Author: bang5

The popular star claims that the TV industry ‘doesn’t always support Muslim women like me’

Nadiya is one of the best-loved Bake Off winners who has enjoyed many years of TV success off since(Image: BBC/Wall To Wall Media Ltd)

Nadiya Hussain has revealed that her cookery shows have been dropped by the BBC after a decade on air.

The TV chef has fronted several food series for the BBC since winning The Great British Bake Off in 2015 – when the show was on BBC1 – including Nadiya Bakes, Nadiya’s Fast Flavours and Nadiya’s Simple Spices.

But in a video post on Instagram, Hussain said BBC bosses had “decided they didn’t want to commission the show any more”, which she described as a “huge turning point”.

A BBC spokesperson said: “After several wonderful series we have made the difficult decision not to commission another cookery show with Nadiya Hussain at the moment.

Mary Berry famously shed a tear when Nadiya won Bake Off a decade ago, such was her joy(Image: BBC/Wall To Wall Media Ltd)

“Nadiya remains a much-valued part of the BBC family, and we look forward to working together on future projects.”

Suggesting that the TV industry “doesn’t always support Muslim women like me”, the mother-of-three told her followers: “The BBC have decided that they didn’t want to commission a show. And for me, that was a huge turning point because it’s something I’ve done for the past 10 years.

“I was already on this steady trajectory of change and I was thinking about where I wanted my career to go, and when the BBC decided they didn’t want to commission the show anymore, it really did kind of solidify everything for me, and it made me dig my heels in and think ‘OK, I know where I want to be’.”

Nadiya has enjoyed a long run of programmes on BBC2 and bosses say she will remain part of the ‘family’ – but nothing new is coming for now(Image: BBC/Wall To Wall Media Ltd)

She added: “As a Muslim woman, I work in an industry that doesn’t always support people like me or recognise my talent or full potential.

“There’s a lot of gaslighting, making me feel like what’s actually happening isn’t happening.”

Nadiya’s other series for the BBC have included Everyday Baking and Nadiya’s Cook Once Eat Twice, which focused on leftovers, as well as the documentary Nadiya: Anxiety and Me.

She remains one of the best known contestants to have appeared on Bake Off, and is the only one to have carved out a career as a TV presenter off the back of it.

Rochelle Humes talks telly, renewing her vows with her JLS star husband Marvin and opens up movingly about why she ‘cries every year’ when it comes to her three kids

This Morning’s Rochelle opens up on the bittersweet aspect of motherhood(Image: Getty Images for the NTA’s)

Between hosting top TV shows such as This Morning and The Hit List , parenting her three children and running a business, you’d think that Rochelle Humes would run the risk of being totally strung out. However, as OK! sitS down for an exclusive interview with the 36-year-old, she appears effortlessly chilled out.

Alongside her flourishing career, Rochelle is known for her relationship with her husband, JLS singer and fellow TV star Marvin Humes, who she married back in 2012. Often sharing sweet posts to one another on social media and even working together, it’s clear that they are still smitten with each other.

The presenter hopes to renew her wedding vows again with husband Marvin(Image: Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/Getty Im)

Rochelle admits that she cries ‘every year’ as her kids get older(Image: Instagram)

So what’s their secret? Chalking it down to mutual respect and time out for themselves amid the chaos, Rochelle explains, “We both love each other and love our family but we also love what we do, and that’s something we’ve both always been at peace with.”

She adds reflectively, “We’ve always met each other in that vein. We also make sure that we shine but don’t shine at the same time, which is important to have. So, he’ll be on tour with JLS at the end of the year and I’ll be very grounded and there to support him.“We make sure that when we each have separate things, we support each other at that time. I think it’s just communication really, there’s not a big secret, I think it’s just that we’ve got respect for each other. That’s the bottom line.”

