friend died of breast cancer, my mum died of lung cancer, and my dad died of bone cancer. Like that wasn’t enough, I went through an early menopause at the same time as running a company and looking after two small children. Then my marriage ended, a home restoration went pear-shaped, and I realised that I was one pay-cheque away from a failed mortgage payment. I was so frightened I was literally walking into walls.
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It came as quite a shock to me, the idea that you can do everything you’re supposed to in life – work hard, buy the house, marry the person, have the kids – and then you get hit by a series of massive plot-twists anyway.
So when the enforced slowing and solitude of lockdown started, I was kind of glad of the break. I’d spent the 12 months previous firefighting in every corner of my life, so becoming a stay-at-home single mum in the coronavirus capital of the country was a relief.
And that’s when the feelings came. They came and they came, and they would not stop coming. All the grief I’d been stuffing down, but also all the love and joy and longing too. I would set my children up in front of the TV and then go out and sit in my parked car in the street and weep – great wracking sobs for all that I was, and all I wanted to be.
“I had silenced and denied my inner self to the extent that I didn’t even know I had one, because it simply would have cost me too much to admit that the path I was on wasn’t taking me anywhere I wanted to go.”
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Because for some time before everything went wrong, I’d been working hard to not notice that I no longer believed in the life I was living. Things looked okay from the outside, yet I’d find myself crying on trains, and thinking, ‘How odd, I wonder what that’s about.’ I’d been unable to listen to music or watch films for years, claiming I was too busy, but really, I was finding anything that brought up actual feelings completely overwhelming. I had silenced and denied my inner self to the extent that I didn’t even know I had one, because it simply would have cost me too much to admit that the path I was on wasn’t taking me anywhere I wanted to go. Instead, I learned to not listen to myself, not to trust my own instincts, and to deny my own desires.
And then when everything happened at once – all the deaths and the endings – I think that that part of me that was buried saw its chance. In a supreme act of self-preservation, I was finally able to hear my own voice. I had nothing left to lose, after all.
At the kitchen table, with the kids home-learning next to me, I went back to the person I had always been, before I got buried under all those plans and promises. I returned to the work that had always sustained me. For a long time, I had interviewed women about who they are and who they want to be, vaguely knowing I was writing a book, but never really backing myself. Suddenly the project had incredible focus and drive. It became the only work I was capable of doing – I think because, on some level, I knew that these intimate conversations with other women is where I would find my answers, my path, because they held the lessons that I so badly needed to learn.
I interviewed Hollywood reporters and London social workers, Vietnamese bankers and Kiwi school teachers. And in these interviews I found amazing women who took misfortune as an opportunity to change, and women who refused to allow decades of nappies and board meetings to become the only story they had to tell.
“I am learning that I have been using wrong tools in the hope they will get me the right answers.”
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I found women who have pressed the ‘fuck it’ button on toxic careers, survived broken hearts or been tragically bereaved, and those that woken up to realise they’ve never truly been loved. Their stories vary wildly, but what they all have in common is that they are all women who decided to lean into their own lives and ask for more.
Hearing these stories, and thinking about what they mean has helped me rebuild myself, and has set me in a new direction. I see now that decades of endless business and overachieving was a ruse to cover the fact that I’d never truly engaged with the business of my heart. Thinking, it turns out, has been my defence against feeling, and now I know that, I am forever changed.
I am learning that I have been using wrong tools in the hope they will get me the right answers. I’m starting to see the value in being kinder to myself and more patient with others. I am allowing myself to notice how much I gain from being in nature and from really listening to my kids. I’ve come to see that sleep and exercise are hugely underrated and, and crucially I have backed my own creative work and let it come out from the sidelines into the centre stage of my life.
Tillie Harris is a writer and psychosocial researcher, working with the deep drives that underpin women’s choices and desire. Follower her on Twitter at @Tillietalk and on Instagram at @Tillieharris.Official
Have a compelling personal story you want to tell? Find out what we’re looking for here, and pitch us on ukpersonal@huffpost.com


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-18--5 Signs Your Cat Genuinely Bonded With You During Lockdown

DesmondKean via Getty Images
We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus pandemic. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
Cats have a reputation for being aloof when it comes to the attention they give their owners. Sometimes it’s easy to feel as though you’re just a glorified cat-food dispenser in human form.
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But more than half of cat owners say lockdown has made their bond with their cat(s) even stronger. That’s according to a survey by Direct Line Pet Insurance.
