“Unfortunately, there will always be organisations that seek to pirate our game for potential financial gain.

“They don’t invest in pathways or the development of players. They simply exploit the hard work of others, putting players at risk of financial loss while profiting themselves.

“They are, in reality, counterfeiting a code.”

R360 is co-founded by former England World Cup winner Mike Tindall and backed by private investors.

After the prospective rugby union bans were announced last week, it said it wants to “work collaboratively as part of the global rugby calendar,” and that all players would be released for international matches.

“History shows that when athletes are offered free choice and given fresh opportunities for them and their families then threats to those sportsmen and women follow,” R360 co-chief executive Mark Spoors said on Wednesday.

“R360 is about empowering players, giving them, rugby lovers and the next generation of fans opportunities and new platforms to enjoy the sport we love.

“We know there is much interest in understanding more about the global series we’re building. We remain on plan and look forward to sharing and discussing the detail in the coming months.”

R360 will seek approval for its plans from World Rugby, rugby union’s governing body, at its council meeting next year.

Football fans celebrated in Qatar as the country’s football team qualified for next year’s FIFA World Cup, with a 2-1 win over the United Arab Emirates. It’s the first time Qatar has reached a World Cup through competitive qualifiers after hosting the tournament in 2022.

AN ANIMAL charity has called out Katie Price with a brutal Halloween-themed costume and addressing what they deem the “grim fate” of pets in her care.

The shock seasonal dress-up attire, courtesy of PETA, comes against the backdrop of a petition designed at preventing the former glamour model from being a pet-mum, which has now reached more than 37,000 signatures.

It has also reared its head weeks after Katie, 47, welcomed a new puppy to her home.

Previously, the animal rights charity offered the mum of five a whopper £5,000 sum to stop her owning more animals – something which she rejected.

Now they have gone one step further to make their point, creating a £34.99 outfit mimicking KP.

It includes a mask resembling the I’m A Celeb star, a vest with the slogan Grim Reaper and a very eerie coffin filled with animals.

wrong step

Katie Price narrowly avoids stepping on her tiny new puppy

SPEAKING OUT

Major update on Katie Price doc as two of her ex-husbands set to take part

To complete the spooky look, there’s a black and silver scythe included within the Grim Reaper for Pets get-up.

Talking of the significance of the October outfit, PETA Vice President for UK and Europe Mimi Bekhechi told MirrorOnline: “Too many animals have met a grim fate under Katie Price’s ‘guardianship.’

“This Halloween costume may be a joke – but the message is not: being responsible for lives and needs of animals who are entirely dependent on you is serious business.

“And anyone who doesn’t treat it as such needs to stick to stuffed toys.”

They added of the costume: “All proceeds support work to promote responsible animal guardianship, as well as spay/neuter surgeries to help fight the homeless-animal overpopulation crisis!”

Recently, Katie’s home life was thrown into chaos last month when her cat Doris had kittens, yet they became seriously unwell.

NEW POOCH

Earlier this month, Katie took to her Snapchat page to showcase her new tiny puppy cuddling on her shoulder as she told fans she was “so tired”.

In another slide, she spoke of her new family member purely to say: “And this little one just does not leave my side.

“I can’t wait for him to meet Rookie, he’s met all of the other animals.

“This is Rookie’s new little friend for when we go horse riding, walks, everything.”

Katie was recently slammed for allegedly putting black dog Rookie in danger as she headed on a horse ride.

Katie Price – court battles

KATIE Price has had her fair share of brushes with the law. Here we detail four of those:

It came just weeks after she was called out by the animal charity over a “dangerous” move which saw her dog hanging out of her car window.

PET BACKLASH

A petition was previously created to stop Katie from owning animals amid concern for their welfare in her care.

It came about after a number of complaints from fans over how she handles the multiple animals she has owned over the years.

Over the years, a number of tragic incidents involving Katie’s pets have been revealed.

This includes her German Shepherd guard dog being killed after being hit by a vehicle on the A24, which was close to Katie’s East Sussex home.

It happened just seven months after another of Katie’s dogs, Sharon, was killed on the same road.

Katie’s horse was also killed on the A24, after it broke free from her field.

In 2020, her French Bulldog Rolo suffocated after being squashed underneath a chair.

OMAZE-ING

I went from council flat to winning £4m house… But this is why I’m selling up

BOTTOMS UP

Wetherspoons reveals opening dates of 5 new pubs starting next week

Katie also had to give away an out-of-control Alsatian, Bear, for attacking other animals.

A small segment of her furious followers have then quizzed “how are you allowed to keep animals?” as they voiced their anger.

There’s one piece of news seniors on Social Security have been itching to get for months now — news of an official cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, for 2026.

At this point, it’s pretty clear that 2026 is not going to be one of those 0% COLA years. Though there have been 0% COLAs in the past, inflation has risen enough to date that experts can say with confidence that Social Security benefits will, indeed, be going up in the new year. The question is by how much.

Image source: Getty Images.

Current estimates seem to be floating in the 2.7% to 2.8% range. But we won’t know what next year’s COLA is for sure until the Social Security Administration makes its big announcement.

That said, Social Security’s upcoming COLA is probably going to be bad news no matter what it actually amounts to. It’s important to understand why — and take steps to work around that.

Why Social Security’s upcoming COLA probably won’t cut it

There’s a reason not to get too excited about Social Security’s 2026 COLA. That reason boils down to the fact that Social Security COLAs have been failing seniors for decades.

In fact, the Senior Citizens League, an advocacy group, says that seniors on Social Security lost 20% of their buying power between 2010 and 2024 due to insufficient COLAs. So chances are, next year’s COLA won’t keep up with inflation, either.

The problem stems from how Social Security COLAs are calculated. They’re based on annual third-quarter changes to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers.

Now, let’s look at that index’s name carefully. Notice the terms “urban,” “wage earners,” and “clerical workers.” Do those describe the typical Social Security recipient?

It’s true that plenty of retirees reside in cities. But that’s certainly not a given. In fact, many retirees are able to move outside of cities to lower their costs once they no longer have to worry about proximity to a job.

Many Social Security recipients, by nature, are also not workers. They’re retired. So it’s pretty silly to base Social Security COLAs on an index that measures the costs a different subset of people face.

Advocates have been pushing to base Social Security COLAs on the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly, or CPI-E. But lawmakers haven’t exactly been jumping to make that change, so it’s not one to expect anytime soon.

