thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-28--Pride In Conversation: Drag Race UK's Scaredy Kat Meets Sandra

Drag has never been more prominent than it is right now.
Drag culture derives from fabulously dingy cabaret bars, but RuPaul’s Drag Race has turned drag mainstream. And with the show airing on major networks across the globe, drag is reaching the masses.
This Pride month, HuffPost UK asked two of the UK’s most prominent drag queens to discuss what all this explosion of drag in the mainstream means for queer culture.
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We’ve chosen two queens that have arrived on the scene forty years apart from one another.
First up, meet RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Scaredy Kat, a performance artist who turned heads on the show for having a girlfriend. Scaredy Kat’s drag aesthetic, they’ll admit, isn’t even necessary ‘gay’...
Scaredy Kat is a baby on the scene compared with Sandra, having arrived last year on Drag Race UK HuffPost UK
Then in terms of properly accomplished, they don’t get much more impressive than Sandra.
A drag icon since the early 1980s when she was an early adopter to the new style of live singing – rather than miming – Sandra may have been in the game longer, but as she reminds Scaredy, she is also a true innovator herself.
Sandra has been on the scene for forty years HuffPost UK
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She even says she turned down an appearance on Drag Race UK, much to Scaredy’s shock...
Drag Race UK’s Scaredy Kat Meets Sandra: In Conversation
One boiling hot Thursday night, these two queens had a Whatsapp call to have a pressing conversation about the future of drag... Here’s how it went.
Sandra: Hello, Scaredy! You were the youngest act on Drag Race last season, right?
Scaredy Kat: Hi Sandra! Yeah, I went on the show when I was 19, which is the youngest for the UK and US version. I think someone was 18 on the Thai version. It was pretty nuts...
Sandra: Were you doing drag in your home town before RuPaul’s?
Scaredy: I’ve always done art. Me and my girlfriend do art all the time and kind of invented these characters and decided to apply for the show, not expecting to get on really. And then it just fucking happened, which was weird, but great.
Sandra: And so where are you from, are you not from London I presume?
Scaredy: No, I live in London now, but I’m from Wiltshire, literally the middle of nowhere.
Sandra: Wiltshire, god! I know Wiltshire, oh my god! Yes darling! I think I did a venue down there years and years ago.
Scaredy: Oh my god, really! Where, do you know?
Sandra: I can’t remember! It was a really weird place!
Scaredy: Hahahahaha, It might have been Swindon...
Sandra: But back to RuPaul’s, unfortunately you went out first didn’t you..
Sandra has been performing on the London drag circuit since the 1980s HuffPost UK
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Scaredy: I went out second...
Sandra: So when you did drag back in Wiltshire, was it something that you wanted to pursue, or was it just fun?
Scaredy: It was mainly just loads of fun, doing art on our bodies, do you know what I mean? I never thought I’d actually get on the show...I wanted to pursue it at the time but just as one character...
Sandra: Just as Scaredy Kat?
Scaredy: Scaredy Kat’s one character, we have loads of other weird characters we do for comedy and stuff, so, yeah...
Sandra: And how’re you doing at the moment, are you working more since Drag Race?
Scaredy: Obviously at the moment we haven’t been able to perform, but we’ve been doing YouTube videos and stuff like that.
Sandra: Oh fabulous, if people want to watch you they watch you on YouTube. Do they have to subscribe? Or is it free?
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Scaredy: Oh no it’s all free, it’s all free.
Sandra: Oh it’s all free! Oh, I might have to look at you. So you can look at it anytime?
Scaredy: Anytime yeah, it’s all there just waiting for ya! [Scaredy puts on a flirty voice....]
Sandra: [Laughs] Oh stop that now Scaredy!
Scaredy Kat is characterised by their artistic take on drag, and says their drag isn't even necessarily 'gay' HuffPost UK
Scaredy: Hahaha...
Sandra: Now you were saying about drag changing. Do you think it’s changed? I think it’s changed, but I think it’s a different take of what the traditional drag should be.
Scaredy: Well that’s what I wanted to ask you! How has drag changed?
“When I started everyone was miming. Nobody back in the Eighties sang.” - Sandra
Sandra: Well I think it has changed because, don’t forget, when I first started everyone was miming. I came from mime, nobody back in the Eighties sang. So when the whole scene had changed and it became live, that’s when you could see a lot of queens who had failed, and the ones that sang live had carried on.
But I think it’s good because I’ve also done shows at The Glory [a new east London drag pub synonymous with more alternative styles] so I can cross over. I call that alternative drag, not like traditional drag, but I still think it’s a good thing, because you need the younger ones like yourself to come forward. It may be a different form of drag but it’s still drag if you understand?
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Scaredy: Oh yeah, that makes complete sense to me.
Sandra: A lot of people say, ‘that’s not really drag’ but it is. Because we’re all men dressing up at the end of the day.
Scaredy: Hahaha. It is basically just dress up now I think...
Sandra: When you first entered I had to admit I thought you were a woman, I thought she shouldn’t be entering, it’s drag!
Scaredy: Hahaha, not quite, but thank you though!
Sandra: So what do you think now, I’ve been watching Drag Race All Stars on Netflix, and Gia Gunn’s in it. She’s trans, so it seems like drag isn’t just about being male anymore.
“I genuinely think anyone can do drag, whether you’re a guy or a girl or trans or non-binary.” - Scaredy Kat
Scaredy: I genuinely think anyone can do drag, whether you’re a guy or a girl or trans or non-binary. That may be an area I think a lot of people are unhappy isn’t being filled in Drag Race. They think there should be more of a variety to represent what is out there, do you know what I mean?
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Sandra: I totally understand. I’ve been watching RuPaul’s for years and it’s too White. There’s not enough Black people, ethnic minorities...
Scaredy: Totally, totally...And I think that was a problem with the UK version as well.
Sandra: I spoke to Baga Chipz [another Drag Race UK contestant] ’cause I’m good friends with Baga and she said the same thing as well, that there wasn’t enough diversity.
Scaredy: When you find out what the UK scene has to offer there’s a lot more than was shown I think...
Sandra: But I have to admit I did love the London one, it was so much better than the American one. Bit more relaxed. We take it seriously but not to the extent where we’ll stab people in the back.
Scaredy: Exactly. You can watch them for different things. It’s fun to watch the American one for drama I guess, but the UK one has more individual personalities, no one was repeating, whereas the American one...
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Sandra: It was too samey-samey.
Sandra says she turned down the offer of an appearance on the first season of Drag Race UK HuffPost UK
Scaredy: Exactly.
Sandra: You had such a diverse take on drag on the show.
Scaredy: Thank you.
Sandra: In in the middle. When I came on the scene I wasn’t a traditional act. At the time it was a lot of miming and Shirley Bassey, I didn’t want to do that. I wanted to do a fresh take on drag, to make it modern. And that’s what you’ve done, you’ve bought it onto the next level, which is really good. Do you think it’s gone masculine in drag?
Scaredy: Erm, I think there’s definitely elements of that. It’s like genderfuck or genderfunk, whatever you want to call it. People like Danny Beard who has a beard, I think it’s fun, I’m totally up for it.
“What you are doing now is breaking the mould, and that’s what drag is about: you don’t keep it the same because it becomes stagnant. I love it when people like you come along...” - Sandra
Sandra: It broke the mould. What you lot are doing now is breaking the mould, and that’s what drag is about: you don’t keep it the same because it becomes stagnant. I love it when people like you come along...
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Scaredy: Thank you. Totally, I’m always up for something new. Like Crystal Methyd on the new season of Drag Race, her drag make up is really really cool.
Sandra: I was rooting for her to win. I loved her from the beginning...I like that quirkiness about people... So how was your experience on RuPaul’s Drag Race?!
Scaredy: It was terrifying, very anxiety-riddled... I was nervous a lot of the time. It’s weird being on it rather than watching it... silent and intense and probably not as real as you’d hope it was!
Sandra: It’s filmed down in the east end isn’t it I believe?
Scaredy: It’s in Stratford, is that in the east end?
Sandra: Yeah, it’s where they used to film Big Brother years ago, in the Three Mills studios.
Scaredy: No way...that’s weird.
Scaredy: Yeah..
Scaredy: It’s a weird place, it’s very silent and empty.
Sandra: So tell people, now that you’ve moved to London, was that to further your career as there’s more opportunity here?
Scaredy: Yeah that’s exactly it, I could do more shows, it’s a lot easier, it’s a massive city. Hopefully I can branch out...
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Sandra: Have you played the Glory?
Scaredy: I was literally booked to do a show there, then all this happened!
Sandra: Isn’t it horrible?
Scaredy: Yeah it’s a nightmare!
Sandra: I’ve done it and I absolutely loved it, you would love it, trust me.
Sandra: I think she [Jonny Woo, The Glory’s founder and prominent London drag queen] wanted to bring the traditional and the alternative. I’m in the middle, I cross over. Sometimes I’ll wear breasts, sometimes I don’t, if the outfit doesn’t require breasts I don’t put them in.
Earlier you mentioned your bisexuality - was that a hindrance to you when you first did drag or did it open a lot of doors for you? I know you have a girlfriend?
Scaredy: We did it together so we never really questioned it...
Scaredy Kat hopes to perform more on the drag and cabaret circuit which made Sandra famous in the early 1980s HuffPost UK
Sandra: Oh that’s nice.
Scaredy: Yeah, we taught each other make up, but I thought it was going to be an issue for other drag queens - i think for some it probably is but they’re more silent about it I think!
“It’s what you do on stage that I critique, not what you do in bed!” - Sandra on Scaredy Kat's bisexuality
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Sandra: It doesn’t bother me, it’s what you do on stage that I critique, not what you do in bed! And I think the gay scene, I said this online, is far too critical of their own kind.
Scaredy: Oh totally, 100%.
Sandra: I’ve been saying this for years. People used to tell me to shut up because I wouldn’t conform to what they wanted, and I think you’re much like that as well.
Scaredy: Yeah it can receive a lot of controversy about it, especially when you combine it with what the drag is, which is also not gay, so it ruffles a lot of feathers, do you know what I mean?
Sandra: When you first told RuPaul, or the producers, was he okay, was it something they were looking for?
Scaredy: I dunno, I feel like possibly part of it was the story, but in my audition tape I never said anything, but you had to answer a question asking, ‘who are you most close with in the world?’ and I said my girlfriend. They said, ‘Is that girlfriend like a partner, or girlfriend like a friend?’
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Sandra: Hahahah
Sandra doesn't believe gender or sexuality matters when it comes to drag HuffPost UK
Scaredy: So maybe I was probably on there for a bit of a story, but I dunno, I think it’s also the story that I hadn’t been doing it very long and stuff like that.
Sandra: Now you’ve moved to London and you’re doing all these venues, do you ever hope to get on the traditional circuit as well?
Scaredy: Totally. I think my show is weird, but I definitely 100% would want to go that way more.
Sandra: I was saying I think it’s a good thing that RuPaul has opened the door for acts that we don’t normally see... We just have to get rid of the acts that are useless, that are no good... RuPaul has elevated it that one step more, it’s mainstream, which is good...
Scaredy: Yeah, totally...
Sandra: So where do you see yourself in the future?
Scaredy: I’d love to end up in America!
Sandra: Oh you should! You’ve got your costumes, you know what you want, you know what your direction is...
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Scaredy: Where have you been, where do you want to go?
Sandra: I’ve worked in the States, I’ve worked in Australia, I’ve been on the circuit forty years...
Scaredy: Oh my god...
“When I started there were a lot of acts doing Shirley Bassey and Dusty Springfield, and I thought I can’t be doing with this shit...” - Sandra on standing out at the beginning of her career
Sandra: When I started there were a lot of acts doing Shirley Bassey and Dusty Springfield, and I thought I can’t be doing with this shit... It wasn’t for me, as a Black act, I said I can’t do those numbers, I’ll make it accessible to everybody. I made it different, and I think that’s what you’re going to do.
Scaredy: Have you ever thought about applying for Drag Race?
Sandra: Well they asked me before the first one...
Scaredy: No way!
Sandra: They phoned me, one of the women phoned me and I said no.
Scaredy: Why?
Sandra: I said, ‘I don’t need to go on there to make a fool of myself, I can do it all by myself.’
But I watched the first one and I thought actually, it’s not too bad. So I know some people who are in the second season, so I thought I’ll watch that and see how that one goes, and if it’s as good as the first season then I might apply..
Sandra was an innovator in the early 1980s by refusing to lip sync HuffPost UK
Scaredy: You should, that’d be crazy - you’ve got so much experience you’ve been doing it so long..
Sandra: But I know what I’m like, I’ve got a big mouth on me, if someone pisses me off I’ll just tell them.
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Scaredy: That’d be great!
Sandra: I can’t hold nothing down I’ll just blurt it out!
Sandra: I’m really good friends with Baga, and I gave Baga her first platform when she first started...
Scaredy: No way...
Sandra: When I came I was struggling because nobody helped me, so I thought let me give a little bit back to the people who are up-and-coming. I can never critique people but if you have an idea, I thought, what can we do to elevate this more...?
Scaredy: That’s so nice and we need more people to do that I think...
Sandra: I will say to people, enter competitions because you never know what’s going to happen, even if you don’t win, enter it.
Scaredy: That’s why you should go on Drag Race!
Scaredy: Everyone keeps telling me, ‘Sandra I don’t know why you’re not up there.’
“I think you'd make Drag Race more real...” - Scaredy on Sandra's drag style
Scaredy: I think you’d make it more real...
Sandra: When I was was watching it, I really thought Baga should have won it..
Scaredy: Oh really?
Sandra: Baga bought something different that I don’t normally see her do. Vivienne was good but more Hollywood, Baga was more like, I don’t give a shit. And I liked you but you went out too soon!
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Scaredy: Oh thank you I thought the same! Oh well, done now..
Sandra: So what do you have planned? Recently someone told me about OnlyFans, it used to be a porn site but they’re trying to clean it up now. They have to subscribe to watch you, I got $200 dollars the other night. I can put you in contact with someone from OnlyFans...
Scaredy: Oh thank you, that’d be great! And you should apply for Drag Race!
Sandra: Thank you! It’s been a pleasure talking to you. If you need to get in contact, go on Facebook, do a live message... I mentioned you on my live chat. I said Scaredy Kat, look out for that girl!
Scaredy: Thank you! Have a really great weekend!
Sandra: And you too! I’m just walking around a cemetery at the moment. Can you hear the birds?
Scaredy: I can! Haha! I’ll let you go.
Sandra: If you need me, just get in touch okay?


