thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--Everything You Want To Know About Vaginal Discharge (With Dr Anita Mitra - Gynaecologist aka Gynae G

Everything You Want To Know About Vaginal Discharge (With Dr Anita Mitra - Gynaecologist aka Gynae Geek)

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Transcript
Brogan Driscoll:
Hello and welcome to Huff Post’s brand new weekly podcast, Am I Making You Uncomfortable? Presented by me Brogan Driscoll.
Rachel Moss:
And me Rachel Moss. This podcast is a frank, honest conversation about women’s bodies, health and private lives.
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Brogan Driscoll:
We cover under-reported issues and tackle topics you’re too squeamish to talk to your mates about.
Rachel Moss:
Today, we’re talking about vaginal discharge. Later, we’re going to be joined by Dr. Anita Mitra, a gynecologist who’s better known as The Gynae Geek. She’s also the author of “Your No-Nonsense Guide to ‘Down There’ Healthcare”.
Rachel Moss:
Before we get into talking about vaginal discharge, I feel we need to just talk about vaginas off the bat.
Rachel Moss:
I feel it’s not a word that you say very often, especially when you’re growing up, what did you used to call your vagina when you were a kid?
Brogan Driscoll:
Yeah, I agree, I definitely don’t say vagina very much.
Rachel Moss:
(laughs)
Brogan Driscoll:
We should get that out of our chests first of all.
Rachel Moss:
(laughs)
Brogan Driscoll:
So, let’s just say vagina a couple of times each. Vagina.
Rachel Moss:
Vagina.
Brogan Driscoll:
Vagina.
Rachel Moss:
Also, let listeners know, we do know the difference between vagina and vulvas, because you know someone’s going to come at us with that as well. We’re quite bad at both saying those words, both of us, but we know we should.
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What did you used to say instead of vagina?
Brogan Driscoll:
When I was younger, I used to say tinkle.
Rachel Moss:
Tinkle.
Brogan Driscoll:
Which is a bit weird.
Rachel Moss:
It’s very sweet, I like it and inventive.
Brogan Driscoll:
Very sweet.
Brogan Driscoll:
What about you?
Rachel Moss:
My mum went for a more traditional approach, we just called it Mini, which...
Rachel Moss:
...Is not very exciting. Yeah we just called it Mini, that was it.
Brogan Driscoll:
There are so many inventive ways of describing it. People say flower.
Rachel Moss:
I quite like foof. Foof.
Brogan Driscoll:
Yeah, rather than just actually saying what it is.
Brogan Driscoll:
Awful.
Rachel Moss:
You can joke around and call it different things, but it is important to know the proper words for it and not to be embarrassed about saying the proper words for it when you need to...when you go to the doctors, or something.
Rachel Moss:
I know a lot of women are so stressed about saying those words that it then stops you from actually looking after your body properly.
Brogan Driscoll:
Although we did have a weird little word for my vagina when I was younger, my mum’s always just been super upfront about things and the need to go to get health checks and not be embarrassed about things like that. But then my mum does work in healthcare.
Rachel Moss:
(laughs)
Brogan Driscoll:
So maybe she’s kind of banging her own drum there.
Rachel Moss:
You’ve had a priority boarding. (laughs)
Brogan Driscoll:
Yeah, but Rachel, this is like day in, day out this.
Rachel Moss:
It is.
Brogan Driscoll:
Women’s health, vaginas, all this kind of stuff is your life.
Rachel Moss:
It is. I primarily write about women’s health for HuffPost so I’m completely desensitised now. I can write about vaginas ’til the cows come home, quite frankly.
Brogan Driscoll:
(laughs)
Rachel Moss:
I do think that as a society, we’re getting a little bit better on the whole as well. One of the things we’ve spoken about before is how the internet has changed the way we talk about women’s health, vaginas and vulvas. The internet is obviously a place that is ripe for spreading misinformation about women’s health but it’s also getting the conversation started. There are good sides alongside the bad. And then you’ve got the in-betweens. You’ve got the GOOPs, which, for better or worse, has us talking, doesn’t it?
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Brogan Driscoll:
That’s interesting that you class it as an in-between.
Rachel Moss:
I have a very love, hate relationship with Goop. I know a lot of people out-and-out just hate it and I do totally get that. God, I hope Gwyneth Paltrow isn’t listening to this.
Brogan Driscoll:
(laughs)
Rachel Moss:
For me, it’s just a kind of entertainment whether you’re looking at the Goop site or the Goop Netflix show. As long as you don’t take it seriously and take it for what it is, I personally don’t think it damages me.
Things like the vaginal candles that they were selling... If you’ve missed it, last year, there was a candle that did the rounds that supposedly smelled like a vagina but it was actually rose and cedar flavoured. Those things are crazy because your vagina should not smell like a cedar candle and you can just laugh at them.
But then there’s the darker side of it as well. There are obviously some huge names in the industry who hate Goop, one of them being Jen Gunter, who I interviewed last year.
One of the things that she said, not just about Goop, but all of these companies who sell wellness products for vaginas and vulvas, is that they peddle faux feminism. On the one hand, you can think that somebody is selling you a vulva product and that’s a really positive thing because they’re talking about vulvas and you’re thinking: “Whoo hoo, feminism, empowering”.
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But when you actually put the brakes on and you analyse why they’re selling you that product, you realise that it comes from a culture of shame and it’s telling you there’s something wrong with your body. And it’s actually the complete opposite thing. There’s just a lot to digest out there and if you do consume that kind of content, don’t do it medically, do it for the giggles.
Brogan Driscoll:
In the same vein, there’s so much misinformation about vaginas and what you should be putting and not putting in them. There is also such a lack of discussion around discharge. I’ve never heard a podcast about discharge before. There might be one out there but I haven’t ever come across it so I’m glad that we’re talking about it today.
Brogan Driscoll:
We all know you as the Gynae Geek as you’ve written a fantastic book “The Gynae Geek: Your No-Nonsense Guide To ‘Down There’ Healthcare”.
Dr. Anita Mitra:
Thank you.
Brogan Driscoll:
You must be pretty comfortable talking about vaginas. Has it always been that way?
Dr. Anita Mitra:
It’s what I do every day. As doctors, we get desensitised to talking about body parts and things that other people feel are awkward. To be honest with you, I can’t really remember the day I suddenly thought it was normal but it’s just like a gradual exposure. When you’re at medical school, you start hearing these words every day in lectures and then you gradually start talking to patients and it just becomes normal.
Brogan Driscoll:
Do you think there’s been a change in the media and people feeling a bit more comfortable talking about these things?
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Dr. Anita Mitra:
I have definitely noticed a change but when it comes to social media, you can end up in a bit of an echo chamber. Because of the accounts that I follow and the kind of people who follow me, I feel that in my circle, there’s definitely been a change and I notice that my friends are all very keen to talk about these kinds of things with me.
But I do still think that we do have quite a lot of work to do and I do occasionally find myself in situations where people are really not cool with it. I just remember a few months ago, I went to a crossfit session and I had a really bad period pain. At the end of the session, the coach said to me: “How did you find that?” and I said: “Oh my god, it was so amazing because before I started, I had a really bad period pain and now it’s completely gone because the pain of the workout was so much worse”.
Brogan Driscoll:
(laughs)
Dr. Anita Mitra:
That’s when I realised: “Okay, not everyone is cool with talking about it”.
Rachel Moss:
I feel we’re getting a lot better at talking about vaginas and periods, just about, in some situations but discharge is one of those things that we still don’t talk about. I can’t imagine talking to my friends about it, which is ridiculous, because there’s no reason.
For all our listeners, can you explain, from a really basic first point, what is discharge?
Dr. Anita Mitra:
Discharge is a word that makes everyone cringe, I think. There’s still a lot of work to do when it comes to discharge. It’s a kind of mucus that you find in your vagina that comes from the cervix and also from the walls of the vagina. Most people will see it either in their underwear or on tissue when they wipe, put on a pad or a pantyliner. It’s what the body makes to actually protect ourselves. It contains lots of protective compounds like peptides. They are little proteins that we actually call natural antibiotics and they protect us from bacterial infections and from viruses. Something that I always like to shock people with and say: “If you didn’t have discharge, you’d have a dusty vagina.”
Rachel Moss:
(laughs)
Dr. Anita Mitra:
Because literally, it lubricates your vagina and your vulva and it’s not just for sex either. It’s a tube and if it wasn’t there, it would rub together and you would get kind of a chafing.
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Rachel Moss:
Comfy.
Dr. Anita Mitra:
So, it’s really essential and it’s also the reason why we exist. You need discharge to actually allow sperm to swim through the vagina, up through the cervix, to meet the egg. It’s got so many crucial roles. It’s one of these things that everyone thinks is a symptom, but actually, it’s so important for people to understand that it’s completely normal. It’s completely healthy and it’s how your body works.
Rachel Moss:
Yeah, absolutely.
Brogan Driscoll:
So interesting, I’ve learned loads already. It changes over your menstrual cycle, is that right?
Dr. Anita Mitra:
Yeah, absolutely.
Brogan Driscoll:
Can you tell us, why does it happen and any key points in the cycle?
Dr. Anita Mitra:
The menstrual cycle is the whole period or the whole amount of time, from the start of one period to the start of the next. So it’s about a month, say on average 28 days, and throughout that time, your hormones are changing all the time. And it’s the hormone changes that influence the character of the discharge and the amount that you produce.
After your period, you can often feel quite dry and irritated. I’ve noticed, these days, a lot of people online are saying: “Well, the reason you’d feel dry and irritated is because of using tampons”. There’s a lot of fear mongering around tampons but one of the reasons is because your hormone levels are very low at that point.
When they’re low, you don’t produce as much discharge which can be quite thick and sticky. And yet, you can feel dry, itchy and irritated. It’s one of the commonest times to actually get thrush or bacterial vaginosis, which are two abnormal types of discharge, that we’ll probably talk about later. As you increase the amount of estrogen that you’re producing, the amount of discharge will increase and it will become a little bit more silky, shall we say.
Brogan Driscoll:
(laughs)
Dr. Anita Mitra:
The amount of discharge really increases around the time you ovulate. A lot of people call it egg white discharge, it’s very thin, watery and really, really clear. As you go towards your next period again, it tends to thicken up and can become darker, white or even yellowy shades sometimes, grayish almost, and all of these things can be completely normal.
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Dr. Anita Mitra:
I think the egg white discharge is really interesting as well. I’ve noticed that a lot of people are quite keen to not take the pill these days or are stopping it because they’re thinking about trying to get pregnant. They get quite freaked out about this egg white discharge because they’re thinking: “What is this?” If you take the contraceptive pill, you won’t get that egg white discharge because it happens from ovulation. So, a lot of people who’ve maybe been on the pill for many years are suddenly asking what it is. But it’s completely normal, healthy and a really positive sign that your body is working normally.
Rachel Moss:
Yeah, that’s so interesting. On all of those points about how the pill affects it, I’ve also heard from a lot of women who say they’re using discharge to track their fertility or their ovulation. Is that something that works? What are your thoughts around that?
Dr. Anita Mitra:
It can, definitely, be really helpful to let you know when the most likely time that you’re fertile is. You can essentially look out for the egg white discharge as a sign that you are ovulating and that would be the time to concentrate on having sex. But then again, timed intercourse isn’t really proven to increase your chance of pregnancy because you can miss it. So, if you’re waiting for that discharge and then you start having sex, you might have missed it. The idea is using it to pinpoint when you’re probably going to ovulate and then start having sex at least a week before, if you really want to be optimising your fertile window and it’s what you’re aiming for. But equally, I wouldn’t use that as a form of contraception, if you’re trying not to get pregnant.
