thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-30--Celebrate New Year's Eve At Home, Boris Johnson Tells Public

JAMIE LORRIMAN via Getty Images
Boris Johnson has told people to celebrate New Year’s Eve at home, amid a surge in coronavirus cases across the UK.
Speaking at a Downing Street press conference on Wednesday, the prime minister old people to “see in the New Year safely at home” on Thursday evening.
Advertisement
He said people should avoid “meeting up with friends and family indoors” and “avoid large gatherings”.
From Thursday three-quarters of the population of England will be living under tier 4 rules.
It comes as official figures showed the deaths of 981 people who tested positive for coronavirus in the UK have been recorded in the last 24 hours.
“All of these measures in the end are designed to save lives and protect the NHS,” Johnson said.
“For that very reason I must ask you to follow the rule where you live tomorrow night and see in the new year safely at home.
“That means not meeting up with friends or family indoors unless in the same household or support bubble and avoiding large gatherings of any kind
Advertisement
“We are still in the tunnel of this pandemic, the light however is not merely visible … the tunnel has been shortened, we’re moving faster through it and that gives me great confidence about the future in the Spring.”
Speaking alongside Johnson in No.10, Stephen Powis, the NHS national medical director, echoed the PM’s warnings. “Covid loves a crowd,” he said.
“We know it’s the end of the year, it’s a time where people traditionally want to celebrate,” he said.
“It’s absolutely vital that, this year, everyone continues to follow the guidance by staying at home and not mixing.”
“Please leave the parties for later in the year.”
Jonathan Van Tam, England’s deputy chief medical officer, said the situation was “a pretty grim and depressing picture at the moment”.
Advertisement
He warned the NHS, which is under increasing pressure, had yet to see the impact of any infections contracted over Christmas when people were allowed to mix more.
It comes as UK approved a new vaccine from Oxford University and AstraZeneca.
The jab was given the green light by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on Wednesday morning.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-30--'We Want Answers': Parents React To Government's Back-To-School Plan

HuffPost is part of Verizon Media .
We and our partners will store and/or access information on your device through @ @ @ @ @ similar technologies , to display personalised ads and content , for ad and content measurement @ @ @ @ @ development .
Your personal data that may be used • Information about your device and @ @ @ @ @ IP address • Browsing and search activity while using Verizon Media websites and apps Find @ @ @ @ @ use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy .
To enable Verizon Media @ @ @ @ @ your personal data select ' I agree ' , or select 'Manage settings ' for @ @ @ @ @ your choices .
You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy @ @

LOADING ERROR LOADING
News that the majority of nursery and primary age children will return to school on Monday January 4 has prompted mixed feelings from parents – torn between worry about Covid-19 and concern for their children’s education.
Education secretary Gavin Williamson confirmed that secondary school pupils in exam years will return the week beginning January 11 to allow for more time to set-up rapid testing of pupils and staff. Those not in exam years will return the week commencing January 18, he told the House of Commons on Wednesday.
Advertisement
In areas of the country where transmission rates are highest, children in both primary and secondary school will be told to stay home for remote learning.
“In a small number of areas where infections rates are highest, only vulnerable children and children of key workers will attend face-to-face,” said Williamson.
That list currently includes 22 London boroughs and parts of Essex, Kent, East Sussex, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, but the government plan includes the option to move other primary schools to remote education should rates of incidence or transmission of the virus in a local area rise. Any further changes will be announced alongside tier changes, the government said.
These plans come after Matt Hancock announced an extension of tier 4, with 78% of people in England living under the rules from midnight on December 30.
Advertisement
The planned reopening of most primary schools came as a huge relief to Jenna Rigby in Lancashire.
The mum-of-five had to put her work as a self-employed personal trainer on hold during the school closures in spring – meaning the family’s income shrank overnight.
It was “near impossible” to home school her children between the ages of nine and four simultaneously, says Rigby – and she’s glad she doesn’t have to do it again just yet.
“I am lucky to have resources others don’t, but even having one iPad and one desktop still causes challenges in online learning apps. I managed to home-school each child for around 30 minutes a day in spring, when they’re meant to have six hours a day – I’m barely scratching the surface,” she says.
“Children thrive from routine and therefore being at home leads to behavioural problems and less motivation to get school tasks complete. Meanwhile you’re attempting to stop your business from collapsing with the never-ending task of re-arranging clients and appointments.”
Jenna Rigby Jenna Rigby and her children Zayn, 9, Rayyan, 8, Aneesa, 6, Aaila, 5, Salahudeen, 4.
Advertisement
If schools in her area do close at a later date, Rigby is worried about other families with bigger financial challenges.
“My main concern lies in the area that I live in Pendle, Lancashire is a largely poor area and children already challenged will fall further behind ultimately increasing the amount of children in the poverty cycle,” she says. “Our children are the future of this country, and education is key to its success.”
Other parents are on the fence regarding the news. Kate Everall, who runs the Lesbemums blog with her wife, Sharon, has mixed feelings about primary schools reopening, and how this will impact her five-year-old son.
“As much as I value our son’s education and would prefer he stayed in school (we’re not teachers!), the environment in which he started school – less than a year ago – is completely different. I’d go as far as to say that it’s unsafe,” she says.
“I also have a lot more respect for his teachers than our government do, who are also scared and worried, therefore I’d rather we stay home and keep everyone safe.”
Advertisement
Kate Everall Kate Everall (right) with wife Sharon and their son, 'T'
Everall and her wife both work full-time and they’d struggle to balance work and life if their son’s school suddenly closes. “Especially with the winter weather – excursions to the local nature reserve that helped us a lot this spring would be few and far between,” she says.
“But, we’d make it work because we’d have to. This isn’t permanent, after all, and it will pass – just as long as everyone does their part.”
Tinuke Bernard, from Hertfordshire, also thinks more schools should close. “Personally, as much as it is challenging trying to work full time from home with a three-year-old and 12-year-old, I’d rather the schools stay closed for all of January, if not longer and we stop putting everyone in harms way,” she says. “I feel we need a total lockdown, that there’s no point having shops closed if we’re still going back and forth to schools and businesses, gymnastics classes and whatnot.”
Tinuke Bernard Tinuke Bernard and her two daughters.
Advertisement
Having the kids at home would make working “very strenuous”, she adds, but it’s a sacrifice she believes we need to make. “I think everyone I work with has seen my three-year-old streak past naked whilst I’m on a video call at one point or another. This is just what happens now.” Samantha Stewart, from Leeds, who has one child in year seven and another in year 10, agrees that the new system doesn’t go far enough. “The government has failed to control the virus and I think there is now no option but to close to all pupils apart from the children of key workers and vulnerable children,” says Stewart, who is also a school governor. “I am concerned about the long term mental health impacts of the pandemic but I don’t think these can be addressed by sending children into school when school is not able to function properly due to high levels of covid amongst staff and pupils.” Halima Khatun, a Stockport-based author and mum to a three-year-old and nine-month-old, has mixed feelings about nurseries remaining open. “Personally, it would be a shame to close schools as my daughter just started nursery in September and she’s settled in and loves school and her classmates. It’s such an important part of social development, especially as we’ve avoided all the usual playgroups, playgrounds,” she says. “However, from a societal perspective, with the virus being out of control I think we have to buckle down and do what we can to suppress it.”
Halima Khatun Halima Khatun with her daughter Hannah, 3, and Ishaaq, 9-months-old.
Khatun says the most frustrating thing for parents – and the nation in general – is the ever-changing guidance.
“It just seems like we just get used to one normal, then it changes again,” she adds. “I believe the problem is that we keep flip-flopping with the rules: don’t eat out/ eat out, go into the office/work from home. It just means that we’ll never contain the virus and this will drag on forever.”
Advertisement
Ben Anderson, a London-based dad who runs the The Diary Of A Dad Instagram account, agrees that inconsistency is part of the problem.
“For our school-aged kids, we aren’t too concerned about the impact of disruption to education for a week or two,” says Anderson, whose has children of six, four and three, as well as five-months-old. “I think the longer term impact of lots of stop / starts will be much more detrimental.”
Anderson has been impressed by the online learning set-up by his children’s school and thinks closures might be for the best. “If the situation is as bad as the numbers suggest the law of averages says that someone at the school will have the virus which will result in the kids being sent home anyway,” he says.
But avoiding another term at home is a relief for single parents like Emma Butcher from Somerset, who’s children are six and 10. On a societal level, she believes schools should close. But on a personal level, she was “extremely anxious” about what closures might mean for her children’s education and her wellbeing.
Advertisement
“Attempting to home school primary aged children, whilst working to tight deadlines is not a challenge I relish,” she says.
“As a single mother, I am solely responsible for monitoring two children’s schooling, mental health, working and running the household with no support from a partner. Whilst practical support is important, I don’t think you can underestimate the need for emotional support also.”
Emma Butcher Emma Butcher and her two children.
Ben Westwood, a single parent from East Sussex, was worried how closures would affect his two teenage children. The initial closures this spring had a “big impact on their education and wellbeing”, he says.
“It was particularly difficult because 2021 is GCSE year for my son and he lost a lot of vital learning,” he says. “Home schooling is even harder as a single parent because I have been working from home in my university job.”
Advertisement
Ben Westwood Ben Westwood and his children Jake, 15, and Isabella, 13.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-30--Government Delays Opening Of Secondary Schools As Covid Surges

