thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-03--Michael Barrymore: Will We Ever Know How Stuart Lubbock Ended Up Dead In Star’s Pool?

31-year-old Stuart Lubbock's lifeless body was found floating in the swimming pool of a home belonging to Michael Barrymore PA Archive/PA Images
Almost two decades have passed since father-of-two Stuart Lubbock was found just before dawn, floating face down in the pool at TV celebrity Michael Barrymore’s luxury home in Roydon, Essex.
The 31-year-old had been one of nine people attending a party at the entertainer’s address on March 31, 2001. Others at the party included Justin Merritt, a former dustman, and Barrymore’s then partner Jonathan Kenney.
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Stuart had been nightclubbing in Harlow, Essex, with his brother Kevin when he met Barrymore and his entourage and was invited back to an after-party at the star’s £2m mansion. The brothers had become separated and Kevin assumed Stuart had left with a girl.
When an autopsy found Stuart had suffered “horrific” internal anal injuries, the red tops shrieked that the butcher had died at a drug-fuelled gay orgy. (Barrymore had come out six years earlier, splitting from Cheryl, his wife of 19 years.)
Medical experts told the 2002 inquest in Epping that the severity of Stuart’s injuries suggested he may have been the victim of a serious sexual assault.
Alcohol, cocaine and ecstasy were found in his system, but the events that led up to his death have never been explained and an open verdict was returned.
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This week a documentary examining Lubbock’s death is due to be aired on Channel 4. His father, Terry Lubbock, who now lives in a care home in Harlow, has publicly thanked the entertainer for keeping the case in the public eye, claiming Barrymore has helped his fight to get justice for his son.
“I’m not well now and I’ve seen the best years of my life,” Terry said.
“All I live for is to see Stuart get justice – and I’m determined that I will live to see Stuart get justice.
Michael Barrymore, pictured here alongside Denise Welch and Barbara Windsor in 1998 Alan Davidson/Shutterstock
“Michael Barrymore is a very, very clever man and he wants to be in the limelight and he wants to be back on television. And he has helped me enormously. He’s kept this in the news and I thank him for it.
“I cannot imagine Stuart would still be getting all this attention without Michael Barrymore.
“I think it’s time he comes clean. It’s time now, Michael. I think you know more about this than you have said and the focus will be on you.
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“It’s time now for you to either clear your name or put your hands up to what happened because you must know.”
The programme will piece together the perspectives of the Lubbock family, as well as those of the detectives, forensic pathologists and eyewitnesses to explore what happened that night at Barrymore’s home, and the events that followed.
Terry added: “The story has become so distorted and confused over the years. So much has been said and written. It’s time to put all the facts together in one place.”
In 2007, Barrymore – a former Butlins Red Coat best known for presenting shows including Strike It Lucky, My Kind Of People and My Kind Of Music – was arrested in connection with Stuart’s death, along with Merritt and Kenney. They were never charged with any offence and with insufficient evidence to conclude what had happened, the cases were dropped.
Bosses admitted Barrymore’s arrest was unlawful as the arresting officer did not have reasonable grounds to suspect he was guilty of any offence.
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Barrymore sued Essex Police and claimed it was a wrongful arrest that had cost him around £2.5m in lost earnings, but Court of Appeal judges concluded he would be entitled to only “nominal” damages of £1. Once one of Britain’s highest-paid small screen stars, Barrymore responded by dropping his claim and withdrawing from public life, having already lost his lucrative contract with ITV in 2002.
In 2006 he took part in Channel 4′s Celebrity Big Brother, securing second place, but a predicted career revival did not materialise, with Barrymore spotted working at a garden centre.
The 67-year-old had been due to make a TV comeback on Dancing On Ice this year, but was forced to pull out after breaking his wrist over Christmas. Barrymore had given an interview revealing how happy he was to take part, adding: “When I walk into the light, I come alive. I didn’t think it would ever happen again.”
The swimming pool where Stuart's body was found Eastnews/Shutterstock
An image issued by the IPCC showing the pool thermometer at the scene of Stuart's death. This later went missing PA Archive/PA Images
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Speaking ahead of the show on Thursday, Detective Chief Inspector Stephen Jennings from Essex Police’s serious crime directorate said: “I believe that he [Stuart] was raped and murdered that night. [...] One or more of those party-goers are responsible for that serious sexual assault on Stuart Lubbock.”
He said three people arrested in connection with the death, including Barrymore, have not been “completely eliminated” from inquiries, while five other people are still being treated as witnesses.
The force and the independent charity Crimestoppers are offering a fresh reward of up to £20,000 for information.
Jennings is confident the force will find the killer and finally secure a conviction, hoping the reward and the documentary will generate new leads.
“We know not everyone at that party was responsible for what happened, but someone was. We also know that not everyone at that party may know what happened, but someone does,” he said.
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“We want the people who do have information to come forward and talk to us – 19 years is a long time, loyalties change and it is never too late to do the right thing.
“Some people also arrived at the scene in the hours after Stuart’s death. They may hold the key information and we would like to hear from them.
“It is also possible that individuals at the party may have told other people what happened that night.”
Jennings added: “We did make mistakes in terms of the crime scene. A lot of witnesses said it was a tragic accident so we believed them at that point.”
He said that items from the house including a pool thermometer had gone missing after it was initially searched by police.
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An IPCC report published in 2009 found that as well as the thermometer, a detached door handle noted to be at the scene also went missing. The report ruled out allegations made by Stuart’s family that Essex Police officers acted corruptly – but confirmed the police had failed to secure the scene and lost potentially crucial evidence.
In 2017, during Barrymore’s legal proceedings against the force, QC for Essex Police John Beggs suggested the missing thermometer may have been used to sexually assault Lubbock.
He said the dimensions of the object meant it could have inflicted the injuries “spoken of by the experts”.
Beggs told the High Court: “The pool thermometer went missing, never to be found.
“Just such an implement [...] goes missing between the photos that morning and 4.40pm when police realised this was a suspicious death.”
Jennings also believes Stuart’s injuries were too severe to have been consensual or self-inflicted, and suggested he may have been held down.
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The officer said: “I can’t rule out a single individual was responsible for the sexual assault and causing Stuart’s death.
“I would say on the balance of probabilities and all of the evidence and intelligence that we have, that it’s more likely more than one person was involved.”
At the beginning of the 90-minute programme on Thursday, the 999 call reporting the incident to police is played.
The caller said: “A fella has drowned in the pool. We have got him out.
“There’s a party going on and someone has just gone out and found him. I think the geezer’s dead, mate.”
The Millennium Nightclub in Harlow, where Stuart joined Barrymore and his entourage Mike Forster/Daily Mail/Shutterstock
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Last year, Lubbock’s father made a bid for a fresh inquest to be held into his son’s death. The 74-year-old’s application was blocked by Attorney General Jeremy Wright, who decided there was no new evidence likely to overturn the verdict returned at the original inquest.
It was also the year that Barrymore broke his silence over the death, telling Piers Morgan’s ITV show Life Stories that he “couldn’t be more sorry” for his behaviour that night, and that he is “100% innocent”.
Barrymore was widely reported to have “fled” after Lubbock’s death but, struggling to hold back tears, he claimed he had left his home because he thought it would be “surrounded” by press.
Recalling the events of 2001, he said: “That family deserves proper answers. No parent should have to bury their young.
“I had nothing to do with Stuart. I am innocent. I am not 99.9% innocent. I am 100% innocent and I am entitled to walk around with my head held high for the rest of my life.”
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He added: “I didn’t facilitate him taking drugs. I was advised [to stay silent] by lawyers at the time. You don’t have to answer in a coroner’s court.
“I can see lots of things in hindsight. I’m not making excuses. I fucked up. I fucked up. What more do you want? I’m sorry. I couldn’t be more sorry.
“I have to live in hope that somehow, somewhere, there will be an answer. I just hope it will be within what is left of my life.”
Barrymore also rubbished claims made in the press that he had been hosting a “gay orgy”, asking: “How do you have a gay orgy with four girls and five blokes, two of whom are straight?”
Stuart's father Terry Lubbock hopes the documentary will bring answers about his son's death PA Archive/PA Images
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Stuart’s family have consistently denied he was gay, with his brother Kevin telling the 2002 inquest: “Stuart was not gay or bisexual. He loved women and he could pull lots of girls. He never spoke of a man coming on to him. It was women, women, women. It is like saying the Pope does not live in Rome.”
Claire Wicks, Stuart’s former partner of six years and the mother of his daughters, told the coroner: “I recall watching the programme Queer As Folk and he would say ‘fucking perverts’. He was not comfortable with it [homosexuality] in the least.”
In 2009, Stuart’s father Terry told the Guardian: “Stuart wasn’t gay, but I’ve got nothing against gay people.”
He believes his son was impressed by Barrymore’s stardom and would have been eager to attend a party at his home.
“Stuart was a show-off – that was his weakness. He’d have gone straight up there to the house just so he could tell everyone about it the next day,” he said.
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Barrymore: The Body In The Pool will be broadcast on Channel 4 on Thursday.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-03--Emergency Laws Needed To Keep Terrorists In Jail Longer, Says Justice Secretary

