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‘We’ve lost millions’ – Punters clean up as Paddy Power suffer ‘one of the worst days’ in their history

PADDY POWER were left reeling after last night’s Nations League thriller between Spain and France helped punters cash in to the tune of millions!

The nine-goal spectacular, which ended 5-4 to Spain, triggered one of the worst financial batterings in the bookmaker’s history, thanks mainly to their own Super Sub promotion.

Find The Sun’s betting publishing principles here

:biggrin:On the foreground a group of cheering fans watch a sport championship on stadium. Everybody are happy. People are dressed in casual cloth. Colourful confetti flies int the air.
‘We’ve lost millions’ – Punters clean up as Paddy Power suffer ‘one of the worst days’ in their history
GETTY

Super Sub means if your selected player is substituted, your bet rolls over to their replacement – and it backfired in spectacular fashion.

Over the last 18 months, it’s featured in 973 games.

But none have come close to stinging their pockets quite like this encounter. It’s understood the bookmaker lost ‘millions upon millions’ – all down to a series of hugely punter-favourable results.

Among the killer blows: Dani Vivian replacing Robin Le Normand and immediately giving away a foul, which cost them half a million quid.

Samu came on for Mikel Oyarzabal in the 77th-minute, and had a shot on target, which too cost Paddy Power a small fortune.

Then Gavi strolled on in injury time, picked up a yellow card in the 97th minute, and cost Paddy another £200k!

A Paddy Power spokesman said: “I thought the Nations League was supposed to be boring? I wish it bloody was!

“But fair play to the punters. They’ve come in, taken advantage of Super Sub and absolutely pulled our pants down, leaving us licking our wounds at Power Tower today.”


Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

  • Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
  • Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
  • Never chase their losses
  • Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
  • Gamcare – gamcare.org.uk
  • GambleAware – GambleAware.org

Read our guide on responsible gambling practices.

For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.

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Derby hit by yellow weather warning with thunderstorms and hail set to smash Epsom track for biggest race of the year

THE Derby has been hit with a yellow weather warning – as the Met Office predict thunderstorms and hail are set to smash the Epsom track.

Tomorrow’s £1.5million race – the most famous Flat contest in the world – will see 19 of the most awesome three-year-old colts on the planet go to post.

Racegoers using cushions as rain shields at a horse race.
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Epsom Derby racegoers are set to be under a yellow weather warning on Saturday – when the world’s most famous Flat race is run[/caption]
Woman using a blanket as protection from the rain at a horse race.
PA:Press Association
The Met Office have warned thunderstorms and hail could affect the Derby[/caption]
Map showing a yellow thunderstorm warning for southern England.
The yellow weather warning is in place for Epsom racecourse on Saturday

But the thousands of punters set to pour into the Surrey track may be forced to watch from under their umbrellas.

A downpour on Thursday changed the ground for Friday’s racing on Ladies’ Day to good to soft, good in places, and there is more rain set to fall overnight.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for the racecourse on Saturday, starting at 9am and finishing at 6pm.

The Derby itself, worth £900,000 to the winner, is due off at 3.30pm.

A statement on their website read: “Heavy showers and thunderstorms may lead to some disruption to transport and infrastructure.

“There is a good chance driving conditions will be affected by spray, standing water and/or hail, leading to longer journey times by car and bus.”

The warning covers most of the south of Britain and extends to mid-Wales in the west, up to Birmingham and down to Exeter.

A Met Office spokesperson told Sun Racing: “There are still some uncertainties in the forecast for Saturday regarding the exact track and speed of the weather system impacting our weather that day.

“However, we are confident that it will be a very showery day, with some heavy showers accompanied by thunder and small hail.

“The uncertainty lies in where exactly the heaviest rain will fall.

“That said, we can be pretty confident that it’ll be an unsettled day with some heavy showers and thunderstorms, which could have an impact on conditions for the race.”

While an update from the track on Friday morning read: “There was 3.4mm rain on Tuesday afternoon. It was dry on Wednesday with 7mm rain on Thursday up to 8pm.

“After some rain this morning (1mm) it is forecast to clear to a brighter, breezy afternoon with temperatures in the mid to high teens.”

Sadly, coming in the British summer, unsettled weather in June is nothing out of the ordinary.

Last year’s Ladies’ Day – where the feature race is the Oaks for fillies – saw racegoers arrive under umbrellas.

While in 2021 many were forced to run for cover as another downpour came just as punters started rocking up.

Those attending the two-day festival this year have been warned they face £100 on-the-spot fines for unruly behaviour.

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Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

  • Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
  • Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
  • Never chases their losses
  • Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
  • Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
  • Gamble Aware – www.gambleaware.org

Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.

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I interviewed Love Island’s Sophie Lee weeks after her ‘face fell off’ – she’s overcome ‘constant’ pain & a month in ICU

LOVE Islanders are notorious for scrubbing their social media in the days leading up to the Villa, leaving only the most polished snaps up on their feeds.

But open Sophie Lee’s page even today and the photos pinned to the top, from 2019 and 2020, show her with huge swollen scars protruding from her face.

