Category Entertainment News

Celebs Go Dating coach Anna Williamson spoke to the Mirror about parenting amid concerns over technology and social media after hosting the Great British Phone Switch

Anna Williamson has opened up her approach to parenting, including revealing some of the rules that are in place within her home. The Celebs Go Dating coach offered advice to other parents whilst discussing her own experience.

The life coach and presenter, 43, has two children with her husband Alex Di Pasquale, 36. The couple, who have now been together for more than a decade, are parents to an eight-year-old son and a five-year-old daughter together.

Anna spoke to the Mirror about her family earlier this week whilst reflecting on the Great British Phone Swap. The Channel 4 show, in partnership with Tesco Mobile, sees parents swap phone habits with their children for 48 hours.

Fronted by Anna and clinical psychologist Dr Martha Deiros Collado, the experiment explores topics including online safety and the use of AI. Each parent and child duo left the experience with a set of goals for their family, such as scheduled time away from devices and weekly check-ins.

Asked her main takeaway, Anna said it was “boundaries” and having “healthy, open communication”. “Boundaries being time when you are not on your phone and I think we found that was really beneficial for all families,” she added.

The show also saw parents introduced to their kids’ lives on platforms like TikTok. Anna said: “When [they] lent into the teenager’s worlds, they were actually less fearful about what was happening because they understood it better.”

Although her own kids aren’t on social media, Anna revealed that her eldest child is now starting to ask when he will be allowed a phone. She shared that even though he doesn’t have one yet, she’s already using parental control on games and apps that he’s interested in on another device.

Concerns over screen time were raised on the Great British Phone Swap and Anna teased that she can relate to the other parents. Asked what the dynamic is like in her family, she told us: “We’re always fighting against screen time in my house but very much we try and lead from example. “

Anna said it’s “very difficult” as a parent because “a lot of our work nowadays is online”. She said that can be tough to convey to kids, who may interpret their parents being on devices as them playing a game or browsing social media.

Although that may sometimes be the case, Anna encourages leading by example. She said in our interview: “The approach of ‘just do it because I said,’ it doesn’t really wash because you’re typically gonna get a child that will rebel. They won’t trust you, they won’t lean in to you, they won’t talk to you and they will just do it anyway. “

Anna said that she tries to make sure that her own devices are away as much as possible between the time that she picks her kids up from school and their bedtime. She then explained: “I might jump on later on and reply to emails and do a lot of my messaging after that. “

She said that as a result when she’s trying to get her kids off their devices they know that she’s “boundaried” with her own. Anna revealed that her kids get an hour of screen time each per day, which they can use when they want.

Anna said their allowance could be used before or after school, through “approved apps” or “things they wanna watch”. She said that her son may choose to use his hour altogether on completing a video game level, for example, rather than taking it in scattered periods over the day.

“It’s teaching your children that they do have a choice but they have a choice within your boundaries,” Anna said. Summarising her approach, she added: “So we try and keep reduced screen time. We do have parental controls. I do keep a very close eye on what my children are watching. “

Anna went on to discuss one participant in the show having suggested that their generation spent time outside, rather than playing on devices, as children. The podcast host however said that it’s the “reality” of the world we live in now.

She said: “I do think that we have to accept where we are. We always evolve, we have to evolve. [… ] I think as we portray in the Great British Phone Switch phones aren’t a bad thing. Tech isn’t a bad thing. But it’s about consuming the right things on it and that’s the important thing here. “

Anna, who said that parents are “always grappling” with issues like screen time and whether to let their children have a phone, told us that she doesn’t support banning technology at home. She said: “What I always say is that banning it completely I don’t believe is a particularly useful or helpful idea in the long run.”

She explained: “Because what you ban, you’re not teaching someone to use it sensibly. The analogy being; you wouldn’t just stick a 17 year old out in a car without giving them driving lessons to teach them how to drive it safely. “

Anna suggested that the same benefits apply to technology. She said: “It’s exactly the same with tech – you need to teach your children how to navigate it. Where the pitfalls are, where the hazards are, where the safe spaces are. “

She added that banning it completely doesn’t give kids the “skills” and the “tools” that they need in the modern world. Anna however suggested that it doesn’t mean children should have no restrictions when it comes to using devices.