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Emergency legislation will end the early release of terror offenders including those already in jail, the justice secretary has announced in the wake of the Streatham terror attack.
Robert Buckland told the Commons the “senseless and horrific” attack in south London, which saw two people hospitalised and left a man fighting for his life on Sunday, “makes the case plainly for immediate action”.
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HuffPost UK understands the legislation will be tabled by the end of the week and is expected to become law within 10 days.
It will apply to serving terror offenders and will end the automatic release scheme, which can allow some prisoners to be allowed out having served just half of their sentence and without any input from a parole board.
Buckland said the government will fast-track a new law which would mean no terror offender could be allowed out before having served two-thirds of their sentence.
A parole board will have final say over when a prisoner is released and no terror offender would be released if they were judged to be a danger to the public.
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Buckland said: “We cannot have the situation, as we saw tragically in yesterday’s case, where an offender – a known risk to innocent members of the public – is released early by automatic process of law without any oversight by the parole board.
Police activity at the scene following the terror attack in Streatham High Road, south London by Sudesh Amman, 20, who was shot dead by armed police following what police declared as a terrorist-related incident. PA Wire/PA Images
“We will be doing everything we can to protect the public, that is our primary duty.
“We will, therefore, introduce emergency legislation to ensure an end to terrorist offenders getting released automatically having served half of their sentence with no check or review.”
It comes after three people were injured when 20-year-old Sudesh Amman began attacking members of the public in Streatham High Street on Sunday.
Amman, 20, was handed a three-year and four-month sentence in December 2018 for possessing and distributing terrorist documents.
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He had recently been freed from jail and was under surveillance by police, having served half of his sentence under the early release scheme.
The new measure follows a previous crackdown, which included a £90m funding boost for parole and prison services, the use of lie detector tests and more victim support.
The incident had echoes of the London Bridge attack last year in which Usman Khan killed two people having previously been released on licence halfway through a 16-year sentence for his part in planning terrorism attacked.
Buckland said public protection had to come first, adding: “The earliest point at which the offenders will now be considered for release will be once they have served two-thirds of their sentence and, crucially, we will introduce a requirement that no terrorist offender will be released before the end of their full custodial term unless the parole board agrees.
“We will ensure the functions of the Parole Board are strengthened to deal even more effectively with the specific risk that terrorists pose to public safety so, for example, we will ensure that the appropriate specialisms are in place.
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“That work is in train and we will take steps to implement this as soon as possible.”
The civil liberties group Liberty has spoken out against the plans for emergency legislation.
Clare Collier, advocacy director, said it was "a cause of increasing concern for our civil liberties".
She said: "From last month’s knee-jerk lie detector proposal, to today’s threat to break the law by changing people’s sentences retrospectively, continuing to introduce measures without review or evidence is dangerous and will create more problems than it solves.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-03--24 Small Ways Real Parents Practise Self-Care

There’s no doubt about it: Parenting is often all-consuming. It can be hard to find even a minute (ok, 45 seconds) to yourself.
So what do your fellow parents do to practice self-care, even in the most stressful, time-crunched of times?
We asked the HuffPost Parents Facebook community to share what they do. Here are some of the best responses.
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“Dancing always perks up my mood so when I’m really off I just put on some tunes with my kids and dance around. We have dance party clean-ups where we jam to club songs from the early 2000s and clean up the house. Both my 2 & 7-year-old kids love it.” ― Annette Nelson
“Sometimes you need to take the long way home, be intentional about decompressing in those few, precious extra moments.” ― Carin Shultz Standish
“Very hot showers, walks outside, and crafting. Sometimes just texting a friend does it in the thick of the day.” ― Colleen McNeil
“I run like someone is coming after me with a machete. It really helps.” ― Helen O’Shea
Getty Images/iStockphoto Parenting can be all-consuming. Here's what your fellow parents do for some “me” time.
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“I know it sounds weird. ... But if I had been having a rough day, when I came home I would set five minutes on the microwave. My kids knew that meant they had to give me that five minutes to at least take off my coat, go to the bathroom and catch my breath before they bombarded me with questions and stuff they wanted. It really helped. It wasn’t overused. They respected it. And it was something tangible they understood instead of just saying ‘give me a minute.’” ― Carolynn Roberts
“Crochet! So therapeutic.” ― Kay May
“At least twice a year, my husband takes our kiddo on a trip, just the two of them, either to visit family or for her birthday. I make sure to schedule a massage while they’re gone, maybe lunch with a friend, and I binge-watch my shows cuddling with the dogs on the couch.” ― Gabrielle Tenn New
“When I was single mum I used to finish work, get the kids from after school, get home and then have at least half an hour on my bed with a cup of tea and a snack. THEN I’d be ready to be the mum and person I needed to be. I also took them to the gym with me when we were all in a mood, or get a duvet and sit on the couch together, snuggling. It helped so much.” ― Kate Hopkinson
“Strong coffee. Long showers.” ― Jordan Greene Roberts
“I run and paint my nails for self-care.” ― Jamie Bohm
“I get up earlier than everyone else to work out. It’s the only way it happens!” ― Megan Pohorylo Tucker
“I take a warm bath before bed every night to unwind from the day and slow down my mind. I also get a 90-minute massage on the first Wednesday of every month ... worth every damn penny!!” ― Terri Shook
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“Netflix and chocolate 🍫” ― Melissa Jones
“When kids are in bed, I get in the bath, lock the door, and bring a book. 10 minutes makes all the difference.” ― Liz Oreilly
“Self-care ... spending that extra 3$ on the ‘fancy’ shampoo and conditioner at the grocery store.” ― Megan Crowell
“A walk.” ― Quequi Soto
“Stay up far too late at night binge watching Netflix.” ― Sara Petrick
“The only way I survived years of little sleep: I taught all my kids to let me sleep a little on Saturday mornings. They would quietly put on cartoons and get some cereal. Once I woke up, it was time to get housework done, then fun stuff afterwards.” ― Maritsa Bass
“I pretend to take extra long poos so I can get some quiet time. My husband thinks I have intestinal problems. Don’t out me.” ― Mary Margaret Hicks
“1. Call or text a friend and make plans. Staying connected is so important.
2. 5-minute self reiki/meditation 3. Make myself a cup of tea and sit without my phone to drink it in peace.” ― Christine Moffat
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“You mean heating up the same cup of coffee and scrolling through the IG feed for a hot second until you realize you haven’t changed the laundry over, is NOT self-care?” ― Mara Kane Pennell
“Sit on the couch and put one of my favorite movies or TV shows on ― even though I know I’ll fall asleep in 10 minutes, I still sit and take a big breath and know my day is finally done and enjoy however long I have before I fall asleep 😴 lol” ― Amber Bartlett DiBattiste
“Wandering Target with a large coffee whether I need to buy anything or not. ALONE.” ― Gina Elliott Proulx


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-03--Journalists Walk Out As Downing Street Tries To Ban Some News Outlets From Briefing

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Journalists have walked out of a planned Downing Street briefing in protest at “Trump-style” attempts by the PM’s communications chief to restrict it to selected media outlets.
The incident happened after No.10 invited political journalists to a “technical briefing” on Boris Johnson’s plans for a trade deal with the EU.
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The briefing was set to be conducted by the PM’s lead Brexit negotiator David Frost in Downing Street itself. Paid for by the taxpayer, he is obliged to behave in a neutral manner.
But when political editors from other newspapers and websites arrived with their colleagues, they were split up by a security guard into two groups in the foyer of No.10, directly behind its famous black door.
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Those on No.10’s favoured list were told to stand one side of a carpet, while everyone else – including HuffPost UK – was told to stand the other side and then ordered to leave.
Following objections from the journalists, communications director Lee Cain then arrived to declare: “Those invited to the briefing can stay – everyone else, I’m afraid, will have to leave.”
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When asked directly what grounds he had for selectively briefing to some political editors and not others, Cain said: “We’re welcome to brief whoever we like, whenever we like.”
After he was challenged again to give reasons, Cain lost his temper as the entire group said that they were walking out as one and would not agree to a briefing on such divisive terms. Cain walked off without giving any reply.
Dominic Cummings (left) and Director of Communications Lee Cain (right) PA Wire/PA Images
Cain, along with chief adviser Dominic Cummings (both pictured above), is the driving force behind moves in No.10 to undermine parts of the media.
Cain’s £140,000 a year salary is paid by the taxpayer, though he is a politically appointed special adviser.
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Shadow culture secretary Tracey Brabin raised the issue in an emergency point of order in the Commons on Monday.
“This latest deterioration in relations between the government and the Lobby [political reporters] is deeply concerning.
“Post-Brexit trade plans is an issue of great public concern and access to a high level briefing should not be hand picked by government political advisers.”
Shadow Brexit minister Paul Blomfield also highlighted the incident. “We need reassurance that when [the government] conduct the next stage of negotiations, they do so in an open and accountable way – and not by banning journalists from their political briefings as they apparently did earlier this afternoon.”
A senior Labour source told HuffPost UK: “Boris Johnson is using Trump-like tactics to avoid media scrutiny. If members of the cabinet truly believed in freedom of speech they would stand up to No.10 and call out this disgraceful behaviour.”
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Labour MP David Lammy said the move was “straight out of the Trump playbook”.
SNP culture spokesman John Nicholson said: “Downing Street under Boris Johnson is now banning journalists from briefings if they’re seen to be too critical of the prime minister. Boris Johnson already hides from interviewers he finds too tough.
“It’s an approach to the press borrowed from Trump. It’s sinister.”
The incident was the second within a week when Cain had decided to hold a special briefing for selected political editors, while excluding key media such as the i newspaper, the Mirror, the Independent, PA Media, HuffPost UK and PoliticsHome.
Last week, he organised a similar “technical briefing” with senior intelligence chiefs and FCO and DCMS civil servants on the Huawei decision being made by the government.
The briefing ensured that those present had crucial background information before Johnson announced he was going ahead with 5G access for the Chinese firm, and could publish informed accounts immediately after an embargo was lifted.
Senior intelligence officials had not been told that they would be taking part in a selective briefing decided by politically-appointed special adviser Cain.
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It’s the latest in a series of rows between Johnson’s No.10 and the media, including his decision to order ministers to boycott morning programmes like Today on Radio 4 and ITV’s Good Morning Britain.
On Brexit Day on Friday, broadcasters agreed not to use an in-house video clip message of the prime minister’s words due to be aired at 11pm. The BBC and ITV decided not to air the clip, but Sky News did.
Cain has also organised a shake-up of traditional “lobby briefings”, ending the practice that parliamentary journalists host the PM’s official spokesperson on weekday afternoons.
Trade association the Society of Editors has written to complain about the possible hindrance caused to journalists, including regional reporters in particular.
A No.10 source said that the ‘technical briefings’ had been run for months “with smaller numbers to allow us to go deeper” into a subject with officials, who they claimed preferred smaller groups.
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“This is an additional service on top of two daily Lobby briefings, to allow a greater understanding of a technical subject,” they said.
They insisted that selected media outlets had not been “banned”. “They’re not banned, they are just not invited.”
“This is the most open and transparent government for decades” the source said.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-03--Love Island: 8 Times The Casa Amor Twist Delivered Drama We All Lived For

