The Only Way Is Essex star Chloe Meadows has recalled the time she was rushed to hospital from filming after ignoring some worrying symptoms
The Only Way Is Essex star opened up about her health(Image: Grab)
The Only Way Is Essex star Chloe Meadows has shared how she was rushed to hospital after ignoring some worrying health symptoms. Chloe has had a chronic inflammatory bowel condition for a decade but she avoided going to the doctors.
She had had some tests at the age of 26 after losing a lot of blood. She wasn’t keen but her mother insisted she should go to the doctors and she did, where they gave her a blood test.
Whilst filming for the hit show, she missed several calls from her father who had said that her blood was “so low” and doctors had advised her to go to accident and emergency immediately.
Speaking on podcast Bedside Manners with Dr Oscar Duke, she said: “I went to the hospital. I had to have all of these checks and these iron infusions and that was where it started.”
TOWIE star Chloe has opened up about her health(Image: WireImage)
Chloe also explained how she first discovered the symptoms of ulcerative colitis when she was 16 but didn’t do anything about it.
Article continues below
“I went to a college where I boarded when I was 16. I was staying away from home and I was living in a student house and there was blood down the toilet. I remember I told my mum and I was like, there’s quite a lot of blood down the toilet,” she said.
“I’m not really sure what’s going on. She was of course like, go to the doctors. I went to the doctors, and they said that I would have to have a colonoscopy, which is a camera into the bowel.”
Chloe then said she hadn’t been to the hospital a lot and was “never sick” so she never went to the appointment as she was terrified.
Article continues below
“The doctor referred me and I got this letter, and this is awful, but I got this letter and I just never went to the appointment because I was terrified. Then I ignored it and what would happen, which is what I realise now, is that I can go into remission, I can go into a flare-up in remission. It would stop for periods of time so that the blood would go away,” she said.
“I’d be like, ‘Oh, cool, it’s gone away, I’m better. There’s nothing wrong with me’. I’d go through years where it wouldn’t happen and then it would happen again, and then it would stop again. I would probably lie to my mum about how much it would happen because she always pestered me about it and I was like, ‘No, it’s fine.'”
On June 8, United States President Donald Trump praised the California National Guard for its response to Los Angeles immigration enforcement protests.
“Great job by the National Guard in Los Angeles after two days of violence, clashes and unrest,” he wrote on Truth Social at 02:41 EDT, Eastern Daylight Time, (06:41 GMT) on Tuesday. He ended the post, “Thank you to the National Guard for a job well done!”
But the National Guard had not yet arrived in Los Angeles, according to news reports and a spokesperson for the California governor.
The protests in downtown Los Angeles began on June 6 in response to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) declared the protests an “unlawful assembly” the same evening and began using tear gas, rubber bullets and other deterrents.
Protests continued throughout the weekend, with reports of vandalism, burning cars and looting. Trump announced on June 7 that he was deploying 2,000 California National Guard members, an action that Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Governor Gavin Newsom, both Democrats, criticised as an unnecessary escalation.
Less than an hour after Trump’s Truth Social post, Bass said the National Guard was not on scene. “Just to be clear, the National Guard has not been deployed in the City of Los Angeles,” she wrote on X.
Later that morning, Newsom criticised Trump’s post praising the National Guard by pointing out the timeline discrepancy.
“For those keeping track, Donald Trump’s National Guard had not been deployed on the ground when he posted this,” Newsom wrote on X.
Diana Crofts-Pelayo, a Newsom spokesperson, told PolitiFact the National Guard deployed on June 8 between 02:00 PDT, Pacific Daylight Time, and 04:00 PDT, which is 05:00 EDT to 07:00 EDT (09:00 GMT to 11:00 GMT).
The first media reports of California National Guard troops on the ground in Los Angeles were on June 8 at about 06:00 PDT, or about 09:00 EDT (13:00 GMT). Here’s what we know about the timeline of California National Guard troop activation and arrival.
June 8 timeline
00:51 EDT (04:51 GMT): United States Northern Command, a Department of Defense sector that assists with National Guard oversight, said on X that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “directed US Northern Command to assume command of 2,000 California National Guard forces to protect federal personnel and federal property in the greater Los Angeles area”. The post said active-duty US Marines might also be called to respond.