And while some cats do lean towards the more independent side, they’re not as anti-social as we think they are as a species, says animal behaviourist Rosie Bescoby.
“Cats who have been well socialised with humans from an early age are more likely to find human interaction pleasurable, as long as it is the right sort of interaction of course,” Bescoby tells HuffPost UK.
“They will bond with caregivers, sometimes very strongly. New research shows cats can suffer from separation issues too, not just dogs.”
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Bescoby, who is a member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors, says: “For many cats, having ‘their people’ home more has meant warm laps to sleep on, attention to be had whenever it has been demanded, as well as potential access to other things the cat enjoys like food, or outdoor access if owners tend to only let their cat out when they are around to supervise.”
But how can moggy owners actually tell if their beloved feline companion is enjoying this extra company?
Signs your cat is a BIG fan of you
If your cat chooses to spend time near you, that’s a sure-fire sign they’re feeling connected. They might be following you around more often or sleeping near where you’re working, says Bescoby.
Has you cat been seeking interaction more frequently – nudging you with their head, pawing you, rubbing their face on you, or padding across your laptop?
If they’ve been in more physical contact – sleeping on your lap or shoulders, say – this is also evidence of a tighter bond. Even if they don’t sleep near (or on) you, they might choose to nap in areas where your scent is greatest, such as on the sofa or your bed, or in a pile of your clothes.
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Another sign of a strong connection built up over lockdown maybe sad to see– and that’s when cats are showing signs of distress. Separation anxiety can change their behaviour – when you leave the house or your cat is unable to gain access to you (for example if you’re sitting in a different room with the door shut). They might become more vocal (meowing or crying), or they might scratch at the carpet or furniture – or urinate indoors.
yacobchuk via Getty Images
During lockdown, nearly a third (28%) of pet owners admitted that they spent more than five hours of one-on-one time daily with their pets – breaking this down, 31% of dog owners spent more than five hours with their dog a day, while most cat owners spent between two and three hours with their pet.
Madeline Pike, veterinary nurse at Direct Line, warns that as owners head back to work, some pets may be experiencing separation anxiety, having become used to having their owners around more than usual. Separation anxiety can affect cats of all ages; however it is particularly common in kittens.
How to prevent separation anxiety
“With returning to work, it is important to encourage independent behaviour – so not everything great comes from the owner,” says Bescoby. “Relationships can be maintained using interactive play on a regular basis.”
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She recommends providing cats with opportunities to build independence from the environment they’re in, rather than all the good stuff coming from you.
“For example, if you normally feed your cats at set times of the day, consider providing activity feeders that provide both physical and mental stimulation to get the cat to work for their food, as they would naturally have to hunt for their food; or place food around the house or garden for your cats to search for, as they are also natural scavengers,” she says.
“Feeding smaller meals more frequently fulfils their natural eating habits and helps reduce the salience of meal times. A timed feeder removes the association with you providing the food.”
Vasyl Dolmatov via Getty Images
It’s important to interact with your cat(s) but also to encourage independent play – you can do this by providing fun stuff for your cat to hunt and chase.
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“Having a variety of textured items – feathers, suede, fur, wool, plastic, cork, polystyrene, paper, the list is endless – that have different sounds and even smells and rotating these on a regular basis, placing them for your cat to find or hanging them from string can enrich your cat’s home environment,” Bescoby adds. “There are loads of games on the market to encourage cats to play independently too.”
Another way to give your cat some newfound independence is to make your home more feline-friendly. Ask yourself: are there high up places for your cat to climb on to? Are there secret hiding places for them to sleep? Are there warm, comfy areas that are off the ground that fulfil all the criteria of your lap?
“Providing access to shelves, tops of furniture or fridges, as well as any empty cardboard box from your deliveries can really help your cat feel more secure without involving you,” says Bescoby.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-18--The Key To Treating Covid-19 Could Be In The Nose

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Loss of smell and taste is one of the three key symptoms of Covid-19 that people are urged to be aware of. It’s pretty common – a study of 24,000 people with the virus found 25% lost their ability to smell.
Other viral infections – including different forms of coronavirus – have also been known to cause a loss of smell and taste. With the common cold, for example, people will get infected, have a blocked or runny nose and their senses will be numbed for a few days. When the symptoms disappear, their sense of smell and taste is quickly restored.