“The heavy caveat is to not be consumed by it and to make sure there are other things going on in your life that are face-to-face,” she said. “Making sure that those interpersonal skills are just as acute as their digital skills. “

Anna also shared that she isn’t letting her kids on social media at the moment and opened up about no longer showing their faces on her own Instagram. She recalled making the decision a few years ago when she “became increasingly aware around consent”. She said that although her job in the public eye is a choice that she has made, the same can’t be said for her kids.

“I didn’t want my children to be in a position where they thought I’d made the wrong decision for them,” she said. Anna went on to say: “I’m not shading anyone that does choose to share their children or their families online. I think everyone makes the right choice for them and their family. “

All five episodes of the Great British Phone Swap are available now through Channel 4.

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Devoted wife Sharon Osbourne says the Black Sabbath frontman has even been getting expert coaching so he can give fans his best ever performance when he takes to the stage at Aston Villa tonight

Black Sabbath’s final ever performance will draw more than 45,000 heavy metal fans from around the world to Villa Park to hear frontman Ozzy Osbourne in “perfect” voice tonight.

He may be 76 and suffering from Parkinson’s, but his Back to the Beginning celebration will make history for all the right reasons, insists wife Sharon.

“We are doing it to say goodbye as he feels like ‘I have never said goodbye to my fans. I want to say goodbye properly,’” she tells The Mirror, disclosing that he’s been having singing lessons.

“There won’t be any head banging. Not anymore, but his voice is still absolutely perfect. ”

Still devoted to the star, who she married 43 years ago this week, Sharon, 72. adds: “Even if you don’t like his music you can’t not like Ozzy – he just draws you in. “

Her husband’s manager since 1979, Sharon met Ozzy – who will continue recording, although he won’t perform again live – in 1970 when he walked into the music management offices of her father, the late impresario Don Arden.

Just 18 then and manning the telephone switchboard for Don, who looked after American greats Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis, Sharon, 72, remembers their meeting as if it was yesterday.

“When I first met Ozzy he was in pyjama tops, open toe sandals and a tap around his neck as jewellery,” she laughs. “We have been together for over 50 years. I have stuck by him because I love him. It is simple. I understand him and why he does the things he does.

“I have always felt I could not do it without his talent and I always feel I am on his coat tails. So it takes two. The combination has worked and still does.

“I know him so well. It takes years and years to know someone, so I know him inside out, backwards and the same he does with me. “

Despite his hellraising image, Sharon says Ozzy was hopeless as a young star when it came to sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll.

A former petty thief, from working class roots in Aston, Birmingham, aged 17, Ozzy was jailed for two months after breaking into a clothes shop and stealing women’s stockings.

Music saved him from crime, but Sharon recalls: “Ozzy got fired from Black Sabbath for doing drugs. They were all doing them, but he could not handle them. He would be on the floor peeing himself and the others would still be having a great time. He could never handle it.

“Once they were in a city, let’s say Detroit, they were in this hotel and they were all very tired. The tour manager gave them the keys to the room and Ozzy goes to the room and wakes up at 6pm and he is like ‘Oh the gig, I have got to get there,’ but he did not know where it was and he could not get through to anybody.

“He had slept the entire day through and they could not find him. He had gone into somebody else’s room. The door was open and he went in. “

Caring for Ozzy, who also sustained terrible injuries, including a broken neck vertebra, broken collarbone and six broken ribs in a 2003 quad bike accident at his Buckinghamshire property, is now a full-time job for Sharon.

She says: “It is very hard for him since he had his accident. He has had seven operations in five years and major operations.

“When he had his first operation they had him on like 64 pills a day, different things he needed. I remember I went in there one day and he said ‘Hi darling. How are you? You have just missed Elvis Presley.’ I was like ‘really?’ and he said ‘yeah, we had a great talk. He is doing great. We had this whole conversation’.

“It was because he was on so many different painkillers. It was just horrendous and we decided he can never handle his own medication. “

Also supporting him with his health issues are daughters Aimee, 41, Kelly, 40, and son Jack, 39, as well as an Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor, who has been by his side since the star quit booze more than 11 years ago.

Sharon says: “Ozzy has still got his sponsor Billy and my son is sober. We have never had alcohol in the house. My son has been clean and sober 20 years now. “

Ozzy’s crazy days of binge drink and drug taking, which famously threatened his marriage to Sharon in September 1989 when he one night attempted to strangle her, are now a distant memory.

Recalling the attack, Sharon says: “I remember everything about that. It is like tattooed in my brain. He was on a roll with the drugs and the booze and all week he had been a bit violent, fiery. I always knew. The pestle and mortar in the kitchen, he was using it in the kitchen to grind up pills, all different types.