Rachel Moss:
Fair enough. So, when should people worry about discharge?
Dr. Anita Mitra:
Well, a lot of people worry about discharge in general. The most important thing is to get to know what’s normal for you and be aware of those changes in the cycle.
If you’re getting blood-stained discharge, when you’re not having your period, that is something to be aware of. If your discharge is associated with a really bad pain in your lower abdomen or you feel unwell, that’s something to see a doctor about.
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If it’s very itchy, very irritating and if it has a foul smell, those are all signs that this is something that needs a bit more attention. There are kits available in the pharmacy these days which you can use to see if it’s thrush or bacterial vaginosis but these things are really worth speaking to a healthcare professional one-on-one. You just want to make sure that you are treating the right thing.
Rachel Moss:
Those problems that you mentioned, thrush and BV, what causes those?
Dr. Anita Mitra:
Thrush is a yeast infection caused by a special yeast called Candida. It’s something all women have in their vaginas at some point, often just in really small amounts but sometimes the amount of candida can increase in quantity and take over. And then you get what everyone calls a “cottage cheese discharge”.
It’s really common and I don’t think I really know anyone who’s never had thrush in their life before. It’s particularly common in pregnancy and it can also be more common in women who take the contraceptive pill because of the amount of estrogen. It’s often recurrent and, in a small number of cases, can be associated with diabetes. In most people, it’s not and doesn’t signify any kind of sinister underlying cause but it’s definitely something very irritating. Recurrent thrush is a massive problem though and it is something that’s worth treating properly, whether it’s due to an underlying condition or not.
Rachel Moss:
That’s so fascinating and super important that we all know about it. Another really interesting area that you study is the vaginal microbiomes which sounds super scientific and quite scary.
Can you break it down for me - what does that actually mean, what does it involve and why is it important?
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Dr. Anita Mitra:
Oh, I think the vaginal microbiome is very friendly.
Rachel Moss:
Oh great. (laughs)
Dr. Anita Mitra:
We have all heard that there are friendly bacteria in your gut and in your vagina. That specific kind of bacteria is called Lactobacillus. Women have lactobacillus in their vagina, some people have pure lactobacillus, some people have less, some people don’t have any at all.
But generally speaking, if you have a good amount of lactobacillus, it’s associated with health states. When you don’t have lactobacillus, you tend to have more of what we call anaerobic bacteria. These are species that can cause irritating discharge, a nasty smell and tends to be associated with what we call bacterial vaginosis. It’s not always unhealthy. For some reason we don’t understand, some women do actually tolerate a bacterial vaginosis-type microbiome very well but generally speaking, in the population it is lactobacillus that we prefer.
We see that having lots of lactobacillus is associated with a lower risk of having a premature baby and of getting cervical cancer. Lots of different health outcomes are related to the microbiome and lots of exciting research is looking at the links between endometriosis and different gynecological cancers, such as ovarian cancer. It’s a really exciting area of research that’s going on at the moment.
Rachel Moss:
It sounds like it. There’s just so much in that area to learn about and it’s kind of mad that we don’t learn about it in school, the proper scientific words for these things, and yet we are bombarded by pseudo-science for what we should supposedly do to our vaginas and vulvas. Things like vaginal steaming and douching, and all those things. They’ve been debunked a lot but I wondered if you could go over firstly, why they’re not so great, and secondly, what should we be doing instead to ensure that we are keeping our vaginas and vulvas healthy?
Dr. Anita Mitra:
A lot of it does actually relate to the vaginal microbiome. For example, if you use feminine hygiene washes, douches and wipes, they actually wash away the lactobacillus. Although lactobacillus is meant to be in the vagina, it doesn’t cling on very strongly to the cells there. Whereas other bacteria, such as the anaerobes I mentioned earlier, are actually really good. They can build this scaffolding, called the biofilm, onto the vagina.
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A lot of people tell me that they want to use washes because they feel quite irritated or like there’s a smell but it’s a vicious cycle. If there is any lactobacillus there that you really want to grow, it washes it away and then just more and more unhealthy bacteria will grow. That’s why it’s quite problematic and women are often quite reluctant to stop using these washes when I tell them to. But when they actually do, they say: “Wow, it did actually work”.
We’re always taught if something smells, we should wash it more, but that’s definitely not the case for the vagina. You really don’t need to wash inside your vagina and you only need to use water on the vulva. It won’t cause you any harm not to use soap. Some people actually find that just even a really mild soap can cause a lot of irritation because we’re washing away this healthy bacteria.
Rachel Moss:
That’s good to know. And cheap.
Dr. Anita Mitra:
Exactly.
Brogan Driscoll:
(laughs)
Dr. Anita Mitra:
London’s finest.
Rachel Moss:
Yeah, why not.
Dr. Anita Mitra:
That’s also why we don’t need to use things like eggs and all sorts of other weird and wonderful things that various celebrities may have told us to put into our vaginas. I’ve just seen this huge, wellness thing opening up when it comes to vaginas and some really scary things out there. A few months ago, I saw an advert for gummy bears that apparently change the taste of your vagina.
Rachel Moss:
I remember them.
Dr. Anita Mitra:
All of these products that are coming out, whether they are, washes or vitamins, or whatever...I’ve even seen sheet masks for vulvas...
Rachel Moss:
Yes.
Brogan Driscoll:
You got sent one.
Rachel Moss:
I got sent one.
Dr. Anita Mitra:
Yeah, please don’t use it.
Rachel Moss:
It was so strange, it went straight in the bin...
Dr. Anita Mitra:
Good. I think a lot of these products are fake female empowerment because they are basically using a woman as a consumer, making them feel self-conscious unnecessarily about their body and telling them that their vagina isn’t good enough, not clean enough, not healthy enough, if they’re not using all of these products. It’s quite scary and unfortunately, none of them are backed up by any science. Sure, you need a healthy pH in your vagina. And that’s what a lot of them will tell you on the packaging but using these products is not going to improve the pH. Leaving it alone, letting the good bacteria grow and do its thing, that’s what maintains a healthy pH.
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Brogan Driscoll:
Well said. Talking about discharge, why is there such a taboo around it?
Dr. Anita Mitra:
It’s something people always see as kind of a dirty thing almost. There’s also a bit of confusion about what it is and why we have it. So hopefully, we’ve managed to clear a little bit of that up today. I think that a lot of people are concerned that they’ve done something wrong in terms of having too much sex or having sex with the wrong person or whatever. There’s often a lot of connection between the way that the female body works and sex. That’s because in text books, it’s often called the female sexual reproductive tract or the female sexual organs and always got the word sex or reproduction linked to it. Most of us aren’t really using our genitals for sex or reproduction all of the time.
Brogan Driscoll:
The first memory I have of discharge is when I was on holiday and there was this white thing in my pants. I asked my mum about it, she promptly told me that it was thrush and then went out and got me some medication for it, which is just bizarre. And she wasn’t particularly anti-sex education. She showed me a tampon when I was about five and really tried to make us aware...I don’t think she thought you’d get it that young. I must have been about 12. My sister got it a few years later and it was absolutely fine. So, who knows? Clearly, there needs to be more education around this.
Rachel Moss:
That was a submission we had from one of our listeners. She had a discharge for the first time and her mum didn’t exactly know how to tackle it. For any parents who are listening, how should they go about talking about discharge with their kids so that nobody is embarrassed or uncomfortable?
Dr. Anita Mitra:
When you become a parent, you’re suddenly expected to know all these things, aren’t you? And that’s one of the problems women don’t understand and that’s not their fault. If you’ve never been told something, if someone’s never taught you, then how do you know?
So that’s why, I think it’s really important to spread the word about discharge to women of all ages so that they can educate people in their family, their friends and everyone around them.
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The main thing is just to emphasise that it is normal and often girls will start to see it before they start their periods. So, it can be a sign that they are entering puberty and that periods may be starting. It could be a good cue to start talking about periods as well, if that’s something that you haven’t addressed. Just to tell them that, is a reassuring sign but also let them know the things that might be concerning, if it’s itchy, irritating, if it smells or if there’s blood associated with it.
Rachel Moss:
That’s really interesting, it made me think when we just listened to that, I started my periods quite young. I spoke to my mum about it recently and asked: “Were you surprised because I was so young?” She said that she’d noticed and kind of expected it because of discharge in my knickers.
Rachel Moss:
Would that be the case?
Dr. Anita Mitra:
Yeah, absolutely. What’s happening is that you suddenly start producing much more estrogen and all the hormones that you need for a menstrual cycle. That’s why the body starts to produce discharge but you can’t really predict and say: “Right, so today you’ve had discharge, so in three months you’re going to have your first period”.
Rachel Moss:
Yeah. (laughs)
Dr. Anita Mitra:
It’s not quite that easy, but it’s definitely a sign that things are starting to happen.
Rachel Moss:
And when we’re going into menopause, does it then change again?
Dr. Anita Mitra:
Yeah, definitely. One of the symptoms that everybody associates with the menopause is vaginal dryness and there are many other symptoms associated. The reason you tend to get more vaginal dryness with the menopause is that you do produce less estrogen, and again, that’s one of the controllers of the amount of discharge that you’re producing. You’re also not going to be ovulating, so you’re not getting that egg white discharge so it just tends to be much dryer and irritating as well.
There are things that people can do about that as well. If you are going through the menopause, don’t feel that it’s something that you need to put up with. You can have vaginal lubricants, moisturisers, vaginal estrogen creams or even HRT. There’s lots of different options out there, so do discuss it with your GP and don’t feel it’s just one of those inevitable things that women have to put up with.
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Brogan Driscoll:
We ask every guest on this podcast the same question, what makes you uncomfortable?
Dr. Anita Mitra:
I think willies. (laughs)
Brogan Driscoll:
(laughs)
Dr. Anita Mitra:
I know that sounds really bad because I’m a gynecologist and I look at vaginas all day and I basically spend my whole life trying to tell people that it’s okay to be comfortable with vaginas. It’s just what you’re used to, isn’t it? And I’m not used to seeing willies.
Rachel Moss:
What is it about them?
Dr. Anita Mitra:
It makes me feel uncomfortable. So, I do really empathise with people who find vaginas uncomfortable, because hands up, there’s things that make me feel uncomfortable too.
Rachel Moss:
Probably best you’re a gynecologist then. (laughs)
Dr. Anita Mitra:
You know what someone actually once asked me: “Why did you become a gynecologist?” And I said: “Well, aside from many sensible reasons, just because I don’t really want to work with willies”.
Rachel Moss:
Great.
Dr. Anita Mitra:
Each to their own.
Rachel Moss:
I know, I love.
Brogan Driscoll:
Oh, that’s so good.
Dr. Anita Mitra:
Does that sound bad? (laughs)
Brogan Driscoll:
(laughs)
Rachel Moss:
(laughs)
Brogan Driscoll:
Great, thank you so much for coming here to answer all of our uncomfortable vaginal questions.
Dr. Anita Mitra:
No, it’s a pleasure, any time. (laughs)
Brogan Driscoll:
I’m Brogan Driscoll, and you can find me @brogan_driscoll.
Rachel Moss:
And I’m Rachel Moss and you can find me @rachelmoss_.
Brogan Driscoll:
This podcast is produced by Crystal Genesis and our sound engineer is Nag Kirinde.
Rachel Moss:
You’ve just listened to Am I Making You Uncomfortable? And our # is AIMYU.
Dr. Anita Mitra:
Oh my gosh, I didn’t even get to tell you my favourite fact about myself, that my surname is the Greek word for uterus. (laughs)
Rachel Moss:


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--Don’t Touch Anyone Else’s Balls! Coronavirus Leads To New Tennis Rules As Courts Reopen

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Don’t touch anyone else’s balls, shake hands or high-five your opponent.
These are among the list of no-nos as people return to the tennis court following the easing of the coronavirus lockdown.
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The relaxation of strict stay at home rules announced by the government means that people can now indulge in unlimited exercise and travel to public places for outdoor activities.
Tennis, along with golf, has been cited by the government as one of the sports that can make a tentative return as close person-to-person contact can be avoided – and clubs have started to reopen.
The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), tennis’s national governing body, told HuffPost UK it worked closely with Sport England and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to come up with some clear guidelines to allow people to return to playing tennis safely.
Demand from people eager to play tennis is already high and on Wednesday, the first day the government’s new relaxed rules meant courts could open, the LTA reported its online booking service saw 20,000 bookings compared to 3,000 at the same time last year – a staggering increase of 567%.
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People in England can now return to playing tennis - but only if they comply with social distancing rules Getty Images for LTA.
However, players need to use their own clearly marked balls, keep at least two metres from other players at all times and are warned not to make physical contact such as shaking hands or high-fiving in celebration.
If a tennis ball that isn’t theirs needs returning to another player or court, they are told to use their foot or racket to kick or hit it away and they are also urged to stay on their side of the court and avoid changing ends.
“Booking on our website was more intense than booking tickets for Glastonbury."” - Highgate Tennis Court, London
Highgate Tennis Court in London reported on Friday that after 52 days of lockdown and no tennis, its courts were once again open for business – but for singles matches only and for one hour sessions.
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The tennis club stated: “Booking on our website was more intense than booking tickets for Glastonbury, but luckily no technical glitches.”
People in England can now return to playing tennis - but only if they comply with social distancing rules Getty Images for LTA.
Olly Scadgell, participation director at LTA, told HuffPost UK that they are anticipating huge demand to play tennis this weekend and over the coming weeks, but the most important thing is to ensure people do so safely.
He said the new government measures allowing people to use outdoor sports facilities have come as a huge relief to lots of tennis players.
“People just want to get back on the tennis courts and do some exercise and have fun.” he said.
“We are delighted that people can get back to playing after two months of being in lockdown.
“But what is fundamentally important is that people stay safe and play tennis while adhering to social distancing guidelines.
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“This is why we have worked with the government and Sports England to produce some robust guidelines using a safety-first approach which concentrates on minimising social interaction.
“We are asking tennis players to mark their own tennis balls with either their initials or some other marking and only use and handle these and whoever they are playing with should do the same.”” - Olly Scadgell, the Lawn Tennis Association
“We feel this adjustment of lockdown restrictions is a great opportunity to encourage people to get on tennis courts and have fun while exercising, but we want them to do it in a safe way.”
Scadgell explained that while there was no specific evidence to point that tennis balls can spread Covid-19, as a precautionary measure, their guidelines urge players to use their own clearly marked tennis balls and not touch any balls that aren’t theirs.
Olly Scadgell, participation director at the Lawn Tennis Association LTA
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“We are asking tennis players to mark their own tennis balls with either their initials or some other marking and only use and handle these and whoever they are playing with should do the same.”
The LTA guidance states that there should only be a maximum of two people per court (singles play only), but players can be from different households.
They need to stay at least two metres away from others at all times including when taking breaks and before, during and after play.
They are also told to avoid chasing the ball down to another court if other players are using it.
Players are also warned that onsite toilet facilities may not be open and where they are, they should take particular care. They should avoid equipment such as courtside benches, net handles or court sweepers.
Anyone going to play tennis is told to take hand sanitiser with them and all their own equipment such as rackets, grips, hats and towels.
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They should arrive changed and ready to play and shower at home and not use the venue’s changing area. They should also leave the court before the end of their allotted time so it is empty for the next players.
People in England can return to playing tennis - as long as they comply with social distancing rules Getty Images for LTA
Although playing tennis is now possible in England, tennis facilities and courts in Scotland and Wales remain closed.
Meanwhile, although amateurs can return to tennis, it has been announced that there will be no professional tennis until the end of July.
The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) have extended their suspension of the game.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--Everybody's Talking About Jamie's Richard E Grant Debuts Stunning Drag Transformation

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The first photos of Richard E Grant in character in the upcoming film version of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie have been revealed and… it’s a total serve, to be honest.
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A big-screen version of the hit West End musical was confirmed to be in the works last year, with the Oscar-nominated actor taking on the role of drag queen Loco Chanelle, who serves as a mentor to the titular character.
On Friday, production company Film 4 debuted the first photos of Richard in drag, and we’re happy to report, he looks all kinds of fabulous.
Brand new images of @RichardEGrant as Loco Chanelle in the Film4-backed adaptation of the musical Everybody's Talking About Jamie 💋 pic.twitter.com/gTG9uO7fHQ — Film4 (@Film4) May 15, 2020
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie debuted in the West End in 2017, based on the BBC Three documentary, Jamie: Drag Queen At 16, a teenager who wanted to attend his school prom in drag.
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The production received critical acclaim, including nominations for Best New Musical, Best Actor In A Musical and Outstanding Achievement In Music at the Oliviers, although Hamilton ended up sweeping the board that year.
Fresh from his appearances in Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker and his Oscar-nominated turn in Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Richard will star in the film version of the musical opposite Sarah Lancashire and Sharon Horgan, who will play teacher Miss Hedge and Jamie’s mum, Margaret New, respectively.
Richard E Grant as we're more used to seeing him Jason Mendez via Getty Images
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie marks Sarah’s biggest silver-screen role to date, having appeared in Yesterday and the film adaptation of Dad’s Army in recent years.
Former Coronation Street star Shobna Gulati is also among the cast, reprising her role from the West End, while newcomer Max Harwood will take on the lead role of Jamie New.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--Body Image in Lockdown (With Body Image & Mental Health Campaigner Natasha Devon)