A woman with bandages on her face and upper body gives a peace sign.
Sophie Lee
Sophie Lee nearly died when an air-con unit blew flames back into her face, as she was fire dancing at a nightclub[/caption]
Close-up photo of a woman's face and neck with keloid scars from a fire dancing accident.
Sophie Lee
She developed keyloid scars as a result, which had to later be frozen off as they threatened to ‘engulf her face’[/caption]
Woman in red bikini in a pink room.
Shutterstock Editorial
Sophie Lee is among those entering the Love Island villa on Monday[/caption]

Personally I’m not surprised. As someone who interviewed Sophie twice right in the thick of her struggles, I know she’s different from some of the ultra-superficial women who grace our screens in their bikinis.

When I first spoke to Manchester-based Sophie, she was 23, and it was days before Christmas 2018. Fabulous was one of the first publications to share her story with the world.

Airy and bright during our chat, you’d have no idea what she was going through without visual proof. Her attitude was amazing, especially for someone so young.

A professional fire dancer, Sophie was permanently scarred when an air-con unit blew flames back into her face in a freak accident in April 2018.

After her face went up in flames, she spent a month in intensive care, and emerged from the trauma with a whole new attitude on life.

In her own words, the accident made Sophie “toughen up and grow a thicker skin”. 

She told me: “I just have to accept myself for me. I think sometimes people stare because they don’t know how to ask. It’s not intentionally rude, I think they’re just curious and don’t know what to say.

“I never mind if people ask about my scars, then I can educate more people about what happened.”

Love Island weight loss plans, makeovers and even non-surgical tweakments are now common-place among the contestants, all religiously documented on social media as the competitive TV show enters its 10th year.

All Stars’ Gabby Allen even flogged her pre-villa fitness plan when she emerged as the show’s most recent winner.

Sophie, who had a five-figure following as an influencer well before Love Island came knocking, wasn’t immune to body confidence concerns before her accident.

She told me: “In school I went through that phase of ‘oh, I’m massive, I’m this and that,’ because I think you naturally do when you’re that age.

“Everyone’s judging each other, you’re growing boobs, you’re like ‘oh, I don’t know what this is’. I think everyone kind of has body issues going through high school.

“All my friends had big boobs or had legs, and I’ve always been a bit up and down on the scale of my weight.

“Especially with the industry I was in (of dance and performing), I was always scrutinised for how you look.

“But with this accident it’s crazy. Because the one time I feel like I should be most body conscious, I’m probably the happiest I’ve ever been.”

Woman fire breathing at night.
Instagram
Sophie was a professional fire dancer before her accident[/caption]
Woman in a floral bikini posing next to bamboo.
instagram/sophirelee
It’s been six and a half years since Fabulous’ Josie Griffiths first interviewed her[/caption]
Woman in black dress descending a staircase.
Sophie Lee
After having cryo surgery, Sophie couldn’t leave the house without a black mask on[/caption]

Despite early signs her facial scars were healing well, Sophie later developed dramatic keloids on her chin.

Keloids are benign tumours which grow in areas of trauma and are more common in people with olive or black skin, or in Sophie’s case having Chinese heritage.

She said: “Dancing’s all about getting dressed up, glitz and glam, I’ve always loved that. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not myself and I know I’ll never be myself again.

“That’s something I have to accept and it has been hard to accept that – but also without this scar I would be dead. That’s the way I look at it, I don’t look at it as a burden.”

We spoke for a second time in June 2019, just weeks after Sophie had ground-breaking cryo surgery.

Never one to shy away from the gruesome details, or hide behind edited pics, Sophie’s PR pitched the story to me with an email entitled “My face came off in my hands.”

Without this scar I would be dead. That’s the way I look at it, I don’t look at it as a burden

Sophie Lee

Explaining the NHS-funded op at the time, Sophie said: “The scar started to die and then my face basically fell off. Liquid nitrogen was pumped in to kill it.

“At first it went massive, like it had been pumped up with water. It tripled in size, it was horrendous.

“In hospital I just felt like a giant slug, I couldn’t move or do anything.

“Then it just started leaking liquid nitrogen. Over the space of two months, it was starting to dry out and peel away.

“It was horrendous, the skin was dying and it was on my face. I couldn’t really move my neck, it was just so painful.

The scar started to die and then my face basically fell off. At first it went massive, like it had been pumped up with water. It tripled in size, it was horrendous

Sophie Lee

“When it actually detached I couldn’t feel anything, because it had already died.

“But at the start it was really raw, fresh skin. Showering was unbearable.

“For a good month I couldn’t really do anything. I had to change the dressings at least twice a day – they were soaking wet all the time.

“I couldn’t leave the house because I had to take so many dressings and pads with me.”

Woman in pink lip-print bikini lying on white deck.
sophirelee/Instagram
Sophie’s story will be what sets her apart from the other Love Islanders[/caption]
Woman in silver dress on balcony overlooking city at night.
Instagram/@sophirelee
Sophie’s scars were ‘angry and violent’ before she had them removed[/caption]

She now keeps her dead skin in the freezer, in a small Tupperware box, explaining it’s “next to the peas, no big deal”.

Sophie, who’s been celibate for eight months, had the treatment in March 2019, as her tumours threatened to engulf her face.

She told me: “Keloid scarring is a form of benign tumour, it was going to carry on growing and slowly overtake my face.