Prepare to be disappointed now

No matter what raise Social Security recipients end up eligible for in 2026, chances are, it won’t cut it. Plus, if you’re on Medicare as well, any increase in the cost of Part B will eat away at your COLA.

If you want to improve your financial picture for 2026, you can’t sit back and wait for your COLA to take effect for that to happen. Instead, you should take matters into your own hands.

Here are some specific steps to take:

• Do a thorough review of your retirement budget
• Identify a few expenses you can reduce or even eliminate
• Explore options for going back to work, whether as an hourly employee or a gig worker
• See if it’s possible to downsize your home or rent out a room for income
• Explore moving in with a family member if money is very tight
• Review your Medicare plan choices carefully during open enrollment to lower your healthcare costs

There may be other steps you can take to improve your finances, too, and it’s worth exploring them. What you don’t want to do is assume that your Social Security COLA will be the solution to your financial problems.

Even if Social Security’s 2026 COLA is more generous than expected, chances are good that it won’t do the job of keeping up with inflation that it’s supposed to. The sooner you’re able to accept that, the sooner you can start making positive changes that have a real effect.

Chris Kreider scored his second power-play goal in his home debut with 1:27 to play, and the Ducks beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 on Tuesday night for its 10th consecutive victory in home openers.

Cutter Gauthier and Drew Helleson also scored and Lukas Dostal made 23 saves for the Ducks, who matched Boston and Toronto for the NHL’s longest active victory streak in home openers.

Kreider, who also had an assist, is off to an outstanding start with four goals in three games for the Ducks after the Rangers traded their longtime left winger last June to create cap space.

Kreider scored the Ducks’ first goal off a slick pass from Leo Carlsson in the first period, and he won it for the Ducks just seven seconds after Parker Wotherspoon went to the penalty box for shooting the puck over the glass.

Justin Brazeau, Rickard Rakell and Anthony Mantha scored and Tristan Jarry stopped 17 shots as Pittsburgh opened a three-game California trip.

Sidney Crosby had two assists to pass Steve Yzerman, one of his boyhood idols, for the ninth-most in NHL history.

The Ducks had the largest crowd in franchise history for the home debut of coach Joel Quenneville, who got loud cheers when introduced. The second-winningest coach in NHL history opened his Ducks tenure with a loss and a win on the road last week.

Brazeau extended his impressive start to his Penguins tenure just 63 seconds after the opening faceoff, redirecting Ryan Shea’s point shot for his fourth goal in four games. Evgeni Malkin also got his sixth assist of the season.

Rakell redirected another shot by Shea for his first career goal against the Ducks, who drafted him in 2011. He spent parts of 10 NHL seasons in Anaheim.

Gauthier tied it late in the first with a one-timer set up by Pavel Mintyukov.

Up next

Penguins: Visit Kings on Thursday.

Ducks: Host Hurricanes on Thursday.

Authorities warn locals and tourists to stay at least 6km away from the site of the volcano and to be ready for evacuation.

Authorities in Indonesia have raised the volcano emergency alert to its highest level after Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted, spewing volcanic ash an estimated 10km (6.2 miles) into the sky.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage on Wednesday, but authorities have warned residents and tourists on the eastern Indonesian island of Flores to keep away from the mountain and prepare for possible evacuation.

“The public should remain calm and follow the local government’s directions and not believe issues from unclear sources,” the country’s Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation said in an alert notice.

The volcano erupted at 1:35am on Wednesday (Tuesday 18:35 GMT) for about nine minutes, Indonesia’s Geological Agency said in a statement, after also erupting two hours earlier.

Muhammad Wafid, head of the Geological Agency, said people should stay at least 6 to 7km (3.7 to 4.3 miles) from the site of the eruption, which saw volcanic materials shoot 10km (6.2 miles) into the sky above the mountain’s 1,584-metre-high (5,080ft) peak.

“People living near the volcano should be aware of the potential volcanic mudflow if heavy rain occurs,” Wafid said, adding that the column of ash from the eruption could “disrupt airport operations and flight paths if it spreads” further.

Authorities have suspended operations at the local Fransiskus Xaverius Seda Airport in the town of Maumere some 60km (37 miles) west of Lewotobi, the airport said on Instagram. The airport will remain closed until Thursday.

In July, the same volcano erupted, sending an 18km-high (11-mile) cloud of ash into the sky and forcing the cancellation of flights at the international airport on the resort island of Bali.

Ten people living in local villages were killed and thousands of houses damaged when the volcano erupted in November 2024, according to reports.

Indonesia, which has more than 120 active volcanoes, sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an area of intense seismic activity stretching from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

On Monday, we reported on Sikorsky’s new U-Hawk cargo helicopter, which is a UH-60 Black Hawk that has been converted into an uncrewed hauler by removing the cockpit and adding clamshell doors in its place, fly-by-wire flight control systems, and additional modifications. You can read all about this aircraft, its genesis, and its capabilities in our report linked here.

Now we have gotten a tour of the actual helicopter on the show floor at the Association of the U.S. Army’s (AUSA) main annual conference just outside of Washington, D.C. Erskine “Ramsey” Bentley, Strategy and Business Development, Advanced Programs at Sikorsky, gave us the walk around, explaining all the U-Hawk’s features.

Check it out in the video below:

Contact the author: [email protected]

Reality television production in Los Angeles declined sharply this summer, leading to a nearly 21% drop in overall TV shoot days, a new report shows.

The total number of shoot days in the greater L.A. area from July to September was 4,380, down 13.2% compared to a year ago, according to data from FilmLA, a nonprofit that handles film permits for the Los Angeles region.

The third-quarter data does not reflect the full effect of the state’s newly bolstered film and TV tax credit program, which was passed this summer.

In the most recent round, 22 TV series were chosen amid a nearly 400% increase in applications, with 18 of those shows primarily filming in the L.A. area.

Projects that received an incentive have 180 days to start production after notice of their award, and it often takes time to commence filming.

Because of that, FilmLA executives were not surprised to see on-location production continue to slip during the summer months.

“Fortunately, we’ve already begun to see early signs of these incentives having their desired effect,” he said. “We’re excited to be taking calls from productions looking to line up their locations and pull permits,” FilmLA Vice President Philip Sokoloski said in a statement.

TV production totaled 1,441 shoot days, down 20.7% compared to the same time period last year. The decline is especially significant because TV is the region’s main driver of production.