Some of Casa Amor's most dramatic moments ITV
Casa Amor has served up some of the most memorable – and indeed controversial – moments in Love Island history.
The twist, first introduced during the third series in 2017, sees the show make use of a second villa as producers put the existing couples to the ultimate test by introducing a whole new bunch of Islanders. With the original boys and girls split up across the two villas, six new boys and six new girls attempt to turn some heads – often with explosive consequences. As the current series braces itself for the return of Casa Amor, we’re looking back over all the times it stirred up drama... A special delivery (series 3)
With the first-ever Casa Amor, the show was in completely unchartered waters, with the girls not knowing exactly what to expect when the lads were packed off to the second villa.
However, main villa was let in on some of the boys’ secrets with the delivery of a postcard that showed Kem Cetinay kissing new girl Chyna Ellis behind Amber Davies’ back.
While Kem and Amber had been going steady since the start of the series, the postcard’s arrival then gave her the green light to crack on with new boy Nathan Joesph.
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Kem realises his mistake (series 3)
When push came to shove, Amber ultimately chose to remain loyal to Kem in the post-Casa Amor recoupling – but the same could not be said for Kem.
He walked back in with Chyna, leaving Amber’s place in the villa hanging in the balance.
But within moments, Kem realised what a mistake he’d made, and the pair put all their cards on the table in an emotional heart-to-heart, in which he confessed to having fallen in love with Amber.
Marcel (unwittingly) does the dirty (series 3)
Having been separated from Gabby Allen, Marcel Somerville seemingly forgot all about his relationship when he took part in a game that involved locking lips with newcomer Shannen Reilly McGrath.
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However, he quickly realised his mistake and the look on his face was totally priceless.
Dani’s distress (series 4)
In 2018, producers tried to replicate the postcard when Dani Dyer was sent a video message of Jack Fincham reacting to the arrival of his ex-girlfriend Ellie Jones in Casa Amor. Dani was left distraught at the thought Jack could reunite with his ex, and spent days in emotional turmoil wondering what was going on between them. The stunt sparked over 2,500 complaints to TV watchdog Ofcom, with many complaining the producers had caused Dani unnecessary emotional distress given there was nothing going on between Jack and Ellie. Ofcom later declared they wouldn’t be taking the matter any further, as they didn’t feel Love Island breached any of their guidelines, acknowledging that while Dani’s emotional reaction was difficult to watch, viewers should expect “emotionally charged scenes” and “scenes [which] have been engineered to test contestants’ relationships”.
Josh doesn’t stay “loyal, babes” (series 4)
Series four also saw Josh Denzel and Kaz Crossley get close in Casa Amor while Georgia Steel was back in the main villa stating her belief that he would stay “loyal” to her.
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Cut to Josh walking back into the villa with Kaz during the recoupling, leaving Georgia with a serious amount of egg on her face and Josh with a lot of explaining to do.
Michael pies Amber (series 5)
Similar scenes unfolded in 2019, when Michael Griffiths chose to recouple with Joanna Chimonides, despite being in a seemingly steady relationship with Amber Gill before Casa Amor had come into play. After a single Amber walked back into the main villa to see her man with someone else, a full-scale row soon blew up, with Anna Vakili also jumping into defend her mate. Oh, and the row also birthed the best Love Island meme of all-time, as Michael took a swipe at Amber...
ITV
“Jordan, who?” (series 5)
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While Anna Vakili and Jordan Hames had worked hard to get to a good place before Casa Amor, her head was immediately turned by new boy Ovie Soko.
Anna even joked “Jordan, who?” as she discussed her attraction to the new Islander, and it wasn’t long before they shared their first kiss.
And while Jordan had initially tried to crack on with Jourdan Raine over in the main villa, he later decided his heart lied with Anna – only for her to pick Ovie in the recoupling.
And how grateful we all are that she did, as can you imagine having seen less of the marvellous Ovie? Positively unthinkable.
Curtis breaks Amy’s heart (series 5)
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Amy Hart breathed a huge sigh of relief when she walked back into the main villa and found that her “half-boyfriend” Curtis Pritchard had not recoupled with anyone else – but little did she realise that wasn’t for the want of trying.
Curtis had been grafting Jourdan during Amy’s time away, and while Jourdan had quickly friend-zoned him, Curtis admitted it had made him realise he wasn’t as invested in his relationship with Amy as he’d previously thought.
The ballroom dancer soon confessed all to Amy, who was left broken-hearted as she revealed: “I was coming back here to tell you I love you.”
Curtis’ admission ultimately led to Amy’s decision to leave the villa, unable to watch him growing closer to Maura Higgins after they’d called off their romance for good.
“Congrats, hun” (series 6)
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After Callum Jones returned to the villa with new girl Molly Smith, you could feel Shaughna Phillips’ heartbreak through the screen – but she wasn’t about to break down in front of them.
Instead, she uttered perhaps the most iconic line in Love Island history – “Congrats, hun.”
Lillie makes a huge impact (series 7)
No Love Island contestant has made such an impact in such a short space of time as Lillie Haynes. After Lille and Liam Reardon got to know each other rather well in Casa Amor, she had expected him to recouple with her as the twist came to an end. But after he decided to stay with original partner Millie Court, Lillie dropped a bomb on the main villa by revealing their relationship to all the other Islanders. A Love Island legend.
Movie night (series 7)
While Faye Winter and Teddy Soares initially escaped Casa Amor unscathed, his stay in the second villa later prompted perhaps the show’s most explosive moment ever.
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As part of a Movie Night, where Islanders were shown various bits of juicy footage of their time on the show, Faye saw red after watching Teddy tell bombshell Clarisse Juliettè he had found her attractive, despite the fact nothing ever happened between them.
Faye began yelling and swearing at Teddy in a prolonged tirade that temporarily ended their relationship.
It was later revealed this scene led around 25,000 viewers to complain to Ofcom, more than any other on-air incident in all seven seasons of Love Island.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-03--Staffers Say Sexism Runs Deep At The Washington Post

