thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-26--BBC Announces New Daytime Show Fronted By Kym Marsh And Gethin Jones

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The BBC has announced plans for its new daily daytime show, Morning Live, which will be fronted by Kym Marsh and Gethin Jones.
Morning Live will air on BBC One every weekday, occupying the slot after BBC Breakfast.
The show – billed as a morning version of The One Show – will start each morning at 9.15am, putting it against ITV’s Lorraine.
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Gethin, who is currently an occasional presenter on The One Show, said: “A presenting role on a morning show like this is a bit of a dream for me. What I’m most excited about is the opportunity to delve in to some of the biggest issues at the heart of our everyday lives right now.”
Gethin Jones Huw Fairclough via Getty Images
He added: “My parents have been shielding and my sister works in a hospital so, as is the case for lots of people, this year has been such a worry. For me, this show couldn’t come at a better time.
“I’m looking forward to working alongside Kym to bring viewers across the UK a much needed boost and of course the important information they need.”
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Kym – who first found fame as a member of the pop group Hear’Say, and more recently starred in Coronation Street – added: “I’ve always enjoyed morning TV, it’s a great way to start the day (with a cuppa in hand of course).
“I love nothing more than a good catch up, although this will be on a slightly different scale, more of a daily conversation with our lovely viewers.”
Kym Marsh David M. Benett via Getty Images
She also revealed: “I think variety is key so I’m really excited to work with Gethin and our fantastic guest presenters to bring the latest in lifestyle, health and consumer concerns.”
A BBC press release has promised that Morning Live will “put audiences at the heart of the conversation, with great company and expert advice from a team of presenters who will guide viewers through the mornings”.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-26--Brian May Says He's 'Turned A Corner' After Suffering A Heart Attack Earlier This Year

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Brian May has said he feels like he has his “sparkle back” after suffering a heart attack earlier this year.
Back in May, the Queen guitarist revealed he’d been rushed to hospital following what he described as a “small heart attack”, eventually having three stents put in his heart.
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During an appearance on Friday’s edition of The One Show, Brian gave presenters Alex Jones and Rylan Clark-Neal a health update, insisting he’s now on the mend.
So glad to hear that @DrBrianMay is on the mend! 💛#TheOneShow pic.twitter.com/lgrfn1xrED — BBC The One Show (@BBCTheOneShow) September 25, 2020
“I’m OK now. That’s all you need to know,” he explained. “I got hit pretty hard and pretty low. A series of medical incidents, I guess you could say. It takes you very low.”
He continued: “So I am now on physical exercise and cardio rehab and I think I am turning a corner. I feel like I have got my sparkle back, just in the last few days, actually.
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“But it has been a while. It was a tough one.”
Brian May Samir Hussein via Getty Images
Brian revealed to his fans that he’d had a heart attack shortly after detailing a severe injury to his buttocks.
He said at the time: “In the middle of the whole saga of the painful backside, I had a small heart attack.
“I say small, it’s not something that did me any harm, it was about 40 minutes of pain in my chest and tightness and that feeling in the arms, and sweating, you kinda know, you’ve heard, ‘is this a heart attack?’.”
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Brian has been a member of Queen since the early 1970s, and continued to perform with the group and guest vocalist Adam Lambert, including earlier this year, where they recreated their iconic Live Aid set at a benefit concert for the Australian bushfires crisis.
In 2018, he was portrayed by Gwilym Lee in the biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, which earned a Best Picture nomination at the Academy Awards, despite a mixed reception from critics.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-26--How One Female Business Has Been Affected By Lockdown

How One Female Business Has Been Affected By Lockdown
Julia Brightman’s catering business has had to drastically change its focus as lockdown hit the UK following the coronavirus pandemic. Julia’s story is similar to many female run businesses, with the owner forced to burden extra working hours and not taking much in way of a salary to keep the business afloat.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-26--Use Of 'Modern Day Asylums' For People With Autism Rises In Lockdown As Community Care Collapses

People with a learning disability and autism are being locked in “modern day asylums” following a collapse in community care over lockdown, a charity has warned.
Learning disability charity Mencap said that “huge reductions” in community social care during the pandemic has left many families at “crisis point” – and is leading to an increase in the number of people being admitted into assessment and treatment units (ATUs).
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NHS figures published this month reveal there were 2,100 people, including 220 children, in the specialist in-patient units in England at the end of August – up from 2,045 in April.
The increase comes despite a pledge by the government to halve the number by 2024, down from 2,890 people in 2015.
Mencap has warned that patients in these specialist hospitals are at risk of abuse and neglect, with separate NHS figures showing “restrictive interventions” – including physical restraint, chemical sedation and segregation – were used 3,860 times in June alone.
There are “massive concerns about violations of peoples’ human rights” in these inpatient units, said head of policy Dan Scorer.
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But a dramatic drop in community support since lockdown, including care in the home, day centres and respite care, means some families looking after a loved one with a learning disability or autism are being pushed to breaking point, he said.
A survey of family carers by Mencap revealed that 69% of people with a learning disability has had their social care cut during the pandemic.
A woman in her fifties told the charity how she had been left caring for her “very challenging and strong” 26-year-old son alone for more than 100 hours a week after a loss in community care during the pandemic.
“I am worn out and exhausted, my son is fully grown with the strength of ten men,” she said. “It has left me feeling depressed and forgotten.”
People with a learning disability or autism are some of the most vulnerable in society, Scorer said.
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He added: “Their families are trying to support someone who has got complex needs. If they don’t have the specialist input from professional teams in the community, then families can enter crisis where they feel they can’t cope anymore.
“And then we have the situation where inpatient admissions to mental health hospitals take place.”
Once admitted to these inpatient units, many people end up staying for years.
NHS data shows that more than half of the people with a learning disability or autism in hospital had been there for more than two years.
Photographer, Basak Gurbuz Derman via Getty Images
But it is not just people living with their families who are being affected by a drop off in community support during the pandemic.
One woman, who asked not to be named, described how her daughter had been “locked away” in inpatient units for almost 15 years.
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She was due to be discharged into a community placement in March – but “everything was put on hold” due to coronavirus.
“This came as a devastating blow to our family,” the mum said. “We had been planning for her next stage of life, for her to finally achieve a level of independence, and her freedom was almost in grasp.
“This has had a massive impact on my daughter. Not knowing when she will be coming home has led to her anxiety levels increasing.”
Lockdown meant the family were also unable to visit their daughter, who was only allowed to go for walks in the unit’s small courtyard.
Despite her daughter developing suspected coronavirus during lockdown, the woman said the hardest thing about the Covid-19 crisis has been “not having a discharge date we can look forward to”.
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“We hope that she will be out before her next birthday so that we can celebrate together, that’s all we can do to help keep us going,” she added.
Mencap has now called for an urgent funding boost from the government to prevent other families being pushed into crisis.
Scorer said: “We need to see central government stepping up and putting into place an emergency funding package and a long-term financial settlement for social care so local councils have the money they need to develop and deliver proper services that meet people’s needs.”
Meanwhile Jackie O’Sullivan, executive director of communications, added: “Over 2,000 people with a learning disability and/or autism are still locked up in modern day asylums.
“Change was already long overdue, and now Covid-19 has caused even more delays. While the pandemic is an unprecedented situation, it is no reason to allow human rights abuses to continue.”
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A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care told HuffPost UK: “We are committed to ensuring people with a learning disability and autistic people are supported to have the best possible quality of life in their community.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-26--Andrew Neil Announces He's Leaving The BBC After 25 Years