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-28--Sandra Oh Says The UK Is Behind With Diversity In TV

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Sandra Oh has said the UK is behind when it comes to diversity in the TV industry.
The Killing Eve star told Variety’s Actors On Actors series that it would “sometimes it would be me and 75 white people” on the set of the hit BBC drama.
Speaking with Little Fires Everywhere star Kerry Washington via video link, Sandra said it was different to other projects she had worked on in the US.
Sandra Oh SIPA USA/PA Images
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“The UK, I’m not afraid to say, is behind,” she said.
“I am not only the only Asian person on set, sometimes it changes, very exciting when that does and someones comes on set, but the development of people behind the camera is very slow in the UK, I don’t know about the rest of Europe.
“Sometimes it would be me and 75 white people and I have not come from that.”
Sandra, who plays former MI6 agent Eve Polastri in Killing Eve, continued: “I’ve not come from that in my film career which has been much more independent, mostly working with women and women of colour.
“And my relationship with television, and in the United States has not always been all white. Being the sole Asian person is a very familiar place for me.”
Sandra plays Eve Polastri on Killing Eve BBC
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She added: “I’ve got to tell you. Even more than that, I think being the only American on that set [for Killing Eve], in Europe, informed me more than the physicality. I’ve not even really talked about this, but there is something about constantly feeling like the observer or the outsider.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-28--This Pride, It's First Timers That Are Really Missing Out

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On top of everything else the dreadful news: being gay is cancelled. OK, not quite. But in the midst of a global pandemic, the thought that in four months I’d be half-cut, smothered in glitter and working the dancefloor with my nearest and dearest was pretty appealing. The somewhat inevitable announcement that my hometown Manchester Pride was cancelled was quite the blow.
I didn’t even get to go last year because of a stupid wedding (congratulations Sancha and Hamish) but two years in a row? I’m wasting my prime pride years and I don’t care if the person getting married next year is my sister, I’m going to Pride.
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However, it’s not just Manchester (although it is scientifically proven to be the best one). Prides across the country have been cancelled due to Covid-19. From behemoths like Brighton, to the more “provincial” Prides like Derby and Stockport. Some, like Birmingham and Sheffield have simply postponed while others like Trafford and Norwich have gone virtual.
Whatever their organisational response to a universal crisis it seems that like so many of the things we look forward to, Pride had to go for the greater good.
Except unlike the pub, the theatre and going to the supermarket without an anxiety-laden, 45-minute long queue Pride is essential. I remember my first Pride (Nottingham 2011) with extreme fondness; there was drinking, there was dancing, there were potential sexual partners but most of all I remember the glow. There’s a glow surrounding people at Pride, smiling people, people holding hands, no one is anxiously looking around or at the floor, no one is walking at a nervously fast pace to get where they need to be. It’s the glow of, for one precious day, being in the majority and of moving in the world unchallenged.
Being LGBT in a heteronormative world is the reason we all need Pride so desperately. The insidious homophobia which we grow up with has many documented (but not documented enough) long-term effects on our health, with queer people more likely to self-harm, attempt suicide and suffer from depression. However, the isolation and internalised shame which contributes to this is itself caused by the sensory experience of being LGBT in public space. Confrontation in the form of verbal abuse, microaggressions and physical violence is common. Self-policing to avoid censure and retribution is essential.
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“At this time, I feel most for those who would have been going to Pride for the first time this year.”
Marc Bruxelle / EyeEm via Getty Images Photo taken in Montreal, Canada
As we grow older a mode of escape is to move to places with a higher concentration of queer people and queer spaces, usually urban centres. For safety and sanity, we create our own worlds away from obnoxious questions and searching stares. Worlds where we can relax and authentically be ourselves.
But what is often left unexamined is how much access to these spaces and this everyday experience of security is contingent on location, class and age. Low-income people can’t afford to pay their way into affluent areas of major cities and cosmopolitan queer-spaces, elderly LGBTQ people may feel unsafe or unwelcome in traditional nightlife environments, and those residing outside of urban centres with established LGBTQ communities are self-evidently excluded. For people such as these Pride is a rare opportunity for self-expression and freedom.
In recent years Manchester Pride has been somewhat controversial and Pride in general feels as though it happens in a contested space. Who can forget the uproar that accompanied the announcement tickets would cost £70 and the move from Canal Street to Mayfield Depot? There was also the far more serious issues of poor disability access and racial profiling by venue staff.
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These issues feed into ongoing debates around Pride. Firstly, and most importantly, is the question of whether Pride and the community is general can tackle its own prejudices. Racism, transphobia and ableism are all present in LGBTQ circles and the need to be intersectional at Pride and use Pride to aid wider causes is more pressing now than ever.
Secondly, is Pride too commercial? It’s a question which cuts to the heart of a deep tension about who we are and what we want. Are we dismantling the heteronormative capitalist patriarchy, or do we want to be accepted into existing social structures? From this question stems all our disagreements; whether gay quarters are historically important safe spaces or outdated ghettos; whether a big pride “festival” signals progress or a move away from activist roots; whether a big-name headliner is worth the money or simply excludes low-income attendees.
It should go without saying that issues surrounding racial and other prejudices at Pride are not mere complaints and need to be continuously addressed. But in respect of other issues surrounding Pride, sometimes the noise of the debate can drown out the essential truth that Pride is a remedy to the isolation and shame of everyday life. It is often the case that the more access to queer spaces one has the more they’re taken for granted. At this time, I feel most for those who would have been going to Pride for the first time this year. People who’ve felt the inherent loneliness of being LGBTQ and never experienced the tonic of being surrounded by those who are like you. Feeling part of the crowd is something most people take for granted but something queer people rarely get to experience, and, for some, the life-changing glow of that freedom and the healing power of Pride will now have to wait another year.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-28--Trump Campaign Reportedly Peeled Off 12,000 Social Distancing Stickers In Arena Before Rally