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Washington Post reporter Felicia Sonmez received death and rape threats for a tweet she sent out late last month linking to a story about sexual assault allegations against Kobe Bryant, shortly after news broke of the NBA star’s death. Someone found Sonmez’s home address and published it online. Instead of rushing to protect her from abuse or worse, her editors suspended her and suggested she go to a hotel for her safety.
The situation was different for national security reporter Shane Harris last spring. Harris also was getting harassed online, although not at the same level of intensity as his colleague. Someone discovered his home address. He told his editors.
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The Post quickly dispatched a security guard to Harris’s home. The guard was armed and provided round-the-clock security for 72 hours, according to people familiar with the situation.
The differing treatment of the two reporters is the latest example of unequal treatment of men and women at the Post, according to one former contractor and seven current and former staffers who spoke to HuffPost in the days after Sonmez was suspended. None wanted to use their names on the record for fear of retaliation from management or potential career damage for speaking out against a powerful news organization. Fears were particularly acute given what had happened to Sonmez.
“The place is run by men and it creates a particular atmosphere and assigns a higher value to certain male characteristics. I've been a victim of it in a broad way, as most women in the newsroom have.” - a female staffer at The Washington Post
Some expressed a hesitancy to criticise the Post now, when the paper’s reporting and credibility is under attack by a White House hostile to the press. The delicacy of this moment makes their criticism all the more notable.
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The Washington Post doesn’t value women and men in the same way, these people said. This appears literally true when it comes to pay: Women in the newsroom are paid less than men, according to a report published last year by the union that represents employees. (The paper disputed the findings at the time.) One former Post contractor told HuffPost she was let go after asking for a raise.
The disparity courses through the culture and is borne out in the paper’s coverage, where stories of sexual harassment have sometimes been held to a higher standard than other coverage, some staffers said.
Crucially, the gender imbalance is clear in the masthead. Three of the four top editors at the Post are men. Only four of 17 department heads are women.
“The place is run by men and it creates a particular atmosphere and assigns a higher value to certain male characteristics,” said one female reporter. “I’ve been a victim of it in a broad way, as most women in the newsroom have.”
Another staffer put it this way: “It seems that there’s a blind spot when it comes to the needs of female employees. So when this incident with Felicia happened, it turned up all these other concerns and worries and long-standing issues.”
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In an emailed statement, The Washington Post argued that it is a fair and unbiased place to work. “We dispute your narrative,” wrote Kristine Coratti Kelly, a spokeswoman for the newspaper.
“The Washington Post has been equitable in its hiring, promotion and compensation for employees, in its security deployment on behalf of employees and in the high standards it applies to all stories,” she wrote.
Asked about the difference between the way Sonmez and Harris were treated, Coratti Kelly said that the paper takes security “extremely seriously” and that half of the paper’s “security deployments” were for women.
“Our process and protocols are the same for every case where one of our employees is threatened, without exception,” Coratti Kelly said, while also noting that “each case is handled based on the specific facts at play.”
Illustration: Rebecca Zisser/HuffPost; Photo: Getty
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She Asked For A Raise — And Got Fired
The situation can be worse for female contract reporters, who aren’t on staff yet but often put in full-time hours, particularly in foreign bureaux.
One former contractor, a woman assigned to an outpost overseas, told HuffPost that she had been fired after asking for a pay increase.
She first broached the subject in July at a breakfast meeting with her boss’s boss, foreign editor Doug Jehl, the woman told HuffPost, declining to be named for fear of career reprisals. She had just recently thrown her hat in the ring for a promotion to a staff position.
As a contractor, relative to her male counterparts, she was underpaid, she told Jehl, citing a conversation with the Post’s union. The subject set him off. “It was like a red flag to a bull. He got angry. He raised his voice,” she said. He told her she’d have to leave the paper if she brought up the issue again, she recalled him saying.
The next morning, sitting at a Starbucks, Jehl said her contract would not be renewed after it expired at the end of the year. “‘You want more money and job security and we can’t give that to you,’” she recalled him saying.
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She decided to take up matters with leadership a few months later in September, writing an email to Martin Baron, the executive editor of the paper. HuffPost reviewed the exchange. She described how much she liked working for the Post and how disappointed she was in the way her situation was handled.
“I don’t believe the way I’ve been treated reflects the values you espouse or aspire to for the Post,” she wrote.
She provided Baron with an outline of what happened:
When I asked him for a raise, he told me to look for a job in another company. Mine wasn’t a demand. It was a statement of my own perceived value to the company and as a reporter. My sense is that you expect journalists to stand up for themselves and act professionally. I felt I did both. The next day, Doug told me my [job] application was not being considered, and my contract was not being renewed. I spoke to [managing editor] Tracy Grant about this on the same day, and she told me I could leave immediately and still get my salary through the end of the contract if I wished.
In his response, Baron said they were sticking to their decision to let her go, stating that it was part of a rethink of the entire bureau. He acknowledged the circumstances of her dismissal only slightly. “I’m disappointed to hear that you believe the changes in the bureau have not been handled properly,” he wrote. “We will have nothing other than positive things to say about you to any potential future employers.”
The woman reached out to lawyers about the possibility of a discrimination suit, according to an email reviewed by HuffPost. But since she was a contractor, nothing could really be done, she was told.
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Jehl did not respond to a request for comment. The Washington Post said it would not comment on the specifics of hiring decisions, but said other female contractors have been hired as staffers.
The former contractor is still looking for work.
Women In The Newsroom Aren’t Paid As Much As Men
Pay isn’t just a contractor problem. Women in the Post newsroom are collectively paid less than men, according to the union’s report, which examined salaries among about 500 members in the newsroom. The salaried men in the newsroom earn a median of $116,065 a year. The median for women is $95,595. The gap is widest for staffers under 40: Young men earn $95,890 compared to $84,030 for women. The report used age as a proxy for experience, which it did not expressly track.
Men also receive a higher percentage of merit-based pay raises. The union found a racial pay gap as well: The median pay for women of colour is $30,000 less than it is for white men.
The report notes that the pay gap has shrunk in recent years since billionaire Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos bought the paper.
In interviews for the report, employees said they had learned they were paid less than co-workers doing the same job, even with the same experience. They said the hiring process favours outsiders who come from higher-paying competitors, which, the report says, “sets back women, people of colour, and journalists from smaller publications,” who are underpaid.
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The report contains testimonials from newsroom employees who’ve been underpaid at the paper ― including men who started as interns. One male reporter is still paid $70,000 after 20 years with the paper, according to the report.
One woman described as a “veteran reporter,” with more than 20 years experience, said that the man who held her job as a foreign bureau chief before she did earned $50,000 more despite having fewer years of experience.
One staffer told HuffPost that women inside the Post have been asking their managers for pay increases to catch up to their male colleagues, but the pace of change has been glacial. “Quite often their direct bosses are telling them, ‘You’re right,’” she said. “Yet years can go by and unless you have an outside offer or an incredible year or whatever, it can be really difficult to catch up.”
The Post disputed the union report’s findings after it was published. Factors like “position, years of experience, and performance” weren’t taken into account, spokeswoman Coratti Kelly told the Washingtonian.
Few Women At The Tippy Top
It’s not that The Washington Post doesn’t have high-profile women, staffers emphasised to HuffPost. There are star female reporters at the paper. Indeed, a majority of the newsroom staff — approximately 800 employees — is female, just like the US workforce generally.
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However, when it comes to the most senior managerial roles at the Post, it’s still a man’s world, employees told HuffPost. Just four of the paper’s 17 department heads are women. The Post’s arguably most prestigious sections — including the national, investigative and foreign desks — are run by men. Some have female deputies.
This is an issue other papers have struggled with, too.
“There are women when you get down four layers, great women,” said one female staffer. “You have the top leadership, all men. You just wonder how that’s impacting things. I think that whether they realise it or not, that sends a message.”
There is one powerful woman in the top section of the masthead: Tracy Grant is only the second woman to make it to managing editor at the Post and was promoted to that role in 2018 at a time when few women were on the masthead or in leadership. (At one point in 2014, the masthead was all male.) She is considered Baron’s second-in-command and holds sway in the newsroom.
Yet two female staffers expressed dismay that Grant sends out office-wide emails that seem like tasks she should have delegated to an assistant. Over the past few months, Grant has sent out notes about issues around streaming the impeachment, an event involving snacks and HR benefit info, and cleaning out the office fridge. “Anything left there will be handled by one disgruntled managing editor,” she wrote in that email, obtained by HuffPost. These staffers said the other three top editors, all men, don’t write these kinds of emails.
“Just four of the paper’s 17 department heads are women. The Post’s arguably most prestigious sections are run by men. Some have female deputies.”
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“Whether they realise it or not, that sends a message,” said one staffer.
“Tracy is a veteran journalist who oversees some of the most sensitive matters in the newsroom and she is an invaluable voice on all major decisions regarding the management of the newsroom,” spokeswoman Coratti Kelly wrote HuffPost. “To attempt to diminish that with a few emails (on matters outside her direct responsibilities) that she occasionally sent for the benefit of her colleagues is unfair and insulting to her stature in the company.”
Me Too Stories Held To Higher Standard
“What Was the Washington Post Afraid Of?” That was the title of a widely read piece in New York magazine last year that described the Post’s struggles with publishing a story about sexual misconduct.
Irin Carmon, a freelancer for the Post who is now a senior correspondent for New York magazine, described how she tried — and failed — to publish a story about sexual misconduct allegations against Jeff Fager, the executive producer of “60 Minutes.” (The New Yorker’s Ronan Farrow ultimately ran a story about Fager, who was forced out of his job.)
Washington Post Executive Editor Marty Baron (right) with actor Liev Schreiber, who played the editor in the 2015 movie "Spotlight." Taylor Hill via Getty Images
During the editing process for the Fager story, one of The Washington Post’s male editors went to Baron and asked that female editors be included in reviewing the story, she wrote. “Baron agreed but added that all decisions about the story would be made strictly on the basis of journalism,” Carmon wrote, which seemed to suggest that Baron didn’t understand how the perspective of a woman might deepen understanding of the subject matter.
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In the case of these Me Too stories, powerful male editors might empathize more with a man being accused of misconduct than a woman who’s experienced mistreatment, Carmon wrote.
“It’s easier for a lot of us to believe that a man’s career matters more than the hypothetical losses of the women he might have harmed,” she wrote.
To be sure, The Washington Post has published some of the most important journalism on sexual misconduct in recent years. Reporter David Farenthold broke the story about the now-infamous “Access Hollywood” tape, in which Donald Trump bragged about grabbing women by their genitals.
The Post’s reporting on Roy Moore’s pursuit of teenage girls contributed to his loss in the 2017 race for an Alabama Senate seat.
That same year, Carmon and investigative reporter Amy Brittain broke the story about Charlie Rose’s history of sexual misconduct, leading to his ouster at CBS.
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Staffers inside the Post emphasised the paper’s award-winning work on these stories. But they also cited Carmon’s Fager piece as an example of how there appear to be different standards for different topics.
“If you categorise the treatment of how sexual assault stories are sourced, compared to political stories and how they’re sourced, you see different standards,” said Nikki Usher, a media and politics professor at the University of Illinois. This isn’t just a Washington Post problem. “None of the major outlets have been able to explain this.”
That’s partly due to fears over being sued for libel or getting a story wrong, she added. But it’s also “because men don’t believe women.”
National security stories, for example, often feature unnamed sources making what can be explosive accusations. Anonymity is granted because the consequences of talking to the press are so high, while the subject matter is of the utmost importance.
However, for a story about sexual misconduct, at least in the Fager case that Carmon described, the Post insisted that the women go on record with their names. Surely, the consequences for those women were high, too — and the subject matter was important. The physical safety of anyone working with such a prominent man is at stake.
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The Post disputed Carmon’s story at the time. “The suggestion that The Post’s decision-making — made in agreement by five senior editors — was influenced by anything other than established journalistic standards is baseless and reprehensible,” Coratti Kelly said in a statement to Poynter.
Journalists inside and outside the Post rallied to support Sonmez after she was suspended last month and, amid the outcry, the Post’s leaders reinstated her. Though Sonmez’s tweets were “ill-timed,” they didn’t violate any social media policy, Grant said in a Jan. 28 statement. “We regret having spoken publicly about a personnel matter,” she said.
Later in the week, Baron sent an email to the newsroom, discussing social media policy and emphasising that the editors take security seriously. “In this environment, it’s essential that you feel safe and supported,” he said. Neither the statement nor the email contained any sort of apology or acknowledgment that Sonmez may not have felt this way.
The Washington Post has long been known for a kind of swaggering macho-brand of journalism, a la Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein in “All the President’s Men.” Like most large newspapers, it was long a man’s world.
Ben Bradlee, the legendary executive editor who broke the Watergate story, once rejected a job candidate by saying “nothing clanks when he walks” — the implication being that he didn’t have balls of steel.
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Of course, that was decades ago, but that cultural echo isn’t gone. Some of the women HuffPost spoke with described an undercurrent of male bravado.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-03--Coronavirus: Hundreds Of Hong Kong Medical Professionals Go On Strike Calling On Borders To Be Close

