Protesters in major cities around the world have marched to oppose Israel’s plan to occupy Gaza City, its campaign of starvation, and its genocide of Palestinians. Demonstrators say the 22-month war of extermination must end.
Jessie J has said that she “sobbed” over her breast cancer surgery scars during her recent health battle. The 37-year-old has been open about having to undergo urgent surgery, but admitted she was lucky that the cancer had been caught by doctors “early”.
The Price Tag singer had her first operation back in June and has been recovering since. She has since told her fans that she broke down in tears when she looked at the scars for the first time after her surgery.
Jessie said that due to it being caught early, she did not need to have radiotherapy or chemotherapy in her treatment plan. However, she has had to have a full mastectomy rather than a lumpectomy because of the size of the lump she found.
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The mum-of-one has now opened up in an interview with The Sunday Times’ Culture Magazine where she explained how she now feels when she sees the scars.
She said: “The other night. Mum was massaging my boob for me, because I can’t touch the scars. And I started sobbing, ‘I can’t believe this has happened.’ She was like, ‘I wish it was me,’ and then I’m crying, she’s crying… I’m so glad it’s not her.”
She went on to say that she will need more surgery in the future but is still determined to return to the music world, with her new song Believe In Magic due to be released on August 29.
Jessie added: “People think, once you’ve got the all-clear, now it’s done. But I’ve got another surgery [to improve the symmetry of her implant with her other breast] and I need to heal, so I have to figure out the rest of this year.”
She took to her Instagram page this week to tell her followers that she would need to have more surgery as part of her treatment. She wrote: “I can rest, parent AND release new music.
“I didn’t leave a major label after 18 years to be scared to re write the rules to fit around my life / health and just make it realistic on what I can deliver in all roles in my life. Another surgery needed this year. I can do it.”
Jessie then went on to mention her son as she added: “Raising a toddler. I can do it. Releasing new music. I can do it. It will look different to what I had planned but that’s life, things change and either we panic and get mad that it isn’t what is was going to be, or we ADAPT.
“I’m just flowing with life and giving the best I can. Instead of stopping and disappearing and waiting for the timing to be perfect to release music again. It’s never the perfect time. Because grown up life is layered and has highs and lows and we just have to keep living in all of it. So here I am. LIVING.
“And I just want you to have the music. Deal?” Jessie has previously confirmed she is not cancer free yet which is why she needs to have another operation to further treat the disease.
Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators have held rallies and marches in cities around the world in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, demanding an end to Israeli attacks on the besieged and bombarded enclave as Israel-imposed starvation engulfs the entire population.
In London, the Metropolitan Police said it arrested more than 466 people at a protest on Saturday against the British government’s decision to ban the group Palestine Action.
British lawmakers proscribed Palestine Action under anti-terrorism legislation in July after some of its members broke into a Royal Air Force base and damaged planes as part of a series of protests. The group accuses the UK government of complicity in what it calls Israeli war crimes in Gaza.
Protesters, some wearing black-and-white Palestinian scarves and waving Palestinian flags, chanted, “Hands off Gaza” and held placards with the message “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.”
In Turkiye’s Istanbul, thousands of protesters demanded more aid be allowed into the Strip, with organisers calling on the international community to take urgent action to end the humanitarian crisis.
Many also took to the streets in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, to protest against the blockade and Western support for Israel, demanding the immediate and unrestricted delivery of aid into Gaza.
Several pro-Palestine rallies were also held across Spain, including in the capital, Madrid, to protest Israeli attacks and the starvation in the enclave. Carrying Palestinian flags, protesters shouted, “End to genocide”.
In Switzerland’s Geneva, thousands gathered at the Jardin Anglais to protest against famine and malnutrition-related deaths in Gaza resulting from the Israeli blockade. The crowd staged a sit-in, shouting in English, French and Arabic to demand an end to international support for Israel’s oppression of Palestinians.
I’ve been trying a whole host of hair products this year to try and find the ones that work best on my fine, relatively short, bleached hair. Prone to breakage thanks to the bleach, and so thin that most products weigh it down, my hair has always been slow to grow and unwilling to cooperate with thick or heavy haircare treatments. So when I got my hands on this leave-in hair mask, I was apprehensive to hope it would work on my hair. But I’ve been pleasantly surprised.
