thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-24--Phoebe Waller-Bridge Dancing With Harry Styles In A New Music Video Is The Early Christmas Present W

Phoebe Waller-Bridge Dancing With Harry Styles In A New Music Video Is The Early Christmas Present We All Need

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You have to hand it to Harry Styles, he’s absolutely knocked it out of the park when it comes to the music videos from his latest album, Fine Line.
First, he sent temperatures climbing last year with Lights Up, after which he debuted the quirky Adore You – in all of its smile-dazzling and fish-befriending glory.
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Well, it seems the former One Direction star isn’t quite ready to wind things down just yet, apparently roping in none other than Phoebe Waller-Bridge for another upcoming music video.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Harry Styles Anthony Harvey/Shutterstock
A 20-second black-and-white clip which began doing the rounds on social media on Thursday (after seemingly being leaked on Vevo’s Twitter account) shows Harry inviting the Fleabag creator to dance with him, while they’re both dressed in matching white tuxedos.
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The footage appears to be taken from an upcoming video for Harry’s song Treat People With Kindness.
Full clip regarding Harry Styles & the Treat People With Kindness video featuring Phoebe Waller-Bridge! pic.twitter.com/pTlSgg9IUH — OT5 UPDATES (@OT5UPDATED) December 23, 2020
And needless to say, the sight of Harry dancing with Phoebe has well and truly come as an early Christmas present for his many excited fans…
IS THAT PHOEBE WALLER- BRIDGE WITH HAROLD STYLES pic.twitter.com/hYEc9c9klJ — olivia 🦘 (@kiwi_legendd) December 23, 2020
phoebe waller bridge is in harry styles's treat people with kindness music video. somebody has to be kidding me, cuz if there's someone i love as much as I love harry it's her. this is the best Christmas present i could have asked for. pic.twitter.com/kXtpNvSe3c — klarka misses zouis (@yedlichkova) December 23, 2020
i want phoebe waller-bridge’s life so bad what the fuck imagine writing and starring in one of the best shows ever and directing a phoebe bridgers music video then being in a harry styles music video i am going to commit arson — 𝙡𝙞𝙫 (@livgr33n3) December 24, 2020
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phoebe waller-bridge in a harry styles music video?!?!???)&)£((£;&;&(&? pic.twitter.com/qvv8pH9wCc — mary (@sapphicpoppins) December 23, 2020
Harry Styles?! Treat People With Kindness music video?! Phoebe Waller Bridge?!! This trio?!!! pic.twitter.com/r1THPunjFL — Mad scientist 🪐 (@hulyayana) December 24, 2020
WE'RE ACTUALLY GETTING A BLACK AND WHITE TPWK MUSIC VIDEO, WITH PHOEBE-WALLER BRIDGE WHERE THERE MAYBE A CHOREOGRAPHED DANCE???? ALSO HE LOOKS SO GREAT AND HANDSOME IN THAT SPARKLY SUIT I WON'T SURVIVE THIS pic.twitter.com/DCYpG5i94F — gaatha🌻LOUIS DAY (@goldenangelwt) December 24, 2020
tpwk getting recognition from THE phoebe waller bridge in sparkles and dancing in london with champagne and clapping and— pic.twitter.com/4jnYqmvfW5 — isabel (@dontmarryher) December 23, 2020
So you’re telling me Harry Styles is realising Treat People With Kindness music video starring him and Phoebe Waller-Bridge?!!
I’ll take it. What a wonderful Christmas gift ❤ @Harry_Styles — Tereza Koci (@TerezaKoci) December 24, 2020
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WHAT!!! A TPWK MV WITH PHOEBE FUCKING WALLER BRIDGE!!! IS THIS A DREAM?? pic.twitter.com/1jtbKDzl8h — Rashi 💙 (@TheQuietOness) December 24, 2020
harries reacting to a 19 second clip of harry styles and phoebe-waller-bridges pic.twitter.com/11XPUmrczj — babs🌻 HPBD LOUIS! (@SUNFL0WR91) December 24, 2020
i want phoebe waller bridge to look at me the way she does harry styles pic.twitter.com/3hAHHAw3k8 — H ★⁷ (@feelikepoprocks) December 23, 2020
IM NOT CRYING OVER THE FACT THAT THERE MIGHT BE A #TPWK MUSIC VIDEO, IM CRYING BECAUSE PHOEBE WALLER BRIDGE GOT TO HOLD HIS HAND AND I DIDN’T pic.twitter.com/3EujFxZHF8 — ❁ camille ❁ (@lifeofcamillea) December 24, 2020
HuffPost UK has contacted Harry’s representatives for comment.
It’s been another huge year for the British singer, who bagged his first solo Grammy nominations in 2020, as well as topping the US charts for the first time with Watermelon Sugar.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-24--11 Times Ministers Weren't Guided By The Science

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The UK has passed the grim milestone of 100,000 deaths from Covid-19, with more than 50,000 fatalities occurring in the last 11 weeks.
In a Downing Street press conference following the confirmation of the figure, Boris Johnson spoke of how “you would exhaust the thesaurus of misery” in trying to describe the tragedy that has befallen the UK.
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But the prime minister also struck a note of defiance, suggesting his government’s response has been correct.
“What I can tell you is that we truly did everything we could, and continue to do everything that we can, to minimise loss of life,” he said.
Given he introduced a series of policies that ran counter to the UK’s current lockdown – from Eat Out To Help Out to travel corridors – many would beg to differ.
The government has been desperate to show that its at times unpopular decision making is guided by the advice of experts.
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Google results suggest the expressions “guided by the science” and “follow the science” appeared on national and local government websites hundreds of times in 2020, compared with just seven in all previous years combined. And the phrases were used repeatedly by health secretary Matt Hancock and prime minister Boris Johnson at press conferences and in the Commons.
Boris Johnson leaves the podium following a media briefing in Downing Street, London. Justin Tallis - PA Images via Getty Images
But quite often key observations and recommendations made by scientists – chiefly, the government’s own Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) – don’t appear to have translated into ministerial action at all, sometimes with devastating consequences.
Here are a few of the times when the government seemingly wasn’t “guided by the science”.
The Christmas relaxations
Sage recommended: Cutting the three-household “Christmas bubbling” rule (on which more in a moment) from five days to one or two at its meeting on December 2.
The government: Spent two weeks not acting, said it would be “inhuman” to change people’s Christmas plans, then with just three days to spare cancelled the relaxation altogether for parts of the country on December 19 – and reduced it everywhere else from five days to one.
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Bedroom tax and the benefit cap
Sage recommended: Scrapping the bedroom tax, and the “no recourse to public funds” (NRPF) and benefit cap rules that limited the amount of government help people could access. They said at their meeting on November 24 that these factors could make it harder for people to self-isolate by reducing the amount of space available for them to stay away from others, and forcing them to work even while sick so they could afford to live.
The government: Didn’t. The Department for Work and Pensions defended the bedroom tax as “an important tool to help to manage housing support expenditure and enable mobility within the social rented sector” and pointed to billions of pounds it had spent on welfare this year more generally.
The word ‘bubbles’
Sage recommended: Find a better word than “bubbles”. Specifically, on November 24, it said the rules around household mixing should be “communicated in a meaningful way so that it is clear how it applies. [...] For example, the term ‘bubbles’ does not translate easily into non-English languages so alternative terms should be identified which will resonate”.
The government: Continued to refer to bubbles (for instance, here).
Helping children self-isolate
Sage recommended: Give young Covid sufferers free Netflix and data to help them stick to the rules and self-isolate. This advice was given on October 22.
The government: Hasn’t done this.
Circuit-breaker
Sage recommended: Imposing a two-week circuit breaker lockdown to control rising infections. This advice was given on September 21.
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The government: Resisted calls for a circuit breaker, instead introducing a tiered lockdown system and, subsequently, a second national lockdown – but not until early November, by which time infections had grown substantially:
The government's own coronavirus dashboard shows how infections continued to rise after Sage recommended a two-week circuit breaker in mid-September. coronavirus.data.gov.uk
Online teaching at universities
Sage recommended: Moving all university teaching online unless “absolutely essential” on September 21.
The government: Didn’t instruct universities to move all non-essential teaching online. Infection rates at universities soared and students’ mental as well as physical health suffered.
Opening of businesses
Sage recommended: Shutting bars, restaurants, cafes, gyms and hairdressers on September 21.
The government: Kept them all open unless they were in local lockdown. It didn’t shut the rest, as Sage wanted, until the second UK lockdown six weeks later.
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Household mixing
Sage recommended: Banning all household mixing indoors, again on September 21.
The government: Continued to allow household mixing (except where there were local lockdowns in place) until the second national lockdown in November.
Risk to students
Signs on a window at Manchester Metropolitan University's Birley campus where hundreds of students were told to self-isolate in September Peter Byrne - PA Images via Getty Images
Sage warned: There would be a “significant” risk of infection, including asymptomatic spread, if students returned to campus. This is taken from a meeting on September 3.
The government: Sent students back to campus. Thousands caught the virus. There was also some limited evidence that areas with the most students suffered higher levels of Covid than other places in the country.
Protecting Black and Asian people
Sage recommended: Given that Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups have been among the hardest hit by the virus (see here, here and here, for instance), the risk to them should be “mitigated by policy makers”. Sage also told the government on June 4 that it was important to involve BAME groups in “framing research questions, participating in research projects, sharing findings and implementing recommendations”.
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Reopening schools
Sage and chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance recommended: Don’t reopen schools from June 1 without an effective test and trace system.
The government: Reopened schools for some students before the summer holidays even though Test and Trace didn’t begin regularly hitting its 80% target for reaching close contacts until December.
Quarantine hotels
Sage scientist Lucy Yardley recommended: People should be made to quarantine in government-sanctioned hotels. In June, the professor of health psychology at Bristol and Southampton universities warned that many people with Covid-19 symptoms were not self-isolating and suggested physically providing them with accommodation to do so in. In May, the Independent Sage group of scientists said “quarantine facilities, such as requisitioned hotels, will be essential to” stop imported cases from international travellers.
The government: Has indicted it will introduce a system of hotel quarantine – perhaps limited to countries with the new variants – but has yet to make an official announcement, nearly a year after the first confirmed case of Covid-19 in the UK.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-24--16 Of The Most Memorable Moments From The Royal Family's Wild Year

