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Amazon Prime subscribers rage over ‘annoying’ change affecting TV shows and say they will ‘definitely be cancelling’

PRIME viewers may start to notice more ads when watching their favourite shows and movies as Amazon ramps up changes.

Adverts were first introduced onto the platform in January last year, with an option to pay extra if you want to avoid them.

Amazon Prime Video logo on a smartphone screen.
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Users say streaming is morphing into cable TV[/caption]

They started at around two to three minutes per hour.

But it appears to be have been quietly doubled.

Sources told AdWeek that the number of ads has gradually increased to four to six minutes per hour.

A spokesperson for Amazon responded to the publication, saying “Our commitment is to improving ad experiences rather than simply increasing the number of ads shown.

“While demand continues to grow, our commitment is to improving ad experiences rather than simply increasing the number of ads shown.”

But users have already started raging about the quiet change and are threatening to cancel their subscription as a result.

“My Prime account is up for renewal in August,” one person wrote on Reddit.

“I will definitely be cancelling.

“Not only are the ads numerous, they are sometimes double in volume (loudness). I can’t always hit the mute button fast enough.”

Another said: ” It’s always take take take. Take and squeeze as much as possible.”

A third added: “Canceled this c**p as soon as they announced ads in the first place.

“People keep paying for these services that continue to get worse and more expensive. That’s the real problem.”

Person using a remote to select Prime Video on a TV.
Alamy
Ads have gradually increased to four to six minutes per hour[/caption]

SWITCH TO FREE STREAMING

By Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor

If you’re tired of paying out on several streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ then there are a growing number of free alternatives around.

While many of these alternatives have been filled with obscure content, more big names like Sky have got on board in recent years offering some quality stuff, which is largely archive but still entertaining.

As well as UKTV, Sony and 5 are among the other players getting involved.

If you haven’t already, give Pluto TV a go, it’s available on pretty much all devices including Fire TV Sticks.

On there you’ll find channels from MTV, with Catfish and Geordie Shore.

Some of the classics are real gems too – I found myself watching long-forgotten episodes of Sabrina the Teenage Witch the other day.

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Reality show winner reveals she’s had her second miscarriage in a year in heartbreaking post

An image collage containing 1 images, Image 1 shows Vanessa Grimaldi drinking from a cup, with text overlay: "You're not alone"

A POPULAR reality show winner has revealed she’s had her second miscarriage in a year.

The Bachelor star Vanessa Grimaldi, 37, shared her sad news in a heartbreaking post.

Vanessa Grimaldi at a Kerastase party.
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Vanessa Grimaldi has revealed she has suffered another miscarriage[/caption]
Vanessa Grimaldi drinking from a cup, with text overlay: "You're not alone".
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The star shared her pain on Instagram[/caption]
Woman's announcement of a second miscarriage.
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Vanessa shared a heartbreaking post with her fans[/caption]
Vanessa Grimaldi and Josh Wolfe embracing.
Instagram/Vanessa Grimaldi
Vanessa is married husband Josh Wolfe in Canada in 2021[/caption]

Vanessa, who shot to fame on the hit ABC reality show in 2017, took to Instagram to share her pain with her fans, and told them “you are not alone”.

The reality star – who shares her son Winston, two, with husband Josh Wolfe – shared a post a slideshow captioned: “When the Heart Breaks Again: Miscarriage No. 2.”

Addressing fans, Vanessa said: “This is my second miscarriage. Saying that out loud still feels surreal.

“Especially finding out during my ultrasound. Again. It adds another layer to the grief, one that’s heavier, more complicated, and harder to put into words.”

Vanessa added that she found a “sense of peace” sitting in her son Winston’s room.

“Sitting in the quiet here, surrounded by reminders of his laughter, love, and life. It’s comforting in a way I can’t quite explain,” she continued.

“I’m so incredibly grateful for him. My healthy, joyful little boy.

