Rock star shares painful struggle with ‘brutal’ health condition that forced him to cancel gigs

A frontman of a huge punk rock band has admitted a health setback has ‘really took the wind out of my sail’ as he’s been struggling since March

Jaret Reddick of Bowling for Soup(Image: Getty Images)

A rock star has admitted his health struggles have taken their toll and “really took the wind out of my sail”. Frontman of Bowling For Soup, Jaret Reddick, has candidly opened up on his condition after needing to cancel a string of gigs.

The 53-year-old musician revealed he has been suffering from a “brutal” flare-up of his ulcerative colitis. He admitted it has been causing him issues since March.

According to NHS, the condition is a long-term condition where the colon and rectum become inflamed. The organisation says that some people may go for weeks or months with very mild symptoms, or none at all. However, it said that during a flare-up, “some people with ulcerative colitis also experience symptoms elsewhere in their body; which are known as extra-intestinal symptoms”.

Jaret shared a health update
Jaret shared a health update(Image: Instagram/ @bfs_official)

Taking to social media, the musician shared an update. While sitting in a business class seat on an aeroplane, the singer said: “I fell off the wagon. Many of you have been asking about my health and I appreciate it so much.

“Truth is, the Ulcerative Colitis flare since March has really taken the wind out of my sail. I had to cancel shows, vacation plans, drs appts, and the list goes on. ”

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He confessed his medication in a bit to manage symptoms had also been causing issues as he went on: “The steroids make me irritable and ravenous. And I hate both those things! ! “

However he praised those close to him. “My support system has been so gracious in dealing with all of it,” he gushed. Despite his openness, Jaret pleaded with fans to avoid offering him their advice. “I do not need your advice,” he reiterated.

“I’m under several doctors’ care, but I know it’s social media and you want me to do what you think is best. You don’t know me and you don’t know my health. But thank you. “

He admitted he is starting to feel better. And he also confessed he has no intention of slowing down just yet.

After saying he is doing what he can, he said: “This has been a tough year, but also one of the best years of my life. And one of the best years for all things Jaret Reddick!

“Out of the 40 pounds I lost, I gained back 3. I earned it! Haha. I’m back b*****s! ! Watch me spin! ! “

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He also shared that it wasn’t just his health that had caused cancellations. His latest concert to mark the July 4 celebrations had been put on ice due to the weather conditions.

He shared: “Due to circumstances out of our control, unfortunately Kerrville’s Fourth on the River is cancelled this year. ” He ended by telling people the the area to stay safe.

READ MORE: Oasis have released new tickets for UK tour – how to buy yours if you missed out

Dozens of Palestinian Bedouin families flee Israeli violence in West Bank

At least 50 Palestinian families from a Bedouin community in the occupied West Bank have fled their homes, following repeated assaults and harassment from Israeli settlers under the protection of Israeli forces, according to media reports and a local rights group.

Thirty Palestinian families were forcibly displaced on Friday morning from the Arab Mleihat Bedouin community, northwest of Jericho, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported, while 20 others were displaced on Thursday.

Before the forced displacement, the community was home to 85 families, numbering about 500 people.

A Palestinian rights group, the Al-Baidar Organization for the Defense of Bedouin Rights, said the families were forced to leave after years trying to defend themselves “without any support”. Attacks by Israeli forces and Israelis from illegal settlements have surged across the occupied West Bank since Israel’s war on Gaza began on October 7, 2023.

Alia Mleihat told Wafa that her family was forced to flee to the Aqbat Jabr refugee camp, south of Jericho, after armed settlers threatened her and other families at gunpoint.

Separately, Mahmoud Mleihat, a 50-year-old father of seven from the community, told the Reuters news agency that they could not take it any more, so they decided to leave.

“The settlers are armed and attack us, and the [Israeli] military protects them. We can’t do anything to stop them,” he said.

Hassan Mleihat, director of the Al-Baidar Organization, said families in the community began dismantling their tents, following sustained provocation and attacks by Israeli settlers and the army.

Footage posted on social media and verified by Al Jazeera’s Sanad agency showed trucks loaded with possessions driving away from the area at night.

Hassan told Wafa that the attacks also threatened to erase the community, and “open the way for illegal colonial expansion”.

‘We want to protect our children’

Israeli human rights group B’Tselem has documented repeated acts of violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in Mu’arrajat, near Jericho, where the Mleihat tribe lives.

In 2024, settlers armed with clubs stormed a Palestinian school, while in 2023, armed settlers blocked the path of vehicles carrying Palestinians, with some firing into the air and others hurling stones at the vehicles.

“We want to protect our children, and we’ve decided to leave,” Mahmoud said, describing it as a great injustice.

He had lived in the community since he was 10, Mahmoud said.

Alia Mleihat told Reuters the Bedouin community, which had lived there for 40 years, would now be scattered across different parts of the Jordan Valley, including nearby Jericho.

“People are demolishing their own homes with their own hands, leaving this village they’ve lived in for decades, the place where their dreams were built,” she said, describing the forced displacement of 30 families as a “new Nakba”.

