Nigel Farage’s success in last week’s local elections proved Reform UK can transform opinion poll leads into tangible results.

And it looks increasingly likely that the right-wing party’s leader – who was only elected to be the Clacton MP last July – just might be in with a chance of entering No.10 at the next general election, expected in 2029.

Even his rivals, such as Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden, have agreed he might be on course for a major electoral win unless they take drastic action.

Reform UK’s sudden popularity has shaken up Britain’s traditional two-party political system by comprehensively defeating both Labour and the Conservatives at last week’s local elections.

They even managed to overturn a 14,700 majority to win the Runcorn and Helsby by-election from Labour.

Voters are increasingly drawn to the insurgent party because they believe it will bring change the country after 14 years of disappointing Tory rule and 10 lacklustre months from Labour.

In fact, in January, 19% of potential Reform voters told YouGov they believe Farage’s party is better than its opponents.

A further 11% said they valued Reform’s new approach to politics and welcomed the change they brought, while 8% said they were honest or trustworthy.

But HuffPost UK has found at least five examples where the populist group has apparently misled the public...

‘Remove DEI from Lincolnshire council’

Andrea Jenkyns promised to remove Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) workers from the Lincolnshire county council when she was elected as Reform UK’s first mayor last week.

But, as a Freedom of Information request from the Independent proved, there are no DEI workers in this council.

Reform claims these employees are known as “outreach officers” in North Lincolnshire Council, and hidden under different titles in Lincolnshire County Council.

‘No more work from home’

Farage has repeatedly promised to introduce “no more work from home” which he claims would lead to “increased productivity.”

Reform claim it is unreasonable for staff paid from the public purse to be working from home.

It was then revealed that Reform UK has several paid jobs on offer right now, including “regional director” which include “home working with occasional travel”.

Labour MP Stella Creasy wrote on X that the hypocrisy was “glorious”, although Reform party chair Zia Yusuf replied that, “Reform has no plans to legislate against private companies letting their employees work from home”.

He also claimed Reform can only afford one office right now.

The party alleges that it is “unreasonable” to expect regional directors to be in London five days a week, but all employees based in the capital do work from the office every day.

‘We need a British DOGE for councils’

Reform UK is keen to introduce a British version of Elon Musk’s “department of government efficiency” (DOGE) and “send in the auditors” to all of the 10 councils the party now controls.

“The whole thing has to change. We need a British DOGE for every count and every local authority in this country,” Farage said.

Reform insists there are plenty of examples of councils wasting public money where funds can be redirected to fund vital local services like potholes, adult social care and SEND provision.

But the National Audit Office has previously warned many councils are already so overstretched, they are facing bankruptcy after years of cuts.

Head of the spending watchdog Gareth Davies said in February: “There have been repeated delays to local government finance reform and government can no longer resort to short-term solutions to support local authorities.

“Action to address this must resolve the systemic weaknesses in local government financial sustainability through a comprehensive, cross-government approach.”

Reform will ‘resist’ all asylum seekers

Farage has promised to “resist” asylum seekers being housed in all of the new councils that Reform controls.

He said these people were being “dumped into the north of England, getting everything for free”.

Reform councils have promised to use every legal opportunity, including judicial reviews, injunctions and planning laws, to stop this.

But the asylum system is managed by the Home Office, so it’s not clear if Reform UK could make good on its promise.

‘Net stupid zero’ is ‘destroying’ jobs

Farage’s party has promised to use “every lever” to block “net stupid zero” projects.

Claiming these policies destroy jobs and hinder economic growth, Reform UK says it wants to drill more in oil and gas in the North Sea.

The party argues this would make Britain self-sufficient with its energy supply, as the UK currently has some of the highest industrial energy prices in the world.

But the government is legally committed to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, and the already depleted supplies in the North Sea are exported out of the country anyway – meaning more drilling there will not help reduce British energy costs.

Analysis from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit also found that, in Greater Lincolnshire alone, net zero industries add 12,209 jobs and around GBP980m to the local economy.

What does this mean?

Reform UK has already attracted significant scepticism around just how it will deliver on its long list of promises, especially as Farage has repeatedly dodged questions about how he intends to fund his party’s policies.

Paul Nowak, head of the Trade Union Congress, described Farage as a “political fraud and a hypocrite” who “makes Liz Truss look like a politician with integrity” last month.

HuffPost UK’s compiled list has drawn backlash from Reform’s opponents, too.

Sarah Olney, the Lib Dem Cabinet Office spokesperson said: “So far Reform UK have been too busy cosying up to Donald Trump and fighting amongst themselves to actually get anything done for local people.

“Instead of undermining our national energy security and being an apologist for Putin’s regime, Nigel Farage should be focusing on what really matters to communities from sorting out the SEND crisis to better community policing.

“The local elections showed that Liberal Democrats are the only party holding up against Reform, because we’re local champions who get the job done.”

A Reform UK spokesman said: “Reform UK made history in these local elections, being the first party other than the Conservatives or Labour in modern British history to win this set of elections.

“The British public have elected Reform councillors with a clear mandate to cut waste, improve services and bring about serious change. That’s exactly what we’re here to do.”

Only time will tell whether Reform’s inconsistencies will hamper their skyrocketing popularity.

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A new Reform UK council leader has called the Ukraine war a “distraction”.

Linden Kemkaran, named leader of Kent County Council a week after Reform UK’s sweeping victories in the local elections, appeared to downplay the impact of the largest conflict in Europe since World War 2.

Speaking after she was named as council leader on Thursday evening, she promised to remove the Ukrainian flag from the chamber.

It came after Reform UK chair Zia Yusuf’s claim that only the St George’s and union jack flags would be flow flown by the English councils the party controls.

Kemkaran told the BBC: “This is Kent country council. We are here to represent the residents of Kent.

“A foreign war being fought thousands of miles away is simply a distraction.

“We are here to serve the people of Kent. That’s what we were elected on. That is what we are going to do.”

The councillor said Ukrainian people are “amazing” who have contributed to British society, “but a flag doesn’t change any of that”.

Kemkaran continued: “You have to understand that we won a massive majority and we have absolute, ultimate control.”

She was chosen as the council leader from six potential candidates, after a total of 57 Reform councillors were elected.

But, when pressed about her plans for the council, she said: “This is my first day in a brand new job and you wouldn’t expect me to have all the answers.

“We are going to get the auditors to come in and take a leaf out of Elon Musk’s book and appoint some sort of DOGE [Department of Government Efficiency] to go through everything in detail and find out where the money is being spent and whether we can make any changes and make life better for the residents.”

When Yusuf first announced Reform’s plans to change council flags on Monday, the Labour MP for Dover and Deal Mike Tapp accused the party of “sucking up to Moscow”.

He said: “It tells you all you need to know about Nigel Farage’s Reform that their very first act after winning elections is to ban the Ukrainian flag from our town halls, in this of all weeks.

“Farage and Reform councillors should stop sucking up to Moscow and drop their ban on flying the Ukrainian flag immediately.”

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Dementia has been the leading cause of death in England and Wales for years now, with Dementia UK adding that more people die from dementia in the UK overall than of any other condition.

Still, a 2017 YouGov poll found that roughly half of us have no idea that dementia, which kills about 55 million people worldwide, can be a direct cause of death.

That means the dementia itself leads to their death.

So, we spoke to Simon Wheeler, Senior Knowledge Officer at Alzheimer’s Society, about how dementia actually kills.

“Dementia is a terminal condition”

Speaking to HuffPost UK, Wheeler explains: “Around 1 in 3 people born today will develop dementia. It’s the UK’s biggest killer, but many people don’t understand why.

“It shortens a person’s life by several years if they are already old, and potentially by several decades if they have young-onset dementia,” he continues.

One of the ways it does this is by diminishing a person’s ability to perform the essential skills and bodily functions that are needed to stay well.

“At first, these changes are mainly cognitive – for example, not remembering to take medicines or not being able to react to dangers around the house or outside,” Wheeler tells us.

“If they need surgery for other health problems, their dementia can make these procedures more challenging and recovery more difficult. This is why people with dementia tend to have much worse outcomes when they have to go to hospital.”

The later stages of dementia have more physical effects

“As the condition progresses to its later stages, its effects become more physical as the parts of the brain involved in eating, swallowing, moving, and communicating become severely damaged,” the expert adds.

That’s when people with dementia tend to notice physical, as well as cognitive, changes.

“They become increasingly frail,” Wheeler explains.

“Injuries and infections become more difficult to recover from. Eventually, an illness or other event happens that they can’t recover from and this is what ultimately causes the person to die.

“There is the near cause of death, such as pneumonia, and then there is the underlying condition that has resulted in the person being in such a frail and vulnerable condition – this is what dementia does.”

Early intervention still matters

More than half of those with suspected dementia wait for over a year to get a diagnosis.

But the NHS says that’s not ideal, because “an accurate early, or timely, diagnosis of dementia can have many benefits.”

These include getting the right support, getting access to treatments that can make your symptoms easier to manage and slow down the progress of the disease, and giving you more time to plan.

If you’re worried about yourself or someone close to you, speak to your GP.

You can also check your symptoms using Alzheimer’s Society’s symptom checklist or call the Dementia Support Line on 0333 150 3456.

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Vladimir Putin’s ambassador to the UK has shrugged off Keir Starmer’s latest sanctions on Russia.

Andrei Kelin claimed Britain will not stop Moscow from achieving its goals in Ukraine – which Putin invaded in February 2022 – despite imposing new restrictions on a fleet of Russian oil tankers.

The UK announced it was placing sanctions on up to 100 vessels which have carried more than GBP18 billion worth of cargo since the start of 2024.

The prime minister said this was the UK’s “biggest ever sanctions package against the Russian shadow fleet”.

But according to Russian state news agency TASS, Kelin dismissed these new sanctions, saying: “They are powerless.”

He added: “They in no way obstruct the achievement of our political and military goals.”

The ambassador claimed Starmer deliberately chose to hit Russia with new sanctions on May 9, when Moscow holds its Victory Day celebrations to remember how the Soviet Union defeated Nazi Germany.

Putin invited 29 world leaders to Russia to try to impress them with his military show of strength.

Kelin said these were “symbolic dates – aligned with a general summit, a general gathering of Western countries, or now May 9 – to signal that it is still capable of taking some form of action, of introducing some kind of restrictions”.

The new sanctions come as Putin continues to drag his heels over peace talks.

He suggested a scheduled three-day ceasefire – which coincided with his Victory Day celebrations – last month, but Ukraine called it a “farce” and questioned why Putin would not commit to a 30-day truce like Kyiv.

Putin’s three-day ceasefire, which Ukraine did not actually agree to, supposedly came into effect on Thursday.

But Russia accused Ukraine of making further attempts to breach the Russian border in Kursk and Belgorod regions, with further clashes between their forces reported in eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine also claimed Russia has repeatedly breached its own truce this week. The governor of occupied Zaporizhzhia claimed Russia hit its frontline villages 220 times after the truce came in.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy also announced a meeting of the “coalition of the willing” this weekend, where Ukraine’s allies will gather in the country for further peace talks.

Downing Street did not confirm if Starmer would be attending.

British foreign secretary David Lammy joined talks in Ukraine on Friday along with other leaders as they all called for a “special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine”.

“It is absolutely clear that when this war is over, those who have perpetrated it [crimes of aggression] in Russia must account for their crimes of aggression and their crimes against humanity,” Lammy told the press.

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Rachel Reeves has hit back at Labour MPs calling for the government to rethink its cuts to welfare reform.

More than 40 MPs from across the party have written to prime minister Keir Starmer urging him to reassess the planned cuts to disability benefits this week.

The government intends to tighten the eligibility for personal independent payments (Pips) to save around GBP5bn per year in a move which is expected to affect around 700,000 people.

The MPs warned that the proposals have “caused a huge amount of anxiety and concern among disabled people and their families”.

A Commons vote on the plan is expected in June.

If all of the MPs who wrote to the prime minister rebelled against the government, it would be Labour’s largest revolt since being elected in July.

However, speaking to broadcasters on Friday, the chancellor doubled down on the government’s plans, saying that it was crucial for the whole system to be reformed.

Reeves said: “I don’t think anybody, including Labour MPs and members, think that the current welfare system created by the Conservative party is working today.

“They know that the system needs reform. We do need to reform how the welfare system works if we’re going to grow our economy.

“But crucially, if we’re going to lift people out of poverty and give more people the chance to fulfil their potential, the focus has got to be on supporting people into work.

“Of course, if you can’t work the welfare state must always be there for you, and with this government it will be. But there are many people that are trapped on benefits that are desperate to work, that have been cut out of opportunity for too long. That will change under this government.”

The backlash follows a particularly poor performance from Labour in the local elections, where right-wing party Reform UK took more than 600 council seats and won the Runcorn and Helsby by-election.

HuffPost UK also revealed today that the chancellor has held talks this week on the possibility of changing Labour’s winter fuel payment policy following intense backlash.

It comes amid growing anger among Labour MPs at the electoral damage being done by the plan.

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It was when I found myself debating whether to attend the wedding of my new boyfriend’s sister or the art opening of my ex-boyfriend’s mother that I realised I had a problem.

My boyfriend shook his head, puzzled. “Is this really a question for you?” he asked.

I’d been hiding my relationship with Tamar, my ex’s mother, knowing it was not likely to go over well with my new beau. Even my ex himself had been jealous.

