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NEW images have revealed what to expect from the first ever bunk beds launching on a plane – that even economy passengers can book.

First announced back in 2020, Air New Zealand will be rolling out the new sleeping options later this year.

Called the Skynest, there will be six bunks, each with lie flat beds, measuring around 6ft6 in length and 64cm wide.

All passengers who book them will be given fresh sheets, blankets and pillows, as well as amenity kits containing eye masks, ear plugs, socks, toothbrush and toothpaste, and hand cream.

The seats have privacy curtains, as well a small bag storage area, USB charging and flight attendant call buttons.

Each one can be booked for four hour slots, which is an additional cost on a standard economy seat or premium economy seat.

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Once the four hour session is over, lights will slowly turn on and crew will wake passengers up to go back to their seats.

Each flight will have two sessions, meaning 12 passengers per flight can book it.

No kids are allowed however – passengers must be over 15 to sleep in them.

Air New Zealand boss Nikhil Ravishankar told USA Today: “We really do hope that this starts a bit of a revolution in economy class travel, where sleep becomes available to more customers.

“One sleep in New York, you wake up, and you’re in one of the most beautiful countries in the world.”

Booking for the beds will open on May 18, with them being rolled out by November.

Prices start from $495 (£365).

They will initially only be on flights between New York and Auckland but they will be rolled out on other services eventually.

They could also be expanded to include more than six beds, depending on demand.

Air New Zealand previously rolled out the Skycouch seats in economy, the first in the world to do so.

Having launched back in 2010, Skycouch allows passengers to book a row of seats and turn them into a bed.

Other airlines such as United Airlines recently revealed plans for similar ‘economy bed’ options, called the ‘relaxed row’.

Thai Airways is also launching lie flat beds in premium economy.

The “Heartstopper” universe began as a small web comic that gained traction on Tumblr nearly a decade ago. It’s now a global phenomenon.

Alice Oseman’s fictional world, where LGBTQ+ teenagers freely explore love, friendship and identity, expanded first to graphic novels before being turned into a hugely popular Netflix series.

The rom-com, which debuted in 2021, is part of a growing portfolio of young adult book adaptations that have flooded streaming platforms in recent years. Hulu’s college drama “Tell Me Lies” and HBO Max’s hockey romance “Heated Rivalry” have become pop culture sensations, joining hits like Amazon Prime Video’s “The Summer I Turned Pretty” and the “To All the Boys” trilogy on Netflix.

“We really thought it was going to be quite a niche show that was seen by a specific group of people,” Oseman said of “Heartstopper.” “It kind of blasted up beyond our expectations.”

After three seasons on the streaming giant, the British coming-of-age series will conclude with a film later this year.

Corinna Brown and Kizzy Edgell starred in Alice Oseman’s queer romance “Heartstopper.”

(Teddy Cavendish / Netflix)

These adaptations often tell tales as old as time of young love and emotional turmoil, but it’s the diverse representation that draws audiences in, said Yalda T. Uhls, founder and chief executive of UCLA’s Center for Scholars & Storytellers.

Audiences gravitate toward authenticity, Uhls added. Young people increasingly want to see stories that reflect their lives, according to a survey administered by Uhls’ nonprofit last year.

“It has to resonate and feel authentic to the time,” Uhls said. “This generation really sees stereotypes pretty quickly … they’ll see inappropriate behavior quickly, and they will call it out.”

Viewers are hungry for diverse casting and storylines across Hollywood. Last year, audiences showed up to the theater at higher rates for movies that had people of color in the cast, according to the annual UCLA Hollywood Diversity Report, released in March.

Netflix’s focus on YA adaptations has paid off, driving more than 1.2 billion total views worldwide in 2025. Audiences are drawn to the platform’s fresh and inclusive interpretations of the genre, said Jinny Howe, Netflix’s head of scripted series for the U.S. and Canada.

“It is still harder to get marginalized stories sort of made and seen by people, but ‘Heartstopper’ is part of that journey,” said Oseman, who also serves as series creator and executive producer.

Lovie Simone plays track star Keisha Clark in “Forever,” a reimagining of Judy Blume’s 1975 novel.

(Elizabeth Morris / Netflix)

“Forever,” a reimagining of Judy Blume’s 1975 book that debuted on Netflix last year, follows two young Black protagonists who fall in love in Los Angeles. The audience had “such a fervent passion for that story, I think, because of the specificity of those perspectives,” Howe said. “Los Angeles was really seen through these eyes.” The show’s second season will reportedly start filming in May.

Prime Video has leaned heavily into the genre, platforming hits like “Maxton Hall,” “Red, White & Royal Blue” and “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” which wrapped up a three-season run last year and has a film in the works.

Young adult adaptations are at the core of the platform’s broader efforts to champion diversity in storytelling, said Peter Friedlander, Prime Video’s head of global TV.

“We’re always looking for shows that give a reflection or a window into other people’s stories,” said Friedlander, also former head of U.S. and Canadian scripted series at Netflix. “This business has been building for a long time, and it’s exciting to see what’s coming out of it.”

Representation in these shows, however, is still far from perfect, said Nicholas Rickards, a doctoral candidate at Brock University in Ontario, Canada, whose research focuses on YA adaptations. Many shows that center a woman of color often still feature white male love interests, he said.

“Studios aren’t totally prepared to tell that story yet,” he said.

Filling a YA void

Streaming platforms’ focus on YA adaptations came as cable TV, which previously dominated the genre, tapered off.

YA retellings had long captivated audiences, finding widespread success during the 2010s. Networks like the CW and Freeform reigned then, airing now-classic teen dramas like “Pretty Little Liars” and “The Vampire Diaries.” The “Twilight” and “Hunger Games” universes and John Green book adaptations also dominated the box office.

Then the entertainment landscape changed. Social media and streaming became preferred modes of content consumption for young audiences, paving the way for platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+ and HBO Max. Diverse storylines, coupled with the global reach of streaming platforms, have reignited an explosion of YA adaptations, and it’s a race that isn’t slowing down.

Younger generations are often difficult to attract, and YA reimaginings are just one way platforms are trying to break into the teenage demographic, said Jennifer Hessler, an assistant professor of cinema and media studies at the University of Southern California.

Lola Tung’s Belly is in a love triangle with Gavin Casalegno’s Jeremiah and Christopher Briney’s Conrad in “The Summer I Turned Pretty.”

(Erika Doss / Prime Video)

Netflix’s initial breakout success in the genre came with the release of “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” a movie trilogy adapted from books written by Jenny Han, who’s also behind “The Summer I Turned Pretty.” The movies became massive hits and continue to drive viewership, drawing more than 55 million views globally last year, nearly eight years after the first film’s release, according to Netflix.

Younger generations are the target demographic of YA series at Prime Video, but the shows attract audiences of all ages, Friedlander said. Identifying and helping cultivate fresh storylines driven by relatable characters are integral to that success.

“If you really make the best version of a story, it can ripple out among different fandoms,” Friedlander said. “I do think that’s the ability of what streaming platforms can achieve as well, because you can really introduce the narrative to wider audiences.”

Made for streaming

Netflix doesn’t have a formula for a breakout success, Howe said, but strong voices that feel universal must be at the show’s core.

Jeff Norton, whose work focuses on book-to-screen adaptations, said he looks for characters he can fall in love with when choosing books to pitch for development.

“That’s the most important thing — to find a main character or a set of characters that I think the audience will resonate with,” said Norton, who is an executive producer of Netflix’s “Geek Girl,” which was greenlit for a second season.

The structures of young adult novels “lend themselves really nicely” to short TV series, Howe said, because it allows fans “to have more time as they’re living inside of these worlds and these experiences — it’s just that much more enriching.”

Streaming platforms usually release shorter seasons, often with six to 10 episodes — about half the episode order of a typical cable TV series.

Balancing the expectations of a book’s existing fandom while trying to attract a new audience is a major component of Friedlander’s role, he said, adding that “the television medium will often demand that you do change some of the journey along the way so it fits the rhythm.”