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Donald Trump’s campaign removed thousands of stickers on arena seats encouraging social distancing before the president’s rally last week in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Billboard and The Washington Post reported.
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Campaign officials informed an executive of venue manager ASM Global to stop labelling the seats hours before the rally, ASM executive vice president Doug Thornton told Billboard.
“They also told us that they didn’t want any signs posted saying we should social distance in the venue,” he added. “The campaign went through and removed the stickers.”
By the time the Trump campaign interfered, arena workers had already affixed some 12,000 stickers on nearly every other seat, a person familiar with the event told the Post.
Both Billboard and the Post also viewed video showing Trump campaign staffers peeling off stickers from the seats.
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There was plenty of room for social distancing at the BOK Centre, where only 6,200 rally tickets were scanned for a space that can hold 19,000 people. Instead, vast swaths of seats were left empty as people jammed together in seats closest to the podium.
The stickers were part of ASM Global’s new mandatory “VenueShield” protocol aimed at helping protect people from Covid-19 at the 325 sites it manages. But Thornton told Billboard that ASM had no legal authority to stop the event, which was approved by Governor Kevin Stitt and Tulsa’s Republican mayor, G.T. Bynum.
The Trump campaign ignored ASM’s request to file a Covid-19 safety plan for the rally, Billboard reported — even though Dr Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, had reportedly warned the White House that the rally would be dangerous. Tulsa is overhauling event protocols at the centre in the wake of the Trump rally.
As many as eight Trump campaign staff members preparing for the rally tested positive for the coronavirus. A reporter who covered the rally has also tested positive.
“We know that two of them were intermingling with the people in the arena,” Tulsa Police Department Corporal David Crow said at a meeting Tuesday of the Tulsa Public Facilities Authority. “Obviously, we know that that event probably triggered some type of broader infection.”
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Campaign manager Brad Parscale, campaign staffers and dozens of Secret Service officers are reportedly now in quarantine because of suspected Covid-19 risks at the Tulsa rally.
Anyone applying for tickets to the rally on the Trump campaign website had to agree not to sue the president or the campaign if the participant contracted Covid-19 at the event.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-28--Adele Putting On Her Glastonbury Dress To Watch Her Headline Set On TV Is A Total Lockdown Mood

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With this year’s Glastonbury called off due to the coronavirus pandemic, many festival goers have been creating the magic at home by watching memorable sets from yesteryear on the BBC – and it seems superstar Adele is no different.
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The Hello singer donned her actual Glastonbury dress and drank some ciders to watch her 2016 headline set, as it was repeated on TV on Saturday night.
Adele posted two images on Instagram of her in her front room reliving her iconic turn on the Pyramid Stage.
In the first, she was in her comfies holding a portable fan, while the second revealed she’d slipped into the same dress she’d worn on stage during the set and was swishing about to her own tunes.
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“5 ciders in,” she captioned the images, and while watching yourself headline the world’s biggest music festival is not something we can necessarily relate to, sinking warm cider and getting weepy at Adele’s music definitely is.
Adele’s post came after she’d told one fan to “wear a mask and be patient” when they demanded to know when her new album was coming out.
Having posted a picture taken from her actual Pyramid Stage set, one fan commented: “Teaser? Albums coming out today???!!!! Tell me now!!!!”
She replied: “Of course it’s not. Corona ain’t over. I’m quarantining. Wear a mask and be patient.”
It had been highly anticipated her follow up to 2015′s record-breaking 25 would be released this year.
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However, Adele’s manager recently confirmed the release of her fourth album had been pushed back, owing to the pandemic.
Jonathan Dickins told Music Week: “It isn’t coming in September, it’ll be ready when it’s ready.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-28--Glasgow Stabbings: Suspect Shot By Police Named As Badreddin Abadlla Adam

In a statement on Twitter, Police Scotland said the identity is “based on information the deceased provided to the Home Office earlier this year”.
Six people were injured, including a police officer, in the attack at the Park Inn Hotel in West George Street.
In a statement on Twitter, Police Scotland said it “will continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident in Glasgow”.
It added: “The police discharge of firearms resulting in a fatality will also continue to be fully investigated by the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC).
“Both of these inquiries, which take place under the direction of the Lord Advocate, are ongoing and it would not be appropriate to speculate either about the events or the outcomes of these investigations.”
Earlier the injured police officer Constable David Whyte, 42, thanked his colleagues for saving lives.
Three of the other people who were injured are asylum seekers, Police Scotland said, while two are members of staff. All are aged between 17 and 53.
They remain in hospital – one in a critical but stable condition, the others in a stable condition.
In a statement posted on Twitter by Police Scotland, Whyte said the scene officers attending the incident were confronted with is something he will never forget.
He added: “As the first responders on scene, myself and my colleague did what all police officers are trained for, to save lives.”
The officer, who remains in a stable condition, thanked his colleagues who “put themselves in harm’s way to contain this incident and assist with the vital treatment given to myself and others at the scene by other emergency services”.
Whyte added: “Despite suffering serious injuries myself, I know that the swift actions of colleagues saved lives and prevented a far more serious incident.
“I would like to thank the medical staff at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital for their outstanding care in the hours following this incident.
“Finally, I would like to thank the public for all their kind messages of support and for the good wishes from all at Police Scotland. It means a lot and has brought both myself and my family great comfort at this difficult time.”
The constable also asked that his privacy be respected.
Police Scotland, which has said the attack is not being treated as terrorism, has launched an appeal for any witnesses to come forward.
Officers were called to the hotel at 12.50pm and the incident was “quickly contained”, the force said.
The suspect was shot by an armed unit and died at the scene.
Following an update from Police Scotland on Saturday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: “My thoughts today remain with Constable Whyte – whose bravery we are all deeply grateful for – and the other people who sustained injuries in yesterday’s terrible incident. I wish them all a full and speedy recovery.”
The Park Inn was being used as temporary accommodation to house asylum seekers, a policy which has been criticised by campaigners concerned about living conditions.
The Scottish Refugee Council said it had expressed “repeated concern” about the housing of asylum seekers in hotels, saying the policy should be brought to an end quickly.
The charity urged people to show a “united and dignified response in sorrow” in the wake of the incident, with chief executive Sabir Zazai saying they had been “devastated” by the news.
Meanwhile, a man who said he knew the perpetrator claimed he warned of the attack the night before.
Giving his name as Siraj, he told ITV: “He said ‘I will attack’ so everyone should take it seriously.
“I told him ‘no, there’s no need to attack’ and he said ‘they hate me, I hate them, they are against me’.
“He started to say a lot of stuff like that but I said nobody hates you, nobody knows you, nobody knows each other.
“I reported him to the hotel reception and then the next day, yesterday morning, the housing manager talked to me and I said to him everything he (the attacker) said to me. And in the afternoon, it happened.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-28--How Protests Over Diversity Lessons In Birmingham Ended In A Win For LGBTQ+ People Everywhere