Long-serving BBC broadcaster Andrew Neil has announced that he is leaving the corporation after more than 25 years.
Earlier this year, it was announced that the 71-year-old’s politics programme would not be returning to our screens, amid job cuts at the BBC.
Although it was initially thought that Andrew would be remaining with the BBC despite his show being axed, he confirmed on Friday evening that this will not be the case, and he’ll instead be fronting a show on a new British channel, GB News, where he will also serve as chairman.
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“With heavy heart I announce I will be leaving the BBC,” he wrote on Twitter. “Despite sterling efforts by [the new director general] to come up with other programming opportunities, it could not quite repair damage done when Andrew Neil Show cancelled early summer + Politics Live taken off air.”
Andrew Neil PA
He continued: “I leave with no animosity or desire to settle scores. I look back on my 25 years doing live political programmes for the BBC with affection. And gratitude for brilliant colleagues at Millbank, who always made sure I went into the studio fully briefed and equipped for the fray.
“They were/are the best of the best. If they can make me look good, they can make anybody look good. There could have been a different outcome but for reasons too dull to adumbrate, we’ll leave it there. I wish the BBC and the new DG well. The BBC will always be special to me.”
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Andrew concluded: “As for the future, I’m delighted to announce I have accepted the post of Chairman of GB News, a new news channel to be launched early in the New Year bringing new perspectives to the news.
“I will also be presenting a new nightly prime-time show on GB News. Watch this space.”
Important thread (for me!): With heavy heart I announce I will be leaving the BBC. Despite sterling efforts by new DG to come up with other programming opportunities, it could not quite repair damage done when Andrew Neil Show cancelled early summer + Politics Live taken off air — Andrew Neil (@afneil) September 25, 2020
But I leave with no animosity or desire to settle scores. I look back on my 25 years doing live political programmes for the BBC with affection. And gratitude for brilliant colleagues at Millbank, who always made sure I went into the studio fully briefed and equipped for the fray — Andrew Neil (@afneil) September 25, 2020
They were/are the best of the best. If they can make me look good, they can make anybody look good. There could have been a different outcome but for reasons too dull to adumbrate, we’ll leave it there. I wish the BBC and the new DG well. The BBC will always be special to me. — Andrew Neil (@afneil) September 25, 2020
As for the future, I’m delighted to announce I have accepted the post of Chairman of GB News, a new news channel to be launched early in the New Year bringing new perspectives to the news. I will also be presenting a new nightly prime-time show on GB News. Watch this space. — Andrew Neil (@afneil) September 25, 2020
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When one Twitter user suggested that GB News could be the UK equivalent of the right-wing US news broadcaster Fox News, he hit back: “GB News will NOT be Fox News. But, of course, it suits you to claim it. We don’t don’t care.”
GB News will NOT be Fox News. But, of course, it suits you to claim it. We don’t don’t care. https://t.co/WN6qx3anZl — Andrew Neil (@afneil) September 25, 2020
A BBC spokesperson said in a statement: “We’d like to give our heartfelt thanks to Andrew for his many years of work for the BBC, during which he’s informed and entertained millions of viewers.
“From his early broadcasting days on Despatch Box in the 1990s to his recent forensic and agenda-setting political interviews, he has proved a formidable and hugely talented broadcaster.
“For years, he was at the heart of the irreverent and much-loved This Week and played a key role in the Daily and Sunday Politics, Politics Live and the BBC’s general election coverage.
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“We wish Andrew every success in his new role; we’re sorry the US election coverage will be his last BBC presentation work for the foreseeable future but he will always be welcome at the BBC.”
Thank you for these most gracious sentiments. I reciprocate entirely. Indeed have just tweeted to that effect. With a tear in my eye, bye! PS You forgot Midnight Hour! https://t.co/1DOZeocnPv — Andrew Neil (@afneil) September 25, 2020
Although he insisted his initial statement that he was leaving with “no animosity”, he did go on to retweet a number of messages from his supporters criticising the BBC, including one which read: “Those of us who warned that the BBC will destroy itself by embracing wokeness are being proven right.”
Those of us who warned that the BBC will destroy itself by embracing wokeness are being proven right.
The loss of @afneil is irreparable. The loss of an impartial national broadcaster is worse still. https://t.co/a6tEpQEyuj — Konstantin Kisin (@KonstantinKisin) September 25, 2020
.@afneil is the best in the business. The BBC used to be, too, and I for one wish it still were. But Andrew will be brilliant wherever he goes, so the new GB News will be a must-watch for me. All the best Andrew 💪 — Adam Tomkins MSP (@ProfTomkins) September 25, 2020
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Despite airing for less than a year, The Andrew Neil Show played an outsized part in last year’s General Election, when Boris Johnson infamously refused to appear after Jeremy Corbyn was mauled on the show.
Andrew even went so far as to issue a challenge to the PM to commit to an interview with him in a powerful straight-to-camera monologue.
In the key section of his message, the BBC presenter said the theme running through the questions he would ask is “trust”, and why “in so many times in his career, critics and sometimes even those close to him, have deemed him to be untrustworthy”.
Johnson never did accept the chance to be scrutinised by Andrew Neil, and infamously even hid in a fridge to avoid being questioned by a reporter for ITV’s Good Morning Britain.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-26--Why Lockdown Hit Female-Owned Businesses The Hardest

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Just five weeks into their brand new business, Natalie Hartley and Pia McKenary found themselves having to completely overhaul their entire model. Coronavirus and the national lockdown had meant their sparkling new refill shop and cafe would suddenly have to transform into online orders and deliveries.
But there was another major factor in the mix too: Five children, all under the age of eight, who were all now stuck at home.
“It was a struggle, a massive struggle really,” Hartley told HuffPost UK.
“I was homeschooling my children, who are five and seven, all day and then working on the business until 2am most nights, trying to keep it all going.
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And they were not alone.
Female entrepreneurs have been disproportionately hit by Covid-19.
Research published by Iwoca, one of Europe’s largest lenders to small businesses, in August found that 23% of women-owned businesses were still closed following the lockdown – compared to just 14% of male-owned enterprises.
Despite contributing some £85bn to the UK economy, women-led small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have been disproportionately impacted by Covid-19. The reasons why exactly are complex – with the virus hitting many sectors dominated by women, such as the beauty industry, particularly hard, and women taking on homeschooling and additional caring duties as schools closed.
A UCL study, released in July, revealed that women spent more than double as much time as men on their children’s home schooling and development during lockdown.
Mothers with primary school-aged children were also “considerably more likely” to have given up working than fathers with children of the same age, it was found in the same research.
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Natalie Hartley and Pia McKenary, who run The Pantry at 51 in Prestwood, Buckinghamshire, had to self-build a website that would allow them to start a click-and-collect framework for their zero-waste shop, while also juggling the sudden demands of homeschooling.
“The kids had Google classrooms on the laptop but they had no idea, they’ve never worked a laptop before so I was there all the time,” Hartley explains. “Suddenly I was juggling both [home schooling and the business] full on, all day.
“The stress, the tiredness, we were both exhausted. We both got ill afterwards, and I think the children probably didn’t get the attention they deserved from me because I was trying to balance both.
“It would have been good to have been able to give just one thing 100%, but it was 50/50 constantly which was so tough.”
The Iwoca figures, gathered from a survey of more than 450 businesses, also show that 60% of female entrepreneurs said they wouldn’t take time off in the next year, with 47% of men saying the same.
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And 42% of women who own businesses said they do not intend to take a salary in the next 12 months, compared with 38% of men.
Julia Brightman set up a catering business, run from home in Bedford, three years ago, and specialises in serving vintage afternoon teas. Overnight Covid-19 wiped out her usual business as parties, weddings and conferences were cancelled.
Having previously had cancer, Brightman was particularly vulnerable to the virus and so shielded for the first months of the crisis. Her emergency government grant came to just £108.
Julia Brightman, owner of Creme Brew Lait Julia Brightman
Faced with total disruption to her future income, she was forced to reimagine her business – and what started out as the delivery of gingerbreads by post for Easter has now transformed into the development of Covid-safe ordering system for treat boxes.
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“All the time I was having to think ‘what can I do, what can I do, what can I do?’” she said. “I’ve just had to do whatever I can really to keep it going.
“I would normally have other people helping me out, but with social distancing I couldn’t do that so I really had to diversify.
“I’m not the main breadwinner in my household but we do rely on my income too. At the point of lockdown I didn’t have any reserves, and all the time I was thinking about my daughter going to university which obviously is a very costly experience. I had to keep the wage coming in.”
Interior architect Marie-Noelle Swiderski, who is based London but works internationally, told HuffPost UK that while the impacts of Covid-19 had been felt relatively evenly across her industry in terms of gender, more women had been impacted as they still make up the majority of the sector.
She said: “Interior design is still quite female dominated, and I’m in touch with a lot of my peers – either because we’re ex-colleagues or studied together or whatever.
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Marie-Noelle Swiderski Marie-Noelle Swiderski
“A lot of them remained super busy and it’s hard to gauge why and what makes their clientele different from another designer’s. But while some have never been so busy, others are at complete zero and are really concerned about how they’re going to manage.”
As founder of the Athena Network, an international networking and business development club open exclusively to women, Jacqueline Rogers said she had seen firsthand the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on female entrepreneurs.
“If they [the business owner] have children, then nine times out of 10 they are the ones who have been responsible for them. It’s like responsibility has been abdicated and ‘you’re the mum, you’re the better at home schooling, you’re the one who makes all the decisions, cooking, ironing, all of those sorts of things’.
“It has really impacted their business because of the number of hours they can then work during the day, so they’re working during the night. For those of them who are not willing to give up on their business they’re having to wait until the children go to bed.
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“Quite often their partners have their feet up in the evening, doing whatever they normally do, and the mum, the housekeeper, the teacher, is going on to run their business in the evening.”
While the country has moved away from the full lockdown seen in spring and non-essential business are now allowed to open (though with heavy measures and, in some cases, curfews in place), female entrepreneurs are still struggling with the aftermath.
Rogers said: “Although we have seen things opening up, that doesn’t stop the emotional impact on people. It’s not easy to pivot a business overnight, it’s not easy to set one up in the first place – any business can take from 18 months to three years to start flourishing.
“All of a sudden that business that was flourishing has had to change, and they’ve had to take into consideration all the other things.”
But, Rogers explained, the impact hasn’t been entirely negative, and in many cases entrepreneurs have been pushed to reconsider how they work. She said: “Better boundaries are being put in places, so maybe they were put upon when it came to all the additional responsibility and now it’s like ‘no, that’s not how it’s going to continue – in the future this is how it’s going to work.’
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“That might be that they’re leaving, or the husband has got to leave, or that they have to divide the responsibility more equally between them.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-26--Trump Reportedly Set To Nominate Amy Coney Barrett To Supreme Court

