Category Entertainment News

Meghan Markle has teased fans by announcing an upcoming drop of new products from her lifestyle brand, just weeks after sharing she would ‘pause’ the highly-anticipated restocks

Meghan Markle has shared a long-awaited update on her lifestyle brand As Ever, announcing the release date for her new line of products. In a cryptic Instagram post, Meghan said that a range of “delicious surprises” will be in store for her second brand launch.

She wrote on her As Ever Instagram account: “Oh yes, honey…sweet things await. We’re bringing back your favorites, plus some delicious surprises you won’t want to miss!” Fans won’t have to wait long to get their hands on the new range, with Meghan telling her followers to “mark your calendars” for June 20 at 8am PT (4pm UK time).

Along with the caption, Meghan added a picture of a stack of pancakes, topped with sweet raspberries and a generous drizzle of honey. The picture has many speculating that Meghan’s delicious honey will once again be for sale, along with her famous jams.

In a newsletter to fans, she said: “First off, a sincere thank you for making the debut of As ever absolutely extraordinary. We had a feeling there would be excitement, but to see everything sell out in less than an hour was an amazing surprise.

“We are pleased to share that on June 20th, we’re going live with the products you love – plus, some new delicious surprises,” adding that “so much love has gone into this”.

The news of the restock comes after Meghan made candid comments that she would be “taking a step back” from her lifestyle brand, as she said in an interview that she wanted to “gather data and figure out what As Ever could be.”

Meghan told Fast Company that her products wouldn’t be available again until the first quarter of next year, saying the brand would be shifting to focus on a seasonal approach. She told the publication: “I want to really focus on the hospitality angle of As Ever, but as we take the learnings, we can understand what the customer’s needs are seasonally.”

A trademark application for As Ever showed that her brand may one day intend to sell the likes of cookbooks, tableware and cutlery, along with the food items she currently sells. But she added that fashion is also something she wants to dabble in too.

She added: “The category of fashion is something I will explore at a later date because I do think that’s an interesting space for me.”

Despite announcing that the brand would be taking a temporary hiatus, Meghan made a huge U-turn as she announced just weeks later that her As Ever products, including her famous jams, would be restocked.

Speaking on a podcast with Beyoncé’s mother Tina, she said she wanted to wait until the brand is “completely stable and we have everything we need” before announcing new products or restocks.

However, just hours later, Meghan shared a photo of jam-making preparations including bowls of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries, and freshly squeezed lemons, on her Instagram stories, writing: “June gloom?’ Not over here! Because this month your favourite products are back.”

Her official As Ever account also posted: “To all who’ve been wondering and waiting, thank you. Your favourites are returning, plus a few NEW things we can’t wait to show you. Coming this month…get excited!” Meghan’s first line of products, that went on sale online in March, included raspberry spread, honey, herbal tea and ready made crepe mix, and sold within a half an hour.

Kim Woodburn and Aggie Mackenzie rose to fame when they starred on Channel 4 show How Clean Is Your House but the pair hadn’t spoken for years after a fall out

Kim Woodburn and Aggie Mackenzie appeared the close friends as the dynamic cleaning duo on How Clean Is Your House. The pair were embroiled in a spectacular fallout after the show and never spoke again.

Today Kim’s agent broke the news that the star has died at the age of 83 after a short illness. It is known whether Kim ever made up with Aggie, who was accused her of ‘destroying her.’

The pair shot to fame hosting How Clean Is Your House? on Channel 4 from 2003 to 2009. While Kim stayed in the limelight with appearances on Celebrity Big Brother and I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, Aggie led a very different life.

Aggie previously spoke out about their friendship off-screen, describing them as chalk and cheese. She said: “I think we’re chalk and cheese. Because of the friction there was between us, it created this energy and so we knew how to be in front of the camera.