Coronavirus: Hundreds Of Hong Kong Medical Professionals Go On Strike Calling On Borders To Be Closed

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Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has announced plans to suspend 10 of the city’s 13 border crossings with mainland China in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus.
It came as hundreds of Hong Kong’s medical workers went on strike on Monday calling on the government to close the border entirely amid concerns about the city’s already-stretched healthcare sector.
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But Lam said that shutting the border completely would not only be “inappropriate and impractical”, but “discriminatory”.
To date, Hong Kong has seen one man die of coronavirus, which has killed more than 425 people in China and infected more than 20,400.
Now, medical workers are calling for the border to be closed and for face masks to be handed out to the public.
Medical workers hold a strike near Queen Elizabeth Hospital as they demand Hong Kong close its border with China REUTERS
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They also want to ensure that there are enough isolation wards available for patients.
About 100 people rallied in the heart of Hong Kong‘s financial district in support of the health workers’ union, with some holding banners saying: “Close borders, contain epidemics.”
Reuters reported that panic-stricken residents have emptied shelves in Hong Kong’s major supermarkets as fears over the coronavirus escalate.
About 90% of the city’s food is imported, with the bulk coming from the mainland, according to official data.
The scare over the virus comes after months of anti-government protests in Hong Kong, triggered by what many residents see as unnecessary interference by Beijing.
The coronavirus is expected to additional pile pressure on the city’s economy, which sank into recession in the third quarter as the often violent protests scared away tourists and took a heavy toll on retailers.
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Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has closed 10 of the city's 13 border crossings with mainland China REUTERS
Extra flights out of China for Brits in Hubei
While Hong Kong discussed plans to limit its border with mainland China, the British Embassy in Beijing revealed plans to help more Brits get out of the coronavirus-hit region of Hubei, calling them the “last flights available”.
Last flights available for British nationals and immediate families out of Hubei. If you are in Hubei and want to leave, please register with us as soon as possible using 24/7 contact numbers +86(0)1085296600 or +44(0)2070081500 #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/Hb7WIcP61x — UK in China 🇬🇧 (@ukinchina) February 3, 2020
“There will be a number of new flights this week arranged by partner countries,” the embassy said in a statement.
“We are working hard to get seats on those flights for British nationals and their immediate families – the Chinese authorities have confirmed that this would include Chinese and third-party nationals.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-03--Celebrity Big Brother Fans' Excitement At Those Revival Rumours May Be A Little Premature

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Celebrity Big Brother fans were given news they’ve been waiting for since the show was cancelled on Sunday, with reports Channel 4 is in talks to revive it.
However, it seems their excitement could be a little premature, as the channel has flatly denied speculation it is about to bring the show back.
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Reports first surfaced in the Daily Star Sunday, claiming the show’s former broadcaster was planning to revive the celebrity edition of the reality show, after it was axed by Channel 5 in 2018.
The story claimed Celebrity Big Brother could be back on air as early as January 2021, with the tagline “Reborn” because it would feature a line-up of controversial stars hoping to change their public image.
Davina McCall hosted Celebrity Big Brother from 2001 to 2010 Ian Gavan via Getty Images
Their unnamed source also claimed Channel 4 bosses were exploring the option of reviving the show with production company Endemol, as the network has been experiencing a run of low ratings.
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The rumours obviously delighted hordes of Big Brother fans online...
i knew channel 4 wouldn’t let me down. bring back the mothetfuckin HOUSE! #BBUK pic.twitter.com/LxBdYRe64z — beth (@bethhopex) February 2, 2020
literally me and my household when I read that Big Brother could be returning #BBUK pic.twitter.com/8cKK9GPx1j — Tom Gardiner (@IAmTomGardiner) February 2, 2020
Having Big Brother return to Channel 4 would be the best move for the show. Channel 5 just didn’t really get it right. Bring back Davina too! #BBUK — M A J I D (@Majid_K_1994) February 2, 2020
Me waking up this morning realising that #BBUK could be returning on Channel 4 pic.twitter.com/FhYetvG3mG — Josh (@sharonsballum) February 2, 2020
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Yes!!! Finally something good to come after this brexit saga!!! Make this happen channel 4 #BBUK #SaveBBUK https://t.co/BZ2DcDysBt — Kasim (@Kasim____) February 2, 2020
While former contestant and Bit On The Side presenter Rylan Clark-Neal and the show’s narrator Marcus Bentley also shared their excitement...
Wow ! I hope @EdHotTV is right - he usually is!! Fingers crossed x. https://t.co/e47ZOkbiqT — Marcus Bentley (@marcusBBbentley) February 2, 2020
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Since then, however, a Channel 4 spokesperson has insisted the network has “no plans” to bring back either the celebrity or civilian edition of Big Brother.
They said in a statement: “We have no plans to bring back Celebrity Big Brother or Big Brother to Channel 4.”
Big Brother first aired on Channel 4 in 2000, with Celebrity Big Brother following a year later.
The celebrity series was originally dreamed up as a charity special for Comic Relief, but went on to spawn seven series before Channel 4 axed Big Brother altogether in 2010.
CBB and its civilian equivalent were brought back by Channel 5 in 2011, before being cancelled again in September 2018.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-04--Caprice Blasts Media 'Bullying' Since Dancing On Ice Exit

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Caprice has hit back at the latest rumours surrounding her Dancing On Ice exit.
Since stepping down from the ITV skating show – two weeks after it was announced that she and her professional partner Hamish Gaman had “parted ways” – Caprice has been keeping a fairly low profile, which includes having deleted her Twitter page.
However, she broke her silence via a representative, to share her side of the story over reports in The Sun that she “humiliated” Hamish, telling him he was “too feminine” as they trained together.
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The model’s spokesperson has now told Metro that Caprice “always complimented” Hamish’s skating abilities, and suggested she is being “bullied” by the media.
Caprice at this year's NTAs shortly before her Dancing On Ice exit Gareth Cattermole via Getty Images
“Caprice has been doing her best to recover, look after her mental health and move forward, but ‘unknown’ sources keep leaking fabricated, defamatory stories about her to the press,” they said.
“Caprice always [complimented] Hamish on his beautiful and elegant skating skills, and her admiration for him can clearly been seen throughout Dancing On Ice footage.
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“Caprice and her family are deeply distressed by the relentless barrage of false and damaging stories about her. She has been honest about her deteriorating mental health as a result of these constant and malicious public assaults from ‘unknown’ sources, and for them to continue even after her withdrawal from the show is grossly unfair.”
They continued: “This is bullying behaviour. When someone is down and out and suffering tremendously – they seek to bring them down and twist the knife in even more.
“Caprice received very little support from ITV and had to seek external help of her own accord. She has been seeing a counselling psychologist as well as two doctors on an ongoing basis. She has been deeply distressed by the occurrences that have happened over the last few months, and this has directly [affected] not only herself but her family.”
Caprice and Hamish Gaman on the ice Matt Frost/ITV/Shutterstock
With regards to the claims she received “very little support”, ITV declined to comment when contacted by HuffPost UK, although they did reiterate a previous statement regarding bullying behind the scenes.
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They said: “We take allegations of bullying very seriously but found no evidence on Dancing On Ice and we strongly refute any suggestion to the contrary.
“We’re very proud of the team, both on and off screen. They produce a fantastic show and we are committed to ensuring that everyone who works on the programme is fully supported before, during and after the series is on air.”
Caprice skated with Oscar Peter for her final week in the competition Matt Frost/ITV/Shutterstock
After originally “parting ways” with Hamish, Caprice took a week off the show, only to return with new skating partner Oscar Peter.
The pair wound up in the bottom two after their first skate of the series, after which it was revealed Caprice had chosen to take herself out of the competition.
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Dancing On Ice airs on Sunday nights on ITV.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-04--Liam Gallagher Accuses 'Greedy' Noel Of Turning Down £100 Million For Oasis Reunion

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Liam Gallagher has taken yet another swipe at his brother and former bandmate Noel, claiming he is “greedy” for supposedly turning down a huge amount of money to reform Oasis.
On Monday night, Liam posted a tweet teasing that the band was “getting back together”, joking that because Noel was “rich as fuck” he was doing the reunion “for nothing”, while he, being a “desperate c***”, was doing it for the money.
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Six minutes later, Liam fired off a second tweet, writing: “We’ve been offered 100 million pounds for a tour still not enough for the greedy soul oh well stay young.”
We’ve been offered 100 million pounds for a tour still not enough for the greedy soul oh well stay young LG — Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher) February 3, 2020
HuffPost UK has contacted representatives for Noel Gallagher for comment.
Noel Gallagher Palace Lee/Shutterstock
In recent years, Liam has made no secret of his hopes to once again team up with his brother and reunite their band, which officially disbanded in 2009.
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However, Noel has been slightly more reluctant, and while the brothers have been exchanging harsh words in the media since Oasis’ split, things went up about 10 notches last year.
Back in July, Liam made a public apology after sending a message to Noel’s daughter, his niece, telling her: “Tell your step mam to be very careful.”
Liam Gallagher Michal Augustini/Shutterstock
Liam has long accused Noel’s wife of delaying the Oasis reunion, previously telling NME: “He’s not allowed to, his missus won’t let him now, ’cos she’s another one.
“I know for a fact, deep down, he wants to be playing stadiums... You can only play stadiums when I’m there.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-04--Boris Johnson 'Admitted He Doesn't Understand Climate Change'