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Transcript
Brogan Driscoll:
Hello and welcome to our HuffPost’s brand new weekly podcast, Am I Making You Uncomfortable? Presented by me, Brogan Driscoll.
Rachel Moss:
And me, Rachel Moss. This podcast is a frank, honest conversation about women’s bodies, health and private lives.
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Brogan Driscoll:
We cover under-reported issues and tackle the topics you may even be too squeamish to talk to your mates about. This week we’ll be talking about body image during lockdown. Food and fitness have become such big parts of our lives right now, we’re talking about them more, planning them more and really they’re two of the only things we can control at the moment. So we’ll be asking how that has changed the way we feel about our bodies and later we’ll be hearing from mental health and body image campaigner, Natasha Devon to talk about all that and more.
Rachel Moss:
If you want to join the conversation, we’ve got our very own hashtag. Don’t worry, it’s not the full name of the podcast because that would be way too long. It is A-I-M-Y-U, so Am I Making You Uncomfortable and join the conversation on Twitter and Instagram.
So body image is a huge topic to tackle for our very first podcast. We wanted to get into it because it seems to have taken up so much of our lives at the moment. Just, you know, anecdotally talking to friends, there’ve been people saying things like, “Oh God, I don’t want to put on weight during lockdown,” or, “I feel really shit about the way I look and it’s because my routines changed or my habits have changed.” And then also there’s a whole other realm going on online at the moment. We’ve seen a load of memes about the Quarantine 15, which if you haven’t seen it is just a really gross joke to be honest about putting on weight during lockdown. It’s really shaming.
And then there are even the funnier memes, I saw one that had Barbie on one side and Wolverine on the other and it was like, this is me pre and after lockdown. And on the surface they’re a little bit funny, but actually it’s quite shamy. And I do think impacts like the way we feel about our bodies and the pressure that we feel to look a certain way. What do you think Brogan? Have you noticed that as well?
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Brogan Driscoll:
Yeah, definitely. One of the first things my mates said to me kind of to your point was, “Oh no, is everyone going to put on loads of weight while we’re locked down?” There’s so much more to be worried about right now than things like that. And I think when people are worrying about this kind of stuff it really impacts people and you don’t know who’s on the receiving end and how people feel about their own bodies. It could be really triggering for some people. I think as well kind of from a fitness point of view people kind of pivoting from gym memberships or trying to find new ways to kind to work out, especially with being less able to go outside the house but it just feels like every time I go on Instagram there’s another kind of fitness instructor going live with a workout.
And that in itself kind of puts quite a lot of pressure. This morning I had kind of a plan to get up and do some exercise but I just felt really tired and then, you know, seeing that there were loads of other people who are working out in the morning kind of makes you feel a bit bad. So it was just so kind of in your face at the moment.
It feeds into this whole pressure to be productive during lockdown. You see people joking like, I thought this was going to be the time when I wrote my first novel or whatever. And it’s like exercise has just become an extension of that. It’s sort of, if you’re not signing up every day to do these things then you’re failing somehow when actually at the moment as you say, there’s so much to worry about. And for some of us that I know I’ve had days when I’m actually getting out of bed and log onto my computer is quite an achievement. So we shouldn’t be worried about all this fitness stuff and yet here we are. It is obviously impacting so many people. So I feel like there’s so much to talk about and I think it was a great idea to do. I want to focus on this, so well done, Rachel.
Rachel Moss:
Oh thanks (laughs).
Yeah, I think one of the things that I want to say like straight out the gate is that it’s not all doom and gloom. Obviously there are pressures that a lot of people were feeling during this time, but there’s also so much freedom as well. I was telling Brogan yesterday about my mum hasn’t dyed her hair for maybe the first time in about 20 years. And she’s just like embracing the gray. She’s having an experiment, seeing what she feels like and I just love that. And I think, why not? If we tackle it the right way, this could actually be a really great time to try things out, not give a shit about what we look like because we’re only seeing each other on video calls. They’re blurry anyway. So who cares? I mean personally this is the first day I’ve worn a bra for about five weeks, so hoo-hoo (laughs) making an effort for the first podcast.
I have seen people tweeting about the fact that they feel free because they’re not wearing bras. But anyway, now that we’ve established who’s wearing bras and not, should we, should we move on?
Brogan Driscoll:
Yes. Let’s move on and let’s bring in Natasha Devon. Natasha, thank you so much for joining us. We’re really, really glad to have you on the podcast. I know that you’ve done so much work in the past around mental health and body image, particularly speaking to younger women about the way they feel about their bodies and why they feel certain ways about their bodies. Why is this whole realm so important to you? Why do you think it’s important to talk about and why did you get into it?
Natasha Devon:
The reason that it’s such a big deal, particularly now at this point in history, is something that you actually touched on in your introduction where you said it’s the one thing that you can control, or at least we’re told that we control. I think actually the extent to which we are able to moderate our size and shape is exaggerated by the fitness and fashion and beauty industries because it’s advantageous for them to do that. But we have this feeling that we can’t control it. So during times of increased stress, anxiety, even trauma, a lot of that energy turns inwards and we start to focus on our bodies because we feel that that gives us a sense of control during times when we might not feel we have control in other areas in a way that’s logical. But unfortunately that’s also a huge part of the pathology of eating disorders.
You know, it’s well established that people who have anorexia in particular have quite often experienced bullying, trauma or large amounts of stress in their life and that energy turns inwards and becomes negative body image or very controlling behaviors around food. And that’s why, particularly for women, although I should say not exclusively for women, body image and mental health are really closely correlated. If you went to your doctor and you were going to be diagnosed with depression, anxiety, addiction, any of the, the most common mental health issues, then low body image and low self-esteem are two of the things that your doctor would be looking for in order to diagnose you. So that’s why it matters in a nutshell.
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Brogan Driscoll:
And of course we’re not just talking about at one end of the scale eating disorders and mental health problems. But then also people who perhaps haven’t really realized that they’re impacted by body image concerns might be having them for the first time in lockdown. Have you heard of women having those kinds of experiences in lockdown more than usual, would you say?
Natasha Devon:
Yes. I think that part of the problem is that when it comes to eating disorders and body dysmorphia, we’re all on a scale of that to a lesser or greater extent. So it can be really difficult to recognize when you’ve gone past a tipping point. And I remember actually the first time this occurred to me. I went to see Susie Orbach, who wrote Fat is a Feminist Issue. And she’s one of my heroes. I have never seen such a tiny person physically take up so much space. Like she just has this presence and this way of saying things that you go, “yes.” She was speaking at an event I was at and she said, you know, I first started practicing as a psychotherapist 30 years ago and if somebody had come into my office and said, “I’m cutting out an entire food group in an effort to lose weight,” I would have diagnosed that person with a very serious eating disorder. Now, I see that advocated as a lifestyle choice in women’s magazines.
So those goalposts have moved, you would no longer receive that diagnosis now because what is socially acceptable is becoming more and more extreme. So I think that’s important to bear in mind. But I do also see, just like you said in the introduction, a lot of pressure on particularly women at this time to emerge Phoenix-like from the lockdown completely physically transformed. You’re both journalists, so you will have seen this because I’m on various websites as a freelance journalist, you get sent the press releases and as soon as we went into lockdown, they were on it, weren’t they?
Brogan Driscoll:
Oh, God, they were. So many from PTs and gym’s saying, “this is the time to be the best you.” It’s a hard one because as someone receiving those, I feel for gyms and PTs right now because obviously business is down, especially if you’re someone who owns your own business and you work in the fitness industry. Of course you’re going to try and capitalize on the situation at any way you can because at the moment your income is down and I do appreciate that’s probably part of it, but at the same time, I’m never going to be my best me during lockdown because if you haven’t noticed, there’s a pandemic happening outside. iIt doesn’t sit well.
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Natasha Devon:
No. Particularly for me, the narrative that doesn’t sit well with me, that seems just really regressive is this thing of every calorie you consume you have to compensate for in lockdown. First of all, it’s just scientifically untrue. Even if you just sat on your ass all day, your body would still require a significant number of calories just to function and survive and keep your heart beating and your immune system tip-top, which is obviously really important right now. But also I thought we’d gone past that, there’s this idea that we have to apologize for what we consume. I thought we were done with that. Apparently not, it’s everywhere.
Brogan Driscoll:
Yeah, I was just about to ask about that regression. Rachel and I have been chatting a lot about how it feels like we’ve really gone back in time. We were big fans of the body positivity movement and felt that in a way, we’ve moved beyond that kind of stuff. But then you have a program, the restaurant that burns off calories, which went out a couple of weeks ago, which was just awful. I mean I didn’t watch it because I knew better than to watch it, but there was such a backlash. But if anyone doesn’t know about it, it’s a program where there was a restaurant on one side where diners were invited to come and eat and enjoy themselves and eat as much and drink whatever they wanted. And then in this kind of secret side room, there were a bunch of fitness enthusiasts. And their task was to burn off every calorie that was eaten within the restaurant. And it just felt like it was a program from another time. Like it felt like it was a program that you would have had 10 years ago, 15 years ago in the kind of supersize versus super skinny kind of era, you know? And I felt that I was so surprised to see it. Natasha, what do you think about the program?
Natasha Devon:
The thing that was most disappointing about that program, from my perspective, was that they had a GP co-presenting it, which gave it a legitimacy that it shouldn’t have had. But it does speak to this wider trend of saying health and beauty in the same breath and this idea that you can visually assess how healthy someone is, which is nonsense, it’s absolute nonsense. But it’s something that as a body positivity campaigner, I get asked all the time. I get asked about promoting obesity and if there are certain body shapes that shouldn’t be celebrated or represented because they are “unhealthy.” What people who ask those kinds of questions don’t understand is that all the evidence shows that if you like your body and respect your body, you will naturally make healthier choices. You will feel less self-conscious about exercising.
You will feel more empowered to listen to what your body wants and eat in response to those physical hunger cues. That loving your body is actually part of the health conversation. And all bodies are different. I subscribe to health at any size, a kind of philosophy which says that health is a lifestyle. It’s not a weight. It’s not a size. It’s not a look. And I get so frustrated. I remember a couple of years ago I was invited to go and be part of a think tank for the NHS and they were saying, “how can we get the population to lose weight?”
And for me that was the wrong question. If we’ve got an issue with the population being sedentary and unable to eat healthily, the questions we should be asking is how can we give people access to those healthy lifestyle choices? Not how can we get them to lose weight no matter how they do it.
Brogan Driscoll:
This kind of diet culture that we’re all talking about, it’s almost like being thin is the goal and we thought we’d passed up. But sadly, especially during lockdown, some of the stuff that’s coming out is just, it’s reminding me of the Special K diet days when the aim was to deny yourself things rather than nurture yourself, especially nurturing your mental health. But we know that this period is affecting some of our listeners and we’ve actually got some testimonials from a few people who told us how lockdown is impacting their body image. So I think now might be a good time to listen to one of those each day.
Carly:
Hello, I’m Carly, I’m almost 35. I live with my partner here in France and since lockdown started, I’ve definitely been noticing the weight creep on the scales which has not done much for my confidence. I’m at the point where I’m actively avoiding needing to put on jeans or anything that shows me just how much my body has changed since being in isolation. I think the most depressing part of it is I’ve been trying really hard to get moving every day to do a workout every morning. And yet the scales are still going in the wrong direction and I’m looking and feeling really bad about myself.
Brogan Driscoll:
So that was one of our listeners called Carly. Thank you so much to her for sending that in. Natasha hearing that, were you surprised to hear some of the things that she was saying?
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Natasha Devon:
Well, for me it was symptomatic of something that women tend to imbibe very early on in life, which is that we need to be the most attractive we could ever possibly be at about the age of 21 and then just grip onto that for dear life and try and retain that image. And obviously bodies change. They change in response to your environment, your health, your hormones, your metabolism, health issues, injury, and childbirth. You know, there’s so much that causes your body to change and fluctuate and it will always find its own level. And part of trusting your body is understanding that your circumstances have changed. Maybe I have gained a few pounds, but I will lose them again when things go back to normal.
A lot of people have been taught to mistrust their body’s hunger signals. The other thing that really spoke to me about Carly’s testimonial was what she said about exercise. And so often, we’re taught to think of exercise as a punishment for eating. One of the things I’ve found really helpful is I do yoga and I know that yoga isn’t for everyone. But something that I would recommend to everyone is before a yoga session, you’re told to set your intention for the session. So you have to think about what you want out of it. And what I always want out of it is I’m somebody who’s very in my head. I get very caught up in my thoughts. And then sometimes it feels like my head and my body are two separate entities. It’s not connected. And when I exercise it’s kind of reconnecting my brain with my body. And the other thing that I aim to do through exercise is to create endorphins, which are just magic for your mental health. They restore your chemical balance if you have had a period of anxiety or stress. So my intention is always to connect to my body and create endorphins. If that exercise happens to have an impact on the way that my body looks, that’s neither good nor bad, it’s neutral. It’s a side effect. That’s not why I’m doing it.
Rachel Moss:
It’s really interesting that you say that because it is kind of something that I feel personally. I feel like I know better and as an adult have taught myself to know better. There’s decades of diet culture and the way that my mom used to openly speak about her own body, you know, around me and still does really, that I could just can’t really seem to shift.
Natasha Devon:
What you’re talking about there actually is the difference between conscious logic and unconscious programming. Some of the things we learn unconsciously, I think sometimes we confuse that with our gut instinct because it feels like it comes from nowhere, but it’s not. It’s things you’ve been taught by your environment. So the way it works is around 90% of your total capacity for thought is unconscious and therefore invisible to you and your unconscious brain learns through repetition, whether that’s words, images, or experiences. So let’s say you’re walking down a street and you pass a bus stop with a diet advert on it and then a row of magazines and you see a billboard with a very conventionally attractive woman on it. And then you pass two people discussing how they’re going to go on a diet. And then maybe you pass a gym and your unconscious brain is drinking in from that idea that you’re not good enough and that you need to be changed.
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Now, consciously and logically, you know that that’s not true. But you’ve got 90% of your capacity for thought, which is learned through repetition. That’s how the world works. So sometimes you feel that conflict and one of the things that I recommend is to try and get as much repetition questioning that narrative. So one of the things that I teach young people to do is every time they’re exposed to advertising to automatically ask questions like: do I agree with this and what’s the agenda here? So that’s what becomes the unconscious habit. And you can also use positive affirmations. If you try and tune into what your inner voice is telling you. Things like self-limitation, “Oh, this is just the way I am and the world can never change.”
A lot of people have an inner voice saying that, but you can choose to challenge that with another self-affirmation that you’ve chosen. And eventually that becomes the unconscious habit if you remember to do it each time. The key with positive affirmations is to use language that you already use when you’re talking to yourself. If you constantly find yourself saying, “I’m ugly, I’m ugly, I’m ugly,” it’s far more effective to say I am not ugly than it is to say I am beautiful.
Brogan Driscoll:
One of the other things that we have spoken about a lot when planning this podcast is privilege, especially right now. There’s a lot of crazy things going on outside our front doors, a lot of scary things going on and you can feel a bit silly to say that you’re worried about your looks. But if you got any advice or any thoughts for women who are having these feelings but also then are on top of those feelings having guilt because they feel invalid.
Natasha Devon:
Yeah, it’s a really common thing to feel like we don’t deserve to have our feelings validated. And I mean, first of all, it’s really important to be aware of your privilege if you have the luxury to be able to work from home and feel relatively safe at the moment, et cetera, et cetera. You know, not be a key worker. All of these things give you a level of privilege and if you have an awareness of that, then you’re a good person. But you also sometimes need to put that to one side and address what’s going on with you. In my book, “A Beginner’s Guide To Being Mental,” with a drawing of the imagined hierarchy of human suffering. It’s basically everybody on each level going, “I don’t deserve to feel this way.” And I think it’s Simon Amstell who says, if you had one broken leg and your next door neighbor had two broken legs, you’d still have one broken leg.
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And that leg needs fixing. And more to the point, if you focus on fixing that leg, you can then maybe help your neighbor with their two broken legs. But you can’t help them when you’ve got one broken leg.
Brogan Driscoll:
Yeah, absolutely. I’m going to play you another one of our testimonials. So lockdown may be making some people feel self-conscious. It may be making some people feel free and really body positive or for some people they’re just a bit confused and a bit in the middle. So we’ve got a testimonial here from a listener called Anna who touches on that.
Anna:
My name is Anna and I’m a student. I live in Leeds with my housemate. I definitely think since being locked down, my relationship with my body image is kind of up and down. It’s a bit weird at the moment because obviously we don’t really have any reason to get dressed, to put makeup on and they are usually the things that kind of make me feel good about myself and remind me how I like to look. I think not having that makes me feel kind of unsure of what I like to see when I look in the mirror.
Natasha Devon:
I also think not getting out as much and not getting as many steps that I usually get, makes me feel quite lethargic and definitely conscious of weight that I might be putting on.
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Brogan Driscoll:
So, I know Anna touched on weight again there at the end, which seems to be such a theme at the moment. But one of the things that really stood out for me as well that she said was just this uncertainty around none of us are getting dressed up or wearing makeup or whatever it might be. Our daily routines have changed so much and it’s so interesting how that like feeds into your identity.
Natasha Devon:
Yes. So my very good friend and fellow author, Shahroo Izadi, talks about this a lot. So she had a compulsive eating disorder and she had this very binary idea in her head that she was only allowed to treat her body kindly when she looked a certain way. The thing she says that always stays with me is that she had all these really expensive creams and body lotions that just expired because she thought, I’m not going to apply these until I’m thin. I don’t deserve them until I’m thin.
And the thing that allowed her to have a healthy relationship with food and incidentally to lose weight, was to start living her life as though she had attained her goal weight already. So she started saying yes to social invitations. She started working out. For her pleasure, she started taking care of her appearance, using those body lotions, putting on a bit of makeup. Those were forms of self-care. And I think what a lot of people have done in lockdown is they’ve gone, “Oh, well, no one can see me. And, and also I don’t feel great about myself, so I’m just not gonna do any of those things.” But certainly for me, I really like the act of putting on makeup and it’s not really for anyone else. I enjoy it, it’s self-care, it’s soothing, it’s relaxing and it’s also creative. So I’ve continued that habit because I deserve to.
Brogan Driscoll:
Something that I’m noticing people saying a lot on Twitter is how they’re feeling a greater sense of freedom within lockdown. There are people who have kind of dyed their hair crazy colors because they’re at home or who have shaved their hair because they’ve always wanted to do it and now it feels like quite a good time to experiment. So I feel like there are some positives about that and I’d be really interested to talk about how maybe people can kind of get on board with that if there are positive spaces for people to be sharing how they’re feeling. There’s a hashtag called My Quarantine Body on Instagram, which is a body positive space that I’ve noticed, which I quite like.
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Natasha Devon:
This is a good time to do some introspection because it’s such a personal thing - what you do and do not choose to do with your body. It’s about why we do something. The extent to which we do something and the extent to which we’re dependent on it psychologically, and that’s a very private conversation that requires a little bit of naval gazing. But I know a lot of people, they are quite restricted in what they’re able to wear and how they’re able to express themselves and the fact that they are experimenting in quarantine is a really positive thing because if we are going to make changes to our bodies, that’s where it should come from; creativity and self-expression, not obligation to be a certain way.
What I would say in terms of talking about it particularly online is, who you follow is really important. Going back to what we were saying earlier about the unconscious brain learning through repetition. On average, people check their phone about 84 times a day. So if you want to talk about your brains learning through repetition, your online community, your online environment is super, super important.
So I’d really encourage people to make sure that their online wallpaper is positive and inspiring and diverse.
Rachel Moss:
I definitely need me to clear out and start following some more positive accounts. And to kind of round things off, Natasha, we have a question that we ask all of our guests who come onto the podcast. Of course, we’re called, Am I Making You Uncomfortable? And so will you tell us what is it in life that makes you uncomfortable?
Natasha Devon:
Small talk. My job involves going all around the world to events and schools and colleges and universities. And so often I find myself in a situation where I have to walk into a room of people that I’ve never met before and just strike up a conversation.
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Rachel Moss:
Oh, I’m so bad at that too.
Natasha Devon:
Most things if you practice them, that’s what confidence is. It’s just practicing them until they aren’t weird anymore. But with that, it just never gets less awkward I find.
Brogan Driscoll:
No, and if you’re on the receiving end, you don’t. You 100% know what people are doing. When someone comes up to you and they say, “Hi, my name’s Brogan.” And then you’re just like, you’re trying to network right now, like, you know, straight away.
Rachel Moss:
Yeah. To be honest, if I ever go to something like that where there’s a networking element, I just hang out by the food and just eat the food. So I’m like, my mouth’s full, I can’t network with anyone or go for a lot of loo breaks. You know, when you’re at an event like that and there’s just a quiet bit, and I’ll be like, “Oh, I need to go to the loo again,” even when I don’t actually need to go into the loo, I just go and stand in there.
Natasha Devon:
Just like Bridget Jones.
Rachel Moss:
Yeah.
Brogan Driscoll:
That’s all we’ve got time for this week. Thank you so much, so Natasha Devon for joining us. It was such an insightful conversation. We’ve got lots to think about.
Natasha Devon:
Oh, you’re really welcome. Thank you for having me.
Brogan Driscoll:
I’m Brogan Driscoll and you can follow me @Brogan_Driscoll.
Rachel Moss:
And I’m Rachel Moss and you’ll find me @rachelmoss_.
Brogan Driscoll:
Catch up with us next week for more chat about women’s bodies, health and private lives. This podcast is produced by Chrystal Genesis, and our sound engineer is Nag Kirinde.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--Former Coronation Street Star Philip Middlemiss Wanted For Questioning In Alleged Ghanian Bribery Ca