Reality TV dropped to 649 shoot days, down 31.4% compared to last year. Other genres of TV production also saw a downturn — drama (down 19%) and pilots (down 34.5%). Production of television comedies, however, was a bright spot with 79 shoot days, up 41.1%.

Feature film production in L.A. also ticked up with 522 shoot days, an increase of 9.7% compared to last year. But commercial production, which does not receive a tax incentive, was down 17.9% to 668 shoot days.

The report’s “other” category, which includes student films, still photo shoots and documentaries, saw a decrease of 9.9% to 1,749 shoot days.

A shoot day represents one crew’s permission to film at a single location in a 24-hour period.

Domingos passed his healthcare course too – and over the next few years, spent time in Spain with second-tier Basketmi Ferrol and top-flight Servigest Burgos, then followed his friend and mentor Bartolo to Portugal to join BC Gaia, all the while racking up international appearances for the country of his birth.

“Spain’s the biggest league in the world,” Domingos said. “It’s the NBA of wheelchair basketball.

“I played alongside two of the best players: Mateusz Filipski – he’s known as wheelchair basketball’s Steph Curry. He can shoot from everywhere. He’s a good leader, an amazing human. And I played alongside Lee Fryer, one of England’s most exciting emerging players.”

But Domingos wanted to come back to England to study, starting a business management degree at the University of Huddersfield – he is set to graduate next summer.

He kept up his fitness playing wheelchair basketball for a team in Wakefield, who shared training facilities with Wheelchair Championship rugby league side Castleford. A friend urged him to sign up with Cas – and everything has snowballed from there.

In April, he scored the winning try as they beat North Wales Crusaders to win the Wheelchair Challenge Trophy, for second-tier clubs. In June, he was called into England’s 17-strong national performance squad.

And then in August, he made the final 10 to fly to Australia – qualifying for the call-up on residency grounds. His domestic season was capped last month when Castleford beat Rochdale in the Wheelchair Championship Grand Final.

“It feels amazing to be part of the Ashes,” he said. “England is a family. I feel privileged to be part of this.

“I think my experiences with Portugal will help me to deal with the pressure. I can take some of the things I’ve learned in professional settings to this.

“At the moment, I’m enjoying this. Everything happens for a reason and you know, if I try to understand the reason, it won’t be so. Whatever happens tomorrow, I’m not sure. I’m hoping it’s a good thing, but I’m living today.”

Oct. 15 (UPI) — The Department of Homeland Security said it has credible intelligence that Mexican cartels have placed bounties on Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection officers.

The Tuesday statement from DHS said criminal networks have instructed “U.S.-based sympathetics,” including Chicago street gangs, to “monitor, harass and assassinate” federal agents.

According to the federal agencies, the cartels are offering $2,000 for gathering intelligence, between $5,000 and $10,000 for kidnapping and assaults on standard ICE and CBP officers and up to $50,000 to assassinate high-ranking officials.

“These criminal networks are not just resisting the rule of law, they are waging an organized campaign of terror against the brave men and women who protected our borders and communities,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said.

ICE has been conducting an immigration crackdown in Chicago, employing aggressive tactics, such as the use of tear gas and forced entries, that have drawn criticism over the use of force and accusations of intimidation against residents. Local leaders have accused the Trump administration of overreach and violating the Constitution.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly attempted to deploy the National Guard to the city, but federal judges have blocked or delayed the move.

“ICE is recklessly throwing tear gas into our neighborhoods and busy streets, including near children at school and CPD officers,” Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said Tuesday in a statement.

“The Trump administration must stop their deployment of dangerous chemical weapons into the air of peaceful American communities.”

Trump has criticized out at Pritzker for resisting troop deployments, saying he and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson “should be in jail for failing to protect Ice Officers.”

According to the DHS, gangs have established so-called spotter networks in Chicago’s Pilsen and Little Village neighborhoods. Groups including the Latin Kins have stationed members on rooftops with firearms and radios to track ICE and CBP movements to disrupt federal immigration raids being conducted under Operation Midway Blitz.

Last week, the Justice Department charged Juan Espinoza Martinez, 37, with one count of murder-for-hire targeting a senior ICE agent involved in the Chicago operation.

Federal prosecutors alleged Martinez, identified as a Latin Kings gang member, sent a Snapchat message offering $10,000 “if u take him down” and $2,000 for information on the agent’s whereabouts.

On Oct. 3, DHS announced that more than 1,000 undocumented migrants had been detained under Operation Midway Blitz, which began Sept. 8.

The State Department says the US has ‘no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans’ after revoking visas over critical social media posts.

The US Department of State says it has revoked the visas of six foreigners over remarks they made on social media about Charlie Kirk, the conservative political activist who was shot dead at a rally in September.

“The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans. The State Department continues to identify visa holders who celebrated the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk,” the department said in a post on X on Tuesday evening in the US.

The post was followed by a list of screenshots and critical remarks from six social media accounts, which the State Department said belonged to individuals from South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, Paraguay and Mexico.

“An Argentine national said that Kirk ‘devoted his entire life spreading racist, xenophobic, misogynistic rhetoric’ and deserves to burn in hell. Visa revoked,” the State Department tweeted along with a screenshot that had the username blacked out.

The screenshot post said Kirk was now somewhere “hot” – an allusion to religious descriptions of hell.

The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans.

The State Department continues to identify visa holders who celebrated the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk. Here are just a few examples of aliens who are no longer welcome in the U.S.:

— Department of State (@StateDept) October 14, 2025

The news from the State Department came as Kirk was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Tuesday by President Donald Trump.

Kirk, who was 31 at the time of his death, was a cofounder of the conservative Turning Point student organisation. He was credited with driving young voters to vote for Trump during last year’s US presidential election.

His death led to a wave of social media commentary on the US left and right about his politics, as Trump elevated him to the status of a “martyr for truth” during a memorial service.

More than 145 people were fired, suspended, or resigned over social media posts or comments about Kirk, according to a New York Times investigation.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously said the Trump administration could revoke the visas of foreign nationals over comments on Kirk, while Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau urged internet users to report social media comments of people applying for US visas.

“I have been disgusted to see some on social media praising, rationalising, or making light of the event, and have directed our consular officials to undertake appropriate action,” Landau tweeted in September. “Please feel free to bring such comments by foreigners to my attention so that the [State Department] can protect the American people.”

