Category Entertainment News

Pope Leo XIV was once a student called Robert Francis Prevost, and studied a surprising degree at Villanova University where he walked the same halls as two of the most famous faces on Earth

Pope Leo XIV has been the new head of the Catholic Church for less than a week, after being elected on May 8. Considering how many loved his predecessor Pope Francis I, the papal conclave took over social media by storm, with countless people – Catholic or not – watching with baited breath to see who would become the next supreme pontiff.

While several frontrunners became clear, not many expected Robert Francis Prevost to win the vote, with the Chicagoan becoming the first American pope. Considering his background, Leo XIV has an all-American history with many surprising twists and turns – and internet sleuths have just uncovered a very interesting tidbit about his university years.

On X, formerly known as Twitter, social media users are going wild about a photo of the young pope in his old college yearbook. Born in 1955, Prevost went to Villanova University. It turns out that he’s not the only famous face to have attended the school, but he’s taken a very different path to some of his fellow alumni.

In the photo of young Leo XIV, the bishop is seen rocking a full head of dark hair, and posing with a serious expression while sporting a slick suit. ‘Robert F. Provost’ is written above the pope-to-be. The world leader joined the private Catholic university after leaving St. Augustine Seminary High School on the honour roll – and serving as an altar boy at his local St. Mary of the Assumption Church – and graduated in 1977 with a degree in mathematics.

While becoming the pope is hardly an easy task, Provost isn’t alone in exceeding expectations after graduating from Villanova. Jill Biden, the wife of Joe Biden and former First Lady of the United States of America, also attended the institution. Jill had already bagged plenty of degrees, but went to Villanova for her second graduate degree and gained her Master of Arts in 1987.

On the flip side, Hollywood star Bradley Cooper also went to Villanova straight out of high school. The actor only attended for one year, before he switched to Georgetown University – which is also private and Catholic but took him out of his birth state of Pennsylvania.

While Bradley was raised Catholic and still identifies with the Church, his path has taken him far away from the Vatican. Unlike Prevost, you’re more likely to see the star on the red carpet than blessing babies – and Bradley has taken on some very unorthodox roles in films such as Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, and The Hangover.

Villanova is now in the public eye thanks to its connection to Pope Leo XIV, and even rang church bells around its campus to mark its old student’s appointment as head of the Catholic Church. The institution also released a statement, with President Rev. Peter M. Donohue enthusing: “As an Augustinian Catholic institution, we celebrate this significant day for our University community and the global Church.

“Villanova, built on the teachings of St. Augustine, has always been grounded in advancing a deeper understanding of the fundamental relationship between faith and reason, between spirituality and wisdom.

Looking to bag a great deal on the best summer beauty products, or stock up your suitcase before your holiday? You won’t want to miss this limited-edition beauty bundle, saving you over £170

If you love beauty – and also love a bargain – then you need to check out this way to bag a huge bundle of summer skin, hair, make-up and sunscreen treats for a fraction of their usual cost, including big name brands such as Trinny London, Nuxe and Hello Sunday.

OK! Beauty Box, know for being one of the UK’s best value beauty subscription services, has just released a limited edition, one-off-purchase Summer Beauty Box containing 12 brilliant products, eight of which as full size. Altogether the products inside are worth over £220 but the box costs £49.99 to buy – a saving of over £170.

This means that if you divide the cost by the number of products inside, every item costs you around £4.16, making it an excellent way to stock up or try out some new things – especially as one of the products inside is worth £40 just on its own.

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Even better, if you’re already an OK! Beauty Box subscriber then you can get the box for £39.99 instead, giving each product a value of around £3.33. If you’re not yet signed up but considering it, you can do so here and get your first monthly beauty box for £8.99 instead of the usual £15.

My personal highlights inside this Summer Beauty Box are the Trinny London bronzer (worth £25 and perfectly compact), Hello Sunday The Take-Out One Invisible Sun Stick SPF30 (just the thing for sun protection touch-ups) and a cute little travel-size bottle of cult classic Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Or Florale.

Here’s exactly what you get for your £50:

• Hello Sunday The Take-Out One Invisible Sun Stick SPF30 with Hyaluronic Acid – 30g full-size, RRP £20
• Gruum Solstråler After Sun Face Oil – 30ml full-size, RRP £15
• Glowcore Gua Sha – full-size, RRP £10.80
• Trinny London Golden Glow Bronzer in the shade Naomi – 4g full-size, RRP £25
• KVD Beauty Tattoo Pencil Liner Waterproof Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in the shade Trooper Black – 0.35g mini, RRP £13
• Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Or Florale – 10ml travel-size, RRP £4.40
• Bondi Sands Tropical Rum Body Moisturiser – 200ml full-size, RRP £5.99
• Bellapierre Cosmetics All Eyes On You Eyeshadow Palette – four shades full-size, RRP £25
• Avant Reconstructing Keratin Complex Ultra Shine Hair Cream – 25ml travel-size, RRP £17
• Mudmasky Glow-Up Cleanser – 60ml full-size, RRP £39.99
• Balance Me Super Firming Body Oil – 30 ml travel-size, RRP £12
• Amphora Aromatics Mint and Dead Sea Salts Deep Cleansing Face Mask – 100ml full-size, RRP £14.40
• Plus a voucher to redeem for four copies of OK! Magazine, RRP £18.40

In my opinion it’s the perfect mix of essentials to see you through summer (a bug tube of body lotion, a glowy face oil, a handbag-friendly SPF stick) plus suitcase-sized treats (the Nuxe body oil, a hair treatment) and perhaps some new things to try out (for example, the gua sha feels lovely and cooling in hot weather).

