Category Archives: Uncategorized

Jack Monroe Makes A Brilliant Point About The Cost-Of-Living Crisis On Question Time

Posted on by
Reply

Food campaigner Jack Monroe has hit out at the labelling of the cost-of-living crisis – arguing the squeeze on household budgets has been happening for more than a decade and not simply “fallen out of a clear blue sky”.

The popular budget chef, appearing on BBC Question Time on Thursday, argued the problems stem from Conservative austerity and 13 years of “pulverizing” public services that “propped up the fundamentals of a decent society”.

The writer, challenging the view difficulties have emerged largely as a result of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, added the issues have been given a “fancy title” now that they are “affecting the chattering classes, the middle classes, the media classes”.

It comes as the UK battles with stubbornly high inflation amid soaring use of food banks, families stealing formula milk to feed babies and mortgage rates spiralling among a series of issues pounding families.

Monroe was responding to a question from the audience in Leicester on when people can start to feel “better off”.

She said: “We’ve been hearing a lot over the last year-and-a-half now about the cost of living crisis, as though it’s fallen out of a clear blue sky.

“It’s not a cost of living crisis – let’s be absolutely clear – although it is for everybody at the sharp end of it and that’s millions and millions of people … it’s a cost of Conservatives crisis. It’s a cost of austerity crisis. It’s a cost of 13 years of pulverizing all social support and all of those safety nets we used to have in place that propped up the fundamentals of a decent society.

“It’s the cost of stripping out the NHS and social care and refuges and welfare and all the support that many, many people and voters might have thought they never would have needed … they didn’t think that they were going to ever be one of those people who would have to dip into those parts.

“And now that it’s affecting the chattering classes, the middle classes, the media classes, it’s been given a fancy title: the cost-of-living crisis. And it’s affecting almost everybody.”

Admitting she could not answer the question, she added: “I’ve been working with food banks and with people in poverty for the last 10 years.

“I’ve never known anything like the sheer scale of desperation and crisis that we’re facing at the moment as a country and the only thing that is going to change it is investment back into all of those services that have been stripped away and making sure that when people find themselves in a desperate situation that there’s some help and some support out there for them.

“And I hope for your sake and everybody else’s sake that that happens yesterday, but certainly sooner rather than later.”

Share Button

Actor Danny Masterson Found Guilty Of Raping Two Women

Posted on by
Reply

A jury has found That ’70s Show actor Danny Masterson guilty of raping two women at his Hollywood Hills home in the early 2000s, according to The Associated Press.

The jury was not able to come to a verdict on an additional count of rape involving a third woman.

This was the second trial for the 47-year-old actor and Scientologist. Prosecutors said Scientology officials protected Masterson for years after he drugged and sexually assaulted the women. The women, who were also Scientologists, testified that the church barred them from making reports to police.

Jurors deliberated for eight days before returning their verdict. The original trial ended on November 30, 2022, with the jury deadlocked on all counts after extended deliberations, which had to be restarted when two jurors got Covid.

Masterson pleaded not guilty to the charges and didn’t testify in his own defence in either trial.

Danny Masterson appears at the CMT Music Awards in Nashville, Tennessee, on June 7, 2017.
Danny Masterson appears at the CMT Music Awards in Nashville, Tennessee, on June 7, 2017.

Wade Payne/Invision/AP

This second jury, comprising seven women and five men, was the first to hear allegations that Masterson had drugged his victims, which Judge Charlaine Olmedo had not allowed in the original trial. That jury only heard that the women had been “incapacitated” when Masterson allegedly raped them in separate incidents at his home between 2001 and 2003.

“The defendant drugs his victims to gain control. He does this to take away his victims’ ability to consent,” deputy district attorney Ariel Anson told the jury in her closing argument on May 16, according to The Associated Press.

“You don’t want to have sex? You don’t have a choice,” Anson said. “The defendant makes that choice for these victims. And he does it over and over and over again.”