Norton, the showrunner of Netflix’s “Finding Her Edge,” said much of that show’s plot diverges from Jennifer Iacopelli’s novel. However, he focused on maintaining the book’s tone and found “the readership is actually very forgiving if you keep the characters whole and intact, but give them more to do.”

Oseman’s shift from novelist to TV writer — and now screenwriter — came with a steep learning curve. The growing pains were worth it, she said, because her story reached audiences who might never have picked up her books. Visual media has been crucial in bridging that gap.

“I want young queer people to be able to see themselves in the stories that they’re consuming,” she said. “I really hope that the existence of ‘Heartstopper’ will encourage people who are commissioning TV and movies … to take a chance.”

THE UK is home to some of the world’s most stunning coastlines, but a stay at a “big name” resort can end up costing you more than a week in the Med.

Not to worry, we’ve unearthed the seaside spots which offer an unforgettable staycation without spending a fortune.

Follow The Sun’s award-winning travel team on Instagram and Tiktok for top holiday tips and inspiration

Whether you’re after a classic bucket-and-spade stay with a nostalgic promenade, or looking for those off the beaten path hiking spots, we’ve got you covered.

Best of all, we’ve found 2026 staycation deals starting from as little as £49 – meaning your next seaside escape could cost less than going out for dinner.

Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire

Often overshadowed by Skegness, Cleethorpes is an underrated seaside town on the east Lincolnshire coast.

This family-friendly resort town boasts miles of unspoilt soft sands, with a traditional pier and promenade.

In the central promenade area you’ll find an abundance of activities such as bowling, crazy golf and seaside amusements.

The Lollipop Land Train is a big hit with kids, taking you on a scenic ride along the seafront for just £2 each way – plus kids come away with a lollipop!

You’ll also find the 19th-century Ross Castle, as well as the Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway, which offers two-mile trips along the coast in a steam or diesel locomotive, costing £5.75 per adult or £5.25 per child for a return.

That’s not all – a full day can easily be spent at the Light Railway as the site also hosts a tearoom, crazy golf course and toy shop.

Plus halfway along the line you’ll find Lakeside, where a vintage railway building has been transformed into a miniature pub called The Signal Box Inn, often hailed as the smallest pub on the planet.

When you want to explore a little further, a 10-minute drive takes you to Grimsby, home to the award-winning attraction the Fishing Heritage Centre. Here you’ll be transported back to a 1950’s fishing port, and visit the famous trawler Ross Tiger.

Haven Cleethorpes Beach is a mega holiday park with its own on-site Wetherspoons, as well as a massive, action-packed Adventure Village.

You can book a four-night stay at Cleethorpes Beach in a four-bed saver caravan from just £49 with a Haven Hideaway deal.

Mersea Island, Essex

Mersea Island is a seaside gem accessible via a causeway that disappears under the tide twice a day, with stunning landscapes and a laid-back vibe that feels worlds away from the flashy piers of Southend.

The island is known for its unique beaches, marshland wildlife and delicious oysters.

West Mersea Beach is an old-fashioned spot backed by pastel-coloured beach huts, whilst Monkey Beach is a lesser-known spot likely named after the monkey steps leading down to its shores.

You can spend a free afternoon crabbing off the West Mersea pontoon, or exploring the Cudmore Grove Country Park, a Green Flag spot with a wooden play area and pretty meadows made for dog walks.

A 20-minute drive (at low tide) takes you to Colchester, Britain’s oldest recorded town, where you can visit its impressive castle or take a Roman and Medieval walking tour (£9 per adult and kids go free).

Coopers Beach Holiday Park offers direct beach access, plenty of sports courts and outdoor activities, and family restaurants with sea views.

Parkdean Resorts offer a four-night stay in a Bronze caravan which sleeps six from £99.

Pwllheli, North Wales

While the holiday crowds flocks to nearby Abersoch, savvy travellers head to the bustling market town of Pwllheli to enjoy the same stunning shores for a fraction of the cost.

The town’s two massive beaches are perfect for bucket-and-spade days as a family, plus the nearby Plas Heli sailing centre offer sailing, kayaking and stand up paddle-boarding lessons.

It’s also a brilliant base for exploring the rest of the Llŷn Peninsula. For a historical afternoon out, an 18-minute drive leads to Criccieth Castle, where 13th-century ruins overlook Cardigan Bay.

Or to soak up the sights by foot, you can walk the coastal path to reach the art galleries and sheltered bay of Llanbedrog.

Plus if you’re really up for a hiking challenge, Snowdonia is only a 30-minute drive away.

With an indoor pool and water park, lazy river, four-lane waterslide and its own lake for pedalo hire, Hafan y Mor is the place to stay in Pwllheli.

You can book a four-night stay in a two-bed apartment at Hafan y Mor from just £79.

Filey, North Yorkshire

Sat between Scarborough and Bridlington, Filey is a charming seaside town where visiting feels like stepping back in time.

There’s a five-mile stretch of golden sands, perfect for setting up a spot to play beach games and build sandcastles.

You can spend a totally free afternoon exploring the dramatic Filey Brigg – a mile-long rocky peninsula built for birdwatching and spectacular sea views.

Or wander through the peaceful Glen Gardens, where you can visit the open air boating lake, burn off energy in the play park or set up a picnic on its scenic grounds.

When you fancy a change of pace, an 18-minute drive takes you to Scarborough, where you can enjoy a classic day out of spending loose change in the arcades or tackling the rides of Luna Park.

If you travel 22 minutes in the opposite direction it will take you to Bridlington, where Brid Spa hosts fantastic, family-friendly theatre productions. Head up further along the coast to Bempton Cliffs to spot adorable puffins.

Plus, Filey is significantly easier on the pocket than its busier neighbours, with top-tier holiday parks for affordable prices.

Hoseasons offer a 7-night stay in a two-bedroom saver caravan for just £125 at Blue Dolphin holiday park.

Bembridge, Isle of Wight

If you want an Isle of Wight trip that feels more like a relaxing private getaway than a tourist trap, Bembridge is the place.

Skip the business of Sandown and head to this sprawling coastal gem. As one of England‘s largest villages, everything here is spaced out and relaxed, with plenty of room to wander without pushing through crowds.

You can spend a free morning visiting the historic Bembridge Windmill -the only windmill left on the island, dating back to 1700.

Or wander the dramatic 200-metre seaside pier, where the Lifeboat Station sits perched at the end overlooking the water.

When you want to explore further, less than 30 minutes’ drive south lands you in the trendy, hilly streets of Ventnor.

Charles Dickens once described the town as “The prettiest place I ever saw in my life, at home or abroad”, and it’s clear to see why. This artsy town has colourful buildings, beautiful botanical gardens and pebbled shores that zig-zag down to the seafront.

Or you could drive 10 minutes to Culver Down, for impressive chalk cliffs that offer a panoramic view of the English Channel.

Hoseasons offer a four-night stay in a two-bedroom chalet at the perfectly-positioned Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park from £84.

Morecambe, Lancashire

With the bustle of Blackpool nearby, Morecambe offers a more relaxed, retro feel with five miles of promenade to stroll.

Kids will love Happy Mount Park, home to a soft play, adventure golf, a massive splash park, tennis courts and more – perfect for a family day out no matter the weather.

For something more unique, head to the Stone Jetty to find the Tern Project: an interactive art trail with bird-themed pavement games, mazes, and puzzles along the way.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you can join a guided group (from £15) to trek across the famous sands of the Cross Bay Walks at low tide – just don’t try it alone!

Lancaster is a 15-minute drive away, where you can explore its hilltop medieval castle, while you can reach Blackpool for an exciting day out in 45 minutes.

Whether you explore the thrills of Blackpool Pleasure Beach, or explore Madame Tussauds or the Blackpool Dungeons within the tower, you’re sure to have an action-packed day out – with a quieter change of scenery to return home to.