Secretary of State for Education Gavin Williamson PA
The opening of secondary schools in England will be delayed as the Covid pandemic continues to surge, the government has announced.
Education secretary Gavin Williamson said pupils in exam years would be returning on January 11, with others due to return on January 18, in a U-turn on previous plans.
Advertisement
He also said the majority of primary schools would reopen on January 4, except those in high infection rate areas.
It is not yet known which primary schools will remain closed, but Williamson said the government would publish a list of high infection rate areas, and that it did not include all tier 4 areas.
It came as official figures showed that the UK had recorded 50,023 new cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday.
And a further 981 people have died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19, the Department for Health and Social Care also confirmed.
Advertisement
The “immediate adjustment to plans for the new term” are down to the “rapidly changing” nature of the virus, Williamson added, as he said closures were a “last resort”.
“The latest study we have from Public Health England is that Covid infections among children are triggered by changes in the community rate,” he said.
He said “the majority of primary schools” will open as planned on Monday, January 4, but said: “In a small number of areas where the infection rates are highest we will implement our existing contingency framework such as only vulnerable children and children of critical workers will attend face to face.
“We will publish this list of areas today on the gov.uk website. I’d like to emphasise that this is being used only as a last resort. This is not all tier 4 areas and that the overwhelming majority of primary schools will open as planned on Monday.”
As a result, Williamson said that only vulnerable children and children of key workers will receive face-to-face teaching in the first week of term.
Advertisement
He said: “To allow this focus on establishing testing throughout the first week of term, exam year groups will continue to have lessons remotely in line with what they would receive in class.
A 'Stay Home' sign seen in London as many parts of the UK are now in Tier 4 Covid-19 restrictions. SIPA USA/PA Images
“And only vulnerable children and children of critical workers will have face-to-face teaching.”
Health secretary Matt Hancock announced on Wednesday that millions more people in England will move into the highest tier 4 level of coronavirus restrictions.
Secondary schools and colleges had previously been expecting to open only for exam-year students, vulnerable pupils and the children of key workers on January 4, with the rest of the school returning to the classroom the following week.
Teachers and staff were tasked over the Christmas holiday with devising a plan to implement the government’s mass testing policy in schools, which will see all staff tested weekly and pupils tested for seven days if they are deemed to have been in close contact with a positive case of Covid-19.
Advertisement
Williamson said that testing will begin “in earnest” in January, with those in exam years at the head of the queue.
He told MPs: “During the first week of term on or after January 4, secondary schools and colleges will prepare to test as many staff and students as possible and will only be open to vulnerable children and children of key workers.
“The 1,500 military personnel committed to supporting schools and colleges will remain on task providing virtual training and advice on establishing the testing process with teams on standby to provide in-person support if required by schools.
“Testing will then begin the following week in earnest with those who are in exam years at the head of the queue.
“This is in preparation for the full return of all pupils in all year groups on January 18 in most areas.”
Advertisement
It comes after cabinet minister Michael Gove insisted on Monday he was “confident” the staggered return to schools would go ahead as of January 4.
He told BBC Radio 4: “It is our intention to make sure we can get children back to school as early as possible.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-30--981 Covid-19 Deaths Recorded In A Single Day In The UK

LOADING ERROR LOADING
The deaths of 981 people who tested positive for coronavirus in the UK have been recorded in 24 hours as the disease continues to ravage the country.
The daily death toll is now at its highest since April 24, when it hit 1,010. It brings the UK total to 72,548.
Advertisement
As of 9am on Wednesday, there had been a further 50,023 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK. It brings the total number of cases in the UK to 2,432,888.
While the daily figure reported is the highest for months, there is likely to be a lag in reporting deaths over the Christmas period.
Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies for deaths where Covid-19 has been mentioned on the death certificate, together with additional data on deaths that have occurred in recent days, show there have now been 88,000 deaths involving Covid-19 in the UK.
The update came amid a flurry of news on the impact on Covid-19 on the UK.
The UK has approved a new Covid-19 vaccine from Oxford University and AstraZeneca as millions more people were plunged into the toughest Tier 4 lockdown restrictions.
Advertisement
The jab, described as a “game changer”, was given the green light by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Health secretary Matt Hancock said the vaccine is a “great British success story” and 530,000 of doses will be available for rollout from Monday.
But he announced in the Commons that more parts of the country are entering Tier 4, with most other areas moving to Tier 3.
Among the areas moving to Tier 4 are the Midlands, parts of the north east and north west and parts of the south west.
An additional 20 million people will moved to the highest tier. This means a total of 44 million people will now be in Tier 4, or 78% of the population of England.
Advertisement
Some 12 million people will be in Tier 3, or 22% of the population, while no area will be in Tier 2.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-30--John Bishop 'Flattened' By Covid-19 After Positive Christmas Day Test Result

John Bishop has said he has been “flattened” by Covid-19 after testing positive for the virus on Christmas Day.
The 54-year-old comedian said both he and his wife Melanie has contracted coronavirus, describing it as “the worst illness I have ever had”.
John Bishop Empics Entertainment
Advertisement
Writing on Twitter, John said they are suffering from a range of symptoms including headaches, nausea and “incredibly chronic fatigue”, despite both being non-smokers and usually fit.
Posting a screenshot of his NHS notification informing him of his positive test, he said: “This came through on Christmas Day. This is the worst illness I have ever had, debilitating headaches, muscle joint and even skin pain, dizziness, nausea, no appetite, incredibly chronic fatigue.
“My wife and I are fit non smokers and it’s flattened us. I don’t wish this on anyone.”
This came through on Christmas Day This is the worst illness I have ever had, debilitating headaches, muscle joint and even skin pain, dizziness, nausea, no appetite, incredibly chronic fatigue . My wife and I are fit non smokers and it's flattened us. I don't wish this on anyone pic.twitter.com/htqhQ8kTIo — John Bishop (@JohnBishop100) December 30, 2020
John has been married to Melanie since 1993 and they have three sons.
He isn’t the only star to share his unpleasant experiences of Covid-19.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-30--Revealed: The MPs Who Refused To Back Boris Johnson's Brexit Trade Deal

LOADING ERROR LOADING
The UK’s trading relationship with the EU is now set to change radically on January 1, when it will officially leave the single market and customs union.
Conservative MPs and Keir Starmer’s Labour were whipped to back the EU Future Relationship Bill, while long-standing Brexit opponents the SNP and the Lib Dems vowed to vote against.
Advertisement
But a sizeable number of MPs rebelled to either vote against the deal or abstain, including Labour shadow ministers Helen Hayes and Tonia Antoniazzi.
Here’s the full list of MPs who refused to back Johnson’s deal.
While some who are listed as having “no vote recorded” may have chosen to abstain, others may have another reason for not having voted.
No vote recorded
Labour
Diane Abbott
Tonia Antoniazzi
Aspana Begum
Olivia Blake
Ben Bradshaw
Kevin Brennan
Richard Burgon
Dawn Butler
Neil Coyle
Stella Creasy
Janet Daby
Geraint Davies
Peter Dowd
Rosie Duffield
Clive Efford
Conservative
Owen Paterson
John Redwood
Independent
Jeremy Corbyn
Claudia Webbe
SNP
Drew Hendry
Voted against
DUP
Gregory Campbell
Jeffrey Donaldson
Paul Girvan
Carla Lockhart
Iain Paisley
Gavin Robinson
Jim Shannon
Sammy Wilson
SNP
Hannah Bardell
Mhairi Black
Ian Blackford
Kirsty Blackman
Steven Bonnar
Deidre Brock
Alan Brown
Amy Callaghan
Lisa Cameron
Douglas Chapman
Joanna Cherry
Ronnie Cowan
Angela Crawley
Martyn Day
Martin Docherty-Hughes
Dave Doogan
Allan Dorans
Marion Fellows
Stephen Flynn
Patricia Gibson
Patrick Grady
Peter Grant
Neil Gray
Neale Hanvey
Stewart Hosie
Chris Law
David Linden
Kenny MacAskill
Angus Brendan MacNeil
Stewart Malcolm McDonald
Stuart C McDonald
Anne McLaughlin
John McNally
Carol Monaghan
Gavin Newlands
John Nicolson
Brendan O’Hara
Kirsten Oswald
Tommy Sheppard
Alyn Smith
Chris. Stephens
Alison Thewlis
Owen Thompson
Richard Thomson
Philippa Whitford
Pete Wishart
Labour
Bell Ribeiro-Addy
Lib Dem
Alistair Carmichael
Wendy Chamberlain
Daisy Cooper
Ed Davey
Tim Farron
Wera Hobhouse
Christine Jardine
Layla Moran
Sarah Olney
Jamie Stone
Munira Wilson
Plaid Cymru
Ben Lake
Liz Saville-Roberts
Hywel Williams
SDLP
Colum Eastwood
Claire Hanna
Green Party
Caroline Lucas
Alliance
Stephen Farry
Independent
Jonathan Edwards


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-30--Tier 4 Covid Rules Extended To Most Of England