Neither man could understand my connection to this brilliant, elegant, creative woman.

My boyfriend watched me, waiting for an answer. I couldn’t blame him for his impatience: Who in their right mind ends a relationship with the son, but keeps the parent?

“She’s not just my ex’s mom,” I stammered. “She’s important to me.”

“Loving her is one thing — prioritising her over me is another,” he said. I loved this man, so reluctantly, I bought a new dress for the wedding.

The next day I went to see Tamar. She lived in a stone house perched on a hillside outside Haifa. Like her, it seemed both elderly and youthful, rough-hewn and graceful.

“It’s ok, sweetheart,” she said when I broke the news, but I could tell she was disappointed. Later, as I was putting on my coat to leave, she pulled me to her and gave me a long hug.

“You know I’ll always love you,” she said. I swallowed the lump in my throat and turned to leave.

The first time I met Tamar, her son and I had been dating for only a couple weeks. It was her unflinching gaze I noticed first, as if she was performing a CAT scan on my soul.

“You’ll stay for lunch,” she said and patted my shoulder conclusively. “Tell me everything.”

Her son and I had plans, but there was no longer any question of leaving.

“My mother is a force,” he explained sheepishly after we left. “I know she’s a lot — she just can’t help herself — but it’s only because she’s genuinely interested.”

I managed a shrug, still a bit dizzy from her barrage of questions. Tossed into the storm, I was hooked.

Tamar was a sculptor whose large female forms dipped in bronze managed to be both terrifying and entrancing. Watching her work was like observing a butterfly flitting from place to place. Her black hair, pulled into a tight bun, contrasted with piercing blue eyes, and her clothes beneath her white smock were vibrantly coloured.

When she wasn’t working, Tamar drank mint tea out of small Moroccan tea glasses, the gold gilt on their rims long rubbed away. She talked about art, eyes flashing, as if every creation was not only a joyful adventure, but a puzzle to be figured out. She liked to host elaborate themed parties, which sometimes involved costumes.

I was at a transitional point in my life, choosing between careers and countries. Though I had learned how to appear OK, I was deeply sad, plagued by my own uncertainty. It was only in the privacy of the shower that I let myself go — releasing great torrents of tears that I didn’t understand.

The freedom with which Tamar loved and lived both mystified and entranced me. My own mother is perceptive, thoughtful and smart, but also timid. My whole childhood, it was as if she was waiting for permission to be a mother — permission that never came. As a child, I hungered for direction, but my mother didn’t feel it was “her place” to advise me. “Whatever you think is best,” she would say. I felt like an unclaimed suitcase winding its way around a baggage claim carousel. What I didn’t know then was that she had suffered years of abuse at the hands of my father; I only learned that years later. What I did know was that his casual cruelty and contempt filled our house with a seething, brittle tension.

Tamar was the opposite of my mother. When she first laid eyes on the small apartment I shared with her son, she noted his guitars, books and posters scattered everywhere. Looking at me, she said, “You know you can take up more space, my dear.” She had strong opinions and an even louder voice. At dinner parties, she dominated the men but was always careful to seek my opinion.

For the seven years that I was with her son and five years after, she loved me fiercely and unconditionally. I hadn’t realised how hungry I was for it. When a surprise miscarriage landed me in the emergency room, she was there until three in the morning waiting for me to be released. For the next week, she made my favourite soup and propped up the pillows on her couch so I could lie weeping in comfort. On the day of my first half marathon, she cheered so loudly that my boyfriend had to shush her. She just shrugged and kept cheering.

“We’re all going to die, right?” she would say when I hesitated over a purchase. “Life’s too short not to do what your heart desires.”

When her son and I broke up, I cried so hard I couldn’t breathe.

“I’m not sure this is just about us,” he said, perceptively.

I couldn’t bring myself to look at him, or even to respond. For years, every time he’d brought up marriage, I’d changed the subject. Instead, we’d spent an increasingly large amount of time in his mother’s living room.

I worried about how our breakup would impact my relationship with Tamar, but she went out of her way to reassure me. Surprisingly, so did my ex.

“I don’t have to call her, because you do,” he joked during one of our occasional coffee dates.

Tamar didn’t give birth to me, but she did choose me, and that helped me believe in myself. In hurricanes, birds survive by flying into the vortex, sometimes swept along with it for hundreds of miles. I wonder if they feel disoriented and off-kilter when the storm deposits them somewhere new and unfamiliar. I wonder if they long to remain in the eye, where it is calm. I have felt that longing. But during those 12 years, when Tamar held me aloft with her love, I had become a stronger and more confident person. In fact, it was only because of that strength that I was ready to let her go.

After the wedding of my boyfriend’s sister, I gradually withdrew from Tamar. Ours wasn’t a relationship I could just dabble in. Over time, we confined ourselves to yearly birthday and New Year’s cards. I wasn’t surprised, though, that my ex got in touch when she was dying of cancer.

“She wants to say goodbye,” he said.

By then, more than a decade had passed, and I had moved to a different country. But I didn’t hesitate.

When I climbed the hill to the little stone house, I found her much changed. She was no longer the hummingbird flitting from place to place. Her motions had become lethargic, her coal-black hair, which she’d always been so proud of, had turned grey. She laboured to breathe. But the bright purple scarf remained, as did the steady gaze when she pulled me into a hug.

“Tell me everything,” she said.

Smiling, she fixed us tea, plucking mint leaves from the pot on the windowsill. As we chatted, ”All My Loving” began to play on the old radio in the kitchen. She loved the Beatles and swayed falteringly in time to the music. Watching her, I teared up. She put the back of her hand to my cheek and pulled me up to dance with her, the skin on her hands now crepey.

“Close your eyes and I’ll kiss you, tomorrow I’ll miss you, remember I’ll always be true...”

I closed my eyes and swayed.

Sarah Gundle, Psy.D., is a psychologist in private practice and an assistant professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is currently writing a book about breakups.

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This month’s dry, sunny weather might be good news to sunbathers, but it can be tough on gardeners – plants may be missing the much-needed rain.

That’s why backyard-proud Brits are being asked to check for footprints on their lawn, keep kids’ toys off their grass, move their potted plants, and avoid mowing, especially too close to the ground.

But sometimes, even when you do everything right, your garden still looks a little... lacklustre.

That’s partly because, as the Royal Horticultural Society writes, watering during a hot spell (or at all) is a delicate thing.

Flowers, raised beds, potted plants, and grass all have different needs, for instance. Even within those, not all soils are created equal.

So it’s a good thing Montana State University has a solution involving a pan and some water.

Mark the top of the water

Cheryl Moore-Gough, a horticulturalist at the university, says that those wanting to figure out exactly how much soil their specific garden is losing should try a “simple pan test.”

Using a straight-sided pan, she says you should fill it with water and mark the top of the liquid.

Then, you should watch it for “a week.”

“The amount that has evaporated is about the amount of evaporation that has occurred from the soil profile,” she explains.

“You’ll need to water that much to make up for evaporation plus the amount the plant has lost due to transpiration.”

This is especially useful in the sort of unpredictable and unseasonable warmth and dryness we’re seeing now, because it reveals how much moisture the weather has drawn out of your specific garden in your exact location.

Any other hot weather watering tips?

Speaking to HuffPost UK previously, gardening expert Chris Cooper from Hayter, manufacturer of battery lawnmowers, said that you should water in the morning when it’s hot out to prevent evaporation.

“When the sun begins to rise, your grass and plants will begin to soak up the water for healthy growth – so make sure they start the day with a decent breakfast,” he added.

“This is especially important in a heatwave, as the weather will be much cooler in the morning than at midday when the temperature is at its peak.”

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Former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne, who tragically died in 2024, reportedly did not have a will to help manage his GBP28 million fortune.

He’s very far from alone. Most people are at least in their mid-forties when they first pen their will, company Farewill says – Liam was only 31 when he died suddenly.

It’s not something many of us particularly want to think about, but life (and death) can be incredibly unpredictable. Nearly 40 million of us in the UK currently have no will, the Co-Op says.

I’ll be honest; I’ve fallen guilty of feeling too broke and young to consider writing a will – I mean, I’m not sure who’d want my yarn collection – we spoke to lawyers about when you should consider writing a will.

What age should I be when I write a will?

Speaking to HuffPost UK, Anne Stockley, an associate solicitor in the wills, trusts, and probate team at SA Law, says: “Solicitors would say that everybody should make a will whatever their circumstances, but it is particularly important for parents of children under 18, and unmarried partners, as well as clients looking to minimise inheritance tax or care fees.”

She adds, “Young people buying their first property together, for example, should certainly make wills as they have no rights under the intestacy rules which apply where there is no will.”

Though you might hear the phrase “common law spouse” bandied about, Stockley explains that’s not recognised by UK law.

Meanwhile, solicitor Qarrar Somji at Witan Solicitors says, “Any major life event – be it starting your first job, getting married or even buying a home – is reason enough to put one in place.”

He adds, “Legally, you can write a will from the age of 18. So, if you’re old enough to have responsibilities, you should consider writing a will.”

How much wealth do I need before I should write a will?

“The majority of us won’t have Liam Payne’s GBP24 million fortune,” Stockley points out, “but the only way to be sure your assets pass to the people you want is to leave a valid will.”

Somji agrees, telling us it doesn’t matter how much wealth you have.

“If you have a family, a pet, a bank account, or even just a few personal belongings you’d want to pass to someone specific, a will gives you control over what happens after you’re gone,” he advises.

“It also lets you make choices about things like organ donation or gifts to charity. It’s not about how much you have. It’s about making sure what you do have goes where you want it to.”

Otherwise, Somji tells us, the law will act on your behalf – “This is what we call ‘dying intestate,’” which is what happened in Liam Payne’s case.

“In many cases, this does not reflect what the person would have wanted, and it can lead to painful disputes, unexpected legal costs, and even family breakdowns.”

In other words, as soon as you have legal responsibility for something you care about, you’re likely old enough to write your will.

And so long as you own a single thing you want to know someone you love will inherit, you’re “wealthy” enough, too.

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We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Just so you know, HuffPost UK may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.

As a former cleaner, I viewed the multi-product toilet cleans of CleanTok videos gone by with despair.

I get it, I get it - there’s something very satisfying about attacking foul smells, tough stains, and the endless limescale of the UK with all nozzles firing.

But I’m glad it’s all gone a little quieter on the hyper-specific cleaning product front. TikTok’s “underconsumption” trend seems to have applied to its too-fervent loo scrubbers too.

Still, having visited multiple clients’ homes and spoken to friends who are still unsure what really deserves a place in their cleaning cupboard, I thought I’d share which products I reckon you need (I regret to inform you some big-name brands really are worth the hype), which ones you can avoid, and which ones you can get way more cheaply or sub out altogether.

And there’s good news for fellow penny-pinchers – the “save” camp has definitely won out over the “splurge” group.

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The White Lotus star Walton Goggins has addressed the ongoing speculation about supposed behind-the-scenes drama on the hit US show.

Last month, Walton and co-star Aimee Lou Wood found themselves at the centre of headlines about their friendship when it emerged they were no longer following one another on Instagram, particularly when fans noticed that it looked as though the former had blocked the latter on the platform.

Exacerbating the situation even further is the fact that co-star Jason Isaacs had made several comments about fall-outs among the cast while promoting the third season of The White Lotus.

During a new interview with The Standard, Walton said that he would not be “going to go too far down this path” when pressed on the rumours.

“But I will say this,” he continued. “With anything that commands the public’s attention, there will be a lot of scrutiny on it. But with everything in life, it will flow, and it will ebb and people will move on to something else.

“I’m just grateful so many people were invested emotionally in [Rick and Chelsea’s story in the show].”

He did also praise Aimee – who he now appears to be following again – later in the conversation, hailing her as an “incredible actor” and “such an incredible storyteller”.

Earlier this week, Aimee was similarly complimentary about Walton, when asked about him on the red carpet of the Met Gala.

“I loved working with Walton, it was the best thing ever,” she enthused.

However, while both Aimee and Walton were in attendance at this year’s Met Ball, they were not seen together.

Last week, an interview was published with Walton in The Times, which was shut down prematurely after the outlet’s reporter repeatedly asked questions about Aimee.

“I’m not gonna have that conversation,” Walton insisted when asked directly if they’d fallen out, after which his UK and US publicists tried to move the conversation along.

Later in the interview, he was asked about hosting SNL just weeks after Aimee publicly called out the show over a skit which made fun of her teeth, prompting no response from the Emmy nominee.

After one “last forlorn attempt” to bring the interview back to Aimee, he seemingly responded “what the fuck?” after which his publicist put an end to the conversation.

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Donald Trump and Keir Starmer celebrated their “historic” trade deal yesterday, promising it was a “great” agreement for both the US and the UK.

The Labour government has been trying to get a deal with the White House for months.

So this agreement was a real victory for the prime minister, particularly as the UK was the first country to strike a deal with the States after Trump’s sweeping tariffs.

Countries around the world have been scrambling to secure an economic arrangement with America after US president slapped 10% tariffs on most foreign imports and a 25% levy on steel, aluminium and cars last month.

But the deal itself is still yet to be published, meaning there are plenty of unanswered questions around it.

Here’s what we do know:

Export tariffs will be reduced from 27.5% to 10% for 100,000 UK cars – which is almost as many as Britain sent to the US last year.