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Donald Trump plans to nominate Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court on Saturday. The judge is a favourite of social conservatives who, if confirmed, will be the youngest justice on the court and could reshape the nation’s laws for decades.
CNN, CBS and PBS reported Barrett as Trump’s pick on Friday. Barrett was widely seen as the front-runner to fill the seat that opened when Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died on September 18, and she was on the short list to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy in 2018. That seat ultimately went to now-Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
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Barrett, 48, has been a judge on the US Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit – which covers cases in Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin – since 2017.
She taught for 15 years at Notre Dame Law School in Indiana, and before that, clerked for the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
Civil and human rights groups strongly opposed Barrett’s nomination to her current court seat over her views on a range of issues.
US Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit Judge Amy Coney Barrett, a law professor at Notre Dame University, poses in an undated photograph obtained from Notre Dame University Sept.19, 2020. Matt Cashore/Notre Dame University/Handout via REUTERS
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During her 2017 Senate confirmation, 17 women’s rights groups wrote to committee members urging them to oppose Barrett for her record of having “expressly opposed reproductive and women’s rights.” They cited a 2003 article by Barrett in which she refers to Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision ensuring women’s access to abortion, as an “erroneous decision.” Their letter also notes that Barrett signed a public “statement of protest” against the Affordable Care Act’s birth control benefit, referring to the policy as an “assault on religious liberty.”
More than two dozen LGBTQ rights groups raised concerns about Barrett wavering on the idea of landmark LGBTQ rights decisions qualifying as “superprecedents” ― decisions so important they should not be overturned. They also note she took a speaking fee from the Alliance Defending Freedom, a nonprofit that has defended forced sterilisation for transgender people and been dubbed a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Centre.
Barrett responded by saying she didn’t know Alliance Defending Freedom is the largest anti-LGBTQ legal advocacy group in the nation. As for abortion rights, she said her personal views on the precedent set by Roe v. Wade would not affect her decisions as a federal judge.
Barrett has been tied to a small Christian group called People of Praise that until recently referred to its female leaders as “handmaids” ― evoking comparisons to Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel “The Handmaid’s Tale.” People of Praise describes itself as a “charismatic” Christian community, referring to a form of Christianity that believes that supernatural occurrences ― such as prophecy, miraculous healing and speaking in tongues ― can occur in people’s daily lives through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Like so many of Trump’s nominees to lifetime federal court seats, Barrett is a member of the Federalist Society, a conservative legal organisation that has essentially served as a pipeline for many of the president’s court picks. Both of Trump’s other Supreme Court picks, Neil Gorsuch and Kavanaugh, are members of the group.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-26--Amy Coney Barrett Is Trump's Likely Supreme Court Pick. Here's What We Know About Her.

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Judge Amy Coney Barrett is Donald Trump’s likely pick for a Supreme Court seat to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Following Ginsburg’s death last week, Trump said he plans to install a new Supreme Court justice just weeks away from the November 3 presidential election.
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Multiple outlets reported Friday that Barrett, a conservative judge who has been on the US Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit – which covers cases in Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin – since 2017, is Trump’s likely pick to fill the spot.
The 48-year-old judge and mother of seven would be the youngest justice on the court if she is nominated. Here’s what we know about her:
She has been tied to a religious group that called female leaders “handmaids.”
Barrett has been, and may still be, a member of People of Praise, a group that describes itself as a “charismatic” Christian community and that previously referred to its female leaders as “handmaids.” This prompted comparisons to Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel “The Handmaid’s Tale,” in which women are enslaved.
At the time the comparisons surfaced, People of Praise, which believes in miraculous healing and speaking in tongues, claimed the term came from a Bible verse. The group no longer uses it.
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A photograph and other references to Barrett were scrubbed from People of Praise’s website after Trump nominated her to the 7th Circuit in 2017, The New York Times reported, and the group declined to say whether Barrett was still a member.
She called Roe v. Wade an “erroneous decision.”
Barrett said the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision ensuring women’s access to abortion was an “erroneous decision” in a 2003 article.
Ginsburg, on the other hand, had long stood in favour of the ruling, defending women’s right to choose since her confirmation to the bench in 1993. Following the justice’s death, conservatives signalled they would work to reverse the landmark decision, should they confirm a new conservative judge to the bench.
During Barrett’s 2017 Senate confirmation, more than a dozen women’s rights groups wrote to Judiciary Committee members urging them to oppose Barrett for her record of having “expressly opposed reproductive and women’s rights,” citing her 2003 article.
Barrett did, however, follow Supreme Court precedent last year in voting to uphold a Chicago law shielding women entering abortion clinics from unwelcome interactions with protesters and counsellors, according to The New York Times.
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She took a speaking fee from a group that believes in forced sterilisation for transgender people.
A 2017 letter signed by more than 20 LGBTQ groups opposed Barrett’s nomination to the 7th Circuit, saying her record on “civil rights issues are fundamentally at odds with the notion that LGBT people entitled to equality, liberty, justice and dignity under the law.”
The letter cited a speaking fee Barrett took from Alliance Defending Freedom, the largest anti-LGBTQ legal advocacy group in the nation. The ADF has defended forced sterilisation for transgender people and has been dubbed a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Centre.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-26--5 Coronavirus Fibs You Were Told This Week

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Hello, and welcome to a special coronavirus edition of 5 Fibs.
If you read that intro and are still expecting to see something not wholly depressing, please say hello to this puppy then turn around and exit the article.
We only rate dogs. Unfortunately this is a tiny house hippo. Please send dogs. Thank you... 13/10 pic.twitter.com/CpuKqdnHxi — WeRateDogs® (@dog_rates) August 21, 2020
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Still here? OK, let’s begin...
The false positives debacle
Our first fib comes courtesy of journalists Julia Hartley-Brewer and Toby Young who, along with a few others, promoted the apparently alarming statistic that 91% of coronavirus tests in the UK are “false positives”.
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT: Matt Hancock told me on @talkRADIO that the False Positive Rate of Covid tests in the community is "under 1%". Sounds good, doesn't it? WRONG!
An FPR of 0.8% when the virus prevalence is so low means that at least 91% of "Covid cases" are FALSE POSITIVES. https://t.co/f2Z85Lj4cj — Julia Hartley-Brewer (@JuliaHB1) September 18, 2020
Obviously this would be quite alarming if true – it would basically mean the pandemic isn’t really a pandemic and we’ve all been sitting in our homes under various forms of restrictions for months all for no reason.
But it isn’t true. You can read about it in detail here but it’s a bit lengthy so in short, Young and Hartely-Brewer are basing their wild claims on one article written by someone who got their maths a bit muddled.
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Alas, they have yet to retract their claims and out in the real world it’s having an actual effect on the country’s ability to fight the pandemic.
A tier-2 contact-tracer (tougher-to-reach cases) just told me they're finding people citing the false positive rate back at them when justifying why they shouldn't self-isolate. Obviously, it's the moronic mAthS trUthErs who've just discovered Bayes, rather than a real thing. — Chris Cook (@xtophercook) September 24, 2020
Dominic Raab and ‘consistency’
On Wednesday Dominic Raab claimed the four UK nations have overwhelmingly taken a “consistent” approach to making decisions on how to tackle coronavirus.
Now we can’t be certain, but it would appear Raab is unaware of a little something called the historical record.
Armed with some tidbits from aforementioned record, Welsh first minister Mark Drakeford appeared on Sky News shortly after and preceded to dismantle the claim with the calm precision of a neurosurgeon.
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He said: “Of course, we have done things differently in Wales, more cautiously, more slowly and answered many questions over the last few months about whether we should have done things more quickly.
“I think we’re glad now that we didn’t because in Wales I don’t need to take a number of the measures the PM had to announce for England yesterday because we’ve never been in that position.
“We’ve always had a policy of encouraging people to work from home wherever they can and we don’t need to go into reverse because that’s always been our policy.”
The four nations have also been out of step on a number of other major decisions:
In May, Nicola Sturgeon asked the UK government not deploy its new “stay alert” message north of the border.
In June, England published a list of countries on so-called “travel corridors” for holidaymakers. Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales did not immediately follow suit, describing the move as “shambolic”.
Scotland introduced mandatory face masks in shops on 10 July with England only following suit 13 days later
The PM and NHS Test and Trace
Wednesday was a big day for fibs, as Boris Johnson claimed testing and tracing has “very little or nothing to do with the spread and transmission” of coronavirus.
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Again, that pesky historical record returns to bite the government on its collective Tory bottom because in May, when it was first touted, that very same collection of bottoms said it would “help identify, contain and control coronavirus, reduce the spread of the virus and save lives”.
And that’s it for this entry. Short, sweet and still managed to get the word “bottom” in three times.
Bottom. Four.
The PM, again
Tuesday saw what has quickly become a portent of varying levels of doom as Johnson addressed the nation and invited everyone to live round his gaff when he said “we will get through this winter together”.
OK, that bit isn’t strictly accurate, but he did say this: “When the sickness took hold in this country in March, we pulled together in a spirit of national sacrifice and community. We followed the guidance to the letter. We stayed at home, protected the NHS, and saved thousands of lives.”
Just read that again. Yes, it does contain the words “we followed the guidance to the letter”.
Now one can only assume the PM is referring to the Great British Public and in no way including his own circle of colleagues and advisors which includes a certain Mr Cummings, who only followed the guidance to the letter after days of squirming and reinterpretation of exactly just which letters they were.
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Cummings was under intense pressure to resign after he drove some 260 miles to Durham and made another trip to the town of Barnard Castle while there during lockdown in March. He refused to resign and stuck to his decision. To the letter. Trump
And so we come to our regular glance across the Atlantic to see what absolute nonsense President Trump has uttered this week and, even by his own standards, this week’s is quite something.
Speaking at a definitely-not-Covid-secure rally in Ohio, he said coronavirus only affects “elderly people with heart problems and other problems.”
He added: “That’s what it really affects. That’s it.”
"It affects virtually nobody," Trump says of the coronavirus, which has now killed 200,000 Americans and counting pic.twitter.com/qHrZvUWNhX — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 22, 2020
According to the CDC, some 400,000 people under the age of 18 have been infected with the coronavirus. While many cases were mild or even without symptoms, at least 576 patients under the age of 18 were hospitalised for the infection between March and July.
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The president’s comments also contradicted his own past statements.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-26--Four Reasons Why NHS Test And Trace Isn't Working