LOADING ERROR LOADING
The new rules will come into force on Thursday, the health secretary told MPs on Wednesday.
Hancock said the decision to move more areas into tier 4 meant three-quarters of the population of England would now be living under the toughest rules.
Advertisement
It comes as official figures showed the deaths of 981 people who tested positive for coronavirus in the UK have been recorded in 24 hours.
Hancock told MPs: “Sharply rising cases and the hospitalisations that follow demonstrate the need to act where the virus is spreading.
He added the majority of new cases recorded yesterday “are believed to be the new variant” which was “now spreading across most of England”.
An additional 20 million people will be in tier 4 from December 31. This means a total of 44 million people will now be in tier 4, or 78% of the population of England.
Advertisement
A total of 12 million people will be in tier 3, or 22% of the population of England.
No area will be in tier 2, while only 2,000 people – the population of the Isles of Scilly – will be in tier 1.
The areas to go into tier 4, according to the Department of Health and Social Care, are:
City of Leicester
Leicestershire (Oadby and Wigston, Harborough, Hinckley and Bosworth, Blaby, Charnwood, North West Leicestershire, Melton
Lincolnshire (City of Lincoln, Boston, South Kesteven, West Lindsey, North Kesteven, South Holland, East Lindsey)
Northamptonshire (Corby, Daventry, East Northamptonshire, Kettering, Northampton, South Northamptonshire, Wellingborough)
Derby and Derbyshire (Derby, Amber Valley, South Derbyshire, Bolsover, North East Derbyshire, Chesterfield, Erewash, Derbyshire Dales, High Peak)
Nottingham and Nottinghamshire (Gedling, Ashfield, Mansfield, Rushcliffe, Bassetlaw, Newark and Sherwood, Broxtowe)
Birmingham and Black Country (Dudley, Birmingham, Sandwell, Walsall, Wolverhampton)
Coventry
Solihull
Warwickshire (Rugby, Nuneaton and Bedworth, Warwick, North Warwickshire, Stratford-upon-Avon)
Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent (East Staffordshire, Stafford, South Staffordshire, Cannock Chase, Lichfield, Staffordshire Moorlands, Newcastle under Lyme, Tamworth, Stoke-on-Trent)
Lancashire (Burnley, Pendle, Blackburn with Darwen, Ribble Valley, Blackpool, Preston, Hyndburn, Chorley, Fylde, Lancaster, Rossendale, South Ribble, West Lancashire, Wyre)
Cheshire and Warrington (Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Warrington)
Cumbria (Eden, Carlisle, South Lakeland, Barrow-in-Furness, Copeland, Allerdale)
Greater Manchester (Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan)
Tees Valley (Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton-on-Tees )
North-east (County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside, Sunderland)
Gloucestershire (Gloucester, Forest of Dean, Cotswolds, Tewkesbury, Stroud, Cheltenham)
Somerset Council (Mendip, Sedgemoor, Somerset West and Taunton, South Somerset)
Swindon
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
Isle of Wight
New Forest
Under tier 4 rules people are subject to a “stay at home” order. Non-essential retail must close while pubs and restaurants are restricted to takeaway only.
Different households are banned from mixing, although one person can meet one other person from another household outside in a
Advertisement
People are not allowed to travel into or out of tier 4 areas, and those living in tier 4 are banned from traveling abroad unless it is for work or education.
The following local authority areas will move to tier 3:
Rutland
Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin
Worcestershire (Bromsgrove, Malvern Hills, Redditch, Worcester, Wychavon, Wyre Forest)
Herefordshire
Liverpool City Region (Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, Wirral, St Helens)
York and North Yorkshire (Scarborough, Hambleton, Richmondshire, Selby, Craven, Ryedale, Harrogate, City of York)
Bath and North East Somerset
Devon, Plymouth, Torbay (East Devon, Exeter, Mid Devon, North Devon, South Hams, Teignbridge, Torridge, West Devon, Plymouth, Torbay)
Cornwall
Dorset
Wiltshire
Under tier 3, people can see friends and family they do not live with in some public outdoor places — such as parks or public gardens in a group of up to six.
But just as in tier 4, pubs and restaurants are restricted to takeaway only.
The decision is believed to have been made at a government “Covid-O” operations meeting on Tuesday night.
It comes as hospitals in England struggle under the strain of their highest ever number of Covid-19 patients, surpassing the first wave peak that was seen in April.
Advertisement
The number of lab-confirmed cases recorded in a single day in the UK hit a new record on Tuesday, rising above 50,000 for the first time, to 53,135.
Medics have been describing the pressure felt on the front line, with one junior doctor telling the PA news agency his London hospital is “aggressively overstretched” and that he expects the situation to worsen.
The doctor, who works in general medicine and wished to remain anonymous, said if the volume of Covid patients continues to increase, his hospital will need to start rationing oxygen – which he expects it will.
It came as local authorities in Essex declared a “major incident” as the number of coronavirus cases threatens to overwhelm health services in the county.
The announcement was made in response to a “significant growing demand” on hospitals across the county and to enable local leaders to seek further support from the government, the Essex Resilience Forum (ERF) said.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-30--Watch Live: Matt Hancock & Gavin Williamson Address Parliament Amid Covid-19 Concerns

Main Menu
U.K. edition
Follow us
Part of HuffPost News. ©2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-30--Boris Johnson's Brexit Deal Approved By MPs In Last-Minute Commons Vote

LOADING ERROR LOADING
MPs have backed Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal with Brussels in a crucial final-hour vote in the Commons.
The prime minister won over backbench Tory Brexiteers and Keir Starmer’s Labour, and the UK will avoid a damaging no-deal break from the bloc.
Advertisement
The government won the vote by 521 to 73.
The EU Future Relationship Bill, which puts the deal into legislation, will now be rushed through parliament in one day, with the Queen due to grant royal assent late on Wednesday night.
Trumpeting his deal, which governs trade worth £660bn a year to both sides, Johnson said it was “one of the biggest free trade agreements in the world”.
He said: “Having taken back control of our money, our borders, our laws and our waters by leaving the European Union on January 31, we now seize this moment to forge a fantastic new relationship with our European neighbours based on free trade and friendly co-operation.”
Britain’s trading relationship with the EU is now set to change radically on January 1, when the country will officially leave the single market and customs union.
Advertisement
Eurosceptics, such as veteran Conservative Bill Cash, claimed the PM had ended the Brexit saga and “saved our democracy”.
“Our prime minister, a great classicist, like his hero Pericles, is the first citizen of his country, and like him has saved our democracy. Like Alexander the Great, Boris has cut the Gordian Knot,” said Cash.
“Churchill and Margaret Thatcher would have been deeply proud of his achievements, and so are we.”
Starmer, meanwhile, warned Johnson must improve on the “thin deal” as he criticised failures to secure trade terms for the services industry, which makes up around 80% of the UK economy.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer during the debate in the House of Commons on the EU (Future Relationship) Bill. PA
“We have only one day before the end of the transition period and it’s the only deal that we have,” he said.
Advertisement
“It’s a basis to build on in the years to come.”
The Labour leader called “the lack of ambition” on services “striking” but said the only alternative at this late stage was no-deal.
The deal “will make it harder to sell services into the EU”, he said, adding: “So we’re left to wonder: either the prime minister did not try to get a strong deal to protect our service economy, or he tried and failed. Which is it?”
The debate also reopened old Brexit wounds, including for former PM May, who blasted Starmer, Labour’s former Brexit spokesperson, for failing to back the deal she negotiated in 2016.
“He said he wanted a better deal,” she said. “He had the opportunity in early 2019 when there was the opportunity of a better deal on the table and he voted against it, so I will take no lectures from the leader of the opposition on this deal.”
Former prime minister Theresa May during the debate in the House of Commons on the EU (Future Relationship) Bill. PA
Advertisement
But May also said she was “disappointed” about the deal’s approach to the “key area” of financial services.
Saying she had pledged in 2018 to work to get a “truly ground-breaking” deal for this sector, she told Johnson: “Sadly, it has not been achieved.”
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford, whose party opposed the deal, said the agreement was “an act of economic vandalism”.
It comes as Nicola Sturgeon presses for a second Scottish independence referendum in the wake of 62% voting “remain” north of the border in 2016.
“Now that we see the scale of the bad Brexit deal the question before the Scottish people is clear – which union does Scotland wish to be part of?” said Blackford. “Which future will we choose? This broken Brexit Britain or the European Union?”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-31--2020: A Month-By-Month Look At The Year We Spent A Lot Of Time In Parks

picture alliance via Getty Images Parks have been all most of us have had this year.
If anyone had told me at the start of the year that come December, I’d be handing Christmas presents to loved ones in the park behind my house, I’d have thrown them a stern look and told them to get some sleep.
Let’s face it, folks: 2020 has seen us do many of life’s typical activities in parks. Birthdays, weddings, catch-ups, anniversary celebrations, you name it. Parks have been a crucial hosting point for us as we learned to socialise outdoors.
Advertisement
Usually the fleeting funscapes of July and August, they’ve become the place to relax. The place to exercise. The place to ponder. The only place to go. So, in the interest of remembering all we got up to in green spaces this year, here’s a month-by-month account of park life in 2020.
January: Ignorance Is Bliss
Tim Graham via Getty Images Hampstead Heath, London
Who the hell hangs out in parks in January 2020? No one, that’s who.
Christmas is done and it’s deepest midwinter, pre-pandemic. You’re either wallowing in the self-pity heaped on you by the pressure of keeping up a resolution you failed, or you’re happily cosied up on the sofa under a blanket.
A park? In January? Are you mad?
February: The Odd Lurker
I’m inside, but I see some people from my window in the park opposite – the odd lurker going for a walk with a friend, or a run. I don’t take much notice.
Advertisement
I’m watching the TV, and there’s been the first mention of something called the ‘coronavirus’ in China.
March: Peekaboo
Coronavirus is the buzzword, but we’re still allowed to socialise indoors.
The days are opening up for evening walks somewhat, and I’ve been in all winter, so it’s time to go outside. At the weekend, I go to Hampstead Heath (insert local large park to your area). This is the very beginning.
Fast forward a few weeks: it’s the end of March and we’re stuck inside. Parks feel like the only places many of us can escape to. We go on solo walks, or walks with members of our household, just once a day.
April: No Hope
In Pictures via Getty Images Being moved on from parks in April
I’ve spent the past month walking around my local park. That and staring at the queue outside Natwest from my window. The nation is collectively struggling.
Advertisement
Given the reality of thousands of tragic deaths, and spiking cases of alcoholism and drug use, the park – for me and my comrades I see every day – has, thanks to a freak heatwave, become the refuge.
Sometimes we sit down, very briefly, but we then realise we must continue walking – following the government guidance. Only exercise is allowed.
May: Thank Goodness For Spring
There’s talk among loved ones and those on social media about how to enjoy nature more, now we’re in parks more than ever: how to enjoy the leaves, flowers, and bug life. Others are searching for colours on their daily walks.
For now, the continuation of the heatwave means parks have become the new pubs – we can now sit down and have a picnic. There’s barely a spot free in popular parks, and tabloids splash photos of others that are endlessly busy. We try and find the hidden ones, the quieter ones.
June: This Is Our Luxury
DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS via Getty Images People enjoy the sunshine in parks
Advertisement
Parks are no longer the uncomfortable second best. They are luxurious! Picnic blankets, hampers replete with lunch options, the pop of a cork. Who’s got a bottle opener?
The walk of shame to the wee tree is the connector of all humans under lockdown: yep, everyone is peeing in bushes.
July: Everyone’s Got A Trestle Table
People are getting inventive. Pubs are open – but many still prefer the park.
After a rainy start to the month, trestle tables have become as pervasive on the parks scene as discarded prosecco corks. Every grassed nugget of public space is replete with wobbly, precarious tables: buckling in the middle, with a giraffe’s posture, and stacked with red cups for beer pong.
A badminton court has been set up. Outdoor games are in full swing. Play goes on until late. People try to keep a distance from one another.
August: Rain Stops Play
Outdoor fun is temporarily packed up in early August as rain ruins chances of parkside fun. But before long, they’re back – mid-month – for a midsummer blow-out.
Advertisement
Covid cases are down. Conversations heard in the park ponder whether there will be a second wave. Large groups are meeting up, despite the two-household rule.
September: Is This The End?
DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS via Getty Images It's still sunny!
Summer transitions into autumn and there’s nothing we can do about it. Shorter nights mean less time in the park. Some people still stay out late with picnics and drinks, as long as they can.
We enjoy our last moments of calm, legs akimbo, sprawled out on the grass. We wonder how we will socialise in winter if Covid carries on.
October: Autumn Is Here
Many retreat back to the pub as it gets colder. But some people remain loyal to parks. They continue to walk, as it’s too cold to sit down for too long.
Advertisement
We notice – more than we ever have before – how the trees and leaves show us autumn is coming. We walk with a warm coffee in hand.
November: Déjà Vu
It’s a second national lockdown. Pubs are closed, and weekends – and days off – are filled with the only thing we can collectively do: stride through the parks. We’re back.
The landscape has shifted, not just from sitting to walking – but walking to striding. Spontaneously deciding which way to walk, or where to stop, is usurped by the need to carry on. It’s bitingly cold, colder if you stop.
Attitudes have shifted, too: this is less about the park, more about trying to keep happy and healthy: squinting up at the sky before 3pm to catch the blueness before it’s lights out.
December: Christmas Is Cancelled (For Some)
Kaveh Kazemi via Getty Images A moment for introspection
Advertisement
Covid-19 cases continue to rise, and indoor mixing isn’t allowed in many places across the UK. We find ourselves swapping Christmas presents in the park. Instead of the annual pub meet-up, we do lap or two around the park with a friend, drinking a festive latte.
Many decide it’s too risky to go home. And then Boris Johnson tells many areas in the UK – just a few days before Christmas – that we must, yet again, stay home. Our days leading up to Christmas are spent wrapping up warm, popping to the park for some daylight, then cosying up indoors with our tree.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-31--Kate Garraway Opens Up About 'Challenging' Christmas After Her House Flooded