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With Covid-19, people aren’t showing those classic signs of a stuffy nose but are still losing their sense of smell. And in some cases, their sense of smell and taste is being distorted even after they recover from the virus. Some may be left with permanent smell loss – although we don’t know exactly why or how many.
Experts have believed for a while now that the virus enters the nasal tissues through an enzyme called the angiotensin converting enzyme II (ACE-2) receptor – and then causes temporary damage to the smell nerves, which results in a loss of smell, and subsequently a loss of taste.
A study published in the European Respiratory Journal makes a case for this. Scientists analysed tissue removed from 23 patients’ noses during surgery and discovered extremely high levels of ACE-2 in the area of the nose responsible for smelling.
Researchers believe the enzyme is the ‘entry point’ that allows coronavirus to get into the cells of the body and cause an infection.
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And with the nose being a key route for the virus to infiltrate the body and spread, targeting this part of the body could result in more effective treatments, they said. Could a nasal spray one day stop Covid-19 in its tracks? It’s possible.
Softulka via Getty Images
The team from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore in the US, analysed tissue samples from the back of the nose of 23 patients, removed during endoscopic surgical procedures for conditions such as tumours or chronic rhinosinusitis, an inflammatory disease of the nose and sinus. They also studied biopsies from the trachea (windpipe) of seven patients. None of the patients had been diagnosed with coronavirus.
In the lab, the researchers used fluorescent dyes on the tissue samples to detect and visualise the presence of ACE2 under a microscope and compare levels of ACE2 in different cell types and parts of the nose and upper airway. They found the most ACE2, by far, on the lining cells of a very specific area at the back of the nose where the body detects smells. The levels of ACE2 in these cells was between 200 and 700 times higher than other tissue in the nose and trachea, and they found similarly high levels in all of the samples, regardless of what type of condition the patient had. Co-author and research associate Dr Mengfei Chen said: “This technique allowed us to see that the levels of ACE2 – the Covid-19 ‘entry point’ protein – were highest in the part of the nose that enables us to smell. These results suggest that this area of the nose could be where the coronavirus is gaining entry to the body.”
The area at the back of the nose where the body detects smells, called the olfactory epithelium, is “quite an easy part of the body for a virus to reach”, added Dr Chen. “It’s not buried away deep in our body, and the very high levels of ACE2 that we found there might explain why it’s so easy to catch Covid-19.”
Co-author Professor Andrew Lane, director of the division of rhinology and skull base surgery, said they are now doing more experiments in the lab to see whether the virus is using these cells to access and infect the body.
“If that’s the case, we may be able to tackle the infection with antiviral therapies delivered directly though the nose,” he said.
Professor Tobias Welte, an expert in pulmonary medicine and director of the Department of Pulmonary and Infectious Diseases at Hannover University School of Medicine, Germany, said the finding needs to be confirmed but it offers “possible new avenues for treating the infection”.
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Australian biotech company, Ena Respiratory, has been working on a nasal spray that could boost the immune system and help prevent Covid-19. Initial studies on ferrets have so far proven positive, showing the nasal spray, which is given weekly, can reduce replication of the virus by up to 96%. There are high hopes human trials will show a similar result. Managing director Dr Christophe Demaison told The Evening Standard: “If humans respond in a similar way, the benefits of treatment are two-fold. Individuals exposed to the virus would most likely rapidly eliminate it, with the treatment ensuring that the disease does not progress beyond mild symptoms. “In addition, the rapidity of this response means that the infected individuals are unlikely to pass it on, meaning a swift halt to community transmission.” The nose could also help us tell our symptoms apart from other illnesses this winter – like cold and flu. A study, published in the journal Rhinology, compared how people with loss of smell and taste (anosmia) from Covid-19 differed from those with other causes of upper respiratory tract infections and found smell loss was “much more profound” in Covid-19 patents. For the study they carried out smell and taste tests on 10 Covid-19 patients, 10 people with bad colds and 10 healthy people. Distinguishing features of smell loss caused by Covid-19 included being able to breathe freely, not having a runny or blocked nose, and being unable to detect bitter or sweet tastes.
“It was this loss of true taste which seemed to be present in the Covid-19 patients compared to those with a cold,” said lead researcher Professor Carl Philpott, from University of East Anglia’s Norwich Medical School.
Smell and taste tests could be developed for fast Covid-19 screening, which could be used in primary care and emergency departments, he suggested.
People who lose their sense of smell or taste are currently advised by the NHS to self-isolate for at least 10 days.