“In the middle of it, it was very difficult to see a way forward,” Andrew Moffat reflects, almost one year on since the protests outside his school in Birmingham finally came to an end.
“I could never admit and say: ‘This is a nightmare – I don’t know what to do.’ I had to be like: ‘No, it’s fine, keep going, keep going.’ But it was really, really difficult. I didn’t know how I was going to come out of it.”
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As well as being deputy headteacher of Parkfield Community School at the time, Andrew also designed and helmed the school’s No Outsiders programme – the cause of the protests outside the Muslim-majority school.
Andrew Moffat Rhiannon Adam For HuffPost
The use of children’s books to teach primary school kids about diversity and equality had been in play for four years until one mother pulled her 10-year-old daughter out of the school, telling a local paper that children were too young to be learning about same-sex marriage in the classroom.
The protesters soon began to gather outside the school gates, growing in number each day, accusing Andrew of “changing the moral position of family values” and “converting children with a heterosexual background towards believing that homosexuality is fine”.
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“When the protests first started, I remember vividly standing in the classroom and hearing chants of ‘Get Mr Moffat out! Get Mr Moffat out!’ Hearing children and parents chanting that. I remember thinking this is the end and that I wouldn’t survive this,” Andrew says.
“I felt huge support from all the staff who were angry that the work was being so misrepresented,” he continues. “It’s not about gay sex – or any kind of sex, actually. It’s about everybody being welcome. Even the children were saying to the teachers: ‘They’re saying you’re teaching us to be gay, but you’re not.’
When I interviewed Andrew a year ago at the height of the protests, he told me he had taken the job at Parkfield because he wanted to make a difference. But even though he was aware of the challenges that lay ahead, nothing prepared him for the intensity of what was to come.
“There was lots of hate mail that the school managed to keep away from me,” he says. “There were two massive arch-lever files of them.”
The protests also took their toll on Andrew’s family, including his husband.
“The biggest challenge for me was looking after people around me,” he admits.
“I was getting all of this support in my professional life, but my husband wasn’t getting any of that and was worrying all the time. My mum was seeing stuff on the news and worrying.
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“My husband was worried about me getting to and from school. The police fitted a dashcam. They said I was vulnerable. For a time I wasn’t allowed to leave school on my own and had to be escorted to the car park and back.”
Parents and protestors demonstrate against the 'No Outsiders' programme, which teaches children about LGBT rights, at Parkfield Community School on March 21, 2019. Christopher Furlong via Getty Images
Andrew credits Parkfield’s former headteacher, Hazel Pulley, with helping him through the darkest days.
“Hazel was an absolute rock,” he says. “She could have said early on: ‘We’re not doing this – it’s too much trouble,’ but she never wavered. She was always: ‘This is the right thing to do.’
Sticking to their guns, Andrew and the school eventually found a way forward after briefly pausing the No Outsiders programme, by listening to parents’ concerns and making small adaptations – but, crucially, without compromising any of the messaging.
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“I was able to say to the protesters: ‘Look, I am listening to you and we’ll find ways to adapt – but I’m not going to stop talking about same-sex marriage or different people.’”
“Sometimes you have to take a step back to move forward and show that you’re listening. The most important thing here was to get the work back into school.”
But those initial changes were still not accepted by the protesters and led to some uncomfortable meetings.
“In July, I had some awful meetings with protesters, which were just so difficult. People were saying that we hadn’t changed and that they were going to continue [protesting].
“So we went into the summer holidays. We kept being told and hearing rumours that the protests would be starting again in September but they never did.”
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Andrew adds: “I think that the people that were agitating weren’t actually the parents. I think the parents started listening to the school rather than people outside of the school.
“Even though I didn’t take out the LGBT stuff I was able to show parents and was like: ‘You don’t like that book? Fine, I’ll change it.’ Sometimes you have to take a step back to move forward and show that you’re listening. The most important thing here was to get the work back into school.”
Andrew also looked at some of the terminology used in the lessons – and one word in particular was changed.
He explains: “I thought about the word ‘celebrate’ because there was a perception amongst many of the parents that we were forcing children to celebrate LGBT. We weren’t doing that. There were no rainbow flags in the school.
“So what does that mean to celebrate LGBT? That word ‘celebrate’ is an interesting word to talk about in a primary school. Do we need to use that word? What does it mean? So I thought: ‘OK, we’ll drop the word.’ I’ll celebrate being gay. I’m happy being gay, but I’m not going to ask you to celebrate me being gay in the same way you can celebrate being Muslim. I don’t have to. I can accept it and I can embrace it but I don’t have to celebrate it. That helped.”
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““It was so hard... everyone was watching and I had to get this right. It was such a crucial moment. If we’d have folded, what would be the future of this kind of work in primary schools?”
He continues: “It was so hard – everyone was watching and I had to get this right. It was such a crucial moment. If we’d have folded, what would be the future of this kind of work in primary schools?”
In fact, the protests garnered so much national media attention that they ended up having the opposite effect of what the very vocal minority had intended.
“In a way the protests gave me more support than I could ever have imagined. Schools around the UK saw that happening and thought it was outrageous and wrong, and suddenly I was deluged with invites to go to schools to train them on No Outsiders,” Andrew reveals. “The calls to do the training increased tenfold.”
He adds: “What was interesting was realising that my school was unique. It wasn’t happening anywhere else.
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“Most schools can do this work with full backing. It’s worth remembering that. When you’re in the eye of the storm, you have to look out of the storm and, yes, it can be difficult but it won’t be like that forever.”
A pivotal moment for Andrew was last year’s Birmingham Pride, which he was invited to lead. He took the opportunity to walk with members of the Muslim LGBT community “to make a statement”, including Khakan Qureshi, founder of Birmingham South Asians LGBT, and Saima Razzaq, from Supporting Education of Equality and Diversity in Schools (SEEDS).
Andrew Moffat, LGBT+ Muslim campaigners Saima Razzaq and Khakan Qureshi and Birmingham Pride director Lawrence Barton lead the parade that kickstarted Birmingham Pride 2019 EMPICS Entertainment
“We knew that would get headlines,” Andrew says. “It was a fantastic statement for Birmingham too.
“That was a massive turning point because I did a little speech before the parade. It was absolutely huge. It must have taken 15 minutes to get to the front and there were all these placards with No Outsiders written on. It really was quite emotional.
“It just felt like the whole of Birmingham was out in support of this work in schools.”
He adds: “The best bit of that was, the week after. I was in a playground and a Muslim mum came up to me and said: ‘Wasn’t Birmingham Pride fantastic? I was there, at the front and we were shouting and waving at you, but you didn’t hear us because it was so loud.’
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“She said it was her first Pride and couldn’t wait until next year’s. So that was a Muslim parent who is in complete support of what we’re doing and took her boys to Pride. So it’s those kind of stories that people didn’t get to hear.”
EMPICS Entertainment
One year on, does Andrew think the protests could ever return, assuming schools will return to anything resembling normal?
“Yes I think they could,” he admits. “The key is always dialogue. Having said that, we were always having dialogue with parents and the protests still happened. I was surprised at how influential some people outside of the parent community could be.
“The protests were really useful for bringing this to a national debate. The fact we had them demonstrated that we need this work in schools in 2020. All children [should] know that there’s nothing wrong with them if they are different and that they belong.”
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The protests led to the No Outsiders programme becoming so successful that Andrew now trains schools on it nationwide on a full-time basis, which he believes is more important than ever in a coronavirus world.
“It’s a fantastic promotion for me but also an endorsement of the work as well,” he says.
“My new project is writing a resource for teaching in a post-corona school. How do we bring children together? Talking about their worries, being stronger together. It all fits into No Outsiders. How can we use this ethos to move forward in 2020?


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-28--Bad Girls: Where Is The Cast Of The ITV Prison Drama Now?