Parkdean Resorts offer a two-night stay in a two-bedroom silver caravan at Morecambe’s Ocean Edge from £99.

Wemyss Bay, Scotland

While most tourists charge straight past to the inner isles, the charming village of Wemyss Bay is the perfect place to enjoy the dramatic Firth of Clyde landscapes.

To soak up the best of the local scenery, wander the coastal paths that look out over the isle of Bute. Walk down to the rocky shoreline at low tide to go beachcombing for sea glass – Wemyss Bay is a prime spot.

Or head to Kelly Burn to see the pretty woodland stream that marks the border between Renfrewshire and Ayrshire, leading you through lush greenery to hidden waterfalls.

Wemyss Bay Woods is also fantastic for nature walks, with a network of forest trails with mountain views.

Train enthusiasts will love visiting the award-winning Wemyss Bay Station, regularly hailed as one of the most beautiful railway stations in the UK thanks to its stunning glass canopy.

To explore further afield, you can hop on a ferry over to Rothesay to visit its castle and explore the isle (£8.70 adult return, kids £4.40).

And for the ideal indoor family attraction, 15 minutes by car or bus will take you to the traditional seaside town of Largs to visit the Vikingar! museum.

This interactive centre has a replica 8th century Viking house, character storytelling, an indoor swimming pool and more. Tickets cost £9.20 per adult and £6.30 per child.

The clifftop Wemyss Bay Holiday Park offers an affordable place to stay with striking views of the mountains across the water.

Hoseasons offer a four-night stay in a two-bedroom Bronze caravan from £99.

Flamborough, East Yorkshire

Flamborough is one of East Yorkshire’s most picturesque seaside spots, with some of the UK’s most spectacular coastal walks and views.

Head to this rugged peninsula to explore North Landing – a sheltered cove dotted with traditional fishing boats, where you can explore its caves for free.

Flamborough is also home to the Living Seas Centre, which puts on family-friendly events such as fossil hunts, boat trips and rockpool safaris.

You can also drive just six minutes to Sewerby Hall and Gardens, with woodland walks and beautiful walled and rose gardens. Entering the hall to see its stately rooms costs £4.50 per adult and £3.50 per child.

Head up to Thornwick Bay to find crystal clear waters protected by chalk cliffs, which open up dozens of fascinating rockpools at low tide.

But don’t just stick to the main beaches – head to Selwicks Bay at low tide to see the “Drinking Dinosaur” rock formation – a massive natural arch that’s the perfect backdrop for a family photo to remember your holiday.

Thornwick Bay Holiday Village is an unbeatable budget base, with activities ranging from water sports at the Boathouse to indoor arts and crafts at the Activity Barn.

Hoseasons offer a four-night stay in a two-bedroom saver caravan from £69.

Hopton-on-Sea, Norfolk

If you want the golden sands of the Norfolk coast without the price tag of the posh towns like Burnham Market or Holkham, Hopton-on-Sea is your best bet.

Perched on the border between Norfolk and Suffolk, this quiet village has a pristine beach that’s far less crowded than its noisy neighbours.

Here you’re perfectly placed between two major seaside resorts: Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth.

A 15-minute drive north takes you to Yarmouth for some old-school pier fun and theme park Pleasure Beach, whilst the same time driving south lands you in Lowestoft, with its award-winning Blue Flag beaches.

Plus Hopton itself is a beautiful village worth exploring. Take a walk along its scenic grass-topped cliffs, or wander down to the water for a quiet spot to sunbathe.

Hopton Holiday Village is a bargain holiday park with direct beach access, and you can have a four-night break for less than the cost of one night in a seaside hotel.

Haven offer a four-night stay in a bronze caravan sleeping up to six at Hopton Holiday Village from £89.

RALEIGH, N.C. — An Army veteran has been charged with sharing classified information about an elite commando unit with a journalist, which one official said put the country, members of the U.S. military and the nation’s allies at risk.

Courtney Williams, 40, of Wagram, N.C., is accused of violating federal law, as well as multiple nondisclosure agreements, by sharing details of her work with a “special military unit” at Fort Bragg, N.C.

“Anyone divulging information they vowed to protect to a reporter for publication is reckless, self-serving and damages our nation’s security,” Reid Davis, the FBI special agent in charge in North Carolina, said in a U.S. Justice Department news release.

Williams “swore an oath to safeguard our nation’s secrets as an employee supporting a Special Military Unit of the Army, but she allegedly betrayed that oath by sharing classified information with a media outlet and putting our nation, our warfighters, and our allies at risk,” Roman Rozhavsky, an assistant director of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division, said in the statement.

Williams, who is specifically charged with violating a provision of the Espionage Act, appeared Wednesday in Raleigh federal court, where a magistrate judge unsealed the case against her, initially filed late last week, according to online court records. She was ordered held by the U.S. Marshals Service pending hearings set for early next week.

Court records didn’t immediately name Williams’ lawyer. A man who answered a phone and identified himself as a family member of Williams declined to comment on the charges Wednesday.

Although the reporter and unit are not named in the court filings, dates and details match an article and book about the Army’s secretive Delta Force written by Seth Harp.

Williams was the focus of a 2025 Politico article with the headline: “My Life Became a Living Hell: One Woman’s Career in Delta Force, the Army’s Most Elite Unit.” It coincided with the release of Harp’s book, “The Fort Bragg Cartel,” which alleges sexual harassment and discrimination.

In a statement published by WRAL-TV, Harp called Williams “a brave whistleblower and truth-teller.”

“Former Delta Force operators disclose `national defense information’ on podcasts and YouTube shows every day, but the government is going after Courtney for the sole reason that she exposed sexual harassment and gender discrimination in the unit,” Harp’s statement read. “This is a vindictive act of retaliation, plain and simple.”

According to an FBI affidavit attached to the complaint, Williams was cleared as a defense contractor in April 2010 and became a Department of Defense employee in November 2010.

She performed duties within the special military unit as an operational support technician responsible for “Tactics, Techniques and Procedures” used in preparation for and during “sensitive missions,” Special Agent Jocelyn Fox wrote in the affidavit.

According to Fox, Williams’ access to classified information was suspended “based on an internal investigation.” Fox said Williams was debriefed in September 2015 and signed a nondisclosure agreement.

The government alleges that Williams had been in contact with the unnamed journalist between 2022 and 2025.

“During this period, Williams and the Journalist had over 10 hours of telephone calls and exchanged more than 180 messages,” the news release said.

Fox cited a text between the two she said occurred on or about the day the book and article were published.

“Other than a few factual errors, I would definitely have been concerned with the amount of classified information being disclosed,” Williams’ text read, according to the affidavit. “I thought things I was telling you so you could have a better general understanding of how the (SMU) was set up or operated would not be published and it feels like an entire TTP (Tactics, Techniques and Procedures) was sent out in my name giving them a chance to legally persecute me.”

Fox also cited an alleged exchange between Williams and her mother.

”`I might actually get arrested, and I don’t even get a free copy of the book,’” the affidavit read. “When her mother asked why she may be arrested, Williams responded `for disclosing classified information.’”

Fox wrote that the investigation so far has identified at least 10 batches of documents gathered that Williams intended to provide to the journalist.

Breed and Robertson write for the Associated Press. AP writer Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.

Are viewers ready to return to Gilead?

Less than a year after “The Handmaid’s Tale” concluded its startling and emotionally draining look at what can happen when unchecked power and totalitarianism become codified, Margaret Atwood’s dystopian saga expands on screen with “The Testaments” — and shifts focus to the simmering rebellion of teenage girls, led by actors Chase Infiniti and Lucy Halliday.

Based on Atwood’s 2019 novel of the same name, the new series takes place three to four years after “The Handmaid’s Tale” finale, which kicked off the beginning of the end of Gilead. It is set at an elite preparatory school to groom future wives, made up of daughters of Commanders, many of whom have been taken away from their birth parents, and so-called Pearl Girls, recruited from outside of Gilead. It is named after and run by Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd), the profoundly complex antagonist from the original series.