Former Coronation Street Star Philip Middlemiss Wanted For Questioning In Alleged Ghanian Bribery Case

Former Coronation Street actor Philip Middlemiss is wanted for questioning by police in Ghana over an alleged bribery scandal, according to reports.
The ex-soap star is one of four people named by investigators over the sale of military planes to the West African government.
Philip Middlemiss pictured in the year 2000 ITV/Shutterstock
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Following his exit from Corrie in the late 1990s, Middlemiss moved to Ghana to make a film, but when the project ran out of money, he began working in travel.
A public notice was issued calling him for questioning in relation to the sale of three Airbus C-295 aircrafts to the Ghanian state for £50 million, between 2009 and 2015.
Ghana’s special prosecutor Martin Amidu launched an investigation in February, and has now summoned four people for questioning, including Middlemiss, two other Britons and British-Ghanian dual citizen.
Amidu has claimed that Middlemiss worked as a project manager for Airbus, who earlier this year paid a £3 billion settlement, after the UK, US and other European nations conducted an investigation into the apparent use of middlemen to sell planes to countries, including Ghana and around a dozen others.
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Middlemiss now lives in Greater Manchester, with his girlfriend telling The Sun she had no knowledge of the investigation.
Middlemiss with former co-star Denise Welch, who played his on-screen wife Natalie Barnes ITV/Shutterstock
He appeared in Coronation Street as Des Barnes between the years of 1991 and 1998, after which his character was killed off. Following this, he played David Buckley in six series of the ITV drama Where The Heart Is, ending in 2006.
In 2010, he appeared in a Coronation Street special of Come Dine With Me, along with former cast members Tupele Dorgu, Julie Goodyear and and Ken Morley.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--Parcel Thief Reportedly Steals Cremated Remains Of Man's Mother

With COVID-19 holding much of the nation at a standstill, Kevin Lynch was unable to have a funeral for his mother. Now, he’s suffering a second loss after a package thief appears to have stolen her cremated remains.
“My mum lived a very difficult, had a very challenging life and a very difficult death and this is just a final indignity I guess that she experienced,” Lynch told local TV station FOX 5 DC.
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The Washington, DC resident and US Navy commander first thought his mother’s ashes had been lost in the mail. He was expecting them to arrive on April 15 from a California funeral home and when they didn’t, he contacted the post office. But postal authorities said the package had been delivered.
“We searched for it for weeks. Nothing,” he said in a post on DC community news site PopVille.
Lynch said he was eventually able to obtain surveillance footage from his apartment building, which appeared to show the box being taken. So he filed a police report Thursday and DC police are now investigating the matter, multiple local news sources reported.
A heartbreaking story with a hopeful plea. A DC man says this suspect stole a package with his mother's remains inside. Now he's asking for help in getting back the last physical connection to his mother. We'll speak to him tonight at 10. First reported by @PoPville @fox5dc pic.twitter.com/pZTGVgbva7 — Evan Lambert (@EvanLambertTV) May 15, 2020
Margaret Elizabeth Lynch died on March 25 in a COVID-19 ward in San Diego. She was 85. The former nurse was moved from her nursing home to the ward after she got sick with respiratory issues, however, she did not die of coronavirus, Lynch told The Washington Post.
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Lynch was with his mother when she died, but due to the pandemic delaying her cremation, he returned home and had the urn sent to him by priority overnight express mail.
In his post on PopVille, Lynch said he hoped that sharing the story would help generate leads to track down the package.
“I am hopeful that the man discarded the package once he realized that it was not valuable to him,” he wrote. “Of course it is invaluable to me and my family. My siblings and I are beside ourselves with grief and despair.”
The package was addressed to Kevin F Lynch, weighed roughly 19 lbs. and was 10 inches long, 7 inches high and 7 inches wide. It was labelled with “cremated human remains” and contained a green, marbled urn bearing an engraving of his mother’s name.
The family plans to hold a memorial service for her after the pandemic.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--Teachers Don't Want To Be Heroes – We Want To Be Treated Fairly

Teachers don't want to be heroes. AP
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Every headteacher in England is deeply concerned by the government guidance for a phased a return at the start of June and the “ambition” for all primaries to return just two weeks later. As a headteacher of a large primary with nearly 350 children and 60 staff, I am responsible for the safety of thousands of people from families in our community.
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Since the very beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, schools have only received information via the national announcements at the same time as the general public. Last Sunday’s update was no different and primary school guidance was only released late on Thursday. That essentially gives schools six working days – excluding weekends, the bank holiday and the May half term. Which, incidentally, we will still be open for, as has been the case since the start of the pandemic. The conflicting guidance makes it exceptionally challenging to plan and prepare for further change adequately and in a timely manner.
We have remained partially open since the beginning to support children of key workers and vulnerable families, and as a hub school for the wider community, we are available to care for babies up to 12 year olds – seven days a week – and this has included the Easter holiday and all bank holidays. My team has gone above and beyond to care for the families in our community, helping to fight this virus and save lives. I think that makes my team and everyone within the education sector “heroes”. We do not, however, wish to be heroes by being the only sector in the UK to be asked to accept that social distancing isn’t really possible, to work in groups of 16 with no social distancing, for children that could still be safe at home and have next to no PPE equipment.
“I will not open my school to more children until more information and support has been provided and I have absolute confidence to do so.”
We are all desperate to see a return to some form of normality, and my team and I, even with daily communication and online learning, miss the children greatly. The lack of clarity from the government and conflicting guidance to what general society is being asked to do, however, is very unsettling and we need significantly more information and support to ensure the safety of the children, staff and families. I will not open my school to more children until this has been provided and I have absolute confidence to do so.
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The proposal to bring back all four to six-year-olds as a priority is concerning in regards to maintaining effective social distancing. In fact, a Twitter poll I conducted with over 3,000 votes showed 98% believe it is not possible with this age group. For example, a four-year-old will often need an adult to hold their hand, or reassure them with a cuddle, within seconds of a normal school day. They will want to learn through play within close proximity of their peers whilst sharing the same resources. The government guidance states: “We know that, unlike older children and adults, early years and primary age children cannot be expected to remain two metres apart from each other and staff. In deciding to bring more children back to early years and schools, we are taking this into account.”
Despite conceding, therefore, that social distancing isn’t possible and staff should work with 15 children and other adults, the guidance then goes on to state that wearing face coverings isn’t recommended and only allows for use of PPE, when symptoms are displayed or administering first aid or changing nappies for example. Unions have questioned the guidance, the scientific evidence, and if additional funding would be provided for cleaning and PPE. This has been met with a wave of scandalous headlines in some press and a dangerous, lazy-teacher narrative.
The strategy for return has to be carefully planned and implemented, guided by robust scientific evidence, particularly on infection, viral overload and transmission rates for different age groups. I also strongly believe that if we are to have confidence that this is safe, surely the same social distancing and PPE guidance should be more closely mirrored in wider society? How am I to have confidence in the government advice to tell hundreds of families that it is safe, when schools in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are being informed that it is not safe until at least September. Staff can work in close proximity to large groups of children and adults, with next to no safety equipment, but cannot visit family or friends.
Prioritising a return of Year 6 children, who can be mindful of social distancing and are more independent, is far more achievable and would seem a safer strategy. However, it could easily have a significant effect on children’s mental health when they are not allowed to get too close to their friends and they are not allowed to see friends in other groups or classes.
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Schools are supposed to be a haven of safety, friendship, fun and exciting learning. Social distancing enforcement does not allow that to be possible.
Closing our school at short notice was a challenge and reopening school (whenever/however this happens) will be no less of one. However, I know my team will be working tirelessly to ensure that the health, safety and wellbeing of the children is the central focus of what we do. Does that make us heroes? I really don’t know, but as long as I can ensure everyone’s safety, I really don’t think it matters.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--UK Records 384 More Coronavirus Deaths In 24 Hours As Latest Care Home Data Released