02:41 EDT (06:41 GMT): Trump praised the National Guard for a “great job”, criticised Newsom and Bass, and described the protests as violent unrest.
03:22 EDT (07:22 GMT): Bass posted on X that the National Guard was not yet present.
04:32 EDT (08:32 GMT): CNN reported it had “seen no evidence that Guard units are on the ground”.
Between 05:00 EDT and 07:00 EDT (09:00 GMT-11:00 GMT): The National Guard deployed during this timeframe, according to Crofts-Pelayo.
About 09:00 EDT (13:00 GMT): The Washington Post reported that the earliest photos and videos of National Guard members arriving in Los Angeles were captured around this time, which was 06:00 PDT, or 09:00 EDT (13:00 GMT).
11:03 EDT (15:03 GMT): US Northern Command reported that members of the California National Guard had arrived in Los Angeles: “Can confirm that elements of the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team from the California National Guard have begun deploying to the Los Angeles area, with some already on the ground.”
12:07 EDT (16:07 GMT): US Northern Command announced that 300 members of the California National Guard were deployed to three locations in the Los Angeles area.
12:08 EDT (16:08 GMT): The California National Guard members gathered near the Metropolitan Detention Centre in downtown LA, the Los Angeles Times reported.
12:17 EDT (16:17 GMT): The LAPD announced that the National Guard had been deployed to federal facilities.
About 13:30 EDT (17:30 GMT): The New York Times reported that at 10:30 PDT, “nearly 300 members of the California Guard took positions at three different sites around the city”.
KABC-TV, a local news channel, reported that National Guard members had appeared in downtown Los Angeles and posted video of troops driving through the city of Paramount.
12:29 EDT (18:29 GMT): US Northern Command posted photos of California National Guard members in LA, working with the Department of Homeland Security.
17:06 EDT (21:06 GMT): Trump said he directed federal agencies to coordinate their response to the Los Angeles protests.
18:27 EDT (22:27 GMT): Newsom posted that he “formally requested the Trump Administration rescind their unlawful deployment of troops in Los Angeles County and return them to [his] command”.
20:03 EDT (00:03 GMT): US Northern Command shared a press release on X announcing that approximately 2,000 members of the California National Guard had been “placed under federal command” to be ready to assist in efforts against LA protests. It reiterated that 300 members of the California Army National Guard were deployed at three locations.
22:23 EDT (02:23 GMT): Newsom said in an MSNBC interview that he would file a lawsuit against Trump for taking over the California National Guard.
Gaza City – For the past week, Madleen Kulab, the 30-year-old fisherwoman and inspiration for the name of the Madleen aid ship, had followed the vessel’s journey with a mixture of hope and anxiety as it sailed towards Gaza’s shores in an attempt to break Israel’s blockade.
Throughout its voyage, Kulab remained in close contact with organisers of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), which launched the vessel.
But her guarded optimism gave way to heartbreak when she woke Monday to the news that Israeli forces had intercepted the ship in international waters and detained all 12 people on board, including the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.
“I was deeply disheartened,” Kulab told Al Jazeera. “I strongly anticipated this scenario, but I was truly hoping for a miracle that somehow the ship would break the blockade and reach Gaza.”
The night before the ship was intercepted, Kulab had spoken to one of the 12 people on board, Rima Hassan, a member of the European Parliament from France. Hassan, who is of Palestinian origin, told Kulab over a video call that her biggest dream was to visit Gaza.
“Her words really moved me, the way she’s devoted her life to the Palestinian cause,” Kulab said.
“And yet, that simple dream [to visit Gaza] has been made impossible by Israel.”
For Kulab, the interception of the flotilla’s vessel has compounded the weight of isolation of living under siege and bombardment by Israel.
Since its latest war on Gaza began on October 7, 2023, Israel has killed at least 54,880 Palestinians and wounded 126,227, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.
Since 2007, Palestinians in Gaza have lived under an air, land and sea blockade imposed by Israel.
“We live in a place completely sealed off from the world. [Since 2010] every previous attempt by flotillas to break the blockade has been met with military intervention,” Kulab said, referring to how past missions have been intercepted or attacked by Israeli forces.