This Hairification H24 Complex Leave-in Repair Mask has been touted as “better than K18 and Olaplex for half the price” – a bold statement, but one that this leave-in mask lives up to. I’ve had Olaplex treatments used on my hair at the salon, as well as some K18 treatments, but I can’t tell the difference between the results of this leave-in mask and those higher-end hair products.
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This Hairification Leave-in Repair Mask, retailing for the wallet-friendly price of £10.99 at Boots, promises to be the ultimate undercover agent for reversing damage and returning stressed strands to former glory in just four minutes. Clinically proven to strengthen hair by up to 312%, my new Leave-In Repair Mask has been formulated with proprietary ingredients for maximum impact.
Its formula boasts Fibrehance, which works to build new bonds within the hair, combined with Procutigen Bond, which helps prevent damage, breakage, and moisture loss. Elsewhere in the leave-in mask is Col-Frag, which actively hydrates and smooths the hair, while Elaya Renova protects the hair from high heat and UV damage, ensuring its benefits last long after it has been applied.
With its array of peptides and bond-rebuilding tech, the leave-in mask promises to become a holy grail for damaged, overprocessed hair, producing visibly stronger strands in minutes, no salon visit needed. And in the weeks since I’ve been using it, all of the promises are true.
It’s designed to be applied to towel-dry hair right after a shower, which is how I’ve been using it. I’ve been pairing it with the Hairification H24 Complex Hair Repair Peptide Shampoo and Conditioner in conjunction with the hair mask, which is ideal for optimal results, though this isn’t mandatory. I’ve also been trialling the Hairification Pure Grow Shampoo, which prioritises encouraging new hair growth.
The consistency of the mask is unlike the ones I’m used to, such as the Hask Repair Leave-In Treatment. It comes out as a cream that needs to be worked through the hands until it emulsifies and then turns into an almost paste-like consistency. This concerned me at first since my thin hair tends to struggle with soaking up thicker, heavier formulas. But I run it through my hair as instructed and leave it to air-dry with the rest of my hair.
In the weeks since I’ve been using this mask, my hair feels healthier, smoother and truly nourished, eradicating any dry or brittle strands and replacing them with soft and silky hair. My hair looks healthy too, with fewer flyaways and an overall shinier, sleeker appearance than I’ve had in some time.
The biggest plus of this mask is that you only need to use it for the first 4 to 6 washes, and then thereafter only as required. I started off using it after every wash and then reduced it to once a week. It’s been ideal having a salon-like treatment in my own bathroom that I can pick up and use whenever I need, without having to spend a fortune.
Retailing for £10.99 at Boots, you can also find my new Hairification H24 Complex Leave-in Repair Mask on sale at Pharmacy 2 U for £8.24.
Coleen Nolan’s son Jake Roche may have carved out a name for himself in entertainment, but he has no issues with the term “nepo baby.” The 32-year-old first found fame as a singer with the band Rixton alongside Lewi Morgan, Charley Bagnall and Danny Wilkin after posting covers on YouTube.
But now, over 10 years after the band first found fame, Jake, 32, is taking to the stage for another reason. Tomorrow, he will perform the start of his 14 shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with his Neporrhoids show.
“I took the show up last year for the whole month, and it was a great opportunity to keep developing it,” Jake exclusively told the Mirror. He went on to add: “I’m bringing it back up for the final two weeks with a more convenient time slot, which feels nice for the comedy crowd.” It comes after Mel B’s ‘spiritual’ Moroccan wedding with non traditional dress.
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Jake admits that he had it in his head he would “do all these things” to prepare, but says once he’s on the stage, his body will instantly kick in to help him, although it can be “quite taxing”. “There’s a lot of running around, jumping, climbing and singing, so I’m probably going to take it easy in the daytime,” he said. This level of energy is no stranger to Jake, who, while performing across arenas, would often jump into the crowd to ensure everybody was able to get up close with him.