“It was very painful and becoming a big burden. I had started to lose movement on my neck, because it was growing so rapidly.

“The scars got so big you couldn’t see my neck, it came down to my chin.

“Because of my ethnicity, being Chinese, it was really angry and violent.

“The longer I left it, the bigger the keloids would have gotten. I was in so much pain and it was starting to alter my expressions on my face.”

Diptych showing a motivational speaker before and after surgery.
Instagram
She now keeps her dead skin ‘in the freezer, next to the peas’[/caption]
Woman in green dress sitting on a couch.
Instagram
Sophie has always wanted to turn what happened to her into a positive[/caption]

Sophie always wanted to turn what had happened to her into a positive, raising awareness of injuries even in her early 20s.

She said: “I’ve got a younger sister who’s 16 years old, that was the age when I was comparing myself a lot. 

“And I just want her to know that, your big sister can still do it and represent girls, I want her to feel proud of me.

“She looks up to a lot of my friends, looks up to me and I want to be that good example for her.

“It’s important to mould the next generation, not the current generation. I want to put them in a good mindset.”

Despite Sophie’s sunny disposition, she was clearly hugely affected by what had happened to her, which may be why it’s taken her six years to say yes to Love Island (I’d be stunned if they hadn’t approached her for previous years).

She told me in 2019: “I try not to think negatively, but I am in pain and you do think ‘when is this going to be over?’ I’m constantly suffering.

“Even now I can’t go outside when it’s sunny without having to cover up my whole face, because it’s fresh skin and I’ll get burnt really fast.

“I wear a black mask to protect it. It’s healed underneath but just to be safe.

“I don’t want to risk getting burnt, it’s not worth it. I’m still healing.

“But I am in the best hands and it’s important to talk about the good and the bad, because that means I can help others in this situation.

“I’m a normal person, I have feelings, I’m not just living this amazing life. I do have my down days, and it’s OK to feel like that.”

As Sophie jets off to sunny Mallorca to enter the villa on Monday, where temperatures are reaching 32C, the lack of black mask will be a stark reminder of how far she has come.

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The 4 signs of skin cancer beyond moles as Atomic Kitten’s Natasha Hamilton reveals diagnosis after ‘itch on her back’

ATOMIC Kitten’s Natasha Hamilton opened up about her skin cancer battle, revealing she was diagnosed with the disease after getting a persistent itchy spot on her back.

In an emotional Good Morning Britain interview, the singer, 42, revealed she’d had basal cell carcinoma (BCC).

Natasha Hamilton of Atomic Kitten discussing her skin cancer diagnosis on Good Morning Britain.
ITV
Atomic Kitten’s Natasha Hamilton revealed she was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma[/caption]
Natasha Hamilton smiling after being evicted from Celebrity Big Brother.
Getty
The singer got an itchy spot on her back after it got burnt on holiday[/caption]
Atomic Kitten filming a music video.
Getty
Natasha was part of Atomic Kitten[/caption]

BCC is the most common skin cancer type in the UK.

It begins in the basal cells — a type of cell within the skin that produces new skin cells as old ones die off – and is more likely to develop on skin regularly exposed to the sun, like the face, head or neck.

The cancer often tends to appear as a pearly lump, but it can also develop as a scar-like patch on the skin or rough, scaly growths.

Natasha initially mistook the diseased patch of skin as a mosquito bite.

She told her hosts Kate Garraway and Rob Rinder that she developed an itch after catching a bit too much sun while on holiday in Majorca.

Natasha said: “So I had been on holiday, I wasn’t actually in the sun a lot, my baby was only about five months old and I was breastfeeding.

“One afternoon I had her on my lap, my back was in the sun and I burnt.

“I don’t know if it was later that day or the next day, I had an itchy spot on my back.

“I felt it, I went “oh mosquito bite”.

‘It wasn’t until four weeks later when I was at home and it was itching I was like ‘hang on a minute, that seems a bit long for a mosquito bite’.

‘I asked my husband to have look and he went “oh that’s not a bite,” he took a picture.

Natasha revealed: “Originally it had just been a dark freckle that I’d had on my back for many years.

“It wasn’t even raised, it wasn’t a mole, it was just a freckle.”

The star sought specialist help and was diagnosed with BCC.

Close-up of a non-melanoma skin cancer.
British Skin Foundation
BCC can start as a pearly-looking lump[/caption]
Close-up of non-melanoma skin cancer.
NHS
Cancerous patches can be a range of colours, including purple, brown and red[/caption]
Close-up of a non-melanoma skin cancer.
NHS
Some growths may be bumpier, rough or crusty[/caption]

She was able to have the cancerous skin removed and is now living cancer-free.

But she revealed: “Now I have to be really vigilant, I have to check my skin all the time.

“Since then I’ve had a few things appear where I’ve had to go back to the dermatologist, they’re on the ‘watch list’.  

“This is probably something I am going to have to keep an eye for the rest of my life,” Natasha said.

The 4 signs of BCC

When you think of signs of skin cancer, a mole probably comes to mind.

This is usually the case with melanoma, the deadliest form of the disease.

But non-melanoma skin cancer – which includes BCC – can manifest in other more subtle ways.