Three years ago, Rochelle and Marvin, 40, decided to renew their vows, and it’s something she says they’ve decided to make a bit of a tradition. “When we got married, we said we’d do it every 10 years!” she smiles. “I think it’s a fun thing to do, I’m trying to make all of my friends do the same thing. You reach a certain age and it’s like, people have all got married already, so it’s a bit… dead in the wedding area! I want our friends to do it every 10 years too, so we have some love to celebrate!

“It’s sad when they go, ‘I remember there was a time when I was like, “Oh my God, another wedding to go to!” and now I really miss it.’ I’m trying to get my brother to propose to his girlfriend. I don’t want him to lose her,” she admits.

Rochelle and Marvin present The Hit List together(Image: BBC / Tuesday’s Child / Naomi Vance)

There may not be many weddings to go to, but one thing she’s recently celebrated is daughter Alaia-May’s 12th birthday. Alaia-May is the eldest of Rochelle and Marvin’s brood, which includes Valentina, eight, and four-year-old son Blake.

“I can’t believe [she is 12]. I cry every year because I’m like, ‘I just don’t know where the years are going,’ but I’m also just so proud of the little woman that she’s becoming,” says Rochelle of her eldest. She continues, “It’s a weird thing to think that I’ve got a 12-year-old. I’m also so proud of how we’re raising her. Like, we managed to get one of them to 12, so we’re doing alright! We’re winging it, but what we’re doing is working so far,” she says.

The family often share insights into their holidays on social media, with dreamy breaks in Dubai and the Maldives. But Rochelle likes to give the kids some traditional British memories, too. “At the minute, the kids have just been at my mum’s caravan for a few days. So, I dread to think what treats I’m coming back to – they’ve just been a little bit feral for a while,” she says, with an eye roll.

“It’s like the nostalgia of holidays that I remember when I was younger, which is nice for them to have. I think my mum loves to do it all again, too, there’s definitely something about doing it with your grandchildren and not your children, because you’re not in a rush. You have all of the benefits and you can give them back!”

Rochelle loves that the kids enjoy traditional British breaks like she did growing up(Image: Instagram)

Not only will Rochelle have three kids on a high from caravan life, but she says, she’ll have piles of washing, too. Luckily, the star has partnered with Dylon Detergent, which she hails as a staple in her house. “I’m honestly such a big fan. I have my favourite scent and the smell is gorgeous. It really has made a difference to my gym wear and to the kids’ school uniforms, too. You know how they just go faded?

“We’ve just got back from the Maldives for Easter, which was brilliant. I tested Dylon to revive a dress that I’d bought a few years before and had lost its way a little bit. It was great.”

And what are their plans with the kids for summer? “You get the first week of the school holidays out of the way and there’s nothing left to do,” she says. “They love coming to work with me anyway. My daughters have realised there’s a gifting cupboard in my office which has body sprays and creams and everything, so they have a one-track mind!”

Rochelle is the official brand ambassador for Dylon Detergent, the laundry detergent that cleans and restores clothes to look and feellike new. Available at major retailers.

Rebecca Ryan, who played Lydia Chambers on Coronation Street, has welcomed her daughter with husband Dan Acraman two years after the birth of their first daughter Aurora

Coronation Street star Rebecca Ryan has given birth to her second child.

The soap actress, who played Lydia Chambers on the cobbles, has welcomed her daughter with husband Dan Acraman two years after the birth of their first daughter Aurora.

Revealing the news on Instagram, she revealed that they had named their newborn daughter Oriana, telling her followers: “Introducing the newest member of my little girl gang, the adorable Oriana.”

The name Oriana is of Latin origin and is of very similar meaning to its sister name Aurora. It is derived from the Latin word aurum, meaning gold, and oriens, meaning “dawn” and “sunrise”.

Her brother Jack, who also appeared on the ITV soap as Jacob Hay, was quick to comment as he wrote adoringly: “Proof that the first time wasn’t a fluke, you make the most beautiful babies.”