To say that the royal family experienced change in 2020 is putting things mildly.
The royals faced seismic shifts and shake-ups, drawing parallels to the queen’s challenging “annus horriblis” in 1992, a year in which three royal marriages ended, a fire destroyed parts of Windsor Castle, and royal scandal abounded.
Seeing as the coronavirus pandemic transformed 2020 into a year of grief and hardship, it’s hard to remember that Harry and Meghan’s step back as working members of the royal family was less than 12 months ago.
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There were some lowlights for the royals in 2020: Princes Charles’ and William’s coronavirus diagnoses, more details about William and Harry’s reported feud, and disheartening revelations from privacy lawsuits filed by Meghan Markle.
The royal family also continued its pattern of seemingly excusing Prince Andrew for his involvement with the billionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
But throughout the tough year, there were also highlights ― like Queen Elizabeth’s historic coronavirus speech, the Sussexes settling into California and starting their new foundation, the success of Kate Middleton’s “Hold Still” project and Princess Beatrice’s surprise nuptials.
There were also some moments that seemed to make the world stand still, like when the Duchess of Sussex spoke about experiencing pregnancy loss and people across the world collectively mourned with her.
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It was a year of hope, despair, change, calls for justice, endless Zoom meetings, concern for health and for family, praise for essential workers and so much more — for the royals, and for all of us.
Relieve and experience the royal family’s momentous year below.
1. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announce their step back
DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS via Getty Images The Duke and Duchess of Sussex in London, one day before their bombshell announcement.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle dropped a bombshell on Jan 8, a day that will live in royal infamy. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced that they would be stepping back as senior members of the royal family to pursue financial independence and relocate to North America.
The announcement led to negotiations within the royal family and, eventually, a plan for the royal couple going forward.
2. A Cambridge vs. Sussex showdown to remember
POOL New / Reuters The Sussexes and Cambridges attend the annual Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey in London on March 9.
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After the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their plans, they carried out their last series of official engagements in early March. As rumours of tension between Prince William and Prince Harry swirled, the brothers and their wives publicly reunited at the annual Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey.
The reunion was highly anticipated, as Meghan and Harry hadn’t been publicly photographed with the royal family in some time, due to their North American sabbatical in 2019. Royal watchers got more than they expected, as the Cambridges appeared to not even acknowledge Harry and Meghan during the awkward engagement. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge seemed to only speak to Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, though they were sitting right next to the Sussexes.
3. Prince Charles tests positive for Covid-19
WPA Pool via Getty Images Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Prince Charles attend a Commonwealth Day reception on March 9 in London.
As news (and fear) about the coronavirus pandemic began to spread, Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, tested positive for Covid-19 in March. A spokesperson for the prince said that he was only displaying mild symptoms at the time and the royal recovered quickly.
4. Queen Elizabeth’s historic coronavirus address
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On April 5, Queen Elizabeth addressed the nation for reportedly only the fifth time in her reign, besides her annual Christmas address, to thank frontline workers, lift the public’s spirits and provide a sense of calm as the pandemic raged on.
The queen’s historic speech ended with a message of hope, as she signed off by saying, “We should take comfort that while we have more still to endure, better days will return. We will be with our friends again; we will be with our families again; we will meet again.”
5. Harry & Meghan officially move to California
Illustration: HuffPost, Images: Getty
After weeks of speculation, Harry and Meghan moved from Vancouver Island to Los Angeles (Meghan’s hometown) in March, just before the borders closed between Canada and the United States due to Covid-19.
The royals stayed at one of Tyler Perry’s residences, before later relocating to their current home in Montecito, in Santa Barbara County.
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6. Tatler’s controversial Kate Middleton article
In May, Kensington Palace issued a scathing rebuttal of a Tatler magazine cover story about Kate Middleton that included anonymous sources denouncing Harry and Meghan’s departure and giving insight into the rumoured rift between the Cambridges and Sussexes.
Many questioned the palace’s readiness to condemn the article, despite its frequent silence in the face of racist and sexist press coverage of the Duchess of Sussex over the years.
7. Meghan Markle talks about George Floyd
The Duchess of Sussex recorded a video message about the “absolutely devastating” death of #GeorgeFloyd for students graduating from her former high school in LA. She says: “I am so sorry that you have to grow up in a world where this is still present.” pic.twitter.com/D9Bq2n7kRq — Lizzie Robinson (@LizzieITV) June 4, 2020
In June, the Duchess of Sussex won praise for speaking about the police killing of George Floyd during a virtual graduation speech for her alma mater in Los Angeles.
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“George Floyd’s life mattered,” Meghan said in her speech. “Breonna Taylor’s life mattered, and Philando Castile’s life mattered, and Tamir Rice’s life mattered, and so did so many other people whose names we know and whose names we do not know.” Both Meghan and Harry continued to highlight the Black Lives Matter movement and racial justice causes throughout the year.
8. Princess Beatrice ties the knot in secret wedding
After lots of rescheduling and multiple delays, Princess Beatrice married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in a small, private ceremony in Windsor in July.
Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip and other family members attended, but notably, Beatrice’s father, Prince Andrew, wasn’t included in the wedding photos that were released to the public.
10. Harry and Meghan announce Netflix and Spotify deals
Chris Jackson via Getty Images The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also announced that they would be dropping a special holiday episode before the year is over.
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made good on their intentions to become financially independent, as news that the couple agreed to a megawatt deal with Netflix broke in early September. The royals said that the deal, rumored to have closed at over $100 million, would focus on “creating content that informs but also gives hope.”
But taking over TV screens wasn’t enough for the Sussexes, who announced in December that they’d be coming to the heir-waves, too, thanks to another major deal between their own Archewell Audio company and Spotify.
11. The Sussexes encourage voting & Trump responds
“It’s time to not only reflect, but act.” This #NationalVoterRegistrationDay, join #Time100 alumni Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, in taking action for the future. pic.twitter.com/JerXHxiZK3 — ABC (@ABCNetwork) September 23, 2020
Throughout the year, both Meghan and Harry repeatedly called on US citizens to vote (members of the British royal family are allowed to vote in the UK, but the queen must remain politically neutral). Though the two never endorsed a particular political party or candidate, they were still met with backlash — and even calls for their royal titles to be stripped.
President Donald Trump predictably got involved in the criticism, telling a Daily Mail reporter at a press conference in late September that he was “not a fan” of Meghan. Trump wished Harry “luck ’cause he’s going to need it.”
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"I wish a lot of luck to Harry, 'cause he's gonna need it" -- Trump disses Meghan Markle pic.twitter.com/iaJ00T9STw — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 23, 2020
12. Prince William’s Covid-19 diagnosis revealed months later
Samir Hussein via Getty Images The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visit Cardiff Castle on Dec. 8 in Cardiff, Wales.
William faced serious backlash in November after The Sun reported that the Duke of Cambridge had contracted Covid-19 in April, shortly after his father, Prince Charles, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson also tested positive. Kensington Palace offered HuffPost no additional comment on the report, but did not deny it.
The duke’s decision to keep his diagnosis private was criticised, as were comments he made in March suggesting that the pandemic was being overblown by the media. Most recently, the Cambridges came under fire for carrying out a three-day, cross-country train tour as cases continued to soar in the UK, and for apparently breaking coronavirus rules while on an outing with other family members this past weekend.
13. BBC opens investigation into Princess Diana interview
Tim Graham via Getty Images Princess Diana picture at Highgrove House in July 1986.
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The BBC announced in November that it was investigating interviewer Martin Bashir’s shocking interview with Princess Diana a quarter century after it took place. Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, claimed that Bashir used forged documents and dishonest tactics to get the late Princess of Wales to agree to the interview in 1995.
The investigation was opened after journalist Andy Webb uncovered new details about the interview, reportedly that the BBC was aware of Bashir’s dishonest tactics and covered them up.
14. Season 4 of The Crown ignites outrage
Season 4 of The Crown caused a stir among some politicians, actors and royal experts in November, all of whom called upon Netflix to do a better job of labelling the critically acclaimed series as fiction. The streaming giant responded with a “no.”
“We have always presented ‘The Crown’ as a drama — and we have every confidence our members understand it’s a work of fiction that’s broadly based on historical events,” Netflix said in a statement obtained by The Associated Press. “As a result we have no plans — and see no need — to add a disclaimer.”
15. Meghan Markle writes about her pregnancy loss
Max Mumby/Indigo via Getty Images The Duchess of Sussex wrote about her pregnancy loss.
The Duchess of Sussex opened up about a subject that would normally seem off-limits for a royal to discuss: miscarriage. In a moving, emotional essay she wrote for The New York Times at the end of November, Meghan spoke about experiencing pregnancy loss in July, the “unbearable grief” that followed, and just how common miscarriage actually is, despite the silence and stigma that surrounds it. 16. The royal family reunites for a very 2020 photo
Pool/Samir Hussein via Getty Images The royals reunited at Windsor Castle in December.
While it isn’t rare for the royal family to be photographed together, the coronavirus pandemic made doing so not only difficult but unsafe. The senior royals were finally able to reunite for a socially distanced photograph at Windsor Castle earlier this month.
Queen Elizabeth gathered with Prince Charles and Camila, Duchess of Cornwall; Prince Edward and Sophia, Countess of Wessex; Princess Anne; and Prince William and Kate Middleton for a cause: thanking essential workers and volunteers for their hard work during the pandemic.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-24--Ariana Grande Helps Spread Festive Joy At Manchester Children's Hospitals