Infiniti plays Agnes MacKenzie, the daughter of a high-ranking Commander, but her actual identity is Hannah, the kidnapped biological daughter of June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss). Meanwhile, Halliday plays Daisy, a recent arrival to the Pearl Girl squad who is really there as an undercover spy for the Gilead’s resistance group, Mayday, under the guidance of June. In a departure from the book, Daisy is not June’s other daughter, Baby Nicole.

Bruce Miller, who developed “The Handmaid’s Tale” and served as showrunner for much of its run, returned to adapt the sequel. And much like how June summoned her power to fight against the world that confined her, Miller thinks the grit that Agnes, Daisy and their young peers possess to bring it all down is the reason “The Testaments” won’t feel like doomscrolling.

In “The Testaments,” Daisy (Lucy Halliday), left, is a recent arrival to the Pearl Girl squad who is paired with Agnes MacKenzie (Chase Infiniti), the daughter of a high-ranking Commander, by their school’s overlord, Aunt Lydia.

(Disney)

“The hope that it has is why viewers should be ready to come back,” Miller says. “What kind of women has Gilead built? They built the kind of women that could really bring down Gilead. All the things Gilead told them not to do — become friends, develop their own moral compass — they’ve done them all. If June knocked Gilead on its back, her daughter is gonna stand on their neck until it dies.”

The first three episodes of the series are now streaming on Hulu. In an early April video conversation, The Times caught up with Infiniti and Halliday to discuss their induction into “The Handmaid’s Tale” universe, observing Moss in action and the playlist that made an impression on set. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.

Tell me about your knowledge of Margaret Atwood’s universe. Had you read either book before this project? Did you watch “The Handmaid’s Tale?”

Infiniti: [Points to Halliday] You’ve got the Margaret Atwood No. 1 fan right here.

Halliday: I am the Margaret Atwood No. 1 fan — I hold my hands up. I’d read all of her books. I’d read “Handmaid’s” and “The Testaments” prior to this job and, obviously, I knew about the show.

Infiniti: My first exposure to the story was through the show. I was in high school when “The Handmaid’s Tale” first started airing, and so I remember it kind of taking over my school campus. Everybody was watching it, everybody was talking about it, and I just remember it being so, so massive. And then after that, I read the books.

Halliday: “The Testaments” book came out when I was in school, and my friend brought it in, and we spoke about it at lunchtime. It’s very serendipitous, it’s full circle.

What types of conversations were you having about it?

Halliday: It always feel timely regardless of what point you’re approaching the text at. I think, particularly at the time I read it, and now with this show, what appealed to me was that it was a younger perspective, and it was a new voice in Gilead. I had a level of interest that I hadn’t expected, just because I was a teenage girl at the time I was reading this book and [saw] another experience of a teenage girl that, in some ways, mirrored my own, despite, obviously, I don’t live in Gilead.

After starring in the Oscar-winning “One Battle After Another” as the daughter of revolutionaries, Chase Infiniti is poised to lead another revolution in “The Testaments.” “You feel an extra sense of responsibility playing somebody so young who is fighting for something that is bigger than them,” she says. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

Chase, how do you see Agnes and how do you think her identity may shift when she is maybe living as Hannah? And Lucy, how do you see the Daisy in flashbacks versus the Daisy we meet in Gilead?

Infiniti: I haven’t thought about how Agnes will be when she is free as Hannah. I have concepts in my mind, but I don’t want to form anything too soon that will change the way that I personally could perform, if we’re lucky [enough] to have a Season 2 and beyond. But I think the growth that you see in Agnes, from even just Season 1, you really see her grow into herself and understand her place and understand her voice in the world.

Halliday: It’s an interesting juxtaposition because Daisy in Toronto is free and liberated and happy, but in a way, she’s not as open-minded as she could be. For example, when it comes to Gilead, she’s got these very strong, preconceived ideas of who these people are. She thinks they’re primitive, and she’s got no interest in befriending them. And then she comes to Gilead, and suddenly she’s lost access to a lot of the opportunities she had in Toronto, where she doesn’t have freedom, she can’t just do whatever she wants to, say what she wants and a there’s a great deal of oppression. But by experiencing these girls and by befriending these girls, she is actually now opening her mind to be more susceptible to friendship, and … understanding individuals who are different from who she is.

Let’s get into Agnes and Daisy’s relationship. They’re initially suspicious and distrusting of each other. What intrigued you about their dynamic?

Infiniti: Lucy has a great description about how she views Agnes and Daisy, which I think is very accurate.

Halliday: I see Agnes and Daisy as being two cats in a room sniffing each other out. And it’s because I think they immediately recognize the inherent similarities present in the other person, and that scares them because the other person, from both of their perspectives, is a foreigner, is not what they want to be associated with, yet there’s this innate kindred spirit present, and they can’t deny that. They’re the same language, just in different fonts. We see that throughout the season, and they really, like, rub off on each other and they have something to give to the other person.

There’s one big change from book to screen. Daisy is not Baby Nicole, the half-sister of Agnes. What did you make of that change, Lucy?

Infiniti: Wait a minute. I thought we were sisters this whole time. [laughs]

Halliday: It actually didn’t impact the story that much because in very many ways, Agnes and Daisy are sisters. Their relationship hasn’t altered because of this information. June is still an incredibly important figure in both of their lives. June adopts Daisy when her family is gone, so they still share all of these pieces of their history. They’ve had very similar life experiences, although unbeknownst to each of them, and the bond that they create for themselves is a sisterhood, and they have a love for each other by the end of the season. Although the lineage may be different, just about every single other aspect of Margaret Atwood’s original Daisy and Agnes remains.

An exterior shot of the elite preparatory school to groom future wives that is central to the story of “The Testaments.” It is named after and run by Aunt Lydia, the profoundly complex antagonist from the original series.

(Disney)

A girl’s menstrual cycle is a key character in this story — the power and promise it holds in the eyes of these teenage girls. What was it like to get back to that mindset of your younger self and your ideas of it then? Agnes is frustrated by the rigidness of being a girl, but she’s also curious about what’s to come, and getting her period is critical to that.

Infiniti: I feel like mine and Agnes’ experiences could not be more different. She was very excited to get it, and she was very eager, too, because of what it promises. And she was scared, but she knew that this was the hopeful step, if she was blessed by God, right, to become a wife — it would only benefit her to have it. Also, there’s so much secrecy around it, and a lot of things that these girls are just not taught about what it actually means to get your period, as opposed to the outside “next steps” that they go through. But I remember when I got mine, I was so scared. I remember I cried because I didn’t know what to do.

Were you home? I was at a sleepover and was mortified.

Infiniti: I was in math class at school — and that’s extra terrifying because I was really bad at math. I just remember being very scared. So, when Agnes gets it, I was a bit in awe of the way that she handles it and the way that she takes it and doesn’t let her fear hold her back in her tracks. That’s something that I found to be very intriguing. But you do feel bad because they don’t really know anything about what it means to have your period, what it means to become a woman and go through puberty like that, and all the changes that are going to happen.

Halliday: Periods are not talked about, really, in a mainstream manner. Whereas in Gilead, it’s not a liberated place, it’s not a really progressive society, but periods are spoken about quite freely. I don’t necessarily have anything to say about it, but I do think it’s an interesting idea that even though we, in society, would like to think of ourselves as not being in Gilead, we’re not as freely speaking about periods and menstruation the way that they do there.

Infiniti: I remember in Episode 2, when Agnes goes through that ceremony and she’s literally telling everybody. She’s like, “I was blessed by God. Yo, I’m on my period.” It was crazy. She said it exactly like that, by the way [laughs]. There’s a whole system to announce that this thing has happened because it’s so uncommon in Gilead.

Halliday: On the set, I remember Mike Barker [who directed the first three episodes] called “menarche playlist” and it was just a bit of a laugh.