NHS Test and Trace is vital in the fight against coronavirus – but it’s not working.
Now the long-awaited Covid-19 app has finally arrived, we take a look at what’s gone wrong with the system that aims to reduce the spread of coronavirus.
It’s not testing enough
The UK’s Pillar 1 testing for hospital inpatients and health and care workers, for which results are analysed at NHS and Public Health England labs, appears to be meeting demand. The problem lies with Pillar 2 testing, which focuses on testing people in the community – at local drive-in and walk-in sites.
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In recent weeks stories have abounded of people unable to access tests, being told there are no appointments available at centres in England and no home tests kits available either. In some cases people were told to travel hundreds of miles and wait in long queues at testing sites.
One whistleblower told HuffPost UK they were working at a testing centre where work was running at a fraction of capacity, saying: “We’re supposed to turn people around and say we’re too busy, but we’re not busy.”
Last week it was revealed up to three quarters of a million Covid test requests are going unanswered every day.
Government statistics published last week said 25% of people getting Covid tests between September 8 and 14 had to travel thirteen miles or more, with 5% having to travel 47 miles or more to get tested.
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Dido Harding, chair of NHS Test and Trace, has defended testing failures by saying there was an “unexpected” surge in demand, with many people without symptoms said to be seeking checks.
It’s not quick enough
A fast turnaround for test results is crucial to tackling the spread of Covid-19. The government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) has stressed the importance of delivering rapid test results, ideally within 24 hours.
Boris Johnson has previously told parliament that he wanted a 100% completion rate by the end of June, but that ambition has never been met.
Latest official figures showed that between September 10 and 16 just one in 10 Covid tests met the PM’s own target of being completed within 24 hours.
The median time taken to receive a test result at regional test sites increased to 30 hours from 27 hours in the previous week. Similarly, mobile testing units increased to 31 hours up from 26 hours. Times for results from local test sites decreased slightly to 34 hours from 35 hours during the same period.
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Crucially, the total number of test results processed decreased by 19% compared to the previous week.
Government insiders have said this was more about results taking longer to be communicated to people, rather than a fall in tests being processed.
It isn’t tracing
At the centre of all the concerns surrounding NHS Test and Trace are questions about how many people are actually being reached by contact tracers.
Figures from just two weeks ago showed just 69.2% of those “close contacts” – defined as being within two metres of a Covid carrier for more than 15 minutes – are actually being reached.
The PM’s independent scientific advisers have repeatedly warned that stopping the spread of the disease requires more than 80% of “close contacts” of people with Covid reached by the system to be identified and then told to self-isolate.
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The statistics for the week up to September 2 were the lowest weekly percentage since the service launched in May.
Latest figures show the percentage of “close contacts” of those who test positive edged up 73.9% to 74.7% – but is still well short of the 80% that experts say is needed to make the service viable.
The public doesn’t trust it
As we’ve already mentioned, at least seven million people will need to download the new NHS Test and Trace Covid app for it to start reducing the spread of the virus.
Considering there are 49 million people over the age of 16 eligible to use the app in England and Wales, that would mean a minimum of 15% of the population need to install the app for it to make any “meaningful impact” on the reproduction or R rate of the virus.
This could be a challenging task. Social media is currently awash with people voicing concerns and refusing to download the app because they’re concerned about their data and privacy regarding the NHS Test and Trace Covid-19 app. But here’s why those privacy concerns are overblown.
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There has also been widespread public anger over ministers and government officials breaching Covid lockdown restrictions, reinforcing the “one rule for them, another for everyone else” argument as the rest of the country toes the line.
Just this week Tory MP Danny Kruger was caught out by a member of the public travelling unmasked for the entire duration of an hour-long train journey, later claiming he “quite simply forgot”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-26--Quarantined Books And Confusion: Teachers Reveal What It’s Like Inside Schools Right Now

From cleaning and sanitising all equipment in between classes to quarantining books before they can mark them, teachers have admitted the demands of teaching in a coronavirus era has massively increased their workload.
“We are all just dazed,” one teacher admitted.
Another revealed: “Teaching is a very full-on job at the best of times, but now there is literally no breathing space.”
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“Testing is a major issue,” Vic Goddard, principal at Passmores Academy in Essex who featured in the Channel 4 programme Educating Essex, told HuffPost UK.
“It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that when you put 1,500 children and staff into the same building, they are going to catch things.”
Vic Goddard, principal at Passmores Academy in Essex Vic Goddard
Goddard said the usual germs that fly around after the summer break are hitting staff and pupils now, but the fear is they could be symptoms of coronavirus – so it is hitting staffing levels.
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“I have staff who probably have colds,” explained Goddard. “But the guidance is if you have signs which could be coronavirus symptoms, isolate until you have a negative test.
“If too many teachers are off, staffing is affected and we’d have to get supply teachers in and the learning isn’t the same for the children. It is also going to lead to year groups closing down.”
Goddard says that parents view teachers as being in a position of authority in the community and look to them for advice surrounding the constantly changing coronavirus guidance.
““Parents are anxious and clueless about when they should or shouldn’t send their children into school. It is confusing and I constantly have to read the guidance to double-check."” - Vic Goddard, principal at Passmores Academy in Essex
But he admitted it is confusing even for them. “Parents are anxious and clueless about when they should or shouldn’t send their children into school,” he said.
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“It is confusing and I constantly have to read the guidance to double-check.
“Parents want to do the right thing. But when they can’t get a test, they don’t know what to do and are keeping their children off school.”
Goddard told HuffPost UK that stress and anxiety levels among teachers are high as they take on extra duties to ensure school can operate safely.
“At the start of every lesson, they are overseeing cleaning and making sure everything is sanitised. There is a real element of vigilance and teachers are on high alert with no off switches.
“Teaching is a very full-on job at the best of times, but now there is literally no breathing space.”
Halfpoint via Getty Images
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Goddard says that while schools have done everything asked of them – such as getting all children and staff back in, the government has failed to keep its side of the bargain.
“We are not getting the things we asked for,” he said. “We need the basics in place and can’t survive without that backing.”
Goddard added that teachers at his school were providing extra catch-up lessons for children after school – and they weren’t asking for any extra money for doing it.
“It is humbling to see. Staff are doing it for the children. It’s the job and it’s what we do.”
Francine Beckett, head of modern languages at Carr Hill High School in Kirkham, Lancashire, told HuffPost UK that this is her 29th year of teaching – and it is the most overwhelmed she has ever felt.
“I am finding it all overwhelming – but it’s not the teaching that is difficult; it’s everything else before you can even begin to teach.”
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Francine Beckett, head of modern languages at Carr Hill High School in Lancashire Francine Beckett
Beckett described how teachers are changing classrooms all the time to restrict the movement of children and keeping pupils in their bubbles.
For the language teacher, this means spending an extra hour a day moving between classes with all her resources and logging into different computers into several applications.
“Physically, it is overwhelming and hectic,” she admitted. “You are always on the back foot and rushing around.”
Beckett explained schools are trying to limit the movement of pupils as much as possible so are having many lessons in double blocks. However, she admits two hours is “not a good length of time for anyone to concentrate.”
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“It is difficult when you are standing at the front of the classroom and cannot wander around and peer over the children’s shoulders and do the activities you would normally do,” she said.
“We also have an issue where if we take books in for marking, we have to quarantine them for 48 hours before we can touch them to mark them.
“You then have to try and remember which classes they are from and make sure no one else touches them.”
““Physically, it is overwhelming and hectic.You are always on the back foot and rushing around.”” - Francine Beckett, head of modern languages at Carr Hill High School in Lancashire
As well as having extra duties supervising pupils at break times, Beckett says every time she leaves a classroom, she makes sure she sanitises the keyboard and mouse ready for the next teacher.
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One of the hardest things she says, is not being able to socialise with colleagues as they know if they unknowingly passed on the virus to each other, the impact on staffing would be catastrophic.
“We are absolutely worn out and overwhelmed, but we can’t let our hair down and socialise together due to the risks of coronavirus,” said Beckett. “Everyone is desperately trying to keep everyone safe.”
On top of the normal teaching, Beckett says they have plans in place for live lessons for those who are isolating. And at the back of her mind, she has to plan in case a whole year group is sent home. “We are all just dazed,” she admitted.
Beckett said the attitude of pupils has been heartening as they have coped and adapted “amazingly well” to all the changes.
“While this is the most overwhelmed I have felt since teaching, it’s not the teaching itself which is the issue – it’s the things that are completely out of our control.”
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Chris Wardle, deputy head teacher at St George’s Secondary School in Blackpool, who teaches science, told HuffPost UK the best thing since the full return to school has been the attitude of the pupils and how they have embraced the changes – including the wearing of masks in corridors.
“There is a real passion for learning and the children have really knuckled down after the loss of learning during the lockdown.
“There are challenges such as keeping two metres away from pupils and not being able to sit down next to them to explain things to them. But we are combatting this by using visualisers on a big screen to work through problems with them.”
Chris Wardle, deputy head teacher at St George’s Secondary School in Blackpool Chris Wardle
Wardle said while there are extra duties such as making sure desks are cleaned and that pupils regularly apply hand sanitiser and enter through the correct routes, he feels coping with the crisis has united the school.
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“Pupils can see that the teachers and senior leaders in the school are in control. If they saw them running around like headless chickens, they would feel insecure.”
One secondary school teacher, who did not wish to be named, told HuffPost UK she was delighted to be back at school. “Being back in the classroom is a much happier place for me and where I feel more effective teaching can take place.” she said.
“I think it’s healthy having schools back operating and the pupils are in good routines and having that familiarity and interaction with other children and staff.
“There are extra duties and responsibilities. But we just pull together and do it as we want it to work and for schools to stay open.
Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, told HuffPost UK that teachers across the country are committed to making the wider re-opening of schools work – but are “holding their breath preparing for the worst.”
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““Teachers already work the most unpaid overtime of any profession.The average working week is 55 hours."” - Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union
She says the lack of a proper testing system is deeply concerning and is making life extremely difficult when it comes to the staffing of schools, particularly in secondary schools.
She says they have also had reports from teachers about how exhausted they are finding keeping abreast of all the extra demands.
“Teachers already work the most unpaid overtime of any profession.” she said. “The average working week is 55 hours.
“But now they are physically exhausted too as the constant movement in schools is a real challenge and is making a difficult job even harder.
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Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union National Education Union
“In addition to the increasing workload, there is a feeling of isolation as many staff rooms are closed. Teaching is a very collegiate profession and getting support from your colleagues after a difficult lesson is very important.”
Bousted criticised the government for failing to give teachers the conditions to make them confident of a whole school return amid the pandemic being a long term prospect.
“This government has continued to be woefully underprepared with an: ‘It’ll be alright on the night’ attitude.
“Teachers needed things like an increase in school sizes by using public buildings and a fully functioning test, track and isolate service to approach anything like normality.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-26--Amanda Holden Reveals The Two Very Good Reasons Why She Wouldn’t Ever Do Strictly Come Dancing