It’s been 15 years since the cell door slammed shut on Bad Girls for the final time.
Over its eight series, the ITV prison drama introduced us to the colourful inmates of Larkhall prison, including Shell Dockley, the Two Julies and the Costa Cons, as well as the officers who patrolled G-wing, such as the evil Jim Fenner and Sylvia “Bodybag” Hollamby.
With the show beginning to stream on BritBox this December, we’re finding out what happened to the stars of the show...
Debra Stephenson played Shell Dockley (Series 1–3, 5)
ITV/Shutterstock
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Shell was arguably the best remembered prisoner from Bad Girls. After Debra finished her second stint on the show, she starred as Frankie in Coronation Street for two years, joining the show alongside Bradley Walsh as new members of the Baldwin family in 2004.
As an actor, Debra has also had roles in My Mad Fat Diary from 2014 to 2015, Holby City in 2017 and Doctors in 2019, but these days, she is probably most well known for her work as an impressionist.
Between 2009 and 2011, she co-starred with Jon Culshaw in The Impressions Show and lent her array of voices to the satirical puppet show Newzoids in 2015. She was also a team captain on ITV’s panel show The Imitation Game in 2018.
Jack Ellis played Jim Fenner (Series 1–7)
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After the evil prison officer was bumped off by Julie J in the penultimate series, Jack went on to have a regular role in ITV’s Sunday night drama Where the Heart Is, before joining Coronation Street in 2007 as bookies owner Harry Mason.
Since leaving the soap in 2008, Jack’s had guest roles in Vera and Doctors, and in 2017, he played Julis Caesar in Channel 5’s 8 Days That Made Rome. Jack also played a different sort of prison officer in French drama Versailles, which aired on BBC Two in 2018.
Jack has also had a number of stage roles, including productions of Richard III and Great Expectations.
Alicya Eyo played Denny Blood (Series 1–5)
ITV/Channel 5
After leaving her role as prisoner Denny, Alicya teamed up with Shed Productions, who made Bad Girls and Footballers’ Wives, to appear in Bombshell, but the show never made it to air here in the UK.
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She went on to have guest roles in Holby City and Doctors before landing the regular role of Ruby Haswell in Emmerdale in 2011. Alicya stayed with the soap for four years until her character was killed off in a helicopter crash.
Since then, she’s appeared in an episode of Silent Witness and was most recently seen back in prison – although this time on the other side of the bars – in Channel 5 drama Clink.
Helen Fraser played Sylvia Hollamby (Series 1–8)
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“Bodybag”, as she was known to the women of Larkhall, was the only prison officer to appear in all eight series of the show, even taking centre stage in the final episode.
Since the series finished, Helen played Dave Best’s mum in the 2008 Christmas special of The Royle Family, and appeared as Doris Babbage in Coronation Street in 2013.
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Helen also appeared in stage productions of Calendar Girls and Billy Liar, reprising her role as Sylvia Hollamby in the 2009 musical version of Bad Girls.
Most recently, she was seen on screen in 2015 in an episode of Doctors.
Sharon Duncan-Brewster played Crystal Gordon (Series 1–4)
ITV/Netflix
After guest roles in Holby City, Doctors and Waking The Dead, Sharon joined EastEnders as Trina Johnson – the ex-wife of serial killer Lucas Johnson, who famously died when he impaled her with a rake to the throat.
Since then, Sharon has played Maggie Cain in an episode of Doctor Who, appeared as Senator Pamlo in Star Wars spin-off film Rogue One and starred in the original Channel 4 version of Top Boy, playing Lisa from 2011-13.
In 2019, she appeared in Russell T. Davies’ dystopian drama Years And Years as Fran Baxter, having previously played Maureen in another of the producer’s shows, Cucumber.
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Last year, Sharon made her debut in Netflix’s Sex Education, playing one of Jackson’s mums, Roz Marchetti.
Linda Henry played Yvonne Atkins (Series 1–5)
ITV/BBC
Yyonne was one of Bad Girls’ biggest characters, but the star who played her is now far better known as EastEnders’ Shirley Carter, with Linda having played the Walford legend since 2006.
However, Shirley is actually Linda’s second role in the soap, as she was the original actor who played Lorraine Salter back in the 1990s.
Luisa Bradshaw-White played Lorna Rose (Series 1)
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Luisa only appeared in the first series of Bad Girls, but from there, she went on to play Lisa Fox in Holby City from 2001 to 2005.
However, these days, Luisa is probably better known for playing Tina Carter in EastEnders, a role she had from 2013 to 2021, reuniting her with former Bad Girls co-star Linda Henry, who plays her on-screen sister Shirley.
Simone Lahbib played Helen Stewart (Series 1–3)
ITV
After Simone left her role as G-wing governor at the end of the third series, and went on to have a lead role in the sixth series of the BBC’s Monarch Of The Glen in 2004. She then played DI Alex Fielding in Wire In The Blood from 2006 to 2008 before a number of guest roles in the likes of New Tricks and the 2012 Downton Abbey Christmas special.
In 2013, she appeared in the Steve Coogan and Judi Dench film Philomena as Kate, and also opened a part-time performing arts school at the Bull Theatre in Barnet.
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Since then, Simone has had a number of roles in independent and short films and in 2019, she appeared in ITV drama A Confession, based on the real-life murders of Swindon women Sian O’Callaghan and Becky Godden.
In 2020, she began playing Katy Lewis on EastEnders, a woman who had abused Mick Carter (Danny Dyer) as a child while he was in the care system.
Mandana Jones played Nikki Wade (starring Series 1–3)
ITV
Mandana left the show with Simone when their characters started a new life together away from Larkhall after Nikki’s release.
Bad Girls remains Mandana’s largest screen role, but she has enjoyed a number of guest appearances in shows including Doctors, EastEnders, Holby City, Born And Bred, Casualty, The Bill and Line Of Duty.
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In 2016, she also played Aaron Dingle’s solicitor in Emmerdale, and appeared as a doctor in ITV’s Liar the following year.
Kika Mirylees played Julie Johnston (Series 1–8)
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Kika played one half of prison double act The Two Julies, who appeared in all eight series of Bad Girls.
Soon after it finished, she landed a role in EastEnders as Hazel Hobbs, the mother of regular character Gary Hobbs. After leaving the soap in 2008, Kika had guest appearances in sitcom Not Going Out, New Tricks and Holby City.
In 2017, it was reported she was working as a councillor for Waverley Borough, but she’s still had time to pop up in BBC sitcom Mum as Lyn, and Kika also had a guest role in Doctors in 2020.
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Victoria Alcock played Julie Saunders (Series 1–8)
ITV/BBC
Guest roles in a 2009 episode Doctor Who and daytime drama Missing marked Victoria’s first major TV appearances after Bad Girls finished.
From there, she appeared in EastEnders in 2012 as Mandy Salter’s mum Lorraine – a role previously played by Victoria’s former Bad Girls co-star Linda Henry, who now plays Shirley Carter in the soap.
These days, Victoria is best known as Miche’s mum Carol in BBC sitcom People Just Do Nothing, and Denise in CBBC drama The Dumping Ground.
Victoria has also made appearances in Call The Midwife, Holby City, Doctors and Birds Of A Feather.
Joanne Froggatt as Rachel Hicks (Series 1)
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Having found fame as Zoe in Coronation Street during the late 90s, Joanne was one of the original cast members of Bad Girls, but only stuck with the show for one series.
These days, she’s probably best known as Anna Bates from Downton Abbey, a role she played from 2010 to 2015 and reprised in the 2019 film adaptation, and also won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in 2014.
Joanne then landed the lead role in ITV drama Liar, which concluded its second run in 2020, and has appeared in BBC dramas including Robin Hood, Moving On, The Street and Life On Mars.
She also played Val in the 2016 film A Street Cat Named Bob and voiced Wendy on Bob The Builder between 2015 and 2018.
Lara Cazalet as Zandra Plackett (Series 1–2)
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After her character was killed off in the second series of Bad Girls, Lara went on to have guest roles in the likes of Holby City, Waking The Dead, Judge John Deed and Where The Heart Is.
In 2006, she took a lead role in New Street Law as Annie Quick and appeared in the 2008 film Lady Godiva.
Most recently, Lara had a minor role in 2017 ITV drama Fearless.
Claire King played Karen Betts (Series 2–5, 6)
ITV
Claire was better known as Emmerdale’s “superbitch” Kim Tate when she joined the cast of Bad Girls in her first major role since leaving the soap in 1999.
She has since headed back to the Dales, reprising her role in 2018. This came after a three-year stint in rival soap Coronation Street, where she played Erica Holroyd until 2017.
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As well as her acting career, Claire also competed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2006 and entered the Celebrity Big Brother house in 2014.
Nathan Constance played Josh Mitchell (Series 2–3, 4)
ITV/IMDB
Shortly after leaving Bad Girls, Nathan was cast in sister show Footballers’ Wives, playing Ian Wamsley in the first two series.
After a guest role in The Bill, he played Chum in the 2006 film London To Brighton before taking on the role of Zac in the 2008 film Adulthood, the sequel to Kidulthood.
In 2009, Nathan played DC Connor in BBC drama Hunter and also had minor roles in Waking The Dead and Misfits.
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More recently, he’s been lending his voice to video games, working on titles including Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III, Titanfall, Lords of the Fallen and Battlefield 1.
Tracey Wilkinson played Di Barker (Series 2–7)
ITV/BBC
It’s fair to say prison officer Di’s Bad Girls storylines were as wild as some of the prisoners, and was last seen on remand for ex-husband Jim’s murder.
Tracey went on to have guest roles in the likes of Inspector George Gently, After You’ve Gone, The Bill and Doctors.
Since then, she’s made appearances in Outlander as the Reverend Wakefield’s housekeeper, and in 2016, she had an on-screen reunion with former Bad Girls husband James Gaddas in Casualty, as the mother of regular character Alicia Munroe.
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Most recently, Tracey was seen in Amazon Prime series Carnival Row, playing the part of Afissa.
Paul Opacic played Mark Waddle (Series 3–4)
ITV/Channel 4
Paul was already known to Emmerdale fans (and indeed his Bad Girls co-star Claire King), having previously played Kim Tate’s ex-husband Steve Marchant.
After he left Bad Girls at the end of series four, he had guest roles in a number of dramas including The Bill, Cold Feet, The Royal and Waterloo Road, as well as main roles in Channel 4 comedy drama Totally Frank and the BBC drama The Chase.
In 2010, Paul joined the cast of Hollyoaks as Carl Costello – a role he had on-and-off for three years. He then reprised it for a brief stint in 2018 before Carl was murdered by Breda McQueen.
He also played a copper in the BBC’s real-life drama The Moorside in 2017, which was based on the disappearance of Shannon Matthews.
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Kim Oliver played Buki Lester (Series 3–5)
ITV
After guest roles in Casualty, Doctors, Party Animals and The Bill, Kim’s last credited TV acting role was in 2007, when she appeared in an episode of Holby City.
Victoria Bush played Tina Purvis (Series 3–8)
ITV/BBC
Six years after Bad Girls finished, Victoria landed her next big screen role, playing Sonya Donnegan in Waterloo Road until 2015.
Since then, she’s popped up in episodes of Coronation Street, Casualty and Doctors, and in 2020, Victoria starred in Channel 4 sitcom Lee And Dean.
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James Gaddas played Neil Grayling (Series 4–7, 8)
ITV
James appeared in the final series of Heartbeat in 2009 as Danny Riggs, and made 13 appearances in Doctors as Danny Riggs between 2008 to 2011.
He went on to appear in the seventh series of Waterloo Road as Alan Dixon before starring in six episodes of Emerdale in 2015. He also played the father of Casualty regular Alicia Munroe in two episodes.
Most recently, he was seen in an episode of Outlander in 2020, where he played a judge.
In the theatre, James has also West End roles in productions of Billy Elliot, Mamma Mia! and Spamalot.
Nicole Faraday played Snowball Merriman (Series 4–5)
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Snowball was seen as another incarnation of Shell Dockley by many Bad Girls fans, and funnily enough when the show was adapted into a musical production in 2009, Nicole took on the role of Shell from Debra Stephenson.
She also appeared in six episodes of Emmerdale in 2013 as Veronica, and has also played Vinnie Jones’ wife, Kim Brookes, in the 2016 vigilante thriller Kill Kane.
Kellie Bright played Cassie Tyler (Series 4)
ITV/Shutterstock
A former child star and The Archers voice actor, Kellie was already known to some audiences prior to joining the cast of Bad Girls.
She only stayed with the show for one series, before appearing in James Corden and Mat Horne’s ill-fated sketch show Horne & Corden and Only Fools And Horses prequel Rock And Chips as Joan Trotter in 2010.
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Since 2013, Kellie has starred as Queen Vic landlady Linda Carter in EastEnders, and also took part in the 2015 series of Strictly Come Dancing, reaching the final with partner Kevin Clifton.
Stephanie Beacham played Phyl Oswyn (Series 5–8)
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The Dynasty and Colbys legend was already a household name when she joined the cast in series five as one half of the “Costa Cons”.
Stephanie went on to compete in the 2007 series of Strictly Come Dancing, where she was voted out in the second week, became a housemate in Channel 4’s final Celebrity Big Brother in 2010, and was a participant on the BBC’s Real Marigold Hotel in 2018.
She also played Martha Fraser in Coronation Street in 2009 (famously having an affair with Ken Barlow aboard her houseboat), Lorraine in Sky One sitcom Trollied and appeared alongside Alison Steadman and Russ Abott in BBC sitcom Boomers.
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Amanda Barrie played Bev Tull (Series 5–8)
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Amanda was best known to soap fans as Coronation Street icon Alma Baldwin prior to joining Bad Girls.
Much like her former cast mate Stephanie Beacham, she has also appeared on The Real Marigold Hotel, but in 2017, and took part in Celebrity Big Brother in 2018.
Acting-wise, Amanda appeared as Psychic Sue in sitcom Benidorm between 2015 and 2017, and was last seen on screen last year in Channel 5’s Celebrity Five Go Barging.
Antonia Okonma played Darlene Cake (Series 6–8)
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Following Bad Girls’ conclusion, Antonia competed in the second series of Sky One’s Cirque De Celebrité, where she finished fourth.
Antonia’s last credited TV acting role was in 2009 in BBC mini-series Moses Jones. She has also appeared in theatre productions of Torn and Iya Ile at the Arcola Theatre and Soho Theatre respectively.
On Instagram, Antonia’s bio reveals she is now also a business woman.
Eva Pope played Frances Myers (Series 6)
ITV/Twitter
Best known for her roles in Coronation Street and Peak Practice, Eva joined Bad Girls in the sixth series as new governor Frances Myers, but only stuck with the show for one season.
Eva went on to star in Waterloo Road from 2007 to 2010, playing head teacher Rachel Mason, before guest roles in the likes of Law & Order: UK, Holby City, New Tricks, Silent Witness and kids series The Dumping Ground.
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Until 2020, she was also part of the cast of CBBC series Hetty Feather, playing Matron Bottomly for five years.
Dannielle Brent played Natalie Buxton (Series 6–8)
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After Danielle’s character was killed off, she was next seen in the 2009 film Shifty alongside Riz Ahmed, Daniel Mays and Jason Flemyng, which was written by her partner Eran Creevy.
That same year, she played her second guest character in The Bill, and has since popped up twice in Casualty, and was last seen on TV screens in an episode of Doctors in 2015.
Rebecca Hazlewood played Arun Parmar (Series 7)
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Since finishing up on Bad Girls, Rebecca has been acting in the US, and these days is probably best known for playing Kamilah, the sister of Jameela Jamil’s character, in the sitcom The Good Place.
She played Asha in US sitcom Outsourced from 2010 to 2011, and had guest roles in episodes of Doctors, ER, Lost and Grey’s Anatomy. She also appeared alongside Nicholas Hoult and Kristen Stewart in 2015 film Equals.
Most recently, Rebecca appeared in a 2020 episode of HBO series Room 104 as Agnes.
Liz May Brice played Pat Kerrigan (Series 7–8)
ITV/Shutterstock
Liz played Larkhall’s last Top Dog, and after Bad Girls finished, she was on the other side of the law with a role in The Bill as an anti-terrorism officer.
In 2008, she appeared in former partner Charlie Brooker’s Big Brother-themed zombie horror Dead Set, before playing Gainsborough in the 2014 White Christmas episode of Charlie’s series Black Mirror.
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In 2009, Liz played Agent Johnson in Torchwood’s Children of Earth, while in 2013, she had a four-episode guest role in EastEnders as a love interest for Billy Mitchell. She also appeared as Tina in Misfits.
Nicola Stapleton played Janine Nebeski (Series 7–8)
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Nicola was well known for playing Mady Salter in EastEnders during the 90s, and she returned to the role in 2011. Her character famously embarked on a relationship with Ian Beale, before leaving a year later.
She’s also stared in rival soaps Emmerdale played Danielle Hutch for 14 episodes in 2008, and the Later specials of Hollyoaks in 2009 as Savannah Madeiros.
She currently voices the character Rosie in Thomas The Tank Engine, and was seen on screen in 2020 daytime drama London Kills.
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Ellie Haddington played Joy Masterton (Series 7–8)
ITV/BBC
Having appeared in Foyle’s War prior to joining Bad Girls, Ellie continued to make appearances in the drama as Hilda Pearce until 2015.
The same year, she appeared in period drama Dickensian as Fanny Biggetywitch, while two years later, she joined the cast of Motherland as Julia’s mother Marion.
Most recently, she played Dr Moss in Russell T Davies drama Years and Years and Sheila Gemmell in BBC mini series Guilt.
Ellie has also had guest roles in Holby City, Scott & Bailey, Endeavour, Midsummer Murders, Luther and Ordinary Lies.
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Colin Salmon played Rowan Dunlop (Series 8)
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Colin was known as Charles Robinson in Bond films Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day before taking up the role of Dr Rowan Dunlop in the final series of Bad Girls.
Colin has had many starring roles since leaving Larkhall behind, including US dramas The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, Single Ladies, Arrow, 24: Live Another Day and Limitless and Sofia The First.
Here in the UK, he played Rob Bennett in BBC sitcom Some Girls in 2014, DS Darren Maclaren in Channel 4’s No Offence in 2015, while his recent big-screen appearances include roles in 2016’s London Has Fallen and Criminal and 2018’s Mortal Engines.
Colin played General Zod on the US sci-fi series Krypton, appeared in a 2019 episode of Silent Witness and starred in Sky One sitcom Intelligence.
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He’s also popped up in other series including Secret Diary Of A Call Girl, Doctor Who, Merlin, Law & Order: UK, Strike Back, Spooks, Death In Paradise, The Musketeers and Rev.
He was a contestant on the 2012 series of Strictly Come Dancing, where he was partnered with Kristina Rihanoff and made it to week five of the competition.
Angela Bruce played Mandy Goodhue (Series 8)
ITV/BBC
Angela had a plethora of famous role prior to patrolling Larkhall, including Red Dwarf, Doctor Who, Coronation Street and Press Gang.
After the show’s conclusion, she played Foreign Secretary Ruth Chambers in Spooks in 2007, as well as guest starring in the likes of Vera, Death In Paradise and Casualty.
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In 2020, Angela popped up in Doctors, playing her sixth different guest character. This year has also seen her reprise the guest role of Ursula Stork in Holby City, having previously portrayed the character in 2018 (and played four other characters prior to that).
Amanda Donohoe played Lou Stoke (Series 8)
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Amanda was an established star of stage and screen both in the UK and US prior to joining Bad Girls in its final series.
In 2009, she was a high-profile casting for Emmerdale, joining the soap as matriarch of the Wylde family, Natasha. She left the show after less than two years when her character was sent to prison for murdering husband Mark.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-28--My Pride Anthems: Paris Lees