It means Jaguar Land Rover can restart US shipments, having paused them after Trump’s sweeping tariffs at the start of April.

Trump’s 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium – which came into effect in March – will also be dropped completely.

UK farmers will get a tariff-free quota of 13,000 metric tonnes of meat.

While there are concerns that this will clear the way for hormone-treated American beef to enter the British market, the government has insisted they will not weaken UK food standards on imports.

Trump has also played down fears that chlorine-washed chicken may end up in the UK, saying Britain will just “take what they want”.

Tariffs on ethanol have been removed entirely.

And the US has reportedly still given the UK “preferential treatment” in any further tariffs imposed as part of further US government investigations into whether certain imports threaten their national security.

But, as Trump and Starmer have admitted, the final details are still being written up.

When will this deal come into effect?

The prime minister said on Thursday that the tariff cut will start “as soon as possible”, and that the work to set a deadline is ongoing.

But there’s no clarity about an exact deadline.

Why was the deal announced so suddenly?

After weeks of tense negotiations, the deal was unexpectedly declared on the 80th anniversary of the allies’ victory over Nazi Germany in Europe, VE Day.

It caught many people off guard considering Trump had previously said other countries were in front of the UK in the queue to get a new post-tariff deal over the line.

India, South Korea, Japan and Australia were all expected to secure deals before the UK.

For Britain, it was clear a deal needed to be secured sooner rather than later in the UK because of the number of jobs which were about to be lost due to the American taxes on imports.

There’s also been speculation Trump was keen to get a deal with any close ally because of the US’s weekend trade talks with China.

A UK victory could give the White House the chance to deflect from any hiccups in the ongoing trade discussions with Beijing.

It’s also thought Trump is feeling economic pressure from his own tariffs, which caused a massive disruption to global trade last month.

But the exact reason Britain was suddenly at the front of the queue remains uncertain.

And, because so much of the detail is still up in the air, there is still a chance it could fall through.

What does this mean for steel and aluminium?

While it’s a win for steel and aluminium firms that tariffs have been completely dropped for them, the real impacts remain unclear.

UK Steel, the trade body the government had to step in and rescue from collapse a few weeks ago, have said they do not know what the deal means for them and if there will be strings attached.

Will this be a cap on growth?

There’s an argument that the new deal “caps” economic growth because only 100,000 British cars can be exported to the US at the lowest tax rate.

If car manufacturers sell more than that threshold, the tariff will go back up.

Chief secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones told Times Radio this morning that the quotas on these cars are reviewable every year and “based on current trade flows”.

“It allows for our current trade flows to the United States to have that reduction in tariffs, which will be crucial for those car manufacturing companies in the UK who were really worrying,” he said.

This means the UK will have to keep negotiating how many cars can be exported on the 10% rate each year.

Is this a Brexit bonus?

Trump insisted this is one of the benefits of the UK’s departure from the EU, its ability to negotiate such deals quickly.

He told reporters the EU would have to wait for a deal, adding: “This was separate because of Brexit in particular. It always seemed so natural.”

But Jones disagreed this morning while speaking to LBC, saying: “I don’t think this has anything to do with Brexit.”

“I suppose what he was referring to was that we are the first country in the world to get a deal and get tariffs down,” he said.

But Jones refused to say whether or not being an EU member would have had an impact on this deal – and he steered well clear of criticising the president at all.

What about other sectors?

The government has promised “work will continue” on securing an exemption for tariffs on pharmaceuticals, and other exports which are still exposed to Trump’s 10% tariffs.

There have also been no concessions for the film and TV sector after the president threatened to slap a 100% levy on films made outside of the US.

The digital services tax is currently unchanged despite previous fears the UK would drop the extra penalty for large tech firms – like Amazon, Meta and Google owner Alphabet – to win over the White House.

But the countries will now work on a digital trade deal to reduce paperwork for British companies trying to export goods to the States – and the DST is reportedly still on the table.

What does this mean for relations with other countries?

Jones insisted this morning that the US will not have a veto on Chinese investments as a result of the deal, dismissing reports claiming such as “complete nonsense”.

He also told Times Radio that this deal will not distract from the UK’s plan to work more closely with the EU.

The minister said: “We will not be rejoining the single market or the customs unions, the institutions of the European Union.

“But we think there’s room short of that, but ahead of the trade and cooperation agreement that Boris Johnson negotiated to make improvements for British business, British workers. And that’s what the government is negotiating at the moment.”

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A councillor has quit the Labour Party over its stance on transgender rights.

Dylan Tippetts was elected to Plymouth City Council in 2022, when Labour won on a majority, and became the region’s first openly transgender councillor.

But in a post on X on Friday, Tippetts explained he was leaving the party because Labour has “thrown transgender people under the bus and has taken us backwards decades”.

It follows last month’s Supreme Court ruling, which declared that a woman – and sex itself – is only defined by biology, not gender, under the equalities law.

Despite previously saying trans women are women, Keir Starmer’s official spokesperson then confirmed the prime minister had U-turned in April, and no longer believes transgender women are women.

A row over which public toilets trans people are supposed to use followed, with ministers suggesting individuals should use facilities according to the sex they were born with.

Writing on social media on Friday, Tippetts explained he was resigning from the party membership, and therefore as the Labour whip on Plymouth City Council and the chair of taxi licensing committee.

He wrote: “The Labour Party nationally has thrown transgender people under the bus and has taken us backwards decades.

“Everyone deserves the right to live peacefully and the Labour Party continues to deny transgender people that basic right.

“I cannot continue to represent a party that does not support my fundamental rights. I cannot as a trans person continue to support the Labour Party.”

He added that there are a “few people” he respects within the party, but he will be sitting out his final year on the Plymouth City Council as an independent councillor.

“To be clear and upfront, I will not be seeking reelection next year.”

A spokesperson for Plymouth Labour Group told HuffPost UK that they were “very disappointed” at the news.

They said: “We are very disappointed that Cllr Tippetts has taken the decision to resign from the Labour party after he was informed on Thursday evening that he was being replaced as chair of the Taxi Licensing Committee.

“The residents of Compton ward deserve three committed councillors so we hope Cllr Tippetts will work hard to represent them during his final year in office.”

Local MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, as well as the minister for Armed Forces, Luke Pollard wrote on X: “I’m disappointed by Cllr Dylan Tippetts’ decision to resign the Labour whip last night.

“I understand his reasons and that he has been discussing leaving for some time. Though disappointed, I wish him well for his future.”

Tippetts’ remarks come after education secretary and equalities minister Bridget Phillipson claimed the Supreme Court judgement “brings welcome clarity”.

Speaking in April, Phillipson said: “This ruling brings welcome clarity and confidence for women and service providers, single-sex spaces must be protected.

“This government will continue as before, working to protect single-sex spaces based on biological sex, now with the added clarity of this ruling.

“We will continue our wider work with commitment, with compassion, to protect all of those who need it right across society. Because this is a government that will support the rights of women and trans people, now and always.”

She added: “This government will offer trans people the dignity that too often they were denied by the party opposite, too often a convenient punch bag, too often the butt of jokes made… in this place by the party opposite.”

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Lilo & Stitch director Dean Fleischer Camp has responded to the outcry from fans over one key omission from the upcoming remake.

The 2002 Disney animation is the latest film from the studio’s back catalogue to be given the live-action treatment, with the reimagined movie due to hit cinemas later this month.

While the original film centres around our titular heroine Lilo and her alien companion Stitch, fans will already know that the true hero of the piece is Pleakley, an extra-terrestrial agent tasked with tracking down “Experiment 626”.

Over the course of the film, Pleakley travels to Earth to try and bring Stitch back to his home planet, and adopts a variety of disguises so as not to be spotted by humans on his travels.

And folks… if you’re not already aware... they’re fabulous…

While Pleakley is still a character in the new version of Lilo & Stitch, his character has been given a few tweaks – including an absence of drag alter-egos.

In a recent TikTok, Dean responded to comments that were posted on the film’s trailer, and revealed he’s already had several messages about the changes to Pleakley’s disguises.

He explained: “I have had people message me, ‘why is Pleakley not wearing a dress?’. And I just want to say, ‘I tried’.”

“I tried,” he then added.

Dean even went as far as sharing proposed character art for how the dragged-up Pleakley would look in CGI form, but sadly, it wasn’t to be.

Lilo & Stitch will introduce child actor Maia Kealoha as Lilo, while Stitch’s existing voice Chris Sanders will reprise the role in the remake.

Hannah Waddingham, Billy Magnussen, Zach Galifianakis, and Courtney B. Vance have also lent their voice to characters in the new version of the film.

It is due to hit cinemas on Friday 23 May, just two months after another of Disney’s remakes, the ill-fated Snow White.

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Mamma Mia! has gone down in cinema history as one of the all-time feel-good classics, but it turns out one member of the cast wasn’t always so jubilant when it came to shooting those big musical numbers.

During Wednesday’s edition of The Late Show, host Stephen Colbert presented his guest, Christine Baranski, with a photo of the Mamma Mia! cast, prompting her to take a brief trip down memory lane.

While she praised Pierce Brosnan for always being “game” to get stuck into a routine, and suggested Colin Firth’s moves were more “ironic” than anything, it became apparent that Stellan Skarsgard was often less enthusiastic.

Or, as Christine put it: “Stellan hated it.”

Reflecting on filming the Dancing Queen sequence in the 2018 Mamma Mia! sequel, the Emmy winner said that “all three actors hated” the dancing parts of the project, but it was Stellan who struggled the most.

“We finally went down the hill in Dancing Queen and landed on the dock, and then it was the end of the number, and the camera would move around, and it usually would avoid Stellan,” she said.

“But then, finally, Ol Parker, this wonderful, dear director, said, ‘Stellan, okay. It’s time for your close up. You have got to do the moves now. You have simply got to do the moves’.

“And he let out a string of expletives. It’s as though Ol had asked him to do Arabic poetry while jumping rope. He was like, ‘I can’t do that’.”

To his credit, Christine said he managed it in the end, though, recalling: “He did it! It was so funny. I love Stellan. He’s just the greatest. He’s a wonderful actor. He was a great colleague.”

Check out the finished product for yourself below:

Naturally, conversation in recent history has turned to whether a third Mamma Mia! movie could be on the cards, particularly since ABBA have released new material since the first sequel hit cinemas.

Last year, Meryl Streep claimed that meetings about a third movie were “imminent”, but expressed interest in appearing, even though her character was killed off prior to the second film.

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In her recent appearance on the Jay Shetty podcast, former First Lady Michelle Obama shared that she’s in therapy for “empty nester syndrome” (a term that refers to feelings of sadness and loss when children leave home).

“At this phase of my life, I’m in therapy right now because I’m transitioning, you know?” she said.

“I’m 60 years old, I’ve finished a really hard thing in my life with my family intact, I’m an empty nester, my girls are in – you know, they’ve been launched.”

Her children, Malia (who graduated from Harvard in 2021) and Sasha (who completed her studies at the University of Southern California in 2023), are 26 and 23, respectively.

HuffPost UK asked experts why they think becoming an “empty nester” can be so tough, and how to spot if you might need help.

“Therapy can be incredibly beneficial during transitional times”

Dr Pamela Walters, a consultant psychiatrist, says therapy can be “incredibly beneficial during transitional times,” she tells us, be they positive or negative.

That can include “empty-nest” syndrome, divorce, moving home, retiring, or starting a new job.

“These moments can subtly or sometimes dramatically shift our sense of what we feel is our identity, sense of purpose and emotional balance,” the psychiatrist adds.

“Transitions tend to disrupt our usual routines and support systems, and that can stir up underlying issues we’ve potentially long managed to compartmentalise.”

Meanwhile, licensed trauma and relationship therapist Shawnessa Devonish Ford says there’s a term for this sort of loss: “disenfranchised grief,” or “the non-traditional losses that go unnoticed, including the loss of a job, living situations, children going to college, etc.”

She adds, “Existential challenges are unavoidable during transitional times, which is why therapy is highly recommended.”

How can I tell if I need to go to therapy during a transitional time?

You might notice some changes to your mood or behaviour, Dr Walters says – maybe you’ll be more teary, irritable, anxious, numb, or detached.

“These can all be subtle signs that your emotional system is trying to adapt, and therapy can help make sense of those feelings before they escalate,” she says.

Devonish Ford says that if you’re lashing out at others, feeling purposeless, isolating yourself, experiencing low self-esteem, and losing interest in things you love, you might want to speak to a professional.

Dr Walters adds that “It’s encouraging to see a public figure speak openly about seeking therapy. It helps break down the myth that therapy is only for crisis points.

“In reality, it can be a proactive, empowering step, especially during times of change, when you’re trying to reconnect with who you are and where you’re headed next.”

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With temperatures set to soar this weekend in an already unusually dry month, many of us will be tempted to bring out the barbie to make the most of the sun.

But there are some risks associated with the cooking method – and no, we’re not just talking about pink sausages ( though the NHS has shared some tips on preventing those too).

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) says that a common barbecuing method can “put people, homes, property and wildlife in danger”, especially during times like now, when we’ve experienced a prolonged lack of rain.

Don’t use disposable barbecues in a park

The LFB writes that if you’re having a picnic in a park, you shouldn’t use any barbecue – either disposable or non-disposable.

That’s because, they say, “Grass can be very dry and a fire can start and spread quickly. This puts people, homes, property and wildlife in danger.”