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Anyone hoping to see Amanda Holden strutting her stuff on Strictly Come Dancing shouldn’t hold their breath.
The Britain’s Got Talent judge has two very good reasons for not appearing on the BBC dance show.
“It’s too much like hard work,” she tells HuffPost UK. “Also, I think Simon [Cowell]… no. Even though we all love it and watch it, including Simon, it’s our biggest rival show.”
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However, Amanda, who releases her debut album Songs from My Heart next week, hasn’t completely ruled out making an appearance.
“I would 100 percent do the Christmas special and would 100 percent go and sing on there,” she says. “But I love watching it.”
Amanda Holden SIPA USA/PA Images
However, there are still lots of things left on the 49-year-old star’s bucket list.
“I’d love to learn to fly,” she says. “I want to fly a plane. I’m very jealous of Carol Vorderman. But you do have to be really clever, so I don’t know. I might just have to stick to a simulator. And I’d really like to be in a Bollywood movie.”
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And if none of that happens, we could see Amanda returning to the stage with a few familiar faces in tow.
“I actually said to Alesha [Dixon] the other week that me and her would be the perfect Roxie and Velma in Chicago,” she says. “I would never do a takeover though, but I would do a proper… you know if they started again fresh and made a big fuss about it, then I’d do it [laughs].
“David could be Mr Cellophane and Simon could be Billy Flynn the lawyer. We’re perfectly cast for Chicago!”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-26--Has The Pandemic Turned You Into A 'Shouty' Parent? Read This.

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Are you a ‘shouty parent’? If you’re anything like me, the honest answer is... sometimes. I try my hardest not to be, but I’ll confess, I do end up shouting up the stairs to get my children’s attention.
It’s mostly when I’ve asked them five or six times to put their shoes on for school, or brush their teeth – or to tell them again that dinner is ready.
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I always regret it, and I resolve at the end of every day to be a better parent the next morning. But it’s been harder during the pandemic to keep my cool all the time. Like everybody else, I’m at the end of my tether – particularly after six months of trying to work from home while homeschooling.
Prostock-Studio via Getty Images
I’m not alone, either. Social media is awash with distraught parents confessing they’ve found themselves losing their temper with their kids (and wishing they hadn’t). It’s also full of people witnessing parents shouting, and feeling bad for both the kids and the grown-ups.
“I wonder if it’s a sign of stress due to the pandemic,” one dad tweeted. “I’ve noticed parents shouting at their kids a lot more when I’m out with mine.”
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Norland nanny and maternity nurse, Louenna Hood, who runs Nanny Louenna, tells HuffPost UK being confined to the house for long periods of time with no breaks – as we’ve all experienced during lockdown – definitely makes tensions rise. “When you can’t see an end in sight to something, your anxieties rise and ultimately make you less tolerant and more likely to shout,” she says.
While it’s natural to feel guilty for shouting afterwards, she says what’s important is recognising when we’re feeling like this and working on ways to “stay calm and see the bigger picture”.
So, as we face further lockdown restrictions, and with the threat of a second national lockdown due to a rising number of Covid-19 cases in recent weeks, what can parents and carers do to keep their cool? Hood gives us her tips.
Take a deep breath.
“Sometimes, just giving yourself two breaths before reacting can avoid a rash shouty reply,” Hood recommends. “When things get stressful, say to yourself ‘will this matter in a year’s time?’ If the answer is no, there’s no point stressing.”
Reset the day.
“If everything seems too much and your children are running around or arguing, explain in a nice way that everyone is having some time out – the whole family,” Hood says.
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“Everyone can go to their own area and do something quietly for 20 minutes. Whether this is playing alone in their bedroom, or sitting on the sofa with a book. Having a moment of calm will help your feeling of being overwhelmed.”
Go for a walk.
“Being outside and in the fresh air can really clear your head,” says Hood. “Children have the freedom to run and shout without the confinement of the house which allows them to let off steam.”
Leave yourself plenty of time to get to places.
“There’s nothing more stressful than being late and trying to get children organised!” she says.
Keep children informed.
“Tell your kids about plans for the day so they aren’t surprised or unprepared for what’s going to happen,” adds Hood. “Saying, ‘In half an hour, we’re going to go to XYZ, so if you need the loo or to pack anything then now’s the time to get ready’, is much better than, ‘hurry up, we’re late and we’re meant to be at XYZ, quick get ready!’”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-26--'I've Enjoyed The Madness Of It': Amanda Holden On Making Music And Memories In A Year We'd All Rath

'I've Enjoyed The Madness Of It': Amanda Holden On Making Music And Memories In A Year We'd All Rather Forget

Amanda Holden’s laugh should be prescribed on the NHS.
Her filthy cackle peppers our chat on an otherwise dreary Thursday lunchtime, and suddenly it feels like it’s 2019 again and all is well in the world.
It’s not, of course, but try telling Amanda that. Her giddiness ahead of the release of her debut album is palpable.
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“I’m nervous and I’m excited,” she screams, although it sounds like it’s definitely more of the latter.
“Next Saturday I’m singing live on Britain’s Got Talent so that’ll be when I really pull on my brown trousers,” she laughs. “It’s a big old week, let’s say that.”
It certainly is, even by Amanda’s standards.
While a large proportion of us have spent the last six months struggling to do much more than watch endless boxsets, Amanda has been co-presenting the Heart Breakfast Show every day, filming Britain’s Got Talent and providing us with plenty of lockdown laughs after discovering TikTok.
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“I’ve been one of the lucky ones because I’ve worked throughout it, so I’ve had a reason to get up in the morning and put on a lash and my lipgloss,” she says.
“I’ve enjoyed TikTok and the madness of 2020 and trying to keep everyone’s peckers up. I’ve enjoyed the silly aspect of it. I mowed my lawn in a wedding dress and put the bins out in a ball gown and I’ve got a hot tub! I’ve actually got two hot tubs. I’m like John Prescott! It’s the two-metre thing. There’s the Covid one and mine,” she cackles.
She’s also managed to record her first album, which has already had the seal of approval from her fellow Britain’s Got Talent judges.
“Simon was hugely flattering and unnervingly nice,” Amanda tells me. “As was David, bless his heart. Again when David gave his opinion I was waiting for the joke and it didn’t come. And Alesha was brilliantly encouraging and wonderfully complimentary.”
Songs From The Heart is just that, a collection of 13 musical theatre classics, including I Dreamed A Dream and Somewhere Over The Rainbow, all chosen by Amanda herself.
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“Throughout my life they’ve always been prominent and personal and have inspired me or I’ve kind of related to the lyrics. So there’s a story behind every single song,” she says. “It makes me look back rather than forward.”
Amanda personally selected all of the songs on her debut album. Universal
We’re all feeling pretty nostalgic at the moment, but when I suggest her next album should follow the current disco resurgence led by the likes of Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrus and Jessie Ware, she’s already one step ahead of me.
“I actually said, fucking hell, if we go into another lockdown I think everyone needs disco,” she says. “I think what I’ll do is talk to my BFF Kylie and we’ll do one together. Can you imagine?”
I can, but warn her that the world would probably combust into glitter, which might not be a bad thing.
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She adds: “I’ll never forget when I took [daughters] Hollie and Lexie to go and see Kylie’s Christmas show and she was like, ‘mummy, there are so many men with beards here!’”
She’s howling again.
Her delightfully unfiltered personality is rare to find in a celebrity as well known as Amanda.
“I’m always the person who falls over in dog poo,” she says. “And I’m always the person who gets shat on by a seagull.
“How I measure my partner’s love for me is ‘will he wash out my pooey pants?’ If they say no, that’s it, it’s not true love. Thankfully my husband said he would do that - and I think he probably has!”
Her lack of filter is also one of the reasons why she’s still a judge on Britain’s Got Talent, 13 years after taking a seat next to the notoriously fickle Simon Cowell on the very first series back in 2007.
The Britain's Got Talent judges (L-R) David Walliams, Amanda Holden, Simon Cowell and Alesha Dixon. ITV/Shutterstock
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This year, ITV’s light entertainment show didn’t feel quite as light for a time after Diversity’s powerful performance resulted in over 20,000 people complaining to Ofcom.
The TV regulator has since dismissed the complaints, but what would she say to those viewers who were offended?
“I would say that we mustn’t forget that it was a performance that reflected the entire year, not just the tragedy in America of George Floyd,” she says. “It was celebrating the NHS and our sense of community, which is ironic after we received those complaints.
“I think ITV did a great job of standing by it and helping people see that TV isn’t just there to comfort and entertain, it is there to educate and shock and make people think and start conversations. And family shows can be used like that.
“The younger we get people talking about this kind of thing, the more unlikely this conversation will even be a thing in hopefully five or six years or less. I don’t even want to have this conversation in five years because I want it to be a given.
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“It annoyed me that so much focus was on the negativity when we were overwhelmed by amazing, positive responses. And I felt honoured to be one of the first people to see it."”
“I think when it comes to TV, it has to not just be on screen, it has to be behind the scenes too. It’s very important that the people in the jobs in casting or who are running the networks are diverse and not just the hosts because that isn’t the necessary answer to this either. It’s been a very powerful end to the year.”
More recently, Alesha Dixon also found herself at the centre of Ofcom complaints because of the ‘BLM’ (Black Lives Matter) necklace she wore on one of the shows – not that Amanda noticed it at the time.
“I didn’t even realise she was wearing it!” she laughs. “I was sat right next to her and was like ‘oh, that’s lovely! And she went ‘look at it babe’ and I went ‘oh, yes’. It took me ages… it’s me eyes you see – I’m sat a couple of metres away!”
Amanda admits she feels incredibly protective of her fellow judge, but insists Alesha can “fight her own corner”.
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“She doesn’t need me but she’s got me right there if she does… I’ve got a mouthguard and a hot towel ready,” she laughs.
Amanda’s love for all of her BGT colleagues is obvious. She even thinks there could be a joint musical venture between them all.
“I actually said to Alesha the other week that me and her would be the perfect Roxie and Velma in Chicago,” she says. “I would never do a takeover though darling, but I would do a proper… you know if they started again fresh and made a big fuss about it then I’d do it [laughs]. David could be Mr Cellophane and Simon could be Billy Flynn, the lawyer. We’re perfectly cast for Chicago!”
With TV, radio, film, theatre and now music plastered all over her CV, I wonder what’s left for the mum-of-two to tick off her to-do list? Would she do Strictly?
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“It’s too much like hard work,” she admits. “Also, I think Simon… no. Even though we all love it and watch it, including Simon, it’s our biggest rival show. I would 100 percent do the Christmas special and would 100 percent go and sing on there, but I love watching it.”
She then adds: “I’d love to learn to fly. I want to fly a plane. I’m very jealous of Carol Vorderman. But you do have to be really clever, so I don’t know. I might just have to stick to a simulator. And I’d really like to be in a Bollywood movie.”
As our interview draws to a close I ask her what’s the one thing people might be surprised to know about her.
“I love cleaning!” she says. “My mum used to have a B&B in Bournemouth and for extra money when I was a drama student, she’d save all the bathrooms for me, especially the toilets.
“I do love a toilet. And people forget about the limescale under the rim. I love cleaning under a rim.”
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And then she’s off, her cackle ringing in my ears once more.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-26--I Knew Uni Would Be Different. But I Wasn’t Prepared For This