Infiniti: Guess what one of the songs was?

Please tell me. I’m thinking Leona Lewis’ “Bleeding Love.”

Infiniti: One of them was totally “… Baby One More Time” by Britney Spears.

Halliday: But I just remember that we’re on set in 2025 and people would be like, “What’s menarche?”

Infiniti: The period aspect is something that I really love that you get to see in the show; you see how openly they all talk about it with each other. Because with your friends, you have very open dialogue, and those are the people who teach you how to use a pad, those people teach you to use a tampon, how to properly take care of yourself in that way. That’s something that I really love about the show is that we get to highlight that, and that’s one of the bonds that it brings between people. Or in the case of our show, the bond that it brings, but also the amount of chaos that it can bring, too, since fertility is so low in Gilead.

In “The Testaments,” Lucy Halliday stars as Daisy, a new Pearl Girl who is really an undercover spy for Mayday. “I hope people watch the show and it only further ignites their disgust for these things and their shock, because we should never be comfortable,” she says. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

We talked earlier about the flashback and what we learn about how Daisy found herself in Gilead. But we didn’t dig into Elisabeth Moss — she’s an executive producer, but also we get to see her as June. It starts as a brief glimpse, and more in Episode 3, getting the backstory on how she agrees to let Daisy be a spy at the school and help in Mayday’s mission to bring down Gilead. What was it like having Elisabeth on set?

Infiniti: I snuck onto set when she was working with Lucy, don’t worry. She just showered us with so much love and support. That was the biggest gift that we could have gotten since, in a way, she is “The Handmaid’s Tale.” She is the handmaid in “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

Halliday: Getting to watch her was truly a privilege because she is so knowledgeable, she is an encyclopedia when it comes to this world and when it comes to Gilead and these characters. And I wanted to leech off of that. I wanted to take that home with me because it really further enforced to me the importance of being prepared as an actor, and it’s something that I know we both took seriously in terms of our work ethic when approaching this job. But it definitely was daunting — I think that was actually my first day on set, was a scene with her.

Actors often talk about how their costumes inform their performances. The red garments in “The Handmaid’s Tale” became such a symbol of resistance in real life. Here, you’ve got the plum and green garments that are in accordance with a narrow view of what is acceptable for women to wear. How did the costumes inform your work?

Infiniti: The first thing it really taught me was that my posture is not as good as I thought it was because those costumes really force you to take over perfect posture. I remember when we first started to wear them every single day, for at least 12 to 14 hours [a day], your back is hurting because of how perfectly straight you’re standing. Even though the costumes are made to fit you exactly, they are restrictive and so you feel immediately like you’re thrown into Gilead and thrown into these girls’ shoes. You have to be almost like a doll, in a sense.

Halliday: I physically was a different character when I was in the scenes in Toronto versus when I was in Gilead because I was inhabiting the space in a very different way. It felt like a full transformation, and it was so helpful in terms of understanding how Daisy would feel in that environment because she’s not getting to present herself in any way that she would feel comfortable or would normally do it.

Infiniti: And you had your little pearl [in your ear].

Halliday: I would check if it was there for maybe a month after we finished filming. I was walking around looking like a Secret Service agent.

Infiniti: I was like, “Is that how the Pearl Girls communicate with each other?”

Halliday: It was like the Starship Enterprise.

Lucy Halliday, right, and Chase Infiniti of “The Testaments.” (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

Many people speak of the timeliness of the themes of this show. When you’re actively playing these characters, are you thinking about the politics of the story or does that element come later when you’re reflecting on it or watching it?

Halliday: I don’t think it’d be possible to tell a story without being conscious of any sort of parallels because we all watch the news, we’re all aware of the world we live in. But it’s also worth remembering that none of it was ever intended to be a documentary. Margaret Atwood wrote it based on history, and so everything was always factual, but it was historically factual, and it’s just so happened to be that, unfortunately, we’re seeing events repeat themselves or being emulated in reality.

Chase, you’re coming off “One Battle After Another,” which spoke of modern political division and extremism. How was it to go from that to something like this?

Infiniti: One of the cool things that I really loved about both of those projects is the fact that both Willa [her character in the film] and Agnes are revolutionary characters. You feel an extra sense of responsibility playing somebody so young who is fighting for something that is bigger than them. We’re privileged to be part of something that’s saying something about the world and has the ability to enact change in the world. We really wanted to make sure that we were doing justice by the story, by the writing, by Margaret Atwood’s work and telling the story as authentically as we can from our characters, so that in the most perfect situation, we can transcend the screen and continue to touch people and hopefully enact change in viewers’ own personal lives.

Halliday: We hope people enjoy it because it is a source of entertainment. We hope people feel hope because there’s friendship and there’s a beautiful storyline inherent to it. But I think also what would be great is if people watch it and they do feel shocked. People should feel shocked or taken aback or disgusted by these scenes because we have such an overabundance of exposure to scenes of these nature — whether it be on the news or whether it be on a fictional TV show — but we hear about these events all the time nowadays, and I think we run the risk of becoming desensitized to them. I hope people watch the show and it only further ignites their disgust for these things and their shock, because we should never be comfortable. We should never be able to sit with it and feel OK. We should always have that fire burning.

With two bank holidays on the horizon, many people are keen to jet off on a cheap long weekend getaway and a travel expert has shared the four best value destinations he’d “genuinely” book himself

A holiday expert has listed four “hot and cheap” destinations well worth booking this May for a spring getaway without the “summer prices”.

With two bank holidays on the horizon, many people are looking to make the most of a break from work by jetting off on a long weekend on the quest for some guaranteed sunshine – never a safe bet here in the UK. With that in mind, holiday expert Rob, known online as Rob On The Beach, listed four places he’d “genuinely” book for himself.

Taking to Instagram, he said: “Four places I’d personally book for May if you want a properly hot holiday without paying summer prices.”

He continued: “May is easily one of the best value months for good weather at a pinch of a price. Plus, the UK’s fully into bank holiday season so you can stretch that annual leave a bit further, too.

“So I’ve looked at the data, the weather and the live pricing to find the four places I’d genuinely book myself.”

4. Malta

Kicking off his list, Rob began with island country Malta, which boasts 300 days of sunshine per year.

The holiday expert said: “In fourth, Malta. This is one people are slowly catching onto now. You’re getting consistent mid-20s heat, loads of sunshine, but it’s still not hit the peak pricing window yet in May.

“And the best part about Malta is it’s not just sit by the pool, either, which you can do, but there’s loads to explore and loads to see on the island.”

He then shared a deal he found from Monday, May 4 until Saturday, May 9, which cost £240 per person for direct flights from London Luton and a stay at the “gorgeous” St Julian’s Levante, Affiliated by Melia hotel.

3. Cyprus

Next, Rob listed Cyprus, another island country, which is located in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. It offers renowned beaches and 320 days of sunshine a year, as well as rich history and culture.

Rob said: “This is your safe bet because in Cyprus in May, there’s proper sunshine every single day and by mid May, you’re well into the high 20s here.

“Also, quick one, because people always ask; yes it is safe in Cyprus right now. The FCDO advice has not changed and everything there is operating as normal. But speaking of things that aren’t normal, just look at this deal.”

Rob detailed a five night stay at Hylatio Tourist Village in Paphos from Friday, May 15 until Wednesday, May 20, at half board, with direct flights from London Stansted for £280 per person.

He added: “For that level of weather, this early in the year in a premium destination like Cyprus, that’s a cracking price.”

2. Dalaman

In second place, Rob put Dalaman, a municipality and district of Muğla Province, Turkey. Dalaman is famed for its award winning beaches, scenic snorkelling, rich history, views of the legendary Turquoise Coast, as well as its natural beauty complete with nesting loggerhead turtles, and plenty more.

Rob “specifically” recommended Fethiye and said: “Now look, Fethiye is unreal all year round but May is when I personally think it’s at its best.