This is particularly true at the moment; last month was the driest April since 1961, and this month doesn’t show many more signs of rain.

The LFB also says you shouldn’t drink alcohol if you’re in charge of the barbecue, as you need to stay alert when dealing with flames.

Any other advice?

Yes – the brigade adds that you should never start a barbecue on a balcony because “Flames, sparks and hot embers can cause a fire and spread quickly to other parts of the building.”

You also shouldn’t place your barbecue on your decking, which may be flammable. Instead, you should lay it on flat ground and keep it far away from sheds and fences.

Have a bucket of water and/or sand nearby in case the flames get out of control, and keep kids and animals far from the heat, they add.

Don’t just leave the coal ashes when the flames have gone, either – make sure they’re fully out after they’ve cooled to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

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The BBC Breakfast’s Naga Munchetty suggested the government’s new trade deal with the US is “the best out of a bad lot” this morning.

No.10 announced its new agreement with Donald Trump on Thursday, promising that thousands of jobs will be saved under the deal.

It will see tariffs on British steel and aluminium exports to the US being cut from 25% to zero.

Tariffs on 100,000 British cars being sold to America will also be cut from 27.5%.

But, during an interview with chief secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones, Munchetty pointed out that the average British tariffs on US goods have fallen from 5.1% to 1.8% while US levies on UK imports have risen from 3.4% to 10%.

“So you’ve made a deal – as part of this special relationship – but we are paying more than they are,” the presenter noted.

He replied: “Would we rather be in a world where we were a year ago where there were less tariffs generally? Yes of course, we’ve been very clear that we don’t think tariffs are very good for global trade or economies.”

But he added: “The world has changed, we have to work within the world as we find it, not as we would like it to be. What this deal has done is get down some of these really punitive tariffs on key sectors in the economy where it was having a halting effect on production.”

Munchetty jumped in: “I’m hearing it’s the best of a bad deal, the best out of a bad lot.”

The minister insisted: “No it’s a good deal because we’re the first country to get these tariffs down on key sectors.”

She replied: “You’ve got them down a further amount, but you don’t know how much further you could have got them down if other countries made deals.”

“That’s quite a complex hypothetical, but the tariffs are down, that’s protected British jobs and business, that is a good deal,” he replied.

Jones added there are a “difficult” set of circumstances that the UK is currently in, and the government is still looking to go further.

“Would I rather the global economy were a much calmer place with free trade where we could get on and do deals in a calm way, yes of course I would, but there is a lot going on in the world,” he said.

Munchetty was not the only person expressing scepticism over the new deal this morning.

On Times Radio, presenter Calum MacDonald asked Jones: “That criticism, first of all, is from the Tories, that it’s a Diet Coke trade deal, that we’ve not got the full thing. That is true, isn’t it? We don’t know the full detail of this yet.”

The minister said the details are being published and will be presented to parliament in due course.

He said: “But as the prime minister said, this is the beginning, not the end. It’s the kind of first phase in our trade negotiations with the United States. And we want to go further in a whole host of other areas and we’ll continue to negotiate on that basis.”

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It’s probably just the post- Conclave effect, but does anyone else feel like the buzz around the electing of the new Pope has been on steroids this time around?

As well as the usual near-constant updates on the TV and online news outlets, the Conclave-adjacent memes have been coming in thick and fast over the last few days, with stan accounts like @PopeCrave even being set up on social media to keep everyone up to speed with the latest goings on in the Vatican.

But one thing we weren’t expecting was for even pop superstar Harry Styles to get in on the fun.

On Thursday, when Pope Leo XIV was unveiled as the new leader of the Catholic church, a figure who looked suspiciously like the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter was snapped watching the historic moment in St. Peter’s Square.

The moustachioed singer was caught on camera sporting dark sunglasses and a navy blue cap, as well as a baseball cap emblazoned with the message: “Techno is my boyfriend.”

Naturally, the hat in question has now sold out from the online retailer Idea.

HuffPost UK has contacted Harry Styles’ team for clarification about his supposed visit to the Vatican.

If reports are to be believed, though, Harry has been spending a lot of time in mainland Europe lately, while he works on his fourth album, the follow-up to 2022’s Harry’s House.

Last month, The Sun reported that the former One Direction singer was following in the footsteps of David Bowie and had been working on new music in Berlin.

Prior to that, one fan in the German capital reported that the chart-topper had stepped in to cover her taxi fare after she ran out of Euros, while pictures of him allegedly checking into a Berlin hotel while sporting some very short shorts also generated a lot of conversation on social media.

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Rachel Reeves has been involved in talks on whether the government should change its policy on winter fuel payments, HuffPost UK has learned.

It comes amid growing anger among Labour MPs at the electoral damage being done by the policy.

They made clear their concerns to Pat McFadden, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, at a meeting in parliament on Wednesday.

Several MPs pointed out that the policy, which saw 10 million OAPs lose their winter fuel payments, is being raised on the doorsteps by voters and is one of the main reasons why Labour were routed at last week’s local elections.

The chancellor announced last July that the payout would be means tested, with only those pensioners on incomes of less than GBP11,500 still receiving it.

No.10 this week denied a report in The Guardian that the government was rethinking the policy.

On Wednesday, Reeves denied that any climbdown was imminent, telling reporters: “That policy stands, it was necessary to put the public finance on a firm footing.”

However, HuffPost UK understands the chancellor has been involved in discussions in recent days on whether or not to change the policy.

Reform UK, which gained 677 councillors, have vowed to restore the payment if they win power.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch also called on Keir Starmer to U-turn at prime minister’s questions on Wednesday.

She said: “Does the prime minister now admit that he was wrong to remove the winter fuel payment from millions of pensioners?”

The PM replied: “The number one job of this government was to put our finances back in order after the last government lost control. That is to deal with the GBP22 billion black hole that they left. Because of our action, we’ve stabilised the economy.”

However, senior government figures are discussing whether to amend the policy rather than completely reverse it.

One option being considered is reinstating the payments to all pensioners except those paying the higher rate of income tax.

It is understood that if the policy is changed, an announcement could come within days.

A senior Labour source said: “Some in No.10 are insisting we should stick with the policy, but others want it changed because of the political damage it’s doing.”

But a source close to Reeves said: “There are no changes. As Rachel said in interviews, the policy stands.”

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Kylie Jenner and Timothee Chalamet are making moves, two years into their relationship.

The reality star and Oscar-nominated actor finally made their red carpet debut together on Wednesday at the David di Donatello Awards in Rome.

For the event, the couple co-ordinated in complementary black looks, with Timothee in a sharp black suit, and Jenner in a dramatic black gown by Schiaparelli.

The two laughed together as they walked onto the carpet, where they were all smiles for the camera.

Kylie and Timothee first began seeing each other in April 2023, when anonymous sources confirmed to People magazine that the two were hanging out “every week”, and “hanging out and getting to know each other.”

Though the two have often attended events together throughout the years, they’ve made a point to not comment on their relationship.

In an interview with The New York Times last year, Kylie declined to discuss her relationship with the A Complete Unknown actor.

“I just don’t want to talk about personal things,” she said, when the conversation veered toward Timothee.

Timothee also avoided speaking about the Kylie Cosmetics founder in January of this year, while attending the Palm Springs International Film Awards.

“You have a lot of supporters in here,” a reporter for Entertainment Tonight said to the star. “I know you also brought your partner in crime, Kylie, here, too. What’s it like to have her supporting you on a night like this?”

“It’s a great feeling to be in a room with so much love and so many great peers, and people that are fantastic,” he said, as he swerved talking about his famous girlfriend.

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Richard Tice was called out repeatedly on BBC Question Time last night by an irate member of the audience who tore into Brexit.

Reform UK, formerly known as the Brexit Party, won the Runcorn and Helsby by-election last week and took hundreds of council seats across England in the local elections.

Led by prominent eurosceptic Nigel Farage, Reform UK now claims it is the main opposition party due to its popularity (despite having just five MPs).

BBC Question Time discussed which party should be most worried about Reform’s success last night – only for a member of the audience to completely tear into the right-wing movement altogether.

Addressing Reform UK’s deputy leader Tice as he sat on the panel, the member of the public said everything Tice has said was “incredible”.

The man said: “What we’ve seen with Brexit, under every single metric, our country is poorer, it’s a fact.

“Everything we are trying to do on the outside of that is just nibbling away at the edges, so when people say we have no money in our pocket, Brexit and what you stood for has caused that.”

Tice cut in: “Absolute nonsense and toddle!”

But the audience member continued, pointing out that Reform have been criticising the India trade deal.

He said: “I thought we were supposed to trade with the rest of the world, all these big opportunities, and as soon as there’s a deal with another country, you’re complaining about it. This is hypocrisy at its finest!

“We’ve been duped as a nation. Brexit was the biggest con to enforce economic sanctions on ourselves and it has affected every single facet of life, and I know there’s a lot of Brexit remorse.

“It’s not about ideology towards the European Union or anything like that, they’re our closest trading partner and we’ve lost so much because of it. We’re suffering because of it, and that’s a fact.”

Similarly, the general secretary of the University and College Union Jo Grady laid into Reform UK while sitting on the panel.

“Not a single political party in the UK are offering solutions to the issues we face,” she said, claiming Labour has moved away from the average working class person.

Grady continued: “But I want to be really really clear: I don’t think Richard Tice or Nigel Farage from Reform have the answer.”

She said Reform are offering “nothing for working people”.

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Conservative radio host and pundit Erick Erickson slammed US President Donald Trump’s newly-announced trade agreement with the United Kingdom as “shitty.”

“It’s actually a pretty shitty deal” for Americans, he wrote on social media.

Trump on Thursday hailed the accord - that’s been condemned by many top economists and which will, in effect, triple taxes that Americans pay on imports from the UK - and said it was “a full and comprehensive one that will cement the relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom for many years to come.”

But Erickson vehemently disagreed.

“First, they told us the 10% tariff was just a baseline for negotiations to get to free trade deals,” he wrote on X, the Elon Musk-owned platform formerly known as Twitter.

“Now we’re being told the 10% tariff is for keeps. That’s just a tax on the American people,” he added.

In a later post, Erickson said the “dirty little secret” is that “many of the suddenly loud pro-tariff voices don’t like them, but want to be seen as team members and are mad at the rest of us for not joining them in lying.”

Erickson also shared conservative economist Joel Griffith’s rebuking of the deal.

Griffith suggested on X: “Tripling our tariffs to 10% on UK imports is hardly a win for the American people— and it’s hardly reciprocal, at > 5x the UK’s level.”

“This so-called trade deal is a multi-billion $ tax hike. And nationalizing (socializing) British Steel at Trump’s behest is hardly free market,” he added.

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Sopranos star Lorraine Bracco has been clear that she wasn’t pleased with the show’s 2007 finale — and recently described how her co-star James Gandolfini reacted to it.

On Tuesday’s episode of The Tonight Show, host Jimmy Fallon asked Bracco to confirm that she “didn’t love” the ending.

“I’ll tell you the truth,” she said. “I was sitting next to Jimmy Gandolfini, and he just went like this: ‘That’s it? That’s it?’ And you know how he always used to push his hair back, and he just walked out. ... He couldn’t believe it. I said, ‘Yeah, I guess that’s it.’”

The crime drama created by David Chase premiered in 1999 and quickly became an HBO flagship. It heralded an era of so-called “prestige TV” on cable.

However, the ambiguous finale disappointed legions of fans, who demanded to know if fictional mob boss Tony Soprano (Gandolfini) would be killed by his enemies.

Bracco previously recalled Gandolfini’s reaction to the ending in the 2024 documentary Wise Guy: David Chase And The Sopranos, and said the actor was likely “in shock like everybody else”.

She acknowledged during Tuesday’s interview, however, that Chase did “do something interesting” with the ending, as “people are still talking about it” to this day.

Last year, on The Spotlight With Jessica Shaw, Bracco also shared how she was irked by the show’s finale.

“I thought it was bad and wrong,” Bracco said on the SiriusXM show at the time. “I was annoyed. I told [Chase], ‘How do you invest, you know, five years into someone’s life and just walk away?’ I said, that is not cool’.”

Gandolfini died of a heart attack in Rome in 2013 at age 51. Several Sopranos stars attended his New York funeral, including Edie Falco, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Aida Turturro, Steve Buscemi, Michael Imperioli and Bracco.

The star’s son Michael Gandolfini was only 14 at the time, but has since become an actor himself.

Watch the full interview with Lorraine Bracco on The Tonight Show below:

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William Shatner slammed Donald Trump earlier this week after the US president continued to entertain Canada becoming the 51st state, despite getting a hard no from Canadian leader Mark Carney.

“At a certain point, persistence becomes insulting,” the Canadian-born Star Trek actor told Fox News’ Jesse Watters on Tuesday.

Shatner — who has previously expressed his concerns about climate change will fare under Trump — tore apart the US president for digging into his annexation threats in the Oval Office on Tuesday.

Moments after Carney emphasised that Canada was “ not for sale” during the meeting, Trump responded: “Never say never.”

Shatner told Watters that he’s “dealt a little” in real estate before encouraging Carney make a “real estate deal” with Trump.

“Make a counteroffer, let’s offer — Canada offer — to the United States to be the 11th province. Think of the joy! And it’s the best thing!” he said.