For Kulab, the ship’s mission and interception – which have drawn international media attention – reflect the wider suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, one that she says feels never-ending.
“This ship’s story mirrors my own and the story of every tired, worn-out person in Gaza,” she said.
“We are just a media wave – it rises sharply, then fades just as fast, and we are left to face our pain in silence.”
With the detention of the Madleen’s crew members, Kulab said she just hopes for their safety and eventual return home. Thunberg was deported from Israel on Tuesday.
“Their noble message was delivered: The message of humanity reached the world,” she said.
“But I no longer have the words to appeal to anyone to act.”
Gaza’s population is facing starvation, and after Israel partially lifted its strict siege in May, aid hubs have become the site of killings as Israeli soldiers and US security contractors have opened fire on crowds of Palestinians trying to access food.
Day by day, life grows more unbearable, Gaza’s first fisherwoman said.
Israel has committed the crime against humanity of “extermination” by attacking Palestinian civilians sheltering in schools and religious sites in Gaza, an independent United Nations commission report says.
The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Israel, made the accusation in a report released on Tuesday.
The report also said Israeli forces have committed war crimes, “including directing attacks against civilians and wilful killing, in their attacks on educational facilities that caused civilian casualties”.
“We are seeing more and more indications that Israel is carrying out a concerted campaign to obliterate Palestinian life in Gaza,” commission chair Navi Pillay, a former UN high commissioner for human rights, said in a statement.
The report said Israel has damaged or destroyed more than 90 percent of the school and university buildings in Gaza and destroyed more than half of all religious and cultural sites in the territory.
“While the destruction of cultural property, including educational facilities, was not in itself a genocidal act, evidence of such conduct may nevertheless infer genocidal intent to destroy a protected group,” the report said.
“Israel’s targeting of the educational, cultural and religious life of the Palestinian people will harm the present generations and generations to come, hindering their right to self-determination,” Pillay continued.
While the report focused on the impact on Gaza, the commission also reported significant consequences for the Palestinian education system in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem as a result of ramped-up Israeli military activity, harassment of students and settler attacks.
“Children in Gaza have lost their childhood. With no education available, they are forced to worry about survival amid attacks, uncertainty, starvation and subhuman living conditions,” said Pillay.
“What is particularly disturbing is the widespread nature of the targeting of educational facilities, which has extended well beyond Gaza, impacting all Palestinian children.”
The report will be formally presented to the UN Human Rights Council on June 17.
Israel withdrew from the council in February after accusing it of bias.
The commission’s previous report on Gaza, published in March, accused Israel of committing “genocidal acts” by destroying reproductive healthcare facilities.
That prompted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accuse the council of being “an anti-Semitic, corrupt, terror-supporting, and irrelevant body”.
Marks & Spencer has finally announced that online orders are back up and running following April’s cyber attack, meaning shoppers can now shop the new summer collection online – but there’s one catch
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
M&S restarts online orders six weeks after cyber attack—but there’s a catch(Image: Getty)
If you’ve been trying to place an online order with Marks & Spencer recently and found yourself out of luck, you’re definitely not alone. M&S has been battling with the fallout from a major cyberattack that hit over the Easter weekend, forcing them to pull the plug on their UK online orders since April 25. But this week brings plenty of good news, as Marks & Spencer has just announced their online orders are back up and running as normal, except for one small caveat.
M&S have just warned that due to last month’s debacle with online ordering, delivery times are now expected to be longer than Marks & Spencer’s shoppers have been used to. It’s expected that deliveries may now take up to 10 days. There’s been no indication for how long these longer wait times will last, but dedicated M&S lovers will no doubt just be grateful to return to online shopping like old times.
It was revealed that the hack, carried out by a group known as DragonForce (also sometimes called Scattered Spider), exposed customer data like names, addresses, and order histories. Thankfully, card details and passwords stayed safe. Still, it’s been a bit of a digital disaster, with even in-store services like contactless payments and click-and-collect being affected.