In light of yesterday’s horrific assassination of a leading political figure, I want to underscore that foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country. I have been disgusted to see some on social media praising, rationalizing, or making light…

— Christopher Landau (@DeputySecState) September 11, 2025

While the State Department has required visa applicants to share their social media handles on their applications since 2019, in June, it added the provision that student applicants must make all their social media accounts public for government vetting.

The move follows a crackdown on international students who supported pro-Palestine protests on university and college campuses across the US under the Trump administration.

In August, a State Department official told Fox News it had revoked more than 6,000 student visas this year.

About two-thirds of visas were revoked because students reportedly broke US law, the Fox News report said, while “200 to 300” were cancelled because they supported “terrorism” or engaged in “behaviour such as raising funds for the militant group Hamas”.

At the end of Downderry’s shingle and sand, there’s a tumble of rocks and then a long beach stretching eastwards into the distance at the foot of the cliffs. Sitting on the rocks is a man with five raffish dogs that immediately start prowling around me and my partner, Sophie. A wet nose touches my bare calf.

Every long-distance trek has these decisive moments. The South West Coast Path has plenty. Should we stay on the beach, or take to the cliff? What’s the tide doing? And, more immediately, are these dogs going to bite my bum? It has happened to me once before.

“Nice dogs.”

The man shrugs. “They’re all right.”

That’s that sorted then.

“Is there a way up the cliff, off that beach?”

“See the rock?” He points into the far distance where a headland juts out. “Just before that, look for the blue rope. It’s a scramble.” He looks at us, like the director of Poldark assessing extras for a gruelling fight scene with Aidan Turner. “You should manage. Tide’s going out.” He gives a sly grin. “Lovely day for it.”

We thank him and set off. Every journey has its turning points, I reflect, especially when you push off from the safe haven of the guidebook and OS map into the uncharted waters of local knowledge. Boots crunching into shingle, I wonder why he grinned like that. Have we been duped?

I first came to the South West Coast Path as a teenager in 1978 when I heard on the radio that the entire 630-mile route was open. The statistics were what captured my imagination: climb four times the height of Everest, embark on 13 ferries, scale 436 stiles and pass 4,000 signs. That averaged out at one sign every 250 metres, on a path where the sea is always on one side. It was, I told my sceptical parents, impossible to get lost.

With a schoolmate, I hitchhiked to Plymouth where we immediately got lost and spent a miserable night in a concrete underpass. Next day, having hitched to Penzance, we began walking west and made it to Land’s End. It was less than heroic, but over subsequent years I’ve done a lot more of the path, perhaps even most of it. I did not, however, go back to Plymouth. Bad memories. Now I discover that the path west of the city is considered the “forgotten” section, the bit least visited. That intrigues me.

A glance at the map shows how modern road and rail links into Cornwall from Plymouth bypass a sizeable peninsula of land, the Rame, formed by the English Channel, Plymouth Sound, and the rivers Lynher and Tamar. Before those car and train routes were built, travellers bound for Cornwall would usually cross the Rame. They would go down to the city docks and get themselves rowed across the Hamoaze, as this stretch of the Tamar is known, no doubt weaving through a chaotic throng of smacks, sloops, gigs and galleons. In 1811, one such traveller was the artist JMW Turner, who had himself ferried across, then set off walking around the coast, carrying six blank sketchbooks, lots of pencils and a fishing rod. He had been commissioned to contribute to one of the first tourist guides, Picturesque Views on the Southern Coast of England. We are walking the same route, but in the opposite direction.

Back on the beach at Downderry, having checked the tide times on my phone, we decide to trust in the blue rope. At a point where the cliff leaves only a few feet of shingle to pass, we discover why the helpful dog-owner had grinned. There is a naked man standing in the shallows.

British naturism often seems to feature pot-bellied middle-aged men staring out to sea like goose-pimpled Gormley statues. Battern Cliffs, I discover later, is an informal naturist beach.

Further down the strand, past a couple more quasi-Gormleys, we find the blue rope and scramble up through a beautiful cool forest of holm oaks. The plant life on this walk is a never-ending joy: from the tiny details of delicate ferns and spleenworts to the huge columns of giant viper’s bugloss and this sepulchral forest. Buried within the shade, we find the ruins of a Victorian folly, St Germans Hut, and connect back to the coastal path, strolling in sunshine along the tops all the way to Portwrinkle.

When Turner came here, Cornwall was not the tourist honeypot of today. Just a few years before he arrived, the oracle of what was “picturesque”, the Rev William Gilpin, had denounced the county as being “without a single beauty to recommend it”. Other grandees were equally scathing: “brooding evil” and “hideous and wicked” were among the kinder comments. Turner, however, led the vanguard in reassessment, filling his notebooks with quick-fire sketches that deftly captured the spirit of the land.

After a night in a friendly B&B in Sheviock (the owners take us to their favourite pub, the defiantly quirky Rod and Line in Tideford), we rejoin the path at Whitsand golf course. Soon after that, we encounter the biggest irritation of the South West Coast Path, one Turner never had to contend with: the Ministry of Defence. Red flags are flying over Tregantle Down and we’re forced to use the road. I know the Russians are about to invade and we should get ready, but surely they will be repulsed when they see our coastal Gormleys?

Despite the MoD, the next section up to and around Rame Head is one of the best, skirting secret little sandy coves and finishing along Plymouth Sound into the pretty village of Cawsand. This place has a fine seafood restaurant, The Bay, and some good pubs. (There is also a foot passenger summer ferry to Plymouth if you want to skip ahead.)

We stay the night nearby, then walk through the shady 865-acre Mount Edgcumbe country park. The gardens are filled with camellia varieties, but I’ve just missed the flowers, sadly. Get there in May, I reckon.

Emerging on the Tamar River, we catch the Cremyll foot ferry across the Narrows to Plymouth. If I still have bitter memories of that night in the concrete underpass in 1978, they are soon dispelled. The revitalised Royal William Yard is now home to a brewery, cafes and art studios. The sun is shining and there are warships manoeuvring out in the Sound. We stroll around to the Hoe where, during the summer of 1815, huge crowds gathered to watch a pot-bellied middle-aged man stare out to sea from the deck of another warship, the 74-gun Battle of Trafalgar veteran, HMS Bellerophon. Her cargo was the captured Emperor Napoleon, held here before being shipped to Saint Helena. The crowds cheered, causing outrage in some quarters.