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I start my final, most important, year of university in one week. I still have no timetable, and I don’t know what modules I’m doing. And, quite frankly, I’m worried about returning at all.
When I started university two years ago, I quickly grew to love the lifestyle. I mean, what isn’t there to love? The freedom of living on your own, discovering your identity, being able to live and work around your friends... I can confidently say university has been the greatest experience of my life.
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But I can confidently say this upcoming year will be different. Much different.
Moving in isn’t something I ever particularly look forward to, and this year, with the vast majority of my first term classes moved online, there’s the question of is it even worth it. Staying at home in London was out of the question, as I can’t afford to be paying rent for a house that isn’t being lived in.
But the thought of learning online scares me too. I like learning through interaction, and find face-to-face conversation a real asset towards my understanding. I fear that spending more time on my laptop than with other human beings will stem a raging hate for the forms of media I rely upon for entertainment. I’m starting to question whether these conditions will impact my chances of getting a degree that truly reflects my ability – an unsettling thought to have towards something as usually reliable as education, especially when you’re paying so much for it.
I’d love to tell myself something – anything – reassuring, but I can’t. Because I have absolutely no idea what I’m walking into. I can’t use the library facility unless I compete for a time slot in advance, yet if I stay at home and have bad wifi, I won’t be able to access any of my work (the ambiance of a student home certainly wouldn’t help either). There is no right thing to do.
“From walking down the aisles of Aldi to going to the pub with my friends, there’s an ever-looming thought haunting me: am I even allowed to be going out?”
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Pattern of empty school desks on a blue background. Social distancing concept. A. Martin UW Photography via Getty Images
Away from studying, there are even more questions. From walking down the aisles of Aldi to going to the pub with my friends, there’s an ever-looming thought haunting me: am I even allowed to be going out? I am a young student, I like to go out knowing that it’s unlikely I’ll be making it back to bed before 5am. Regardless of how many times I tell myself I can still enjoy this coming year without those things, I fail at the last hurdle.
I’ll be living in a house of six – everyone from varying parts of the country – in a city that is now in a local lockdown. We’re not allowed to mix households, yet my university has planned to have some small group learning in person. It makes perfect sense: I can mix with strangers on campus, but I can’t go to a friend’s house. Again, I’m left questioning myself on what’s the right thing to do. If I invite someone round, am I breaking the law? Should my housemates and I avoid sharing kitchen utensils? Would it be irresponsible to travel home and visit my family for a weekend?
I try and look on the plus side: I won’t be venturing to a club with questionable drink prices, I won’t be paying more than seemingly ethical on a taxi ride, and I won’t be losing my house keys. But that’s all part of the experience. My experience. The part where I’ve managed to learn more about myself than the subject I’m paying to study.
Although notorious for drinking and partying, I know the absence of societies and sporting events is going to be a hard pill to swallow for those who rely on an escape from work. Participating in sport is what often keeps me sane; the full access to welfare, the bonding socials, the element of competition. Not having an extracurricular outlet is an anxiety-inducing thought. How else am I going to let my stressed, work-ridden thoughts go? I’m sure as hell not going to be able to juggle them in the same four walls that I live and breathe and sleep and, now, learn in.
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“By the sounds of it, no one knows anything about what’s going on – and I’m not only talking about the government.”
My worries don’t end there. Above all, returning to university is a reminder that it is extremely expensive. My tuition fees cost £9,250 a year – this coming one being no exception (who knew Zoom calls were that costly?). Students are notorious for making questionable financial decisions, but while I don’t fit into the category that splurges all their loan in one go, I am in the category that has just about enough money to survive but checks their bank balance with a thumping heart every time. Is this year going to be a never-ending cycle of thinking of ways to make ends meet?
I’ll be the first to admit that in all my years in education, this is where I am most vulnerable. I’m a planner, a Post-it Note connoisseur. But I can’t note down what I don’t know, and by the sounds of it, no one knows anything about what’s going on – and I’m not only talking about the government.
What I do know for sure is that students will inevitably get the blame for whatever comes next, something I find increasingly frustrating. Despite having the label of a student, I am an adult too. So are all the other thousands of university students surrounding me. Being young doesn’t equal being immature – and being at university doesn’t mean you’re incapable of taking things seriously.
I should be looking forward to a new year of learning and opening pathways, but at this rate what I do know is that all opportune doors are currently closed. Perhaps they’re holding my timetable hostage?
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Cerys Holliday is a student and writer. Follow her on Twitter at @cerysholliday


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-26--7 Signs You're In An 'Established Relationship' – And Can Legally Have Sex

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Socially-distanced sex just isn’t possible, but there was some good news for couples who don’t co-habit in the latest government guidelines.
The rules now state shagging is back on the cards – as long as you’re in an “established relationship”. If you’re single, you’re still screwed though – and sex coach Charlene Douglas told HuffPost UK you could “potentially be giving yourself a death sentence” by having sex with someone you barely know. The least sexy thing we’ve ever heard...
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But what actually counts as “established” when you’re in a relationship? When pushed on the definition during a Sky News interview, health secretary Matt Hancock blushed a bit, then bumbled about being “sensible and careful” – without really clearing up the matter.
So we’ve decided to create our own definition – with a little help from relationship experts and suggestions on Twitter. Of course, you don’t have to hit every single one of these relationship milestones – and you could always opt for Covid-safe sex, otherwise – but it’s a good place to start.
beavera via Getty Images
1. You know their middle name
Seriously, how many times have you asked the middle name of a casual hook-up? This is a thing. If you know their full name, that’s a good first sign. If you can reel off the names of their parents and siblings without thinking about it, you’re practically married.
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2. You’ve stopped watching the texting clock
If you’re still wondering if it’s too soon to text back, you’ve got a long way to go. Ditto if you think twice about calling them for a chat.
Previously writing for HuffPost, Bobbi Palmer, founder of dating site Date Like A Grown Up, warned that texting alone can create a false sense of intimacy in a relationship. “A text ‘relationship’ is simply like being a player in a game,” she said. “It’s a type of false connection that sets up incredibly unrealistic assumptions and expectations.”
Make sure your texting interactions are backed up with IRL dates before you consider yourselves “established”.
3. This person is not your ex
The new rules are going to bring a cuffing season like we’ve never seen before. But – and this is a big but – if you’ve started talking to your ex, that probably isn’t an established relationship, it’s a train wreck.
idk who needs to hear this, but these new lockdown rules & 10pm curfew is NOT a reason to start talking to to your ex again🙂 x — rach 🍒 leary (@rach_leary) September 22, 2020
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4. You’ve had The Talk
People on Twitter have been asking if “established” also means “exclusive”. Matt Hancock failed to clarify this, so we can’t imagine him talking sensibly about casual sex with a regular hook-up or polyamory anytime soon.
But seriously: have you discussed what you and your partner(s) actually are – a.k.a, have you had The Talk? The best way to find out what your situation is, is to talk about it and be honest with what you both want. Bite the bullet.
Genuinely, what is an established relationship, does it mean exclusive?
The British trope of avoiding conversations about sex might make for a laugh, but it’s times like now where it needs to be recognised as a regular part of life. The Government has to talk about sex — Bethany Dawson (@bethanymrd) September 24, 2020
5. You’ve worked through your commitment issues
If you’re unsure if you even want to be in an “established relationship” with this person, it’s probably not a good sign.
Remember, if you decide to “un-establish” the relationship, you’ll technically be single and among the banned shaggers once more – proceed with caution.
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I'm having so much fun trying to work out the rules re COVID and sex. What is meant exactly by an 'established relationship'? Can you 'unestablish' said relationship at a point where the old commitment issues come into play? — Megan Johnson (@foreverfirgun) September 23, 2020
6. You display loving gestures
Sky’s Kay Burley asked Hancock if people have to say ‘I love you’ in order to be in an established relationship, bizarrely adding “because some people say that and they don’t mean it”.
Kurt Smith, a therapist specialising in counselling for men, told HuffPost people display affection in different ways – and it doesn’t always mean saying the ‘L word’. “Showing your partner you care and appreciate them is done in many small, day-to-day ways,” he said. “Little things add up, like making him a cup of coffee every morning or telling her you appreciate how hard she works. When these gestures become habits, it’s a sign a relationship is more likely to last.”
If that’s what you and your partner do, it sounds like (established) love to us.
7. You’re on the same page about Covid


