Category Entertainment News

American singer Monica Martin was left stuck in the UK after experiencing issues with her sight recently, with her supported by actor Jameela Jamil and musician James Blake

Singer-songwriter Monica Martin has described her experience with sight loss as “disorienting and scary”. She opened up about her health just days ago and revealed at the time that she was stuck the UK as a result of the situation.

Monica, who is based in the US, shared that she had ended up in hospital after an “ocular migraine slowly turned into” her left eye “going blind”. She’s said to have been supported by actor Jameela Jamil, 39, and musician James Blake, 36, in A&E whilst in London ahead of a concert last month.

She said on Instagram last week that it had “been one of the scariest times”. Monica announced in the same post that she wouldn’t be able to open for the band Lake Street Dive at the Troubadour back in Los Angeles on June 25.

Monica, who has collaborated on music with the likes of Ben Barnes in recent years, shared a series of photos in the post, including of her sporting an eye patch. One showed her beside couple Jameela and James in a waiting room.

She wrote in her post last Wednesday: “UPDATE: NOT OPENING FOR LAKE STREET DIVE TONIGHT! What I thought was just an intense and painful ocular migraine slowly turned into my left eye going blind, I was advised to not fly home. So alas, I can’t open for the best people/ friends/musicians tonight for a sold out benefit at troubadour which blows a**.

“It’s now been 15 days both colorblind and a black hazy cellophane type feel on the left side and ANYWAY it’s been very disorienting and scary. Most of my little health woes are from me being clumsy as hell and snapping something: an ankle in softball, an ankle from dumb shoes, an ankle from giving a piggyback ride to a much larger person as a display of strength. My ankles are toast btw. This is why I don’t like writing captions omg long ting brev; thank you for letting me be myself.”

Monica continued in her post: “Been one of the scariest times but my best friends are taking care of me and also are hilarious and also after MUCH ADO have met an angel ophthalmologist, Dr.Shaman Dolly, god forbid you ever need to find him, London, I must let you know his name.”

The singer, who performed with James at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall on June 20, added: “London show; you were all so sweet and caring to me when and I lost it and wept on stage smdh, [Jameela] came to the stage and literally turned herself into a weighted blanket and held me and told me it’s gonna be ok. No thanks to lexapro btw.”

She added: “I’m on the way to get an MRI in an uber and unsure why no one likes using their car fan in uk/eu. and I’ve gotten ct scans and bloodwork and yada yada literally 7 trips to hospitals now. Anyway. I’m incredibly lucky.

“My heart is heavy waiting on a prognosis, but my a** is heavier, and my resilience is alarming actually, and the lore disrespectfully deepens, and I’m getting the sense more people want to smash when I’m wearing my eyepatch- or, I’m pulling it off. Thank you, London.”

She then thanked pals Jameela and James for getting her “sweets and savouries”. Monica also expressed gratitude to Lake Street Dive for “being the best cuties,” adding that she was being replaced by the band Dawes. She said: “So I’m double p***ed bc I want to see this show real fuggin bad ok bye pulling up to get SCANNED.”

Jameela was among those who reacted to the post last week. Teasing over their experience, the Good Place star wrote in the comments section of her pal Monica’s post: “What a glamorous day in A and E. Snacks were 10/10 tho.”

Monica has yet to post an update on her health on her Instagram grid. Just four days ago though, she was seen sporting an eye patch whilst singing alongside Citizen Papes in a video shared on the platform by the latter artist.

In this Wednesday’s Mirror Daily Digest, we’ve rounded up the day’s top stories you might have missed – from an opinion piece on the Wimbledon heat to Princess Kate’s first public appearance since she pulled out of Royal Ascot

Welcome to the Mirror’s Daily Digest, where we’ll be pulling together all the best stories of the day from our News, Royal, Sport teams and more. This Wednesday, we’re featuring everything from an opinion piece on Wimbledon’s sweltering temperatures through to the Princess of Wales’ appearance at a cancer wellbeing centre.

We’ve also got the results of the Mirror’s Brexit survey, which came on the ninth anniversary of the day the UK voted to leave the EU, and the ‘leaked’ Oasis setlist ahead of their first live show on Friday.