Ariana Grande had an early Christmas present for young people in Manchester spending the festive season in hospital.
It’s been reported that Ariana has gifted every child being treated at Manchester’s Royal Infirmary and the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital with a £100 voucher that they can use on Amazon.
One father, whose daughter is being treated at the Manchester Royal Infirmary, told the Manchester Evening News: “As I understand it [Ariana has] given every child in the hospital a voucher.
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“I went to pick [my daughter] up and she was so excited. She said ‘look dad, I’ve got a £100 voucher from Ariana Grande’.”
Ariana Grande performing on her Sweetener world tour last year Kevin Mazur via Getty Images
He added that each of the vouchers was delivered in a personalised box, without any note to say who the gift was from.
“It’s such a lovely gesture and there’s no publicity around it so you know it’s genuine,” he said.
“It’s brought a lot of joy after everything that’s gone in with the pandemic this year.
“It’s been a tough year with my daughter being in hospital. The staff there are great and so hard working.”
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Writing on Facebook, he added: “What a lovely gesture from a wonderful human.”
Ariana gave every child at Manchester Royal Infirmary a £100 Amazon voucher for Christmas, according to the father of a patient there. This is the same hospital she visited before the One Love Manchester benefit concert in 2017. 🎁🐝 pic.twitter.com/fwuyp3MFFH — Ariana Grande Today (@ArianaToday) December 23, 2020
HuffPost UK has contacted Ariana Grande’s representatives for further comment.
Manchester has a special place in the Florida-born star’s heart, following the terror attack during her concert in the city in May 2017, which took the lives of 22 people.
In the wake of the attack, Ariana helped put together the star-studded One Love Manchester benefit concert, which raised money for those affected by the tragedy, and was later made an honorary citizen of Manchester.
She returned to Manchester in 2019, where she headlined the Pride celebrations in the middle of her Sweetener world tour.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-24--Flooding Hits Areas Of England And Wales On Christmas Eve

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Areas of England and Wales have been hit by flooding on Christmas Eve after heavy rain fell across the UK on Wednesday.
Fire and rescue services described being called hundreds of times after large swathes of England and parts of Wales were battered by rain.
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On Wednesday, a yellow Met Office weather warning for rain stretched from East Anglia, across Leicester, parts of Birmingham and north London, and through to mid-Wales and Cornwall.
Heavy #rain continues across much of Wales and the southern half of England giving #flooding in places 🌧🌧🌧
Later this evening the #rain will slowly ease and move south
This radar loop shows where the heaviest downpours have been during this afternoon 👇 #WeatherAware ⚠ pic.twitter.com/vj5EuTAmXK — Met Office (@metoffice) December 23, 2020
Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service said they had handled more than 250 flood calls, “with widespread flooding throughout the county, several properties pumped out and people assisted from vehicles stranded in flood water”.
Northamptonshire fire control have handled in excess of 250 flood calls with widespread flooding throughout the county, several properties pumped out and people assisted from vehicles stranded in flood water — Northants Fire (@northantsfire) December 24, 2020
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In Nottinghamshire, police were called to a landslide near some homes in Mansfield following heavy rain.
The PA news agency reported that a “small number” of properties had been evacuated.
Meanwhile, the BBC reported that the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service received 500 calls for help on Wednesday as the downpours hit many parts of the country.
Thoughts are with everyone who has been affected by flooding across the county ❤#CambsFlooding pic.twitter.com/IrVCffKSWK — Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service (@cambsfrs) December 24, 2020
In East Anglia and Gloucester, people saw their homes flooded just before Christmas.
Peterborough resident Patrick Lloyd told the PA news agency he woke up to find that much of his home had been submerged in water. The 27-year-old said it had caused thousands of pounds worth of damage.
Handout photo courtesy of Peter Lloyd of flooding at his home in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire after heavy rain overnight. PA
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He added that he had to help rescue an elderly neighbour who had become trapped without power.
Lloyd said the 86-year-old woman had eventually been taken to hospital after spending around 50 minutes in the “freezing” floodwater.
“Luckily a bloke driving by saw her and got out and helped us with her. We had to get the fire service out to get her on to a board and we lifted her out for an ambulance,” he said.
The woman spent the night in hospital, Lloyd said, but he hadn’t heard about her condition.
On Thursday morning,108 Environment Agency flood warnings remained in place in England, with many along the River Avon and the River Severn.
Natural Resources Wales had also issued five flood warnings in the country.
But Alex Burkill, a meteorologist for the Met Office, told PA: “There’s been a lot of wet weather around, we’ve had a heavy rain across much of England and Wales, particularly southern parts of Wales but also further east.
“Most places in England and Wales have been really wet and we’ve seen strengthening winds too, there have been some gales in exposed parts, so quite unpleasant really.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-24--Len Goodman Brands Strictly Come Dancing Judges 'Stupid' Over This Year's Most Shocking Elimination

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Former Strictly Come Dancing star Len Goodman has torn into the show’s remaining judges over this year’s most controversial elimination.
Yes, we’re talking about Ranvir Singh.
In this year’s semi-final, former frontrunner Ranvir landed at the bottom of the leaderboard after her Jive routine failed to impress the judges, ultimately ending up in the dance-off for the first time.
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No, we're still not over this outfit either. BBC/Guy Levy
Many were surprised that when the judges chose who to send home, it was the Good Morning Britain presenter who was eliminated, rather than Made In Chelsea star Jamie Laing, who had already survived three previous dance-offs.
And it seems Len is still not over the judges’ decision, branding them “stupid” for cutting Ranvir’s Strictly journey short the week before the final.
“Ranvir throughout the whole series was fantastic,” Len told the daytime star’s colleagues Charlotte Hawkins and Alex Beresford during Thursday’s Good Morning Britain.
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“Look at those stupid judges, what’s the matter with them? Sit down and get on with your judging.”
Len Goodman appearing on Good Morning Britain ITV/Shutterstock
He continued: “Throughout the series, there’s always one dance that doesn’t suit [the celebrities].
“Now if Ranvir had got that Jive in week two or week three, she would’ve gone through because there was so many others that weren’t so good.
“It was just rotten luck, she got the one dance that didn’t suit her on the most important semi-final.”
Comedian Bill Bailey was crowned this year’s Strictly champion, with pop singer HRVY, soap actor Maisie Smith and Jamie all finishing as runners up.
Bill’s win also marked the first time a Strictly professional has won the show two years in a row, with that accolade going to his dance partner Oti Mabuse.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-24--Stella Tennant Remembered By British Fashion World, Following Her Sudden Death Aged 50

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Tributes have been flooding in for British model Stella Tennant, following her sudden death at the age of 50.
On Wednesday, Stella’s family issued a statement saying: “It is with great sadness we announce the sudden death of Stella Tennant on 22nd December 2020.
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“Stella was a wonderful woman and an inspiration to us all. She will be greatly missed.”
Since news broke of her death, tributes have been paid by many in the fashion industry who knew and worked with Stella.
Stella Tennant pictured in 2018 Ian West - PA Images via Getty Images
Sharing pictures of Stella on Instagram, supermodel Naomi Campbell remembered her as a “class act”, writing: “You were one of the good ones, never any love lost when we would see each other [we] always picked up from where we left off.
“Effortless and the epitome of grace , even when you would sit in a corner doing your needle point. Timeless Angel amongst us. My deepest condolences to your beautiful children, family and loved ones. ICON YOU WILL ALWAYS BE.”
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Kate Moss also posted a photo of herself and Stella on her modelling agency’s official Instagram page, while British Vogue editor Edward Enninful penned a heartfelt tribute to the “British Vogue icon” on the magazine’s website.
“She was always so stylish, so together, so kind, so polite,” he wrote.
“At one time, she was every designer’s muse – she was the ultimate chameleon, one moment a down-town Brit, next, a stunning debutante. She went on to have four children and was a fantastic mother – family always came first.”
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Fashion legend Donatella Versace also paid her respects on Instagram, writing: “I cannot believe you are gone. You have left us way too soon. We met when you were at the beginning of your career. I cherish every moment we spent together.”
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Born and raised in Scotland, Stella was the granddaughter of Andrew Cavendish, the 11th Duke Of Devonshire, and Deborah Mitford, one of the famous aristocratic sisters.
She got her start in the modelling industry in the early 1990s, going on to appear in photo-shoots for Vogue – both in her home country of the UK and international editions – and Harper’s Bazaar.
Stella was also one of the models who were featured in the London Olympics Closing Ceremony in 2012, in a section celebrating the world of British fashion.
She married former photographer David Lasnet in 1999, with whom she had four children; Marcel, Cecily, Jasmine and Iris.
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A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Officers were called to an address in Duns around 11.30am on Tuesday, December 22 following the sudden death of a 50-year-old woman.
“Her next of kin have been made aware. There are no suspicious circumstances and a report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-24--This Mum Is Celebrating Christmas With Triplets After 12 IVF Attempts