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Boris Johnson once admitted he does not “really understand” climate change, the former president of the upcoming UN climate summit in Glasgow has claimed.
Claire O’Neill, a former Tory minister, was sacked from her job on Friday of running the COP26 summit due to be held in November.
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She is expected to be replaced with a serving minister at the imminent cabinet reshuffle.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4′s Today programme on Tuesday morning, O’Neill hit out at Johnson and said anyone given a promise by him should “make sure the money is in the bank” before agreeing.
“The prime minister has made incredibly warm statements about this over the years,” she said of his approach to tackling climate change.
“He has also admitted to me that he doesn’t really understand it. He doesn’t really get it, I think is what he said.”
Johnson told school children at the Science Museum this morning he wanted people to focus on reducing “carbon dioxide emissions, which, as I understand it, is swaddling the planet like a tea cosy,” he said.
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Asked if Johnson understood climate change, the prime minister’s official spokesman said: “You can see his speech today.
“He has positioned the UK as a world leader on tackling climate change with the most ambitious environmental programme of any country on earth.”
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The PM today refused to answer questions over why he fired O’Neill from her post.
The prime minister has today outlined new measures, including a ban on sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles being brought forward to 2035.
But O’Neill slammed the government’s progress. “We have seen a huge lack of leadership and engagement,” she said.
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“Our efforts right now are somewhere around the middle of League One. We are playing at Oxford United levels when we need to be Liverpool if we are going to do what the world actually needs us to do.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-04--Billie Eilish Blasts 'Stupid-Ass' Internet After Criticisms Over Her Friendship With Drake

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Billie Eilish has hit back at “stupid-ass” criticism that Drake has received since she revealed that they had exchanged texts.
Last year, the Grammy-winning singer excitedly revealed that she and Drake had been texting one another in an interview with Vanity Fair.
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She explained: “Drake is like the nicest dude I’ve ever spoken to. I mean I’ve only like texted him [not met him in real life], but he’s so nice. Like, he does not need to be nice. You know what I mean?
“He’s at a level of his life where he doesn’t need to be nice, but he is. You know?”
Billie Eilish Amy Sussman via Getty Images
However, soon after the interview was published, many fans suggested their text exchanges were inappropriate, given their 15-year age gap and the fact Billie was still 17 at the time of her comments.
In her first cover interview for Vogue US, Billie has rubbished the criticism, insisting there’s nothing wrong with her texting the Canadian rapper, who she has long been a fan of and even covered in her early live shows.
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“The internet is such a stupid-ass mess right now,” she explained. “Everybody’s so sensitive.
“A grown man can’t be a fan of an artist? There are so many people that the internet should be more worried about.”
Drake performing in 2018 Robb Cohen/Invision/AP
Billie added: “Like, you’re really going to say that Drake is creepy because he’s a fan of mine, and then you’re going to go vote for Trump? What the fuck is that shit?”
Drake received similar backlash when it was revealed that he’d been exchanging texts with a then-14-year-old Millie Bobby Brown, the star of Stranger Things.
Millie wrote on her Instagram story back in 2018: “Why u gotta make a lovely friendship ur headline? U guys are weird… for real [sic]”
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Read Billie’s full US Vogue interview here.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-04--The UK's First 'Self-Love' Restaurant Wants You To Dine Alone In Front Of A Mirror

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If you’re happy being single – so much so that you describe your relationship as “self-partnered” – why not dine in front of a mirror this Valentine’s Day? No, really.
Tastecard has launched the UK’s first so-called “self-love restaurant”, which features at each table so solo diners can enjoy a romantic meal in front of themselves.
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Because obviously they need a mirror to eat out alone...
This pop-up London restaurant, Two4One, was created following a survey by Mintel of 2,000 UK consumers that found that one in three people are “regularly eating every meal alone” – and in London, this figure rises to almost half.
“Dining solo on Valentine’s Day is still a taboo,” the diner’s club press bumph states. To which, we’d suggest they read this happy defence of eating out alone. Valentine’s “infamously excludes singletons, the release goes on – adding that Tastecard wants to “promote self-love over anything else”.
Ignoring the double entendres that suggests (not while we’re eating, people!), diners are promised mood-boosting playlists, feel-good soul food and mirrors that reflect motivational quotes at you.
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But there’s a plot-twist. You will actually be seated in front of someone else on the other side of the glass. Just in time for the last course, waiters will release the mirrors in a Blind Date-style reveal of the diner you’ve been eating in front of the entire time, with an option to split the bill and claim a two-for-one deal.
Just in case, you know, singledom isn’t sufficient or something. “People need to remember the importance of loving yourself and despite numerous restaurants that are great for solo dining, no restaurant experience has been designed with [this] function,” says Matt Turner, founder of Tastecard.
But Nicola Slawson, who runs the The Single Supplement newsletter, says: “My initial reaction was that it’s patronising and irritating and that people really need to stop assuming that single people don’t love themselves.
“I’m sick of that narrative. What would make it easier to dine alone is if the restaurant staff could hide their shock and not make it so awkward.”
All money raised will be going to the charity, Mary’s Meals, which provides hungry children with a meal every school day and Slawson applauds this.
“But I still don’t think I would love myself more if I was forced to sit in front of a mirror and see exactly what my face looks like when I eat,” she says. “In fact, It might have quite the opposite effect.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-04--Jennifer Lopez Takes Aim At Donald Trump In Behind-The-Scenes Super Bowl Video

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Jennifer Lopez has taken aim at US president Donald Trump in a video captured moments before she took to the stage at this year’s Super Bowl.
On Sunday night, J-Lo teamed up with Shakira for a double-headlining show which saw them whizzing through a collection of their hits, but also ending on a political message.
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Many viewers interpreted the show’s final section as a deliberate criticism of Trump’s immigration policies, with child performers singing in what appeared to be glowing cages, and J-Lo singing Born In The USA with the flag of Puerto Rico behind her.
In a behind-the-scenes video recorded shortly before she took to the stage, the Hustlers star leads a prayer circle, taking a few not-so-subtle swipes at the US leader.
Jennifer Lopez at the Super Bowl ASSOCIATED PRESS
“All I want my girls, the little girls on stage with me and all over the world to know is how to use their voices and be proud of everything they are,” she told her team.
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“Other people can try to build walls, keep us out or put us in cages. We are proud to recognise that all of us together are what makes this beautiful country truly great.”
Back in November, the singer and actress revealed that sending a message of hope at the Super Bowl was important to her, particularly “in Trump’s America”.
“I think it’s super important for two Latina women to be headlining the Super Bowl, especially right now in Trump’s America,” she told the Los Angeles Times.
“So for me, it was something that I was excited to do.”
It’s been a huge 12 months for Jennifer Lopez who, in addition to her Super Bowl show, was also critically lauded for her performance in the true crime dramedy Hustlers.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-04--Keir Starmer Demands Investigation Into 'Deeply Disturbing' No.10 Press Ban

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On Monday, correspondents on No.10’s favoured list were told to stand one side of a carpet, while everyone else – including HuffPost UK – was told to stand to the other side and then ordered to leave.
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The attempt to divide the press pack promoted a walkout by all the reporters including from the BBC, Sky News and The Guardian.
Writing to Sir Mark Sedwill, the most senior civil servant, Starmer said Downing Street had “undermined the civil service’s ability to comply with its core values of integrity, objectivity and impartiality”.
No.10 also faced pressure from Tory Sir Peter Bottomley, the Commons’ most senior MP, who urged the government to talk to editors to “see if there’s a way of getting over this problem and resolving it”.
During an urgent question on the issue in the Commons, Bottomley said: "There’s no more great a competition for an MP to get themselves into the media, it is for media people to get themselves reported and on air - they walked away from it, there’s a problem, it needs solving.”
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Responding, Cabinet Office minister Chloe Smith said Bottomley's advice will be "correctly considered".
The urgent question came after Starmer wrote to Sedwill, the cabinet secretary.
The Labour MP wrote: “The media’s access to the prime minister’s chief negotiator should not be determined by political favouritism.
Starmer added: “The actions of the prime minister’s director of communications, who is a political appointee, are deeply disturbing.”
The shadow Brexit secretary asked Sedwill to “investigate urgently this matter and provide assurance that such an incident will not happen again”.
A No.10 source insisted selected media outlets had not been “banned”. “They’re not banned – they are just not invited.”
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But Michelle Stanistreet, general secretary of the National Union of Journalists, said it was a “very alarming incident”.
“As ministers are now regularly refusing to be accountable for their actions by boycotting certain programmes and journalists, this represents another very dangerous step.
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“Johnson’s government must stop this paranoia and engage with all the press, not just their favourites.”
Shadow culture secretary Tracy Brabin said yesterday Boris Johnson was “resorting to tactics imported from Donald Trump to hide from scrutiny”.
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Dame Eleanor Laing, the deputy Commons speaker, said lobby journalists should be “treated with respect”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-04--How To Remove Japanese Knotweed, The Plant Wreaking Havoc On House Prices