“I mean, most of it was ad lib. We had an idea of the storyline, but we just kind of made it up as we went along. I think for her it’s kind of normal to have conflict and I think that if things are calm and easy, I think she found that quite difficult. That’s not me, I like it easy peasy. There were lots of highs, and a few lows.”

Aggie recalled how they fell out when doing panto in Brighton and said she “lost her rag”.

“We were doing panto in Brighton. I was so shocked and upset and angry. I lost my rag with her. I said, ‘You’ve really overstepped the mark now! We carried on working together for quite a while but the only speaking we did was on camera. It had all come to a bitter end. We’ve never spoken since,” she said of their explosive fall out.

Aggie said she was frightened of Kim. She explained: “We were never friends. Far from it. Kim was such a big, damaging part of my life. I feel she almost destroyed me. I know that sounds extreme but she was this massive powerful figure.

“I was frightened of her. Everyone was. It’s like any bully – they push and push and push. There were no boundaries, no limitations. It was as if Kim felt more entitled to the job, status and money than me. She was the ‘main man’ and the show could not go on without her. I was ordinary and dispensable.”

Speaking to the Mirror in 2019, Kim had said: “I have never said anything derogatory about Aggie and I am not going to start now. I am unclear where these false allegations have come from but I wish her all the luck in the world.”

Rebekah Vardy says ‘Ive been treated worse then a paedophile’ in new interview

Rebekah Vardy says she was “treated worse than a paedophile” over the Wagatha Christie court cases and Coleen Rooney allegations.

The wife of footballer Jamie Vardy says she is now moving on from her clash with Coleen Rooney and subsequent multimillion pound court case.

But speaking to Vanity Fair she insisted her treatment was unfair and she insisted that she “got the raw end of that”.

“In fact, I think murderers and pedophiles have faced far less scrutiny than I did,” Vardy added.

When the court case took place a lot was made of the clothes Rebekah Vardy and Coleen Rooney wore to court, with the majority of fashion experts judging Coleen to come out on top.

But Vardy insisted in the new interview she was not a typical wag when it came to clothes.

“I am polar opposite to what you would class as the typical WAG,” Vardy told Vanity Fair.

“I’m not bothered. I will go out head to toe in Zara where someone else’s wife or girlfriend has to be head to toe in Prada.”

In May a judge said Vardy must pay more than £1.4m of Coleen Rooney’s legal costs following their libel battle,

Coleen ran up a legal bill totalling more than £1.8m while successfully defending herself against

Mrs Vardy’s High Court claim in 2022.

After Mrs Vardy lost the case, court documents showed she had been ordered to pay 90% of Coleen’s costs.

Earlier on Tuesday, a specialist costs court was told that Vardy had agreed to pay £1.19m to Coleen, who was also asking for a further £315,000 in “assessment costs”.

Costs judge Mark Whalan then said it was “reasonable and proportionate” for Vardy to pay her an additional £212,266. This took the total to just over £1.4m, including interest.

Coleen publicly accused someone using Vardy’s Instagram account of leaking private information about her to the press.

Sparking headlines around the world for weeks, Coleen famously wrote on social media: “It’s ……….Rebekah Vardy’s account.”

Vardy sued her for libel, but Mrs Justice Steyn found in July 2022 that the allegation was “substantially true”.

WARNING DISTRESSING CONTENT: Before finding fame as the ‘Queen of Clean’, Kim Woodburn, who has sadly died at the age of 83, endured a tragic ‘watershed’ moment that changed the course of her life forever

‘Queen of Clean’ Kim Woodburn, who has died at the age of 83, enjoyed a stellar TV career. However, her early life was far from easy, with a tragic incident in her early 20s continuing to haunt her decades later.

Born Patricia Mary McKenzie, Kim’s childhood was marked by physical abuse. At the age of 16, the Hampshire-born star moved to Liverpool, where she worked as a live-in cleaner.