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A woman who gave birth to triplets at 32 weeks after her 12th attempt at IVF and several miscarriages is looking forward to celebrating Christmas with her family.
Summer Preston, 42, gave birth to Otis, Rocco and Prince on May 18 in the middle of the Covid-19 lockdown.
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While pregnant, Preston, an estate agent, suffered from the life-threatening condition with Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS).
Summer Preston with her triplet boys Otis, Rocco and Prince who will be celebrating their first Christmas (Summer Preston/PA)
One baby was not getting enough blood and nutrients from the placenta and the others were getting too much. Left untreated, this meant they could suffer a stroke or die.
Preston and her partner Davidson Shillingford, 52, opted to have laser surgery on the placenta to correct the imbalance of the blood flow.
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At 32 weeks, Preston was rushed to hospital as she started to bleed heavily with a uterine scar rupture and gave birth to Otis, Rocco and Prince, weighing 4lb 3oz, 2lb 10oz and 3lb 8oz respectively.
They then spent a month in hospital when Covid-19 cases were high and were not allowed any visitors. Older sister, Violet, aged seven, did not get to meet her brothers until they came home.
The identical triplets with be celebrating their first Christmas with their older sister and parents (Summer Preston/PA)
Preston, who lives in Crouch End, London, said that without the help of the Multiple Milestones charity and managing director Christina Axton, preparing for Christmas would have been very difficult.
“It is quite relentless but enjoyable and it’s quite non-stop,” she said.
“They feed every three hours and that could take an hour, take a little break in between, before we start again, so it’s quite full on.
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“You hope they all go to sleep at the same time. If you mess up the routine you can pretty much be a headless chicken for the rest of the day.
“To have them safe and at home for Christmas is lovely. This time last year I was pregnant and just preparing to tell my daughter she was going to be a big sister to identical triplets.”
Preston said discovering she was pregnant with triplets was a “huge surprise” after problems conceiving Violet. “It took eight embryo transfers and three loses to conceive Violet, so she’s quite a miracle,” she said.
“The doctor suggested surrogacy and things like that. You keep trying and we didn’t expect any more and we didn’t expect triplets.
“We had some embryos frozen and we always said we would use all our embryos. On the last round we got three.”
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Preston praised the charity, which helps families with multiple births, for all their support, especially in the run-up to Christmas.
“Just recently I’ve fallen behind and when you’re working flat out every single day dealing with the triplets and keeping up with the housework, to have anything extra like Christmas shopping really puts you out of sync.
“Christina came over and looked after the babies and helped me get ahead.”
Violet has also had two periods off school because of Covid and as well as caring for the triplets, Preston has been home schooling.
“You want them to go to school or nursery because it’s so helpful and it’s good for them obviously mentally but then chances are, they’re going to be told to self-isolate which means whole families have to stay in,” she said.
Due to fears of spreading coronavirus, Preston has been reluctant to be helped by family members
“Christina works in a hospital and gets tested twice a week, so you feel quite reassured that you can let somebody in, and the risk is much lower.”
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The boys were born prematurely at the 12th and final attempt at IVF (Summer Preston/PA)


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-24--A Brief Reminder Of Charles Kushner's Creepy Crimes Told Through Tweets

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Donald Trump’s latest flurry of presidential pardons for allies included a family member, Charles Kushner, who was jailed 15 years ago for tax evasion, making illegal campaign donations and tampering with a witness, his brother-in-law, by orchestrating a sex tape with a sex worker and sending it to the man’s wife.
Charles Kushner is the father of Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. His name shot up on Twitter’s list of trending topics on Wednesday after the White House announced he had been granted clemency, along with Trump’s friend and confidant Roger Stone, former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and 26 others.
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Critics noted Kushner’s crimes had been described by the prosecutor, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, as “one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes that I prosecuted when I was US attorney.”
Kushner pleaded guilty in 2004 to 18 counts of tax evasion, witness tampering and making illegal campaign donations. He confessed to retaliating against his brother-in-law, who was cooperating with federal authorities, by hiring a prostitute to seduce him. He filmed the encounter and sent it to his sister, the man’s wife.
Charles Kushner served 14 months of a two-year sentence in federal prison.
Twitter users, journalists and critics offered a recap of his crimes after his pardon.
His July 2004 takedown of Charles Kushner was one of Chris Christie’s most well-publicized triumphs as U.S. Attorney, helping to set the stage for his successful bid for governor several years later pic.twitter.com/fOD6CDySwh — Steve Kornacki (@SteveKornacki) December 24, 2020
Just trying to contemplate what kind of a person finds out his sister and brother-in-law are cooperating with a US Attorney investigation so he hires a prostitute to sleep with his brother in law so he can film it and give the tape to his sister during her son's engagement party — Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) December 24, 2020
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4/ Christie last year described it as “one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes that I prosecuted...and I was the U.S. Attorney in New Jersey.” https://t.co/9rEb3x4QCQ — Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) December 24, 2020
5/ Charles Kushner served 14 months in prison and has since become a big donor to outgoing President Trump.
And obviously, his son Jared is the president’s son-in-law. — Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) December 24, 2020
Charlie Kushner, prosecuted bu Chris Christie, hired a prostitute to seduce his brother-in-law, had it recorded and sent the tape to his sister, just to recap. https://t.co/7l3vpKdWy7 — Dustin Racioppi (@dracioppi) December 24, 2020
“Kushner paid a prostitute $10,000 to lure his brother-in-law to a motel room ... to have sex with him. A hidden camera recorded the activity, and Kushner sent the lurid tape to his sister, making sure the tape arrived on the day of a family party.”https://t.co/n9jwspeYBk — melissa block (@NPRmelissablock) December 24, 2020
Charles Kushner hatched an elaborate revenge plot in 2003 to target his brother-in-law, who was cooperating with prosecutors. Kushner hired a prostitute to have sex with his brother-in-law and filmed it. Kushner then sent the tape of the encounter to his sister. — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) December 24, 2020
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It will be interesting to see what @GovChristie, who prosecuted Charles Kushner, and whose work on the transition was thrown out and who was excluded from the government because of Jared Kushner's grudge about it, has to say about @realDonaldTrump's pardon of Charles Kushner. — George Conway (@gtconway3d) December 24, 2020
The thing about many of these pardons is that they are unnecessary. Charles Kushner served 14 months in a minimum-security prison camp and was released almost 15 years ago.
These pardons are just "Eff you's" to everyone and everything. A petulant child breaking things bc he can. https://t.co/NSN3hMmrxv — The Hoarse Whisperer (@TheRealHoarse) December 24, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-24--Trump's Return To Mar-A-Lago Brings US Taxpayer's Golf Tab To $151.5 Million

President Donald Trump drives golf cart number 45 at Trump National Golf Club on Dec. 13, 2020, in Sterling, Virginia. Al Drago via Getty Images
Donald Trump has arrived at his Palm Beach, Florida, resort for the 31st golf vacation there of his presidency, raising the taxpayer-funded travel and security total for his hobby to $151.5 million, according to a HuffPost analysis.
Trump has already played golf on his own properties 289 times since taking office in January 2017, although he claimed during his 2016 campaign that he would not have time for a vacation at all. “I just want to stay in the White House and work my ass off,” he said in February 2016.
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Trump’s insistence on playing at his own properties ― rather than courses on military bases close to the White House, as former President Barack Obama mainly did — has made his outings enormously expensive for American taxpayers. Each trip to Mar-a-Lago costs $3.4 million flying Trump, his staff and the vehicles needed for his motorcade on Air Force One and a number of cargo planes, as well as the expenses incurred by the Coast Guard to patrol both the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to his for-profit resort.
Trump has also made 23 trips to his course in Bedminster, New Jersey, at a cost of $1.1 million each as well as trips to his courses in Palos Verdes, California; Doral, Florida; Turnberry, Scotland; and Doonbeg, Ireland.
The trip to Scotland cost taxpayers an extra $3 million over what it would have cost for Trump to remain in London an extra two days before flying to Helsinki, Finland, for his meeting with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. A Mar-a-Lago visit over Thanksgiving 2019 cost taxpayers an additional $5.3 million because of all the extra expenses of flying both modified Boeing 747s across the Atlantic and back necessitated by Trump’s decision to visit Afghanistan from Florida, rather than leaving from Washington, D.C.
The $151.5 million total means that Trump has now spent the equivalent of 379 years of presidential salary — which he and his supporters frequently boast that he does not take — playing golf.
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The White House has refused to provide information about how much Trump’s golf trips cost, and, in fact, declines to answer most questions about his golf visits, even refusing to confirm whether he is playing golf when he is physically at his golf courses.
But a 2019 Government Accountability Office report regarding Trump’s four early 2017 visits to Mar-a-Lago provided hard data and a methodology that HuffPost followed in its own analysis.
That review took a conservative approach to determining costs. For example, it used a per-hour rate of $15,994 for Trump’s use of the smaller Air Force One that he takes to Bedminster, even though that figure accounts only for fuel and maintenance, not the additional factors that GAO used when it determined the $273,000-per-hour cost of operating the larger plane.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-24--Trump Pardons Roger Stone, Paul Manafort, Charles Kushner In Another Pardoning Spree

Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that he’s granted yet another spate of pardons to 26 people, including his friend and confidant Roger Stone, former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Charles Kushner, father of Trump’s son-in-law, Jared. Trump also gave sentence commutations to three people.
The move comes just a day after the president announced his decision to pardon or commute the sentences of 20 people, including three corrupt former Republican congressmen, two subjects of special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation and four Blackwater security guards who were involved in the 2007 killings of Iraqi civilians.
In a Wednesday statement, the White House said Stone and Manafort ― both of whom were indicted in the Mueller probe as part of his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election ― had been victims of “perhaps the greatest witch hunt in American history.”
Stone was sentenced in February to 40 months in prison for multiple felonies, including witness tampering, lying to Congress and obstructing the House investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia in 2016.
Trump commuted Stone’s sentence in July ― prompting a harsh rebuke from Mueller.
“Stone was prosecuted and convicted because he committed federal crimes. He remains a convicted felon, and rightly so,” the special counsel wrote in an op-ed at the time.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-24--The Best Over-The-Top Festive Lights From Christmas 2020