The Nakba, meaning “catastrophe” in Arabic, refers to the mass displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homes during 1948 at the birth of the state of Israel.

Israel’s military has not yet commented on the settler harassment faced by the Bedouin families or about the families leaving their community.

Asked about violence in the occupied West Bank, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar told reporters on Monday that any acts of violence by civilians were unacceptable and that individuals should not take the law into their own hands.

Activists say Israeli settlement expansion has accelerated in recent years, displacing Palestinians, who have remained on their land under military occupation since Israel captured the occupied West Bank in the 1967 war.

Chelsea & Aston Villa fined for breaching Uefa financial rules

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Chelsea and Aston Villa have been fined by Uefa for breaching the European governing body’s financial rules.

The two clubs could be prevented from registering new players for Uefa competitions for the forthcoming season unless they have a positive transfer balance by the end of the summer transfer window.

Chelsea have been fined 31m euros (£26. 7m) and could be fined a further 60m euros (£51. 2m) if they do not comply with the rules in the next four years.

Villa have been fined 11m euros (£9. 5m), with a further 15m euros (£12. 9m) conditional on compliance in a three-year period.

The punishments relate to a breach of Uefa’s football earnings rule and having a squad cost ratio – the proportion of their income paid out in wages – above 80%.

In a statement, Chelsea said: “The club has worked closely and transparently with Uefa to provide a full and detailed breakdown of its financial reporting, which indicates that the financial performance of the club is on a strong upwards trajectory.

“Chelsea FC greatly values its relationship with Uefa and considered it important to bring this matter to a swift conclusion by entering into a settlement agreement. “

The punishments were issued by Uefa’s club financial control body (CFCB).

In a statement, the CFCB said profits from “the sale of tangible or intangible assets, the exchange of players (so-called ‘swaps’) and the transfers of players between related parties” cannot be included in submitted accounts.

Chelsea posted a pre-tax profit of £128. 4m in June 2024, a figure that included the £200m sale of the women’s team to a separate entity within the club’s parent company BlueCo.

The club also sold two hotels to a sister company that were used to comply with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), which differ from Uefa’s regulations, last season.

There have been reports Aston Villa have agreed a deal to sell their women’s team in order to comply with PSR.

Chelsea have made transfers worth £150m on five players this summer, while Villa have yet to make a major signing.

Barcelona were also fined 15m euros (£13m) for breaching Uefa’s financial rules, while Lyon were sanctioned 12. 5m euros (£10. 7m). The French club agreed to be excluded from European competition if their appeal against relegation to Ligue 2 for domestic financial breaches fails.

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  • Chelsea
  • Aston Villa
  • Football

Chelsea & Aston Villa get huge fines for breaching Uefa financial rules

Getty Images

Chelsea and Aston Villa have been fined by Uefa for breaching the European governing body’s financial rules.

The two clubs could be prevented from registering new players for Uefa competitions for the forthcoming season unless they have a positive transfer balance by the end of the summer transfer window.

Chelsea have been fined 31m euros (£26. 7m) and could be fined a further 60m euros (£51. 2m) if they do not comply with the rules in the next four years.

Villa have been fined 11m euros (£9. 5m), with a further 15m euros (£12. 9m) conditional on compliance in a three-year period.

The punishments relate to a breach of Uefa’s football earnings rule and having a squad cost ratio – the proportion of their income paid out in wages – above 80%.

In a statement, Chelsea said: “The club has worked closely and transparently with Uefa to provide a full and detailed breakdown of its financial reporting, which indicates that the financial performance of the club is on a strong upwards trajectory.

“Chelsea FC greatly values its relationship with Uefa and considered it important to bring this matter to a swift conclusion by entering into a settlement agreement. “

The punishments were issued by Uefa’s club financial control body (CFCB).

In a statement, the CFCB said profits from “the sale of tangible or intangible assets, the exchange of players (so-called ‘swaps’) and the transfers of players between related parties” cannot be included in submitted accounts.

Chelsea posted a pre-tax profit of £128. 4m in June 2024, a figure that included the £200m sale of the women’s team to a separate entity within the club’s parent company BlueCo.

The club also sold two hotels to a sister company that were used to comply with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), which differ from Uefa’s regulations, last season.

There have been reports Aston Villa have agreed a deal to sell their women’s team in order to comply with PSR.

Chelsea have made transfers worth £150m on five players this summer, while Villa have yet to make a major signing.

Barcelona were also fined 15m euros (£13m) for breaching Uefa’s financial rules, while Lyon were sanctioned 12. 5m euros (£10. 7m). The French club agreed to be excluded from European competition if their appeal against relegation to Ligue 2 for domestic financial breaches fails.

Related topics

  • Chelsea
  • Aston Villa
  • Football

Crowds mourn Liverpool star Jota in his Portuguese hometown

James Waterhouse

BBC News

PA Media Andre Silva, football player at RB Leipzig and the Portuguese national team, and partner Maria Rodrigues attend a public wake held for Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva at the Capela da Ressurreicao. PA Media

Crowds mourned Diogo Jota in his hometown to pay their respects to the Liverpool forward and his brother Andre Silva, who both died in a car crash on Thursday.