We wander down to the refurbished lido and spot a set of steps and terraces. The sea is full of people swimming out to a couple of floating platforms. I have swum every day of this walk and I do so again. Plymouth and this forgotten slice of Cornwall, I have to admit, has fully redeemed itself.

The trip was provided by Inntravel, which has a six-night walking tour of Cornwall’s south-east coast with breakfasts, luggage transfers and route maps from £1,035

Expedia has released its top travel trends for 2026 – including ‘Fan Voyage’, ‘Salvaged Stays’, and ‘Hotel Hop’ – and the destinations to visit for a ‘smart’ holiday

The ‘Unpack ’26’ report from travel giants Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo has revealed the top holiday trends for the year ahead, including ‘Fan Voyage’, ‘Hotel Hop’, and ‘Salvaged Stays’. The report, which surveyed 24,000 people across 18 countries, shows a growing trend of travellers booking trips specifically to experience immersive local activities.

‘Fan Voyage’ holidays combine travel with unique regional sporting activities, such as Sumo Wrestling in Japan or curling in Canada, according to Expedia. Meanwhile, ‘Salvaged Stay’ sees holidaymakers blending historical architecture with modern amenities, opting for upcycled retreats like former schoolhouses, train stations, and banks. As a result, Hotels.com has seen a surge in searches for these types of stays.

The emerging trend of ‘Hotel Hop’ is being driven by two thirds of British millennial travellers who are making every trip count by booking multiple hotels within a single destination. This is fuelled by a desire to explore different neighbourhoods (58%) and keep trips varied (52%).

Expedia has also unveiled its 2026 Destinations of the Year list, based on real-time data from millions of daily visitors to its site and app. Six of these hotspots meet the criteria for the brand’s new Smart Travel Health Check , a first-in-travel framework, inspired by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

It acknowledges destinations that strive to provide meaningful travel experiences whilst proactively managing tourism in a sustainable manner. The leading locations featured Big Sky in Montana, USA, Okinawa in Japan, Hobart in Australia and Savoie in France, which has witnessed a 51% surge in searches.

Ariane Gorin, CEO of Expedia Group, said: “Some of my most unforgettable travel moments come from immersing myself in local cultures, supporting local economies, and exploring less-travelled destinations.

“We have a responsibility to shape the future of travel: one that’s smarter, more sustainable, and deeply respectful of the places we go.”

Christopher Imbsen, vice president policy at WTTC, added: “Expedia’s Smart Travel Health Check is an innovative initiative that reflects the urgent need to embrace responsible growth models that safeguard communities, protect cultural and natural heritage, and ensure the long-term resilience of destinations.”

Research carried out on behalf of the Vrbo division of the firm discovered that trips in 2026 are driven by 91% who are pursuing breaks centred on reading, relaxation, and precious time with family.

As #BookTok continues to rule social media, fascination with literary-themed journeys – ‘Readaways’ – is also soaring, with Pinterest searches for “book club retreat ideas” climbing 265%. And reading-related phrases in the holiday rental firm’s guest reviews have almost trebled.

The ‘slow travel’ trend is on the rise, with a whopping 84% of holidaymakers keen to stay on or near a farm. Meanwhile, ‘Set-Jetting’, travelling to locations inspired by TV shows and films, is making a big comeback.

While we’re still waiting for official confirmation of The White Lotus’s next filming location in France, the 2026 Set-Jetting Forecast has unveiled the next hotspots for film-inspired getaways – including Tuscany, Italy, brought to life by Jay Kelly, and Yorkshire, made famous by Wuthering Heights and Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale.

Here are the top holiday trends for 2026:

1. Fan Voyage (Expedia) – Mixing travel with unique sporting activities
2. Salvaged Stays (Hotels.com) – Seeking out hotels with distinctive architecture but modern amenities
3. Hotel Hop (Hotels.com) – Holidays featuring more than one accommodation venue
4. Readaways (Vrbo) – Breaks based on reading-related themes like ‘reading retreat’
5. Farm Charm (Vrbo) – Holidays centred around terms like ‘farm’ or ‘homestead’ for a cosy escape
6. Set-Jetting Forecast (Expedia) – Holidays inspired by TV shows and films

Lesley’s time in the Bake Off tent came to an end after a tough meringue-themed week saw her struggle to impress the judges and become the seventh contestant to leave the competition

Hairdresser Lesley has become the seventh baker to be eliminated from The Great British Bake Off after struggling during the show’s first-ever meringue-themed week.

In Tuesday night’s episode, the remaining contestants were faced with three demanding challenges designed to test their precision and patience.

For the signature bake, they were asked to create mini meringue tarts, followed by a classic yet notoriously tricky soufflé in the technical round.

Finally, the showstopper challenge required the bakers to produce a visually impressive meringue ice cream cake – a task that pushed even the most confident contestants to their limits.

Despite her best efforts, Lesley’s bakes failed to impress the judges, and she was told by co-host Alison Hammond that her time in the tent had come to an end.

READ MORE: Joe Swash admits huge ‘identity struggle’ after family tragedy leaves ‘big gulf’READ MORE: Mary Berry ‘still thinks about her son every day’ since his tragic death

Business development executive Toby, meanwhile, was named star baker by presenter Noel Fielding after delivering consistently strong results across all three challenges.

Lesley, 59, from Kent, admitted she had expected her departure. “Do you know what, I knew it was coming,” she said.

“It’s like ripping the plaster off! Thanks so much for the experience, it has been amazing. I couldn’t get my meringue right and had resigned myself to the fact I’d be going. But I’m proud that I made it to week seven. The other bakers gave me a massive cuddle, which meant the world.”

Judge Dame Prue Leith praised Lesley for her enthusiasm and warmth throughout the competition. “I’m really sorry to see Lesley go,” she said.

“She’s a remarkable woman and, in a way, she’s my ideal baker – she’s just really having a good time. That’s what Bake Off is all about.”

Following her exit, Lesley reflected on how much she had gained from her time in the famous tent. “I think I’ve grown as a person and feel more confident in myself and my abilities,” she said.

“I’ve learned new skills, trusted my gut feeling, and realised you need to step through fear and take yourself out of your comfort zone, that’s how you grow. I’ve had the time of my life.”

Having baked since the age of ten, Lesley said her highlight on the show was “winning the technical in chocolate week.”

Looking ahead, she hopes to open a small baking school, run a “cake shed” where people can buy homemade treats, and write a cookbook inspired by her late grandmother’s traditional recipes.

Lesley will appear on The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice with Jo Brand and Tom Allen on Friday, October 17, at 8pm on Channel 4.

Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads.

READ MORE: Maura Higgins says affordable £10 root spray ‘saves her life’ and covers grey hairs

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected an appeal from conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and left in place the $1.4-billion judgment against him over his description of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting as a hoax staged by crisis actors.

The Infowars host had argued that a judge was wrong to find him liable for defamation and infliction of emotional distress without holding a trial on the merits of allegations lodged by relatives of victims of the shooting, which killed 20 first-graders and six educators in Newtown, Conn.

The justices did not comment on their order, which they issued without asking the families of the Sandy Hook victims to respond to Jones’ appeal. An FBI agent who responded to the shooting also sued.

A lawyer who represents Sandy Hook families said the Supreme Court had properly rejected Jones’ “latest desperate attempt to avoid accountability for the harm he has caused.”

“We look forward to enforcing the jury’s historic verdict and making Jones and Infowars pay for what they have done,” lawyer Christopher Mattei said in a statement.

A lawyer representing Jones in the case didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment. During his daily show on Tuesday, Jones said his lawyers believed his case was “cut and dry,” while he had predicted the high court wouldn’t take up his appeal.

“I said no, they will not do it because of politics,” Jones said.

Jones mocked the idea that he has enough money to pay the judgment, saying his studio equipment, including five-year-old cameras, was only worth about $304,000.

“It’s all about torturing me. It’s all about harassing me. It’s about harassing my family. It’s about getting me off the air,” said Jones, who urged his listeners to buy merchandise to keep the show running.

Jones filed for bankruptcy in late 2022, and his lawyers told the justices that the “plaintiffs have no possible hope of collecting” the entire judgment.

He is separately appealing a $49-million judgment in a similar defamation lawsuit in Texas after he failed to turn over documents sought by the parents of another Sandy Hook victim.

In the Connecticut case, the judge issued a rare default ruling against Jones and his company in late 2021 because of what she called Jones’ repeated failure to abide by court rulings and to turn over certain evidence to the Sandy Hook families. The judge convened a jury to determine how much Jones would owe.

The following year, the jury agreed on a $964-million verdict and the judge later tacked on another $473 million in punitive damages against Jones and Free Speech Systems, Infowars’ parent company, which is based in Austin, Texas.

In November, the satirical news outlet The Onion was named the winning bidder in an auction to liquidate Infowars’ assets to help pay the defamation judgments. But the bankruptcy judge threw out the auction results, citing problems with the process and The Onion’s bid.

The attempt to sell off Infowars’ assets has moved to a Texas state court in Austin. Jones is now appealing a recent order from the court that appointed a receiver to liquidate the assets. Some of Jones’ personal property is also being sold off as part of the bankruptcy case.

Sherman writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Susan Haigh in Hartford, Conn., contributed to this report.