“Although such tests could not replace formal diagnostic tools such as throat swabs, they could provide an alternative when conventional tests are not available or when rapid screening is needed – particularly at the level of primary care, in emergency departments or at airports,” said Prof Philpott.
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It’s previously been suggested that the Covid-19 virus affects the central nervous system, based on neurological symptoms developed by some patients.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-18--The A-Levels Fiasco Has Left These Medical Students Without A University Place

“The government should think themselves lucky that so many of us are fighting to get into medical school,” said Fauziah Shahan, an A Level student and aspiring doctor.
For months, doctors on the frontline have been battling tirelessly against coronavirus – the biggest public health crisis to hit the UK in a century.
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But with its disastrous handling of this year’s A Level results, the government has upended the plans of many budding medics – and the NHS’ future workforce.
Indeed, many would-be medical students have been left in the dark about whether there will be a place for them at medical school in the autumn, despite achieving impressive A Level results.
This is because, despite endless revision, work experience and entrance exams, many top pupils hoping to study medicine had their grades marked down by Ofqual, meaning they were rejected by their first and second choice universities last week.
Following the government’s dramatic U-turn on A Level results on Monday, these pupils now have the grades they needed – but no space at medical school.
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It’s a dilemma facing students across subjects – but universities say it will be particularly hard to accommodate additional medical and dentistry students.
Fauziah, who went to school in Hackney, east London, needed AAA to study medicine at UCL.
Fauziah Shahan Supplied: Fauziah Shahan
But when she opened her results on Thursday she found that, despite being predicted A*A*AA by her teachers, she had been awarded AAAB.
She said she was rejected immediately by UCL, which requires students to get at least an A in chemistry and biology, which Fauziah did not have.
With her impressive set of predicted grades now reinstated, the 18-year-old has the results she needs to get into UCL and her back-up choice of Barts and the London School of Medicine and Denistry.
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But despite contacting each university a number of times with her new grades, she said she has heard nothing back yet.
It’s a heart-wrenching state of limbo that has left the teenager “very upset and disappointed in the government”.
“My family can’t afford to support me financially if I have to take a year out,” Fauziah said. “Even if I work it will be a struggle, because I have three younger siblings who depend on my parents’ income.
“Going to medical school would have enabled me to become independent, even if it was off student loans.”
She added: “I hate the fact that the area I live in is what has caused all of this – something that is out of my control and not my choice.
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“If worse comes to worst, I’ll have to go through clearing and see if there are even any courses I want to do that aren’t filled.”
The UK is always complaining there’s a shortage of doctors in the NHS, Fauziah said.
“If anything, I see this as more of a reason to accommodate one cohort – it’s not as if this is going to be repeated again and again.”
She added: “You wouldn’t expect a prime minister who was so gravely affected by this pandemic to just sit back about this.”
A spokesperson for UCL told HuffPost UK that for students who have met the university’s offer to study medicine but do not have a confirmed place at the medical school, “we are working with the relevant agencies about places this year and we will guarantee a deferred place for next year”. Barts has not yet responded to requests for comment.
But Fauziah isn’t alone. Amy Turnball, who wants to study medicine at Lancaster University, was due to sit her A Level exams in 2019 – but was forced to push them back a year after breaking her back while skiing.
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Amy Turnball had to delay her A Level exams after breaking her back last year Supplied: Amy Turnball
It’s a situation that has left her with a double-whammy of problems. Despite being sure she could achieve the AAA grades needed to get into medical school – and having previously been predicted A*AA – she was given CCC on results day.
Even after the government said students could be awarded their centre-assessed grades (CAG), Amy was left with BBB – results that were based on mock exams she took in 2019 just weeks after her accident.
As an external candidate for A Levels, these grades were the most recent results available to her former college.
Now, she has no idea what her future holds – or what will happen to her dreams of becoming a doctor.
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“On results day, my university told me that if I could appeal and get my AAA for medicine by August 31, then I would be honoured with a place for 2021,” Amy said.
“I have spoken to them again and they were unable to give me any more advice as they are waiting to hear from UCAS and the Medical Schools Council.”
She also tried to get a place at medical school through clearing, but nowhere would accept her with her current grades.
“It angers me that the process used by the government to give students their grades has potentially pushed me back another year,” Amy said.
“I don’t think the CAG system benefited any external candidates like myself, as colleges are using mock exam results and data from a year ago.