My Pride Anthems: Paris Lees

The coronavirus pandemic has changed everything, and that includes how we’re all celebrating Pride in 2020.
With huge public gatherings out of the question, we’re asking a range of LGBTQ celebrities and allies for their personal Pride anthems, to help us all get into the Pride spirit from lockdown.
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In the latest instalment in our My Pride Anthems series, journalist and activist Paris Lees shares the songs that define Pride for her.
Paris Lees Paris Lees
With her song choices, she’s taking us on a trip back in time to an era of “hot summer nights dancing in Revenge in Brighton as a student”, but also reveals her song of the summer for 2020.
Oh, and there’s some Kylie Minogue in there for good measure.
Here are Paris’ picks...
Le Youth, feat. Dominique Young Unique – Dance with Me
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“This is such a fun summer jam that reminds me of going to work at Attitude magazine in 2014. In my column, I was an early supporter of Stonewall campaigning on trans issues, at a time when a lot of people didn’t like the idea, because I’ve always known that trans people need to make friends and form political coalitions if we want to make things better. We’re less than 1% of the population, so we’re not going to do it by ourselves.
“I was also spending a lot of time getting to know Matthew Todd at this time, who was writing his fantastic book Straight Jacket: How To Be Gay And Happy, which has honestly had such a huge impact on how I see myself and so many of my friends in the LGBTQ community. Happy memories.”
Liquid – Sweet Harmony
“This reminds me of hot summer nights dancing in Revenge in Brighton as a student, followed by raves on the beach. I’m completely obsessed with the 80s and 90s – I swear I was born a decade or two too late – and I had so much fun as a student going back and discovering all the old free party tunes.
“The thing I loved about Brighton was that everyone just wanted to have a good time, we were a huge, mixed social circle of straight and queer people and PARTIES.”
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Kylie Minogue – Can’t Get Blue Monday Out Of My Head
“Clearly the best version of an already bona fide bop – and the New Order sample makes this the crowning glory of the noughties mash up trend. Has this song been played in every gay bar since the dawn of time? Yes. Am I sick of it? No.
“I first heard this in AD2 bar in Nottingham and it brings up memories of climbing out my bedroom window after my dad had gone to sleep (don’t try this at home, kids) for wild nights out with my best friend Steffi. I first saw her dancing on a podium in NG1 nightclub. I wouldn’t dream of asking someone this in 2020, but my first words to her were, ‘Excuse me but are you a man or a woman?’. She replied, ‘I don’t know, darling’. We became besties on the spot.
Megan Thee Stallion, feat. Beyoncé – Savage Remix
“I know some people are gonna come for me for including Megan Thee Stallion in this list as last year some of her old tweets were (rightly) called out for being homophobic. But I feel very strongly that we have to give people space to grow and not cancel someone for something they said when they were 17, especially if they’ve apologised and reached a more loving, inclusive space.
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“And this is the song of the summer as far as I’m concerned, and I can’t wait till we can all be together again, dancing and having fun. Also: Beyoncé!
Joanna – Séduction
“This is my wildcard – it’s in French, which I’ve been learning over the past two years and I’ve found loads of amazing music I would never have heard otherwise. This is about a woman who ‘d’habitude n’aime pas les femmes’ (doesn’t usually like women) but becomes seduced by another woman. Think I Kissed A Girl, except this isn’t just a kiss – she’s, like, really into her.
“It makes me think of so many girls from back home I know who are really relaxed about their sexuality and wouldn’t think twice about changing things up with a woman if the right one comes along. You don’t need to understand French to enjoy Joanna, just vibes.”
Lipps Inc – Funky Town
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“I’d be very suspicious of anyone who didn’t want this song in their Pride playlist – or any playlist to be honest.
“My friend Alec invited me to a party a year or so ago and it was full of all these fabulous queers and fashion people tearing up the dancefloor to ABBA and The Prodigy and I thought, ‘OK, I’ve found my people. This is exactly where I want to be’.”
We’ll be adding each celebrity’s song choices to our bumper My Pride Anthems playlist each day. Take a listen below:


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-28--The Drag Stars With Down's Syndrome On Life, Art And Lip Syncing

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“Now we are going to put contour makeup on to make it look like a beard,” drag king Justin Bond says to me, as they take me through the first delicate steps of putting together a look.
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Justin’s appearance sounds fairly typical of a drag performer. Today, for instance, they are sporting bright purple dyed hair and a studded choker.
But this artist has an important difference. Bond is one of 14 artists who performs with Drag Syndrome, a collective of drag kings and queens with Down’s Syndrome.
Since their debut in March 2018, Drag Syndrome have been featured in Vogue, Dazed and Confused and on the BBC. They now boast almost 30,000 followers on Instagram, are premium performers in the LGBTQ+ scene, and were invited to perform at Ru Paul’s Drag Con earlier this year.
The Drag Syndrome website describes Justin, their stage name, as a ‘multi-talented, handsome King’.
The artist often performs wearing a painted beard, accentuated heavy brows and a black wig. “It’s the best thing and part of my whole life really being part of drag syndrome,” Justin says. “I’m a superstar drag king that everyone loves.”
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Chinos Rizos Justin Bond performing as part of Drag Syndrome
Nikita Gold, another performer in the troupe tells me about the colour of nail paint they are choosing.
“Pink, it’s very sparkly so we’ll have a bit of a go of that”, they say as their mother Pip paints their fingernails.
“I love myself. I love dancing, but mainly I love performing in drag and being a persona in the world.
“Mainly because I have makeup on, hair, wigs on, costume on, the full works.”
Nikita’s social media presence performing in bright wigs, heavy makeup and gowns is second only to her beverage-making abilities.
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In an Instagram post titled Gin & Quarantine With Nikita Gold, the artist makes a gin & tonic – it has nearly 10,000 views.
The group’s popularity has also seen them tour Europe and Canada, as well the UK. But it hasn’t all been smooth sailing.
Drag Syndrome were scheduled to perform in Michigan, US as part of the ArtPrize competition. But after complaints were made, 2020 congressional candidate Peter Meijer declined to host them at his venue, stating he believed the artists couldn’t give “informed consent“.
In response The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed a complaint to the Michigan Department of Civil Rights.
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Justin is keen to point out the positive when I ask about discouraging responses like this to an openly queer and disabled troupe of performers.
“Where people do accept me and love me and I’ve got a lot of fans, well basically (it’s) a good way of communicating with your fans.
“But with the negative it’s not good because I don’t like being not respected for who I am.”
The Meijer blip seems to be only a minor hiccup on the road to success for Drag Syndrome they have now been featured in three books: 50 Drag Queens Who Changed The World, Contemporary Drag Practice And Performance and Legendary Children.
And in a Whatsapp message, with the prayer hands emoji, creative director Daniel Vais tells me “they are planning a world tour for 2021”.
Holly Ravell Drag Syndrome


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-28--Is It Safe To Let People Use Your Bathroom During The Pandemic?