Rebecca shared a photo of their beloved daughter on Instagram ( 
Image:
rebeccaryan___/Instagram)
Rebecca’s Corrie co-stars also flooded the comments, with Sally Carman writing: “She’s beautiful! Congratulations to you both!” While Elle Mulvaney wrote: “congratulations she is beautiful.”

The 34-year-old has appeared in other hit shows including Waterloo Road, Casualty and Shameless. She previously shared a string of photos of her developing baby bump. She captioned the images: “Sleeps overrated anyway, here comes baby No.2” alongside a red heart emoji.

Rebecca and her husband have proudly shared numerous photos of their first daughter on social media since her arrival in 2023. In April last year, Rebecca shared adorable photographs of her baby daughter as she celebrated her first birthday.

She wrote via Instagram at the time: “My darling girl Aurora, where has this year gone? The immeasurable joy and love you have brought into my life is something I will be forever thankful for. Your cheeky smile lights up every room, and I just love watching you grow and change every single day. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. Happy 1st birthday my girl.”

Her second child will be welcomed into Rebecca’s growing family – which already includes her talented soap actor brother. Fans were stunned to learn that Rebecca and Jack were siblings when she joined the ITV soap 10 months after he started playing Jacob on the show.

Soap bosses were also surprised to realise they duo were brother and sister after they were both cast as main characters. Rebecca previously told The Mirror: “Nobody at ‘Coronation Street’ had any idea. When I joined, I’d be talking to people and say, ‘Oh, yeah, my brother works here’. And they’d go, ‘Really, who’s your brother? What? Jack!’ It’s a dream come true to be working on the show at the same time, but it’s a total coincidence.”

Katie Price has told her social media followers she had to send Harvey Price back to college a day early after she woke to the sound of him smashing her expensive television

Harvey smashed his mum’s £3k tv(Image: PA)

Reality TV star Katie Price has revealed she has had to send son Harvey back to college early after he destroyed her television. The former glamour model took to Snapchat to share the incident which saw her oldest son “smash” the £3,000 device.

Harvey, 23, shocked his mum after his outburst left her needing a new TV for her living rom. The mum-of-five told her social media followers what had happened before informing her son of the consequences of his actions.

Uploading a video to the platform, Katie filmed Harvey, who has septo-optic dysplasia (a disorder of early brain development which has caused blindness), autism and Prader-Willi Syndrome (a rare genetic condition which can cause an excessive appetite).

She explained how she was woken up by the sound of the TV smashing at six in the morning. In the clip, Katie, 47, asked him: “What has mummy just heard?” In a calm response, Harvey said: “Smashing the TV.”

Katie Price has opened up about Harvey smashing the TV

She then questioned why he did what he did and he told her that it had angered him. She later told her followers that she wasn’t convinced by his story, saying she didn’t think anything had been playing on the screen.

Katie went on to tell Harvey: “You was going to college tomorrow to get some new meds [medication], but now when are you going? You are going now.”

A despondent Harvey replied: “Oh god,” before his mum explained she needed to send him back so she could get a new TV for her home. She described the situation as “sad”.

Later, Harvey apologised and told the former glamour model it wouldn’t happen again. However, Katie told her son: “Well you’ve got to go to collage now and get some meds.”

Harvey and Katie before his 23rd birthday(Image: katieprice/instagram)

The update comes after Katie celebrated her son’s 23rd birthday last month. She shared a gorgeous photo of herself and her son cuddling in bed before his birthday celebrations.

Katie took to her Instagram stories on Bank Holiday Monday to share her excitement about Harvey turning another year older. The sweet upload saw the duo laying face-to-face in bed as they enjoyed a relaxing day chilling at home.

Katie shared her excitement for son’s big day as she gushed: “Bank holiday cuddles before lots of celebrations tomorrow.” She has been open about Harvey’s growing health concerns as he tipped the scale at 30 stone.

Speaking candidly to sister Sophie on The Katie Price Show, Kate didn’t hold back about the reality of their situation. “He’s just under 30st and that’s huge,” she explained. “He’s on the verge of a heart attack. He won’t have a long life if he carries on putting more and more weight on.”