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The number of people who have died in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus has risen to 33,998 – an increase of 384 over 24 hours.
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The government’s daily announcement, published by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) includes people in care homes and the community, rather than just in hospital, who have died.
But only those who had tested positive for Covid-19 are included, meaning anyone who died with a suspected case won’t be recorded.
The figures cover the period up to 5pm on Thursday.
It comes after the number of people who had died in UK hospitals, as well as care homes in Wales, after contracting the virus rose by 256 in 24 hours.
The increase consists of 186 hospital patients in England, 46 people in Scotland, 15 people in Northern Ireland and nine hospital patients and care home residents in Wales.
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Meanwhile, as of 9am on Friday, 1,663,492 people have been tested for coronavirus, with 236,711 coming back positive.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--University Students Unhappy With School Fees Amid Covid-19 Interruption

University Students Unhappy With School Fees Amid Covid-19 Interruption
The UK government has said students in England will be charged full tuition fees even if campuses remain closed. With fees over £9,000 many students feel they are not receiving value for money as their education goes online in the wake of Covid-19. The end to the academic year no one could have predicted has meant many students are missing out on the social benefits of a regular university education as well. And for students who live outside of the UK deferring isn’t an option as Britain's looming exit from the European Union means they could be faced with international student fees.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-15--Everyone Charged By Police Under New Coronavirus Laws Was Wrongly Accused, CPS Confirms

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All 44 charges brought under the Coronavirus Act since it was introduced on March 27 were incorrect, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has confirmed.
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The Coronavirus Act allows officers to remove or detain a “suspected infectious person” for screening and assessment, but the CPS said on Friday that dozens of people have been wrongly prosecuted.
When HuffPost UK requested a regional and ethnic breakdown of these cases, the CPS said it does not collect this data.
A total of 14,244 fines for alleged breaches of coronavirus lockdown laws were issued by police forces in England and Wales up to May 11, the National Police Chiefs’ Council also announced.
Martin Hewitt, National Police Chiefs’ Council chair, said: “These were unprecedented circumstances in which officers were presented with new powers within days of them being announced.
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“This has all been done at pace and everyone in the criminal justice system has had to deal with a new body of legislation, which has undoubtedly led to some confusion.
“We apologise for the mistakes but all parties have worked hard to manage this new legislation as effectively as they can and to keep the public safe.”
Police officers in a patrol car move sunbathers on in Greenwich Park, as the UK continues its lockdown to help curb the spread of coronavirus, in London, Saturday May 9, 2020. (Yui Mok/PA via AP) ASSOCIATED PRESS
Hewitt added: “It is right that any errors have been quickly identified and are being corrected through the CPS’s review process, and are also prevented by the additional safeguards now in place.
“Officers have received additional guidance on the correct use of legislation. We will of course continue to apply learning as we move forward through the current health emergency.”
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This comes as new data published by the NPCC on Friday revealed that Black and Asian people have been disproportionately fined under the Coronavirus Act.
Out of 13,445 contraventions where the individual issued with the notice had a self-identified ethnicity recorded, more than three-quarters (78%) were issued to people who self identified as white.
However, 5% of recipients issued with fines were Black. This ethnic group accounts for 3% of the England and Wales population.
Some 13% of fines were handed to Asian people – who make up 7.5% of the population.
A total of 25% of fines issued did not have ethnicity of the individual identified.
The CPS reviewed all prosecutions brought under the Coronavirus Act and Health Protection Regulations to make sure the new laws are being applied consistently and appropriately, a spokesperson said.
The 44 charges were withdrawn because there was no evidence they covered potentially infectious people, which is what this law is intended for.
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Police officers speak to people taking part in a coronavirus anti-lockdown, anti-vaccine, anti-5G and pro-freedom protest near Scotland Yard on Saturday May 2, 2020. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) ASSOCIATED PRESS
Gregor McGill, CPS director of legal services, said: “The CPS and our police colleagues are committed to ensuring our use of these new powers strikes the correct balance between public safety and acting in the interests of justice.
“In such a fast-moving and unprecedented situation, it is important there are safeguards to assist police and prosecutors in applying these laws correctly.”
He added: “I am confident the measures we have put in place will enhance the consistency of charging decisions across the country and ensure a fair criminal justice response for all as we adjust to these challenging times.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-16--Charlie Brooker Explains 'Odd Fish' Piers Morgan's Absence From Antibacterial Wipe Special

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Charlie Brooker has explained the absence of Piers Morgan from his recent satirical show Antiviral Wipe.
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Earlier this week, the Black Mirror creator debuted the latest in his Wipe series, taking an irreverent look at the last few months, and the key events that have taken place since the coronavirus outbreak.
Viewers loved the show, particularly its satirical take on the government and the media, but one figure who was left out of the hour-long special was Piers Morgan.
Charlie Brooker at the Emmys last year Vince Bucci/Invision/AP
In the last few months, the divisive daytime host has won praise from some unlikely places, due to his interviewing technique while interviewing government officials about coronavirus on Good Morning Britain.
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However, in an interview with GQ published the day Antiviral Wipe aired, Brooker noted that “we haven’t got any Piers Morgan in the show”.
Insisting it wasn’t a deliberate choice, he said: “Probably because it would have meant I would have to say something nice about him!
“He’s an odd fish, isn’t he? Because he obviously thrives on antagonising people, and so when he’s antagonising the right people from whatever your viewpoint then he’s a bit of a hero.”
Piers Morgan on the set of Good Morning Britain Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
Brooker added: “I suppose in some ways it’s refreshing because he does seem to actually relish being disliked by half the population at any given time.”
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The man himself didn’t seem to put off by the snub, though, joking: “Oh no, I’m now too angelic to be trashed by [Charlie Brooker] – this is a disaster.”
He later praised the show in a separate tweet:
Oh no, I’m now too angelic to be trashed by @charltonbrooker - this is a disaster. 👇 https://t.co/utFeN6p56l — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 14, 2020
This show was bitingly, savagely hilarious, though my laughter was constantly tempered by the knowledge Brooker was also ruthlessly exposing the Govt’s shocking complacency & incompetence from the start of this crisis.
Watch it on @BBCiPlayer, laugh, and then get angry. 👇 https://t.co/ZVYJGmdPGj — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 15, 2020
Last week, Piers was left fuming over a supposed ban on government officials appearing on Good Morning Britain, tweeting: “The UK Govt has banned any ministers from appearing on [Good Morning Britain] after a series of them made complete fools of themselves in the face of basic & important questions. This is a pathetic & cowardly response to THEIR shameful incompetence.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-16--'Art Of The Deal' Co-Author Spells Out Why Coronavirus Deaths 'Don't Matter' To Trump

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Donald Trump’s former ghostwriter declared Friday that the president really doesn’t care about the deaths resulting from the coronavirus pandemic because he has “no conscience” and is solely motivated by the need to dominate.
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Tony Schwartz, who co-authored Trump’s 1987 book “The Art of the Deal,” explained to MSNBC’s Ari Melber how the president’s repeated premature declarations of victory in the fight against the contagion had prompted him to “really rethink Trump’s motivation.”
“I’ve always assumed like most people have that the primary motivation is to be loved and admired and recognised and praised,” said Schwartz. “That is a motivation but the deeper motivation is domination, is to win. And that is a function of the fact that he has no conscience.”
“And let’s be clear. No conscience,” he added.
Schwartz acknowledged most people find it hard to understand how Trump doesn’t feel or make a distinction between right or wrong.
It gives the president “an enormous advantage in a situation where most people would be limited by their respect for the truth and by their concern for how they were going to have an impact on others,” added Schwartz.
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“The deaths, I know this is extreme, the deaths don’t matter to him,” Schwartz concluded, in reference to the nationwide 88,000 death toll from the pandemic. “If it’s this decision between saving himself and saving others, it is no contest.”
On Friday the president said the US would reopen “vaccine or no vaccine”, announcing ‘Operation Warp Speed’ effort to create a Covid-19 vaccine by the end of 2020, despite warnings from experts that a breakthrough on the scale required could take more than 18 months.
Trump said: “That means big and it means fast. A massive scientific, industrial and logistical endeavour unlike anything our country has seen since the Manhattan Project.”
“Its objective is to finish developing and then manufacture and distribute a proven coronavirus vaccine as fast as possible. Again, we’d love to see if we can do it prior to the end of the year.”
He appeared alongside infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci who – according to the Guardian – wore a face mask and glanced down at the ground as the president spoke. Trump did not wear a mask.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-16--John Boyega Blasts Sky News Over Article Calling Traditional African Style 'Coronavirus Haircut'

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John Boyega has hit out at Sky News over an article on their website seemingly comparing a traditional African hairstyle to coronavirus.
On Saturday morning, the Star Wars actor took issue with the news outlet over a piece published by them on Monday, with the headline: “Spiky coronavirus haircut growing in popularity in Africa - here’s why.”
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Spiky coronavirus haircut growing in popularity in Africa - here's why https://t.co/fCS4VZhJGT — SkyNews (@SkyNews) May 11, 2020
The article in question refers to a technique which uses threaded yarn to style hair, claiming it has had a resurgence in popularity in Kenya due to “financial struggles linked to the coronavirus restrictions… along with raising awareness that Covid-19 is real”.
John was made aware of the article at the weekend, and responded to a Sky News tweet with the message: “You lot lost your damn mind putting this on the internet. Which hairstyle did you just call spiky coronavirus haircut? Are you guys okay?”
John Boyega attends the EE British Academy Film Awards 2020 After Party at The Grosvenor House Hotel on February 02, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Robin Pope/NurPhoto via Getty Images) NurPhoto via Getty Images
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He continued: “The media need to make sure they do research before wiring articles like this. Ya fackin dummies.”
@SkyNews you lot lost your damn mind putting this on the internet. Which hairstyle did you just call spiky coronavirus haircut? Are you guys okay? The media need to make sure they do research before wiring articles like this. Ya fackin dummies. https://t.co/L04QWGqco7 — John Boyega (@JohnBoyega) May 16, 2020
John also quote-tweeted a post from Ghanaian actress Lydia Forson, who wrote: “1. Africa is a continent NOT a country. 2. This is not a haircut it’s African threading.
“3. You knew full well what the lady meant, but pushed this headline and angle for your racist satisfaction. 4. You’re encouraging the demonisation of black hairstyles.”
“Honestly!!!” John added.
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The Sky News article in question features a quote from a mother in Kenya, who told the news outlet that she chose the hairstyle for her daughter because “money is scarce” as a result of the pandemic, saying: “The hairstyle also helps in communicating with the public about the virus.”
HuffPost UK has contacted Sky News for comment.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-16--Woman Charged With Murder After Human Remains Found In Suitcases