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-26--Here's What To Do If Someone Sneezes Or Coughs Near You

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Anthony Fauci, the a top infectious disease expert in the US, offered a sobering warning earlier this month as the weather begins to cool: stop looking at the “rosy side of things” and prepare for a second wave of Covid-19.
“We need to hunker down and get through this winter, because it’s not going to be easy,” Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, said during a panel at Harvard Medical School.
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Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, offered a grim prediction as well, telling the Journal of the American Medical Association in July that the fall and winter, “are going to be probably one of the most difficult times that we’ve experienced in American public health.”
This means that people need to be diligent about protecting themselves and others from the airborne virus to quell a spike of infections in the next few months. And given that Covid-19 is primarily transmitted person-to-person through respiratory droplets from sneezing or coughing, Fredrick Sherman, a professor at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, offered The Atlantic a new and helpful tip to help curb the spread.
Sherman said that if you find yourself in a high-risk scenario in which a someone sneezes or coughs near you, “Immediately exhale to avoid inhaling droplets or aerosols. Purse your lips to make the exhaling last longer. Turn your head fully away from the person and begin walking.”
This method won’t definitively protect you from Covid-19, but it could reduce how much of the virus you’re exposed to if the person who coughs or sneezes happens to be contagious.
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You’re more likely to get sick if you inhale higher doses of the virus, according to The Atlantic. The amount of time you’re exposed to infected particles also matters in terms of transmission; the longer you’re around them, the more time the virus has to get into your system.
Drazen Zigic via Getty Images
There are, of course, more longterm steps you should be taking to reduce your risk of Covid-19. Even in the winter, continue to socialise outdoors, despite the weather. According to the CDC, you have a higher risk of contracting the virus indoors than you do outdoors, due to less ventilation and space, which makes it harder for people to socially distance. You should also be vigilant about wearing face masks.
Albert Ko, the chair of the department of epidemiology of microbial diseases at Yale School of Public Health, told The Atlantic that people should also accept that face masks “will be a part of our lives indefinitely.” Some experts even say use of face masks may last well into 2021, even when there is a vaccine.
Ko said that by continuing to wear masks, “We can focus on improving their effectiveness and making them less annoying to wear.”
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“And it’s not just the design of masks themselves,” Ko said. “We can come up with more innovative ways to promote face-mask use.” Luxembourg, for example, sent its entire population face masks via mail in April.
Finally, continue to wash or disinfect your hands as well as high-touch surface areas in your home.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-26--Sir David Attenborough Meets With Royals To Share A Very Special Gift

The 94-year-old broadcaster chatted to William, Kate and their three children George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis after the screening on Thursday.
William interviewed Attenborough at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last year, and during the discussion the broadcaster warned that humanity needed to act so that they did not “annihilate part of the natural world”.
With a shared passion for protecting the natural world, the men continue to support each other in their mission to tackle some of the biggest environmental challenges the planet faces.
This includes working together on William’s Earthshot Prize, an ambitious global environment project announced last December to combat climate issues.
Further details about the prize are expected in the coming weeks.
The giant shark tooth given to George was found by Attenborough during a family holiday to Malta in the late 1960s.
It was embedded in the island’s soft yellow limestone, which was laid down during the Miocene period some 23 million years ago.
Carcharocles megalodon is believed to have grown to 15 metres in length, which is about twice the length of the great white shark.
David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet premieres in cinemas on Monday and will launch on Netflix on October 4. An accompanying book is published on October 1.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-26--Test Results From NHS Or Government Labs Can't Be Linked With Covid-19 App, Officials Admit

A tweet on the official app account said: “If your test took place in a Public Health England lab or NHS hospital, or as part of national surveillance testing conducted by the Office for National Statistics, test results cannot currently be linked with the app whether they’re positive or negative.”
The tweet came in response to a user who said they had a test and wanted to enter the result in the app but had been asked for a code, which they said they did not get with their test result.
Currently, the results of tests booked through the app are automatically recorded, a spokesperson at DHSC said.
She said: “We are urgently working to enable positive tests for people who aren’t already given a code to be added to the Covid-19 App.
“NHS Test and Trace will continue to contact people by text, email or phone if your test is positive, advising you to self-isolate and for those who don’t have a code the contact tracers will shortly be able to provide codes to insert in the app.
“If you book your test via the app the results will be automatically recorded in the app and the isolation countdown will be updated.”
The DHSC was met with significant criticism on Saturday over the issues with the software, with many pointing out that the only tests that could currently link with the app were those that had been outsourced by the government to their private commercial partners.
Shadow health and social care secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: “We all want to see this app succeed. We’ve encouraged people to download it.
“But have they really launched an app that doesn’t actually link to tests carried out by NHS hospital labs & PHE labs, instead only including tests carried out via the outsourced lighthouse lab network?”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-26--Police And Protesters Injured Amid Violent Clashes At Anti-Lockdown Rally

Officers penned the crowd in Trafalgar Square and water was thrown at them by demonstrators while crowds also chanted “pick your side” at the officers.
Bottles were thrown and police used batons against protesters, leaving some with visible injuries.
At least three protesters and one officer were treated by medical staff.
Police removed sound equipment from Trafalgar Square and several protesters were led away in handcuffs.
Another demonstrator was physically carried away from the scene by officers.
The protest comes a week after a separate event which saw more than a dozen officers injured when a “small minority” targeted police and more than 32 arrests were made.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “Crowds in Trafalgar Square have not complied with the conditions of their risk assessment and are putting people in danger of transmitting the virus.
“This has voided their risk assessment and we have informed the event organisers they are no longer exempt from the regulations.
“We are now asking those in Trafalgar Square to leave. Officers will be engaging with crowds and informing them of this development.
“By leaving now, you can keep yourself safe and avoid any enforcement action being taken by officers.”
Earlier, police searched a man and confiscated a makeshift riot shield he was carrying.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-27--Government Defends Pub Curfew Despite Scenes Of Impromptu Street Parties

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The culture secretary has said there is “definitely science” behind the 10pm curfew for pubs, bars and restaurants, despite scenes of impromptu street parties in cities after closing time across England.
Videos posted to social media on Saturday night show hundreds of people in Liverpool closely packed together outside and echo scenes in London from Friday evening.
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Day two of a 10pm curfew: Oxford Circus has turned into an impromptu party pic.twitter.com/YTCVdf3GAl — Charlie Haynes (@charliehtweets) September 25, 2020
Culture secretary Oliver Dowden, told Sky News’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday: “There is definitely science behind it, that’s why we’re requiring people to be seated in pubs and restaurants, so that stops the flow of them to and from the bar.
“We are reducing the closing times to stop people staying later and drinking. And the point about all of this is that everyone has their part to play. If we all play by the rules, we can ensure that there are not further, more draconian restrictions.”
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Dowden’s comments come despite a scientist advising the government saying he had “never heard” the measure discussed at Sage meetings.
And according to a report in The Times, Boris Johnson introduced the curfew measures not based on science or modelling, but because it was “a good symbolic thing because it’s a low-cost way of sending a clear message that things are different”.
In town for chucking out time and this is the situation. Two buses full before we even got near them and queues out the offy next to the stop. This isn’t working. pic.twitter.com/XmF8wfz41I — Emilia Bona (@emiliabonaECHO) September 26, 2020
From Thursday, pubs, bars and restaurants were told to offer table service only – and hospitality, leisure, entertainment and tourism businesses all have to close between 10pm and 5am.
The London Mayor’s office urged Londoners not to congregate at closing times and urged them to follow the guidelines.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-27--Students Only Allowed Home At Christmas If Public Follows Lockdown Rules, Says Culture Secretary

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University students will only be allowed to return home to their families at Christmas if the public follows the new coronavirus lockdown rules, a cabinet minister has said.
The government is under pressure to guarantee young people are not confined to their halls of residence over the festive period because of Covid-19 outbreaks on campuses.
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Thousands of students are currently self-isolating in their rooms following a surge in cases at institutions including Glasgow, Manchester Metropolitan and Edinburgh Napier.
Labour has asked education secretary Gavin Williamson to “ensure that every student has access to testing to allow a safe journey home” for Christmas.
But culture secretary Oliver Dowden told Sky News’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday: “I very much want students to be able to go home at Christmas, and if we all pull together and observe these new rules, we follow the guidance, then we will be able to get to a point where that should be possible.”
Dowden also insisted there was “definitely science” behind the 10pm curfew for pubs, bars and restaurants – despite a scientist advising the government saying he had “never heard” the measure discussed at Sage meetings.
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“We are reducing the closing times to stop people staying later and drinking. And the point about all of this is that everyone has their part to play. If we all play by the rules, we can ensure that there are not further, more draconian restrictions,” Dowden said.
Infectious disease modelling expert professor Graham Medley said on Saturday he did not recall the curfew being discussed by Sage.
Tory backbenchers have continued to press the government to give MPs a chance to vote on coronavirus measures before they come into force, with MP Steve Baker warning that “liberty dies” with the government “exercising draconian powers” without parliamentary scrutiny.
More than 17 million people – a quarter of the UK population – will be under tougher coronavirus restrictions later on Sunday as new measures are introduced in Cardiff and Swansea from 6pm.
People will not be able to enter or leave the areas without a reasonable excuse. They will not be able to meet indoors with anyone they do not live with, with extended households suspended.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-27--Trump Gripes 'Fake News' Didn't Tout His Two Nobel Peace Prizes (That Never Existed)