“And at the same time, my heart aches for the baby I never got to meet. I keep thinking about Winston as a newborn.

“All the firsts, the sleepy snuggles, the tiny milestones. l imagined getting to live through those moments again.”

Vanessa added: “But instead, I’m left with the silence of what could have been. Again.”

The star went onto say that her “mind feels foggy and full all at once”.

Vanessa added that she was “keeping busy” as much as possible to keep her mind off the loss.

She ended her message by addressing fellow moms who may be “navigating this kind of heartbreak.”

“I’m sending you so much love and comfort. And maybe the next time you’re sipping an iced cappuccino, you’ll be reminded that you’re not alone in this. I see you, I’m grieving with you. You’re not alone,” she concluded.

Black and white photo of Vanessa Grimaldi and Josh Wolfe sitting together at a table.
Instagram/Vanessa Grimaldi
Vanessa has turned to her husband for support[/caption]

Sadly, Vanessa’s post comes just nine months after she revealed she’d had another miscarriage last September.

She revealed that she was being supported by her husband Josh, 40, who she married in Montreal, Canada in 2021.

The couple met in 2019, after Josh slid into her DMs.

She said at the time: “I feel at home whenever I am with Josh. His love and affection for his family is something I’ve always admired about him and what I’ve always looked for in a partner.”

“I love how much he values family and that he loves spending quality time all together. That is how we both were raised and one of the many reasons I grew a strong connection with him from the beginning. 

The TV personality concluded: “Who knew my person was living in the same city as me all these years!”

They then welcomed son Winston in 2022.

The couple got together shortly after Vanessa found fame when she accepted Nick Viall’s proposal on the finale of The Bachelor in 2017.

Five months later, the reality stars appeared during the reunion episode.

The two confirmed that they had ended their romance.

Nick Viall and Vanessa Grimaldi on The Bachelor.
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Vanessa shot to fame on The Bachelor in 2017[/caption]

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‘In Grand Slam shape’ – Serena Williams turns heads in stunning bikini and now in ‘swimsuit season’

SERENA WILLIAMS has wowed fans with a head-turning new summer look.

The former tennis superstar showed she was beach-ready in a host of new swimsuit snaps.

Serena Williams in a striped swimsuit by the pool.
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Serena Williams has stunned in a new swimsuit photoshoot[/caption]
Serena Williams in a striped swimsuit by a pool.
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The 43-year-old is a tennis icon and winner of 23 Grand Slam titles[/caption]
Serena Williams in a striped swimsuit in a swimming pool.
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Williams has grossed over $300m since hanging up her racket in 2022[/caption]
Serena Williams in a striped swimsuit in a swimming pool.
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The tennis star wowed her 18 million followers with the set[/caption]

Williams rocked a stunning white and blue swimsuit in the new photoshoot.

The 43-year-old posed in a series of sultry snaps for robot cleaner brand BeatBot.

Serena dazzled in a pool under bright blue skies to the delight of her 18.1 million Instagram followers.

“Schools out … it’s summer and swimsuit season,” she captioned the snaps.

“Hope you are ready!” Serena added.

“Prettiest I have ever seen you look….And you always look gorgeous!” gasped one fan in response.

“In Grand Slam shape,” wrote a lovestruck second.

“You look AMAZING,” gushed a third.

“I need this swimsuit,” declared a fourth.

Williams hung up her racket for the last time in August 2022.

She won a remarkable 23 Grand Slam titles during her glittering career.

The tennis icon has amassed a $340million post-retirement fortune with shrewd investments and daring business ventures.

She is reportedly set to lend her hand to producing a tennis-themed drama series.

Deadline claims Serena is set to work with streaming platform Netflix on a new show.

The series will be based on the novel Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

Most of Williams’ vast fortune has come from Serena Ventures, her startup which has since invested in 85 companies.

Serena Williams at the NAACP Image Awards.
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The tennis icon is preparing for a new venture with Netflix[/caption]

Williams said: “A lot of people don’t know that I’ve been investing for 15 years. It was natural.