And although he has years of performing under his belt, he still gets nervous. “I think it’s a good sign,” he commented. He went on to add: “I get especially nervous when family come and watches it. I’ve sort of put a ban on family members coming, not because of my nerves – I just sometimes feel it might not be the best watch for them, and the show plays against that as well. The nerves are real, they’re really real.”
But during his time in the band, he was able to share the nerves with his bandmates as they knew they were walking out to packed arenas. “This time around, I’m on my own, and there’s probably people in that room who are coming in with a few judgements and thinking ‘Who is this kid who suddenly wants to do comedy and talk about his life?'” he said, adding: “You’ve got to go in and forget all that and try and have as much fun on stage.”
Although the show does feature uplifting moments, Jake admits that there were a “lot of personal moments” with his dad, Shane Richie, who plays Alfie Moon in EastEnders. He said: “The show is sort of based around the conversations we’ve had around the show. They were really tough, those moments. I thought but looking back and the imagery of me and Rixton, the things that we’ve experienced, would be tough but I’ve found them really lovely and special.
“It was an opportunity to rake over the past, and I thought what would come up would, I was young. I thought that what would come up would be a slight bitterness, but it was really lovely. I’m incredibly grateful for that time and what I’ve experienced.
“It wouldn’t be a good show if I went on stage and started slagging off this amazing thing that happened to me.” He admits that he “came out the other side relatively unscathed” after finding fame across the globe, after Scooter Braun signed the band.
While the show is called Neporrhoids, Jake says it’s the “zeitgeist” with the term nepo-baby being thrown around for the offspring of celebrities who have become successful. But what does he make of the term? “I’ve always known I’m incredibly privileged,” he said, adding: “I’m going to get called it anyway, so I might as well lean into it. I talk about it in the show, there’s not a second of me, I do not deny for a second that I’m incredibly privileged.
“I think in terms of the arts and creative industry, that’s where it’s being used a lot. If I go up to Edinburgh Fringe and I don’t sell a single ticket, I have the privilege of a safety net, but I’m probably in the small percentage of people who have been so incredibly supported in the thing that I want to do – not many people can say that.
“It doesn’t rub me up the wrong way if someone calls me a nepo-baby, I’ve even got badges made for when people come and see the show that says ‘Nepo-baby’, I know what I can do and I know what I’m capable of and as long as I talk about it and acknowledge it, that’s all I can do. It doesn’t annoy me.”
Speaking about uploading covers to YouTube with his bandmates, filmed in Coleen’s garage, Jake says: “Scooter Braun didn’t come along and go ‘Your mum’s Coleen Nolan from Loose Women, I’ll sign you!’ he didn’t have a clue.”
With Rixton, Jake racked up a UK Number 1 with their debut single, Me and My Broken Heart, as well as two further Top 40 tracks. He said of his time in the band: “I learned a lot with Rixton in terms of stagecraft and being able to write songs really quickly.
“It’s kind of taking all those skills and pumping them into an hour-long comedy show. I didn’t realise how much I actually loved being on stage, I feel it’s sort of what I’m here to do, and the show is about me accepting that, inheriting this want and need to be seen and validated and is what I’ve sort of inherited from my family.
“I just look back at those moments with Rixton and look at them really fondly, I really learnt so much.” And showbiz runs in his blood, with his dad, of course, being Shane, his mum Coleen also comes from a showbiz background, having found fame as a member of The Nolans, famed for their hit I’m In The Mood For Dancing – taking on the world with their Irish-Blackpool charm and powerful vocals.
Coleen was just two years old when she first appeared on stage, before joining her sisters in the seventies. She didn’t officially join the group until 1980, with the family. The group sold over 30 million records across the globe, becoming one of the biggest-selling groups.
But what do his family think of his career move? Jake explained: “They’ve always just been incredibly supportive. When I was doing the work in progress shows, I think there might have been, they never told me, there was probably a bit of ‘Oh dear’, but as the show has been developed and time has gone on, it’s in a more stable position now. They’re so supportive.