He continued: “Here you have a friendly group of people saying, ’Come on over. It’s cleaner, there’s plenty of power, there’s some lovely people who want to work with you. Be our 11th province!”

Watters replied that Carney “would have brought the house down” with his remarks.

Shatner agreed before turning his attention back toward Trump’s 51st state talk.

“I mean, everybody’s so serious about what is an unserious offer,” said the actor, adding that Canada has been around for over 150 years and its people have fought nobly on a number of occasions during both world wars.

“Tens of thousands of Canadian soldiers have died in the fight for freedom and making the world playable for all of us. You can’t denigrate that. You can’t deny that,” Shatner opined.

Shatner would later take to X, formerly Twitter, where he declared that Americans have “so much” to gain from taking the proposed deal including greater access to poutine, ketchup-flavoured potato chips and scoring free health care.

“If you are angry about my posts on the US becoming a Canadian province: imagine how Canadians felt when an actual leader of a friendly neighboring country floated that idea across the border,” he wrote in a post on Thursday.

“Doesn’t feel good; does it? Learn a lesson from it.”

H/T: Mediaite

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While most celebs happily basked in the flashes of photographers’ cameras at the 2025 Met Gala, actor Leonardo DiCaprio opted to keep a low profile for his surprise debut at the New York City fashion event.

The Oscar winner arrived at the annual function for the first time on Monday but skipped the red carpet. Leo was seemingly there to support his Italian model girlfriend, Vittoria Ceretti.

The Titanic star and Vittoria have been romantically linked in the press since 2023, but they’ve so far kept their relationship tightly under wraps.

His appearance at the Met Gala was caught by Vogue’s photographer, who stealthily snapped a shot of him walking into the Metropolitan Museum of Art with Vittoria as he partially covered his face.

For the event, Leo wore a black tuxedo and matching bow tie for the evening’s theme of Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.

Leo has been photographed trying to avoid the paparazzi in a variety of ways, including by wearing sunglasses indoors at the Staples Center during a Los Angeles Lakers game and by wearing face masks.

A$AP Rocky, Lewis Hamilton, Pharrell Williams and Colman Domingo all served as this year’s co-chairs, alongside Met Ball staple Anna Wintour.

Basketball icon LeBron James was also an honorary chair, but announced on Monday that he would not be able to attend the event in person due to an injury.

Scene-stealers on the night included Rihanna, who announced on her way into the event that she and partner A$AP Rocky are expecting their third child, as well as Met Gala regulars like Zendaya, Doja Cat, Janelle Monae and Bad Bunny, plus first-timers Doechii and Chappell Roan.

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If you are an egg fiend and have a soft spot for these hard-shelled beauties, chances are that you have been given multiple ‘hacks’ and ‘tricks’ to effortlessly peeling them.

From shaking them to bringing vinegar into the fold, everyone has their own ideas for mastering this but now, Paulmoi (Polly) Burey, a Professor in Food Science, has revealed the real scientific answer.

Writing for The Conversation, she reveals that there are three science-backed steps to perfecting the art of peeling an egg.

How to successfully peel an egg

Don’t use fresh eggs

Yes, if you have just bought a new carton of eggs, boiled eggs probably aren’t the best shout.

She explains: “In a fresh egg the air cell is still quite small. As the egg ages, it (very) slowly loses moisture through the porous shell, increasing the size of the air cell while the rest of the egg contents shrink. A bigger air cell makes it easier to start the peeling action.”

Noted.

Be careful with temperature

While many of us have been taught to start off with boiling water and letting it lower to a simmer, Burey advises that this only works for room temperature eggs.

She advises: “The reasoning behind this approach is that exposure to higher temperatures from the start of cooking also makes it easier for the membrane to come away from the shell and egg white.

“Furthermore, the quick hot start makes it easier for the egg white proteins to denature (change structure as they cook) and bond to each other, rather than to the membrane.”

Once they’re cooked, Burey recommends “quenching” them in ice water to help the egg white to slightly shrink away from the shell, improving the overall “peelability”.

Add things to the water (if you want)

Burey says: “You could try adding baking soda or vinegar to the water. With vinegar, the theory is that it attacks the calcium carbonate in the eggshell to then aid its removal. As for baking soda, because it’s alkaline, it could help detach the membrane from the shell.”

Brb, got some boiling to do.

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Former President Joe Biden and former first lady Dr Jill Biden were confronted with questions about his apparent cognitive decline during a Thursday morning appearance on ABC’s The View, publicly airing their feelings after months of avoiding the spotlight.

The View hosts brought up the concerns about Joe Biden’s age and ability at multiple points in the hour-long TV appearance.

After Biden said there was “nothing to sustain” the concerns, his wife of 47 years chimed in to say that the people who were most vocal were not the same people who spent the most time with the couple in the White House.

“Being president is not like a job. It’s a lifestyle,” Jill Biden said. “You live it 24 hours a day. That phone can ring at 11:00 at night or 2:00 in the morning. It’s constant. You never leave it. And Joe worked really hard.”

Host Sara Haines later asked the former first lady whether she might have been too close to the situation to assess it properly.

“It’s been reported that you created a sort of cocoon around him and kind of limited his interactions with the media and others,” Haines asked, echoing language from a July Axios report about worried Biden staffers.

“I was with Joe day and night. I saw him more than any other person,” Jill Biden responded. “I did not create a cocoon around him. I mean, you saw him in the Oval Office. You saw him making speeches. He wasn’t hiding somewhere. I didn’t have him, you know, sequestered in some place.”

“Wish she had,” the former president quipped, to laughter.

“It was very hurtful, especially from some of our so-called friends,” Jill Biden added.

The former president acknowledged on The View that he performed poorly in his June debate against Trump and took responsibility for Trump’s eventual victory.

“Look, I was in charge, and he won,” Joe Biden said.

The debate led to a critical mass of doubt among high-profile Democrats and Democratic fundraisers, who began to go public with calls for Biden to drop his reelection bid.

Actor George Clooney wrote a New York Times op-ed saying that he loved Biden but the party needed a new nominee. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declined to throw her support behind Biden, and even his former running mate, ex-President Barack Obama, reportedly raised doubts.

President Biden ended up dropping his bid for reelection in late July.

He told The View that while he thought former Vice President Kamala Harris was a strong candidate, he had never seen such a “successful and consistent campaign undercutting the notion that a woman couldn’t lead the country, and a woman of mixed race.”

Biden also touched on the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, saying, “I think we underestimate the phenomenal negative impact that Covid had and the pandemic had on people, on attitudes, on optimism, on a whole range of things, so I was very disappointed and, but I wasn’t surprised.”

The former president said Friday that it was important to him to follow the tradition of declining to speak out during a new president’s first few months.

An interview Biden gave to the BBC, which aired this week, marked his first major sit-down since President Donald Trump took office.

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There’s a new pope in town, and it took mere moments for the internet faithful to find what appears to be his social media account.

Judging from the content he’s shared, Pope Leo XIV and Vice President JD Vance — an adult convert to Catholicism — might have a few disagreements. The 69-year-old pope hails from Chicago and is the first US leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

On February 3, Pope Leo - then Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost - shared an opinion piece, “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.”

The article itself, published in the National Catholic Reporter, argues against Vance’s claim of a rigid “biblical” hierarchy that dictates how Christians should prioritize who to love.

“When it comes to something being ‘biblical,’ we have to be careful,” cautions Kat Armas in the piece. “Nearly anything can be found in Scripture if you’re looking for it — stories of war, oppression, miracles and love, all written by people grappling with what it meant to be faithful. The Bible is not a rigid manual but a living testimony of human wrestlings with the divine.”

Another post in Pope Leo’s feed includes criticism of President Donald Trump’s Oval Office meeting with El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, where they laughed at the circumstances of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who Trump mistakenly sent to a prison there.

Leo retweeted the post, which included the quote: “Do you not see the suffering? Is your conscience not disturbed? How can you stay quiet?”

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On at least one major issue, it’s not yet clear just how closely the new pope will adhere to the legacy established by his predecessor.

As Pink News reported, Pope Leo XIV hasn’t made many public statements on LGBTQ+ rights, but the ones he has expressed have been described by The New York Times as “less welcoming” than stances Pope Francis once embraced.

Per the Times, Leo gave remarks in 2012 that criticised Western news media and pop culture for promoting “sympathy for beliefs and practices that are at odds with the gospel.” Examples of such beliefs that Leo reportedly referenced included a “homosexual lifestyle” and “alternative families comprised of same-sex partners and their adopted children.”

As a bishop in Peru, Leo also deemed “the promotion of gender ideology” in schools “confusing,” noting that “it seeks to create genders that don’t exist.”

And in 2024,Leo adopted a more ambivalent stance regarding blessings for same-sex unions. While Francis backed the practice, Leo declined to oppose or endorse a document that supported them, according to The 19th.

During his tenure as head of the Catholic Church, Francis was known for ushering in a more inclusive period of leadership that embraced LGBTQ+ parishioners and clergy members in a new way.

“If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” Francis said of gay clergy members in 2013. He also pushed back against laws around the world that have criminalized homosexuality and met with LGBTQ+ Catholic groups, becoming one of the first popes to do so.

Francis’ leadership was widely heralded as a sea change compared to past papacies that promoted anti-gay views, though he did not fundamentally change doctrine on issues like same-sex marriage.

For now, LGBTQ+ Catholics are watching closely to see whether Leo — who emphasized inclusion broadly in his opening remarks — will maintain the same trajectory.

“We pray that in the 13 years that have passed, 12 of which were under the papacy of Pope Francis, that his heart and mind have developed more progressively on LGBTQ+ issues,” said Francis DeBernardo, the executive director of New Ways Ministry, an LGBTQ+ Catholic group, in a statement.

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Bill Gates didn’t mince words on what he thinks about Elon Musk in an interview with the Financial Times that was published on Thursday.

The Microsoft mogul accused the Tesla CEO of “killing the world’s poorest children” by making drastic and, in Gates’ view, misguided cuts on the US Agency for International Development through the so-called Department of Government Efficiency.

Musk declared it was “time” for USAID “to die” in February and called it a “criminal organization” on social media.

Gates went on the offensive on Thursday and said Musk’s actions resulted in life-saving food and medicine being allowed to go to waste in warehouses.

“The picture of the world’s richest man killing the world’s poorest children is not a pretty one,” Gates said.

Then, Gates added that Musk had cancelled grants to a hospital in Gaza Province, Mozambique, that would have helped prevent women from transmitting HIV to their babies because Musk incorrectly thought the US was supplying condoms to Hamas in Gaza in the Middle East.

“I’d love for him to go in and meet the children that have now been infected with HIV because he cut that money,” Gates said.

Musk hadn’t commented on Gates’ attack as of Thursday afternoon, but it’s safe to say he probably won’t be happy.

The two billionaires have had a long-running feud, stemming in part from disagreements over philanthropy, to Gates’ attempt to make money by shorting Tesla stock.

Gates, in January, referred to Musk’s desire to promote far-right politics around the world as “insane shit.”

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A Reform UK councillor has resigned just a week after being elected.

Des Clarke said he was unable to represent voters “in the way they deserve”.

Clarke was one of 40 Reform UK candidates elected to Nottinghamshire County Council last Thursday as the right-wing party seized control of the local authority.

He received 909 votes to win in the Newark West ward, more than 100 votes clear of his Tory rival.

But in a statement days later, the party said Clarke was “not in a position to represent the people of Newark West in the way they deserve, while at the same time continuing his career in social care, about which he is very passionate.”

Local Tory MP and shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick criticised the former councillor.

Posting on X, he said: “Just 7 days after being elected the Reform councillor in Newark has resigned saying he’s ‘not in a position to represent the people of Newark in the way they deserve’. Perhaps he should have thought about that before standing. Thousands of GBP will now be wasted on a by-election.”

A Reform UK spokesperson told HuffPost UK it was “a personal decision”.

He added: “We wish him the best. We’re now preparing to stand and win the by-election.”

Reform gained a total of 677 councillors across England as Labour and the Tories endured a miserable local elections.

Clarke’s resignation comes after the party suspended one of its new councillors just three days after she was elected.

It emerged that Donna Edmunds had previously vowed to defect to another right-wing party in the future.

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A parent has taken to Mumsnet to ask if it’s “weird parenting” to buy their daughter a necklace to mark the start of her period – and people are seriously divided over the concept.

Offering a bit of context, the parent said their daughter is a young teen “who hasn’t yet hit puberty”.

“I have been thinking that when she starts her period, I might buy her a small piece of jewellery to give her, to mark her transition to womanhood,” they said, adding a link to a GBP115 pendant necklace with a pink stone in the centre.

“Am I being weird? Or is this a nice thing to do?” they asked.

What was the consensus?

The question was added to Mumsnet’s Am I Being Unreasonable forum and more than three-quarters of those who saw it (77%) thought the OP (original poster) was being unreasonable.

People didn’t hold back when it came to sharing their two cents on the idea. “Personally I think it’s very bizarre,” wrote one commenter.

“I’d love a menstrual necklace! Said no teenager ever,” added another.

And then there was: “I wouldn’t want anything to remind me of that.”

Others were less appalled by the idea, however. “I don’t think it’s weird if that’s what you want to do,” said one parent, before adding they opted to buy their daughter some chocolate and a hot water bottle instead.

“I think it’s a lovely idea,” added another commenter, “it’s a nice marker of having a good, positive relationship towards her period and being a woman.”