Peter Dazeley via Getty Images
Christmas may feel as if it’s cancelled, or just not the same. But there’s one way many people have expressed themselves during this festive season: by outdoing their neighbours with the boldest, gaudiest lights.
As the new tier system took hold, Tate Britain’s display of artist Chila Kumari Singh Burman’s ambitious outdoor piece – Remembering A Brave New World –signified the birth of a new culture of being entertained by lights outdoors.
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NurPhoto via Getty Images Neon light installation 'Remembering A Brave New World', by British artist Chila Kumari Singh Burman
The installation of Kumari Singh Burman’s artwork coincided with Diwali, the Festival of Light, and is inspired by her life in Britain, visiting the Blackpool lights and her family’s ice cream van, as well as her Indian heritage. It features Hindu mythology, Bollywood imagery and colonial history.
But her artwork also serves a purpose all of us can identify with: it symbolises how it’s been possible to safely entertain ourselves with loved ones outdoors this season without breaking the rules. Christmas lights walk, anyone?
NurPhoto via Getty Images Neon light installation 'Remembering A Brave New World', by British artist Chila Kumari Singh Burman, covers the facade of the Tate Britain art gallery in London. The work combines Hindu mythology, Bollywood imagery, colonial history and personal memories.
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We may not all be able to get to the Tate Britain to sip a drink under the warming lights, but we can find our nearest festive display of lights and gawp at them in wonder.
So, in true Christmas spirit, we’ve scoured Instagram to find some of the cheeriest and over-the-top lights from up and down the country – as Brits have gone to extra measures to keep themselves, and passers-by, entertained.
Dancing under the starry lights
Worcester, West Midlands
We love the big holly leaves that stand out at the front of this design
Langley, Slough
These public buildings have done a nice job
Wakefield
It's #IlluminationStreetWeek - how's your street getting in the festive spirit? Is it as magnificent as Castleford, Pontefract, Knottingley and Ossett have looked over the past few weeks when @MyWakefield lit up some of the historic buildings? #LightUp pic.twitter.com/QvFHfVl303 — Experience Wakefield (@Expwakefield) December 7, 2020
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Team work makes the dream work! These two houses look like they buddied up together
Rothwell, Leeds
This is a LOT, and (even better) it’s all for charity
Bromley, London
If you look really closely, there’s a house somewhere behind all those lights
Brailsford, Bristol
Minimalistic, well, compared to some of this lot...
Location unknown
Cartier went all out
Central London


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-24--Sharon Osbourne Reunites With Ozzy Just In Time For Christmas After Recovering From Covid-19

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The 68-year-old revealed earlier this month that she had been briefly hospitalised after testing positive for coronavirus, and was forced to stay separate from her rocker husband of 38 years while she recovered.
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Fortunately, the former X Factor judge revealed on Wednesday night that she and the former Black Sabbath frontman had been reunited just in time to spend Christmas together.
Sharon Osbourne Rich Fury via Getty Images
“Got the ok to go home after two negative test results and look at the joy waiting for me!” she wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of a masked Ozzy sitting with their many dogs.
“So grateful to be home for the holidays and thank you all so much for your love and support. Stay safe and wishing you the happiest of holidays.”
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Sharon previously told her fans just over a week ago: “I wanted to share I’ve tested positive for Covid 19.
“After a brief hospitalisation, I’m now recuperating at a location away from Ozzy (who has tested negative) while The Talk is on scheduled hiatus.”
She also urged her followers to “stay safe and healthy.”
Former X Factor co-star Nicole Scherzinger was among those who sent Sharon messages of support, commenting on her post: “Praying for you and love you.”
Sharon’s Covid diagnosis came just a few days after her co-presenter on US panel show The Talk Carrie Ann Inaba shared the news that she had also tested positive for the virus.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-24--Chrissy Teigen Writes Openly About Her Body After Pregnancy Loss

Three months after suffering a pregnancy loss, Chrissy Teigen is opening up about how it affected her body.
The model and cookbook author shared a recent image of herself.
“Even though I’m no longer pregnant, every glance in the mirror reminds me of what could have been,” she captioned the image.
“And I have no idea why i still have this bump, honestly. It’s frustrating. But I’m proud of where this entire journey took my body and mind in other ways. I love being pregnant, so so much, and I’m sad I never will be again.”
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But she feels lucky, she said, to have her two children Luna, 2, and Miles, 4, who are “transforming into big little people more and more every single day.”
In early October, Teigen and her husband, John Legend, shared news of the heartbreaking loss of their third child ― a son they’d named Jack ― after weeks of pregnancy complications.
Teigen has been open about the mental and physical journey she’s been on since then. Last month, she said the past two months had been “brutal, exhausting, sad, physically challenging, mentally painful bitches,” but she was beginning to feel like herself again.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-24--Kim Cattrall Remains Done With Sex And The City As Revival Rumours Heat Up

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Kim Cattrall said she feels “very lucky” to be able to choose her own career path as talk of a Sex And The City revival is heating up once again.
Appearing on the Women’s Prize For Fiction podcast this week, Kim spoke about the backlash she received after publicly expressing her disinterest in signing on to reprise the role of Samantha Jones in a third Sex And The City film.
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“I remember getting a lot of grief on social media for not wanting to do a film,” she said in the interview.
“It was astonishing some of the things people wrote to me... ‘I work in a bank and I don’t like this person and I don’t like the hours, but I do it. So you just do it! Give me what I want. I do it. I’m miserable, you be miserable, too.’”
Kim and her Sex And The City co-stars pictured in 2008 ASSOCIATED PRESS
Elsewhere in the interview, Kim fondly looked back on the HBO franchise, which ran for six seasons and spawned two movies.
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“It was a lot of fun, and I loved it,” she said. “Being in new territory is always exciting. I felt like we were.”
Later, she added: “I’m lucky enough to have the choice, not that I haven’t worked for it.
“It’s something I feel very lucky to have and I’m very protective of it. I wouldn’t be any good doing something that I really didn’t want to do.”
Kim’s latest remarks on Sex And The City follow years of alleged feuding with co-star Sarah Jessica Parker, and as talk of a revival is ramping up.
According to multiple reports, HBO Max is in negotiations to bring back the franchise as a limited series.
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While Kim will (obviously) not be involved, actors Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon and SJP are said to be on hand to reprise their signature roles. Plot specifics, however, were scarce.
HBO Max representatives did not respond to HuffPost’s request for comment on the reports.
In 2018, journalist James Andrew Miller reported that Kim’s reluctance to sign on for a third film stemmed from the project’s script, which focussed on Carrie Bradshaw (Parker) as she mourned the death of her husband, Mr. Big (Chris Noth).
“People close to Kim believe that the script didn’t have a lot to offer the character of Samantha,” said Miller, who interviewed members of the Sex And The City” cast and crew for his Origins podcast.
“They point to the fact that it calls for Mr. Big to die of a heart attack in the shower, relatively early on in the film, making the remainder of the movie more about how Carrie recovers from Big’s death than about the relationship between the four women.”
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Whether the rumoured revival will follow the plot of the scrapped film, of course, remains to be seen.
As for Kim, she returned to television this autumn in Filthy Rich as Margaret Monreaux, a Southern TV personality and co-owner of a lucrative Christian network that doubles as a lifestyle brand. The series debuted to mixed reviews but was cancelled a month after its premiere.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-24--Meghan Markle And Prince Harry's Sweet Christmas Card Is Finally Here

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Christmas card made its highly anticipated debut, much to the delight of royal fans everywhere.
The card features the Duke and Duchess of Sussex alongside their son, Archie, and two dogs, Pula and Guy.
“Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,” the sweet card says.
We’re thrilled to receive wonderful Christmas wishes from our Patron, The Duchess of Sussex, who also made a personal donation, helping dogs, cats and our community. 💜 From all of us at Mayhew, thank you and Merry Christmas. 🎄🐶🐱
Find out more! 👉 https://t.co/5o2RHLveRM pic.twitter.com/uBV19F6Odt — Mayhew 🐶🐱 (@themayhew) December 23, 2020
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The print is an artistic rendering of an original photo taken by Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, earlier this month, a spokesperson for the couple told HuffPost.
“The small Christmas tree, including the homemade ornaments and other decorations, were selected by Archie, and the tree will be replanted after the holidays,” the spokesperson said.
The holiday card was shared on Twitter by the international animal charity Mayhew, of which Meghan is patron.
Mayhew also shared a note alongside the photo of the card.
“We’re thrilled to receive wonderful Christmas wishes from our Patron, The Duchess of Sussex, who also made a personal donation, helping dogs, cats and our community,” the tweet said. “From all of us at Mayhew, thank you and Merry Christmas.”
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Meghan also revealed in a Christmas message posted on the charity’s website that the Sussex family made a personal donation to Mayhew, along with several other charities.
“This year we, as a family, have made donations to several charities with you in mind,” the duchess wrote. “From a local California organisation that helps families transition out of homelessness, to two of our UK patronages: one that supports animal and community welfare, and the other, a memorial fund for a cherished friend that helps to educate children and fight poverty in Uganda, we have honoured their work on behalf of all of us.”
Last year, the couple ― who spent their holiday sabbatical in Canada instead of joining the royal family at Sandringham in England in 2019 ― released their holiday card through the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust.
Last year’s digital card showed Meghan and Harry posing in front of a Christmas tree and smiling at baby Archie, clad in a cozy sweater. In his first-ever Christmas card, the little one was busy staring down the camera.
“Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,” the sparkly electronic card read. “From our family to yours.”
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Just sharing the sweetest Christmas Card from our President and Vice-President, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Very Merry Christmas, everyone! pic.twitter.com/McOcHALoGl — The Queen's Commonwealth Trust (@queenscomtrust) December 23, 2019
The photo shows the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge posing on a hay bale alongside a monstrous stack of firewood and their three children: Prince George, 7, Princess Charlotte, 5, and little Prince Louis, 2.
Louis appears to be laughing at something in the snapshot, which was taken this fall by photographer Matt Porteous at the family’s home in Norfolk, Anmer Hall.
Matt Porteous The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s official 2020 Christmas card, featuring their three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
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Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, also shared their official Christmas card last week.
The photo shows the two sitting on a bench in the sun, surrounded by flowers, in Birkhall, Scotland.
Here is this year’s official Christmas card from The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall.
The photo was taken in the garden at Birkhall, Scotland. pic.twitter.com/rL274Dpw2E — The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall (@ClarenceHouse) December 16, 2020
Though the royal family will not spend Christmas together as they normally do, or greet parishioners and locals on their way to the Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene church, one thing remains the same: the queen’s Christmas address.
The speech will air on BBC One at its usual time slot of 3pm on Christmas Day, though there will be a technological twist.
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POOL New / Reuters Queen Elizabeth poses after recording her annual Christmas Day message at Windsor Castle for a picture released on Dec. 24, 2019.
Amazon announced over the weekend that for the first time ever, users will be able to listen to the queen’s speech on Amazon Echo.
According to The Guardian, all one will have to say is: “Alexa, play the queen’s Christmas Day message.”
Subscribe to HuffPost’s Watching the Royals newsletter for all things Windsor (and beyond).