Katie then confessed they are working closely with a medical team to try to turn his situation around.

Radio DJ Scott Mills revealed he has ‘made it’ after he took over the BBC Radio 2 breakfast show after previously ‘risking’ his health from working too much over two decades

Scott Mills said he has ‘made it’ months after taking over BBC Radio 2’s breakfast show(Image: PA)

Scott Mills has revealed he is finally ‘financially secure’ and has ‘made it’ after he took over the BBC Radio 2 breakfast show after Zoe Ball left the post. Scott, 51, took over the position in January from Zoe, who left to focus on her family.

Opening up about his career and his new ability to say ‘no’ to work, after missing sleep for jobs, Scott told The Telegraph: “For the first time, I really do believe in myself. You have to look at the facts. They’ve put you on the breakfast show, you must be doing something right.”

It comes after he admitted to taking on ‘too much’ work, sometimes at a ‘risk’ to his own health. Reflecting on his jam-packed career, Scott said: “I was working way too much, because my mindset was that you don’t know when it might end. There was one freshers’ week where my schedule for playing in student unions was: Monday: Aberdeen, Tuesday: Glasgow, Wednesday: Edinburgh.”

Scott Mills has revealed he has ‘made it’ after he took over the BBC Radio 2 breakfast show(Image: PA)

While Scott said he ‘enjoyed’ taking every opportunity he got for two decades, ‘life is different now’ and he ‘doesn’t want to’ do that anymore. Last month, Scott opened up to the Mirror about the hard work that goes into the show and that Zoe gave him a warning when he took over the job, but he still describes it as his ‘happy place’.

He said: “The show is a lot, it’s hard work. It’s a treadmill every day. I remember when Zoe finished, she said to me: ‘Look, doing breakfast on Radio 2 is quite a lot. It’s quite demanding, and you’ve just always got to be on.

He added: “She was right. The amount of guests we have – it’s continuous. When she said it to me, I was like: ‘I’m ready’. And I am, it’s my happy place.”

The Mail previously reported that Scott took a small pay rise for presenting the show, however, it was significantly less than his predecessor, Zoe. While it is reported that Scott is earning approximately £450,000 a year, Zoe was reportedly on £950,000.

While Scott said he ‘enjoyed’ taking every opportunity he got for two decades, ‘life is different now’ and he ‘doesn’t want to’ do that anymore(Image: PA Archive/PA Images)

Zoe confirmed her departure from the early morning slot back in November, telling listeners it was ‘time to start a new chapter’ before she left in January. However, that wasn’t the end of her journey on the radio.

On air, she told her listeners: “After six years of fun times alongside you all on the Breakfast Show, I’ve decided it’s time to step away from the early alarm call and start a new chapter”. She added: “I just want to say I’m so grateful to my incredible boss ladies… they have always been so supportive of me, especially in this job and particularly this year.”

Scott Mills admitted to taking on ‘too much’ work, sometimes at a ‘risk’ to his own health(Image: @realscottmills/Instagram)

Just months after her final Breakfast Show, Zoe has already returned to the Radio 2 line-up with a brand new Saturday afternoon show. The new programme launched on May 3 and will continue to air weekly.

According to Radio 2 bosses, it will deliver “the best songs and chat for a Saturday”. Zoe herself says listeners can expect “lots of laughs” and upbeat favourites.

The campaigning chef is calling for a huge overhaul of the school system so that dyslexic and neurodivergent kids can thrive alongside their classmates

Jamie Oliver is teaming up with the education minister to try and bring about huge change in the classroom(Image: Paul Stuart)

Jamie Oliver is winning the first stage of his latest Channel 4 campaign after getting Bridget Phillipson onside in his battle to overhaul the education system for dyslexic kids.

The education minister has pledged her support for Jamie’s mission to revolutionise the school experience for those with special educational needs. The chef, who previously tackled school dinners and sugary drinks, is calling on the government to bring in early screening, within the first two years of primary school, and for teachers to receive proper training on dyslexia – currently just half a day is given over to the subject during a three-year teacher training course.