“You’ve got that perfect balance of temperatures in the mid 20s, proper sunshine all month and all without the peak pricing the peak level of tourists.

“It’s green, it’s scenic, there’s loads to explore, it’s absolutely drop dead gorgeous and you still get that classic Turkey all-inclusive value here, too.”

Rob shared a deal he’d found for a five night all-inclusive stay at the five-star Club Tuana Fethiye with direct flights from London Gatwick from Saturday, May 2 until Thursday, May 7, for £350 per person.

He said: “This is one of the best value holidays you can book in May, full stop.”

1. Albania

Rob said he’d “gone for something a bit different this time”, putting Albania in first place. The small Balkan country boasts vibrant coastlines and rich history and culture. There’s many castles and archaeological sites, as well as hiking options and peaceful, uncrowded Mediterranean beaches.

The holiday expert explained: “Somehow, Albania is still flying under the radar – because here, you’ve got coastline that looks like Greece but prices that really do not.

“In May, you’re comfortably in mid-20s heat with loads of sun and crucially not a lot of people there.”

Rob shared a deal he found for four nights at the three star Hotel Vola with breakfast included from Saturday, May 9, until Thursday, May 14, and direct flights from London Stansted, priced at £175 per person.

He added: “For a sunny, cheap European beach break that’s also a hidden gem, that’s cheaper than most people’s weekends at home. This is the kind of place to go to now as well because people will cotton on and it will be busy next year.”

CATCHING fish has never been top of my holiday to-do list.

But from the moment my six-year-old son Alex spotted a boat offering fishing trips in the Cretan harbour of Panormos, he pleaded to go on one.

And when he offered to pay with his pocket money, I knew he was serious.

With three-hour excursions starting at 50 euros a head, I buckled under the pressure and am so glad I did.

Panormos is a village in the Rethymno area of the Greek island, 45 minutes from Heraklion Airport in the north and where Eva’s Fishing is based.

The owner, unsurprisingly called Eva, spent years fishing for a living before welcoming tourists.

WAIL OF A TIME

I drove Irish Route 66 with deserted golden beaches and pirate-like islands

ISLE GO

One of Greece’s most beautiful islands with £2.60 wine & Caribbean-like beaches

After taking us through stunning caves, with crystal-clear water, she put bait on to our poles and insisted: “You will find it the most relaxing thing you ever do.”

She wasn’t wrong. And now, pardon the pun, I am hooked. We caught fish after fish and it was relaxing, but also exciting and fun.

Back on land, Eva has an agreement with a lovely restaurant, Agkyra, to grill her customers’ catch and they served ours with roasted vegetables and lemon butter.

Although Alex had seen her gut and descale the fish, my husband Chris and I watched in amazement as he tucked in enthusiastically — even picking his way through the bones and asking for more.

I opted for tzatziki and a Greek salad.

With wine, complimentary orange cake and a shot of raki, it cost less than 25 euros for all three of us.

The boat fun was the highlight of our holiday —  but not the first exciting trip.

On our flight from Manchester, with Tui, Alex got to visit the cockpit — then the fancy ceiling lights of our airport taxi made us feel like we were in a limo.

Our hotel, The Royal Senses Resort & Spa, which is part of the Curio Collection by Hilton, was also pretty fancy — and not least its reception, with floor-to-ceiling gleaming glass doors and the smartest- looking staff you have ever seen.

By the way, those staff were also the kindest of teams, ensuring each guest felt like a VIP.

Like Yorgos, who ushered us into a golf buggy to whisk us to our room — and let Alex help with the driving.

Along the way, Yorgos pointed out the kids’ club, as well as the main pool, a waterslides zone, adult pool, gym, spa, bar and four restaurants.

There are 178 rooms, ranging from doubles to villas, and spread out up a hill so that each has a sea view.

A cable car-style glass lift travels up and down the hill, lest you have to work too hard.

We were upgraded to a room with, joy of joy, a private plunge pool.

Our room had a kingsize bed plus sofa-bed for Alex, plenty of storage, a coffee machine, free bottled water, fluffy white towels and locally made toiletries crafted from olive oil and mandarin.

But we didn’t get to relax in our room for long.

At 5am, Alex was up, trunks on, goggles ready and raring to go. And breakfast only added to his giddiness.

Although he tucked into fresh pineapple and watermelon, I struggled to divert him from the temptaion of fresh cookies, pancakes, cakes and waffles.

I loved the Cretan breakfast with rusks, fresh tomato, olive oil and feta cheese while Chris struggled to resist the free- flowing fizz.

The hotel isn’t bang on the beach but its sister, The Royal Blue, is and guests share facilities.

There is a free shuttle bus but we walked.

It took five minutes and there’s a supermarket en route.

Although the city of Rethymno, with an old Venetian harbour, is just 30 minutes and 25 euros away in a taxi, we loved the relaxed vibe in Panormos.

It is six minutes from the hotel by taxi, £7 each way.

Or the green and yellow Magic Train travels by road to and from the village several times a day. It’s £2.60 for kids over five and £4.35 for adults.

It felt like an easy funfair ride and Alex loved it.

Panormos has a sandy beach, church, bakery, supermarket, taxi office and a few tourist shops.

We bought olive oil from a man whose family have farmed locally for hundreds of years.

There are several restaurants, too.

Our No1 was the Locus Deli, on a cobbled pedestrian street where local musicians played Greek music and Alex ran around, danced and played with the local cats.

It served Greek food with a modern twist.

We had chicken with pistachios and a fava-bean dip with fresh basil oil.

Even the child pasta was made with chopped local tomatoes.

With drinks, our bill came to less than £50.

The hotel also offered great dining options.

The evening buffet had amazing variety, plus homemade pizzas that could have come from Italy.

Other treats included a restaurant with Michelin-starred chef — which welcomed kids and offered adult mains from £30 — as well as wine-tasting evenings.

Musicians played of an evening, and the hotel even invited loom weavers to demonstrate their art — we crammed a new bath mat into our suitcase, which was already bulging with pottery after a Tui trip to Margarites.

The mountain town stands on rich clay, and pottery has been made there since 3000BC, during the Minoan period.

But my best trip was to the hotel spa. It’s the largest on Crete, with therapeutic thalassotherapy seawater pool.

I celebrated my birthday on holiday so also had some pocket money.

And during an hour-long massage for £58, chiropractor Costos rid me of longstanding shoulder knots.

We spent our last night at Geropotamos Beach’s Old River taverna, 1km from the hotel.

As Alex played on the beach and the sun set, we had some very drinkable local wine and reminisced.

We agreed few places could beat Crete, for its warm hospitality, fab food, glorious beauty — and modes of transport.

This unique Airbnb offers an out of this world experience. Not only do you sleep inside a UFO, even going to the loo takes you on a sci-fi adventure thanks to the TARDIS-shaped toilet

If you’re driving through the countryside in Pembrokeshire and spot what looks like an alien aircraft that has landed on Earth, don’t panic. You’re not about to get abducted by aliens, but you may have just stumbled across a unique Airbnb.

Tucked down a narrow country road near the Welsh village of Templeton is the Melin Mabes glamping site. It offers three unique experiences in the middle of the countryside: a traditional caravan, a treehouse, and the oddest option, the Spodnic UFO. Once featured on George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces, this galactic-themed experience is set in a small fibreglass building that the owners bought on eBay.

The ‘UFO’ started life as a structure built for London’s 2012 Olympics and used to house generators, and when the owners picked it up off the auction site, they added their own touches to create a unique staycation spot. Now you can book a stay via Airbnb or the Melin Mabes website.

Inside, the pod has been completely transformed with silver walls, sci-fi memorabilia and lots of fun touches. It features a double bed and a set of bunk beds, so four guests can share the space, alongside an inflatable alien.

At the centre of the pod is a ladder that leads to a platform with a glass dome. From here, you can use a telescope for a spot of stargazing or enjoy views of the Welsh countryside. Outside, there’s a kitchen area under cover that includes a fridge, cooker, and running water, as well as a table and chairs.