Like all of these limited-edition boxes with huge savings, however, you haven’t got long to shop it, as they typically sell out quickly – so if you want snap up £220 of these top beauty products for less than £50, now’s the time to do so.

If you’re looking for alternative money-saving beauty boxes, either for yourself or to gift to someone else, Lookfantastic has launched its Summer Heroes Edit, containing the likes of Sol de Janeiro and Caudalie and worth over £150 but yours for £45.

Meanwhile Cult Beauty’s The Set For Sun Edit has a big focus on sun cream, and contains Elemis, Supergoop and The Inkey List; it costs £40 but worth over £175.

TV presenter Lorraine Kelly has been recovering from a ‘purely preventative’ surgery and shared a new health update with her Instagram followers

TV presenter Lorraine Kelly revealed when she’s returning to her morning programme in an update shared after her emergency surgery. The star has been recovering after having her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed in a “purely preventative” surgery, leaving her followers sending their good wishes.

According to the NHS, the bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) operation is a common surgery that takes 40-60 minutes. It can help women with ovarian cysts in the perimenopausal age group manage pain or prevent the onset of ovarian cancer. Almost two weeks after her surgery, Lorraine took to Instagram to confirm her return to work.

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The 65-year-old was pictured relaxing in bed as she was joined by her granddaughter, Billie, who looked delighted to be spending time with Lorraine.

She captioned the sweet post: “Thanks so much for all your get well wishes. Billie providing the best medicine ever with lots of cuddles for her granny. Hopefully back to work on Monday. I’ve missed you #gettingbetter #love #family #granddaughter #angel.”

Friends and fans rushed to the comment section to send their well wishes, with Dr Amir Khan writing: “Both looking gorgeous and glad to see you resting (for once)!”

One fan wrote: “Oh my gosh! Hope you’re feeling as well as you’re looking Lorraine,” and another posted: “Lovely photo and glad Billie is cheering you up. Get well soon Lorraine.”

Earlier this month, Lorraine took to her social media to a personal update with fans. She told followers: “Just wanted to let you know I’m having a wee procedure today. I’ve not been feeling all that well for a little while, so I had some scans and tests, and I have to have my ovaries and my tubes taken out.

“It’s purely preventative. It’s going to be with keyhole surgery, which is incredible. I’m being very well looked after, and I’ll obviously see you really soon, and I’m gonna be totally fine.”

In the caption, she wrote: “Getting keyhole surgery – all preventative – feel very lucky to be treated so well – thank you Dr Raafat and all the staff!”

After a few days, the star told fans she was “recovering well,” as she celebrated a huge milestone for her ITV show.

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, the star penned: “Thanx for all your lovely messages I’m recovering well. So proud of my top team – punching above our weight and bucking the trend. Just heard our ratings are up – we had the highest March for four years. Thanks @vixkennedy and the gang! Always know how to cheer me up.”

Editor of Lorraine’s ITV show, Victoria Kennedy responded: “We miss you and can’t wait to have you back with us soon.”

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Atomic Kitten star Liz McClarnon has announced her pregnancy in a sweet post shared on social media. The star recorded a video of herself sitting on a bench in a gorgeous garden as she announced the exciting news to fans.

Liz, who married her husband Peter Cho in 2023, said in the caption: “I started to record a video of me just telling you but I got too emotional so I thought I’d just hide behind this little announcement instead. I just can’t believe we’re here. So many have been through exactly what I went through and worse. I want to share what I can and add my voice and ears to those who already help others understand or deal with all that comes with ivf and loss after so much hope.”

She continued: “I’ve been a part of some beautifully supportive communities. I’m so grateful. I am so grateful!”

In the video, she sat in a garden soaking up the sunshine. She wrote over the clip: “I’ve been keeping a secret from you… And I’ve mostly kept myself off social media because sometimes it was hard to smile… But after years of sometimes quite painful IVF and quite dark times.”

She then suddenly got up and turned to the side to show off her blossoming baby bump. Liz added: “I’m pregnant!” before rubbing her belly and adding: “We feel like we’ve been given the world!”

Her pals were quick to congratulate her, with Michelle Heaton writing: “So unbelievably happy for you both . I know how the road has been unkind to get here .. but look at u now .. so so happy xx love to all three of u xx.”

Suzanne Shaw posted: “Love you lots,” while one fan commented: “Sending you all the love in the world. You are going to be an amazing ‘fun in a bun’ mum! This has made my day!!! Couldn’t be happier.”