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“At the moment, external candidates are still fighting for justice.”
Unlike Fauziah and Amy, Kiran Richards from Rotherham has been told by the University of Leeds – his first choice – that he is guaranteed a place at medical school. But he could be left waiting a year before he can start his degree.
Kiran Richards has been told he might have to defer his place to study medicine until 2021 Supplied: Kiran Richards
After Kiran was awarded BCC on results day, rather than the ABB his teachers predicted he would get if he had taken the exams, the university told him they would hold his place until August 31 while he appealed his grades.
Now he has the results he needs to get into medical school, Leeds have told him his place is guaranteed – but that if all the spaces on this year’s course have already been taken, he might have to defer the start of his degree until 2021.
Because applying to studying medicine is an arduous process – involving entrance exams and interviews – 18-year-old Kiran said he was “relieved” he still has a place at medical school.
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“But obviously I want to go this year – all my friends are going to university this year. It would be quite disappointing not to go this year, especially as it’s not down to me, but down to something the government did.”
The prospect of a gap year in the middle of a pandemic that has made international travel tricky and finding a job even more difficult is not something that appeals to Kiran.
“I’ve got a job at McDonalds at the moment, so I guess I would just stay on there,” he said.
“But it’s frustrating because medicine is such a long course – you’re looking at six years at university. If you add a gap year on top of that, I’ll be 26 before I finish. That seems like a long, long way away.”
In a statement on Twitter, Leeds University said it would review the position of students who had picked the university as their first or insurance choice in light of the government’s U-turn on grades.
“Once UCAS confirm grades, if these meet or exceed the conditions of your offer, we will do everything we possibly can to confirm your place for Sept 2020.”
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The British Medical Association (BMA) has insisted that any student who was offered a place to study medicine should be able to take it.
“On the basis of being allocated poorer grades than expected, many will have missed out on a place at any of their chosen schools, taking instead a non-medical course”, said Gurdas Singh and Chris Smith, co-chairs of BMA’s medical students committee.
“For others, this could mean having to take a gap year, which could present a whole new set of issues for disadvantaged students. All of these scenarios could mean an end to many students’ ambitions to have a career in medicine.”
Education secretary Gavin Williamson poses for a photo in his office at the Department of Education in London ASSOCIATED PRESS
Announcing the government’s U-turn on A Level results on Monday, education secretary Gavin Williamson said the government would remove caps on student numbers to ensure that students could progress to university – despite the chaos caused by the assessment system.
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However, this has alarmed universities, who are still scrambling to find a way to accommodate extra students.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast on Tuesday, Williamson said: “We recognise some of the real challenges that universities face. We know that there’s a clear expectation that is on universities for them to welcome in so many youngsters who have achieved those grades.”
The minister added: “We’re going to have a record year of the number of people who are going to university and we’ll work with the sector to ensure they have … capacity.”
On Wednesday morning, asked whether the government would consider lifting the cap on the number of medical students, health secretary Matt Hancock told the same programme: “We are looking at that.
“Thankfully we’ve got an expansion in the number of medical places this year, the biggest number of medical places ever because we’re hiring into the NHS, we’re growing the NHS and we want to make sure the NHS has the doctors it needs in the future,” he added.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-18--Running Mate: Introducing Our US Election Podcast For Brits

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Running Mate is a US election podcast – just for Brits.
We wanted to produce something that made sense of the November vote for people in the UK asking: “What on earth is going on over there?”
HuffPost UK has enlisted the help of journalist colleagues in the States to explain what is likely to be the country’s most important presidential election in decades – and almost certainly one of its most shambolic.
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We will speak to commentators, campaigners and experts to assess Donald Trump’s chances in the face of a pandemic ravaging the country, mass unemployment, and a reckoning with racism.
On a more basic level, we’ll explain uniquely American concepts including how the electoral college system works and what an “October surprise” is.
Listen to a trailer for the series below
The podcast will tell you about Joe Biden, explore how social justice is shaping the campaign, and find out whether the TV debates matter. We’ll also essay the more bizarre aspects of American politics in 2020, such as why Trump doesn’t trust his dismal polling but loves the “beautiful boaters”, and whether Biden can go a week without putting his foot in his mouth or challenging someone to a push-up contest.