But perhaps the most fun feature is the bathroom, which is set within a replica TARDIS box. It has a private shower, toilet, and sink, so you don’t have to deal with morning queues at a shower block.

Next to the Spodnic, you’ll also find a private hot tub and outdoor shower, and the outside space is enclosed, so you can also bring your furry friends and let them run around.

This unusual Airbnb is just a few minutes from the village, where you’ll find a cosy pub and some cottages. Just down the road is the Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo, a wholesome family-friendly attraction that has fairground rides, a small zoo, a farm, and adventure play activities such as toy diggers. Folly Farm also offers accommodation such as lodges and glamping, and guests get unlimited free attraction entry during their stay.

About a 15-minute drive away is Saundersfoot Beach, a long sandy Blue Flag beach that has clear, shallow waters, making it popular with families on sunny days. At one end is a working harbour, where you’ll see small boats coming in, and there’s a historic lighthouse you can visit. Just steps from the harbour, you can enjoy freshly-caught seafood in one of the many local restaurants.

Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com

You could find huge savings on your next flight by following three tips from a former flight attendant – including booking your trip on a certain day of the week

The day you choose to book your flights can influence the price you pay. Holidays can become costly rapidly if you’re unaware of how to hunt for the best bargains, including your destination, accommodation, and which flight to select. Securing the finest deals can be challenging, and it can hinge on seemingly arbitrary factors, such as when you browse.

According to a former flight attendant, there are some straightforward steps you can take to cut costs on your next plane ticket. Bianca, who has been sharing travel tips online since departing her flight attendant role three years ago, posted a video on social media in which she encouraged travellers to capitalise on several flight hacks, including booking flights on particular days of the week, and even which time of day is optimal.

She said: “Do not book another flight until you do these things.”

1. Book flights on particular days

Bianca explained it doesn’t matter which day of the week you actually fly, but you should purchase your tickets on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday. She maintained airlines frequently offer superior deals or more affordable seats on those days, irrespective of which day you’re actually intending to travel.

She said: “Book your flights only on a Tuesday, a Wednesday, or a Saturday. I mean book your flights on those days. Which means you’re going to sit down on one of those days and you’re going to book your flight. The flight can be on any day, but you’re going to book it on those days. They’re cheaper [and have] better deals.”

2. Always use incognito mode

The former flight attendant implored everyone to utilise incognito mode on their web browser, or to employ a virtual private network (VPN) to keep their browsing data concealed from the website they’re using to arrange their flights. This could help secure a more economical deal on your flights – though that’s not always guaranteed.

She said: “You’re going to use a VPN or incognito mode, depending on what device you have and depending how well it works on your device. If incognito mode does not do enough, then get a VPN.

“You generally just don’t want your demographic to show where you are when you’re going to buy a flight. Because they [websites] will literally rack up the prices of flights based on where you live. I know it’s crazy, but they do it.”

3. Book flights in the morning

If you’re after the best bargains on flights, you’ll need to rise early – or stay up late. Bianca maintains that, alongside booking flights on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, you should also attempt to purchase your tickets between 3am and 4am.

She explained: “Three or four in the morning, if you’re a night owl, this is all for you. This is the best time to book your flights. [There are] cheaper deals [because] flights drop in the middle of the night. I’m telling you, it’s the best time.”

Commenters on Bianca’s post expressed gratitude for her tips, with many stating they’d be implementing them to obtain a more affordable flight for their forthcoming summer holidays.

One person said: “Okay, I’m going to travel.”

Another commented: “Thank you, sis! This is good.”

A third endorsed the advice, stating: “Yup, I bought my flight to LA in the middle of the night and paid $150 (£112) round trip.”

A dream team has assembled to bring a scripted series based on the book “Perversion of Justice: The Jeffrey Epstein Story” from the drawing board to the small screen.

Oscar-winning actor Laura Dern has signed on to portray Miami Herald investigative journalist Julie K. Brown, whose tireless reporting on the Epstein sex-trafficking case exposed how federal prosecutors approved what many have referred to as a “sweetheart” plea deal for Epstein in 2008.

Per Variety, the official description of the series reads: “An explosive account of an investigative reporter exposing the secret plea deal between Epstein and federal prosecutors. Drawing from Brown’s experience as a groundbreaking reporter for the Miami Herald, the book and the limited series follow her relentless years-long investigation that identified 80 victims, persuaded key survivors to go on the record, and led to Epstein[‘s] and Ghislaine Maxwell’s arrests.”

In 2008, the financier was charged with luring underage girls to his Palm Beach, Fla., mansion for sex. Under the plea agreement with then-U.S. Atty. for the Southern District of Florida Alexander Acosta, Epstein avoided a federal trial — where, if convicted, he could have faced a potential sentence of life in prison — and pleaded guilty instead to two state felony solicitation charges.

He served 13 months in a county jail but was allowed to go to his office six days a week on a work-release program.

Co-showrunners for the project are Eileen Myers, known for “American Hostage,” and Sharon Hoffman, best known for her work on “House of Cards” and who is adapting Brown’s book for television. Dern will also executive produce, along with Adam McKay and Kevin Messick, known for “The Big Short,” “Don’t Look Up” and “Succession.” Brown is also executive producing.

Although Sony Pictures Television is still pitching the series to networks and streamers, industry insiders predict that, with Dern and McKay on board, a green light is on the horizon.

Last week, Brown joined veteran journalist Katie Couric live on Substack to discuss her reporting on Epstein, and how the disgraced financier and his camp underestimated her. “I don’t think he worried about the little old reporter from the Miami Herald,” she said.

“When you have a sex predator of children who is — at the time I wrote this story, he was out there, you know, he was free — and he was still, as we now know, harming children,” Brown told Couric. “And so my goal at the time was to look at how this happened.

“Where was the breakdown? Was there someone who … was powerful who let him off the hook, and I just thought it was a good time to take a new look at it like a cold case detective would.

“By the time I decided to reopen the case, these women, these victims who were 13, 14, 15 years old, were now in their late 20s and early 30s, and Donald Trump became president right around this time. And ironically, as I was already looking at this story, he nominated Alexander Acosta to be his Labor secretary, and I knew at the time that he was the very person who had let [Epstein] off the hook. And so that’s where I started looking at this case.”

Passengers should act now before flights get more expensive

Passengers thinking of booking flights from the UK should book before Wednesday if they want to avoid an imminent cost increase. Air passenger duty (APD) is going up on April 1, making flights more expensive. As the duty forms part of the cost of each airline ticket, carriers say the adjustment is likely to result in higher fares on some routes, Majorca Daily Bulletin reports.

The amount of air passenger duty per person depends on several things, including ticket class and how far the country’s capital city is from the UK. The amount goes up significantly if you sit in anything but basic economy and if you fly to a country whose capital is more than 2,000 miles away from London.

Travel expert Simon Calder explains that the levy “is unique to the UK and a topic of much controversy”. He adds: “Chancellor Rachel Reeves has imposed an above-inflation increase from April 1, 2026 and one in line with the retail prices index a year after that. By the summer of 2027, a family of four flying premium economy to Orlando will pay over £1,000 in tax for leaving the UK in anything better than basic economy.”

Four different categories of destination

• UK domestic flights
• Band A: Countries where capital city is 2,000 miles or less from London — this covers all of Europe
• Band B: Capital city is 2,001-5,500 miles from London — includes most long-haul destinations
• Band C: Capital city is over 5,500 miles from London — includes Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Buenos Aires and Australia.

What are the rates?

From April 1, 2026, they will all rise to the following:

• UK domestic: £8 (economy) or £16 (anything but economy)
• Band A: £15 or £32
• Band B: £102 or £244
• Band C: £106 or £253

Before April 1, 2026 the rates are as follows:

• UK domestic: £7 or £14
• Band A: £13 or £28
• Band B: £90 or £216
• Band C: £94 or £224

So you can see, the increases are not huge but could add significant costs to the price of a holiday for a family of four to somewhere that is more than 2,000 miles away.