“My dad came and watched it three or four times when it was on Fringe last year. People who sit near him in the crowd come up to me and they’re like ‘It was incredibly awkward,’ because there’s some awkward conversations in there between me and my dad. But the show speaks for itself in terms of what we consider entertainment and what we’re willing to do to be famous.
“So even my dad sitting there is slightly ironic. My mum is great, although every time she posts, last year we had a horde of Loose Women fans, which is really lovely, but as the show started going on, I could just sense these really confused Loose fans thinking ‘What the f**k is he doing?’ I’m happy for anyone to turn up, there’s definitely been fans of my mum and dad and fans of Rixton, it’s quite confronting for an audience member, which is what I wanted the show to be. They’ve been amazing, as always.”
Although the show is currently on the Edinburgh Fringe, Jake admits that he could see himself taking the show on the road. “I’d like to do another London run or a Manchester run, there’s talks of it going over to America and I’m developing a TV version of it,” he revealed.
There are “interesting chats” going on behind the scenes about a future TV development and a musical. He’s also returning to his musical roots. He said: “I’m recording music for an EP, I’ve just signed a deal which is exciting. I’m a busy chap and I feel like with Neporrhoids, it’s a chapter of my life I’ve processed and I’m happy to tuck it away.
“I’ve got a kid, I’m married, I’ve grown up. I think Neporrhoids was me making sense of it, and I’m happy with where it’s at.” Now, as a dad of a small baby, he is enjoying the slower pace of life, having no longer reached burnout the way he did in his twenties with Rixton. “With these projects, there’s no timeline for me; I’m happy for them to take as long as they need to develop into whatever shape or form. There’s a lot going on, which I’m really excited about.”
Tickets to see Jake at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival between August 11 and August 24 can be purchased here.
Whether you’re heading to the coast, countryside or cosy city break for a local staycation this summer there’s one thing for sure, you’ll need to pack smart.
The British weather is famously unpredictable, being sunny one minute and drizzly the next, so having the right layers and a lightweight rain jacket is essential.
Luckily, you don’t need to spend a fortune to stay stylish and weather-ready. And we’ve rounded up some of the best staycation staples from £40 and ranging up to all budgets. From sleek waterproofs, versatile knits, and easy-to-layer basics, we’ve found everything that’ll see you through from sightseeing to pub lunches and coastal hikes.
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Barn or workwear jackets were the biggest outerwear trend last year, and they’re here to stay for another season. Next’s £40 jacket is the perfect addition to your staycation holiday wardrobe as it works just as well for summer as it does for autumn, meaning you can get the most bang for your buck.
Not to mention it looks great paired over everything from white midi dresses to slouchy jeans and denim shorts.
SHOP THE LOOK: Neutral 100% Cotton Worker Jacket, £40
If you’re heading on a coastal getaway, you’ll want to pack an easy layer that you can slip on and off depending on the weather. This half-zip sweatshirt from White Stuff ticks all the boxes. Practial, stylish and cosy without being a thick knit jumper. Plus, it look great over jeans, shorts, or skirts.
SHOP THE LOOK: Rewind Half Zip Sweat, £55
If you’ve been looking for maximalist summer outerwear that doesn’t compromise on style or practicality, you’re in luck as Regatta has teamed up with Orla Kiely for a stylish summer collection. And this fleecy changing robe is both windproof and rainproof, and on sale for over £100 off!
SHOP THE LOOK: Orla Kiely Changing Robe, currently £52.50
As we’ve mentioned, staycation wardrobes are all about layering. And layering different items or fabrics is a foolproof way to look incredibly chic. If you don’t want to simply chuck on a raincoat and cover up your whole look, use it as a top layer of a white shirt or T-shirt and denim shacket. Plus, accessories are key to elevating a raincoat. Throw on a neck scarf or head scarf to add a fashion edge.
SHOP THE LOOK: Seafaring Waterproof Coat, £165
Just because you’re keeping it local, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll be rain, rain, rain. So packing a striped blue shirt is always a smart move. You can wear this cotton Barbour one with so many pieces in your wardrobe. Whether throwing it on over a bikini, tucking it into denim shorts or layering it under a quilted jacket, this is the kind of top you’ll be wearing on repeat.