Sadly, this fresh start was far from the end of the future How Clean Is Your House? icon’s personal difficulties. At the age of 23, Kim found herself pregnant by a man who’d deserted her. Then, on February 22, 1966, came what Kim would later describe as “the worst night of her life”.

READ MORE: Kim Woodburn dead: Celebrity Big Brother legend dies after short illness as family devastated

While climbing the stairs to her flat, Kim, who was five-and-a-half months pregnant at that point, realised her baby was coming.

In her candid 2006 autobiography, Unbeaten, Kim wrote: “My little baby was coming out feet first. I’d never been so frightened or in so much pain in my life. I took the washing-up bowl from the sink, threw it on the floor and stood straddled across it.

“Then I got hold of a tea towel, wrapped it around the little foot and eased it gently out of my body.”

In a heartbreaking revelation, Kim recalled how she “could tell he was dead straightaway”. She remembered: “There was no sign of breathing, but he had such perfect little legs and hands.”

In a “terrible state”, Kim placed the body of her little boy in a bowl beside her bed and eventually fell asleep. The following night, she buried the stillborn child in a park.

According to Kim: “I put the baby on the ground and then knelt down and started digging with the spoon. As I gouged the earth, tears streamed down my face. I brushed them away with my dirty hands.

“When I felt I had dug down deep enough, I lowered my precious little boy into the hole and wrapped the towel around him before slowly replacing the earth. When the job was done, I still couldn’t leave.”

She continued: “I was in the pit of despair, blown apart. It was something someone should never have to go through. I could never go back there. It will always be with me, but it would be too painful.”

A police inquiry ensued after her autobiography was published, but ultimately, no action was taken. Addressing the reaction she’d had to this particular chapter in an interview with the Liverpool Echo, Kim said: “I’m bearing up under the strain of it all. And people have been so kind.

“I’ve had so many letters and phone calls from people saying lovely things, some from people who have been in a similar situation to myself, others just wishing me the best.

“What people forget is that all this happened 41 years ago when things were so very different.

“You had to be a virgin on your wedding day, and to be pregnant and single, there was an enormous stigma. I had no family to turn to. I was ashamed and frightened.”

After the death of her son, Kim, who was then still known as Pat, decided to change her name, in an attempt to move on from her troubled past. She picked Kim after Kim Novak, the legendary actress behind classics such as Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 nailbiter, Vertigo.

Following this “huge watershed” moment, Kim went on to find love with her retired policeman husband Peter, who is “heartbroken” over her death, which came after a short illness.

A representative for Kim shared in a statement: “It is with immense sadness that we let you know our beloved Kim Woodburn passed away yesterday following a short illness.

“Kim was an incredibly kind, caring, charismatic and strong person. Her husband Peter is heartbroken at the loss of his soulmate.”

Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com. Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

READ MORE: Wildest Loose Women moments amid ITV’s ‘bloodbath’: from huge confessions to celebrity showdowns

How Clean Is Your House star Kim Woodburn told fans she ‘refused to die’ in a health update three years before her death, after undergoing a major operation

Kim Woodburn has died aged 83, her family has confirmed.

The TV star, who shot to stardom for her no-nonsense attitude and witticisms on Channel 4’s How Clean Is Your House with Aggie MacKenzie, died on Monday.

Her beloved husband-of-46-years Peter, who she lived with in their Nantwich, Cheshire home, is “heartbroken” over the loss of his soulmate.

Kim passed away after battling a brief illness. Renowned for not holding back, the Noughties icon never shied away from speaking about her health woes and before her death she shared a candid update with her fans following an operation.

Kim reassured fans in April 2022 that she “refused to die” as she sported a huge plaster around her neck after having her ‘throat cut’ by doctors. The queen of clean worried fans as she shared a photo of herself in a hospital gown as she sat up in bed.

After receiving hundreds of concerned messages, she took to Instagram to share what happened as she swigged some gin and ate a handful of grapes. She told fans: “Hello my loves. Thank you for all your good messages and I’ll tell you what’s gone on.