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Kate Garraway has opened up about her “calamitous few days” in the lead-up to Christmas after flooding caused damage at her family home.
The Good Morning Britain presenter has had an especially tough 2020, with her husband of 15 years, Derek Draper, having been in hospital since March, due to Covid-related complications.
Advertisement
In an Instagram update posted on Thursday morning, Kate told her followers about the “challenges” she faced over the festive period when two pipes leaked at her house, causing flooding just days before she and her children were due to celebrate Christmas.
Kate Garraway arriving at Global Radio's studios the week before Christmas Beretta/Sims/Shutterstock
She wrote: “Have been quiet for a while – getting through Christmas has been a challenge hasn’t it with all the emotions it stirs in our strange world & nowhere really to put them – except in hope.
“And there is still so much real hope out there. Not just in the extraordinary health care workers & researchers who definitely hold a bright light for the future. But in all the little kindnesses.”
Advertisement
Kate continued: “We had a calamitous few days in the run up to Christmas – but we got through thanks to some wonderful people.”
After thanking the construction workers who “literally got on their hands and knees with me to bucket out water”, the daytime star also thanked fellow presenter Emma Willis, who made sure Kate had Christmas food for her family over the festive period.
Kate also gave a shout-out to British Gas who helped her get a working fridge, and Sky for “talking me through getting our WiFi and TV working on Christmas Eve”.
Looking ahead to 2021, Kate wrote she was “sending love and virtual hugs to all of you who have sent messages”, adding: “Spreading the love is what will give us all a truly happy new year.”
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-31--A Guide To The Covid-19 Vaccine If You're Pregnant Or Breastfeeding

SeventyFour via Getty Images
People who are either pregnant and deemed high-risk from Covid-19, or breastfeeding, have now been given the go-ahead to have the Covid-19 vaccine in the UK – despite previously being told they shouldn’t have it.
Although it seems like positive news, there hasn’t been a change in evidence in terms of the safety of such vaccines for these groups.
Advertisement
It’s likely to be a confusing U-turn for those who were explicitly told they couldn’t have the vaccine and were gearing up to batten down the hatches for months while carrying their baby, and possibly years after, if breastfeeding.
So what do you need to know?
What’s the advice for pregnant women?
There are two vaccines on offer in the UK: the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine, which was approved this week. The aim of the UK vaccine programme is to prevent people from dying after contracting Covid-19 or becoming severely ill, and to protect health and social care staff.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which is responsible for prioritising who gets the vaccine, says although available data does not indicate safety concerns or harm to pregnancy, there is insufficient evidence to recommend routine use of Covid-19 vaccines during pregnancy.
However, pregnant people who are considered high risk – either because of their health or their job – will be offered one of the two Covid-19 vaccines on offer. It’s up to them if they decide to take it or not.
Advertisement
These people are prioritised for Covid immunisation for a few reasons. Firstly, those with underlying health conditions may already be at a very high risk of experiencing serious complications from Covid-19 – and we know that in the third trimester, the virus can be particularly dangerous.
The most likely relevant groups who would be vaccinated in pregnancy are:
Solid organ transplant recipients
Those with severe respiratory conditions including cystic fibrosis and severe asthma
Those who have homozygous sickle cell disease
Those receiving immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase risk of infection
Those receiving dialysis or with chronic kidney disease (stage 5)
Those with significant congenital or acquired heart disease
Pregnant women who are frontline health or social care workers, including carers in a residential home, can also opt for vaccination because they have a higher risk of exposure to Covid-19. However they should still be offered occupational protection during pregnancy, regardless of their vaccination choice. For example, health care workers in the third trimester should not be working with Covid-19 patients.
If you’re pregnant and in one of these two groups, speak to your obstetrician or doctor about vaccination. They can go through the benefits and risks with you. Your conversation will be personal to your situation, however your doctor should discuss the lack of safety data for these specific vaccinations, but also acknowledge that there is no known risk associated with giving other non-live vaccines (meaning there is no live virus in the vaccine) to pregnant women.
It’s worth noting that most pregnant women still won’t receive the Covid-19 vaccine. Gill Walton, chief executive of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) said in the meantime, all pregnant women should take up the offer of the free flu vaccination, so they’re protected against flu viruses circulating this winter.
Advertisement
What if you’re breastfeeding?
Anyone who is breastfeeding can have the vaccine, according to the updated guidance, regardless of whether they’re deemed high risk or not. Again, it’s optional. There is still a lack of safety data for these specific vaccinations in breastfeeding, according to the Royal College Of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG).
In the US, the Society for Maternal-Foetal Medicine reports that there is no reason to believe the vaccine affects the safety of breastmilk.
Antibodies formed from vaccines given during pregnancy do pass into the breastmilk and then to the baby to help prevent infections. But since the vaccine does not contain the actual virus that causes Covid-19, there is no risk of breastmilk containing the virus, it says.
The Society, along with the American College of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists, recommend breastfeeding individuals should be offered the vaccine “as theoretical concerns do not outweigh potential benefits”.
Clare Murphy, chief executive of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), welcomed the decision, saying: “We know some women have felt forced to choose between continuing to feed their baby in the way that works best for them and receiving the vaccine, and this new guidance should mean women can now make their own choices, based on their own personal circumstances and health needs.”
Advertisement
You should speak to your doctor about any questions you may have if you’re breastfeeding and intending to have the vaccine.
What about those trying for a baby?
Previously, women were advised not to come forward for vaccination if they may be pregnant or were planning a pregnancy within three months of the first dose. Under the new advice, those who are trying to become pregnant do not need to avoid vaccination.
Murphy, of BPAS, said she hopes the update will provide additional reassurance to women who find out they are pregnant shortly after receiving the vaccine.
“Unplanned pregnancy is common in the UK, but unplanned is not synonymous with unwanted – and we have been concerned that the guidance advising against use in pregnancy may cause unnecessary anxiety and result in the termination of otherwise wanted pregnancies,” she said.
“It’s vital that women receive good, evidence-based information to enable them to make their own vaccination and reproductive choices and this updated guidance reflects that approach.”
Advertisement
When will we know more about vaccine safety for these groups?
So far, it’s understood neither vaccine has been tested on pregnant or breastfeeding individuals in clinical trials. HuffPost UK has contacted Oxford University to confirm this.
Pfizer told HuffPost UK it is in the process of conducting developmental and reproductive toxicity (DART) studies with its Covid-19 vaccine. This is done prior to enrolling pregnant women and women of childbearing potential who are not actively avoiding pregnancy in clinical trials.
RCOG is working with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to set up a Covid-19 vaccine registry. The aim is to ensure that adequate safety data are collected for all women in these groups who are given one of the approved Covid-19 vaccines.
“We are recommending that pregnant women who might be eligible for vaccination should receive it through their maternity unit, or notify their local maternity unit when it is received,” says RCOG.
“This is so that maternity staff can report it to the UKOSS/UKTIS vaccine registry, including reporting of follow-up post-vaccination of the women and their babies.”
Advertisement
RCOG has also teamed up with the RCM to ask the UK government to fund research studies to establish the suitability of any approved Covid-19 vaccines in pregnant and breastfeeding women.
“The UK has a world-leading research and development sector to support a national effort to research the vaccine’s suitability for use in pregnancy and we are calling for research trials, supported by the Vaccine Taskforce, to begin urgently to get evidence on safety,” says RCOG.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-31--RuPaul's Drag Race Season 13 To Continue Airing On Netflix In The UK