‘ I’ve covered Wimbledon for 10 years but never experienced anything like this ‘

It’s officially Wimbledon season, and the Mirror’s Matthew Young braved the soaring temperatures to see the action in SW19. It comes as crowds struggle to cope in the swelting conditions, with one person fainting on the famous grounds.

Matthew checked out just how uncomfortable it was to watch a match under the sun, as he wrote: “Walking from the shadows and up the steps into Court Two felt like entering a sauna, as I settled down to attempt to follow Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti and Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili battle it out under the scorching sun.

” Along with the smell of suncream, hundreds of hats, wafting fans and lines of umbrellas were the only repellants as crowds watched the pair somehow run around in the baking sunshine. “

“I have covered Wimbledon for the past 10 years and can barely recall it being this hot. Its hottest day in history was 35.7C on July 1 2015. The Met Office said at 2.10pm that Kew Gardens recorded a temperature of 34.2C degrees,” Matthew added.

Read the full story here.

Oasis reunion setlist ‘ leaked ‘ in full as band leave out one major hit

Liam and Noel Gallagher will finally reunite on stage at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Friday – and the highly-anticipated setlist has reportedly been ‘leaked’. The legendary brothers will take to the stage for the first time in over a decade, marking the start of their sell-out tour.

Oasis have already arrived in Cardiff to put together the finishing touches and fans close by say they have heard the setlist in full. Earlier in the week, those close to the stadium heard Cigarettes and Alcohol blasting out of the stadium.

They were also treated to hits Some Might Say and F****n’ In The Bushes. According to one fan on Reddit, Oasis are set to play a lengthy 24 song setlist.

The user revealed the rehearsal setlist, which can give fans a clue as to what may appear at the live shows. They claimed the setlist kicks off with an intro of F****n ‘ in the Bushes then Hello, Acquiesce, Morning Glory followed by Some Might Say.

Read the full story here.

‘ I gambled my student loan on video games – it didn’t turn out how I expected ‘

In other news, a 23-year-old university student has opened up about their harrowing journey with an online gambling addiction, which began with playing video games as a 12-year-old.

Niks Kolosnicins was thousands of pounds in debt, severely isolated and trapped in a vicious addictive cycle of online gambling. He said it started off with something many kids and teens engage in every day. “I got into gambling through playing video games.

“Basically you have things called loot boxes”, he continues, “which are quite integrated within the game. So I opened a few loot boxes, which is very normal for kids who play that game, everybody does it”.

He was then able to use those items that he bought in blind boxes to sell on an online market and gamble on unregulated websites that “don’t have any age verification”. He explains: “Even though it’s not real money, technically, it’s like an in game currency that you’re basically gambling, but it’s very easy to convert those items back into real money”.

Read the full story here.

Brexit a ‘ disaster ‘ that ‘ ruined the country ‘ – referendum ‘ should be repeated ‘

Mirror readers have slammed Brexit as a ‘complete disaster’ that ‘ruined most of the country’ in a poll marking nine years since the UK voted to leave the EU. The vote – which signalled the UK’s intention to leave the European Union – ultimately ended a 47-year relationship with the political and economic bloc.

We asked readers to give their opinions on Brexit, with over 25, 000 people voting in the poll. In response to the question ‘ do you think Brexit has failed? ‘, an overwhelming 71% (18, 565) voted yes, slamming the referendum as a ‘ disaster’, while just 29% (7, 520) voted no.

Similarly, in response to the question ‘ do you feel better off since Brexit? ‘, 78% (20, 072) said no, while just 22% (20, 072) said yes. We also asked ‘ should there be a second Brexit referendum? ‘ and ‘ would you like to rejoin the EU? ‘ – responses in both sections backed yes, with 66% (17, 129) and 68% (17, 572) respectively.

Read the full story here.

Kate admits ‘ everyone expects you to be better ‘ in brave cancer admission

The Princess of Wales has made her first public appearance since she pulled out of Royal Ascot, where she opened up about finishing cancer treatment. Kate met fellow patients at a cancer wellbeing centre at Colchester Hospital, helping to plant roses in a garden designed to help visitors find peace.

She talked about the expectation that when treatment has finished that patients “crack on, get back to normal”. Speaking to patients and volunteers inside the centre, she said: “There is a whole phase when you finish your treatment, everybody expects you to be better – go! But that’s not the case at all”.