Portugal’s president, stars from the national team and fans from across the country gathered in the small town of Gondomar, on the outskirts of Porto, where the pair grew up.

Their parents, grandfather and other family members held a private vigil at a chapel in the town before it was opened to the public for a wake. The funeral will be held on Saturday.

Fans carrying Portugal flags, flowers and other memorabilia were seen weeping as they queued to pay their respects.

Those in attendance included President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, national team stars Joao Moutinho, Diogo Dalot and Ricardo Horta, and Jota’s agent Jorge Mendes.

For years as a young boy, Jota played for local club Gondomar SC, which named its academy after him in 2022.

Emblazoned on its sign is a quote from Jota: “It’s not about where we come from but where we’re going to. “

Getty Images A man stands in front of a memorial for Liverpool's Portuguese forward Diogo Jota, set up at the Gondomar Sport Clube's stadiumGetty Images

The 28-year-old father-of-three – who this year won the Nations League with Portugal and Premier League with Liverpool – married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso just 11 days before the fatal crash.

He had been travelling back to Liverpool for pre-season training, making the trip by car and ferry because he had undergone minor surgery and had been advised against flying.

Liverpool said his death was a “tragedy that transcends” the club.

Fans also grieved outside the club’s Anfield stadium.

Former captain Jordan Henderson was seen in tears as he laid a wreath, with a card that read: “Rest in peace my friend, along with your brother Andre. We will all miss you. “

PA Media Tributes at Anfield Stadium, home of Liverpool, in memory of Diogo Jota who has died at the age of 28.PA Media

“He was one of those players you can easily take to, because of the manner in which he conducted himself on and off the pitch and the important goals he scored. “

Mr Millea said some fans at Anfield had broken into impromptu renditions of the chant while paying their respects.

“I’m sure we’ll hear it loud and clear at Wembley for the Community Shield and we’ll hear it at Preston for the first pre-season away game, you know it’ll be sung around the field against Athletic Bilbao and then during the course of the rest of the season and probably forever-more,” he said.

Elsewhere, fans left flowers, scarves and shirts outside Wolves’ Molineux Stadium, where Jota played prior to his move to Anfield.

At Wimbledon, Portuguese tennis player Francisco Cabral wore a black ribbon to mark the passing of his countrymen.

A minute’s silence was held in the Euro 2025 game between Denmark and Sweden.

Liverpool has cancelled pre-season fitness tests that were due to take place today for some players as a result of yesterday’s news. A phased return of training will now begin on Monday.

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Oasis Cardiff livestream ‘confirmed’ as Liam and Noel Gallagher due to perform

One generous Oasis fan started live-streaming the reunion concert at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Friday night as Liam and Noel Gallagher are due to perform

Oasis fan at Cardiff gig livestreams iconic gig as Liam and Noel Gallagher reunite(Image: Getty Images)

One fan attending the Oasis reunion gig at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Friday night helped out fans who missed out on tickets by live streaming the event on YouTube. At the time of writing, over 15,000 people tuned in to the attendee’s channel as The Verve’s Richard Ashcroft took to the stage.

Thousands of fans arrived to the Welsh capital city on July 4 for the historic event, which sees Liam and Noel Gallagher on stage together for the first time in 16 years. Viewers were thankful for the opportunity and rushed to the live chat to celebrate, with one user writing: “Cheers mate for sharing the show.”

READ MORE: Oasis have released new tickets for UK tour – how to buy yours if you missed out

Richard Ashcroft
One generous fan started live streaming the event as Richard performed(Image: PA)

“Thank you mate, please keep on doing this,” another person posted. One added: “Better than the expensive tickets ticketmaster pricing used. “

In the live video, fans could be heard singing along as the stadium quickly filled up with eager fans waiting for the main act to arrive on stage.

Richard then praised the crowd inside the stadium right, telling them: “What a crowd tonight. It couldn’t have have happened in a better place. This one is for Earls Court. For Knebworth. “

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READ MORE: Oasis tour LIVE: Noel Gallagher sneaks into the crowd moments before due to appear on stage

Oasis brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher
At the time of writing, over 15,000 people tuned in(Image: Getty Images)

He belted out the iconic The Verve anthem Bittersweet Symphony as the crowd sang along to every word.

Doors to the show opened at 5pm and excited fans were quick to secure their place at the front of the crowd ready for the brothers to appear at 8. 15pm.

Cast were the first support act to perform, with the Scouse band delivering an emotional tribute to late Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota.

Click here for the Mirror’s live updates on the Oasis tour.

And to make things feel even more Britpop and like its the 90s again, one of Noel Gallagher’s ex-wives has been spotted in the crowd. Meg Mathews, who was married to the rocker from 1997 until 2001, was in good spirits as she prepared to watch Richard Ashcroft.

The highly anticipated tour came after months of rumours of a reunion, a feverish ticket sale and a long 16-year wait from fans.

A shock comeback was unveiled in August 2024, with the band declaring: “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised.”

The rush for tickets came with 17 dates announced across London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Dublin before the band announced more concerts in North America, Mexico, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Chile and Argentina – giving fans around the world the chance to hear the hits live again.

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