Dad-of-five Jamie said he was inspired to bring about change because of his own painful experience at school. “It wasn’t great,” he sighed. “Everything to do with learning and getting it down on paper was terrible, I hated words. I had nothing to offer. That feeling of sadness, of feeling thick, stupid, worthless and dumb.

Jamie says his own schooling was miserable and seeing kids with dyslexia still suffering decades later makes him ‘angry’ (Image: Jamie Oliver Productions)

“School was just tough because I didn’t get it. But seeing other kids and parents going through that pain in 2025, it does make you quite angry.”

The film, Jamie’s Dyslexia Revolution, uses statistics showing that one in ten kids is dyslexic – meaning there are three in the average classroom – but for every 10 dyslexic children, only two will be diagnosed.

These children are 3.5 times more likely to be expelled, and those who lose their place at school are 200 times more likely to get involved in violent crime. This could explain why 50% the UK’s prison inmates show signs of dyslexia.

It’s been ten years since his last campaign on sugary drinks, now Jamie has headed back to parliament with a new mission in mind(Image: Paul Stuart)

“I am starting to see the patterns of getting into trouble and ending up in prison are all massively amplified by dyslexia and neurodiversity…and I don’t think it is because this is destiny for them, I think it’s a reaction to a feeling that they never fit it,” he said at a launch event in London.

“Dyslexia is bigger than letters jumping around and a few kids struggling to read. It’s about getting tens of thousands of kids a year to thrive, and not just survive, in school. An education system that only works for some kids, and not everyone, is broken.”

Jamie said he believes the current education minister is the right person to bring about the changes so many kids and families are desperate for. Having met with mum-of-two Bridget at her parliamentary office, he says: “I like her. She’s doing things that others haven’t done for a long time. Out of the 17 or 18 [education ministers] that I’ve seen over the last 20 years, she sticks out as being one worth putting a bet on.”

In the Channel 4 documentary he speaks to kids who struggle in the same way he did when he was their age(Image: Jamie Oliver Productions)

Since filming ended, Bridget has agreed that 1 in 4 kids being left out of education is a sign the system needs an overhaul and has committed to improving teacher training around neurodiversity for all new teachers from this September.

The education minister said: “I am determined to reform the system for children with SEND so that all children can achieve what they’re capable of.”

All new teachers will be fully trained when it comes to SEND neurodiversity and existing teachers will also be “upskilled” as part of reforms she will set out later this year. “What a lot of our teachers tell me is that they don’t feel they’ve got the support that they need to really provide a brilliant education to children with a much bigger range of needs than might have been the case when they did their initial training,” she said.

Jamie says his reading has improved with age but he still struggles when he is returned to the classroom in the TV show(Image: Jamie Oliver Productions)

The film also hears from 15-year-old Amira, who felt “isolated” at school, where she failed to get a formal diagnosis and now expects to fail her GCSEs. “It feels like I have no opportunities. I don’t see any hope,” she tells Jamie, who says she’s being badly let down.

– Jamie’s Dyslexia Revolution, Channel 4, 8pm, Monday

EastEnders actor Scott Maslen has confessed a major twist involving his character Jack Branning was only shared to him 15 minutes before the scenes were filmed for the BBC soap

EastEnders actor Scott Maslen has confessed a major twist involving his character Jack Branning was only shared to him 15 minutes before the scenes were filmed(Image: Getty)

Soap bosses took it right up to the wire where an EastEnders twist was concerned, only telling the cast members involved 15 minutes before it needed to be filmed.

Speaking exclusively to The Mirror at the British Soap Awards, actor Scott Maslen confessed it was very last minute when he was informed of a possibly show-changing twist. The Jack Branning actor and his co-stars had just minutes to react to and process the bombshell, before having to film for the show.