Why does it matter?

Period stigma is still a pretty big issue in society. In 2019, a survey by Plan International UK found one in five (20% of) 14-21 year olds had experienced teasing around their periods and made to feel shame, with only half (49%) telling anyone about it.

More recently, a survey by Bodyform and YouGov found 27% of girls have missed school due to their period, citing embarrassment and shame-related factors as the main reasons.

In recent years, period parties have become increasingly popular as a way to celebrate menstruation, alleviate the anxiety that surrounds periods, and normalise the fact they happen – all in a bid to diminish shame.

The trend has particularly taken off on TikTok, with parents and older siblings sharing period party decor ideas and cake inspiration.

Whether you’re considering throwing a party, buying a necklace or are keen to call in a month’s worth of chocolate, any efforts to reduce shame and open up conversations about periods should – in my view – be applauded.

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A Labour minister has roasted Kemi Badenoch over her reaction to the trade deal struck between the UK and United States.

The Tory leader used her X account to declare Britain had been “shafted” by Donald Trump.

Under the terms of the deal, import tariffs on British steel and aluminium being sold to America will be reduced from 25% to zero.

Tariffs on a maximum of 100,000 British cars being exported to the US will also be cut from 27.5% to 10%.

In addition, farmers in America and Britain will be able to sell beef into each other’s countries. However, the ban on hormone-treated beef coming into the UK will stay in place.

Keir Starmer said it was a “historic” deal that will save thousands of British jobs.

But Badenoch leapt on a graph issued by the Trump administration which showed that, overall, the UK has cut tariffs on American imports while the US has trebled those on British goods.

“When Labour negotiates, Britain loses,” she said. “We cut our tariffs — America tripled theirs.

“Keir Starmer called this ‘historic.’ It’s not historic, we’ve just been shafted.”

But embarrassingly for the Tory leader, her own shadow trade secretary, Andrew Griffith, praised the deal.

He said: “The reduction in tariffs announced today will be welcomed by exporting businesses.

“The ability to strike our own free deals is a Brexit benefit and I hope this moves us conclusively into an era where this government is committed to preserve that freedom.”

Appearing on LBC, trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds had some advice for Badenoch’s aides.

He said: “I think if you work in Conservative Central Office and you’re listening to this, take Kemi’s phone off her and make her read things before she tweets.

“I understand other people in the Conservative Party have welcomed it, but she hasn’t been able to look at the deal.

“I really don’t believe any Conservative leader would say they don’t want trade with India, she said that earlier in the week, they don’t want trade with the US, she’s that saying today. They don’t like the European Union, they don’t like China. I mean, who do they want to do trade and business with?

“But look, this is a great deal for the UK, because otherwise lots of people would have lost their jobs. It’s the first deal the US has got to with any country, it puts us again at the front of the queue.

“And of course, there’s now this wider process where we can seek to improve the terms of trade between each other even further.”

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Kemi Badenoch has been embarrassed after one of her shadow cabinet broke ranks with her to praise the US-UK trade deal.

Andrew Griffith, the shadow trade secretary, said the agreement “will be welcomed by exporting businesses”.

His intervention came just minutes after Badenoch said the UK had been “shafted” by Donald Trump.

Under the terms of the deal, import tariffs on British steel and aluminium being sold to America will be reduced from 25% to zero.

Tariffs on a maximum of 100,000 British cars being exported to the US will also be cut from 27.5% to 10%.

In addition, farmers in America and Britain will be able to sell beef into each other’s countries. However, the ban on hormone-treated beef coming into the UK will stay in place.

Keir Starmer said it was a “historic” deal that will save thousands of British jobs.

But posting on X, Badenoch condemned the agreement, referring referring to a US government graphic showing that, overall, the UK had cut tariffs on American imports while America has trebled those on British goods.

Badenoch said: “When Labour negotiates, Britain loses. We cut our tariffs — America tripled theirs.

“Keir Starmer called this ‘historic.’ It’s not historic, we’ve just been shafted.”

But Griffith said: “The reduction in tariffs announced today will be welcomed by exporting businesses. The ability to strike our own free deals is a Brexit benefit and I hope this moves us conclusively into an era where this government is committed to preserve that freedom.

“Conservatives have been consistent in their support for trade agreements and the reduction of tariffs and today is the continuation of a process which started under the first Trump presidency.”

Labour leapt on the Tory disarray, posting on X: “Your own shadow trade secretary has rightly welcomed the deal Kemi Badenoch.

“Keir Starmer’s Labour government has negotiated and secured an historic UK-US trade deal. Kemi Badenoch can’t even negotiate with her own shadow cabinet.”

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US tariffs on British cars and steel have been slashed as part of a “historic” trade deal between the UK and America.

Downing Street said thousands of jobs will be saved under the agreement, which has been struck following weeks of tense negotiations.

The joint-announcement by Donald Trump and Keir Starmer was made on the 80th anniversary of VE Day, when America and Britain fought side-by-side to defeat Nazi Germany in the Second World War.

It will see tariffs on British steel and aluminium exports to the US being cut from 25% to zero.

In addition, tariffs on 100,000 British cars being sold to America will be cut from 27.5%.

British and American farmers will also be able to sell beef into each other’s markets – but Downing Street insisted the UK’s rules on food standards will not be diluted.

Announcing the deal at a White House press conference, Trump said it was “going to be great for both countries”.

Starmer said: “This historic deal delivers for British business and British workers protecting thousands of British jobs in key sectors including car manufacturing and steel.

“My government has put Britain at the front of the queue because we want to work constructively with allies for mutual benefit rather than turning our back on the world.

“As VE Day reminds us, the UK has no greater ally than the United States, so I am delighted that eight decades on, under President Trump the special relationship remains a force for economic and national security.”

However, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said the UK had been “shafted” by Trump.

She was referring to a US government graphic showing that, overall, the UK had cut tariffs on American imports while America has trebled those on British goods.

Badenoch said: “When Labour negotiates, Britain loses. We cut our tariffs — America tripled theirs.

“Keir Starmer called this ‘historic.’ It’s not historic, we’ve just been shafted.”

However, shadow trade secretary Andrew Griffith welcomed the deal.

He said: “The reduction in tariffs announced today will be welcomed by exporting businesses.

“The ability to strike our own free deals is a Brexit benefit and I hope this moves us conclusively into an era where this government is committed to preserve that freedom.

“Conservatives have been consistent in their support for trade agreements and the reduction of tariffs and today is the continuation of a process which started under the first Trump presidency.”

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Don’t confuse a mother of boys with a “boy mum” – a scroll on apps like TikTok will tell you they’re not the same.

The latter, arguably outdated, term, USA Today explains, has come to refer to a mother who gives preferential treatment to her son over her daughters or other people in her life and may have an “obsession” with her “boys” that seems to be related in whole or part to their offspring’s gender.

The hashtag is used both disparagingly to suggest a mother is centring themselves in their son’s life and as an unironic self-identifier in posts like this one: “A mother is a son’s first true love, a son is a mother’s last true love.”

A viral skit which shows a “boy mum” insulting their son’s partner and attempting to take her place during a prom date highlights what many associate with the worst definitions of the term; “She’s going to wear white to [her daughter-in-law’s] wedding day,” a top comment reads.

Redditor u/EvelisseBloom seems to feel she’s dealing with one such controversial archetype. So, we spoke to licensed sexologist, couples therapist, and author at Passionerad.se, Sofie Roos, about how to handle the situation.

The original poster (OP) called her fiance’s mother out

Posting to r/AITAH (Am I The Asshole Here), the Redditor said that her beau’s mother invited herslef to her and her fiance’s four-year anniversary dinner and showed up in a long, white, wedding-like dress.

The mother claimed this was because she “wanted to feel pretty too,” OP said.

The poster added that her would-be mother-in-law cut her off mid-sentence to talk about “how when he was a baby he’d cry if she left the room and she used to sleep on the floor next to his crib.”

She then reportedly turned to her son, stroked his face, and said, “You’ll always be my favourite boy. No one will ever love you like I do.”

This outraged the Redditor, who replied: “Do you hear yourself? You sound obsessed. He’s your son, not your boyfriend.”

This upset the mother, who said OP didn’t understand mother-son bonds. Her fiance isn’t happy with her reaction either.

Still, she says, she doesn’t feel ready to “compete with this woman forever” or feel “second to someone who acts like she’s his ex.”

The experience can be exhausting

Roos tells HuffPost UK that “A mother who tries to compete with their son’s partner is not as uncommon as most people think – and for the ones experiencing it, it’s often very emotionally draining.”

Though not every expression of motherly affection is a sign of perceived “competition,” the therapist thinks that sometimes, insisting on the sanctity of a “mother-son bond” is “more about controlling, not letting go and not respecting personal boundaries”.

“The first step is to let your partner know how you’re feeling and make them understand that this is really tough for you,” Roos continues.

After that, they might speak to their parent on your behalf to establish some boundaries; you can also go to them directly and share your concerns.

It’s important, Roos adds, to consider that a parent might be feeling insecure about their role at transitional times like these.

“The key here is to make the parent understand that you’re no threat to their role as a mother; they still are and will be mother to their son, but the role will change and take new directions,” she tells us.

“If you make them understand that you’re no threat, it’s easier for them to not see you as someone competing with the son’s attention.”

If all else fails, the therapist adds, try creating hard-and-fast rules like “limiting what clothing they can wear by having a dress code ot by saying that you want no speeches.”

She advises you to insist that if “They have any ideas, they need to come to you with them beforehand so you can discuss it.”

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Eurovision champion Nemo has said that they do not support Israel’s continued presence in the contest.

Nemo won Eurovision on behalf of Switzerland in 2024 with their song The Code, in what proved to be an especially controversial year for the competition.

Amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, many critics last year called for a boycott of Eurovision if Israel were allowed to remain. Around this time, Nemo was also one of nine acts involved in the broadcast that issued a group statement expressing solidarity with Palestine prior to the event.

In the run-up to this year’s Eurovision, the contest is once again facing scrutiny over Israel’s participation, with more than 70 artists and performers associated with the contest in the past – including two former winners – sharing an open letter this week calling for Israel to be excluded from the upcoming event.

Asked during an interview with HuffPost UK if this is a subject they have an opinion on, Nemo responded: “Yeah, I do. I personally feel like it doesn’t make sense that Israel is a part of this Eurovision. And of Eurovision in general right now.

“I don’t know how much I want to get into detail, but I would say, I don’t support the fact that Israel is part of Eurovision at the moment.”

Nemo later supplied HuffPost UK with an additional statement, which read: “I support the call for Israel’s exclusion from the Eurovision Song Contest.

“Israel’s actions are fundamentally at odds with the values that Eurovision claims to uphold — peace, unity, and respect for human rights.”

Responding to the artists’ calls for Israel to be banned from Eurovision, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said in a statement earlier this week: “We understand the concerns and deeply held views around the current conflict in the Middle East.

“The EBU is not immune to global events but, together, with our members, it is our role to ensure the Contest remains – at its heart – a universal event that promotes connections, diversity and inclusion through music.

“We all aspire to keep the Eurovision Song Contest positive and inclusive and aspire to show the world as it could be, rather than how it necessarily is.”

Their response continued: “As a reminder, the EBU is an association of public service broadcasters, not governments, who are all eligible to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest every year if they meet the requisite requirements.

“It is not our role to make comparisons between conflicts. As part of its mission to secure a sustainable future for public service media, the EBU is supporting our Israeli Member KAN against the threat from being privatised or shut down by the Israeli government.

“The EBU remains aligned with other international organisations that have similarly maintained their inclusive stance towards Israeli participants in major competitions at this time.”

Last week, Eurovision bosses issued a similarly-worded statement to HuffPost UK in response to questions from three competing countries’ national broadcasters about whether Israel should remain part of the contest.

Despite their past support for Palestine, Nemo said elsewhere in the conversation that there was “never” a question of them withdrawing from last year’s competition, as they wanted to use the Eurovision stage to tell their personal story through their song, The Code.

“It was very much just me realising that this story is important to tell. And if I’m not there to tell it, and to say it, then no one else will,” they claimed.

Nemo continued: “I think I could have not gone through all of that if I was just singing kind of a song that was a cute song, and I would feel happy singing it. I needed this sense of direction and purpose, and that was what never made me even question being there.”

“And that’s how it feels for me this year, as well,” they added, looking ahead to their performance at the upcoming contest.

Meanwhile, Nemo also spoke about the changes to the rules around permitted flags at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.

These changes mean audience members are allowed to wave any flags or emblems they like (as long as they don’t violate any Swiss laws), while acts on stage or in “official spaces” are forbidden from holding any flag other than that of their own country.

As a result, this means that Pride flags are effectively banned from the Eurovision stage this year, a move which Nemo branded “stupid as fuck”.

“That’s so dumb,” they said. “I don’t get it. It’s so random sometimes. I just feel like… why? You know what I mean?

“You can’t be known for like the queerest thing in the world, basically, a contest that has been associated with queerness and gay culture for so long, and then be like, ‘oh, we don’t allow Pride flags for the artists’.

“And especially after last year, when I had to smuggle in the non-binary flag, and they were like, ‘you can’t have it on stage’, they told me. And then after the contest, the official statement was like, ‘it was never forbidden’. But then this year, they’re pro-actively [forbidding flags on stage]. I don’t know, it’s very strange to me.”