According to Macmillan Cancer Support, a BCC might have some of these features:

  1. A smooth, firm lump that may be pearly, pink, red, brown or black – on black or brown skin, it is more likely to be pearly, brown or black
  2. A lump that is sunken in the middle like a crater
  3. A flat patch of scaly, crusty or irritated skin
  4. A scar-like area of pale, shiny skin

This type of skin cancer tends to be painless but it can cause itchiness or bleeding.

Close-up of a non-melanoma skin cancer lesion.
NHS
Sometimes skin cancer may start as a flat discoloured patch[/caption]
Close-up of a non-melanoma skin cancer lesion.
NHS
The patches may be darker on brown or black skin.[/caption]
Close-up of a non-melanoma skin cancer lesion.
NHS
Sometimes the patches may look crusty and feel rough or itchy[/caption]

Over time, a BCC may develop into an open sore that does not heal.

Any part of your skin can be affected, but it’s most common in areas exposed to the sun, such as the:

  • Head, face and ears
  • Neck and shoulders
  • Back
  • Hands
  • Lower legs

BCCs mainly people with fair skin, but those with other skin types may also be at risk, according to the British Skin Foundation.

Those with the highest risk of developing a basal cell carcinoma are: 

  • People with pale skin who burn easily and rarely tan
  • Those who have had a lot of exposure to the sun, such as people with outdoor hobbies or outdoor workers, and people who have lived in sunny climates
  • People who have used sun beds or have regularly sunbathed.
  • People who have previously had a basal cell carcinoma

Almost all cases of BCC can be cured and it’s almost never a danger to life, according to the charity.

However, if a BCC is not treated early, it may get larger and may be more likely to come back.

Treatment can include surgically removing the affected area of skin.

Melanoma vs. non-melanoma skin cancer

There are two main types of skin cancer – non melanoma skin cancer and melanoma skin cancer. 

Non melanoma skin cancer includes:

  • Basal cell skin cancer – this is also called basal cell carcinoma (BCC)
  • Squamous cell skin cancer – this is also called squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)
  • Some other rare types

Non melanoma skin cancers tend to develop most often on skin that’s exposed to the sun. There is a high cure rate for these cancers.

Most people only have minor surgery and don’t need further treatment.

Melanoma skin cancer is when abnormal cells in the skin start to grow and divide in an uncontrolled way.

It starts in skin cells called melanocytes. These cells are in the deep layer of the epidermis.

Around 17,500 people are diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer in the UK each year. The number of people diagnosed has increased over the last few decades.

Melanoma skin cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the UK.

Source: Cancer Research UK

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Arsenal interested in shock transfer for Real Madrid star Rodrygo as Mikel Arteta targets two priority positions

ARSENAL are interested in Real Madrid star Rodrygo as they prepare to strengthen two big attacking areas this summer.

Left-wing and striker are the priority positions for Mikel Arteta, and the club have a number of targets in each category.

Rodrygo Goes, Real Madrid right winger, during a Champions League match.
Getty
Arsenal are interested in Real Madrid star Rodrygo[/caption] Rodrygo's Real Madrid 2024-25 La Liga season statistics.

The Gunners are prepping for a big summer window after narrowly falling short of the Premier League title for a third consecutive season.

And Rodrygo is high among the left-wingers on Arsenal’s list, along with Spain star Nico Williams and Leroy Sane, who will be a free agent after leaving Bayern Munich this summer.

According to reports, Rodrygo is set for crunch talks about his future with new Madrid manager Xabi Alonso this week.

Despite having three years left on his Real deal, the Brazil international lost his starting place this season under former boss Carlo Ancelotti. 

The arrival of Kylian Mbappe last year resulted in less game-time for Rodrygo, who’s also been linked with Chelsea and  Manchester City.

Rodrygo, who has scored 68 goals and got 50 assists from Real Madrid in 267 games, is unhappy with his playing time after winning two Champions League titles with Real.

Arsenal are on red alert after Madrid splashed out £33million on Argentine wonderkid Franco Mastantuono.

No price tag has been confirmed for Rodrygo, but the 24-year-old is expected to cost at least £67million.

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If Rodrygo and Atletico Madrid winger Williams aren’t available, Arsenal could also move for Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers.

Rogers, who scored 14 goals and provided 15 assists for Villa in the Premier League this season, would still demand a significant fee – likely north of £50million.

Meanwhile, after finishing second three times in a row, Arteta is desperately searching for a world-class No 9.

Newcastle‘s £150m striker Alexander Isak and Sporting’s Viktor Gyokeres are top two targets to lead the line.

But Eddie Howe is confident of keeping Isak after the club qualified for next season’s Champions League.

RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko has been linked with Arsenal since January and has been valued at £70million.

Nico Williams' 2024-25 Athletic Club season statistics.

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Mum rants about ‘worst hols ever’ & ‘disgusting food’ at 4-star Greek hotel but trolls call her a ‘drama queen’

A BRIT mum has been dubbed a ”drama queen” after ranting about the ”worst holiday ever” at a four-star Greek hotel.

Mother-of-two, only known as TikToker @strawbz938, jetted off to Greece with her family after booking the holiday with TUI.