She said: “You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment. Treatment’s done, then it’s like ‘ I can crack on, get back to normal ‘ but actually the phase afterwards is really difficult. You’re not necessarily under the clinical team any longer but you’re not able to function normally at home as you perhaps once used to”.

Read the full story here.

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Fans of the BBC soap EastEnders were left doing a double take after spotting one particular Walford favourite making an unexpected TV appearance in another drama

EastEnders fans have been left stunned after iconic character Elaine Peacock was spotted appearing in rival ITV drama.

Fans were left doing a double take after spotting a Walford favourite in an unexpected TV appearance. Harriet Thorpe, 68 best known as feisty landlady Elaine Peacock, surprised viewers when she popped up in a repeat episode of Midsomer Murders.

The 2021 cameo didn’t go unnoticed, with one eagle-eyed fan writing on Reddit: “Elaine in Midsomer Murders,” alongside a snap of the actress rocking a floral kaftan and colourful necklace, in a similar flamboyant style as the Queen Vic’s landlady Elaine. Another joked: “It seems she has a consistent costume department.”

While Thorpe only joined EastEnders in 2023, she’s no stranger to screens, having starred in Absolutely Fabulous, Calendar Girls, The Brittas Empire and twice in Midsomer Murders. She first appeared in 2006 episode titled Dance with the Dead before returning for 2021’s The Stitcher Society.

And Harriet’s not the only EastEnders favourite have overlapped from Albert Square for another televised drama.

Lacey Turner, aka Stacey Slater, also made a chilling appearance in Bedlam, while Shaun Dooley – who popped up in EastEnders back in the day as Tom Stuart – has since been spotted in everything from Silent Witness to Broadchurch.

Even Jake Wood, best known as scheming Max Branning, has dabbled in dark dramas, once appearing in an episode of The Bill before his soap days took off. While the actor who plays Max’s brother Jack Branning, Scott Maslen, had a long stint in The Bill before heading over to Walford.

But, back in the square Elaine is centre of the programme after breaking off with her ex, George last week after she admitted to sleeping with another man after spotting George with his ex-wife Cindy Beale – which sent her into a downward spiral.

In the wake of her divorce, which is quickly turning bitter, Elaine collapsed twice on the show which later followed to her spending time in the hospital when she found out she had suffered a heart attack – which left her agreeing to sell the pub with Linda. Elaine’s passionate marriage to George only lasted a year.

Just last year, Elaine and George had made headlines when exclusive snaps of the couple’s nuptials were released. The lavish wedding scene saw a large chunk of the EastEnders cast descend on a church in Bushey, near the studios, to film what was dubbed the soap wedding of the year.

Elaine dazzled in a gold gown while George wore a sand-coloured suit to match his best man Johnny Carter. Anna and Gina Knight, played by Francesca Henry and Molly Rainford, were spotted in dark green bridesmaid dresses and their on-screen mum Cindy Beale, aka Michelle Collins, also turned up in full funeral black alongside Ian Beale legend Adam Woodyatt.

A source at the time said: “The BBC have clearly pushed the boat out for the wedding. These days it’s unheard of for even the big soap weddings to have large amounts of the cast filming on location but bosses have made it work.”

EastEnders actress Heather Peace has opened up about her breast cancer battle, gruelling chemotherapy and how she found the strength to work throughout it

EastEnders star Heather Peace says hearing she had breast cancer “hit her like a sledgehammer” as she reveals both she and her wife have been battling the disease. Last month, the actress announced she’d undergone surgery and was going through chemotherapy since her diagnosis in October.

Now, as she’s about to start radiotherapy, Heather tells how partner Ellie Dickinson had got the same news earlier in the year. “Her breast cancer was a smaller, aggressive lump, so she had a lumpectomy and then radiotherapy,” explained Heather, who plays Eve Panesar-Unwin in the BBC soap. “Of course then I come along with my 12 cm lump, absolutely ginormous, and mastectomy, chemotherapy, just about to go into radiotherapy. She’s like ‘Even that you have to do bigger’. It’s like ‘Hold my beer’.”

READ MORE: EastEnders’ Ash Panesar’s return ‘sealed’ – and it’s bad news for Suki and Eve’s marriage

Parents to Annie, 10, and eight-year-old twins Jesse and Lola, the news was devastating to the pair. “There was no processing”, admits Heather.