To add to the pressure, the scenes in the fallout to the news were being filmed live for the special 40th episode, and being aired to the nation. There was little preparation, and as soon as Scott learned the big twist he pretty much had to perform it on air very quickly.

The twist in question was the result of the public vote in February, with fans deciding whether Denise Fox reunited with husband Jack, or chose new flame Ravi Gulati. In the episode it was revealed that Denise, courtesy of the fans, had chosen to stay with Jack and dumped Ravi.

Soap bosses took it right up to the wire where an EastEnders twist was concerned(Image: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)

As this played out on air, it was only 15 minutes prior that the cast had even been told. It was a super quick turnaround, as Scott and his co-star Aaron Thiara, who plays Ravi, were walking towards the famous set ready for their live scenes when they learned which of them would be chosen.

The actors were together at the time before making the necessary preparations to film the scenes viewers saw on the night. Scott told us: “I am happy the public chose Jack, it’s obviously a big story to put you in that situation.

“I have been there a long time. Aaron’s come in so well and so strong, he’s a lovely, lovely lad. It was a big ask for both of us but we had a lot of fun. We didn’t think too much about it.”

Scott actually wasn’t sure what way it would go, expecting to get some time off with Denise choosing Ravi. He joked: “I was thinking maybe I was gonna get some fishing time in, so I voted for Ravi myself. I was like vote Ravi everyone!”

Scott Maslen confessed it was very last minute when he was informed of a possibly show-changing twist(Image: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)

On the little time they had before filming, Scott explained: “It was right up to the wire. 15 minutes! I’ve got a little video of me and Aaron walking down and doing the last march. We were together.”

But there were no hard feelings between the cast members despite the rivalry onscreen. He explained: “It didn’t matter, we’re a team. It’s not about individuals, it’s a team game. Our job is to tell stories and we do what we are told.

“We’re part of a team and I am very lucky to have worked with these people for such a long time, so hopefully it will keep going forward.”

He also teased whether it was truly over for the love triangle, adding: “It’s EastEnders ain’t it. Ravi is gonna be back, you know he is.”

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC

Giovanni Pernice’s ex girlfriend has been eyed up to become one of this years islanders, in the ‘most dramatic series yet’, after dating the former Strictly dancer last year

Giovanni Pernice’s ex girlfriend eyed up for Love Island(Image: Giovanni Pernice’s ex girlfriend eyed up for Love Island)

Giovanni Pernice’s ex girlfriend, Molly Brown, has reportedly been eyed up for a summer of love in the Love Island villa to find a new romance. The 26 year old, who dated the Strictly star for several months last year, has reportedly been approached by ITV producers.

Molly and Giovanni began dating at the beginning of 2024 but split after a few weeks before rekindling their relationship until July. The couple were together while allegations were being made by Amanda Abbington against Giovanni regarding his actions on Strictly.

The allegations reportedly grew too much for the couple, and they went their separate ways. A source claimed that Molly could ‘spill the beans’ on her previous relationship.

They teased: “TV execs love a famous ex and the chance for Molly to spill the beans on the biggest scandal for their rival channel the BBC was very tempting.”

Giovanni Pernice’s ex girlfriend, Molly Brown, has reportedly been eyed up for a summer of love in the Love Island villa (Image: mollybrownxox/instagram)

The source added to The Sun: “She could feature later in the series if show action allows, but ITV do speak to hundreds of singles every year to ensure there’s a wide cast ready for every storyline.”

Former Strictly star Giovanni is now in a relationship with actress Bianca Guaccero. The new couple first crossed paths during the Italian version of Strictly, and their relationship grew from there. They appear to be loved up in recent snaps shared to their social media from a romantic holiday in Barbados.