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-24--Brexit Deal Expected On Christmas Eve After Talks Continue Through The Night

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A post-Brexit trade deal is expected to be announced on Christmas Eve after talks between negotiators went on throughout the night.
It is understood that Britain and the EU have made progress on resolving issues including fishing rights, which have previously proved an obstacle on coming to an agreement, the PA news agency reported.
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The late-night wrangling on the final aspects of the deal is thought to have included discussions on species of fish as part of the quota arrangements.
Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney suggested it was a “last-minute hitch” related to fishing that had delayed the agreement of a trade deal, which was expected early on Christmas Eve.
Speaking to Ireland’s RTE radio on Thursday morning, he said that Boris Johnson “had been due to hold a news conference around now”.
“That hasn’t happened. So there is some sort of last-minute hitch” related to “small text” of a fisheries agreement, Reuters reported him saying.
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Just after midnight on Thursday, European Commission spokesperson Eric Mamer tweeted: “Brexit work will continue throughout the night.
“Grabbing some sleep is recommended to all Brexit-watchers at this point. It will hopefully be an early start tomorrow morning...”
#brexit work will continue throughout the night. Grabbing some sleep is recommended to all brexit-watchers at this point. It will hopefully be an early start tomorrow morning... — Eric Mamer (@MamerEric) December 24, 2020
The negotiations in Brussels were fuelled by a late-night delivery of pizzas.
Boris Johnson led a late-night call with his cabinet to update them on the situation.
Meanwhile, the PM is expected to have a call with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on Christmas Eve to agree the deal.
The expected deal comes with just days left before the current trading arrangements expire on December 31.
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Any deal that Johnson secures is likely to pass through Parliament, with Labour not expected to oppose it. Keir Starmer has previously stressed that an agreement with the EU would be in the national interest.
On Thursday morning, Labour’s Hilary Benn – who is the chair of the Commons Brexit committee – said he had “no doubt” Parliament would approve legislation for a deal if one was brokered before January 31.
He told BBC Breakfast: “The alternative is no-deal and that really doesn’t bear contemplation at all because of the damage it would do to the economy.
“What any deal is going to do is to make the consequences of Brexit for business less bad than they would otherwise be.
“Remember this is the first trade deal in history where one party has gone in knowing it will come out with worse arrangements than it went in with.”
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However, the prime minister is set to face scrutiny from his own benches, with the European Research Group (ERG) of hardline pro-Brexit Tory MPs having said they would go through any deal with a fine-toothed comb.
The ERG said it would reconvene its so-called “star chamber” of legal experts to examine the text.
A statement issued by the group on Wednesday said: “Given that the new agreement is also highly complex, the star chamber will scrutinise it in detail, to ensure that its provisions genuinely protect the sovereignty of the United Kingdom after we exit the transition period at the end of this year.”
If a deal is agreed it would also have to be backed by the EU’s 27 member states.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-24--Gavin & Stacey Censors Controversial Fairytale Of New York Scene For Repeat Broadcasts

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After last year’s Gavin & Stacey reunion special proved hugely popular with viewers and critics alike, the BBC will show the episode again on Christmas Eve – albeit with one tweak.
The production company behind Gavin & Stacey has made the decision to censor one scene, in which Bryn and Nessa perform the Christmas song Fairytale Of New York, for repeat broadcasts.
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When the episode first aired in 2019, it attracted almost 900 complaints from viewers, as the pair – played by Rob Brydon and Ruth Jones – were heard singing uncensored lyrics including “old slut on junk” and “you cheap lousy f****t”.
However, when the episode is shown again on Thursday night, the slurs in question will be cut, The Sun has revealed.
Rob Brydon and Ruth Jones performing together in the Gavin & Stacey Christmas special BBC
A spokesman for production company Fulwell 73 told the newspaper: “In keeping with the programme’s themes of joy, love and inclusivity, Fulwell 73 have decided to re-edit the song.
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“We are grateful to the BBC for allowing us to make this change.”
A BBC representative said of the decision: “Attitudes change over time and we appreciate language is a sensitive and important topic for some people. We respect Fulwell’s decision.”
Last year, the BBC responded to those who had complained about the lyric in question by insisting that Fairytale Of New York does not “link [the word ‘f****t’] to homosexuality”.
The BBC insisted: “While the word ‘f****t’ is now widely acknowledged as having the potential to offend, the song never suggests or implies that this is, or was ever, an appropriate way to address another person, nor does it link it to homosexuality.
“Nessa and Bryn were seen singing the original lines and we can assure you there was no intention to offend viewers. We understand that some people will find it offensive in any context but we also recognise that the song is widely played and enjoyed in its original form.”
Here’s how the BBC are replying to Gavin and Stacey complaints, fyi: pic.twitter.com/vFuYRdc5Zt — Shaun Kitchener (@ShaunKitchener) January 9, 2020
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They also cited media regulator Ofcom’s past assertion that it’s “unlikely that audiences would widely perceive [the use of the slur] as a serious attempt to denigrate the homosexual community”.
In 2020, the BBC decided that Radio 1 should play an edited version of Fairytale Of New York in which the line “you cheap lousy f****t” is replaced by Kirsty MacColl singing “you’re cheap and you’re haggard”.
Meanwhile, Radio 2 has been playing the song in its uncensored form, while it is at the discretion of indiviual DJs on Radio 6 Music which version they preferred to play.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-24--And The Winners Are... Alison Hammond And This Morning's Iris Honoured In Our Good Vibes Only Awards

And The Winners Are... Alison Hammond And This Morning's Iris Honoured In Our Good Vibes Only Awards
As we look back at the year in entertainment, we hand out our awards for everything from Funniest TV Fail to The Can’t Be Unseen award. Featuring Iris from This Morning, Alison Hammond, Gemma Collins, Beverley Callard and Andrew Lloyd Webber.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-24--2020: A Bumper Guide To The Year In Good News