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President Donald Trump complained at a Pennsylvania campaign rally Saturday night that the “fake news” completely skipped reporting his two Nobel Peace Prizes.
Trump has no Nobel Peace Prizes.
He was nominated this year for a 2021 prize.
On Saturday, Trump grumbled that there wasn’t a word in the “fake news” about his Nobel recognition.
“Somebody had a show where they said the amount of time devoted to Donald Trump’s Nobel Peace Prize — two of ’em — [was] zero on the networks, zero,”
he emphasized. ”It is so disgraceful. They’re so bad.”
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Trump is talking as though he actually won two Nobel prizes instead of merely being nominated for them pic.twitter.com/q5XKsfHwbW — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 27, 2020
Earlier in his speech, Trump did refer to his Nobel Prize “nomination.” He said he was so disappointed as he sat with First Lady Melania Trump in front of the TV that news reports failed to mention his nomination and instead focused on “weather.”
That weather in early September happened to be the beginnings of Hurricane Sally. He then falsely claimed he was nominated for another peace prize the very next day.
FactCheck.org has taken Trump to task for “repeatedly conflating winning a Nobel Peace Prize with being nominated for one.” Trump has grumbled about the huge media coverage of Barack Obama’s nomination for a prize, when in fact Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009.
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Christian Tybring-Gjedde, a far-right member of the Norwegian Parliament, told Fox News in early September that he nominated Trump for the 2021 prize. (He also says he nominated Trump in 2018.)
Two days later, Magnus Jacobsson, a member of Sweden’s Parliament for the Christian Democrats, announced on Twitter that he nominated “the US government” for the award — along with the governments of Kosovo and Serbia —“for their joint work for peace and economic development.”
I have nominated the US Gov. and the governments of Kosovo and Serbia for the Nobel Peace Prize for their joint work for peace and economic development, through the cooperation agreement signed in the White House. Trade and communications are important building blocks for peace. pic.twitter.com/XuhkLbHZAV — Magnus Jacobsson (@magnusjacobsson) September 11, 2020
While the Nobel Prize Committee reports numbers of nominees, it does not identify — nor confirm — who has been nominated.
Trump was also nominated in 2017 and 2018 for his “ideology of peace through force” strategy — a very Trumpian kind of concept. Those recommendations were believed to have been made by the same mysterious American who assumed the identity of a qualified nominator both times, according to an official of the Norwegian Nobel Committee. He refused to reveal the identity of the American whom committee members suspect.
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“Any person or organization can be nominated by anyone eligible to nominate,” the Nobel Committee web site states. There are potentially hundreds of thousands of people eligible to nominate a candidate.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-27--Great British Bake Off's Prue Leith Gets Real About Past Use Of LSD

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Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith has spoken candidly about her past drug use, admitting that the one time she tried LSD, it put her off for life.
In an interview with LBC, set to air on Sunday night at 9pm, Prue revealed that she tried the hallucinogenic drug when she was in her twenties, but said it was a “horrific” experience for her.
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“It was the sixties, there were a lot of drugs around,” she explained. “We [Prue and her first husband, author Rayne Kruger] used to smoke a bit of pot, not all the time and not a lot, but we did.
“And one day, we did take acid, only once, and I must tell you, it was the most appalling experience I’ve ever had.”
Prue Leith David M. Benett via Getty Images
Describing her hallucinations while on LSD, Prue recalled: “I had absolute horrific hallucinations. I couldn’t look at [Ray] because he turned into a kind of monster, and my arms, the flesh dripped off them. There was just bones left.
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“It just shows what an extraordinary imagination I must have.”
Prue went on to say that she still suffered flashbacks and nightmares even almost 40 years later, saying: “I’d have nightmares. And when I woke up, nothing would look like I knew it ought to look.
“It would be wobbly or strange or growing and sinking and shrinking and expanding. And right until, I suppose, my sixties, I would still sometimes wake up in the night and, I felt like I could see the air, you know?”
Prue with the rest of the Bake Off team Channel 4
Prue joined Bake Off in 2017, when the show made the jump to Channel 4.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-27--Adele Shares Throwback Snaps With Nicole Richie, Including Hilarious Scare Prank

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Adele has shared a string of throwback photos to commemorate her good friend Nicole Richie’s birthday, including a video that had us laughing out loud.
Now, we have to be honest and say we had no idea that Adele and Nicole were actually chummy like that, but it turns out they’re actually very close, and we’re very much here for it.
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On Saturday night, the Grammy-winning star posted a series of snaps of herself and Nicole out and about, as well as spending time together at home.
Our personal favourite, though, is a clip of the Simple Life star crouching on the floor of a kitchen to scare Adele when she walked into the room.
No, not exactly the most mature of jokes, but we can’t deny the fact we laughed anyway, particularly when it got to the Someone Like You singer’s reaction...
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Alongside the pictures and clips, Adele wrote: “Happy belated birthday to my daily dose of grace @nicolerichie I admire you and love you so much.
“You are the epitome of self preservation, self love and absolute savagery! You are so so cherished by so many angel girl! Keep making us laugh babes, we adore you to the moon and back.”
Although she is renowned for keeping a low profile, Adele has broken cover a number of times in the last few months, and got everyone talking with her Instagram updates.
This included last month, when she responded to one of her followers’ comments, admitting she had “no idea” when her fourth album would be on the way.
Fans have now been waiting five years for the follow-up to 25, her most recent release, which topped the charts in 2015.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-27--Comedian Michael Spicer Says 'Incompetent Idiots' In Government Gave Him His Career

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Comedian Michael Spicer has said the incompetence of politicians in recent years handed him his career “with a little bow on top”.
Spicer shot to fame in 2019 with his satirical sketches about a political adviser speaking in the ear of public figures as their interviews, using real-life footage, invariably fall apart.
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However, the 42-year-old from Kent has said he could retire the character if politics changes direction, starting with Donald Trump losing the US election in November.
“Because these incompetent idiots have essentially given me my career… they’ve handed it to me with a little bow on top,” he told the PA news agency.
“I think if Joe Biden gets in that’s a massive source of material that’s gone.
“It’s not like Joe Biden is a foolproof president… but with Trump out the picture it would diminish for sure.
“I think once he is out the picture that could be the catalyst for things swinging in a different direction.
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“Then I would probably retire the character or at least semi-retire him because what would be there for me to parody?”
the room next door - President Trump and the Coronavirus pic.twitter.com/LTYYYIYUMi — Michael Spicer (@MrMichaelSpicer) March 2, 2020
Spicer said his stardom began as “an accident” last year after he saw an interview in which the Prime Minister claimed he makes model buses to relax.
“When I saw it I thought wow he really looks like he’s waiting for an answer to come into his ear,” said Spicer, who was at work as a copywriter at the time.
“I thought well alright, once I’ve had dinner and loaded the dishwasher and put the children to bed, if I have some time in the evening I might as well just do it.”
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Grabbing some box files Spicer sat in his living room and shot the video on his phone, which was propped up on a stack of his children’s books.
Millions of views and hundreds of thousands of online followers later, Spicer is now releasing a book, The Secret Political Adviser: The Unredacted Files Of The Man In The Room Next Door, offering a deeper insight into the adviser’s world.
the room next door pic.twitter.com/EoTO3jUTEo — Michael Spicer (@MrMichaelSpicer) June 25, 2019
Written in the format of a “leaked hard drive” of diary entries, emails and texts, the story sees the character heading a secret organisation called Axworthy which is in the ear of politicians across the world.
Set for release on October 1, it begins in 2016 with David Cameron’s resignation following the UK’s vote to leave the EU – which began a shift in political comedy, according to Spicer.
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“The last four years is just reacting to the actual news events,” he said.
“Spitting Image has come along now and creates sketches and scenarios, but that doesn’t seem to be the way satire is going – because how can you parody Boris Johnson and Donald Trump? How can you parody these living caricatures?”
Asked what he would like to say if he could actually be in the ear of the Prime Minister or the US president, Spicer said: “I would simply say you do not have the adequate expertise, knowledge or understanding of your position and you should resign immediatelyJohnson, Priti Patel and even the Dalai Lama have featured on the Room Next Door but asked for his favourite public figure to work with, Spicer said Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
“He ums and ahs and kind of leaves these excruciating gaps when he’s talking,” he added.
“Which for me is perfect… because that’s excellent for editing.
“But ideally, I wish he wasn’t in charge of the NHS.”
Spicer said before the Room Next Door he did not listen to politicians talking because he found it “so excruciating”.
the room next door - Matt Hancock and the Diversity of Thought pic.twitter.com/fuoujb0MBM — Michael Spicer (@MrMichaelSpicer) June 11, 2020
“I’m not sure I really heard Trump say a word before he came president… I would see him and just think oh god this is just a foghorn blaring out nonsense,” he said.
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Aside from buying a tripod, Spicer said the way he makes his videos has barely changed but, after a successful show on BBC Radio 4 this year, he now has plans for television.
“Obviously, I can’t say too much… I don’t think I’d want to just do a sitcom about him because I think that’s boring,” he added.