The reports follow this year’s summer series of Love Island being dubbed the most dramatic series yet. The 12th series of the reality show is set to premiere on June 9 on ITV2, promising to bring more drama and twists. Returning as host, Maya Jama has hinted at unprecedented twists and explosive moments that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats

Former Strictly star Giovanni is now in a relationship with actress Bianca Guaccero(Image: Instagram/ @giovannipernice)

Mike Spencer-Hayter, also known as Love Island’s boss, has already teased that week one will hold never-seen-before twists, as well as revealing that they have a whole two weeks planned out, which isn’t a usual occurrence. He has also hinted that the huge twist could be related to this years bombshells.

He sparked speculation that the bombshell could be international as he told The Sun: “Something big is coming in week one. We’ve got a really big week one planned. It’s hard to say what we’re doing without saying it. It’s not a celebrity. We’ve not seen it before.”

Returning as host, Maya Jama has hinted at unprecedented twists and explosive moments that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats(Image: ITV)

He added: “There will be things happening for the first couple of days we’ve not done before and certainly in week one. During that week, there’s something incredibly big we’ve never done before. Hopefully, we can do it. It’s quite experimental.”

The boss also admitted to breaking the rules of tradition by planning further ahead. He said: “We’ve mapped out two weeks, which we don’t usually do, to be honest. So we’ve got two weeks planned and one very, very big thing that’s never been done ever on Love Island. Globally.”

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‘I was ripped from the male gaze at 24,’ she told a festival recently

In an interview at Hay Festival in Wales last weekend, Katie Piper has compared the process of ageing to a bereavement: shocking, but not surprising.

The Loose Women panelist recently debuted her new glass eye. She suffered facial injuries after an acid attack in 2008. Since then, she has undergone over 250 operations in order to reconstruct her facial anatomy and reduce skin contraction.

The star – back with her Katie Piper’s Weekend Escape today (June 8) – spent a lot of time thinking she should have taken revenge on her attacker. Now, however, she’s thinking more about what it is like to grow older.

Katie has undergone many procedures following horrific acid attack (Credit: Splashnews.com)

Katie Piper compares ageing to a bereavement

The process of ageing has been somewhat different for Katie Piper, who has had hundreds of surgical procedures to repair damage to her face and eyesight since 2008.

Her ex-boyfriend had ordered an acid attack on her when she was just 24 years old. Now 41, she’s been writing about the relationship between age and beauty in her new book Still Beautiful. Piper has been reflecting on what it was like to be “ripped” from the male gaze, the moment she was attacked.

“I was ripped from the male gaze at 24,” Piper told an audience at the Hay Festival in Wales over the weekend, per the BBC. “I didn’t just become invisible – I became a target for people saying derogatory things.”

The concept of the male gaze views and represents women as sexual objects for the pleasure of masculine, heterosexual subjects. In Katie’s case, the acid attack made her immediately less interesting to that part of society that viewed her as a sexual being. But normally, she said, women gradually become less interesting to the male gaze, as they get older.

‘Ageing can be compared to a bereavement’

She told the festival: “Ageing can be compared to a bereavement. Sometimes we know we’re losing somebody or something, and it’s slow, it’s gradual, and when it’s ageing, we look down at our hands, we see they look different. We catch ourselves in the shop window, and everything’s changed.

“It was shocking, but not surprising. This was because I had been reminded at such a young age the currency and the power a woman holds when she is considered either beautiful or young, and now here I was going through the second phase of youth slipping away and feeling, once again, society’s judgement and the label that they were going to put on to me.”

Her book, therefore, is an attempt to explain what it is like to be told that you are losing your power as a result of waving goodbye to youth. But it’s also an effort to change tack.

Katie wants to reframe ageing (Credit: Splashnews.com)

Ageing is a ‘magic key’ to letting go of other people’s expectations

Society glamourises youth, says Katie Piper. There is a lot of pressure on 20-year-olds to have the best time of their lives. But many people are financially insecure during their younger years. And, without much experience of the world, it’s actually the time in a person’s life when they’re most likely to make mistakes.

She wants to reframe ageing as a “magic key” to letting go of other people’s expectations. Rather than a time to grieve our younger selves, we can see it as an invitation to take control.