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The Covid-19 pandemic has altered our social lives in many ways. Perhaps one of the most notable changes is the rise of the physically distanced garden hangout.
We’ve all seen the images of small groups of people sitting outside and having a drink. Although any sort of gathering does carry some risk for spreading the coronavirus, we know it’s much less easily transmitted outside, where there’s more space and more natural airflow.
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Still, there’s one issue that seems unavoidable: What happens when someone has to use the bathroom?
“The real risk is from person-to-person interaction, so letting someone use your bathroom would not pose a major risk of disease exposure,” said Brian Labus, a professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ School of Public Health. “It’s not a zero-risk situation, but the overall risk would be low compared to direct contact with the other person.”
There are, however, some important factors to consider when deciding whether to allow someone in your house to use the bathroom, as well as some steps you can take to make the process safer. Read on for expert-backed guidance for handling this situation.
Consider your risk and the risk of others.
One factor to consider before letting someone into your home is your personal health. Think about any underlying medical conditions you may have and whether exposure to the coronavirus could put you at risk of serious illness or hospitalisation.
It’s also important to think of the health of others in your household and what could happen if they were to get the virus.
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“If you live with people who are at high risk for disease, you might want to reconsider letting someone into your home just to avoid any risk of accidental contact for your family member,” Labus said.
Assess your guests’ health.
“Before arranging a gathering at your home, it is important to ask your guests whether they have active symptoms suggestive of Covid-19, such as fever, cough, shortness of breath,” said Tony Yuan, a physician and medical director at Doctor On Demand. “To ensure that you and your other guests are safe, kindly request that any visitors who have symptoms remain at home.”
He also recommended asking guests about their underlying health conditions, which could put them at higher risk for becoming seriously ill if they contract the coronavirus. It may feel less safe for these guests to go inside your home to use the bathroom.
“For these guests, it is especially important to maintain social distancing and advise them to wear a mask during these gatherings,” Yuan said.
Niccoló Pontigia / EyeEm via Getty Images There are many steps you can take to make the process of letting someone use your bathroom safer.
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Designate a guest bathroom if possible.
Not everyone has multiple bathrooms in their home — but if you do, it’s worth designating one as the bathroom for outside guests to use.
“If they can use a guest bathroom that you don’t normally use, that would reduce your risk of contact with any virus they left behind on a surface,” Labus said.
Put away personal items.
Give the space a cleaning and remove anything you wouldn’t want to be touched or otherwise potentially exposed to virus particles.
“To prepare your bathroom for use by guests, put away all of your personal items such as toothbrushes and towels from open spaces to avoid contamination,” Yuan advised.
Provide cleaning products.
You can request that your guests sanitise your bathroom after using it.
“Have disinfectant spray and wipes available for guests to wipe down touched surfaces before exiting the bathroom,” Yuan suggested.
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Krutika Kuppalli, an infectious diseases physician and vice chair of the IDSA Global Health Committee, said guests should also come prepared if possible.
“I would also consider carrying hand sanitiser and disinfectant wipes with you,” she said. “The disinfectant wipes can allow you to wipe down any high-touch surfaces in the bathroom before and after using the toilet.”
Andrew Lichtenstein via Getty Images Socially distanced hangouts are going to be popular throughout the summer. We asked experts whether it's safe to let friends or family into your apartment to use the bathroom.
Limit time and touch inside the house.
If you’re letting guests inside to use your bathroom, try to minimise the amount of time they spend in the house and surfaces they may touch.
“In general, it is safe for visitors to use your bathroom as long as they do not take any detours,” Yuan said. “Determine the shortest route from your garden to the nearest bathroom to limit exposure of your guests to surfaces inside your household.”
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Guests should make an effort to touch as little as possible, for the sake of their own health and that of their hosts.
“While you can’t avoid touching things like door handles or light switches, now is not the time to snoop around your friend’s medicine cabinet,” Labus said.
Yuan also recommended that guests avoid touching their cellphones while using the restroom to reduce risk of contamination.
Enforce social distancing.
“I think it is fine to let a friend, family member or neighbour who is visiting use your bathroom,” Kuppalli said. “You just do not want multiple people congregating inside around the bathroom while waiting to use it since this will prevent physical distancing.”
One way to prevent this is to only allow one person inside to use the bathroom at a time. You should also generally limit the number of guests you’re entertaining outside to comply with public health guidelines and keep everyone safe and comfortable.
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“The biggest risk is when you are around others, not when you go inside alone to use the bathroom,” Labus said.
“Consider the size of your yard to determine how many guests you can invite safely in order to maintain social distancing during the gathering,” Yuan suggested.
Require face masks.
You can politely ask your guests to wear a mask while they use your bathroom to cut down on opportunities for transmission.
“I would encourage people to use a mask when using the bathroom since it is unclear how much time may have passed since the prior person used the bathroom, and bathrooms tend to be poorly ventilated spaces,” Kuppalli said.
Emphasise hand washing.
As always, guests should wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water after using the bathroom in someone else’s home. Hosts should be sure to have paper towels or single-use hand towels for their guests to wipe their hands after washing.
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“As a visitor, practice proper bathroom hygiene, including closing the lid before you flush, disinfecting all the surfaces you touched, washing your hands thoroughly, drying your hands using paper towels or a clean hand towel,” Yuan said. A new research paper suggests that flushing a toilet with the lid up may spread droplets that can carry the coronavirus.
Clean the area thoroughly.
“Plan on cleaning the bathroom before and after the event,” advised Sachin Nagrani, a physician and medical director. “Instruct guests to note which surfaces they touch inside the home.”
Even if your guests don’t indicate that they touched certain spots, it’s best to give all high-touch surfaces a good cleaning to be safe.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-28--'I Felt Like Dirt.' 3 Women On The Shock Of Being 'Stealthed' In Bed

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When Isla* was 18, she moved to New York to study at design school. Having attended a small conservative school in the UK her entire life, she was looking forward to a fresh start and meeting new people. Early on in her first semester she began messaging Dean*. They’d met on Tinder.
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He was 7ft tall, older, and intriguing; and soon she had her first date. Isla was excited. They arranged to meet at his apartment where things escalated quickly. For Isla, this was more than a first date; it was her first time having sex.
“I had high expectations because I feel like everybody romanticises losing their virginity,” she says. Nervous because she wasn’t on any contraception, she insisted he use a condom and eventually he agreed. It was only when the sex ended that Isla realised he hadn’t.
“He had pretended to put one on,” the 19-year-old tells HuffPost UK over the phone, a year after the incident.
She was horrified. “I was literally lying there crying in the dark — I don’t think he even noticed. That was the worst bit.” She collected her things, left hurriedly, and began googling the side effects of the morning-after pill. She was scared, alone, and didn’t tell any of her friends what happened that night.
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BBC3 / iPlayer Arabella and Zain in BBC3's I May Destroy You.
Isla had been the victim of stealthing – or “the non-consensual removal of a condom during sex” as a 2017 study in the Columbia Journal of Gender and Law defined the practice, while exploring its “rape-adjacent” legal implications.
Stealthing is an oddly euphemistic term for what is a form of sexual violence, says Katie Russell, a spokesperson for Rape Crisis in the UK.
Legally, people consent to sexual activity or intercourse when they agree by choice, but crucially, people can change their mind at any time – consent is conditional, she explains.
“If someone has given you their informed consent on the basis of you using a particular form of contraception – in this case condoms – and you remove your condom without a person’s knowledge then you are actively breaking their consent and committing a sexual offence.”
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“I was lying there crying in the dark — I don’t think he even noticed. That was the worst bit.” - Isla, 19
Those glued to BBC3′s unmissable drama I May Destroy You (brief spoilers ahead) will have seen the scene where Arabella, played by Michaela Coel, discovers her writing mentor Zain removed the condom during the sex they have in her flat. When she confronts him, he apologises before saying: “it was really fucking good though, wasn’t it?”
Annoyed, Arabella insists he pay for the morning after pill. Only later, when she hears some women on a podcast echoing the explanation that Zain gave her – “I thought you knew – you mean you didn’t feel it?” – does she realise the incident was a form of sexual assault.
No official statistics on stealthing exist in the UK, but Russell says it’s highly likely to be more common than we think, based on historic underreporting of sexual offences. An Australian study of visitors to a sexual health centre found one in three women and nearly one in five men reported being stealthed.
In 2019, a man in Bournemouth was sentenced to 12 years in prison for rape for removing his condom during sex without the woman’s consent.
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olegbreslavtsev via Getty Images
For Dearbhla*, it took scrolling Twitter to make her reassess a sexual experience she’d had two and a half years earlier – a memory she has suppressed.
“I had never heard of stealthing before, I just knew that I was not happy with what had happened to me that night,” says the 30-year-old. “I didn’t have the vocabulary for it – I chalked it down to one of those things that a lot of people experience and nobody talks about.”
Dearbhla had been getting on well with Tom* when the pair went back to her house after a Christmas night out in Dublin. Mindful of the risks of unprotected sex, she insisted he use a condom but was shocked to discover he was no longer wearing it when they finished.
She considered a plausible explanation – like the condom breaking – but when she asked Tom what had happened, he shrugged and replied: “It feels better that way.”
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The casualness of his response stunned her, leaving her feeling “like dirt”, she says – as if she was only there to serve a purpose. “As long as he was happy, that’s all he cared about and I think that’s a hard thing to reconcile with.”
“I chalked it down to one of those things a lot of people experience and nobody talks about” - Dearbhla, 30
When Dearbhla woke up the next morning, she went to the bathroom, leaving Tom asleep in bed. When she came back, he was gone. Moments later, there was a knock on the door, and Tom standing there sheepishly.
He’d left his wallet. “I didn’t know what was more shocking: the fact that he had done what he had done or the fact he ran like a child.”
She previously considered herself a good judge of character but has completely changed how she views dating, she says.
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Ruby, 24, from London was stealthed by a friend she slept with after a night out at university, and says, similarly, that it massively eroded her trust in others.
“They feel as if they have an entitlement to your body when sex should be a collaborative experience,” says Ruby of perpertrators. “It should be shared consent and shared decision making.”
She adds: “At no point am I willing to ever give up control now because I feel like people have just taken it for granted.”
Boy_Anupong via Getty Images
For a long time, Dearbhla felt a mix of embarrassment and denial about the incident with Tom. “I always thought, well, it could have been worse, which is a horrendous way to think because there is no hierarchy of assault, as such,” she says. “I think that’s what I’m trying to get my head around at the minute.”
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Isla, who has since experienced a more violent form of sexual assault, says it’s important to recognise there is no ranking of sexual violence. “Objectively one may seem worse than another, but we should remember trauma can affect people in different ways.”
Survivors are often hesitant to use the words rape or sexual assault, says Katie Russell – due to society’s concern with the reputation and feelings of a someone labelled a rapist over the person subjected to a traumatic crime.
“We need fuller clearer conversations with children from the earliest possible age, and then more broadly in society with adults who are way beyond school age to really educate people as to what consent is,” she adds, warning against creating a “hierarchy of victimhood”.
As Russell says: “Consent isn’t the absence of something, rather, it is a positive, active and ongoing concept.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-28--Boris Johnson Announces Ten-Year Schools Rebuilding Plan With £1bn Investment