READ MORE: Amazon flash sale slashes price of Google Pixel Pro that’s ‘much better than iPhone’ by £300
READ MORE: Oodie sale sees price of its poncho towels reduced by £26 just in time for the next heatwave
We look at the latest updates from M&S(Image: Getty)
Jayne Wall, operations director for M&S, wrote on the matter a few weeks ago: “To proactively manage the incident, we immediately took steps to protect our systems and engaged leading cyber security experts. We also reported the incident to relevant government authorities and law enforcement, with whom we continue to work closely. Unfortunately, the nature of the incident means that some personal customer data has been taken, but there is no evidence that it has been shared.”
It’s said that the retailer’s been losing around £4 million a day in online sales, and while their physical stores are still open, there’s been little hope of a confirmed date for when the website will be back in action – until today. M&S has been working closely with cybersecurity experts and has already asked customers to reset their passwords as a precaution. It’s clear they have been taking the situation seriously, and now the wait is finally over, as you can return to shopping online at M&S to your heart’s content.
So, what have we missed and what is there for you to shop today?
M&S released its Summer Wardrobe Collection(Image: M&S)
Since the cyberattack first started, Marks & Spencer has released its summer wardrobe collection, which is now available to shop online. It is worth noting that since we’ve all been suffering from M&S online shopping withdrawal, many products have been scooped up at near record speed, meaning there’s a lot that’s already sold out. But we’ve found our top five things to shop that are still stocked in most sizes.
Check out this Pure Cotton Denim Mini Shift Dress (£35) which comes in two colourways, blue denim or Ecru beige, and sizes 6 to 18 in petite, regular and tall measurements. That said, some size options are sold out, so you’ll need to act fast to grab yours before its gone. One shopper who bought this number shared in their 5-star review: “Fits lovely, flattering, 5ft3 and not too short. Great spring to summer dress, maybe a bit thick for full summer.” If you’re looking for a similar item and don’t mind the price tag, or don’t want to wait the ten-day delivery time, Nobody’s Child has this Blue Denim Ned Pinafore Mini Dress for £69.
For other dress options, this Halter Neck Mini Beach Dress (£59) is a hit with shoppers as it’s touted as a popular item. Still available in sizes 10 to 18, this piece is selling like hot cakes, so you’ll want to hurry.
Marks & Spencer is offering this 360 Tummy Control Plunge Swimsuit (£35) to cover all of your summer and holiday needs. Also named a popular piece, this swimsuit is available in a range of colours and sizes to ensure the best fit on all body types, making it a must-have for your summer holiday abroad.
Article continues below
A trending pick for summer 2025, shoppers can’t go wrong with a solid pair of linen trousers. These Pure Linen Palazzo Trousers (£45) are loved by online and in-store shoppers alike, as well as celebrities, and they’re selling like hotcakes, so you’ll need to be quick to secure yours before it’s gone. If your size has already sold out, Boden is offering these Islington Linen Trousers for £98.
With King Charles’ official birthday celebrations set to kick off on Saturday, here’s everything you need to know about Trooping the Colour 2025 – including what royals are expected to attend, how to watch, and where the longstanding tradition comes from
The royal family are preparing for the 2025 Trooping the Colour(Image: Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace)
One of the most-loved royal events of the year is fast approaching – Trooping the Colour. The sovereign’s birthday parade is set to take place in London at Horse Guards Parade on Saturday, with thousands of royal fans expected to flood the Mall to celebrate the important event.
With a huge military event and procession kicking off the celebrations, the day will be topped off with a balcony appearance by the royals and a stunning flypast by the RAF. Here’s everything we know about Trooping the Colour 2025…
What is Trooping the Colour?
The annual event of Trooping the Colour has marked the official birthday of the King or Queen for more than 260 years. The ceremony involves hundreds of horses and soldiers carrying out complex battlefield drill manoeuvres to military music. More than 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians come together for the impressive display.
The Trooping the Colour marks the monarch’s birthday each year(Image: Getty Images)
During the parade, the royals will travel from Buckingham Palace down The Mall to Horse Guards Parade in a procession – either on horseback or in carriages. At Horse Guards, they then watch the military display before joining the procession back to Buckingham Palace once it is over.
After the parade, the royals then gather on the Palace balcony for a march-past and the fly-past by the RAF, which includes the Red Arrows, and will conclude the day’s celebrations.
Article continues below
What is the significance of Trooping the Colour?