MONDAY’S RESULTS

CITY SECTION

Bell 24, South East 0

Birmingham 46, Chatsworth 0

Diego 12, TEACH Tech 7

Dorsey 45, Dymally 0

Dorsey 19, Washington 6

Eagle Rock 60, Roybal 0

El Camino Real 18, Taft 0

Fremont 30, Hawkins 8

GALA 7, Fremont 0

GALA 13, Hawkins 6

Garfield 18, Bell 8

Jefferson 40, West Adams 0

Jefferson d. Stella, forfeit

L.A. Marshall 47, Bernstein 21

Lincoln 20, Roybal 0

Panorama 39, Chavez 0

Panorama 28, Chavez 0

San Pedro 13, Narbonne 6

San Pedro 19, King/Drew 0

Santee 10, Manual Arts 0

Santee 29, Los Angeles 0

South East 18, South Gate 6

West Adams d. Stella, forfeit

Wilmington Banning 12, Carson 0

SOUTHERN SECTION

Alemany 26, Village Christian 12

Anaheim 26, Estancia 0

Anaheim Canyon 19, Crean Lutheran 12

Antelope Valley 26, Knight 0

Beckman 34, Aliso Niguel 32

Bellflower 20, Fairmont Prep 6

Bishop Amat 26, Ontario Christian 0

Brentwood 41, Immaculate Heart 0

California 25, Santa Fe 12

Canyon Springs 32, San Gorgonio 6

Channel Islands 38, Fillmore 0

Chaparral 8, Murrieta Mesa 0

Chino 12, Don Lugo 0

Chino Hills 27, St. Lucy’s 12

Compton Early College 32, Compton Centennial 0

Corona del Mar 26, El Modena 12

Corona Santiago 24, Eastvale Roosevelt 22

Covina 13, Hacienda Heights Wilson 13

Dominguez 24, La Mirada 14

Eastside 27, Littlerock 0

Edison 21, Los Alamitos 6

Etiwanda 13, Rancho Cucamonga 0

Fullerton 43, Tustin 7

Gabrielino 40, Arroyo 18

Great Oak 13, Temecula Valley 6

Hart 14, Saugus 0

Hemet 46, Riverside North 0

Highland 6, Quartz Hill 0

Huntington Beach 40, Fountain Valley 12

Indio 18, Palm Springs 7

Keppel 20, Bell Gardens 6

Lancaster 45, Palmdale 0

La Serna 24, Whittier 0

La Palma Kennedy 19, Laguna Hills 13

Loma Linda Academy 24, La Sierra 19

Los Amigos 25, Magnolia 0

Millikan 48, Long Beach Cabrillo 0

Newport Harbor 45, Marina 6

Norco 32, Corona 14

Norte Vista 14, Ramona 8

Northwood 33, Rosary Academy 12

Ontario 33, Montclair 19

Orange 54, Pomona 0

Palos Verdes 46, Peninsula 6

Portola 33, Irvine University 0

Redlands Adventist Academy 20, Patriot 7

Riverside King 25, Corona Centennial 19

Rowland 21, Northview 12

Saddleback 46, Western 8

San Dimas 38, Colony 6

San Marino 20, La Canada 19

Santa Ana Valley 13, Bolsa Grande 12

Santa Paula 41, Hueneme 0

Schurr 32, Montebello 0

Segerstrom 13, Westminster 7

South El Monte 20, El Monte 0

South Hills 7, Alta Loma 0

Tesoro 27, Capistrano Valley 0

Upland 53, Los Osos 25

Valencia 13, Golden Valley 6

Vasquez 13, Castaic 6

Warren 46, Norwalk 0

West Covina 30, Charter Oak 6

Western Christian 18, Linfield Christian 12

Woodbridge 33, Sage Hill 7

TUESDAY’S RESULTS

SOUTHERN SECTION

Ayala 18, Glendora 0

Burbank Burroughs 13, Paramount 6

Cajon 30, Beaumont 14

Camarillo 38, Royal 7

Canyon Springs 32, Lakeside 6

Citrus Valley 27, Yucaipa 0

El Modena , El Dorado

El Toro 18, Mission Viejo 12

Eitwanda 19, Upland 18

Indio 18, Palm Desert 14

Inglewood 38, Beverly Hills 0

JSerra 25, Mater Dei 0

Lakewood St. Joseph 26, St. Mary’s Academy 6

Lawndale 32, Leuzinger 13

Los Osos 34, St. Lucy’s 12

Newbury Park 39, Thousand Oaks 20

Nogales 14, Rowland 0

Norte Vista 14, Loma Linda Academy 13

Nuview 13, California Military Institute 6

Ontario 21, Chaffey 7

Orange Lutheran 28, Santa Margarita 2

Oxnard 38, Buena 0

Patriot 52, La Sierra 0

Ramona 20, Redlands Adventist Academy 6

Rancho Cucamonga 25, Chino Hills 6

Redlands East Valley 33, Redlands 0

Redondo Union 20, Mira Costa 0

Riverside North 19, Riverside Poly 6

San Clemente 38, Tesoro 25

San Marcos 40, Oxnard Pacifica 0

Santa Fe 21, Orange 6

Santa Monica 33, Culver City 0

SEED: L.A. 6, Providence 0

Segerstrom 19, La Palma Kennedy 12

South Torrance 25, North Torrance 15

Temecula Prep 18, San Jacinto Valley Academy 7

Torrance 40, West Torrance 6

Trabuco Hills 25, San Juan Hills 13

Workman 19, La Puente 6

INTERSECTIONAL

Chaminade 26, El Camino Real 7

Gennadiy Trukhanov is alleged to have Russian citizenship, which is prohibited in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stripped the mayor of Odesa, Gennadiy Trukhanov, of Ukrainian citizenship over allegations that he possesses a Russian passport.

The Ukrainian leader has instead appointed a military administration to run the country’s biggest port city on the Black Sea, with a population of about 1 million.

“The Ukrainian citizenship of the mayor of Odesa, Gennadiy Trukhanov, has been suspended,” Ukraine’s SBU security service announced on the Telegram messaging app on Tuesday, citing a decree signed by Zelenskyy.

The SBU accused the mayor of “possessing a valid international passport from the aggressor country”.

Ukraine prohibits its citizens from also holding citizenship in Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and the move against Trukhanov could see him deported from the country.

In a post on social media, Zelenskyy said he had held a meeting with the head of the SBU, which had reported on “countering Russian agent networks and collaborators in the front-line and border regions, as well as in the south of our country”.

The SBU chief “confirmed… the fact that certain individuals hold Russian citizenship – relevant decisions regarding them have been prepared. I have signed the decree”, Zelenskyy said.

I held a meeting on the security situation in some of our regions – these are matters of principle.

Head of the Security Service of Ukraine Vasyl Maliuk reported on countering Russian agent networks and collaborators in the frontline and border regions, as well as in the south… pic.twitter.com/MxKyKjPYc9

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 14, 2025

“Far too many security issues in Odesa have remained unanswered for far too long,” the president also said, according to reports, without providing specific details.

A former member of parliament, Trukhanov has been the mayor of Odesa since 2014. He has consistently denied accusations of holding Russian citizenship, an allegation that has dogged him throughout his political career.

“I have never received a Russian passport. I am a Ukrainian citizen,” Trukhanov stressed in a video message posted on Telegram following the announcement of his citizenship revocation.

Trukhanov said he would “continue to perform the duties of elected mayor” as long as possible and that he would take the case to court.

Images of a Russian passport allegedly belonging to Trukhanov have been shared widely on social media in Ukraine.

SBU says: pic.twitter.com/fcRe8acOgo

— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) October 14, 2025

Once considered a politician with pro-Russian leanings, Trukhanov pivoted after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and has publicly condemned Moscow while focusing on defending Odesa and aiding the Ukrainian army.

A source familiar with the matter told the Reuters news agency that Zelenskyy had also removed the Ukrainian citizenships of two other people.

Local media outlet The Kyiv Independent identified the two as Ukrainian ballet dancer Sergei Polunin, a vocal supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and former Ukrainian politician and now alleged Russian collaborator Oleg Tsaryov.

Polunin, who sports a large tattoo of Putin on his chest, was born in southern Ukraine but obtained Russian citizenship in 2018. He supported Russia’s 2022 invasion and, earlier in 2014, backed Russia’s annexation of Crimea, where he lived and worked.

In July, Zelenskyy revoked the citizenship of Metropolitan Onufriy, the head of the formerly Moscow-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

The White House says it will release a list of programmes to be cut on Friday after earlier eliminating 4,200 positions at a range of government departments.

President Donald Trump has renewed his threat to cut “Democrat programmes” as the United States government shutdown heads into its fifteenth day without resolution.

“The Democrats are getting killed on the shutdown because we’re closing up programmes that are Democrat programmes that we were opposed to… and they’re never going to come back in many cases,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday, according to ABC News.

Trump said a list of programmes may be released as soon as Friday, although he did not provide further details in his remarks. He said that “Republican programmes” would be safe.

Trump has already used the government shutdown to pause or cut $28bn in federal funding for infrastructure and energy projects in Democrat-leaning states like California, Illinois and New York.

The White House has also started making cuts to the federal workforce. About 4,200 employees from eight government departments and agencies received “reduction-in-force notices” on Friday, according to CNBC.

Major cuts were made at the Treasury Department, the Health and Human Services Department, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Some programmes on the chopping block included those historically supported by Republicans as well as Democrats. They included the entire staff of the Treasury Department’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, which works with low-income communities, according to CNBC.

There are about 2.25 million civilian federal employees, according to the Congressional Budget Office, of whom some 60 percent work in the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security.

Approximately 750,000 federal employees have been on furlough since the shutdown began two weeks ago, while “essential” workers have continued working without pay until they can be reimbursed when the shutdown ends.

The White House says it will take the unusual move of reallocating $8bn in existing funds to keep paying military and coastguard personnel throughout the shutdown, although historically, they also work without pay.