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2020 has been quite the year for news, but it hasn’t been all bad.
Amid 12 months of doom and gloom, there have been snippets of love, hope and joy – and we’ve dug them out in the hope of bringing a smile to your face as we say farewell to the past year.
Let’s start at the very beginning.
A very good place to start, because back then we were blissfully unaware of the C-word that would take over our lives (and the news) for the rest of the year.
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2020 is cancelled pic.twitter.com/aGDZCTTQmb — Mark Smith (@marksmithstuff) January 2, 2020
Slap-bang in the middle of awards season, we were also served the moment Jennifer Aniston looked ready to burst with pride as ex-husband Brad Pitt collected Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Globes. It sparked a meme and the internet was OBSESSED.
Twitter
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The headlines at the start of the year were dominated by the Australian bushfires, and through this heartbreaking news story, human kindness prevailed.
WWF Australia WWF
Positive stories included when thousands of kilograms of vegetables were dropped from planes to feed fire-stricken wallabies, and rescuers sharing hopeful stories of koalas recovering.
Also, Pink and Kylie Minogue each donated half a million dollars to support the Australian fire service.
BBC Stormzy on BBC Breakfast
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Elsewhere, Serena Williams had a slick response when a reporter tried to ask about her friend Meghan Markle stepping back from royal duties (yes, that was this year), Stormzy forgot to take off his slippers before appearing on BBC Breakfast (how very 2020) and a tortoise called Diego retired after his soaring sex drive saved his species from extinction.
February was also rife with good news.
ITV Holly gave Phillip a big hug after their interview
Black artists finally dominated the Brits as Stormzy and Dave won the biggest awards of the night – male solo artist and album of the year respectively.
Hannah Mckay / Reuters Dave receives the award for Mastercard Album Of The Year at the Brit Awards at the O2 Arena in London, Britain, February 18, 2020 REUTERS/Hannah Mckay
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Awards season also featured this hilarious speech from Rebel Wilson, who poked fun at the movie Cats, Prince Andrew and the all-male best director category at the Baftas, Billy Porter pulling out the stops again on the red carpet a year on from his tuxedo dress and a brilliantly rude Oscars speech from Olivia Colman.
Phil Noble / Reuters Sharni Edwards, 27, and Robyn Peoples, 26, a Belfast couple who are the first known same-sex couple to get married in Northern Ireland, kiss after being married, in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland, February 11, 2020
The second month of the year also saw the first same-sex couple to get married in Northern Ireland, Disney announced its first LGBTQ character in an animated film and Tesco was the first supermarket in the UK to launch plasters in diverse skin tones. About time.
WPA Pool via Getty Images Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, smiles as student Aker Okoye speaks during a special school assembly at Robert Clack Upper School in Dagenham ahead of International Women’s Day (IWD)
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Human kindness and creativity fought back as Covid spread, forcing lockdowns across the world. We had the viral kindness campaign that brought neighbours together to help one another across the UK, and of course the tearjerking videos of quarantined Italians singing together in solidarity.
A Siena, città alla quale sono molto legato, si sta in casa ma si canta insieme come se si fosse per la strada. Mi sono commosso pic.twitter.com/IDPqNEj3h3 — David Allegranti (@davidallegranti) March 12, 2020
Some singing that didn’t go down quite as well was Gal Gadot’s star-studded Imagine video. While we’re sure it was well-meaning and can laugh now, we were cheered by Joe Lycett and friends’ sweary response.
Another highlight was this weirdly emotional video of the Backstreet Boys seeing I Want It That Way from their homes.
Still not over @backstreetboys performing "I Want It That Way” from their homes last night. ✨✨ #iHeartConcertOnFOX pic.twitter.com/7UHVOxqJvj — Sony (@Sony) March 30, 2020
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Joe Wicks also launched his PE With Joe online workouts to keep us moving in lockdown, donating all advertising revenue to NHS charities.
Getty Joe Wicks
The silver linings of lockdown continued in April, a month that gifted us Captain Tom Moore, who raised millions for NHS charities by walking 100 lengths of his garden for his 100th birthday.
Peter Cziborra / Reuters Retired British Army Captain Tom Moore, then 99, midway through his successful attempt to walk the length of his garden 100 times before his 100th birthday
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YouTube Meryl Streep, Audra McDonald and Christine Baranski
April was also the month that gave us potato boss – the man who managed to get stuck on a potato filter on a video meeting, the BBC weatherman’s drum solo to the BBC news theme, and bedtime stories read by Tom Hardy.
When they said try working from home I didn’t realise they’d expect me to do the music too @BBCNews @BBCNWT #BBCNewsTheme 🥁 #workingfromhome pic.twitter.com/DVXjDw0l8F — Owain Wyn Evans (@OwainWynEvans) April 15, 2020
In May, it was announced Captain Tom Moore was going to be knighted as his incredible fundraising efforts continued to raise cash for NHS charities.
FOX 13 News - Tampa Bay The moment meteorologist Paul Dellegatto is interrupted by Brody mid-broadcast.
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Canines were also a source of joy – one dog interrupted a weather forecast presented by his owner in lockdown, while Labradors Mabel and Olive shot to fame with their Zoom antics.
Still having the company meetings online. pic.twitter.com/aR3LfuSdKl — Andrew Cotter (@MrAndrewCotter) May 11, 2020
Celebrities showcasing their talents included the first of many Matt Lucas Boris Johnson impressions and Normal People’s Paul Mescal catching the eye of Sia when he sang and played her song Chandelier on the piano.
Malala Malala
The pictures of Malala Yousafzai graduating from Oxford brought us a lot of joy in June.
Meanwhile, Stormzy pledged £10m to charities and organisations fighting racial inequality, saying: “Black people have been playing on an uneven field for far too long and this pledge is a continuation in the fight to finally try and even it.”
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I don’t even know what to say.
Just look at what we can do when we come together, THIS is England in 2020. — Marcus Rashford MBE (@MarcusRashford) June 16, 2020
The same month, footballer Marcus Rashford’s campaign to feed 1.3m children forced the government to U-turn on its decision not to provide free school meals over the summer holidays.
POOL New / Reuters Britain's Queen Elizabeth awards Captain Tom Moore with the insignia of Knight Bachelor at Windsor Castle, in Windsor, Britain July 17, 2020. Chris Jackson/Pool via REUTERS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
It was another great month for centenarian Tom Moore, who was knighted by the real Queen at Windsor Castle.“I am absolutely overawed,” Sir Tom said of the “magnificent” day.
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The seventh month of the year also saw toilets for severely disabled people made compulsory in every new building in England, Friends stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow reunited to send an important US election message, and a seven-year-old boy called Timothy Madders sent the Queen a word search in case she was “sad or lonely”.
HuffPost UK PA
August’s good news highlights include this hilarious slip of the tongue by BBC weather presenter Carol Kirkwood, who got “doggers” and “dog walkers” mixed up on live TV.
🙈 When the weather report doesn't go to plan 😂@carolkirkwood recovered wonderfully while giving us the forecast live from Greenwich Park. 👏 pic.twitter.com/XQhOF44Tph — BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) August 10, 2020
A story about a cheeky cat who returned home with a note around her neck also made us smile this summer. The 11-year-old Siberian cat called Tula was apparently “always at at Toby Carvery”. “Does this cat have a home?” the note asked.
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Following his June pledge to give £10m to tackle racial inequality, Stormzy donated £500,000 to fund students from under-resourced and under-represented communities in August.
These 2 teens listening to In The Air Tonight by Phil Collins for the first time is absolute gold pic.twitter.com/L3QhbKf0hV — Dakota Fuqua (@DakotaFuqua77) August 7, 2020
We also loved YouTube stars Tim and Fred Williams’s reaction as they listened to Phil Collins’s In The Air Tonight for the first time.
Welcome to a new series of The Great British Bake Off - and a big hello to our new presenter Matt Lucas! #GBBO pic.twitter.com/0sa8NxTJtE — British Bake Off (@BritishBakeOff) September 22, 2020
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Bake Off returned to our screens in September with Matt Lucas’s Boris Johnson skit having a revival for the opening episode, bringing some much-needed comic relief.
Dymond/Thames/Syco/Shutterstock Britain's Got Talent
Diversity made waves on Britain’s Got Talent with their powerful Black Lives Matter performance. After Ofcom complaints, ITV stood by the “authentic and heartfelt” performance.
Mark Fitzpatrick Turtle flips the bird
It seems October was the month of uplifting animal news, from the sweary turtle that won the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, to the black cat who escaped from a cattery and returned to its owner eight years later. It was also the month that gave us Fat Bear Week and Jennifer Aniston’s new rescue puppy, Lord Chesterfield.
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As a Cornish person I can safely tell you that not one of those is an actual fucking pasty. #gbbo — Jen - on ho ho holiday - Faulkner (@jfaulknerwriter) October 20, 2020
Bake Off continued to entertain us on Tuesday evenings, with highlights including viewers’ very strong reactions to the bakers’ definitions of a Cornish pasty.
3⃣ goals
1⃣6⃣ minutes
1⃣0⃣3⃣0⃣0⃣0⃣0⃣ signatures
Can’t stop smiling, I’ve waited a long time for that. Just wish the fans were in to experience it with me ♥https://t.co/FvvpO6JYWX#ENDCHILDFOODPOVERTY pic.twitter.com/QJGJxSzTlj — Marcus Rashford MBE (@MarcusRashford) October 28, 2020
Marcus Rashford’s heroic campaigning continued, with more than one million people signing his petition, and the footballer tweeting out every place offering to feed hungry children after the Tories voted down plans to extend free school meals.
Netflix Just when you thought Dolly Parton couldn't out-camp herself...
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Elsewhere, Danny Dyer was praised by viewers for declaring “people who went to Eton can’t run this country” on BBC Breakfast, and we also got a first glimpse of Dolly Parton’s very camp Netflix film Christmas On The Square.
POOL New / Reuters Democratic vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris smiles as she speaks to supporters at a election rally, after news media announced that Biden had won the 2020 US presidential election
The best news from November was of course Donald Trump losing the US election. It also meant Kamala Harris made history as the first Black, Asian American vice president, and the occasion also saw “The Squad” –congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib – re-elected.
So ridiculous. Donald must work on his Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Donald, Chill! https://t.co/4RNVBqRYBA — Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) November 5, 2020
Other highlights of the election included Greta Thunberg taking the opportunity to throw back Trump’s December 2019 insult to her about her “Anger Management problem” – “Chill, Greta, Chill” – and Joe Biden’s rescued German Shepherd Major becoming one of the First Pets.
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One of our most popular heartwarming stories from this month was the gorilla who tended to an injured bird and encouraged it to fly. You can watch the video above.
Instagram/Channel 4 Paul Hollywood
November’s Bake Off highlights included Prue Leith’s necklaces and these incredible ’80s throwback photos of the judges and presenters.
It was also the month we discovered Dolly Parton had given $1m to the Moderna vaccine trial.
Marcus Rashford’s free school meal campaign marked another milestone as the government was forced to U-turn and provide food for vulnerable children over Christmas.
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BBC Dawn French as Geraldine Granger in The Vicar Of Dibley
We were also delighted to receive the news we would get brand new Vicar Of Dibley during the festive period.
While December might have been a bit of a shitter for a lot of us thanks to all sorts of lockdowns and Christmas chaos, a lot of joy and escapism has been provided via the telly.
BBC Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly continued to entertain on Saturday nights with moments including this fabulous drag dance number, which resulted in the BBC sending out a brilliantly defiant message when some people complained (seriously, people?).
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BBC / Guy Levy Oti Mabuse and Bill Bailey on the Strictly dance floor.
Fan favourites Bill Bailey and Oti Mabuse won, with judge Motsi’s proud sister moment bringing viewers to tears. The pair also shared this emotional message following their victory.
And we will never forget Nigella Lawson’s ridiculous pronunciation of “microwave”. Yes, she was joking, but “me-crow-wah-vey” will be with us forever.
Also in December, Juno star Elliot Page came out as transgender with the support of his wife Emma Portner, and Marcus Rashford launched a website to end food poverty and support vulnerable families.
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There’s more
In 2020, the HuffPost UK video team launched a video series A Minute Of Kindness, which brings our audience stories of good deeds from across the world.
We also launched a good news newsletter – The Brightside – which features uplifting news only and is delivered to your inbox every Friday. You can sign up here.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-24--Christmas Eve Won't Be The Same In 2020 – But We're Still Celebrating