“Happy tears I promise!!! Congratulations, so so happy for you,” another delighted user added. Atomic Kitten’s Natasha Hamilton wrote: “Literally couldn’t be any happier for you both! After all you’ve been through, this little miracle is everything.”

In 2009, Liz opened up about her health struggles after feeling faint on many occasions. As the star sometimes forgot to eat, she initially put it down to her lifestyle, but it turned out to be the early warning signs of a serious gynaecological condition.

At first, it was thought she had an ectopic pregnancy before she underwent emergency surgery. During the operation, it was discovered she wasn’t pregnant.

Her symptoms, including severe cramps, were the result of her fallopian tubes being stuck together.

“Having thought even briefly that I might never be able to have my own children made me realise what agony that would be, and made me want to help people in that situation,” she said at the time.

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If you’re on the hunt for the perfect pair of easy-to-wear trainers to see you through the summer in style, look no further than these anti-sweat, cooling shoes from Skechers that are now on sale

Thanks to this spring sale, shoppers can currently pick up a fashionable, comfortable, and practical pair of slip-on Skecher trainers for under £45. But you’ll need to act fast, as this deal won’t last forever.

Up for grabs from Skechers, those seeking the ideal pair of shoes to carry you through the spring and summer months with ease can pick up a pair of Skecher slip-on trainers for £14 less.

Boasting innovative cooling and anti-sweat technology, these shoes promise to be super easy to throw on and style with any outfit. They also ensure your toes aren’t feeling the heat as we head deeper into the summer.

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Set to help you rediscover the joy of walking without waving goodbye to complete comfort, the Skechers GOwalk Joy boasts an innovative 5gen midsole design, an advanced mesh fabric upper, and an air-cooled Goga Mat insole that work together to provide the most advanced walking experience ever.

The innovative and highly responsive 5gen midsole cushioning ensures every part of your feet can indulge in a pillow-like comfort, whether you’re walking to the shop or heading out for a three-hour hike. Ensuring you don’t come home with aches and pains, these shoes also offer Air Cooled Goga Mat insoles that provide cool cushioning and support that won’t weigh you down or leave your toes sweaty in the summer heat.

With a mesh upper that’s engineered to naturally expand with your foot while you walk, these shoes are the perfect solution for anyone who suffers from swelling feet. The mesh also ensures clear airflow through the shoe while you trek, so you don’t have to worry about overly hot, stuffy shoes on your adventures.

Super lightweight and ensuring a cooling effect without sacrificing comfort, these trainers would normally retail for £55, but are currently up for grabs for the majorly reduced price of £40.99 directly from Skechers.

They are not the only GOWalk Skechers up for grabs with a delectable discount, as these Sensational Day black slip-ons are available for £44.99 down from £60. Or, if you still swear by the white trainers trend, Skechers have you covered with these Bright Summer GOWalk Flex trainers, which are now £47.99 down from £65.

Kim Kardashian has arrived at the Palais De Justice in Paris for the trial where she will testify over the horrifying 2016 robbery that saw her being held at gunpoint by masked men dressed as police officers as millions of dollars worth of jewellery was stolen. A group of pensioners dubbed the ‘grandpa robbers’ by French media are on trial in Paris, charged with stealing the star’s jewellery during Paris Fashion Week in 2016.

Hundreds of extra police and gendarmes were mobilised around the historic Palais de Justice in the centre of the French capital, where the 44-year-old American reality TV star and socialist was due on Tuesday afternoon. She is the lead civil party speaking on behalf of the prosecution in the trial of nine men and one woman who allegedly made up the gang behind the armed attack in 2016.

Kim looked solemn as she arrived at the building wearing a black blazer with pointed shoulder pads and a large diamond necklace. Her hair was tied into a neat bun with bangs cascading down the sides of her face. She also wore diamond earrings for the trial.

She was surrounded by members of her team as she entered the historic building. Armed guards were seen standing around the court on Tuesday afternoon.

In the terrifying robbery, the masked gang, whose ages range from 35 to 78, bound and gagged the SKIMS founder, 44, before stealing £7.5 million of jewellery, including her engagement ring from ex-husband Kanye West.

The jewellery was never recovered.

The court on was told o May 12 Kim was in a state of “serious terror” when the armed robbers burst into her hotel room nine years ago.

Hotel receptionist, Abderrahmane Ouatiki, 48, who was handcuffed and forced at gunpoint to lead two armed robbers to Kim’s hotel room, told the court: “She was terrified, in a state of hysteria.”

Ouatiki told the court Kim began screaming that she was a mother when the gunmen burst into her bedroom. He said: “She was in serious terror; it was unbearable to see a woman in that type of distress.”

The ten suspects, who are aged between 35 and 78, are on trial on May 23. Some are accused of aiding in the organisation of the robbery. Eight of the accused deny any involvement in the terrifying robbery.

The suspects include Aomar Aït Khedache, 69, and the alleged ringleader, who has publicly admitted kidnapping and robbing Ms Kardashian. Another suspect who confessed is named Yunnis Abbas, 72, who wrote a book about the robbery called I Kidnapped Kim Kardashian.

The trial continues.

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