“He used to hide his drink in the oven as he knew I would never find it. I knew that day it was building. That night he was upstairs and I was downstairs and suddenly he came down with just his undies on.

“He goes ‘We have got something to tell you? ’ I was like ‘we? ’ and he said ‘we have decided. I am going to have to kill you’. I was like ‘alrighty then’ and it was like whoosh. He got me on the ground and was strangling me.

“On the coffee table we had an alarm and it went straight to the cops and it would ring really loud. I had it extra loud, as we were living in the country and often I was on my own, as there was nobody around. So I pressed the alarm and within two minutes the cops came.

“I blacked out. All I kept thinking about was the kids. They handcuffed him and it is the usual alcoholic thing ‘she is this… and that’. When they took him away I had this weight lifted off me.

“He got himself a lawyer and he said he would go into rehab for six months and the judge said he had to stay there for six months. It terrified me and the kids. “

Despite the attack, Sharon helped Ozzy battle his demons, saying: “I had nothing in my name, so if I wanted a divorce I would have nothing.

“He then started to write long letters and I missed him. No matter what, I loved him, so what am I gonna do? When he came back he had been six months without booze or drugs, so he was very quiet and sheepish. “

As well as the attack, Ozzy has, reportedly, had multiple affairs over the years with various women, including a Russian teenager, and an English masseuse and cook who worked for the family. But the couple have always reconciled.

And Sharon says Ozzy missed her life mad when work took her away from their LA base for stints on shows like The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent. “He hates living on his own,” she says.

Explaining his dalliances, she adds: “When he is on tour he is in a hotel room on his own. And you don’t have to go out looking when you are a rock star, it (temptation) is everywhere. “

Glad that she made X Factor, judging alongside Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh, Sharon says our “be kind era” means it would be impossible to make it today, as it would be dubbed cruel.

She agrees with current thinking that you should protect vulnerable stars, but adds: “When somebody comes in dressed as a jockey and says they are going to sing Madonna, well that is different. “

She is glad she and Ozzy pulled the plug on their own MTV series, The Osbournes, back in 2005, saying the rise of the reality TV genre was damaging their children.

“We stopped doing it because of the kids. They were earning too much money and they got too much attention and they were living a life which was basic bullshit,” says Sharon.

“It was parties here and parties there. They were flown all around the world. They were too young and it was bullshit. They went from a school in Buckinghamshire in their uniforms to Los Angeles and they could get into any club they wanted. They were too young, but they would let them in because of who they were. Fame and money is very hard to handle. “

The Osbournes was pivotal to other celebrities wanting to make their own ‘at home with’ series.

But Sharon insists she doesn’t envy the Kardashians, who reportedly made $100 million per season for their series, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, which ended in 2021.

She says of their show: “You can t say it is about a normal family, as it is all about fashion and sex. I have never watched a full episode. ”

Glad to have had such a colourful life, Sharon is also very aware of how precious her time with Ozzy now is.

She says: “Time is the most precious thing we have. You can’t buy time. The days drip by, but the years fly by and suddenly you wake up and you are old. But I like getting old, as I feel I have got wisdom. “

And has she ever had eyes for anyone other than the Black Sabbath legend? “I would say George Michael if he was straight,” she laughs. “I mean, everyone loved George. “

• Earth: The Legendary Lost Tapes, released on July 25, contains tracks by Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward recorded at Zella Studios in Birmingham in 1969.

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Alison Hammond’s son Aidan has revealed that as a child he would seek solace at his grandmother’s house which was across the road every time his mum annoyed him

Alison Hammond is best known for her bubbly personality while presenting This Morning along with Dermot O’Leary. However, according to her son and Celebrity Gogglebox co-star Aidan, the TV presenter wasn’t always a delight to live with.

Alison, 50, who soared to fame following her memorable stint on Big Brother back in 2002, made her Celebrity Gogglebox debut last night, critiquing TV shows with her rarely seen sister Saundra and her 20 year old son. Giving fans a more intimate account of his mother while growing up, Aidan revealed that he used to run away from home and stay with his grandmother, who lived across the road.

And this would happen on a regular basis every time he and Alison failed to agree on certain things. Speaking on the Spin Justice podcast, Aidan said: “When we were in the flat, she (his grandmother) had a house pretty much opposite us, so we could literally leave and run across the road. “

He added: “So when my mum was doing my head in, I’d just go to my nan’s. “

Before Alison’s mother Maria sadly passed away five years ago, the trio enjoyed an incredibly special bond. Aidan described their relationship as “very, very close”.