Finding her own lump after noticing a change in her nipple, Heather admits she tried putting off getting checked because of her EastEnders filming schedule. Encouraged by wife Ellie to go straight away, they were shocked to discover Heather had breast cancer within just three hours of seeing a doctor.

“I swear everybody looked at me, it might be my imagination, but I felt like a dead woman walking”, admitted Heather. “I honestly did because it was so big and so quick that they told us and the seriousness and gravity with which I was told”.

It came just as Heather was about to begin filming big New Year scenes which saw Eve marry Suki Panesar (played by Balvinder Sopal) in a historic lesbian wedding. Still reeling from the news, Heather called her bosses to tell them, who told her she didn’t need to come in. But Heather was determined to film the scenes, to give a “full stop” to the story, fearing she would die.

Enduring a gruelling three week wait for her CT scans results, she said was “the scariest of her entire life” and all she could think about was dying and leaving her young family behind. “I looked at everything I’d done, everybody in my life – my kids, my wife, equal marriage coming in, crazy amounts of stuff – and I felt my goodness, I’ve really packed it in and it’s ok. And actually I’m a bit tired. Those were my honest thoughts. My only concern was breaking anybody else’s heart. I can tell you from the bottom of my heart that was the only thing that bothered me”.

Bradford-born Heather, who previously appeared in London’s Burning and Waterloo Road breathed a sigh of relief when scans showed her cancer hadn’t spread but she would have to undergo major surgery and aggressive chemotherapy. On November 29 she had a left breast mastectomy and immediate reconstruction. After doubts about having an implant put in – Heather says she’s delighted with the results and praised her surgeon for being an “artist”.

“The idea of an implant just gave me the ick”, explained Heather. “You have the option to use your own body material but that can’t happen for a year and it involves incisions in your stomach, bottom. Much bigger operation. Then they bring out the implants and you’re feeling these things. It was Ellie who said ‘ I know for you that you wouldn’t cope without a breast as such. ‘” So they said if you don’t get on with it we can take it out but I have got on with it. The level of care in the aesthetic, knowing how that can affect a woman mentally. I didn’t realise how much that part of me meant. “

Back in her swimming costume able to take the kids to the pool again, Heather says that was a big moment”. I got in the changing rooms which were communal, I hadn’t considered the breast, doing that in a communal area was a really big move for me, “she said”. You couldn’t tell in a swimming costume. “

She says the hardest change to her appearance has been the hair loss”. The has devastated me actually, “she admitted”. I’m very self conscious at the moment. When you lose your eyelashes and your eyebrows. “

In her announcement last month, Heather was seen trying on a wig in her EastEnders changing room. The video was filmed in February as she underwent intense chemo. Traveling from her home in Brighton to Elstree in Hertfordshire, she continued to film at least two days a week throughout the treatment, determined to keep working, but admitting she could be “shaky”.

She praised the team for their support throughout. “Everyone knew,” Heather told Gaby Roslin on her Reasons To Be Joyful podcast. “I put out a post on our little group WhatsApp and I just felt absolutely enveloped and protected and looked after.”

Having just finished her chemotherapy and about to start on radiotherapy, Heather is looking ahead to a future she thought might be snatched away”. I need to live for the day, “she vows”. We’ve got our three kids. We’re going away on a holiday for two weeks. They’re at that golden age. The twins Jesse and Lola are eight, Annie is 10. The five of us are going away. We’re going on holiday for two weeks and that’s been the thing that I’ve held on to since February, through this whole chemo journey. I just want to enjoy them and try and savour every second. “

Heather says she couldn’t have got through it without Ellie – and says the turmoil has brought them even closer together”. This journey with Ellie, I feel proud of myself, I feel proud of our marriage, it’s the strongest it’s ever been because we can actually do the for sickness and in health, for richer for poorer, “said Heather”. We’ve been able to show up for each other. That bond is so much deeper than the romance from 15 years ago. Marriage is great. You know when you hit another level, there’s something special in that. “

Having turned 50 two weeks ago, there will be no big party – instead Heather will be heading off on a music writing retreat once she’s finished her three-week radiotherapy”. I have changed for the better, “she smiles”. It’s about investing time in the people that really matter in my life. “

Listen to the full interview on Gaby Roslin’s Reasons to be Cheerful podcast.