READ MORE: Kim Woodburn’s devastating health woes and telling sign before her death at 83

“I had a disk behind the ear that was fractured or something was broken and the doctor – the specialist – had to go in, he cut a big hole in my throat here and somehow went in with his fingers. He took out the rotten disk and he put a titanium disk in.

“I’m getting back the use in my fingers, because it was killing my fingers, and that was the reason he did it. Because of my legs, I wouldn’t have been able to walk.”

Wiggling her fingers, she added: “I think it’s quite good. I’m not dying, my lovies, I refuse to die, dear. Letters from all around the world have been coming in. Thanks my loves, I don’t half appreciate them.”

Picking up a large glass, which she swigged from, she said: “Excuse me while I have my gin. Lovely!”

At the time, her fans flocked to the comments to wish her well, with one writing: “icon, get well soon queen!” While another commented: “Love ya Kim you little b***.”

Following the news of her death, Kim was described as an “incredibly kind, caring, charismatic and strong person” by her loved ones, who were “so proud” of what she achieved in her career.

A representative for Kim shared in a statement: “It is with immense sadness that we let you know our beloved Kim Woodburn passed away yesterday following a short illness.

“Kim was an incredibly kind, caring, charismatic and strong person. Her husband Peter is heartbroken at the loss of his soulmate.

“We are so proud of the amazing things Kim achieved in her life and career. We kindly ask that Kim’s husband and close friends are given the time and privacy they need to grieve. We will not be releasing any further details.”

READ MORE: Boots’ No7 serum that ‘reverses’ signs of skin damage sold every 7 seconds

With youngsters’ interest in beauty booming, we asked skincare guru Caroline Hirons to explain what they should and shouldn’t be using – and which weird beauty trends to avoid

If you know a teenager or tweenager, the chances are that you’ll be aware of the huge rise in this generation’s interest in beauty. And so with many youngsters’ dream day out now a trip to Sephora over the sweet shop, who better to explain what they should really be using — and steering clear of — than leading ‘skinfluencer’ Caroline Hirons, who not only is known for her no-nonsense, science-backed beauty advice, but has raised four children too (she’s a mum to Ben, 33, Daniel, 31, Ava, 23, and Max, 20).

Following the best-selling success of her first book, Skincare, Caroline, 55, has now written Teen Skincare, aimed at boys and girls aged nine to 19 and their parents, separating the facts from the fads, and covering everything from acne tips to affordable product recommendations.

We caught up with Caroline for her usual unfiltered approach to beauty, covering everything from breast milk facials to snogging behind bike sheds…

READ MORE: ‘I’m a beauty editor and these are the only skincare products I’ll let my tween use’

READ MORE: ‘I wore this perfume when I was a teenager, and at 55 I still swear by the £34 fragrance’

Hi, Caroline! So why did you want to write a book specifically on teen skin, and why now? It’s so topical nowadays, and I’m asked about it all the time, so it’s easier for me to write it all down in a book than reply to the messages from hundreds of parents on Instagram I get every day.

What was your own skin — and skincare routine — like as a teenager? I had what you would call typical teen skin — I’d get the odd big spot when my period was due, but nothing serious. My skincare routine was basically cleanse, tone and moisturise. The moment I first bought a Bourjois blusher from Boots and showed it to my mum, she said, “If you’re going to put that on, you’re going to need to know how to take it off first.” So I did.

Did you always know you wanted to work in skincare? I always loved it, but I didn’t always know I wanted to work in skincare. My mother and grandmother were both in the industry but strangely we never once discussed me working in it too. It’s funny how the world turns out!

And what about your children’s teenage skin?

Ava and Max both suffered with spots and mild acne — Ava’s was post-Covid, and Max was just being a typically gaming teenager who didn’t spend a lot of time outside. But a lot of them go through that — it’s like a rite of passage.