Despite his youthful age, Aidan is no stranger to the world of TV after appearing on a number of quiz shows with his mum and starring in their very own travel show, Florida Unpacked which aired on BBC Two.

He then went on to say: “She’s passed away now, but we were very close all the time – me, my mum and my nan – and that was kind of the little trio. “

Alison will sit along side her sister and son for their debut on the popular TV show, mugs in hand ready to analyse TV shows watched by the nation.

Speaking about sharing the moment with another family member apart from her son, Alison chimed in: “I’m so excited to be doing Celebrity Gogglebox with my son Aidan. “

She said: “We’ve always loved watching telly together, and now we get to do it on the sofa for the nation! It’s a real family affair too, because my fabulous sister Saundra is getting involved as well. “

The Great British Bake Off presenter then went on to say: “Expect laughs, eye-rolls, and lots of commentary, classic Hammond style!”

Alison and her family with join the cast of the new series for the charity Stand Up To Cancer.

A TV source reportedly told The Sun: “Producers were impressed by the dynamic between Aidan and his mum on their new travel show, so wanted a piece of it for Celebrity Gogglebox. “

They added: “They’re always looking for new duos to appear on the programme to keep it constantly feeling fresh, and, of course, fronting the Great British Bake Off means she’s already part of the C4 family. “

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Anais Gallagher’s dad, Noel Gallagher and his younger brother, Liam, performed on stage for the first time together in 16 years last night at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium

Noel Gallagher’s daughter, Anais, has given a five-word review of her dad’s epic Oasis reunion gig, which brought the house down in Cardiff last night. Liam Gallagher, 52, and his older brother, Noel, 58, performed on stage together for the first time in 16 years in the Welsh capital and didn’t disappoint their legion of loyal fans, who were lucky enough to have bagged a ticket.

Among them was proud daughter Anais, who shared a snap of herself, holding a pint, sporting an Oasis shirt as she watched her dad and uncle perform on stage. Giving a review of the special night, Anais, 25, captioned the snap: “It’s good to be back. “

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Responding to her post, many fans agreed as one replied, saying: “It was amazing, epic, hope you enjoyed it” while another simply declared: “EPIC! “

Anais’ mum Meg Mathews, who was married to Noel from 1997 until 2001, was also in the audience – but was seen walking out of the reunion gig ahead of the band playing Wonderwall. The song may be a difficult listen to Meg, who Noel originally claimed inspired the song.

A string of famous faces were spotted in the crowd as Oasis reunited in a comeback tour, which has been on the top of fans’ wish lists for more than a decade.

The band were seen walking onto the stage with their song ‘F**king in the Bushes’ before they then started belting out ‘Hello’. The crowd welcomed them with cheers at the sold out gig, which kicks off a global tour for the Don’t Look Back In Anger stars.

In the audience was the likes of EastEnders star Danny Dyer as well as Line Of Duty actress Vicky McClure. Vernon Kay also posed for pictures outside the Principality Stadium.

“Hey, beautiful people, it’s been too long,” Liam told the giddy crowd, which also included the likes of Glastonbury founder, Emily Eavis.

Liam thanked the 70,000 fans who attended Oasis’ first reunion gig in Cardiff for ‘putting up with them over the years’. The singer and his brother Noel have exchanged a bitter war of words for 16 years, with fans giving up on the idea that Oasis would reunite for another tour.

However, they shocked the world when they announced last year that they would be embarking on an epic global tour. Cardiff was blessed with the very first gig on Friday night, with the brothers holding hands and raising them to the sky as they walked out onto the stage.

The likes of Champagne Supernova, Supersonic and Slide Away were performed, with Noel pausing for a few bars while singing Half The World Away to take in the sensational scenes in front of him.

After Oasis the stage at the end of the night, fans stomped and cheered as they demanded an encore.

The band then returned to sing The Masterplan, Don’t Look Back In Anger and Wonderwall before Liam thanked fans for supporting them.

Still reeling from the last two and half hours on stage, he said: “Thank you, beautiful people. This is it. Nice one for putting up with us over the years. We are hard work, we get it. “

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Amazon has slashed the price of Olay’s anti-ageing moisturiser by 63% in an early Prime Day deal and shoppers say it’s ‘better than high end brands’

Amazon Prime Day is on the horizon, and in the lead up the online retailer has been slashing prices on hundreds of products. And one that caught our attention was the amazing discount on Olay’s Regenerist Whip Moisturiser.