The first victim to testify said that Masterson smothered her with a pillow and threatened her with a gun during an attack in 2003, while she was semiconscious after drinking from a glass of alcohol he had served her.

Masterson claimed that he had consensual sex with the women. His defence attorney Philip Cohen sought to discredit the women in his closing argument, pointing out inconsistencies in their stories and suggesting that the prosecution focused on Scientology to distract from “other problems” with the case, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The judge ruled that more evidence related to Scientology could be heard in this second trial ― allowing former Scientology official Claire Headley to testify as an expert witness to push back on church denials about its policies and principles, which critics have described as controlling and abusive.

The women, who are no longer Scientologists, testified that the church barred them from reporting the assaults to police, blamed them for the alleged rapes, and harassed, intimidated and stalked them. Headley, who sued the church in 2009 after years of rising through the ranks of its Sea Org religious order, testified that “it is policy that you do not call police” without “specific authorisation” — and that “by the laws of Scientology, it would be a high crime” to report a fellow Scientologist to the police without permission.

Church of Scientology spokesperson Karin Pouw flatly denied that such policies exist in the church. “The Church has no policy prohibiting or discouraging members from reporting criminal conduct of anyone, Scientologists or not, to law enforcement,” Pouw said in a statement to HuffPost. She also called the stalking and harassment allegations “an attempted money grab” by the alleged victims who are also suing Masterson and the church in a civil suit.

In closing arguments, Anson said: “The church taught his victims, ‘Rape isn’t rape, you caused this, and above all, you are never allowed to go to law enforcement’”, calling Masterson “untouchable” because of his celebrity status in Scientology, the AP reported.

On Thursday while the jurors were deliberating, Leah Remini posted a letter that she claimed a mother of one of the victims sent to Scientology leader David Miscavige in 2004, listing graphic details of Masterson’s alleged sexual assaults. The mother concluded by asking whether the church tried to persuade her daughter to “perjure herself so that their celeb can walk scout [sic] free” and whether “celebs are exempt” from “justice codes”.

Masterson is best known for playing Steven Hyde on all eight seasons of That ’70s Show, which aired on Fox from 1998 to 2006. Masterson was the only original member of the cast not to appear in That ’90s Show, a Netflix sequel series that debuted in January.

Share Button

Suffer From Migraines? A Wafer-Like Drug Has Just Been Approved To Help Extreme Headaches

Posted on by
Reply

Thousands of patients who suffer from the worst migraines will be offered a potentially life-changing drug on the NHS in England after it was approved by the health watchdog.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (Nice) draft guidance published on Wednesday recommended the drug Rimegepant as an option for preventing migraines in up to 145,000 adults, if previous treatments have failed.

The Migraine Society says attacks usually last between four and 72 hours and symptoms include disturbed vision, sensitivity to light and sound, feeling sick and vomiting.

Nice says more than 5.6 million people in England are thought to have episodic migraines and around 190,000 attacks are experienced every day.

Beta-blockers, antidepressants and epilepsy medicine are used to try to help with the headaches, but can have significant side-effects and can be ineffective, according to Nice.

Injections are also used to try to solve migraines, Nice added.

The draft guidance recommends the pill, made by Pfizer, for adults who have at least four migraine attacks a month but fewer than 15.

Rimegepant is taken as a wafer which dissolves under the tongue.

Final guidance is expected next month if there are no appeals.

Helen Knight, Nice director of medicines evaluation, said: “Each year the lives of millions of people in England are blighted by migraine attacks.

“They can be extremely debilitating and can significantly affect a person’s quality of life.

“In comments received during consultation on the previous draft guidance, patients and carers described migraine as an invisible disability that affects all aspects of life including family, social activities, mental health, finances and education.

“Rimegepant is the first oral treatment for migraine to be recommended by Nice and for many thousands of people it is likely to be a welcome and more convenient addition to existing options for a condition that is often overlooked and undertreated.”

Toby Cousens, head of hospital and internal medicine at Pfizer UK, said: “On top of debilitating physical symptoms, migraine can place significant pressure on the professional and personal lives of those living with it, including being forced to take time off work.