Person on a watermelon float in a swimming pool.
The mother-of-two took to TikTok to rant about ‘the worst holiday ever’
TikTok/@strawbz938
Hotel room with a double bed and light brown bedding.
The family were moved to a different part of the resort – but the mother was anything but impressed
TikTok/@strawbz938

The furious mother, from Cardiff, claimed they were promised ”a five-star resort” where they’d stay for ”seven nights” – but the ordeal soon turned into ”a long list of problems”.

After landing in Rhodes and checking into the resort, the mum discovered the accommodation was ”a three-star resort”.

”But because they have a water park, they’re able to bump it up to a four-star.

”In my opinion, it’s not even a three-star,” she said in the TikTok video, showing viewers the conditions of the resort.

The outraged mother also added that while the pool area ”looked stunning”, upon further inspection, she discovered everything was ”taped together”.

After complaining to the staff, the family was then moved to a different part of the resort – however, the new room also ”wasn’t up” to her standards.

”I was under the impression that I was booking a five-star resort,” she said, vowing to ”do research and read the reviews” next time.

Unfortunately for the holiday-goers, it ”then went from bad to worse”, as they here hit by ”a massive storm”.

”We got absolutely soaked walking back and forth from the one hotel to the other. At this point, I was just wanted to cry,” the TikToker lamented.

To their absolute horror, the area was covered by mega puddles – with the hubby having to carry the mother across, as ”there was no way” she’d walk through the rain water in her ”90p flip flops from Primark”.

Although the following day the weather had improved, the mother was less than impressed with the food – which she dubbed ”absolutely disgusting”.

Sharing her woes online, the holiday-goer also showed viewers her plate of lasagna, salad, coleslaw and couscous.

After desperately wanting to ”leave the hotel”, the family ventured out and visited the ”stunning” Old Town.

She said: ”Everyone kept telling to try and cheer up and just deal with it – that’s exactly what I did for my children, I wanted them to have the best holiday ever.”

But their troubles didn’t end there – as an hour after going to bed, they were woken up by ”a massive earthquake”.

In the end, the mother decided that she had had ”enough” and took the family back home.

She went on in the caption: ”I know I’m lucky to have a holiday and some people aren’t in a position to even go away for the weekend but when you’ve requested specific standards and you turn up to a lot less, it’s very frustrating!”

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Although TUI ”are currently dealing with the situation”, the furious TikToker – who claimed to have forked out £5k for the trip – said she didn’t ”have much faith at all”.

”As for me being dramatic over the earthquake – yes, I do overreact, I overthink and I panic and when my children are involved I act fast and I just up and left, maybe if I hadn’t of had the worst holiday ever to begin with I’d feel more comfortable saying after I’d calmed down!”

‘Drama queen’

Since being posted online, the holiday video has taken the internet by storm, amassing close to 370k views in just one day.

But while the mother was certainly far from impressed with the getaway, people online thought she was overreacting, as they branded her a ”drama queen”.

One said: ”Drama queen. you cut your kids holiday short,take out board games,enjoy your time with the children!”

Another chimed in: ”Complaining about the weather and earthquake like it’s TUI or the Hotels fault.”

A third joked: ”Did TUI make it rain?”

Someone else said: ”I don’t think I’ve ever booked a holiday without extensively checking review sites. Is that not just standard practice?”

However, there were also plenty of those who agreed with the mum-of-two, with one writing: ”it looks awful….that sounds like a holiday from hell. nice that your husband carried you over the puddle lol.”

”This is such a shame when you spend your hard earned money trying to make the best memories for your family! glad you’re home safe!” commented another.

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Brit athletics champion, 81, is a MONK who took 70 YEARS to claim first gold after ‘nearly collapsing’ on first run

A MARATHON monk has become a British athletics champion after SEVENTY YEARS despite “nearly collapsing” on his first run.

Father John Gribben is a sprightly 81 years old and can now claim to be top of his field after winning a gold medal at the British Masters Indoor Track and Field Championships.

A 78-year-old monk winning a race.
Guzelian
A sprightly elderly monk has become a gold medal British athletics champion[/caption]
A monk running and smiling.
Guzelian
Father John Gribben, 81, is known as the ‘sprinting monk’[/caption]

Known as the “sprinting monk” among parishioners, he won the 400 metre dash in two minutes, three seconds and 190 milliseconds.

Gribben also secured bronze medals in the 60 metre and 200 metre events in London.

But it took him 70 long years to finally achieve running stardom, with Gribben’s first attempt at the sport coming in the 1950s.

That didn’t exactly go to plan, with octogenarian admitting he could barely stand up straight after a half-mile effort.

He told The Times: “I nearly collapsed after that first run. I said, ‘I’m not a runner’, but I never stopped after it.”

Gribben started to master the art of running when he moved to Mirfield, West Yorkshire, in 1979 — where he remains to this day.

And like any good athlete, Gribben dedicates himself to a gruelling mid-week training schedule.

He explained: “Three nights at least of a 5km run, most days I’ll do a 60 metre sprint, and then the other things are an hour at the local gym a couple of days a week.”

The Belfast native, who attended a theological college in Dublin, mainly gets his racing kicks at Greenhead Park’s Parkrun in Huddersfield.