“I started thinking about what’s going to shape our world, whether it’s through transportation, technology, consumer goods.

“Whatever that is, I wanted to be a part of shaping it.

“I want to invest in B-to-B [business-to-business] companies and know how I could invest in early stage companies early on and have a big reward.

“I didn’t know all the lingo at the time. I didn’t know that it was called early stage investing and that it was even a thing.

“I didn’t know that V.C. was a thing. But it is something I was drawn to because I am a curious person.”

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Drivers risk seeing bank accounts drained after ‘mistake’ by insurance company – it went unnoticed for years

A SERIOUS error from an insurance company saw multiple customer bank accounts drained in an issue that went unnoticed for years.

The driver’s license numbers of some 190,000 individuals through its auto insurance quote platform were left exposed and has led to a new class action lawsuit.

Photo illustration of Lemonade Inc. logo on a smartphone screen.
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Insurance giant faces lawsuit after 190,000 drivers’ data was exposed in a major security breach[/caption]
A young man looking stressed while reviewing paperwork.
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Victims claim fraud and identity theft as the insurer’s error goes undetected for two years[/caption]

According to Insurance Journal, digital insurer Lemonade has violated the privacy of as many as 190,000 drivers in a mistake that’s allowed cybercriminals into its online auto insurance quote platform.

The complaint, which has been filed in federal court in Manhattan, accuses Lemonade of negligence and violating the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, New York business law, and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) data security guidelines.

Worse still, the data breach reportedly occurred between April 2023 and September 2024 – but was not detected by Lemonade until March 2025.

The company then began notifying affected individuals and regulators on April 10, 2025 – meaning there was a delay of two years.

Arizona resident Leslie Rich, who is the lead plaintiff in the New York lawsuit, alleges that Lemonade was negligent in disclosing his driver’s license number and other personal information through its platform.

As a result, Rich claims he was a victim of fraud and identity theft in October and November by criminals who obtained his personal information.

He says fraudsters were able to apply for multiple auto loans with multiple lenders in his name, as well as fraudulent trades on his retirement account with Fidelity.

In April, he received a letter informing him that Lemonade disclosed his driver’s license number to unauthorized third parties.

His complaint details how Lemonade’s website functions as a sort of driver’s license lookup tool which scammers can use to access driver’s license numbers.

The plaintiff claims Lemonade knowingly provides driver’s license numbers to any user who first enters a name and address – with the insurer failing to verify when a user is entitled to the information.

Furthermore, Lemonade’s platform does not employ effective security measures to detect whether a website visitor is a “bot” or an automated process, rather than an individual person.

The proposed class includes people who never applied for insurance with Lemonade and were not Lemonade customers – including Rich.

As a result, the suit claims the insurer “assisted an ongoing and concerted campaign by fraudsters to engage with insurers’ quote platforms to obtain driver’s license numbers to perpetuate known occurrences of fraud and identity theft.”

This isn’t the first time that Lemonade has been in hot water.

Last year, they reached a $5 million settlement in a case accusing them of illegally sharing life insurance applicants’ personal and health-related information to third parties.

These included on TikTok, Facebook and Snapchat, and contended that Lemonade’s conduct violated consumers’ privacy rights as well as federal and state laws.

Lemonade, which is headquartered in New York, offers renters’ insurance, homeowners’ insurance, car insurance, pet insurance and term life insurance in the US and has approximately 1.9 million customers.

They also serve France, the Netherlands, Germany and the UK.

Car insurance tips

Here are some ways to lower monthly car insurance rates:

  • Increase the deductible – this may increase the amount drivers must pay in an accident
  • Ask insurance carriers for discounts
  • Slow down on the road
  • Keep off the cell phone behind the wheel
  • Improve credit scores (in some states)
  • Bundle insurance policies

Source: Liberty Mutual

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