LOADING ERROR LOADING
RuPaul’s Drag Race fans can breathe a sigh of relief – the new series of the hit reality show will be available to watch on Netflix in the UK and Ireland the day after it airs in America, it’s been confirmed.
On New Year’s Day, the 13th season of Drag Race will launch in the US, in a special episode that will see all 13 of the new queens lip syncing for their lives.
Advertisement
While new episodes of Drag Race have been made available to watch on Netflix in the UK the morning after they’re shown in the US for the last few years, the streaming platform had not confirmed whether this would be the case for the new series – until now.
Quoting reigning champion Jaida Essence Hall, Netflix tweeted on Thursday morning: “LOOK OVER THERE… We can *finally* confirm that RuPaul’s Drag Race S13 starts on Netflix UK/IE this Saturday.”
🗣 LOOK OVER THERE ⬇⬇⬇
We can *finally* confirm that RuPaul's Drag Race S13 starts on Netflix UK/IE this Saturday. — Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) December 31, 2020
While the regular US version of Drag Race will return to Netflix on Saturday 2 January, we’re also less than two weeks away from new episodes of the UK series.
Advertisement
The 13 queens taking part in the new series of RuPaul's Drag Race World Of Wonder/VH1
Drag Race UK will launch on BBC Three on Thursday 14 January, with 12 British queens competing for the title of the UK’s next Drag Race superstar this time around.
Production on the second series of Drag Race UK was briefly put on ice earlier this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, but filming was eventually completed in the autumn, with RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Graham Norton and Alan Carr all back on the panel.
The much-awaited second series of Drag Race UK is just weeks away BBC/World of Wonder/Ray Burmiston
Guest judges this time around will include Lorraine Kelly, MNEK, Sheridan Smith and Jessie Ware, with EastEnders star Natalie Cassidy also putting in an appearance.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-31--Reese Witherspoon Recalls Ex Ryan Phillippe's Oscar Comment That 'Flummoxed' Her

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Reese Witherspoon was just as shocked as she seemed after an unexpected comment from then-husband Ryan Phillippe at the 2002 Academy Awards.
Both actors were presenting together at the Oscars that year and were announcing the award for Best Makeup when Ryan caught Reese off guard.
Advertisement
After reading out the nominees, he went to open the envelope to announce the winner. When Reese asked if she could say the winner’s name, Ryan delivered an off-the-cuff remark in response.
“You make more than I do,” he said, handing over the envelope. “Go ahead.”
Reese let out a shocked noise and looked stunned, as the audience just laughed.
Reese Witherspoon's shocked face just after the comment. Oscars/YouTube
The one-time couple, who share two children together, officially divorced in 2007, five years after the awards show incident.
The Legally Blonde star revisited the remark during an appearance on the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s In Conversation podcast, confirming the moment was indeed unplanned.
Advertisement
“Um, that moment? You’re reminding me of that! I forgot that ever happened,” the actor told HFPA journalist Margaret Gardiner. “But you’re right.”
“He did say that and no, it wasn’t scripted. And [he] didn’t tell me he was going to say that before it happened on air,” Reese explained. “Um, so I was a little bit flummoxed in the moment, too.”
Reese Witherspoon at an Oscars after-party earlier this year Toni Anne Barson via Getty Images
Reese said she didn’t know what prompted her ex to make the remark at the time, but went on to discuss the issue of women who outearn their spouses.
“There are so few women who make a lot of money that sometimes they’re shamed for it,” she said.
“And sometimes they are expected to give more and do more and be more to others in the same position that, say, a male movie star would not be expected to. And that’s just the double standard that exists in our society.”
Advertisement
“But I do think gender norms have changed quite a bit since that moment in 2000 or something,” she said, adding that women should be talking about money and how they make it.
Reese also spoke about an incident in which her daughter, Ava, came home embarrassed and crying over her mum being one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood.
The actor and producer said that she told Ava she shouldn’t “ever feel ashamed of a woman making money”.
“There are women all over this world who don’t have an opportunity or an education or the ability to make money,” she said.
Advertisement
“And the more women who make more money, will give more money away, will take care of their societies, will take care of their communities, will do more with that money.”
“So don’t ever feel bad about your mom making money,” Reese added. “And don’t ever feel bad if you make money, and don’t be embarrassed or ashamed if it’s more than your partner.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-31--James Corden Admits Homesickness Could Lead To Him Ending US Presenting Career

LOADING ERROR LOADING
James Corden has admitted that long-standing homesickness could lead him to bring his US presenting career to an end in the future.
The Gavin & Stacey creator relocated to Los Angeles in 2015, when he landed a new job as presenter of The Late, Late Show.
Advertisement
Five years on, and James has revealed that he has been missing a lot about home during his time in the States, which may even result in him bring his US career to an end later down the line.
He told The Sun: “I have a couple of years to go on this contract. Ending the show will always be a bigger family decision than a professional one.
“It will be about people at home who we miss very, very much, who we are homesick for.”
James Corden in the Late, Late Show studio CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images
James continued: “I also feel like my wife and I have three young children, and they are three young grandchildren that we’ve taken away from people.
Advertisement
“This probably feels particularly magnified now during the pandemic, but I have an overwhelming feeling that our family has walked to the beat of my drum for a very long time.”
Since taking over The Late, Late Show, James has made a huge success of the show, thanks in no small part to the impact of his recurring Carpool Karaoke segment, which has featured everyone from Adele and Lady Gaga to Stevie Wonder and Sir Paul McCartney.
James Corden and Sir Paul McCartney CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images
He’s also hosted both the Tonys and Grammy awards, and appeared in films like Ocean’s 8, Trolls and the polarising big-screen adaptation of Cats.
More recently, James appeared opposite Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman in the Netflix musical The Prom, although his performance as a flamboyant gay Broadway star has proved divisive among viewers.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-31--Chrissy Teigen Explains Her Decision To Give Up Alcohol As She Reveals She's Four Weeks Sober

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Chrissy Teigen has shared her inspiration for giving up alcohol, revealing she’s now embracing a sober lifestyle.
The model and media personality has garnered a devoted social media following in recent years, and told her Instagram followers on Wednesday that she is now four weeks sober.
Advertisement
Posting a photo of writer Holly Whitaker’s book Quit Like A Woman on her Instagram story, Chrissy explained: “One month ago, on my birthday, I got this book from my doctor and friend.
“I was done with making an ass of myself in front of people (I’m still embarrassed), tired of day drinking and feeling like shit by 6, not being able to sleep.”
Chrissy Teigen at an Oscars after-party earlier this year Karwai Tang via Getty Images
She continued: “I have been sober ever since and even if you can’t see yourself doing it or just plain don’t want to, it is still an incredible read.”
Advertisement
Quit Like A Woman has been described as a “groundbreaking look at drinking culture and a road map to cutting out alcohol in order to live our best lives without the crutch of intoxication”.
Author Holly Whitaker later shared Chrissy's post on her own Instagram story. Instagram/Holly Whitaker
Chrissy has been open about the mental and physical journey she’s been on since then, and last week posted a new update on Instagram, in which she spoke of her sadness that she will “never be pregnant again”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-31--60 Of The Funniest Tweets About Cats And Dogs This Year