He’s since completed over 250 events, boasting an impressive 5km personal best of 26 minutes.

Gribben, who takes TWO buses to reach the course, started attending when he was nearly 70 years old.

He now runs 5km in around 40 minutes, and those Saturday morning slogs finally paid dividends when he clinched gold at the Masters.

Gribben also revealed the spiritual kick he gets from running, adding: “There’s something in the spring, you hit one point where it is ecstasy, you’re outside yourself almost, when you hit that speed that carries you the last whatever you need to get to the line.

“Sometimes I just say to my saviour, ‘Well I’ll run if you run with me’.

“I don’t know that I get an answer but… I start putting on my trainers and it feels good to do.”

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Michelle Beadle fired by Sirius XM just day on from her on air Stephen A. Smith rant after he took her slot

VETERAN radio host Michelle Beadle has been fired by SiriusXM after her extraordinary on-air Stephen A. Smith rant.

Beadle and co-host Cody Decker found out earlier this week their show was being taken over by the ESPN analyst.

Headshot of Michelle Beadle.
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Michelle Beadle has been fired by SiriusXM[/caption]
Michelle Beadle at an NBA Finals game.
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The 49-year-old went on extraordinary rant against Stephen A. Smith’s hiring on Wednesday[/caption]
Stephen A. Smith reporting from the sidelines of an NBA game.
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Stephen A. will be taking over Beadle & Decker’s slot[/caption]

Smith, 57, announced he has signed up to present two separate shows on the station.

But nobody had told Beadle and Decker, who unleashed their fury during a show on Wednesday.

“We were only given a few hours’ notice, but we weren’t told any details, we were promised that no details would be released,” Beadle fumed.

“We didn’t even know who was taking our place in the lineup, just that it was going to be announced that a new show was being added.

“Unbeknownst to us, The Hollywood Reporter, of course, had all the details.

“So it was a little embarrassing, I’m not going to lie.”

According to The Athletic, Beadle and Decker were fired from the company on Thursday.

The 49-year-old later penned a heartfelt message to her fans on X.

“We’d like to thank the callers who made the last couple of days an absolute blast!!” Beadle wrote.

“Truly. You don’t usually get such love on your way out.

“Security usually walks ya to the door. You guys rule. 6 hours of how you felt. And you all were heard!”

Stephen A. recently penned a $100million deal with ESPN.

He revealed his new radio project on Wednesday morning during an appearance on The Howard Stern Show.

The multi-year partnership with SiriusXM includes his sports show and a weekly social commentary show on a non-sports channel.

The sports show will air on weekdays from 1 to 3 pm ET as a lead-in to Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo‘s show.

Russo and Smith are already regular colleagues on ESPN’s First Take.

First Take viewing figures

First Take went from strength to strength under the guidance of Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim last year.

The weekday ESPN debate show averaged 496,000 viewers in 2023 – making it the most-watched year in program history.

Its December average of 611,000 was a 24% year-on-year increase compared to 2022.

The show also reported more than 250 million views on YouTube.

First Take was helped by the addition of Shannon Sharpe alongside Smith and Qerim after he left Fox Sports’ Undisputed.

“To say that I’m excited would be an understatement,” Stephen A. said.

“I’ve been on Mad Dog before, had the time of my life. So I’m loving the fact that I get to reunite with my guy, Mad Dog, on his turf.

“That, in itself, is a beautiful thing. But to then add a weekly show where I have a potent platform to discuss riveting subjects in the world of Pop Culture, Politics and Social Commentary… let’s just say it doesn’t get any better than that.

“September can’t come soon enough. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in radio… especially going back and forth with the callers.”

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White House arranges ‘peace talks’ call after Trump and Elon’s feud went nuclear with Epstein barb & impeachment threat

DONALD Trump and Elon Musk’s bitter public feud is set for another twist today with the pair reportedly sitting down for peace talks.

The White House is believed to have been scrambling to arrange a phone call between the most powerful man in America and the world’s richest person.

President Donald Trump silences his ringing cell phone.
AP
The White House has reportedly managed to arrange a phone call between Donald Trump and Elon Musk later today to solve their bitter feud[/caption]
Elon Musk looking at his mobile phone.
Reuters
Musk spent hours posting dozens of remarks towards Trump, his presidency and the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ on Thursday[/caption]
Screenshot of two Elon Musk tweets alleging that Donald Trump is in the Epstein files.
X
The Tesla boss made unfounded allegations about Trump’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein on Thursday[/caption]
Screenshot of three Donald Trump tweets about Elon Musk.
Truth Social
Trump fired back with a trio of Truth Social posts[/caption] Illustration of a timeline showing events in a relationship between Elon Musk and Donald Trump.

Those in Washington have been trying to end the nuclear feud before it turns any worse after hours of outlandish Jefferey Epstein claims and brutal impeachment barbs.

White House aides have now managed to schedule a call today with the billionaire CEO and Trump to try and broker peace, according to Politico.

The two powerful men had been close allies for the best part of a year since Musk sided with Trump during the 2024 US presidential election.

They were almost inseparable for months after Trump’s seismic victory at the polls in November.

But their impending break up came over the weekend when Musk stepped away from his governmental duties with the Department of Government Efficiency.