The very first Trooping the Colour is believed to have been performed during the reign of King Charles II, who was Monarch from 1660 to 1685. However, it wasn’t until 1748 that it was decided for the parade to mark the official birthday of the Sovereign, becoming an annual event after George III became King in 1760.
Guards taking part are drawn from the Regiments of the Sovereign’s Household Troops, which has become the practice for Regiments of Foot Guards to troop their Colour in turn.
Although King Charles’ actual birthday falls on November 14, the practice was established long ago of marking an ‘Official Birthday’ of the Sovereign in the summer to stand a better chance of good weather for the parade.
When will Trooping the Colour take place, and how long will it last?
Trooping the Colour will take place on Saturday, June 14, 2025, with the royal family first expected to make an appearance in the procession to leave Buckingham Palace at approximately 10:45am.
The end of the celebrations will be marked with the RAF flypast which is expected to take place at 1pm. King Charles is one of many monarchs whose Trooping the Colour celebrations has not coincided with their actual birthday.
While Trooping the Colour takes place in June, King Charles’ actual birthday is in November(Image: Getty Images)
Edward VII, who reigned from 1901 to 1910, was also born in November – not the best time of year for a huge outdoor celebration – so held it in the summer instead.
The monarch after Edward VII – George V – helpfully had a birthday in June, but the Queen’s father, George VI, whose birthday was in December, reintroduced the tradition of an official birthday, which Elizabeth II, who had an April birthday, continued.
Which royals be at Trooping the Colour 2025?
Nearly all members of the Royal Family appear at Trooping the Colour – it’s usually one of the rare public appearances made by young royals Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Royal sources said other members of the Royal Family are expected to attend in line with last year, where only working members of the family were present. It has not been confirmed as yet by Buckingham Palace which royals will appear on the balcony for the RAF flypast.
The senior members of the royal family are all expected to appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony(Image: PA)
In years gone by, the late Queen used to invite all members of her extended family onto the balcony at Trooping the Colour. However, at the last Trooping, the balcony was limited to working royals only, with the same happening at King Charles’ Coronation. This meant there was no place for the King’s younger disgraced brother Prince Andrew nor his estranged son Prince Harry.
This means the likes of Princess Beatrice and Eugenie as well as Zara and Mike Tindall and Peter Phillips have not been seen on the balcony in recent years. However, at the 2024 Trooping, Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh and Lady Louise Windsor all made an appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony.
Will King Charles or Prince William ride a horse at Trooping the Colour?
At last year’s Trooping the Colour, King Charles opted to ride in the royal carriage with Camilla: a choice that was made to make the King more safe and comfortable after his cancer treatment.
While it has yet to be officially confirmed, it has been reported that the King will once again join Queen Camilla in a carriage for the procession up the Mall.
Prince William is expected to ride on horseback during Trooping the Colour for the second year in a row (Image: Getty Images)
Despite the King opting to ride in the carriage, Prince William, as Colonel of the Welsh Guards, is expected to join Princess Anne and Prince Edward on horseback for a second year.
What time will the RAF flypast by the Red Arrows take place, and where will I be able to see the planes?
The flypast by the RAF is set to take place at 1pm while members of the Royal Family watch from the Buckingham Palace balcony.
The route for the flypast, which includes the Red Arrows, is yet to be officially confirmed, but the Military Air Shows has revealed an air restrictions map which shows the expected official route.
The proposed restrictions are in the vicinity of the North Sea, East Anglia, Essex and London, before flying over Buckingham Palace at 1pm.
The royal family will watch the impressive RAF flypast from the Buckingham Palace balcony(Image: PA)
Can anyone go to Trooping the Colour?
Tickets to watch Trooping the Colour from the grandstands at Horse Guards Parade were allocated by ballot, with those lucky enough to receive tickets having already been informed.
While it is now too late to get tickets to this year’s event, there are still ways to watch Trooping the Colour. For those wanting to see the action in person, spectators can gather near Buckingham Palace and on The Mall to see the royals in the procession and on the balcony.
Article continues below
The event kicks off at 10am and anybody wanting to watch from the side lines is encouraged to get there by 9am. Meanwhile, Trooping the Colour is usually broadcast live on BBC1 from 10:30am.