The Senate remains deadlocked over a government spending bill needed to end the shutdown.

A Republican-backed spending bill, which would have extended government funding to November 21, on Monday failed in a vote of 49 to 45, broadly down party lines.

The bill needs 60 votes to pass, but Republicans have failed to sway more Democrats to their side after gaining the support of a few individual legislators. Democrats are blocking the bill to force Republicans to negotiate on healthcare subsidies.

The best city in the world to visit, according to a survey of global tourists, is just a three-hour flight from the UK and can be reached for as little as £20

A survey has revealed which city global travellers think is the very best to visit – and it’s a short flight from the UK.

Depending on who you ask, you might get a different answer as to which city in the world is the best to visit. But this location is the hottest European capital in October and has plenty of history for culture vultures to sink their teeth into.

The best city in the world for tourists, according to responses gathered by top tourism publication Condé Nast Traveller, is Valletta.

READ MORE: ‘I visited French city for cheaper than day trip to London using Eurostar hack’READ MORE: Pretty UK city has miles of Roman walls that are the ‘best in Britain’

The capital of Malta is only a three-hour flight from the UK, and journeys there can be nabbed on budget airlines for as little as £20. The survey asked tourists questions in several categories, combining responses to then come up with an overall satisfaction score for countries around the world. Valletta got an impressive 97.33 out of 100.

The travel publication recently released the results of its 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards, reports the Express. Tourists were asked about a range of things, including a city’s walkability, cultural gems, nightlife, hotels and more.

Condé Nast described the “sun-soaked capital” as feeling both “ancient and fresh” at the same time. They also praised the Maltese capital for having “one of Europe’s buzziest creative scenes bubbling above foundations built by knights”.

Valletta, a small but mighty city with just over 5,000 residents, attracts a multitude of visitors each year due to its splendid weather and captivating history.

There’s no shortage of attractions in this city. The top-rated tourist spot is St John’s Pro Cathedral, a magnificent structure dating back to the 1500s. The city’s military and maritime history are significant aspects of Valletta and Malta as a whole. Other popular attractions that delve into this aspect include Lascaris War Rooms, Saluting Battery and the National War Museum.

Tourists also enjoy visiting Upper Barrakka Gardens, Valletta Waterfront, Grand Master’s Palace and Barrakka Lift. Beyond Valletta, the wider area of Malta, which spans only 122 square miles, offers even more to explore.

READ MORE: Gorgeous European destination is 25C in October and has ‘almost no crowds’

Malta’s best beaches include the renowned Blue Lagoon, Mellieha Beach, St Peter’s Pool, Romla Bay, Golden Bay, Golden Sands Beach and Armier Bay Beach.

If you’re after good weather, Valletta is the place to be. The hottest months are July and August, with temperatures reaching around 32C. Even as the UK turns chilly and dark, Valletta continues to enjoy pleasant weather.

In October, you can expect highs of 25C, while November sees highs of 21C. Even in January and February, temperatures reach up to 16C and rarely drop below 9C.

A LITTLE Mix feud has arisen once more after Perrie Edwards mysteriously removed her like on Jesy Nelson’s body positivity post – just hours after her “olive branch”.

The two women previously fell out when Jesy, 34, left the band in 2020, with Perrie describing her leaving as “losing a limb”.

Today Jesy, who gave birth prematurely in May following complications, posted a slew of sweet snaps on Instagram of herself with her post-pregnancy body holding her babies.

The singer told fans she had “never felt prouder” of her body, having always struggled with self image.

However, in what appeared to be an “olive branch” following a five year fall out, her former Little Mix bandmate Perrie Edwards “liked” the candid post.

This didn’t go unnoticed by fans who shared their excitement on X/Twitter.

BODY GOALS

Jesy Nelson shares striking pics as she shows her ‘boobs and belly’ after birth

Band Rift

Jesy Nelson snubbed by former Little Mix bandmates after announcing engagement

One tweeted:”Perrie Edwards liked Jesy Nelsons post on Instagram… I am dreaming?”

While another said: “Perrie liked Jesy’s post, mixerland is healing, I can go party with Jade in peace.”

Another said: “Perrie has extended an olive branch to Jesy!”

But their excitement was short-lived, as mysteriously Perrie no longer likes the post.

It’s not known why the singer suddenly removed her ‘like’ on Jesy’s post.

Perrie recently said “it was like losing a limb” when her friend left Little Mix in 2020.

Jesy quit the band in 2020 for health reasons, with the others taking a break since 2022.

Speaking about how their friendship ended after Jesy left Little Mix, Perrie said told Glamour UK: “It’s about a friendship that I once had, that I no longer have anymore.

“We talk about breakups and heartbreak, but we don’t normally talk about friendships that break down. 

‘And it was like losing a limb. I was with her every day. We lived in each other’s pockets.”

Although Perrie may have removed her ‘like’, Jesy’s post did receive a lot of positive feedback from fellow celebrity mums:

Singer Jessie J wrote: “This is the energy for life. YOU are beautiful.”

While Geordie Shore star Holly Hagan said: “I wish you could have seen yourself through our eyes, you have always been so beautiful.”

Love Island legend Shaughna Phillips added: “Incredible woman, incredible mama.”

Jesy’s full inspiring post read: “I never thought it would have taken two beautiful girls, that I could’ve potentially lost, to make me realise how incredible my body actually is.

“33 years of extreme diets, of putting myself down and almost going through with a boob job, to standing here having this photo taken.

“I can honestly say I’ve never felt prouder of my body and what it has been through!

“Yes my boobs hang lower and my belly is bigger and squishier — it doesn’t look how it used to, but my god it created the best gift that has happened to me.”

Jesy was trolled about her weight in her Little Mix fame.

She hit back in 2018, posing naked with bandmates Perrie, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, and Jade Thirlwall, with slurs written on their bodies to plug single Strip.

She adds: “I never want my girls to feel the way I did about my body for so many years.

“So to all the future mummies or those who have just given birth, if you’re struggling with how you are feeling in yourself or are maybe even feeling the pressure to ‘snap back’ just take a moment to remember what you did!

“Be kinder to yourself, and remember you are incredible.”

OMAZE-ING

I went from council flat to winning £4m house… But this is why I’m selling up

BOTTOMS UP

Wetherspoons reveals opening dates of 5 new pubs starting next week

A friend told The Sun: “Becoming a mum has been the making of Jesy.

“She has found inner peace.”