“Today’s decision is a positive step forward to help meet the care needs of eligible patients in England and Wales.

“We are committed to improving the lives of those living with the burden of migraine and will continue to work with Nice and other health bodies in the UK to help further enhance access and care.”

Share Button

Love Island’s George Fensom Addresses Resurfaced Homophobic Tweets And Allegations Of ‘Controlling’ Behaviour

Posted on by
Reply

Love Island newcomer George Fensom has spoken out after an ex-girlfriend branded him “controlling” in a video shared on social media and homophobic tweets emerged.

The 24-year-old business development executive is among the first batch of singletons headed into the Majorcan villa when the 10th series begins on Monday.

Not long after George was announced to be taking part in the ITV2 show, fans unearthed old tweets in which the islander used homophobic language.

They also discovered his former partner had uploaded a TikTok video in which she claimed he cheated on her and was “controlling”.

George has since broken his silence on both instances, and addressing the tweets first, he said: “It’s really unfortunate that that’s been bought up because that isn’t the person that I am today.

“Looking back on those tweets, I was really naïve and really young to think that was the right thing to say.

“It’s obviously not the right thing to say on my behalf… That’s pretty much it really.”

George explained that the tweets were posted over a decade ago and that he is continuing to learn.

“In regards to people saying that I’m not right for the villa, all I would say is this, everyone’s made mistakes,” he continued.

“Everyone has said things that they regret. The difference in the way that I’ll defend myself is the way that I’m owning that and I’ve admitted that that was the wrong thing to say.

“And actually, if I could turn back time then I wouldn’t have said the things that I said. That’s all I can do to defend myself and say in this scenario.”

Turning his attention to the accusations made by his ex-girlfriend, George voiced his disappointment.

“It’s really unfortunate and actually quite upsetting on my behalf that a picture has has been painted about me in that light,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to moving forward with things and going into the villa and just providing a new wave of energy and to prove that the things that have been written about me aren’t true.

“People can see a different light to me.”

The opening cast of this year's Love Island
The opening cast of this year’s Love Island

Vincent Dolman/ITV

George added that Love Island’s training videos on being mutually respectful in relationships, which is part of its duty of care policy, have also been beneficial.

“Every day is a learning day and everyday you learn things, no matter if it’s regards to a work aspect or relationships and things,” he said.

“People react differently to different things and people feel a certain way about different things as well.”

George’s place on Love Island was announced in recent days, with the singleton revealing what he’s looking for in a romance.

Speaking in the show’s official press pack, he said: “I’ve put myself first in relationships before and it didn’t end well, so I’m looking to focus and give 100% of my time and care to someone.

“I want to settle down, I’m getting old.

“I prefer a girl who is naturally good looking, and someone who has even more banter than me – although I don’t believe that’s physically possible.”

HuffPost UK has contacted Love Island for comment.

Share Button

Juliette Lewis Writes Heartfelt Tribute To ‘Yellowjackets’ After Rough Season 2 Finale

Posted on by
Reply

Warning! This article contains spoilers about the final episode of Yellowjackets.

Juliette Lewis is thanking her Yellowjackets work family after Sunday’s tragic season finale.

The veteran actor on Monday posted an Instagram carousel of six photos from the production of season two’s shocking closer. Lewis, who portrays adult Natalie in the series, wrote she is “beyond moved by the appreciation of my work.”

“Love respect & appreciation is the oil in this creative machine and the encouragement I always need,” wrote Lewis, adding: “I will and can continue creating despite the challenges of this industry, with it’s breakneck hours & the pressure cooker expectations.”

She continued: “The exceptional writing on @Yellowjackets I believe this team can literally do and write anything, the chemistry and exquisite talent of this phenomenal — ever growing — cast is something I will always marvel at. And the phenomenon that is @soapy.t.”