ANGHI via Getty Images Shoots of Japanese Knotweed.
Japanese knotweed is an invasive plant thought to be lurking around at least 5% of UK homes – and it can be a nightmare, capable of forcing its way through concrete and subsequently damaging houses, undermining foundations and blocking drains.
It’s hard to control, spreading as quick as 10cm a day underground. And having it near your property is enough to cut the value by 10% – around £24,000 per home. Research by comparison site HaMuch.com suggests it’s collectively wiping off £34.12bn in value from house prices up and down the UK. It might also prevent a mortgage lender granting a loan.
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The plant originated from eastern Asia and there are various reports as to why it was imported to Britain. Some say the “beautiful” plant intended to be used in residential gardens; others say it was to stabilise railway embankments.
In 2012, the Environment Agency commissioned a new app, Plant Tracker, to locate Japanese knotweed on a map. Thousands of people downloaded it, and shared data on many knotweed locations.
It usually lies dormant throughout winter – but in two months time it will start to rear its head again. So why is it such a nightmare? Can’t you just dig it up and chuck it in the bin?
The answer: it’s complicated.
First up, what does Japanese knotweed look like?
You might not be able to tell whether you’ve got a knotweed problem at the moment, as the plant doesn’t surface in winter. Come spring, however, reddish-purple fleshy shoots begin to sprout from crimson-pink buds at ground level.
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They might seem fairly harmless, but these shoots can grow rapidly. The stalks, which grow up to seven feet tall, have purple flecks on them, states the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). The leaves are “heart or shovel-shaped” and up to 14cm in length.
In late summer and early autumn, the plant produces strings of white flowers which can grow up to 15cm long.
undefined undefined via Getty Images Japanese knotweed
Is it really as bad as we think?
The main concern with Japanese knotweed is that it can damage buildings – a claim that has been widely held for years. However, a 2018 study suggested the plant might not be as bad as originally thought.
Ecologists from the University of Leeds assessed the potential of Japanese knotweed to cause structural damage compared to other plants and found nothing to suggest it does – even when it grows in close proximity to buildings.
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One of the study’s authors, Dr Karen Bacon, said the plant is capable of damaging built structures, but where this occurs, it’s usually “because an existing weakness or defect has been exacerbated”. For example, the plant can grow through cracks in brickwork, eventually forcing walls to break apart.
It might not be as terrible as first thought for newer buildings, but Bacon added that “the negative impact of Japanese knotweed on biodiversity and flooding risks remains a cause for concern”.
The plant is also feared due to its ability to survive at all costs. It can thrive in many types of soil, spread quickly and, because it sprouts from underground roots called rhizomes, it can grow back easily from a tiny fragment – even if you try to remove it all. To add insult to injury, chemicals don’t work well on it either – it usually takes at least three to four seasons to eradicate Japanese knotweed using weedkiller, says the RHS.
There are legal consequences to having Japanese knotweed, too. Since 2013, people selling their homes have to declare whether they have the weed on a TA6 form – this gives detailed information about a property from a seller to prospective buyer. This can, in turn, put potential buyers off, as they might struggle to get a mortgage. Mortgage lenders need assurances that the plant will be eradicated before agreeing to release funds.
Not treating your knotweed problem can also result in issues with neighbours if it spreads elsewhere. In some cases, legislation could be used to enforce its control and property owners may be prosecuted.
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undefined undefined via Getty Images
How to get rid of it
The cost of dealing with Japanese knotweed is hefty. It can be thousands of pounds for even a modest-sized garden, taking as long as five years to treat fully. But treating the issue is infinitely better than leaving it be.
Don’t try to do it yourself, though, because you’re unlikely to get rid of it all – and then you’ll be back to square one. If you dig it up, you can’t chuck it in the bin because it’s classified as ‘controlled waste’ under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. You need to dispose it at a licensed landfill site. If you cause Japanese knotweed to spread, by disposing of it incorrectly, you’re guilty of an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
The best solution is to get professionals in, preferably a member of the Property Care Association (PCA) Invasive Weed Control Group, which provides a register of vetted consultants and contractors.
Environet UK, a Japanese knotweed removal company, estimates that it costs the average homeowner £2,500 to treat the issue with herbicide and £5,000 upwards to excavate it. These are the two main ways to treat it.
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Nic Seal, founder and managing director, said the traditional herbicide method is carried out between April and October, because it requires the plant to be in leaf, and usually takes two or three growing seasons to complete.
However, offering a much greater degree of certainty is excavation of the entire plant. “This can be done in a matter of days, at any time of year, using a mini-digger to remove the rhizome from the ground where every viable piece is separated from the soil,” Seal explained.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-04--'It's Not Okay At All': BBC Mistakes Labour's Marsha De Cordova For Dawn Butler

The BBC confused Labour MPs Marsha de Cordova and Dawn Butler on its Parliament channel Getty Images
Labour MPs Dawn Butler and Marsha de Cordova have criticised the BBC after the broadcaster confused the pair on its Parliament channel.
During a debate in the Commons about the agriculture bill on Monday, the BBC mislabelled de Cordova – Labour’s shadow minister for disabled people – as Butler, who is running to become the party’s next deputy leader.
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Tweeting a photo of the mistake, Butler wrote: “I love my sister @MarshadeCordova but we are two different people.
.@BBCNews @BBCPolitics I love my sister @MarshadeCordova but we are two different people. Marsha is amazing and deserves to be called by her own name. Diversity in the workplace matters it also helps to avoid making simple mistakes like this. pic.twitter.com/pXyrGKJ4hZ — (((Dawn Butler))) (@DawnButlerBrent) February 3, 2020
“Marsha is amazing and deserves to be called by her own name. Diversity in the workplace matters and it also helps to avoid making simple mistakes like this.”
Meanwhile, de Cordova said the BBC had not yet apologised for the mistake. “It’s not okay at all,” she said.
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Journalist Gary Younge – who has written about being mistaken for Tottenham MP David Lammy – tweeted: “For the love of God. These aren’t any old mistakes – they are the same old mistakes.
“It’s not as if there are so many non-white MPs, candidates and knights of the realm that they cannot keep it straight.”
In a statement, the BBC “sincerely apologised” for the mistake.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-04--Trump Ripped For Disrespectful National Anthem Antics At His Super Bowl Party

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President Donald Trump was chastised Monday after video footage showed him goofing off as the national anthem played during a Super Bowl party at his West Palm Beach golf resort.
As everyone else around Trump (including his wife and youngest son) stood solemnly with their hands over their hearts, Trump fidgeted, waved his hands, pointed at people and pretended to conduct the music.
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The video of the president cutting up during the anthem, first reported by the Miami Herald, was part of an Instagram story posted by a real estate agent at the party, which was held for a select group of the president’s supporters. The event cost American taxpayers $3.4 million, according to an analysis by HuffPost.
Boy. Good thing Trump is not a black NFL player, because otherwise this behavior would probably be really disrespectful and bad.https://t.co/hWoN4n2KJo — S.V. Dáte (@svdate) February 3, 2020
Our troops are worthy of a commander-in-chief who respects them. Instead, they’re being led by a self-centered man-child. https://t.co/QsHwtNz7mg — Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) February 3, 2020
Trump has said that athletes who take a knee at NFL games to protest racism and police brutality — a movement launched by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick — should be fired because they’re disrespecting America and the military.
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“You have to stand proudly for the national anthem or you shouldn’t be playing — you shouldn’t be there,” Trump told “Fox & Friends” in 2018, adding, “Maybe you shouldn’t be in the country.”
When a football player takes a knee, the team owner should “get that son of a bitch off the field,” Trump told a rally in 2017.
Fox Nation host Tomi Lahren slammed celebrities Beyoncé and Jay-Z on Sunday for sitting during the anthem. She hasn’t yet remarked on the president’s antics.
Beyoncé & Jay-Z (former crack dealer)sit for the national anthem because apparently the United States of America has oppressed them with millions upon millions of dollars & fans. Sounds rough. Maybe they should try another country that allows them a little more freedom & success? — Tomi Lahren (@TomiLahren) February 3, 2020
The Miami Herald mocked Trump in an editorial by sarcastically noting his “burst of patriotic fervor.”
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It’s “amazing that so many ‘patriots’ who brandish the flag and wear the red cap actually don’t mind any of this,” the editorial noted.
There were other tweets:
Well, as long as he didn’t take a knee. pic.twitter.com/zwSuC2dGOJ — Cathleen McFarland (@catmcfarland) February 3, 2020
Where is the outrage from his supporters over this? — greeneyed lady 🆘 (@crpswarrior1) February 3, 2020
That’s what a 3 year old would do. — E. (@esther_reedy) February 3, 2020
Maybe we should elect an adult in November. — cathy vogt (@pgdayton) February 3, 2020
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Is something wrong with him? That doesn’t seem normal for anyone. — Betsy (@KyBetsy) February 3, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-04--Justin Bieber Reveals Security Team Regularly Checked His Pulse To Make Sure He Was Alive At Height

Justin Bieber Reveals Security Team Regularly Checked His Pulse To Make Sure He Was Alive At Height Of Drug Use

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Justin Bieber has revealed that at the height of his drug use his security team would check his pulse as he slept to check he was still breathing.
The 25-year-old singer admitted that at his lowest point he would wake up and immediately smoke cannabis and swallow pills.
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Speaking in the latest episode of his YouTube series Justin Bieber: Seasons, the pop star said he first smoked cannabis when he was 13 and later became dependent on it.
Justin Bieber attends the Premiere of YouTube Original's Justin Bieber: Seasons at Regency Bruin Theatre on January 27, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin via Getty Images
He moved on to harder drugs – including ecstasy and hallucinogenic mushrooms – as he struggled with the pressure of being one of the world’s most famous stars.
He also admitted to drinking the codeine cough syrup and soft drink combination known as “lean”, which is popular among many rappers.
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The singer said the drugs were an “escape”, adding: “I was young, like everybody in the industry and people in the world who experiment and do normal, growing up things.
“But my experience was in front of cameras and I had a different level of exposure. I had a lot of money and a lot of things.”
He said he decided to get clean because he feared the drug use was about to kill him.
Justin was discovered by pop manager Scooter Braun at the age of 13. Empics Entertainment
“My security were coming in at night to check my pulse. People don’t know how serious it got,” he said. “It was legit crazy scary.
“I was waking up in the morning and the first thing I was doing is popping pills and smoking a blunt and starting my day. So it just got scary.”
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Justin infamously had several brushes with the law, including allegations of vandalism, assault and driving under the influence.
In 2014 his smiling mugshot following an arrest for drink driving in Miami, Florida, went viral.
In the documentary series, he blamed his behaviour on his upbringing.
“I started valuing the wrong things in this business, because there was things dangling in front of me,” he said.
“If I get this, I’ll be happy. If I do this, I’ll be happy. These are things that I think a lot of people with secure households learn at a young age. I never had that security in a family. I never had that consistency. I never had the reliability and the accountability.”
He added: “My parents never gave me those tools to be a good team player.”
Justin Bieber and Hailey Rhode Bieber Kevin Mazur via Getty Images
The singer’s wife, model Hailey Bieber, also appears in the documentary and said she chose not to get involved in his life until he “chose to get sober”.
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The couple married in 2018.
While Justin has previously spoken about his struggles with anxiety and depression, he has now given fans an inside look at how he treats the illnesses, relying on an oxygen chamber to relieve stress.
He also works closely with brain disorder specialist Dr Daniel Amen, who features in the latest episode of Seasons.
Need friendly, confidential advice on drugs?
Contact FRANK on 0300 123 6600 or visit the website for alternative contact methods.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-04--This Is The Buzzy Democratic Firm That Botched The Iowa Caucuses