A 27-year-old woman has been charged with murder following the discovery of human remains in two suitcases.
Gareeca Conita Gordon, of Salisbury Road, Birmingham, will appear before Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court accused of killing the woman on or before May 12 2020.
Gloucestershire Police said Mahesh Sorathiya, 38, of Denmore Gardens, Wolverhampton, has been charged with assisting an offender and would be appearing alongside Gordon in court.
The charges relate to the discovery of human remains close to a quarry, near Coleford in the Forest of Dean, on Tuesday night.
The victim has not yet been identified, but it is hoped DNA test results will help to establish their identity.
Police were alerted after a member of the public reported suspicions about a vehicle due to its erratic driving.
The vehicle was located a short while later and two people were spoken to by officers, leading to the discovery of two suitcases containing human remains.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-16--Eurovision: Will Ferrell Debuts First Song From New Film Based On Song Contest

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Will Ferrell has debuted the first original song from his upcoming Eurovision film, just in time for what should have been the night of this year’s final.
Back in 2018, it was revealed that Will – an apparent super-fan of the annual international music event – was making a film for Netflix based around Eurovision, which will see him portraying fictional Icelandic hopeful Lars Erickssong.
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And while the film is seemingly still a little way off being released to the streaming service, Eurovision fans have been treated to the first musical offering from it, in the form of Volcano Man.
The track sees Will performing in character as Lars, alongside vocal contributions from “My Marianne” and we have to say… he’s kind of nailed it.
Behold: A first look at the Will Ferrell Netflix movie. Will they be the winners of #Eurovision 2020? 🇮🇸
pic.twitter.com/6j8NzFqx62 — wiwibloggs (@wiwibloggs) May 16, 2020
At this time, it’s not known whether Volcano Man is Will’s character’s actual Eurovision offering (clocking in at just one minute and 21 seconds, it’s awfully short if that’s the case) or just a random song that will be included within the film, but we hopefully won’t have too long to wait to find out.
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Eurovision will see Will starring opposite Rachel McAdams, Pierce Brosnan and Demi Lovato, and is expected to debut on Netflix later this year.
Explaining how Eurovision first came to his attention, Will told Graham Norton – who also makes a cameo in the film – on Friday night: “It happened about 20 years ago when we were visiting my wife’s family in Sweden. One evening her cousin suggested we watch it and we sat there for three hours straight.
“I was slack-jawed. I couldn’t believe what I was watching. It was the craziest thing I’d ever seen. Everything you guys see – the spectacle, the humour – it was intoxicating.”
Will Ferrell Dominik Bindl via Getty Images
Meanwhile, this year’s actual Eurovision Song Contest was cancelled back in March due to the coronavirus crisis, but there will be alternative programming shown in its place.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-16--Coronavirus: Public Warned To 'Stay Away' From Beauty Spots, And Four Other Stories You Need To Know

With the Met Office forecasting sunny conditions, people are being urged to continue observing social-distancing rules and avoid potentially contributing to crowded public spaces.
Since Wednesday, a slight relaxation of restrictions in England means people are no longer limited to one opportunity to exercise outdoors each day, and can now also drive to beaches and countryside beauty spots in England, alone or with members of the same household for exercise or relaxation.
But despite the new freedoms, police forces, tourist boards and park authorities across the country are urging caution.
On Thursday Cleveland Police and North Yorkshire Police issued statements alongside the North York Moors National Park Authority asking the public to avoid large gatherings and use open spaces near their homes.
Drivers are asked to “go elsewhere” if they arrive to find a lot of parked cars and people at a particular location.
Meanwhile, the South Downs National Park has asked people to help keep the local air cleaner by staying home as much as possible and keeping visits to the park car-free.
On a similar note, the Peak District National Park said that despite national guidance changing, people could help give the area “crucial breathing space to recover by staying local”.
It also warned that facilities such as toilets, visitor and information centres, cycle hire and hospitality businesses remain closed.
In a statement issued earlier this week, Richard Leafe, the Lake District National Park Authority’s chief executive, urge visitors “not to rush back” to the region to avoid putting pressure on the community and mountain rescue teams.
The teams are anticipating an increase in call outs as lockdown regulations are eased and there is a potential surge in visitors to national parks.
Earlier this week, Mike France, senior executive officer of Mountain Rescue England and Wales, said: “Just because the government says you can go out, it doesn’t mean you should.”
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has also urged people to stay safe as the majority of beaches will not have lifeguards.
The RNLI suspended lifeguard provision during lockdown and there are currently no lifeguards on the 240 beaches that it normally patrols.
Malcolm Bell, chief executive of tourism body Visit Cornwall, previously encouraged people not to travel more than an hour from their local area to enjoy the outdoors, and to avoid tourist “hotspots”.
In Brighton the local council is asking people to “stay away” from its sea-front.
Carmen Appich, chairwoman of Brighton and Hove City Council’s Tourism, Equalities, Communities & Culture Committee, said: “If thousands of people travel to our city on a sunny day and don’t or are unable to maintain safe physical distancing because of overcrowding, this increases the risk of a Covid outbreak and puts everyone at risk.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-16--Cara Delevingne Defends Ex Ashley Benson Amid Rumours About Actress And Rapper G-Eazy

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Cara Delevingne has jumped to the defence of ex-girlfriend Ashley Benson, following reports she had been seen kissing rapper G-Eazy.
Last month, various media outlets claimed that Cara and the former Pretty Little Liars star had called time on their relationship, after two years together.
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Since then, Ashley was photographed in Los Angeles with G-Eazy, and were seemingly seen kissing on Thursday.
However, Cara has now shared a post on her Instagram story sticking up for her famous ex, insisting there were no hard feelings between them.
Cara Delevingne pictured in Paris earlier this year Edward Berthelot via Getty Images
“It’s more important now than ever to spread love, not hate,” the supermodel wrote. “To everyone hating on [Ashley] please stop. You don’t know the truth, only her and I do and that’s exactly how it should be.”
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Ashley then reposted the statement to her own Instagram statement.
Last year, it was heavily rumoured that Cara and Ashley had tied the knot in Las Vegas, though it later emerged that this was not the case.
The former couple pictured at Milan Fashion Week in February Jacopo Raule via Getty Images
They began dating around two years ago, with Cara thanking her then-girlfriend in a speech after receiving an award from the Trevor Project last year.
“[I have] another very special woman in this room to thank and you know who you are,” Cara said at the time. “She’s one of the people who helped me love myself when I needed it most and I really needed it.
“She showed me what real love is and how to accept it, which is a lot harder than I thought.”
Cara was previously in a year-long relationship with singer-songwriter Annie Clark, better known by her stage name St Vincent.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-16--Phil May, Singer Of Pioneering British Group Pretty Things, Dies Aged 75

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Pretty Things singer Phil May has died at the age of 75.
A spokesperson for the band confirmed in a statement that Phil had died in hospital on Friday morning, following complications from hip surgery.
Phil had been on lockdown at home with his family until earlier this week, when he was taken to hospital to undergo emergency hip surgery, having fallen off his bike.
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The band’s rep said: “The Pretty Things first came to prominence in the 1960s when they caused great controversy because of the length of their hair and outrageous behaviour. Fights at shows were commonplace and questions were even asked in parliament.
“But over the years the band retained their uncanny relevance across generations of rock music.”
Pretty Things pose for one of their earliest photo-shoots in the 1960s Dezo Hoffman/Shutterstock
A statement posted on the Pretty Things’ website read: “If you’re reading this, you will already know what a remarkable singer and performer Phil was, throughout the 55 years and more that he fronted The Pretty Things, and you will probably also be aware of his prodigious talent as a writer, lyricist and ground-breaker, with numerous musical ‘firsts’ to his name.
“But he was far, far more than that. To those of us who knew him intimately, and loved him, personally, he was a remarkable, mercurial, influential and irreplaceable human being and the finest, most honourable human being I have ever known.
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“He was funny, creative, quick, decent, insightful, hugely talented in so many ways, infuriating, direct, and unswervingly loyal, in an industry of frauds, and honest, painfully so. This Idol did not have feet of clay. His work across 55 years encompasses some of the true high points of rock music from its early R&B roots – right through to the present day.”
Pretty Things performing in 1981 ITC/ITV/Shutterstock
They lamented: “He will never see the release of what will now be the last Pretty Things album – the raw, roots, acoustic blues of ‘Bare As Bone, Bright As Blood’ – which will be released later this year. So sad, it was a real labour for him to complete, but worth every moment of toil.”
Pretty Things achieved chart success in the early 1960s, with songs like Don’t Bring Me Down and Honey I Need, reaching number six in the UK charts with their self-titled debut album.
The group formed in the early 1960s and, although they underwent a few line-up changes over the years, remained together until their official retirement two years ago, with Phil and guitarist Dick Taylor the only original members.
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Phil on stage during Pretty Things' final concert Judy Totton/Shutterstock
In 2018, Pretty Things played their last “Final Bow” show together at The Indigo At The O2 in London, where they were joined on stage by Van Morrison and Pink Floyd singer David Gilmour.
Phil had been “in poor health for some time” leading up to the band’s decision to retire.
He is survived by his partner, Colin Graham, and his children, Paris and Sorrel May.