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Woof — it’s been a loooooong year.
The year 2020 left many of us feeling like indoor cats, gazing out our windows at the outside world. And when we did go outside, it was hard not to feel like our dogs, overjoyed with happiness to go on a simple walk.
But for many of us, our furry, four-legged friends helped us get through this cat-astrophic, mother pupper of a year. They purred, they nuzzled and they muzzled our existential dread by making us roll over in laughter.
Advertisement
So in honour of these unsung heroes of 2020 — who are blissfully unaware that 2020 left many of us humans feeling like chew toys with the squeaker pulled out — here are 60 of the funniest tweets about cats and dogs this year.
And enjoy. It’s truly what we all knead right meow.
me: gender is a social construct
me to my cat: Mr. Sir! You are just a little boy who is a man. Mr. Sir Boy! — permanent secretary for paul mccartney (@GraceSpelman) December 13, 2020
Took in a parcel for my neighbour across the road earlier. I just went to his house to tell him, he opened the door and there was one of my cats, sitting on his chair all comfy. — Dr Kelly 🔶 🕷 (@KellyQuilt) December 4, 2020
Advertisement
He is having WAY TOO MUCH FUN !! 🐶😄❄
( via sydnikautz | TikTok ) pic.twitter.com/xEqPyTcDFI — Stefano S. Magi (@myworld2121) December 7, 2020
quarantine day 15 is having a conversation with your cat about how lucky she is that she doesn’t get her period — erin gilfoy (@eringilfoy) March 29, 2020
During teaching today I was petting my cat and my co-teacher announced it and asked to see the cat. Then no fewer than 60% of the students reached down and pulled THEIR cats up into view of the cameras and suddenly my Zoom squares were all cats and everything was perfect. — Sarah Williams (@misanthropologa) September 23, 2020
Have you seen anyone love the rain this much ??
( Via TikTok | a_dora_bull ) 🐶 pic.twitter.com/5gAstVBLt9 — Stefano S. Magi (@myworld2121) September 30, 2020
Advertisement
Took a pic of the cat lookin out the window and accidentally turned him into some sort of god. pic.twitter.com/xjN4W6peSJ — Amanda (@amandahys7) October 1, 2020
What I love about cats is how they, collectively, as a species, have never been fed, ever — phenomenell (@theneliad) February 22, 2020
please look at this picture of my friend’s cat who had to get shaved for surgery pic.twitter.com/RZNPUyXJZX — Ash♀ (@trashlyn_) September 15, 2020
2020 was a kinda bad year for me but a really good year for my dog who did not have to be alone for a single second — Dana Donnelly (@danadonly) December 14, 2020
Welcome to the void pic.twitter.com/jqxJN5Pkyg — cats in random places (@cats_places) December 12, 2020
Advertisement
I can’t even believe these pics are real and it’s MY family 🤩😭🤍 pic.twitter.com/M7Xlygysck — brianna (@briannalhaynes) November 24, 2020
Took my dogs to take their yearly christmas photos. It’s really hard when you have one super photogenic dog and one dog having an existential crisis. pic.twitter.com/4gUyIsB5OJ — Laurenn (@laurenncarterr) December 7, 2019
Sorry, I wasn’t ignoring your text, my dog was barking in her sleep so I had to drop everything to gently wake her up & keep whispering, “it’s okay, it was just a dream” until she fell back asleep — Hillary (Not Sara) (@smithsara79) October 13, 2020
Fridge sign of the day. pic.twitter.com/cTMdwgUrgq — Dick King-Smith HQ (@DickKingSmith) April 26, 2020
Advertisement
My husband set up a motion sensor sign that lights up when my cat poops....please hire him, he has too much time on his hands pic.twitter.com/gS9VH0Nz6T — Hannah Solow (@hamstertalk) November 12, 2020
1 in the morning. We found her sitting like this, beside her food bowl. pic.twitter.com/ymmzcscdQK — Aavi (@poisonaavi) September 2, 2020
I disgustedly told my dog 'all you care about is food and attention' and my raw hypocrisy just sort of hung there in the air — Saladin Ahmed (@saladinahmed) September 15, 2020
My mom and her cat Hobbes! He just likes sleepin like that pic.twitter.com/LJY2Tf7ZRQ — Olivia Chin Mueller ⭐ Mousemoth Land (@ocmillustration) February 16, 2020
Advertisement
this is what i come home to every day now 😂
(Caters News Agency) pic.twitter.com/oW0Lv4vtGr — Humor And Animals (@humorandanimals) October 7, 2020
quarantine day 14: me cats jus asked me if i wanted the radio left on while he went out — P (@pw_1995) March 31, 2020
“I’ve been watching you sleep for the last hour trying to organize my thoughts. I’m not sure how to say this so I’m just gonna come right out with it. Why the f*ck do we never go to the dog park anymore??? Also wake the hell up, I’m starving” pic.twitter.com/Ix8Yw61Vit — Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) April 12, 2020
I told my dog she was adopted today. — cloakzy (@cloakzy) November 13, 2020
Friend: Your house smells like wet dog.
Me: Thanks. It’s because I hug him when I cry. — Cam (@GinAndJif) October 7, 2020
Advertisement
Best Group Photos ever pic.twitter.com/HAqeB72tkb — Puppies 🎄🎅 (@PopularPuppies) November 24, 2020
I’m fascinated by the rules of this game pic.twitter.com/JIIzJKvGOD — Earthling (@ziyatong) July 31, 2020
This morning I saw my neighbour talking to her dog. You could see that she thought the dog understood her. I went back inside and told my cat what I'd seen. We laughed and laughed. — Andy Lea 💙💙 (@AndyL1964) October 15, 2020
my dog is a weirdo bro. pic.twitter.com/eFh9beco2p — BAD BUNNY STAN ACCOUNT. (@omgcrystall) June 10, 2020
Advertisement
My cat just locked up my dog lmfaooooo💀😂 pic.twitter.com/stHx7Pb7oy — mango angelo (@DakotaLameHumor) May 2, 2020
You ever just feel like this cat pic.twitter.com/ahfO5rjrT7 — 𝖑𝖊𝖝𝖎 🥀 (@alexivenegas_) June 17, 2020
Found out last night our cat goes to the kebab shop down the road every day and they give him lamb mince. There's a picture of him on the wall — The Pie & Nonce Pub (@pieandnoncepub) December 2, 2020
Today in find the cat pic.twitter.com/P6soGOv8k1 — Kate Hinds (@katehinds) June 7, 2020
Advertisement
During teaching today I was petting my cat and my co-teacher announced it and asked to see the cat. Then no fewer than 60% of the students reached down and pulled THEIR cats up into view of the cameras and suddenly my Zoom squares were all cats and everything was perfect. — Sarah Williams (@misanthropologa) September 23, 2020
*orders expensive cat bed*
*waits 5 weeks for overseas shipping*
*watches the cat ignore it for 6 months*
*finally throws it, defeated, on top of the wardrobe* pic.twitter.com/JR6h6EI8Mk — Strangerbauble (@strangerbabble) March 28, 2020
Some sports are slower. More about the strategy. pic.twitter.com/JMBaGJ1tSd — Andrew Cotter (@MrAndrewCotter) April 9, 2020
Advertisement
Okay, I’m getting REALLY sick of people accusing me of being crazy for talking to my dogs...
I mean, what else am I supposed to do when they ask me a question..? — Amber (@AmberD1116) October 15, 2020
THEY ARE SITTING WATCHING THE STORM LIKE THIS?????????
I have perished pic.twitter.com/vmoPj2vjGL — emma patricia (@_ewmma) July 11, 2020
Catching feelings from the living room ♥♥♥
🎥: goldengirl_xena (IG)#mydogiscutest pic.twitter.com/ItpUtlLgVe — My Dog Is Cutest (@mydogiscutest) December 3, 2020
Dad can't go to the mosque due to the pandemic, so Tofu accompany him five times a day. pic.twitter.com/2GvhTuXD47 — fahmiツ - buy What Comes After on Steam/Itch pls (@fahmitsu) March 26, 2020
Sometimes when my cats sit right next to me, I'll get up and go hide under the bed just so they know how it feels. — Brent Terhune (@BrentTerhune) September 23, 2020
Advertisement
Made the bed, kept cleaning the apartment, realized I hadn’t seen the cat for a little bit and found him like this pic.twitter.com/ohB7CkmYcM — Dani Balenson (@dlbee_) February 16, 2020
Me sliding into the long Christmas weekend like pic.twitter.com/4vUY4zs26f — Kalhan (@KalhanR) December 24, 2020
My neighbor’s dog scratched at my front door until I opened it... then ran in and stole one of my dog’s toys and ran out! I got played. And I respect it. — Ashley Nicole Black (@ashleyn1cole) December 21, 2020
Men be like: NO I dont want a dog! I dont need anymore shit on my plate
-30 sec later pic.twitter.com/uBcGiYJUDN — Julia Song (@realjuliasong) December 13, 2020
Me, regaling the 9 cats I adopted during quarantine with the story of our family. pic.twitter.com/UKmlbEgoEM — Nick Jordan (@themaledaze) March 30, 2020
Advertisement
Wakey, wakey dad! It’s time for my breakfast
(kenzoykim / IG) pic.twitter.com/NGyQr2F8XO — Woof Woof® (@WoofWoof_TV) October 28, 2020
Read instructions before assembling your cat. pic.twitter.com/p3KSw04L0X — Cheddar 🎄Blitzen⛄ Cat (@biscuitscheddar) December 4, 2020
When you work from home and your manager wants a word with you pic.twitter.com/XyapLRa5S7 — Saint Nic 🏳🌈 (@Hughes87n) March 25, 2020
This is Karl. He’s been working on his bark. Turns out it’s way too powerful. 12/10 pic.twitter.com/wwsrXGXNKQ — WeRateDogs® (@dog_rates) November 25, 2020
just took a bath with my dog and we both had a good time please someone find a vaccine and end the quarantine I don’t want to become this type of white person — addie weyrich (@addieyomind) March 31, 2020
Advertisement
luna wants my dinner, a limited photo series pic.twitter.com/OKZps9hHsk — jade (@BacklineNurse) March 30, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-31--Dawn Wells, Gilligan's Island's Mary Ann, Dies Aged 82 Due To Covid-19 Complications

LOADING ERROR LOADING
US actor Dawn Wells, best known for her performance in the 1960s sitcom Gilligan’s Island, has died at the age of 82.
Dawn died in Los Angeles on Wednesday, after being diagnosed with Covid-19.
Her publicist Harlan Boll said she had died “in no pain as a result of complications due to” coronavirus.
Advertisement
“There is so much more to Dawn Wells” than the sitcom character that brought her fame, Harlan added in a statement.
Dawn Wells pictured in 2019 Paul Archuleta via Getty Images
Dawn was born in Nevada in 1938, originally studying chemistry at university before representing her home state in the 1960 Miss World beauty pageant.
From there, Dawn moved to Hollywood to pursue her career in acting.
Small parts in shows like 77 Sunset Strip, Maverick and Bonanza followed, after which she landed the role of “good girl” Mary Ann Summers in Gilligan’s Island.
Advertisement
The show ran for 98 episodes, eventually coming to an end in 1967, although Dawn would go on to reprise the role of Mary Ann in multiple spin-offs.
Dawn in character as Mary Ann in 1965 CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images
She also served as a producer and appeared in the 2001 docudrama Surviving Gilligan’s Island and wrote the book A Guide To Life: What Would Mary Ann Do? to commemorate the show’s 50th anniversary.
In later years, Dawn would appear in TV shows like Growing Pains, Baywatch and Roseanne.
She also worked as a teacher and motivational speaker, in addition to running the ran the Film Actors Boot Camp for seven years in Idaho.
In 2018, after it was reported Dawn was experiencing financial difficulties due to her health problems, fans raised nearly $200,000 for her.
Advertisement
Dawn is survived by her stepsister Weslee Wells.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-31--A Look Ahead To The Best Entertainment Coming In 2021 | Good Vibes Only

A Look Ahead To The Best Entertainment Coming In 2021 | Good Vibes Only
With 2020 drawing to a close (thank goodness), we look ahead at the movies, music and TV shows coming in 2021. From Line of Duty and James Bond, to Disney’s Cruella origin movie and Stranger Things 4.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-31--Brexit: Queen Gives Trade Deal Royal Assent At 12.25am With Just Hours To Spare

LOADING ERROR LOADING
The Queen has given the Brexit trade deal her royal assent, meaning the legislation has now officially become law – just hours before the transition period between the UK and EU comes to an end.
Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle told MPs shortly before 12.30am on Thursday that the Queen had formally rubber stamped the European Union (Future Relationship) Act 2020.
Advertisement
Her approval marked the final step of a 14-hour process, which saw the bill pass both the House of Commons and the House of Lords in just a single day, with the draft legislation – which was more than 1,200 pages long – published just days before, on Boxing Day.
The trade deal comes after years of negotiations between the UK and the EU, following the UK’s vote to leave the bloc in June 2016.
After prolonged fears of a no-deal Brexit, a deal was finally struck and announced on December 24, meaning that when the transition period comes to an end at 11pm the UK will start trading with the EU on the terms set out in the deal.
Speaking just after the bill was given royal assent, Boris Johnson said the UK’s destiny “now resides firmly in our hands”.
Advertisement
He said: “We take on this duty with a sense of purpose and with the interests of the British public at the heart of everything we do.
“11pm on December 31 marks a new beginning in our country’s history and a new relationship with the EU as their biggest ally. This moment is finally upon us and now is the time to seize it.”
MPs backed the bill by 521 to 73 at its third reading, while peers gave it an unopposed third reading late on Wednesday night.
Labour supported the deal, despite misgivings from some pro-European MPs who said they would be abstaining or voting against.
Earlier in the day, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European Council president Charles Michel formally signed the agreement.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-31--Covid Vaccine: NHS Staff Struggle To Get Jab In Echo Of PPE Shambles