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I’ll be hosting the conversation. I’m a HuffPost UK news editor, but I’m also a Brit who has spent the last four years in the US witnessing the chaos of Trump’s first term unfold. We’ll be tapping into the knowledge of HuffPost’s US political team, which is tracking the candidates’ every move and has a wealth of insights to offer UK listeners during this bizarre, historic and socially-distanced campaign.
Our very first episode launches on August 24, and focuses on the big question everyone in the UK is asking: can Trump win? We’ll have insights from SV Date, HuffPost’s senior White House correspondent who covers the Republicans and the Trump campaign, and Arial Edwards-Levy, a HuffPost senior reporter and polling editor. We also speak to Republican strategist David Kohchal, a Trump “agnostic” who still thinks a second term is possible.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-18--Lone Children Who Cross The Channel Are Being Held In A Border Force Processing Centre

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Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
Vulnerable asylum seeking children arriving on small boats are being held in a Border Force processing centre after Kent’s council reached capacity, prompting fears of a “disaster”.
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Large numbers of children reaching the UK have led to an “unthinkable” situation where Kent County Council says it “cannot safely accommodate any more new arrivals”.
Those now arriving are being held by Border Force at a processing centre, where asylum seekers are usually interviewed by officers, until homes can be found for them in other areas.
Charities said they were “extremely concerned” and fear the children are being held in “prison-like facilities”. They also say they do not know whether the children are being safeguarded or whether they have access to education, social workers or legal services.
A Home Office source would only say the children would be held at the so-called Kent Intake Unit (KIU) for “as short a time as possible” and did not say whether they were getting any access to services.
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Bridget Chapman, of the Kent Refugee Action Network, said home secretary Priti Patel had “failed to manage the situation”, instead making “completely inappropriate” comments about sending the Navy to intercept small boats on which the children perilously cross the Channel, and arguing with an ice cream company over the issue.
Chapman also said she had “all sorts of concerns” about Border Force being responsible for the children, who as asylum seekers claim they are fleeing war or persecution.
She told HuffPost UK: “These are children, they need to be looked after by a local authority that has the skillset to look after them.
“That’s no disrespect to the border authority but the border authority does not have the skillset to look after children.
“I have all sorts of questions – will they be allocated social workers? Will they have access to legal services? Will they be able to access education? What sort of accommodation will they be in? Will it be appropriate? How will they be safeguarded?
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“And of course it’s illegal to detain children for more than 24 hours so how is this going to work?
“It seems to me it’s got disaster written all over it.”
A Border Force officer carries a young child to its father as a group of people thought to be migrants are brought into Dover, Kent, on a Border Force vessel PA
She went on: “In our experience children arrive almost every day so if today is typical there will be some children spending the night in the care of Border Force tonight and I am extremely concerned about that.
“We have had a situation before where there was a lack of accommodation and adult people were kept in a really inappropriate building which was a concrete floor.
“I’m not suggesting for one minute Border Force are going to do that to these children but where are they going to be placed and is it going to be an appropriate location for them?”
Laura Padoan, of UNHCR – the UN refugee agency, said: “It’s not appropriate for unaccompanied minors to be left in the care of the coastguard, especially as a number of young girls on their own have arrived in the last few days.
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“They should be transferred to local authority care as soon as possible, if not in Kent then elsewhere.”
Bella Sankey, director of Detention Action, described the situation as a “scandal” and said it “should be a source of deep shame for this government”.
She told PA: “This is a political failure, pure and simple. The government must urgently U-turn and ensure that vulnerable children are immediately taken into care rather than detained in prison-like facilities.
“It is deeply worrying that this entirely preventable situation has occurred.
“Instead of ensuring that unaccompanied child refugees are provided with essential support when they arrive in the UK, the home secretary has spent the last few weeks trashing the UK’s proud record of helping the world’s most vulnerable and trying to turn this situation into a Trumpian culture war.
“Priti Patel needs to show some moral leadership and quit the playground politics.”
A spokesperson for Kent County Council (KCC) told the PA news agency the increased arrivals of unaccompanied migrant children has “exhausted” Kent’s resources such as social workers, independent reviewing officers, care workers and suitable accommodation.
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Meetings between the council and government are under way in an effort to find a resolution today, the council said.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “This is an unprecedented situation and we continue to work closely with the Department for Education and local government on provision for unaccompanied minors.
“Unaccompanied children arriving in Dover are being cared for in the Kent Intake Unit before being placed in appropriate social services care.”
The Home Office said the Kent Intake Unit is a “processing centre” where people who arrive by small boat are taken, and rejected descriptions of it as a detention location.