“I don’t know, it feels a bit confusing to me,” Nemo continued. “Also, this rule feels not thought through, at all. I don’t know who decided that, and how they decided it, and what was the reason for it, especially after last year, but it just feels strange. It feels not really thought through. I don’t know.”

They added: “It doesn’t even feel ill-intended. I don’t know, I’m confused by it. I think that’s the only thing I can say. I don’t think it makes sense at all.

“And it’s harming, I feel like, the cause of Eurovision. I don’t know, it’s just weird to me.”

Following their win at Eurovision in 2024, Nemo is among the guest performers at this year’s contest, which is due to take place in Basel later this month.

They also recently unveiled their latest single Casanova, the music video for which you can watch below.

Read HuffPost UK’s full interview with Nemo next week.

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It can be pretty intimidating to get into running for the first time, as anyone who’s trained for their first 5k or even marathon knows.

But once you’ve begun to feel a little more comfortable in your running shoes, it can prove just as tricky getting back into the activity. Some research has found that ten years after a running event, half of joggers had quit.

I am among them. I ran about 60km a week from 2019-2020, which stopped once I moved out of college and into the “real world.”

My attempts to get back into it seemed to confirm it wasn’t for me anymore. I felt slow, sore, and frankly embarrassed that neither my mileage nor my speed was up-to-scratch.

If you’re in a similar boat, here’s what helped me to break the four-year hiatus in the past four months – and even helped me to cover further distances than I’d ever managed before.

1) If you think you’re going too slow, slow down

When I first got into running, I quickly realised I wasn’t going to progress if I tried sprinting everywhere.

Technically, I told myself, a person who can walk 10km can jog it too – the only difference is pace, so if I wasn’t able to hack a distance, I needed to slow down – a move experts say can prevent injury, increase adherence, and even, paradoxically, improve speed.

That’s been key to helping me get back into running. While it can be very tempting to compare yourself to your perceived “glory days” pace, it’s just as unhelpful as gasping through a 30-second interval was in your early runs.

If it helps, zone 2 training – where you stay at a conversational pace – is pretty great for us, helping to build our cardiovascular base. The best athletes do 80% of their training at that level.

2) Mix up your workouts

It’s helped to see this period of running as a sort of “second try,” given that I used to only run without strengthening my hips, knees, or core.

As a result, I got a lot of injuries, which kicked straight back in whenever I attempted to rekindle my passion for running. A 2018 paper suggests injuries are the leading cause for runners to nope out of the sport.

Now, I mix strength and flexibility training into my workouts and genuinely have not had an injury since.

Squats, lunges, and variations are immensely helpful. Fitness expert Mark Harris previously told HuffPost UK that strength training improves “biomechanics and how your body moves and absorbs impact,” meaning “you minimise compensatory movements that can lead to imbalances and injuries.”

Personally, mixing strength training into my running routine also means I don’t feel like I haven’t worked out if a run doesn’t go the way I want it to.

Lastly, try not to compare your old running ways to your new ones. OK, I’m not as speedy as I used to be, but I’m going a lot further on my long runs and (have I mentioned this???) I don’t get a single injury any more.

The tools that got you into running in the first place (perhaps it’s an app or a running buddy) are just as helpful for getting back into it too – after all, it’s a new start.

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These long, sunny days really bring out the productivity in us gardeners, right? Suddenly, the wrecks of winter are a delightful task and not an insurmountable mountain.

Getting the garden in ship-shape is what weekends are for, and weeding? What a delight, how lucky we are to do it.

However, while we are caught up in these waves of productivity, one garden expert warns that we shouldn’t rush to do every job ourselves and in fact, some jobs are definitely best left to the pros.

James Lewis, a gardener with MyBuilder.com, says: “Most of us are capable of mowing a lawn or pruning plants, but certain garden jobs require a knowledgeable and experienced pair of hands to get it right. Cutting corners and DIY-ing garden tasks can often be a false economy at best, with jobs needing correcting or redoing when it’s not good enough.

“But at its worst, badly done garden DIY can result in you injuring yourself, or those who use your garden.”

The garden tasks you should leave to the professionals

Laying patio slabs

Laying slabs for your patio may seem easy, but Lewis warns that even just one incorrectly laid slab can lead to several problems down the line.

“From small but irritating issues such as weed growth, to uneven edges causing a trip hazard for you and your visitors, this is a job best left to experts. Badly laid slabs will cause your patio to shift over time, and will almost certainly need to be redone, so it’s not only a safety issue, but a false economy too.”

Eek.

Pruning trees

Now that winter is over, your trees will need some attention to remove any dead branches and foliage, to ensure they start to grow healthily in time for summer.

“While this may seem like a straightforward job, it’s actually one that requires a great deal of skill and experience”, urges Lewis.

“Over-pruning your trees can stress them and put them at risk of disease and pest-infestation, and cutting too close to the trunk or main branch will leave your tree exposed to potential decay.

“On top of this, should any stray branch cause damage to someone else’s home or garden. you will be liable for any costs and likely will not be covered by your home insurance.”

In this economy? No thank you.

Removing a tree stump

Digging out and removing a tree stump is physically demanding and time-consuming, and without the necessary specialist equipment, it could take days of your time.

“Removal of a tree stump could easily lead to injury due to the back-breaking nature of the work - so give yourself a break and hire a professional”, advises Lewis.

Removing a tree

If you’re considering the monumental task of removing a tree entirely, there are many things you need to consider, says Lewis.

“Firstly, this task requires knowledge as to whether you need permission from the local council before you remove a tree. If you do - and permission has not been sought - you could face a significant fine.

“ The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 makes it an offence to intentionally kill or injure protected species, destroy any protected shelter, or destroy any protected plants. Beyond this, cutting down trees really can be a dangerous job and failure to do it properly could cause severe injury or even death.”

Soaking and drainage

If yours was one of the many gardens *blessed* with flooding during that miserable weather, or if you’re planning on laying a patio, chances are that you need drainage work in your garden.

“This is undoubtedly a specialist job,” says Lewis, “as doing it wrong could cause damage to your neighbour’s garden, and referring to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, homeowners have a duty to manage their drainage in a way that won’t cause damage to other homeowners.”

“French drains” (inserting a pipe underground to help excess water divert away from your home and into the street, a ditch or a sewer) are a popular choice, but require a great deal of expertise.”

Fencing

Spring is a great time to repair and treat your fence after the rigours of winter.

“While it is possible to erect your own fencing, there are several reasons why it’s a bad idea”, warns Lewis.

“Firstly, certain heights of fencing can require planning permission, and you could be forced to take it down should you fall foul of this rule. Secondly, if you place the posts too far apart or they aren’t secure enough, it’s likely that the fence will not be sturdy enough to withstand extreme weather.

“This could result in having to replace and repair it again very quickly, costing more time and money, as well as presenting a danger should it fall on any guests or pets.”

YIKES.

Creating a pond

While you may be tempted to live the cottagecore dream by building a pond in your back garden, there’s quite a lot that goes into it and getting it wrong could be disastrous.

Lewis advises: “Your pond should be in some level of shade to reduce algae levels, and be on a flat, level ground.

“You may also need help from an electrician if your pond needs a pump or filter, and water and electrics do not mix! Finally, ponds can present a big danger to guests, so a professional can provide advice on sensible positioning and safety measures that can be taken.”

Cutting a hedge

Lewis warns that the tools required to trim a hedge can easily cause injuries in the wrong hands.

“Hedge trimmers and secateurs are two of the tools most likely to cause garden-related injuries. Also, working on large hedges will require ladders to do a thorough job, and ladders plus power tools are a dangerous combination without a professional.”

You don’t need to tell me twice.

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Donald Trump has just confirmed that the US has a “full and comprehensive” trade deal with the UK.

Writing on his social media platform Truth Social, the American president said the agreement would “cement” the UK-US relationship for “years to come”, noting it was his White House’s first major trade announcement.

He wrote: “The agreement with the United Kingdom is a full and comprehensive one that will cement the relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom for many years to come.

“Because of our long time history and allegiance together, it is a great honour to have the United Kingdom as our FIRST announcement. Many other deals, which are in serious stages of negotiation, to follow!”

The US president is also expected to hold a press conference on the deal at 3pm UK time today.

The news is a major win for Keir Starmer, who has been trying to get an agreement with the States over the line for months especially after Trump issued large tariffs on foreign imports.

Early reports suggest the UK has secured a cut to US tariffs on British steel and cars in exchange for concessions on food and agriculture imports from America.

After the New York Times first revealed that a deal had been struck, the value of the British pound rose by 0.4% against the US dollar.

Trump also alluded to a significant agreement with a “big and highly respected country” last night on Truth Social.

The president told reporters on Wednesday that he hoped the UK was offering various concessions, adding: “They do want to make a deal very badly. The United Kingdom, like every other country, they want to go shopping in the United States of America.”

Trump’s confirmation comes 48 hours after the government announced it had reached a trade deal with India.

A furious row erupted after it emerged that it will mean India workers seconded to the UK being exempt from having to pay National Insurance for three years.

Reform UK and the Tories have both accused Labour of making it cheaper to hire foreign workers than British employees.

But the government has insisted that similar arrangements are in place as part of trade agreements with around 50 other countries.

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Doechii has spoken out after a clip of her getting ready to attend this year’s Met Gala generated a lot of attention on social media for all the wrong reasons.

On Monday night, the Anxiety rapper was caught on camera leaving her hotel for the Met Ball inside of a huge white box, intended to cover up her Louis Vuitton outfit, using a luggage trolley and several oversized umbrellas to conceal her ensemble from the photographers outside.

Admittedly, people were loving the footage of the ridiculous scene when it was first posted online on Monday night.

However, when more videos emerged, Doechii faced some criticism over the way in which she spoke to the members of her team who were helping her make her way out of the hotel.

Shrugging off the media furore, Doechii shared a TikTok of herself on Wednesday night set to the Commodores’ laidback hit Easy, joking: “God forbid a girl needs more umbrellas.”

“All jokes aside this was such an overstimulating night but I wouldn’t trade it for the world!” the Grammy winner wrote in the caption, saying her Met Gala debut was “the night we all dreamed of” and that her team “killed it (umbrellas aside)”.

Posting on her Instagram story that same night, she said: “And all jokes aside I’m so so so proud of my glam team and the [Louis Vuitton] team for an incredible night!

“We’ve been dreaming about this Met for a long time and the theme this year is in such alignment with who I am [and] what I stand for.”

“It’s nothing but God that this year was our debut. Everyone killed it. We nailed the theme. And a time was had,” she added, signing off her post with an umbrella emoji.

Check out all the must-see photos from this year’s Met Gala red carpet here.

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According to the Met Office, more than half of the 10 million hay fever sufferers in the UK say their sleep has been affected by seasonal allergies.

Worse still, teenagers with the condition are up to 40% more likely to drop grades – perhaps in part because of missed sleep.

NHS GP Dr Tim Mercer previously told HuffPost UK that vacuuming more often, showering before bed, washing your bedding, and staying indoors during early evening (when pollen count is at its highest) can help.

But per the Met Office, a driving mistake can lead to more pollen exposure during the day too – this may cause worse sleep at night, as allergens that gather on your clothes can stick around for hours.

Close your car windows when driving

Aside from keeping an eye on the pollen forecast, keeping flowers out of your home, and putting pollen filters in your car if it doesn’t have them already, the Met Office say hay fever sufferers should “drive with windows closed” to decrease exposure.

Additionally, they say, you should keep your windows shut at night to improve your sleep quality.

Previously, Dr Mercer told us you should keep your windows shut during the day.

This applies “even when it’s warm” outside, he advised, as, “Open windows let pollen straight in.”

The Driving Instructors Association write that vacuuming the inside of your car and regularly cleaning its outside can help too (though they also recommend keeping your car windows closed).

Any other tips?

Yes! According to Dr Daisy Mae, a sleep expert who has partnered with Bed Factory Direct, you should also vacuum your mattress if you suffer from hay fever.

Additionally, she writes, “If you spend the whole day outdoors, then your clothes would’ve picked up a lot of different smells and substances.

“While washing your clothes may be the last thing on your mind, doing this will help get rid of any pollen and allergens as you come into the house, stopping it from going into your furniture.”

It might also be worth buying a silent air purifier to see you through high-pollen months, she continues.

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If you’re a fan of Netflix romances like One Day, Heartstopper, Never Have I Ever or Young Royals, we think the platform’s latest original addition is going to be very much to your liking.

Forever is a new series which tells the story of two teenagers, Keisha and Justin, navigating the highs and lows of first love as they prepare to enter into adulthood.

The new series if helmed by Mara Brock Akil (of Girlfriends, Love Is and Cougar Town) and is an updated version of Judy Blume’s most polarising teen novel, which has repeatedly found itself on “most banned” lists due to its frank sexual discussions.

While the book has been considered by its fans to be a classic since its publication 50 years ago, early glowing reviews of its TV adaptation have suggested Netflix’s new show could wind up being just as impactful…

Variety

“Forever is Brock Akil’s finest work. The show captures the essence of Blume’s novel and remixes it, not only for a 21st-century lens, but for generations of Black people who haven’t seen themselves represented so vividly and tenderly. It reminds us of the fullness of our love stories, lives, and the villages that anchor our dreams and help us piece together our broken hearts.”