Once you stop trying to hold onto something – ie, youth – you free yourself from the strictures of a capitalist economy that is constantly trying to make money from your insecurities, she argues.

“I’m going to be 42 in October. I’m still incredibly young to many, and old and past it to some. You realise, I know who I am. I have a strong sense of self and identity. This is the heyday. This is the time of my life. So I can only imagine what’s on [for the] 50s and 60s and the decades beyond. I feel excited by that second chapter,” she shared.

‘True evil in mankind’

At the moment of her attack, Katie saw “true evil in mankind”. But her work has exposed her to the vastly larger good side in humanity.

One message she would deliver to her younger self, if she could?

“If you’ve ever felt less than… you’ve hated yourself or felt ashamed, it was never you. It was society, consumerism and capitalism. It was beneficial to someone, somewhere, to hold you down.”

Katie Piper’s Weekend Escape airs on Sunday at 8:25am, on ITV1.

Meghan Markle raised eyebrows with a video of her twerking trying to bring on labour – and royal expert Jennie Bond has revealed how those at the palace would have reacted to the clip

Meghan Markle would have left King Charles ‘horrified’ with her “utterly bizarre” decision to share a video of her twerking to bring on labour, a royal expert has claimed. The Duchess of Sussex astonished royal watchers and fans by posting the video of her dancing in a hospital room alongside Prince Harry while waiting for the arrival of their daughter, Princess Lilibet.

In the clip, a heavily pregnant Meghan twerks to the Starrkeisha song Baby Momma lifting her skirt above her knees, raising her hands in the air and wiggling low with her hands on her hips and legs. Meghan shared the clip on Lilibet’s fourth birthday, saying: “Four years ago today, this also happened.

Meghan Markle dances around her hospital room (Image: Meghan/Instagram)

“Both of our children were a week past their due dates… so when spicy food, all that walking, and acupuncture didn’t work – there was only one thing left to do!”

And for royal expert Jennie Bond, she believes it is an “astonishing video on any level” and reveals what the King would have thought of it. The former BBC royal correspondent told the Mirror : “The hours before you give birth are some of the most personal, intimate and private in the lives of any couple.

Meghan dropped low in the video (Image: Meghan/Instagram)

“And women are perfectly entitled to do whatever they feel like to get through the waiting, and the pain. Giving birth is a serious business, and anything to lighten the mood is welcome.

“However – to share those scenes with the world is utterly bizarre and, in my view, takes away all the magic of the moment. I cannot imagine why she chose to release it. Maybe show it one day to your nearest and dearest— but to anyone and everyone who wants to click on it?

Was Meghan right to share twerking video? Take our poll below. If you can’t see it, click here

“I can hear the voice of the late Queen’s former private secretary, Lord Charteris, repeating the comments he once made about Fergie: ‘Vulgar, vulgar, vulgar’.

Harry joins in with the dancing (Image: Meghan/Instagram)

“If the King has watched it, which I doubt, though he can’t have missed the headlines I’m sure he would be horrified. Royalty has to carry with it some measure of dignity.”

Since sharing the clip many have questioned why she posted it, given the couple’s supposed desire for privacy. And Jennie added: “I’m glad they were so happy before the birth, I’m glad Harry was there to support his wife in every way, I’m delighted to hear that he’s such a great dad. But they really can’t have it both ways.

“They can’t demand privacy and be so coy about sharing images of their children and then show us all these intensely intimate scenes. And she cannot expect to be treated as if she’s royal whilst behaving like a click-hungry social media influencer.

The King at an engagement earlier this week(Image: PA)

“Having said all that, there’s no doubt that videos like this connect in a very real way to young people. And perhaps that’s what Meghan is trying to do. My own daughter thought the video humanised both Meghan and Harry and was light-hearted and hugely relatable. It reminded her of her own pregnancies and labour and she thought it was rather charming.

In many ways, I agree with her. I just don’t think it sits happily with trying to cling to the vestiges of being ‘royal’.”