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A tech company affiliated with, and funded by, ACRONYM, a Democratic digital nonprofit group that has rapidly expanded in recent years, was responsible for building the Iowa caucus app that contributed to delays in reporting Monday night’s results in the first vote in the party’s presidential race. Multiple Democratic sources, including one of the presidential campaigns, confirmed the app’s creator.
State campaign finance records indicate the Iowa Democratic Party paid Shadow, a tech company that joined with ACRONYM last year, more than $60,000 for “website development” over two instalments in November and December of last year. A Democratic source with knowledge of the process said those payments were for the app that caucus site leaders were supposed to use to upload the results at their locales.
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Gerard Niemira, a veteran of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, is the head of Shadow. In 2019, David Plouffe, one of the chief architects of President Barack Obama’s wins, joined the board of advisers for ACRONYM.
ACRONYM spokesman Kyle Tharp put out a statement distancing the group from Shadow, saying that ACRONYM is merely an investor in the for-profit company.
Just in — a statement from ACRONYM.
"We, like everyone else, are eagerly awaiting more information from the Iowa Democratic Party." pic.twitter.com/cBy2ZNwsPz — Teddy Schleifer (@teddyschleifer) February 4, 2020
In January 2019, McGowan, the head of ACRONYM, announced that her firm had “acquired” Niemira’s Groundbase company, adding that he and his team were “launching Shadow, a new tech company to build smarter infrastructure for campaigns.”
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With Shadow, we’re building a new model incentivized by adoption over growth, with a deep focus on building the underlying tech infrastructure that will enable campaigns to use the most effective new tools in smarter ways & better integrate + leverage data across platforms. — Tara McGowan (@taraemcg) January 17, 2019
The Iowa Democratic Party had refused to reveal details about the app, including the company behind it and what security measures were being taken to safeguard the results, arguing that it made the technology more vulnerable to hackers.
The app was supposed to make reporting the results easier and quicker. But on Monday, numerous Democrats in Iowa reported major problems in attempting to download the application and upload results, with many saying they resorted to calling the results into state party headquarters in Des Moines.
As of 12:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, the party had not released any results from the caucuses, which were seen as a four-way battle between former Vice President Joe Biden, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg.
Des Moines residents enter a caucus site at Hoover High School on Monday. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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The Nevada Democratic Party, scheduled to hold the next Democratic caucus on Feb. 22, has also paid Shadow for website development.
ACRONYM, which McGowan, a digital strategist, launched in the wake of the 2016 election, has become a growing part of the Democratic digital ecosystem. The group has raised tens of millions of dollars with a buzzy message about how Democrats have fallen behind in digital advertising. In 2018, the group funded an onslaught of ads on platforms like Facebook and Google.
The group launched a super PAC, PACRONYM, this year to mount a major digital effort attacking President Donald Trump, and won the backing of David Plouffe, who led Barack Obama’s victorious 2008 presidential campaign. PACRONYM reported raising $7.7 million in 2019.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-04--What People With Invisible Illnesses Want You To Know

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When you think about a disability, one that requires a mobility device or that’s visible in some form probably comes to mind. However, a majority of people who have a chronic health issue actually live with an invisible illness.
“Invisible illness” is a catch-all term for a wide range of health conditions, including mental illnesses, diabetes, fibromyalgia, epilepsy, autoimmune disorders and many more. It’s estimated that a majority of people with an illness have one that most people can’t physically see.
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Though invisible illnesses and their symptoms differ from person to person, those who have them often share similar experiences with stigma, discrimination and misconceptions. HuffPost spoke to people with invisible illnesses about what they want others to understand about living with their health conditions:
Invisible illnesses are just as real as visible ones.
Though you may not be able to see an illness, it can be just as serious and affect someone’s well-being as a visible one.
“When I talk about my visible illnesses, people respond with sympathy, fascination and genuine concern,” said Megan McLaws, a 22-year-old social media manager who has both visible and invisible disabilities. “When I talk about my invisible conditions, I’m met with skepticism, doubt and more judgment.”
seb_ra via Getty Images
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It’s sometimes difficult to receive appropriate accommodations.
Though they are legally protected under the Disabilities Act, people with invisible illnesses have largely reported that they struggle to receive accommodations in the workplace or they simply choose not to disclose their disabilities out of fear of stigma. In fact, the majority of the employment disability discrimination complaints that were filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission between 2005 and 2010 cited invisible illnesses, according a 2015 report from NPR.
Moreover, someone with an invisible illness who does not regularly use a mobility device may still need physical accommodations so that public spaces, workplaces or events are accessible to them.
“I don’t need my cane often, but I always need access to seating that’s not the floor, and it’s hard to advocate for myself with strangers knowing that to them I ‘don’t look sick,’” said Adrian Mirror, a 29-year-old singer.
Luis Alvarez via Getty Images
Invisible illnesses can make it difficult to live in the moment.
People with invisible illnesses are sometimes perceived as “lazy,” but in truth, living with a chronic health condition can be utterly exhausting. Weathering an influx of symptoms, a depressive episode or chronic pain — on top of standard life stressors — requires a ton of energy.
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“I so desperately want to be healthy and present for all of the beautiful, important and intimate moments us humans get to experience in life, but in reality, my illnesses will get in the way of that sometimes,” said Caitie Gutierrez, 29, a mental health and chronic illness advocate. “It would be a lot easier to cope if the abled people around me understood that.”
Having a “good” health day doesn’t mean you’re cured.
People with invisible illnesses can have symptom-free days or effective plans to manage their conditions, or they may choose altogether not to disclose what health issues they’re experiencing. Yet, none of these things mean their health conditions are magically cured.
“I am always dealing with symptoms, no matter how ‘good’ of a health day it is,” said Ariel Taranski, a 28-year-old social media manager. “I can put on makeup, some nice clothes, a happy face, and look my absolute best, but still feel totally miserable.”
“‘Fixing it’ isn’t always a viable answer,” added Kim Gabbitas, a 24-year-old grant writer. “I never got a diagnosis, but I also never found a solution. I just gave up on working with doctors because the constant hamster wheel of tests, scans, diets and specialists was humiliating. I’m always afraid of having another flare up.”
Stigma makes it harder to seek effective treatment.
Navigating stigma and discrimination can, at times, be just as difficult as navigating the invisible illness itself.
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Sasha, a 29-year-old communications manager who lives with borderline personality disorder, has experienced that firsthand. Sasha, who wished to withhold her last name for health privacy, said some people “still avoid borderlines because they think there is no hope, but with proper treatment and support, borderline can be managed quite well.”
Research shows that stigma can have a negative effect on quality of health care for people living with certain chronic illnesses. For example, a 2015 systematic review of 144 studies found that stigma was one of the top five barriers to seeking treatment for people living with a mental illness.
It helps to have people check in.
Checking in on your friends is good practice in general, but it’s especially important to reach out to those who have invisible chronic illnesses.
“I cry pretty easily when I feel frustrated with [my invisible illness] and it’s embarrassing, even though I know it shouldn’t be,” said Brinley Froelich, a 31-year-old writer in Utah. “I appreciate it when people ask how they can help accommodate me.”
Whether you offer a safe space for venting, whip up a home-cooked meal or help run errands, being mindful of how you can better support loved ones with invisible illnesses can make all the difference.
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Thomas Barwick via Getty Images
Unsolicited advice is unhelpful and just plain rude.
Most people with invisible illnesses learn how to manage their conditions over time — usually with the help of specialists, medications and a support network. Receiving unsolicited advice about how to treat an illness — especially from strangers or people who don’t live with the same health condition — can feel infantilising.
“I have stage 3 kidney disease, which — aside from high blood pressure — is asymptomatic,” said Matt, a 40-year-old biologist who wished to withhold his last name in order to freely talk about his health condition.
“If I’m ordering food at a restaurant or eating something indulgent, I’m super aware of it,” he said. “I’ve probably planned for it by reducing sodium or animal protein elsewhere in my day and week. The last thing I need is someone looking at my plate and saying, ‘Isn’t that bad for you?’ Please let me manage my illness myself without policing me on what I’m eating.”
Rather than suggesting a certain diet or wellness routine when someone discloses their disability or health status to you, consider simply asking how you can best support them.
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Invisible illnesses can be unpredictable.
People with invisible illnesses typically learn to avoid certain environmental triggers that make their health conditions worse. However, flare-ups and episodes are oftentimes unpredictable. This can make everyday activities — like scheduling plans ahead of time, cleaning or grocery shopping — pretty arduous.
“Even on the days that I’m feeling OK, I always have to consider that a flare could start next month, next week or this afternoon. I don’t know what my abilities will look like from day to day, and that affects me even when I’m feeling good and my pain is low,” said Jo Hjelle, 26, a student advising coordinator. “My only option is to be grateful for my good days, to not blame myself too much for my bad days and to accept the uncertainty of it all.”
People with invisible illnesses can lead fulfilling lives.
While living with an invisible illness presents its own set of unique challenges, having a healthy support system, trustworthy physicians and treatment plans in place can make these health conditions more manageable, said Madelyne Ortiz, a 38-year-old digital strategist.
“Having a career, family and the milestones people generally set out is possible,” Ortiz said. “You are able to live a life worth living.”