Time

“The intimacy of the directing; the intensity Simone and Cooper bring to their roles; the richness of the cinematography; a hip-hop and R&B soundtrack that reflects the music of the characters’ lives – it all combines to make one of TV’s best romances, full stop [...] whether you’re a kid or a parent or neither, Black in California or Jewish in Jersey or Asian in Minnesota, if you love love in all its complexity, Foreveris for you.”

The Hollywood Reporter

“As long as there are teenagers growing up in an imperfect world, there will be a need for tales that take seriously the experience of being young and in love and in lust [...] Tales, in other words, like Blume’s Forever has been for so many readers past and present — and like Akil’s Forever can be now for viewers today, and hopefully for generations to follow.”

Entertainment Weekly (B+)

“A magnificent, modern reimagining of Judy Blume’s classic [...] Simone is magnetic as Keisha, who is at once a responsible, driven young woman and a giddy, infatuated girl who scribbles Justin’s name down in her notebook during class. Cooper Jr. gives a star-making performance as Justin.”

Los Angeles Times

“It’s a very sweet show, full of characters whose differing needs and ideas sometimes put them at odds, but who are for the most part very nice. The worst you can say about any of them is that they are clueless or confused in the way that people, especially young people, with their incompletely formed brains – a scientific fact someone raises helpfully – often are.”

Mashable

“Blume’s novel is already a key lens through which young adults can unpack their own adolescent experiences. Thanks to some thoughtful adaptation choices, Brock Akil’s series may be able to serve a similar purpose, as well as introduce Blume’s work to a new generation.”

Collider

“Irresistible [...] Forever’s Lovie Simone and Michael Cooper Jr. make it hard not to root for Justin and Keisha’s romance to withstand the test of time. Both actors embody their respective roles, which benefits their undeniable onscreen chemistry.”

The Telegraph (2/5)

“Netflix’s new teen drama Forever really does feel like it goes on… well… foooor-evaaaah. This is a huge shame because, if only it were zippier, it would be precisely the kind of thoughtfully conceived and tenderly acted coming-of-age tale that our kids (and their parents) need right now: a perfect counterbalance to the worst-case scenario of Adolescence.”

All eight episodes of Forever are now streaming on Netflix.

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A quarter of Britons believe Donald Trump presents the greatest threat to the UK’s national interests, according to a new poll.

T he Good Growth Foundation think-tank found that 24% of the British public think the unpredictable US president is more dangerous than terrorist organisations (22%).

Only Russia beat Trump in the poll, with 34% of Brits seeing Moscow as the largest risk to the UK.

That’s a blow to Downing Street, considering Trump is expected to confirm a long-awaited economic trade deal with Britain this afternoon.

Labour is hoping any such agreement would grant the UK some exemptions to Trump’s sweeping 10% tariffs on foreign imports and his 25% levy on cars and aluminium.

But the Good Growth Foundation found almost half of Brits (47%) think Trump will also worsen the UK’s economy.

A similar proportion (45%) fear the US president will damage UK safety and security.

If the deal is announced today, it suggests Keir Starmer’s attempts to build strong relations with Trump since the July general election have paid off.

This closer alliance does not necessarily mean he will win over more of the public though.

The Good Growth Foundation found that 29% of the public and 25% of Labour voters who have switched to Reform UK say the worst thing about the party’s leader Nigel Farage is his closeness to the US president.

The think-tank said Trump’s behaviour since his inauguration – including his perceived sympathy with Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and his new protectionist economic policies – have pushed more members of the public towards the EU again.

Nearly two in three Brits are more likely to agree that Trump’s presidency means “it’s imperative that we join forces with the EU” than with the sentiment that the new White House “creates a big opportunity” for Britain.

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The White House has deemed Joe Biden a “complete disgrace” after the former president took aim at his predecessor-turned-successor in a fiery interview, his first since leaving office.

Biden made headlines when he accused President Donald Trump of appeasing Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and criticised Trump’s other foreign policy positions in a BBC interview that aired early on Wednesday.

Hours later, White House spokesperson Steven Cheung shared a link to the interview on X, formerly Twitter, and questioned Biden’s mental acuity.

“Joe Biden is a complete disgrace to this country and the office he occupied,” Cheung wrote. “He has clearly lost all mental faculties and his handlers thought it’d be a good idea for him to do an interview and incoherently mumble his way through every answer.”

“Sadly, this feels like abuse,” he added.

Biden’s BBC interview bucked the longstanding tradition of presidents keeping their counsel about their successors. In it, he condemned Trump’s expansionist fantasies and expressed his contempt for the Trump White House’s treatment of America’s traditional allies.

“What the hell’s going on here? What president ever talks like that?” Biden asked. “That’s not who we are. We’re about freedom, democracy, opportunity, not about confiscation.”

Of Trump’s Oval Office blowout with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in February, Biden noted: “I found it beneath America, the way that took place.”

Elsewhere in the chat, BBC journalist Nick Robinson asked Biden if he regretted his decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race, in which Trump ultimately triumphed over former Vice President Kamala Harris.

“I think it was the right decision,” Biden responded. “It was just a difficult decision.”

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Kerry Washington has confirmed rumours that she’s planning to bring the world of Desperate Housewives back to the small screen.

Last month, Deadline claimed that the Emmy winner’s production company, Simpson Street, had a new series called Wisteria Lane, set in the same universe as the classic 2000s series, in the works.

Deadline’s report claimed the revival would be a “fun, sexy, darkly comedic soap/mystery in the vein of Desperate Housewives, set among a group of five very different friends and sometimes frenemies who all live on a picture-perfect cul de sac called Wisteria Lane”.

“On the surface, all the Wisteria neighbours are living the dream: beautiful homes, gorgeous families, shiny SUVs in the driveway. But behind those white-picket fences and smiling Insta posts are secrets,” Deadline teased.

The former Scandal star made an appearance on Wednesday’s edition of The Tonight Show, where she confirmed that she was “involved in developing a new spin, a new take, on Wisteria Lane”.

“I have to say, I love producing so much, because you really do get this opportunity to not just sit at home waiting for people to give you an opportunity, but to create opportunities for yourself and for other people,” she enthused.

“People love Desperate Housewives – as did I. I am such a huge fan of that show, so it’s an exciting moment to be a part of.”

As for whether she’d be starring in the show as well as producing it, she teased: “For updates, you’ll have to stay tuned. Follow Simpson Street on Instagram…”

Desperate Housewives originally ran for eight seasons between 2004 and 2012, with Marcia Cross, Eva Longoria, Felicity Huffman and Teri Hatcher playing the much-loved foursome Bree Van De Kamp, Gabrielle Solis, Lynette Scavo and Susan Mayer, respectively.

While it was a critical hit, winning seven Emmys during its time on the air (including acting prizes for Felicity Huffman and Kathryn Joosten), it was also often in the headlines due to alleged behind-the-scenes drama.

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These boots are made for walkin’ — and stomping out MAGA’s delusional fantasies.

Nancy Sinatra, the eldest daughter of the late legendary crooner Frank Sinatra, has made it clear that she’s not going to let anyone besmirch her father’s good name by linking him in any way to Donald Trump.

The Somethin’ Stupid’ singer was minding her own business on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday, when she shared a Forbes article about her dad.

A random Trump supporter then made a bold claim in the comments of her post, saying of the My Way singer: “He’d vote for Trump. Woot woot.”

In response to the ill-informed comment, Nancy swiftly shut the X user in question down.

“Not a chance. You obviously don’t know my father at all. Do some homework before you post about him,” she wrote.

Nancy’s blunt words have some merit. According to the 2017 book The Way It Was: My Life with Frank Sinatra by the Fly Me To The Moon star’s former manager, Eliot Weisman, Ol’ Blue Eyes wasn’t a fan of the Orange One.

In the book, Weisman explains Frank was set to do a 12-performance stint at Trump’s Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City in 1990, a deal that was put in place by the venue’s original operator Mark Grossinger Etess.

When Etess unexpectedly died in a helicopter crash, Trump swooped in to handle the deal and took issue with Frank’s costs, which he told Weisman were “a little rich,” per the Independent.

Trump also wanted to cut Frank’s opening act, his close friend Sammy Davis Jr., who at the time had just been diagnosed with cancer.

When Weisman relayed Trump’s demands to Frank, he told his manager he had a simple response to Trump — and that was that he could “go fuck himself”.

Frank then offered to deliver the message by phone, but Weisman seemed keen to do it himself, and walked into Trump’s office to mutter a truly iconic line: “Sinatra says, ‘go fuck yourself!’.”

Frank eventually ended up playing at the Sands in Las Vegas instead.

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With GCSEs now well underway and A Levels set to kick off next week, parents might be wondering how to help their kids during the stressful, not to mention anxiety-inducing, period that is exam season.

Yet parents of kids with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD) might notice traditional revision methods – such as long study sessions, revision flash cards, and silent reading – simply don’t work for their teens.

In fact, these methods can instead lead to frustration, erosion of confidence and possible burnout, according to The ADHD Centre, which specialises in the diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing support of children and adults with ADHD.

Dr Mukesh Kripalani, a psychiatrist from the centre, said: “Young people with ADHD aren’t lazy or unmotivated, they’re simply wired differently and need to revise differently.”

As such, he said it’s important for parents to create a study environment that meets their child’s specific needs.

“Once parents understand that ADHD affects all aspects of learning and that there are simple measures that help them help their child, then everything begins to change,” he added.

“A thought-out approach reduces tension, improves communication, and creates a calmer, more supportive experience for both parent and child.

“The child feels understood, and the parent gains clarity on how to truly help.”

Exam season tips for teens with ADHD

1. Get moving

Experts at The ADHD Centre recommend starting the day with something energising like exercise, dancing or a brain teaser to “help them get going”. Get outside for some fresh air and movement at least twice a day, they added.

2. Encourage them with practical study tools

Whether that’s mind maps, voice notes, walking while revising, and saying things aloud – let them revise in a way that works for them, not how you think they should be revising. The ADHD Centre has also shared a free ebook on this, too.

3. Plan together

Build a flexible and realistic revision schedule together.

4. Try not to nag!

The experts said saying, “how can I support you today?” will go a lot further than a blunt: “You need to revise.”

5. Keep it short and focused

25-minute bursts with breaks in between are more effective than marathon sessions, added staff at The ADHD Centre. Get them to put a timer on and remind them to take breaks.

6. Remove distractions

Allow helpful stimulation like music or fidget toys but, if possible, remove unhelpful distractions like their phone.

7. Stay calm

If they see you panicking, they’re probably going to panic too. “Stay calm, set mini-deadlines or small challenges to harness the ADHD brain’s need for momentum,” said the experts. “This will also help you stay patient.”

8. Boost their confidence

Teens with ADHD can be hard on themselves so it’s really important to praise effort and remind them of what they’re good at.

9. Work with their body clock

Some teens focus better in the evening. Be flexible with when and how they study – this is their agenda, not yours.

10. Make sure they take regular breaks

This is really important to prevent overwhelm. Plan things they can look forward to, like an outing, trip to their favourite restaurant or carving out time to see friends.

Best of luck!

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Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage have condemned the government’s new trade deal with India for creating a two-tier tax system.

Although the agreement brings three years of negotiations to a close and is set to bring ?4.8bn to the UK economy by 2040, it has been torn apart by the Conservatives and Reform UK.

The opposition MPs criticised the agreement because it allows Indian workers seconded by their companies to the UK to be exempt from paying National Insurance for three years.

Tory leader Badenoch claimed she rejected such a deal with India when she was in government, alleging on X that it was an example of “two-tier taxes from two-tier Keir”.

Her shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick said it showed “British workers come last in Starmer’s Britain”.

Meanwhile Reform’s Farage said the deal “discriminates against British workers”.

Even Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper suggested the terms of the agreement risk “undercutting British workers at a time when they’re already being hammered by Trump’s trade war and Labour’s misguided jobs tax”.

That is a reference to Labour’s controversial decision to raise employers’ National Insurance payments in the Budget.

Keir Starmer slammed the attacks as “incoherent nonsense” during prime minister’s questions.

That’s because it is a reciprocal deal: British workers on a short-term visa will not have to pay social security taxes in India, meaning it prevents workers being taxed twice.

The UK also has 16 other agreements, including with the EU, the US and South Korea, which do the same thing – prevent workers paying tax in both their home countries and during their secondments.

As business and trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds explained today: “The Conservatives recently, well, a few years ago, when they were in government, signed [a similar deal] with Chine for five years.

“So no, British workers are not being undercut.”

He told BBC Radio 4?s Today programme: “What the Conservatives are confused about, and Reform as well, is a situation where a business in India seconds someone for a short period of time to the UK, or a UK business seconds a worker to India for a short period of time, where you don’t pay in simultaneously now to both social security systems.”

Even members of Badenoch’s own party agreed with the government and praised the new deal initially.

The Tories’ shadow trade secretary Andrew Griffith said the agreement showed the government recognised that “reducing cost and burdens on businesses in international trade is a good thing, and that thanks to Brexit, we can do”.

Former deputy PM Oliver Downden wrote on X that the deal “builds on significant progress made by [the] previous Conservative government”.

And Theresa May’s Brexit minister, Steve Baker, described the deal as “great news” adding: “The tax issue will likely turn out to be a red herring. We should be celebrating that a Labour government has furthered free trade in the national interest outside the EU.”

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