Those following the show, which centres on a high school soccer team fighting for their lives after their plane crashes in the wilderness, have surely noticed how well that phenomenon — Sophie Thatcher — has portrayed the younger version of Lewis’ character.

“You already know,” Lewis wrote, tagging Christina Ricci, Melanie Lynskey, Simone Kessell, Lauren Ambrose and Tawny Cypress. “You all have my heart. To My Team who sometimes knows-gets what I need before I do. You are family. Until we meet again.”

Lewis’ candid photos captured a quiet chat with director Karyn Kusama and a goofy time with Ricci. They also showed Lewis in her final scene. Natalie, who was accidentally given a fatal dose of phenobarbital by Ricci’s character Misty, was mourned by fans online.

“RIP Natalie Scatorccio. 1979-2021,” one person tweeted. “Never afraid to speak her mind, stand up for herself and do whatever she could to survive. After The Wilderness, she struggled with addiction and the guilt she harboured … Yet her loyalty … was unwavering.”

The show has captivated viewers with its harrowing contrast between cannibalistic survival in the woods and the processing of that trauma decades later. Set in the 1990s and in the modern day, Yellowjackets is both grisly and hilarious. Sunday’s finale was simply tragic.

“You won’t be surprised to hear that I’m crying,” wrote Lynskey in the comments of Lewis’ post. “I love with all my heart and the respect I have for you is gigantic.”

“Love you so much,” wrote Ricci.

Natalie’s death, which came after the friend group reunited in the great outdoors to make a sacrifice to “it,” has since spurred a barrage of frustrated tweets from viewers who related to her trauma, resilience and lifelong substance abuse issues.

Yellowjackets is available to stream in the UK on Now.

Share Button

‘Return Of The Maybot’: Rishi Sunak Rinsed Over Toe-Curling TV Clip

Posted on by
Reply

Rishi Sunak has been rinsed over an excruciating 80-second interview in which he kept repeating himself.

The prime minister was compared unflatteringly to his predecessor Theresa May – who was dubbed the “Maybot” for her awkward public persona.

Sunak was quizzed by Sky News over the controversy surrounding the Covid inquiry’s demands for WhatsApp messages sent by Boris Johnson during the pandemic.

He said: “I think it’s really important that we learn the lessons of Covid and that’s why the inquiry was established and we want to make sure that whatever lessons there are to be learned are learned and that we do that in a spirit of transparency and candour.

“The government has co-operated with the inquiry – tens of thousands of documents have been handed over.

“And with regard to the specific question at the moment, the government’s carefully considering its position, but it’s confident in the approach that it’s taken.”

Asked if the government wanted to get into a legal battle with the inquiry over the withheld messages, the PM said: “We are carefully considering next steps and the government is confident in its position.”

Pressed again, Sunak said: “The government’s handed over tens and tens of thousands of documents in a spirit of candour and transparency because it is important that we learn the lessons of Covid.

“With regard to the particular question at the moment, we’re carefully considering next steps but the government is confident in its position.”

The exasperated interviewer tried once again to get a straight answer out of the prime minister, but falling back on his pre-prepared lines once again, he said: “The government is considering next steps carefully, but has been confident of its position and has handed over tens of thousands of documents today in a spirit of candour and transparency because it’s important that we learn the lessons from Covid and carefully considering next steps.”

Campaign group Best for Britain tweeted: “The skill of a politician is to stick to their answer without looking like a myna bird, rocking on its perch, just mimicking human speech.”

Ian Blackford, the SNP’s former leader at Westminster, was another Twitter user who mocked the PM.

He said: “This is the return of the Maybot. Make statement and repeat despite follow up questions trying to get a proper response.”

Others described Sunak as a “broken ChatGPT bot” over the toe-curling exchange.

Share Button

Glastonbury Fans Have A Theory Over Mysterious Act On Line-Up

Posted on by
Reply

Eagle-eyed Glastonbury fans have noticed there’s an unusual band name on the bill at this year’s festival – and they’re convinced they already know who is behind the alias.