50 Cent and Aubrey O’Day were among the celebrities sharing their reaction to the news Sean ‘P Diddy’ Combs has been found not guilty of sex trafficking and racketeering

Famous faces have joined the public in sharing their shock at Sean ‘P Diddy’ Combs being found not guilty of sex trafficking and racketeering. The rapper, 55, dropped to his knees in court as a jury of eight men and four women acquitted him of the two most serious counts against him today (Wednesday, July 2).

The Bad Boy Records founder was found guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution, relating to ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura and a woman referred to as Jane. During the two month trial, the court heard how Combs had flown people around the country, including his girlfriends and paid male sex workers, to engage in sexual encounters, a felony violation of the federal Mann Act.

However, Combs has now been acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges, relating to allegations that he forced his former girlfriends into drug-fuelled sex encounters – known as ‘Freak-Offs.’

And following the announcement, celebrities took to social media to let their feelings be known. Among them was singer Aubrey O’Day. Taking to her Instagram Stories, she shared a clip of reports of the verdict.

She captioned the post: “Wow. ” And she could be heard saying: “Oh my God. Not guilty on Cassie. Not guilty on Rico. No way is Jane going to be guilty. This makes me physically ill. “

50 Cent also shared an image of himself, created using AI, as he wrote: “Diddy beat the Feds that boy a bad man ! beat the Rico, he the Gay John Gotti. “

Piers Morgan also typed: “Wow… . ” as he reshared the verdict on Twitter/X. He had earlier penned: “Diddy’s going down. Just a question now of how many convictions he gets, and how long a sentence…

The reactions come as Cassie also spoke out after the verdict. Her lawyer issued a statement saying: “This entire criminal process started when our client Cassie Ventura had the courage to file her civil complaint in November 2023.

“Although the jury did not find Combs guilty of sex trafficking Cassie beyond a reasonable doubt, she paved the way for a jury to find him guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution.

“By coming forward with her experience, Cassie has left an indelible mark on both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice.

“We must repeat – with no reservation – that we believe and support our client who showed exemplary courage throughout this trial.

“She displayed unquestionable strength and brought attention to the realities of powerful men in our orbit and the misconduct that has persisted for decades without repercussion. This case proved that change is long overdue, and we will continue to fight on behalf of survivors. ”

For anyone struggling with blemishes, breakouts of clogged pores, this new serum has shown impressive results in as little as just a few days, with no unwanted side effects

Spots can be tricky to treat; you need effective ingredients and formulas, but you don’t want to irritate skin that’s already angry and inflamed even further. Luckily, one of our most tried-and-trusted skincare brands has just launched a new serum that delivers impressive results – and quickly.

Murad – a brand known for its thorough clinical studies on its products – has just launched its new Biome Balancing Clear & Prevent Blemish Treatment Serum, priced at £45. This new formula cleverly works with your skin’s natural microbiome to help to clear blemishes as well as preventing future breakouts.

In Murad’s tests, this serum was shown to help clear the skin in just three days, and reduce active breakouts, and improve skin health and clarity, without any unwanted side effects such as irritation, peeling or flaking.

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This Blemish Treatment Serum has also already got lots of rave reviews from customers too, with several going as far as to call it “game changing”:

“I love the serum because I have oily, acne-prone skin, and it really helped calm my breakouts without causing any dryness or irritation,” one person wrote. “Instead of leaving my skin feeling tight or over-treated like some acne products do, it actually made my skin feel soft, balanced, and healthy. It’s rare to find something that works this well without being harsh, and I genuinely feel more confident in my skin since using it. “

“This serum is great, it helped so much with stubborn acne that I had on my chin,” wrote another.

“I have oily skin but dry where I break out my skin is red and flaky. I have been using this twice a day for 4 days now and my skin is almost healed,” a third five-star review reads. “I’m actually shocked at how much it’s helped. Blemishes I’ve been trying to heal for 2 weeks are almost gone. I will be repurchasing when I’m out! “

While there aren’t many cons written about the product yet, the one thing that might put shoppers off is the price. While £45 is cheaper than a lot of Murad products, and comparable with brands such as Medik8 and Elemis, if you are looking for something that costs a little less, 47 Skin Serum costs £29 from Boots and has thousands of positive reviews online.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+M moisturiser is another excellent option for effectively yet gently controlling blemishes, and is currently reduced from £20. 90 to £16. 72.