Originally priced at £38, this hydrating face cream is now £14 – that’s a huge 63% discount. Whipped face products have been a popular beauty trend over the past few years, with products like Drunk Elephant’s Lala Retro Whipped Cream and Bondi Sands’ Daydream Whipped Moisturiser around.

So what exactly is a whipped moisturiser? It’s a cream that’s been whipped up to incorporate air, resulting in an ultra-lightweight, fluffy consistency.

And that’s exactly the texture of Olay’s highly rated moisturiser. This anti-wrinkle cream features 99% pure Niacinamide, which helps to promote skin cell renewal and anti-ageing peptides that are proven to reduce fine lines and wrinkles.

On top of this, the cream features SPF 30 making it the ideal base for the summertime.

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Shoppers can’t get enough of this cream praising its non-greasy feel, lightweight texture and hydrating results that feel comparable to luxury brands.

One reviewer wrote: “I have always used various Olay products all my adult life and I’m in my 60s. Have tried other brands but always come back to Olay This particular one is very creamy but sinks into the skin quickly and feels light I apply it in the morning and my skin feels moisturised all day. It has a touch of luxury when using it and lasts well”

A second added: “As an older person I have used Olay products for years (since called Ullay) and found them to be value for money especially with spf. I steered away from spending the extra on this but when my skin was looking sallow and make up didn’t sit well I decided to give it a go I was nor expecting miracles (I am almost 70! ). I saw a difference after a couple of uses my skin felt tighter and hydrated giving back a dewyness. ”

The main criticism came from shoppers who think the product is too expensive for the amount you receive. A shopper said: “Bit pricey considering it is whip, meaning there is slightly less actual product than original. ”

Bob Vylan were dropped from the festival due to their controversial Glastonbury set which criticised the BBC

Two bands are boycotting Radar festival after Bob Vylan were sacked from the line-up. The band were removed from the list of performers following their controversial gig at Glastonbury last week.

They were dropped as headliners for the Manchester event after starting chants of “free, free Palestine” and “death, death to the IDF [Israel Defence Forces]” during their controversial Glastonbury performance last weekend. They also projected a message onto the screen behind them which said: “Free Palestine – United Nations have called it a genocide – the BBC calls it a ‘conflict’.”

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Bob Vylan have been dropped from shows in Germany and France as a result, with their set currently being assessed by police. Bob Vylan’s agent United Talent Agency have dropped them and they have also had their US visas revoked.

Radar organiser Catherine Jackson-Smith told NME that the festival did not want to remove Bob Vylan from the line-up. However, she said they felt pressured so then the event could still go ahead.

Two other acts have now dropped out of the festival due to Bob Vylan being axed. The Scratch shared a statement with their fans as they announced they were withdrawing from Radar.

They said they wanted to show “solidarity” with other artists. They wrote: “The censorship and de-platforming of artists speaking out against the ongoing genocide in Gaza is greasy, dangerous and must be challenged.

“To be clear, this decision is not a criticism of Radar Festival. We understand it was an incredibly difficult and complex situation. This is about showing solidarity with Bob Vylan and any artist who may face similar treatment in the future.

“Shadowy government influence and wealthy lobbying groups should not be allowed to dictate who is given a platform and what can be said on it. This situation will only worsen unless we, as artists, support one another and take action. “

GENN shared their own statement as they also said they wouldn’t be playing at Radar. They said: “As a minority on pretty much every line-up, and with a relatively modest platform, we considered whether we could use our physical presence to speak against the bullying, censorship, and strong-arming demonstrated towards the likes of both Bob Vylan and Radar.

“For our safety and sanity, we’ve made the final decision to pull out from performing at Radar this weekend. We are devastated to do so after the time, money, and excitement we put towards this performance and can only apologise to anyone who was going to be there to see us.

“Our fight should not be focused on the policing of those who are trying to spread awareness within their means. This is a distraction from a wider picture. Pressure needs to be placed on those who are instigating the censorship of a genocide happening in real time. “

Bob Vylan have since defended their performance at Glastonbury. They have said that they are “not for the death of Jews, Arabs or any other race of group of pepole” and that they are wanting the “dismantling of a violent military machine”.