But some have spotted an unfamiliar group – The Churnups – are scheduled to play the Pyramid Stage on Friday, ahead of Royal Blood and headline act Arctic Monkeys.

While some have been stumped at just who The Churnups could be, many suspect that its actually the English rock band, Pulp.

Famed for their hits Common People and Disco 2000, Pulp isn’t officially on the line-up for this year’s Glastonbury, although they have many festival dates across summer.

Could the group be about to surprise festival-goers with a secret set?

Alas, Pulp isn’t the only group that fans have guessed could be performing.

Foo Fighters have also been thrown into the mix, with one pointing out that lead singer and guitarist Dave Grohl used to be in a band called Churn.

The American rock band are also dropping a brand new album in June, titled But Here We Are, and coincidentally have a huge Glastonbury-sized hole in their touring schedule.

Share Button

Ex-RNC Chair Hits Republicans With A Harsh Truth About 2024

Posted on by
Reply

Former Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele has issued a stark reality check for anti-Donald Trump Republicans.

“I will repeat once again, for all those who think otherwise, Donald Trump will be the nominee of this party until someone decides that they’re prepared to lose this primary in order to win a general election and beat Joe Biden,” Steele warned on Friday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “The Beat.”

“That clamoring sound you hear is the donor and establishment political class saying we need someone in this race now,” Steele said later in the interview, but he then added: “My submission to all of them is, ‘Y’all too late. Y’all too late.’”

Steele said that, had he still been at the RNC, he would have gotten members to decide which one candidate they wanted to back to go after Trump and then put all resources behind them.

The party “has leverage” to shape the outcome, he said, but currently isn’t using it amid Trump’s rising in the polls and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ (R) faltering campaign launch.

Share Button

Eamonn Holmes Has Scathing Response To Phillip Schofield’s Latest Statement

Posted on by
Reply

The GB News host, who previously co-presented the ITV daytime show with his wife Ruth Langsford, fired off a scathing tweet warning his former colleague that if he is “looking for a fight” he has “picked the wrong person”.

Phillip resigned from the broadcaster on Friday and was dropped by his talent agency YMU after admitting to an “unwise, but not illegal” affair with a young male colleague on This Morning.

It came after his exit from the show earlier this month, following weeks of speculation over a feud with former co-host Holly Willoughby.

Over the weekend, former This Morning resident doctor Dr Ranj Singh claimed the show had “toxic” culture, saying he raised concerns about “bullying and discrimination” two years ago when he worked there and afterwards felt like he was “managed out” for whistleblowing.

On Monday, Phillip then shared a statement on his Instagram Story, claiming there is “no toxicity” at This Morning and “it’s the same handful of people with a grudge against me or the show who seem to have the loudest voice”.

Eamonn – who has spoken out about Phillip numerous times since he left the show in 2021, and in light of Phillip’s admission to an affair – later responded on Twitter.

“Schofield has just put out a delusional statement,” he wrote.

“I’m reluctant to give the liar any more publicity but believe me Pip if u r looking for a fight, u have picked on the wrong person!”

ITV previously denied Dr Ranj’s claims of toxicity behind the scenes of This Morning, stating it had carried out a review after the complaint was made two years ago, while Dr Ranj still working on the show.

“Following a complaint made by Dr Ranj, we appointed an external and independent advisor to carry out a review,” a spokesperson said.

“This external review found no evidence of bullying or discrimination.”

ITV also said it investigated “rumours of a relationship” between Phillip and the This Morning employee about three years ago but both parties “categorically and repeatedly denied” it.

A spokesperson for the broadcaster said on Saturday that ITV was “not provided with, and did not find, any evidence of a relationship beyond hearsay and rumour” when it looked into the matter in 2020.

According to The Mail On Sunday, Phillip first met the younger ITV colleague whom he later had an affair with when he was aged 15.

Lawyers representing Phillip have confirmed they met when the boy was 15, but said the affair began after he started working at ITV, and the man’s lawyers have also said that it started after he joined the broadcaster.