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Frontline NHS workers have described the Covid-19 vaccine rollout amongst staff as a “shambles” as they struggle to access the jab.
With echoes of the PPE crisis that defined the start of the pandemic’s devastating impact in March, doctors and nurses have accused the government of compromising patient safety as a result of “failing to protect the workforce”.
Advertisement
Despite working face-to-face on a daily basis with Covid patients, as well as with others who could be asymptomatic carriers of the virus, healthcare workers say they have been left in the dark about how to get the vaccine.
In some cases, those most at risk have been offered it on a first-come, first-served basis, or been forced to call their own GP surgeries repeatedly.
Ambulances bring emergency patients to St Thomas Hospital in London amid a soaring number of cases. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
One nurse working in a north London hospital described the rollout as a “shambles” and described how after receiving “zero communication” staff had been sent an email telling them a limited number of people who replied could be booked in to receive the vaccine at a different hospital on a first-come first-served basis.
Advertisement
She said staff had received no further communication after this email, instead receiving an email from NHS London “asking us all to pick up shifts and work harder please”.
The nurse said: “We are all desperate for the vaccine but we’re not being communicated with and the organisation of who should get it first – in my opinion all frontline staff and ITU [intensive care] then work down the list – has been really poor and to be honest a shambles.
“In terms of how staff are feeling at the moment, morale is pretty much rock bottom.”
She added that staff were leaving the NHS, and specifically A&E departments and intensive care units, “in their droves”, with hospitals “bursting at the seams” and “nowhere to put patients”.
She said: “We’ve had to treat sick patients on the back of ambulances as we have nowhere to put them in the hospital.
“We are all also having to ration oxygen and make tough choices when it comes to the elderly and patients with multiple co-morbidities which is heartbreaking for all involved.”
Advertisement
The nurse also reported staff feeling under-appreciated by management, even after a particularly gruelling year.
She added: “The management teams aren’t showing much appreciation of staff – previous years have seen incentives over Christmas like a small bonus if you work more but nothing this year.
“The Christmas presents for the nurses [...] was a sandwich bag with a lollipop, a couple of biscuits and a Werther’s Original inside. That was the thanks for everything they’ve been through this year. All this means morale couldn’t really get any lower.
“I think both hospitals and the government should show more appreciation for the hell that staff are continuing to go through and have been going through for almost a year now.
“Just saying thank you is not enough. Getting vaccines to the right people would be a good place to start.”
Advertisement
A pedestrian walks past the St Thomas' Hospital emergency department. Hollie Adams via Getty Images
London GP Dr Riz Khalid, who lives just outside the capital, said he had been forced to call his own home surgery to get the vaccine despite coming into close contact with patients every day – even going into their homes with zero space for social distancing.
He said: “I’m having to pester my own GP surgery for the vaccine. I know they’re very busy and I really don’t want to – as a GP myself I know what it’s like – but in my area it’s all being run through our own GP surgeries.
“It’s not being done on a national scale, though it really should be. My surgery has had to say: ‘We’ll get around to you when we can.’”
After already being infected with the virus in March, Khalid spoke of his fears that he could once again contract the virus and pass it onto his family including his wife, who suffers from underlying health conditions.
Advertisement
“I’m a member of the BAME community, being ethnically from Pakistan originally – I’m at higher risk. We know from statistics that increases the risk of me becoming seriously ill, and I’m seeing patients on the front line day-to-day who could be asymptomatic carriers of Covid.
“Once again, NHS workers aren’t being protected and their lives are at risk as they try to care for other people.”
“I really want to be there for my patients and my colleagues and have that vaccination, which would allow me to be safe myself and provide that service. If I can’t get a vaccine I’m continually worried that I’ll get the virus again.”
With Covid cases now spiking at 50,000 per day for two continuous days and queues of ambulances pictures lining up outside hospitals across the country, NHS workers are facing a significant staffing crisis.
Thousands of staff members have been forced to self-isolate since the start of the pandemic, an issue that isn’t going away any time soon.
Advertisement
Another doctor, who asked to remain anonymous, told HuffPost UK that the government’s failure to target frontline healthcare workers first was a “spectacularly short-sighted decision”, describing the move as “a grievous error”.
She added: “Traditionally, the NHS has always struggled over ‘winter pressures’ with increased demand and decreased workforce through illness. Covid-19 is no different. Patient safety is being compromised by failing to protect the workforce.
“It is very difficult to care for patients if you are prone and on a ventilator. The knock-on effects will not be limited to the care of those with Covid and other acute illnesses, but also in delayed cancer diagnoses, poor control of chronic illnesses leading to preventable admissions and sequelae [secondary conditions developing from other illnesses and injuries], and a myriad of health issues that it will take years to fully address.”
Dr Zainab Najim, a GP trainee in Norfolk, and a GP adviser for the Doctor’s Association UK (DAUK), said: “My personal experience would be that a nearby trust have patchily offered vaccines out to hospital staff.
“GP staff haven’t been told at all what’s going on. We may or may not be being sent slots in the new year.”
Advertisement
Dr Ellen Welch, an out-of-hours GP in Cumbria and another GP adviser for the DAUK, said: “At present there is no central government guidance on this issue and the vaccination of staff has been carried out sporadically, often on an ad hoc basis, without appropriate prioritisation.
“Frontline staff are the greatest asset the NHS has and we should ensure we are protecting them. The impact of staff sickness is already taking its toll across the country. We can prevent further staff shortages by vaccinating our front line.”
But the news of the Oxford vaccine approval has brought hope to doctors, she added.
Many staff have been left in a position where they are only able to access vaccines that are left over from the initial phase of the rollout to the over-80s, with some workers telling HuffPost UK that vaccination had become a matter of “luck” – or even just knowing a colleague who was involved in administering vaccines and could squeeze them in if a patient failed to show for an appointment.
HuffPost UK has seen a letter from one NHS trust, University Hospitals of Derby and Burton (UHDB), to staff, which states: “The government’s stated priority is that the trust should use 75% of its vaccine allocation for over 80s and a further 20% for care home staff.
Paramedics wheel a patient into The Royal London Hospital. Hollie Adams via Getty Images
Advertisement
“This leaves 5% (around 48 doses of vaccine from each allocation) for NHS staff and this includes other local NHS organisations as well as UHDB’s employees.”
Dr Julia Patterson, the founder and chief executive of campaign group EveryDoctor, said: “Healthcare workers need to be protected, not only to protect themselves but also to protect others they could infect with Covid-19.
“As the Covid cases soar and places are increasingly put into lockdown measures, the people who are still going to be out in the community are the frontline healthcare workers. It’s so important that they are prioritised.
“During the first wave there was inadequate protection from a PPE perspective, which led to the deaths of a lot of people. This time around, once again, NHS workers aren’t being protected and their lives are at risk as they try to care for other people.”
More than 640 NHS workers have died of Covid-19, many of them support staff such as porters and healthcare assistants, who struggled to access PPE at the start of the pandemic.
Advertisement
Patterson said: “It is the people who weren’t first in line for PPE who were predominantly dying, because they weren’t receiving any protection.
“Obviously doctors and nurses are really important but we want to make it crystal clear – all frontline healthcare staff need this vaccine as soon as possible.”
Professor Wei Shen Lim, Covid-19 chair for the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), said: “The JCVI’s advice on Covid-19 vaccine prioritisation was developed with the aim of preventing as many deaths as possible.
“As the single greatest risk of death from Covid-19 is older age, prioritisation is primarily based on age.
“It is estimated that vaccinating everyone in the priority groups would prevent around 99% of deaths from Covid-19.”
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-12-31--27 Moments From The World Of Entertainment That Had Us Asking WTF?