Bihlmayer Fotografie via Getty Images
Squished up together on the couch wrapping presents while glued to soppy Christmas TV. Fussing in the kitchen prepping food. Passing the dice for another round of Cluedo. Getting ready for the big pub meet-up. Christmas Eve is the beginning of festivities for many people – in a normal year, anyway.
But that magic is lost as we continue to socially distance and follow the government’s guidelines around tiered restrictions. And it’s just not the same.
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“I usually have a huge dinner with my parents, friends and extended family,” says Somriddho Dasgupta, 20, a model, activist and actor based in London. “We get each other presents – there are Indian versions of traditional Christmas foods which is honestly amazing!”
My Christmas Eve will also be very different this year. Rather than being at home with my parents, both in their late 70s, I’ll be with my housemate in my London flat. I’ve booked the day off work, and I’ll be going for a long walk, perhaps down to the Thames, and hanging out with my housemate in the evening watching telly.
For some, Christmas Eve is a more poignant celebration than Christmas Day itself. Communities in mainland Europe often exchange presents on December 24, as well as having a large feast.
“In my family, Christmas Eve is almost a bigger deal than Christmas Day,” my friend Maria Fei, 33, a New Yorker who now lives in South London, tells me. “The Italian (and now Italian American) tradition is to have a ‘feast of the seven fishes’ ― as Catholics aren’t allowed to eat meat on Christmas Eve.”
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In normal times, Fei shares the food with her extended family. “Fish-based appetisers, a lobster bisque, swordfish, and lots of Martha Stuart’s Christmas cookies and eggnog,” she explains. “We usually have a massive fight about who will drive us back home, too ― and my poor sister is always chosen to do the onerous task (as she doesn’t drink as much as the rest of us!).”
This year, Fei will still be having the fish feast with her fiancé – I’d planned to go, too, before tier 4 came in – but she feels “bittersweet” about recreating the spread in London. “On the one hand, I’m really excited to do this in my own way,” she says. “On the other, I will really miss my family back at home, as this will be my first time ever not spending Christmas with them.”
Getty Images/iStockphoto Christmas Eve
For Dasgupta, the day before Christmas will be focused around video calls with his loved ones. “It’s upsetting, of course,” he says. “Video calls can never replace being with someone in person – but that being said, since my parents are in the high risk group, I want them to be safe.”
Alongside his more muted plans, Dasgupta is hoping to volunteer with the Opening Doors London charity to help older queer Bengali people who live alone during Christmas. “I figured that I – someone who has a community of friends and family around him – have felt a bit upset these last couple of weeks. So people who live alone must have felt worse,” he says.
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“Elderly people are often neglected and I’m just happy that I’ll be able to help a couple of them feel loved and wanted.”
Others are also making new traditions on Christmas Eve. Jennifer Skillen, a PhD student from Gloucestershire, is a full-time carer for her disabled son. Usually, her ex-husband stays the night on Christmas Eve so they can spend Christmas morning together with their son, but because he’s in the vulnerable category, things have had to change.
alexkich via Getty Images
“Son and dad usually have a chat and finish decorating the house while I listen to the carol service and wrap the presents,” says the 59-year-old. “Then we will have a nice dinner together with a bottle of something interesting, maybe cider or mead, then watch something together on TV and off to bed.”
This year, the trio are recreating some Christmas magic on the doorstep. “My ex works in a job that couldn’t be done at home, so our son decided he didn’t want his dad to come to us,” says Skillen. “So, my ex offered to drive down with the presents early on Christmas Eve, and we will meet on the patio with blankets and mulled cloudy apple juice and ginger biscuits.”
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Skillen says a paired-back Christmas Eve, and festive period in general, is a positive thing in some ways. “I won’t have to spend so much time cooking, I won’t have to choose, buy and wrap presents, and my son won’t get so tired that it takes a couple of weeks to recover,” she adds.
Getty Images Christmas Eve
“We will still get to ‘see’ each other on the day, we’re used to video calls now,” adds Skillen. “And we’ll have a new tradition of sitting outside with mulled drinks on Christmas Eve in blankets and coats with a patio Christmas tree.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-24--10 Easy Christmas Dinners You Can Make Using One Baking Tray

With Covid-19 restrictions requiring we stay at home and limit celebrations, we’ve been granted full permission to make a low-key Christmas feast this year.
But that doesn’t mean it has to be any less festive than usual. In fact, it means it can be significantly less stressful ― especially if you make your entire meal on a sheet pan.
We’ve gathered our favourite one pan recipes that allow you to cook a simple-but-special meal in your oven, all in one shot. Below you’ll see recipes for turkey, ham, big old slabs of beautiful salmon, roast lamb and more.
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You’ll note several are from the Damn Delicious’s Chunga Rhee, who has mastered the art of the baking tray dinner. She told HuffPost that one of her tricks is actually using two pans in your oven at the same time, not just one: “Using two sheet pans is incredibly helpful so you can group together certain ingredients that cook at a similar time and temperature without overcrowding one single pan. For example, in my Sheet Pan Thanksgiving Dinner, I grouped the Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes together on one pan, and the turkey breast and stuffing on another.”
She suggested another time-saving technique: “Microwave certain ingredients prior to baking (ex. potatoes or squash), as they would require a little more time in the oven than other ingredients. That way you can pair up select vegetables and have them come out perfectly every time.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-24--Try This Christmas Pudding Trifle Recipe, As Trifle Makes A Comeback

manyakotic via Getty Images
Trifle is back – and we have the stats to prove it.
The classic British retro dessert is apparently people’s first choice for a Christmas dessert, according to a recent poll of more than 2,000 people.
Three in five have eaten a trifle in the past five years, and a quarter have made one in the same period, the YouGov research commissioned by Del Monte found. When asked to choose between a traditional Christmas pudding or a trifle, more people chose the trifle (41%) than the pud (33%).
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More than half of Brits will be tapping in to their nostalgic sentiment and would consider making, eating or serving ‘retro’ dishes from their childhood this year.
Unconvinced with this survey – despite someone on the HuffPost UK Life team saying they, too, were having trifle for Christmas pudding this year – we decided to do a poll. Tasha Hinde, our life reporter, asked people to vote between four Christmas desserts. And guess which one won.
Best Christmas dessert...? 🤔 — Tasha Hinde (@tashahinde) December 22, 2020
So apparently trifle really is back. But considering pud came a close second on the dessert poll, we decided to seek out a recipe that joyously mixes the two.
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This recipe comes from A Life Kitchen Christmas, a limited edition cookbook with just 7,000 copies available. Oh, and it’s free (you just have to pay postage).
Christmas Pudding Trifle
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients:
500ml ready-made vanilla custard
8 cardamom pods, cracked with the heel of a knife
600ml double cream
100g golden caster sugar
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 x 150g pots of Moorish chocolate spread
1 large Christmas pudding (about 900g), crumbled
Finely grated zest of 1 orange, to serve
Clare Winfield
Method:
1. Pour the custard into a medium saucepan and place it on a low heat. Add the cracked cardamom pods to the custard and bring the custard to a simmer. Leave to simmer for seven to nine minutes to infuse. Remove and discard the cardamom pods and set the custard aside to cool.
2. Next, whip the double cream with the sugar and both spices until it holds firm peaks. Be careful not to over-whip as this will make the cream grainy.
3. Spoon the chocolate spread into a bowl and whip it slightly to a spoonable texture. Set aside a large handful of the crumbled Christmas pudding. Use one third of the remaining pudding to form a layer in the bottom of a trifle dish. Top with one third of the cooled cardamom custard, then one third of the spiced cream.
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4. Use half the Moorish chocolate spread to create the next layer. Repeat these layers using another third each of the pudding, custard and cream and the remaining half of the chocolate spread.
5. Finally, layer up the remaining thirds of the pudding, custard and cream. Scatter the reserved handful of Christmas pudding into the centre of the trifle, piling it high. (Holly sprig optional, of course – but, well, it is Christmas!). Serve scooped into individual dishes, lavished with a sprinkling of fresh orange zest.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-24--Covid Is Forcing Me To Spend My First Christmas In 54 Years Apart From My Wife

Terry and his wife, Lynne
My beloved wife, Lynne, and I have been married for 54 years and share three children, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren together. When you plan your life with the one you love, you never plan for the tragedies, or the unexpected that blindsides you and flips your whole world upside down. You never plan for hearing that the woman you love has Alzheimer’s disease.
All I can remember thinking of at the time was, “Why Lynne and not me? I wish I could take her place”. I was distraught, but I decided to care for Lynne at home – it was a no-brainer; this is my wife and it was for me to look after her.
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I didn’t know how difficult it would be to care for someone with dementia, without having a clue about what to do. Lynne had frequent hallucinations of strangers entering our bedroom, so she felt safer sleeping in the lounge. I found it hard to sleep, knowing that Lynne was in the other room and could need my help at any moment. Once, she even barricaded herself into the lounge with furniture in the night to stop the strangers that she saw from coming in.
With no sleep and respite, our children started to notice a change in me. I hated to admit it, but I was struggling. Just before the first lockdown in March, I started to see a psychiatrist and he told me that I needed to rest. I assured him that I’m fine, and that Lynne needs me.
“It wasn’t until one traumatic night I realised that continuing to care for Lynne on my own, could have disastrous consequences – for both of us.”
It wasn’t until one traumatic night I realised that continuing to care for Lynne on my own, could have disastrous consequences – for both of us. One night I forgot to turn the cooker off from the mains, and I awoke to the sound of Lynne moving around. I felt intense heat coming from the kitchen and to my horror I realised that, for whatever reason, Lynne had turned on four ceramic hobs and walked away. I don’t know how long the hobs were on for, but it was enough to melt our units and the extractor. I can’t bear to think what could have happened if I hadn’t awoken sooner.
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The pandemic made things even more difficult. Lynne didn’t understand Covid-19 or social distancing, or why she wasn’t allowed to go outside. Caring for her got increasingly hard, and in June, I made the tough decision to move Lynne into a care home. As much as I wanted her to stay with me, and as much as it broke my heart, I knew it was for the best.
I haven’t touched Lynne in six months due to visitor restrictions, and have only been able to see her for 20 minutes every week through a protective screen. I’ve kept myself busy by redecorating our bungalow, and Alzheimer’s Society’s Companion Calls have been a lifeline to me during this difficult time. Every Wednesday morning I eagerly await my call with Tracy, the volunteer I have been paired up with for a regular chat, and who always brightens up my day.
Christmas pre-dementia, and pre-Covid, involved being surrounded by family, and we’d often host. I would dress up as Father Christmas, trying to convince our kids – who were little at the time – that I was definitely Father Christmas, and not their dad! When they got older, they would take turns hosting, or we’d all go out for a meal.
Lynne and Terry before the pandemic
This Christmas will be the first without Lynne at home. Luckily, Lynne’s care home is allowing indoor visits as long as I test negative for Covid, meaning that I could be getting the best Christmas present that money can’t buy – a kiss and cuddle from my wife. I will also need to drop off my presents days before for them to be quarantined in time for Christmas Day.
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We live in Hull, but with London and the South East now in Tier 4, I worry that my hopes for Christmas morning will be dashed at the last minute. My heart goes out to the many families who have had the joy and excitement of seeing their loved ones ripped away, particularly after the year of hell we’ve all had.
For anyone caring for someone with dementia at home, or from afar, I want you to know that the only way to stay strong for them is to look after yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, whether it’s emotional, financial or just someone to talk to. With 850,000 people with dementia in the UK right now – please remember, you are far from alone in this.
For information and support about dementia, call Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Connect support line on 0333 150 3456 or visit alzheimers.org.uk