Share Button

Dermot O’Leary And Alison Hammond Address This Morning Headlines

Posted on by
Reply

Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond appeared to reference the claims of “toxicity” at This Morning as the show aired for the first time since former host Phillip Schofield admitted having an affair with a younger male colleague.

Phillip resigned from ITV on Friday and was dropped by his talent agency YMU after admitting to an “unwise, but not illegal” affair.

It came after his exit from the show earlier this month, following weeks of speculation over a feud with former co-host Holly Willoughby.

Over the weekend, former This Morning resident doctor Dr Ranj Singh claimed the show had “toxic” culture, saying he raised concerns about “bullying” two years ago when he worked there and afterwards felt like he was “managed out” for whistleblowing.

With stories about the show continuing to made headlines, Dermot took a moment to address the matter at the start of Monday’s show as they welcomed Gyles Brandreth and Sonia Sodha for a news review item.

“We all know we happen to be in the news at the moment and of course we appreciate that but just from both of us, the whole team here, the crew, the guys downstairs, we love making this show for all of you,” Dermot told viewers.

Dermot O'Leary and Alison Hammond on Monday's This Morning
Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond on Monday’s This Morning

Alison added: “We really do and that’s exactly what we are going to do, we are going to continue to do that.”

Gyles also said: “We are very happy to be here, can I say that as well?

“This is a happy place to work, I enjoy coming in here and have done since I began coming in. We are happy people in a happy place.”

In a statement on Sunday, Dr Ranj said the “issues” at This Morning go “far beyond” the host.

He said: “I was on the show for 10 years and I genuinely loved and valued working there.

“However, over time, I grew increasingly worried about how things were behind-the-scenes and how people, including myself, were being treated.

“I didn’t know the truth about what was going on with Phillip, but I do know the issues with TM (This Morning) go far beyond him.

“It takes more than one person to create a culture.”

Dr Ranj said he raised his concerns with senior executives at ITV but later “found myself being used less and less”.

“I even took my concerns directly to the top of ITV: the culture at This Morning had become toxic, no longer aligned with ITV values, and I felt like because I whistle-blew I was managed out,” he said.

An ITV spokesperson said: “We are sorry to read Dr Ranj’s post today.

“At ITV we are fully committed to providing every opportunity for anyone who works with us to raise any concern or comments they may have.

“Following a complaint made by Dr Ranj, we appointed an external and independent advisor to carry out a review.

“This external review found no evidence of bullying or discrimination.”

ITV has also insisted that This Morning’s future is “not under review” following claims it could be axed in the wake of the controversy about Phillip’s affair.

Phillip Schofield on This Morning earlier this month
Phillip Schofield on This Morning earlier this month

Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock

According to The Mail On Sunday, Schofield first met the younger ITV colleague whom he later had an affair with when he was aged 15.

Lawyers representing Schofield have confirmed they met when the boy was 15, but said the affair began after he started working at ITV, and the man’s lawyers have also said that it started after he joined the broadcaster.

ITV said it investigated “rumours of a relationship” between Schofield and the ITV employee about three years ago but both parties “categorically and repeatedly denied” it.

A spokesperson for the broadcaster said on Saturday that ITV was “not provided with, and did not find, any evidence of a relationship beyond hearsay and rumour” when it looked into the matter in 2020.

On Monday, Phillip issued a fresh statement insisting there is “no toxicity” at This Morning and “it’s the same handful of people with a grudge against me or the show who seem to have the loudest voice”.

“Now I no longer work on @thismorning I am free to say this,” he wrote on his Instagram Story.

“I hope you have noticed that it’s the same handful of people with a grudge against me or the show who seem to have the loudest voice.

“This Morning is the best show to work on, with the best people.

“In all the years I worked there there was no toxicity.

“You can listen to those persistently loud voices if you like.

“But the thousands of guests over the years, thousands of staff and crew, hundreds of presenters and contributors all know, it is a family of wonderful, talented, kind, hard working people.”

Share Button