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Schools in England are set to benefit from a ten-year multi-billion pound rebuilding programme under plans announced by Boris Johnson.
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The prime minister will launch the first major rebuilding programme since 2014 with £1bn-worth of investment in 50 projects this year.
Further details of the decade-long construction programme will be set out at the net spending review, with investment targeted at buildings in the worst condition.
Downing Street also pledged “substantial” investment in the north and Midlands as part of Johnson’s “levelling up” agenda.
The plans form part of Johnson’s so-called “Project Speed”.
In a major speech on Tuesday, he will set out plans for a wave of infrastructure investment across the country in a bid to kickstart a recovery from the deep recession that is expected to be triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.
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The PM said: “All children deserve the best possible start in life – regardless of their background or where they live.
“As we bounce back from the pandemic, it’s important we lay the foundations for a country where everyone has the opportunity to succeed, with our younger generations front and centre of this mission.
“This major new investment will make sure our schools and colleges are fit for the future, with better facilities and brand new buildings so that every child gets a world-class education.”
Johnson visiting a school in January PA
The first 50 projects will be confirmed in autumn with construction beginning in September 2021.
There will also be £560m extra for repairs and upgrades to schools this year, and £200m for similar work at further education colleges.
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The fast-tracked schools rebuilding programme will support Johnson’s plans to protect jobs and incomes.
The projects will also be greener as part of efforts to meet the government’s target to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, and focus on modern construction methods to create high-skilled jobs and boost the building sector.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-28--Suspect Arrested After Man Shot Dead At US Protest Over Breonna Taylor Killing

Police cordon off the area after a fatal shooting at Jefferson Square Park, in Louisville on Saturday. MAXWELL MITCHELL via REUTERS
A suspect has been arrested after a man was shot dead during a protest in the US state of Kentucky over the police killing of Breonna Taylor, police said.
Tyler Charles Gerth, 27, died after being shot at Jefferson Square Park in Louisville, Kentucky on Saturday.
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A crowd had gathered at the park to protest against the March 13 death of Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman who was shot eight times by police officers who burst into her home using a no-knock warrant during a narcotics investigation.
No drugs were found at Taylor’s home.
Video footage captured at the scene of the incident appeared to show the suspect surrounded by several people before shots were fired, sending those in the area scrambling for cover.
In another video, one man can be seen bleeding on the floor, surrounded by frantic protesters urging bystanders to call emergency services.
A police officer, wearing a tactical vest, gestures for people to step back after the shooting. MAXWELL MITCHELL via REUTERS
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In a statement, Louisville Metro police said there were reports of shots fired in Jefferson Square Park at around 9pm on Saturday.
They added that Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department had tried to resuscitate a man who later died. Another victim was taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries.
The suspect was admitted to hospital and is being interviewed by investigators, interim Louisville Police Chief Robert Schroeder said.
“He had been repeatedly asked by other members at the park to leave due to his destructive behaviour,” said Schroeder.
The shooting on Saturday was at least the second during nearly a month of protests in Louisville over the death of Taylor, PA media reported.
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It came after the city’s mayor announced one of the three officers involved in her death will be fired.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-28--Britain's Top Civil Servant Sir Mark Sedwill Quits As Boris Johnson Reshapes Whitehall

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Britain’s top civil Sir Mark Sedwill is to stand down from his dual jobs as cabinet secretary and national security adviser in September
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The decision comes as part of Boris Johnson’s overhaul of the team of officials at the top of government, with his chief Brexit negotiator David Frost to replace Sedwill as national security adviser in an appointment likely to prove controversial given his lack of experience in intelligence or security.
A competition will be launched by first civil service commissioner Ian Watmore to appoint a new cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, with recent appointment as Downing Street permanent secretary Simon Case among those tipped for the top job.
Sedwill’s “two hats” position at the top of Whitehall has long been controversial among some Tory MPs since the two roles were united and handed to him by Johnson’s predecessor as prime minister, Theresa May.
But the manner of his departure following months of “corrosive” negative briefing that sought to “undermine” Sedwill was strongly criticised by the FDA civil servants’ union.
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FDA general secretary David Penman said: “If Sir Mark no longer has the confidence of the prime minister, for whatever reason, that is one thing. It can be dealt with in a grown-up way, finding a solution that suits both parties, rather than excluding someone who has dedicated their life to public service and has excelled at every role they’ve been asked to fill.
“Instead, No.10 - or those around it - has sought to undermine Sir Mark and the leadership of the civil service, with a series of anonymous briefings against him over many months. Not only is it a self-defeating and corrosive tactic, it’s also a cowardly one, safe in the knowledge that those who are briefed against are unable to publicly respond.
“How would any potential candidate for cabinet secretary judge their prospective employers, given how the current cadre of leaders has been treated by them?
“The danger here is that No.10 may have won this particular round of their power play, but at what cost?”
He added: “Whatever emerges as fact from the series of briefings that have sought to undermine Sir Mark’s position, this government will emerge weaker as a result.”
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Johnson has nominated Sedwill for a life peerage and asked him to lead a new G7 panel on global economic security as the UK assumes the presidency.
In a letter to the prime minister, Sedwill said: “Two years ago, when my predecessor fell ill, your predecessor asked me to step in as cabinet secretary, and you asked me to continue to support you through Brexit and the election period.
“It was obviously right to stay on for the acute phase of the Covid-19 crisis.
“As you are setting out this week, the government’s focus is now shifting to domestic and global recovery and renewal.”
“I am fortunate to have served in some of the most challenging and rewarding jobs in national and international public service under seven prime ministers and in extraordinary times. I am grateful for your confidence and friendship as both foreign secretary and prime minister. I wish you well and, of course, remain at your disposal in the years ahead. It has been a privilege to serve.”
Sedwill's departure is likely to be seen as a win for Johnson's top aide Dominic Cummings PA
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Responding, Johnson wrote: “Over the last few years I have had direct experience of the outstanding service that you have given to the government and to the country as a whole.”
“It has been by any standards a massive contribution - but as PM I have particularly appreciated your calm and shrewd advice.”
“You have also spoken with a unique authority - unusual in a cabinet secretary - on international affairs and national security; and as national security adviser you have done much to keep this country safe. It is therefore great news that you have agreed to continue to serve this country on the international stage, beginning with the UK’s preparations for the G7 summit next year.”
“You have done it all in Whitehall: from Afghanistan to the modernisation of the civil service; from immigration policy to Brexit and defeating coronavirus. After serving for decades with great distinction - and unflappable good humour - I believe you have earned the gratitude of the nation.”
Number 10 on Saturday announced a series of reforms which will see Johnson given a firmer grip over his cabinet.
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The PM will chair a number of new “strategic committees” as part of his cabinet operation, which government sources said would be “responsible for setting direction on the Government’s domestic, international and economic priorities”.
Case, who was appointed permanent secretary in No.10 amid the coronavirus crisis, is tipped to be promoted to replace Sedwill as cabinet secretary.
It was Case rather than Sedwill who was asked to carry out a review of the two-metre social distancing restriction, a piece of work which helped pave the way for the “one metre-plus” changes announced by the PM last week.
Sedwill’s removal will also be seen as a win for the PM’s chief aide Dominic Cummings who is, according to The Times, said to have told a meeting of political aides this week that “hard rain is going to fall” after explaining how he felt Whitehall’s “fundamental” shortcomings had been displayed during the coronavirus crisis.
Johnson could face criticism over Frost’s elevation to national security adviser.
One source told HuffPost UK “he was CEO for the Scotch Whisky Association not long ago”.
Earlier, home secretary Priti Patel said: “Reform of the civil service is a matter that gets discussed in government and obviously a big role like that is subject to the prime minister.”
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