Let’s face it, the whole of 2020 was one giant WTF? moment. But in amongst all the doom and gloom there was loads of showbiz shenanigans that still managed to raise our weary eyebrows.
Advertisement
Here’s our round-up of the most jaw-dropping, we-still-can’t-believe-that-actually-happened moments from the last 12 months.
80-year-old This Morning guest holds nothing back during discussion about sex with her toyboy
“A whole tube of KY jelly” and “saddle sore” both get a mention in The Greatest TV Moment Of The Year.
Take it away, Iris...
This is the greatest TV Moment of the year pic.twitter.com/cOLxxa22Tr — I DON'T KNOW HER (@I_Dont_Know_Her) January 28, 2020
Margot Robbie fangirls over the cast of Love Island
When you’re an A-lister like Margot Robbie – who has worked with the likes of Brad Pitt, Will Smith, Charlize Theron and Leonardo DiCaprio – you’d think your days of getting star struck would be behind you.
Advertisement
Not so, it seems, after the Hollywood star truly had zero chill after bumping into some of the cast of last year’s Love Island at the premiere of her new film back in January.
Margot Robbie and the Love Islanders Shutterstock/Getty
Viewer brands Jeremy Vine a ‘c***’ on live TV
Jeremy Vine got a nasty shock in February when a caller to his Channel 5 show dropped the C-bomb live on air.
During a phone-in segment about Valentine’s Day, “Tim” revealed he’d not bought his wife a Valentine’s Day card for their entire marriage.
“We’ve been married 28 years and never bought into Valentine’s Day cards,” he insisted, before abruptly adding: “And you’re a c***.”
Advertisement
How rude.
Anthony Hopkins joins TikTok. Dances to Drake’s Toosie Slide
Almost three decades after Anthony Hopkins won an Oscar for playing murderous Hannibal Lecter in Silence Of The Lambs, the actor joined TikTok and immediately made an impression by shaking his tail feather to Drake’s Toosie Slide.
Just give him all the awards.
Cilla Black eating an orange covered in Oxo was somehow even weirder than the actual news
The unearthed clip – taken from a BBC food documentary – showed the late Blind Date presenter discussing her penchant for sprinkling Oxo cubes on an orange, before tucking into the delicacy on camera.
Yum.
this video about how cilla black used to eat oranges covered in oxo does not end where you expect it to pic.twitter.com/9Ksx6WBQy0 — ho ho ho hoops (@itsmatthooper) May 8, 2020
Advertisement
Britain’s oldest identical twins (almost) leave Piers Morgan lost for words
Lil and Doris made quite the impression during their appearance on Good Morning Britain in May. The sisters proved their sense of humour was very much intact after Piers asked them what their secret to a long life was.
Lil pointed to her sister and said: “Her secret... plenty of sex!”
'What is the secret of living so long?'
95-year-old identical twins Lil and Doris gave @Piersmorgan the MOST unexpected answer to the secret to long life😬
... @susannareid100's reaction says it all😳😳😳 pic.twitter.com/r863Ci2FGM — Good Morning Britain (@GMB) May 19, 2020
Gogglebox’s Lee demonstrates how not to eat toast
To dunk or not to dunk? That is the question. But when it comes to toast in tea, Gogglebox viewers were unanimous.
Jennifer Lopes shares gym selfie, complete with creepy face in the background
After J-Lo posted a snapshot of herself in workout gear on Instagram back in May, much of the buzz around the photo focused on what appeared to be a man’s face in the background, positioned just above the star’s shoulder.
Advertisement
So who was mystery man? Jen shrugged and explained: “It was some real estate guy [partner] Alex was on Zoom with.”
Can you spot him?
Cate Blanchett has a ‘bit of an accident’ with a chainsaw
In June, Cate Blanchett revealed she gave herself a head injury after an accident involving a chainsaw at her home. Even more shocking was how much the two-time Oscar-winner downplayed the whole thing.
“I had a bit of a chainsaw accident yesterday, which sounds very, very exciting, but it wasn’t. Apart from the little nick to the head, I’m fine,” the star insisted.
Cate Blanchett Andreas Rentz via Getty Images
Advertisement
Nothing to see here, just Henry Cavill building a computer in a vest
During a troubling year, people were seeking out pleasure wherever they could find it — and for a good chunk of the internet, that meant watching Henry Cavill build himself a computer.
Like many of us in lockdown, the Man of Steel took up new hobbies in his own personal fortress of solitude, but he just so happened to do so in a vest top. Thank you Henry.
The Phantom Of The WAPera
If you thought Andrew Lloyd Webber was only about the show tunes, think again. The legendary composer and musical theatre star was just as obsessed with Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s WAP this year as the rest of us.
The 72-year-old shared a video on TikTok of him busting some *checks notes* moves to the ‘I don’t cook, I don’t clean’ part of the song, before mashing up the intro from his 1986 musical Phantom Of The Opera with Cardi and Megan’s hit. Wow.
Advertisement
Gogglebox’s Sophie and Pete’s famous family
In the most random family tree news since it was revealed Danny Dyer was a descendant of royalty, it turns out Gogglebox stars Pete and Sophie Sandiford are related to... the Chuckle Brothers.
A truly lovely and funny man to be around. You filled millions of childhoods with laughter and entertainment including mine and Peters. You will be sadly missed by many. Rest in peace Uncle Barry.
Lots of love from me, to you🌟 pic.twitter.com/5b5KE4whOh — Gogglebox Soph (@PeteandSophie) August 5, 2018
In case you were in any doubt, The Rock is very, very strong
We’ve all been there. You’re late for a meeting and the electric gates to your mansion won’t open and the gate technician is 45 minutes away.
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson did just that when he found himself trapped on his driveway because of a power outage as he tried to head off to film.
Advertisement
State of it.
Lenny Kravitz has still most definitely, 100% got *it*
We’ll just leave this here (*Lenny Kravitz is 56)
Cover of @MensHealthMag November 2020. Read the full story here: https://t.co/vE625ceChW
📸: Mark Seliger pic.twitter.com/7YYLLP0MXJ — Lenny Kravitz (@LennyKravitz) October 1, 2020
The one where Louise almost starred in Friends
To have a guest role in Friends would be on many people’s ultimate bucket lists – but not Louise Redknapp’s it seems.
Priorities.
Louise Redknapp Shutterstock/ITV/Getty/NBC
Advertisement
Katie Price and her bf get tattoos of each other’s faces because who wants another ring?
Katie Price and her new boyfriend Carl Woods showed just how serious they were about each other by getting rather large tattoos on their arms.
Of each other’s faces.
Katie Price and Carl Woods YouTube
The Haunting Of Peppa Pig
Netflix’s horror series The Haunting of Bly Manor is full of twists and turns, but one real-life revelation shocked fans more than anything in the show.
In the televisual crossover that precisely no one saw coming, the series’ young character Flora is also the voice of Peppa Pig, which was all very disconcerting.
Me: Why does Flora's voice in Bly Manor seem so eerily familiar?
Me: OH MY GOD SHE'S PEPPA PIG — Andy @ 🏡😔 (@andythelemon_) October 11, 2020
Advertisement
APPARENTLY FLORA FROM THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR IS THE VOICE ACTRESS FOR PEPPA PIG??? I CAN’T UNHEAR THIS ANYMORE pic.twitter.com/sitHb4Cw45 — stalli c (@chescagonz) October 11, 2020
Colin? Is that you?
Colin Farrell was left unreognisable thanks to a dramatic transformation for the forthcoming Batman reboot.
The Irish actor donned heavy prosthetics to transform himself into Oswald Cobblepot – otherwise known as the classic comic book villain The Penguin (below).
Honestly, it really is him under there.
Colin Farrell during the filming of The Batman taking place in Liverpool. PA
James Bond bosses spent £55K on Coca-Cola and didn’t drink a drop of it
Advertisement
Why? You may ask.
Well, once dried, the sugary beverage provided the perfect sticky residue on the stones, which allowed Daniel Craig’s stunt double to perform a spectacular stunt without slipping all over the place. Kinda genius, really.
Daniel Craig will return as James Bond for one last time in No Time To Die. Universal
Not exactly Family-friendly Fortunes
Family Fortunes took an uncharacteristically un-family friendly turn back in October when a contestant gave a very X-rated answer to one of the questions.
In what we think must be a first for the long-running game show, the answer was so rude that it had to be bleeped out. Even host Gino d’Acampo was left speechless after he asked: “Name something you put in your mouth but don’t swallow?”
We’ll let you fill in the blanks...
Come on #FamilyFortunes, what did Kash say? pic.twitter.com/LlAOoPZeZA — Long John Hill (@longjohnhill) October 25, 2020
Advertisement
That time Harry Styles popped round and fed a fan’s goldfish
In October, a Harry Styles fan got the shock of her life when she found out her idol had been at her home – and she missed the whole thing.
Theodora, a young fan of the singer, recounted the story on her Instagram page, revealing that while she was out, Harry’s car had broken down outside of her home, and her dad had let him in to use the phone. Whilst he was there, Harry fed Theodora’s goldfish (she has the snap to prove it), wrote her a note and signed her copy of his album.
We really don’t deserve him.
Imagine coming home to find out @Harry_Styles' car broke down outside your house and he's been in your room, feeding your fish and leaving you notes.
He is truly the king of kindness.
We need more people like this in the world. pic.twitter.com/PO1l5f6ZYX — Alex Goldschmidt (@alexandergold) October 28, 2020
Pond Pudding, anyone? Thought not.
During the 10 years it’s been on the air, the Great British Bake Off has been hailed as the pinnacle of food porn, with the contestants serving up mouth-watering cakes, biscuits and desserts every week.
However, a certain pudding featured in this year’s series had the complete opposite effect, as Prue Leith tasked the bakers with a dessert challenge that took them back to the 18th century.
Advertisement
A Sussex pond pudding, comprises an entire, unpeeled lemon being encased in suet pastry, which is filled with butter and sugar and then steamed for a couple of hours.
If 2020 did puddings, then this was most definitely it.
Ryan Reynolds buys fifth division Wrexham AFC
As well as being The Nicest Guy In Hollywood, this year Ryan Reynolds also became the co-owner of fifth division football team Wrexham AFC.
He and fellow actor Rob McElhenney – of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia fame – had their bid to take over the club approved by more than 90% of Wrexham Supporters Trust members after saying they wanted to turn the small team into a “global force”.
Advertisement
Caroline Quentin’s slip of the tongue
We’re used to seeing plenty of armography on Strictly Come Dancing, but Caroline Quentin treated us all to some erm, tongue-ography during her short time on this year’s series.
It all got a little Woman Behaving Badly during the actor’s Cha Cha, with Caroline playing the role of a naughty housewife whose cat gets stuck up a tree and calls on a fireman - her professional dance partner Johannes Radebe - to come to the rescue.
There was a lot of comedic face-pulling throughout, and then this happened...
#Strictly pic.twitter.com/RU3FNNU1Am
Caroline Quintin 100% inappropriate. Vile. Rest of show fantastic 👍👍👍 — Darran Bilton (@dalbydasher) November 21, 2020
Clintgate
Fans of The Chase were left squinting their eyes at the name board after a certain contestant appeared on the show in November.
Due to a combination of the font used and very unfortunate spacing, some viewers of the ITV quiz show thought Clint was called something else entirely.
Advertisement
Unfortunate font for poor Clint this evening on The Chase pic.twitter.com/Erot4wmD9P — Rob Ford (@FordRob10) November 19, 2020
John Barrowman’s Scottish accent
John Barrowman had viewers of Lorraine confused when he made an appearance on the ITV morning show in November to wish the host a happy birthday.
The actor, who grew up in the States and speaks with a yankee twang, spoke in a broad Scottish accent throughout his appearance, because... well, he is actually originally from Scotland.
'Happy Birthday to you... you gorgeous piece of woman!' 🎂
Who better to serenade @reallorraine on her birthday than the simply fabulous, @JohnBarrowman. 🎉
Watch ➡ https://t.co/vn8NeFi106 pic.twitter.com/wU1MnkYek3 — Lorraine (@lorraine) November 30, 2020
‘Megashag’
Advertisement
With a bit of encouragement from presenters Ant and Dec, “#megashag” racked up thousands of tweets, eventually becoming the top trending topic in the UK.