Trump gave his friend a touching send off in a final Oval Office interview which was overshadowed by Musk’s peculiar black eye.

But ever since, their relationship has taken a steep and sour turn.

The Tesla chief has been highly critical of the president’s “Big Beautiful Bill” on several occasions online.

He even labelled it a “massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill”.

Trump soon responded and sparked a very public fallout between the pair which came to blows on Thursday.

The worst of the lot came from Musk who called for the president’s impeachment and made unfounded allegations about Trump’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

Musk claimed that Trump is withholding the infamous Epstein files due to his name appearing in them.

Despite the remark there is no evidence that Trump had any involvement in convicted sex offender Epstein’s crimes.

Trump hit back on Truth Social saying Elon was “wearing thin” and that the president had to ask him to leave the White House.

He went on to say that the US government could end all federal contracts with Musk’s companies if the insults continued to fly.

Trump described the possible move as a money saving measure.

Musk even said the 2024 US election, which Trump won by a landslide, was thanks to his support.

The debate quickly dragged in other pivotal US figures with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying Musk was having an “unfortunate episode”.

Screenshot of two Elon Musk tweets; the first claims that without him, Trump would have lost the election, and the second expresses disappointment.
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Musk also claimed to be the reason why Trump won the 2024 election[/caption]
Donald Trump and Elon Musk in a tense conversation.
AFP
Rumours of a potential feud have been around for months after cracks started to show in the pair’s relationship[/caption]
Elon Musk's tweet criticizing a Congressional spending bill.
X
The bitter feud started when Musk publicly criticised the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ put forward by Trump[/caption]

The SpaceX boss spent hours on his X platform addressing the heated situation overnight.

Despite going on the commenting spree targeting the governmental bill and Trump’s presidency, Musk did appear to be open to a reconciling.

American billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman sent out a message urging both men to make up for the good of the US.

He personally tweeted at Musk and Trump saying: “We are much stronger together than apart.”

Musk replied to the message by saying: “You’re not wrong.”

Trump is yet to publicly speak on if he believes there is a way back for the pair.

But he did tell Politico in a phone call that everything is “going very well, never done better”.

How did Musk and Trump's relationship capitulate?

ELON Musk and Donald Trump spent Thursday trading barbs over social media.

The Tesla owner called for Trump’s impeachment as the president hit back and said the government could end all federal contracts with Musk’s companies. Here’s how it went down:

  • On Tuesday, Musk tweeted that Trump’s signature spending “big beautiful” spending bill was a “disgusting abomination” that would add billions to the federal deficit
  • On Thursday in the Oval Office, Trump addressed Musk’s criticism of the bill by accusing Musk of trying to kill it because the bill ends federal subsidies for electric vehicles, which would cost Musk’s company Tesla significant profits
  • Musk responded by live-posting on X as Trump spoke, initially shrugging off the president’s assessment with an unbothered “Whatever,” before tearing into the bill’s other spending provisions
  • Trump escalated the feud after the Oval Office meeting with multiple posts on Truth Social, saying he told Musk to leave the White House instead of continuing to work with Doge and threatening to dump Musk’s federal contracts, which are worth billions
  • Musk fired back on X by saying he was “decommissioning” the Dragon spacecraft made by SpaceX that brought the stranded Nasa astronauts back from the International Space Station in March
  • Musk also escalated the war of words by reposting and replying “Yes” to a tweet claiming that Trump should be impeached and replaced by Vice President JD Vance
  • Musk further fanned the flames by claiming that Trump is named in the infamous “Epstein files” and making unfounded accusations that its the reason they haven’t been released to the public. 

He added that despite Musk’s popularity with voters, the president’s favorability ratings have continued to go “through the roof”.

Trump is currently embroiled in several emergency peace talks across the globe.

He has been urgently looking to end the war in Ukraine since entering office in January by keeping both Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin on side.

The president also held a crunch phone call with China’s Xi Jinping on Thursday.

Trump described it as a “very good” conversation and said he has been invited to Beijing in the coming months.

It comes amid weeks of escalating trade tensions after Trump announced especially bruising tariffs on China.

How Elon made his billions...

ONLY a few individuals in the world stand a chance at becoming the world’s first trillionaire – and Elon Musk is near the top of that list.

Since the start of his career, Musk has been able to amass an extensive fortune and kept a hold of the “world’s richest man” moniker for years.

His career in the business world dates back to 1995, when he and his brother, Kimbal Musk, started the software firm, Zip2, which created internet city guides for the New York Times and Chicago Tribune.

Four years later, in February 1999, Compaq acquired the company for $307 million in cash, giving Musk $22 million for his seven percent share from the sale.

Later in 1999, he then co-founded X.com, one of the world’s first online banks, which merged with PayPal the following year.

A notorious workaholic, he doesn’t spend his money on lavish vacations or expensive hobbies.

Instead, the entrepreneur spends most of his free time at the office or in factories.

Nowadays, most of his wealth continues to tick over thanks to his multiple business ventures including founding giant companies like Tesla and SpaceX.

Musk’s worth also comes from the stock market, which he has helped influence greatly over the years.

At the beginning of 2021, Musk made the price of Bitcoin break all-time records after he revealed Tesla invested $1.5billion in the cryptocurrency.