It told PA discussions are continuing “at pace” with social services from other local authorities already on board.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-18--Student Raises Thousands For Lebanon After Completing 150-Mile Bike Ride

Student Raises Thousands For Lebanon After Completing 150-Mile Bike Ride
When Muhammad Mahmoud first saw the videos of an explosion in Lebanon’s capital city of Beirut he felt it was his duty as a Muslim to help. So the 18-year-old organised a solo bike ride from Birmingham to his home city of London and has so far raised around £2,500 in the process.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-18--Eric Trump’s ‘Absolutely Terrible’ Tweet During The DNC Gets Flipped On Him

It’s ok Eric. It takes some ppl longer then others to realize how terrible some ppl are. We know it’s hard for you to go against your dad. But he is terrible


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-18--Live Audiences Are Finally Returning To TV Studios – This Is How It's Working

With indoor performance spaces allowed to reopen from last week in the latest easing of the government’s coronavirus lockdown, live audiences have been returning to TV studios – but like everything else in this pandemic, they are now adapting to a “new normal”.
The TV industry has slowly begun to awaken following a dormant period, after productions were suspended on a mass scale back in March as coronavirus tightened its grip.
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While various soaps and dramas have been back filming for a short while now, with reworked storylines and clever camera trickery to help navigate social distancing, entertainment formats reliant on a studio audience have faced a tricker road back.
However, Monday night saw the reintroduction of a live audience at London’s iconic Television Centre in White City, as QI began filming a new series in Studio 1.
The BBC comedy panel show became one of the first shows to resume filming with an audience, but as you can imagine, things were very different in the studio to how they were in a pre-Covid world.
A blog post on the BBC Studioworks website has revealed a series of changes and measures put in place to allow production to resume safely.
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While Studio 1 at Television Centre (nicknamed TC1) has capacity for 600 seated guests, just 40 were allowed in during Monday night’s recording, with all parties sat two metres apart from one another, at a safe distance from crew members working in the studio.
Television Centre in White City, London, pictured in 2018 Stefan Kiefer/imageBROKER/Shutterstock
As well as being made to wear a mask during their visit, all audience members were also met with mandatory temperature checks with thermal cameras upon arrival, and had to sign a Covid-19 declaration and give their details to assist with the NHS Test And Trace scheme.
Hand sanitising stations have also been installed outside Television Centre, along with barriers and markings to enforce social distancing while queuing.
A spokesperson for BBC Studioworks – a commercial subsidiary of the BBC providing studios and post production services at Television Centre and Elstree Studios in Borehamwood – said the company was “following government guidelines to the letter” and “taking all of the necessary steps to ensure that the return of audiences to our studios is managed safely”.
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The coming weeks will see a number of other productions also return to filming with a studio audience, including a reboot of Family Fortunes fronted by new host Gino D’Acampo.
Deadline has also reported The Masked Singer will return to its studios in Bovingdon in Hertfordshire to shoot its second series over eight nights next month.
SRO Audiences, who handle ticketing for the UK version of the hit Korean format, has stated on its website that audience members will be subject to similar rules in place at Television Centre.
The Masked Singer UK will film in front of a live audience next month ITV
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This includes people only sitting together if they are part of the same social bubble, and temperature checks and Test And Trace forms to be filled in on arrival. Audience members face being asked to leave the recording if they flout the rules.
The company warned people they would be entering the studio at their own risk, noting: “It is important that you understand that we are not able to guarantee that you will not be exposed to Covid-19.
“Therefore, you should consider both your own medical health (and any specific risks associated with Covid-19) and that of those in your household or others with whom you may come into contact with.
“By attending the filming, you agree that you understand the risks.”
If the measures prove to be safe and successful, it could provide a way forward for a raft of other primetime shows, including Britain’s Got Talent and Strictly Come Dancing.
Both shows have been considering their options over the last few months, after the semi finals of Britain’s Got Talent were pushed back to the autumn.
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Applause Store is currently advertising for fans to appear as part of a “virtual audience”, which has recently been seen on the US version of Simon Cowell’s talent show. HuffPost UK has contacted Britain’s Got Talent to see if this is still the preferred choice.
Strictly is filmed on The George Lucas Stage at Elstree Studios Rex/Shutterstock
It had also been reported that Strictly bosses were not planning to include a live audience in 2020, having already delayed the upcoming series by a month to October.