Do you think that teens now are going to have better skin when they’re older than previous generations? Absolutely, because of how they take care of themselves. Most Gen Z girls and boys go to the gym, they don’t drink as much, and they think smoking is grim. I’m lucky that I never smoked because I found it horrible, but lots of people growing up in the 70s and 80s did. No one would have dreamt of going to the gym in my youth — it was just something ‘silly Americans’ did. And when we would go on holiday, we either didn’t use sun cream at all and burnt to a crisp, or we used Hawaiian Tropic SPF 2 and felt virtuous. The younger generation these days are already smarter than we were, and that’s what you hope for, right?

What’s the craziest viral beauty trend you’ve seen recently? Basically, if your body has expelled it, it shouldn’t go on your face. I’m talking breast milk, period blood and sperm — all of which I have been asked about. Utter filth. And I’m so sick of hearing about people putting beef tallow on their face now that I don’t even want to put it on my potatoes.

I also get tagged in ‘SPF is toxic’ content all the time, and I just leave a comment that says “enjoy melanoma”. Or I just ignore a lot of it — I’m not going to amplify the stupidity.

How should parents talk to their kids about skincare and grooming? You have to talk to your teenager like the adult they’re becoming, not the child they’ve been. You just have to say, “I love you, you stink, you need to have a shower, here’s a deodorant.” Deodorant and shower gel are usually first. Then usually the spots start, and you can have a conversation about skincare. At some point a girl or a boy they fancy is going to come on the scene and then you won’t have a problem telling them to wash. I still remember when my boys started bathing — I thought, “There must be a girl around.”

What age they need to start doing this depends on when their hormones kick in. If they’re smelly, moody and have hair under their armpits, they should be doing their skin.

It’s also habit: do they see you doing your skin? For my daughter, it wasn’t a question — she saw me doing my face from the minute she was born, as I did with my mum, and my mum with hers.

How should teens approach acne?

I don’t think Gen Z and Gen Alpha feel the pressure of having spots like we did. Now they wear spot stickers out. You would never have put a sticker on a spot in my generation — if you didn’t have concealer, you wouldn’t leave the house. Girls celebrate them now, and I think it’s amazing.

Unless their acne is severe, there’s no point going to your GP, because the waiting list for NHS dermatologists is two to three years. If you’ve got the means and your child’s mental health is being affected, go private. It’s not as expensive as everyone thinks it is — it’s a couple of hundred quid, you’re not talking thousands — but it’s worth every penny. One of my famous sayings is, “Don’t credit card your skincare”, but I’ve always said, “Credit card your health” — or your child’s health. Don’t underestimate how bad skin makes your child feel.

Is there anything else you would love to write a book about? No, but we’re due an update on Skincare. That will happen within the next year, I’m sure. There are always new ingredients and new products coming out.

Finally, what advice would you give to your teen self?

Don’t smoke, don’t drink too much, don’t have sex with that boy, and don’t lie to your mum about where you’re going. To be fair, I’ve never smoked, I’ve never drunk too much, and I’ve never touched a drug in my life, which my kids couldn’t believe, with me growing up in the 80s in west London. The closest I’ve ever come is accidentally eating half a hash cake thinking it was a brownie – and I just fell asleep. Snogging behind bike sheds, however, is a different story…

Quickfire questions

First products you’d give to a 13-year-old?

SPF and a face wash.

One product every teen should avoid?

Retinoids – they don’t need a vitamin A, unless they have acne.

Make-up wipes: yes or no? No.

Top trusted skincare brands for teen skin?

Sam Farmer, Spots & Stripes, Bubble, Byoma, Indu, certain CeraVe and Curél products. All gentle stuff.

One skincare word or phrase you would ban?

“Trend”. Taking care of your face should never be a trend.

A product you wished you’d invented?

Vitamin A. There’d be a lot of money in that at least.

Dream podcast guest?

Mariska Hargitay, who plays Sergeant Olivia Benson in Law & Order: SVU, and who I’m obsessed with.