In 2022, Musk hit headlines once more when he made an audacious paid for Twitter and turned it into X.

Elon Musk receiving a golden key from Donald Trump in the Oval Office.
Reuters
Trump gave Musk a touching send off over the weekend when he left the White House and stepped away from DOGE[/caption]
Elon Musk showing Donald Trump a model of a SpaceX Starship rocket.
AP
Trump became close with Musk last year with the pair seen together in November ahead of a SpaceX launch in Texas[/caption]

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12 injured at DHL depot & hazmat cops deployed after ‘suspicious package’ found following spate of Putin parcel attacks

AT LEAST 12 people have been injured after a suspicious package was found in a DHL distribution centre in Germany.

Specialist hazmat officials were deployed to the warehouse after several workers suddenly fell ill – sparking fears of Russian meddling following a spate of sabotage plots across Europe.

Back of a German firefighter's orange jacket with "FEUERWEHR" printed on it.
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At least 12 people have been injured after a suspicious package was discovered in a DHL distribution centre[/caption]
DHL logo on yellow shipping boxes.
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The discovery of the package follows a spate of Russian attacks across Europe on DHL-linked parcel depots in the past 12 months[/caption]

According to initial investigations, a suspicious package was found in the town of Langenzenn early this morning.

It is still unclear what was inside but local media has claimed it was an unknown powder.

Seven workers at the depot were quickly taken to the hospital after complaining about “irritation” after coming into contact with the parcel, a police spokeswoman said.

Officials fear the number of those affected could still rise.

Security services are still looking into who may have planted the package.

A spokesperson for the Central Franconia Police Headquarters confirmed: “Hazardous materials teams from Erlangen and Greding are on site.

“The affected people are being cared for by firefighters.”

The depot was evacuated as emergency services urged locals to avoid the area as they continue to probe the suspect package.

The shock discovery follows a spate of attacks across Europe on parcel depots in the past three years which have been linked back to Russia.

Western governments have accused Moscow of playing a part in a series of fires and acts of sabotage aimed at destabilising allies of Ukraine.

On July 22, a suspect package caught fire at a DHL depot in Minworth, Birmingham.

That same month, fires broke out in a container due to be loaded onto a DHL cargo plane in the German city of Leipzig.

Meanwhile, a fire at a transport hub near Jablonow, near Warsaw, Poland took almost two hours to put out.

Polish police arrested four people – and claimed the suspected Russian arson attacks could have been a test run for future attacks on the US.

Lithuanian authorities also accused Russia of being behind a plot to firebomb an Ikea store last May in the capital Vilnius.

Two “disposable agents” are said to have hidden explosives amongst flammable products and set it off overnight.

It is feared the fears were part of an orchestrated campaign organised by Russia‘s military intelligence agency, the GRU.

Moscow denies being behind acts of sabotage.

There is yet to be any comment on if Russia could have been behind the suspicious package found in Germany today.

Concerns spiralled again back in November when Western spy chiefs accused Putin’s agents of planting firebombs on cargo planes.

It comes just days after three German-Russian dual nationals went on trial in Munich accused of spying for Moscow.

They also allegedly plotted attacks on critical military infrastructure and industry in the German city.

The main suspect, named as Dieter S, is said to have masterminded the plan to sabotage Germany‘s support for Ukraine.

He is being tried alongside Alexander J. and Alex D., who are alleged to have helped him on behalf of a foreign intelligence service.

Timeline of Russian sabotage attacks across Europe

SINCE the war in Ukraine it is believed the Russians have launched a wave of sabotage attacks across Europe.

Oslo, Norway, June 29, 2022 – Cyberattack renders government websites unusable for 24 hours

Riga, Latvia, February 27, 2024 – Arson attack on’Museum of the Occuption’

London, UK, March 20, 2024 – Wagner-group linked arson attack at warehouse

Wroclaw, Poland, April 18, 2024 – Plot to assassinate Zelensky foiled

Warsaw, Poland, April 13, 2024 – Warsaw shopping centre torched by suspected Russian agent

Berlin, Germany, May 3, 2024 – Cyberattacks on German politicians and companies

Prague, Czechia, May 3, 2024 – Mass cyber attacks on government and infrastructure

Vilnius, Lithuania, May, 9, 2024 – Arson attack on Ikea – targeted as store was same colour as Ukrainian flag

Paris, France, June 7, 2024 – Russian accused of planning plot to plant bomb at D-day celebration

Dusseldorf, Germany, July 122024 – Western intelligence reveal plot to assassinate German arms boss

Birmingham, UK, July 22, 2024 – Russia suspected of planting device at DHL depot

Warsaw, November 8, 2024 – Prosecutors reveal Russian parcel bomb plot across Europe

Vilnius, Lithuania, November 25, 2024 – DHL cargo plane crashes after suspected Russian package bomb

Baltic Sea, December 25, 2024 – Estlink-2 cable cut by ship anchor – one of many cable cutting attacks linked to Russia 

DHL facility.
Google Maps
A DHL warehouse in Birmingham, where a letter bomb sparked a fire last year[/caption] Map illustrating alleged Russian sabotage incidents across Europe.

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