APD does not apply to children under 16 travelling in basic economy but is payable for all children over two travelling in premium classes.

How much APD will I pay?

A family of four with children between two and 15 will pay the following APD from April 1, 2026:

• UK: £16 in basic economy, £64 in premium economy or better.
• Europe: £30 or £128
• Most long-haul destinations: £204 or £976
• Ultra-long-haul destinations: £212 or £1,012

But a family of four with children aged 16 and over will pay the following APD from April 1, 2026:

• UK: £32 in basic economy, £64 in premium economy or better
• Europe: £60 or £128
• Most long-haul destinations: £408 or £976
• Ultra-long-haul destinations: £424 or £1,012

As you can see, the year-on-year increases are not that significant for shorter flights, but can add up more if you are taking older children on longer flights. But if you feel that you want to save every pound possible, if you get your flights booked before Wednesday then you’ll save on APD.

THERE’S no better way to make the most of the sun coming out than heading off on a beach holiday.

2026 is shaping up to be a record year for staycations, with Brits keen to stay close to home and explore the coastal gems across the UK.

Plus with thousands more breaks being added to the Hols from £9.50 website, including dates in the spring and summer, its not too late to bag that last-minute holiday.

Hols from £9.50 are set to be restocked this Tuesday, with thousands of new holidays AND new holiday parks – and you can get priority access with Sun Club.

If you fancy signing up to Sun Club to access the £9.50 Hols deals early, head to thesun.co.uk/club and join for £1.99 a month or £12 for a year.

Once you’re a member, go to the Sun Club Offers hub and find the Hols From £9.50 page.

Read more on £9.50 holidays

BEACHFRONT BLISS

Inside the most popular UK holiday park from £9.50 Hols

HOL YES

40 of us take over a £9.50 Holiday park each year – it’s my kids favourite vacation

Follow the link from the offers page, and you can book your break from midnight on Tuesday, March 31.

If you’re looking for some inspiration on where to book, here’s some of our favourite beach resorts across the UK, plus our pick of £9.50 holiday parks nearby…

Combe Martin, Devon

Combe Martin is a small seaside resort in North Devon, home to Combe Martin Bay.

Combe Martin Bay is split into two main beaches: the sandy beach by the harbour, and the stony Newberry beach. Both are beautiful, with calm shallow waters protected by the cove.

As an Access for All beach, Combe Martin Bay is fully accessible. There’s plenty of parking, loos and even beach wheelchairs to rent with easy access down to the shore if needed.

This village also sits on the edge of Exmoor National Park, where wild horses roam the rolling hills and moorland.

Bring your bikes and cycle one of the many paths, go fishing in the rivers, or rent a canoe at Wimbleball Lake.

In the village itself, take your pick of cosy pubs like The Dolphin and The Pack O’Cards – pub culture is very big here, and you’ll be welcomed in to enjoy a local pint.

Stay at a nearby resort with Hols from £9.50 at Combe Martin Beach or Sandaway Beach.

Looe, Cornwall

If you’re looking for a classic Cornish escape, Looe is the ultimate catch.

This traditional fishing town is split into two by a large arched bridge. The east side full of shops and pubs, and the west has a quieter feel with rockpools and beach walks.

Over in East Looe you can walk the Banjo Pier (named after its shape) and laze out on East Looe Beach, the main and largest beach in the area.

Or for somewhere quieter, head towards Hannafore Point in West Looe.

On the way you will come across a small stretch of sand which is also home to Nelson, the bronze seal statue that overlooks the village.

Popular pubs include The Jolly Sailor Inn and The Fishermans Arms, both of which serve local pints and food with a home-cooked feel.

Stay at a nearby holiday park with Hols from £9.50 at Looe Bay, Tencreek Holiday Park, Trelawne Manor, Polperro or Killigarth Manor.

Shanklin, Isle of Wight

Shanklin in the Isle of Wight is popular for its pretty Old Village with thatched roof houses, as well as picturesque beach with dramatic cliffs.

Shanklin Beach sits on the south east coast of the Isle of Wight, and has a bustling seafront with arcades, fish and chip shops and an ice cream parlour.

Here you can have a go at the colourful Caddyshack 18-hole mini golf, which costs £8.50 per adult, £7.50 per child or £30 for a family of four.

The beach is just as colourful as the village behind it, lined with colourful beach huts and blooming flowers.

You can get up to the Old Village from the beach via a giant lift. Here you can wander its famous old-fashioned streets – plus the famous pink thatched-roof cottage which you’ll see on postcards.

The pink cottage is a tearoom called the Old Thatch Teashop, where inside you can sit down to traditional afternoon tea or cream tea starting at £7.95. Plus there’s even a fairy garden inside.

Stay at a nearby resort with Hols from £9.50 at Parkdean Resorts Lower Hyde or Parkdean Resorts Landguard.

Tenby, South Wales

Tenby is a walled Welsh seaside town, famous for its rows of pastel-coloured houses and three soft sand beaches.

There’s several beaches to pick from at Tenby, from the two-mile long golden stretch of the South Beach to the smaller Castle Beach, which is popular for watersports.

There’s lots of family attractions here too, like the Folly Farm Adventure Park with its vintage fairground, and go-karting or bumper boating at Heatherton World of Activities.

For something more relaxing, you can wander the historic harbour, which runs regular boat trips to Caldey Island from April through to October.

It’s well worth taking a day trip to the island, where you’ll find forests with red squirrels and the magnificent Caldey Abbey.

Food and drink in Tenby is both budget-friendly and tasty. Tuck into a Neopolitan pie at Top Joe’s Pizza, or listen to live music with sea views at Salty’s Beach Bar and Restaurant.

Stay at a nearby resort with Hols from £9.50 at Moreton Farm, Manorbier Bay or Manorbier Country Park.

Dumfries, Scotland

In south west Scotland, Dumfries is a Scottish seaside town with plenty of activities for kids and fascinating history for grown-ups.

Southerness beach is a vast stretch of sand overlooked by a striking white lighthouse, which is one of the oldest in Scotland.

The shallow waters are ideal for paddling or swimming, and at low tide plenty of rockpools are revealed, which make for fun family explorations.

Another option in Sandyhills Bay, a quiet, sheltered cove surrounded by greenery. The giant rock arch here, called the Needle’s Eye, makes for a great photo spot.

For families, Dumfries is a total playground.

Dalscone Farm Fun (admission £10) and (£12) offer soft play and animal feeding, while the nearby Dino Park (adults £6, kids £12) lets kids hunt for fossils among life-sized dinosaurs.

If you want to take in the history of the town, you can wander down the River Nith past the 15th-century Devorgilla Bridge, or explore the Robert Burns House to see where the famous writer penned his last works.

Stay at a nearby resort with Hols from £9.50 at Lighthouse Leisure or Parkdean Resorts Southerness.

Whitley Bay, North Tyneside

Whitley Bay is a traditional North East seaside town, with an unspoilt Blue Flag beach where you can paddle, swim or surf.

The beach is the star of the show here, and runs from the main promenade north to St Mary’s Lighthouse, which sits on a tiny island.

You can visit the lighthouse by walking across a causeway – just make sure to check the tide times so you don’t get stranded!

For a bit of local history, head into Spanish City. Once a fairground, it’s now a beautiful building full of restaurants and tea rooms.

Inside you can grab try award-winning fish and chips at Trenchers, or enjoy an ice cream looking out over the sea.

Families will love the dinosaur-themed Lost World Adventure Golf, which is £5 per adult and £6 for children. There are also plenty of traditional arcades along the seafront to dip into.

If you like a coastal walk, follow the coastal path south to the trendy coastal village of Tynemouth to see the historic Priory and Castle.

Stay at a nearby resort with Hols from £9.50 at Parkdean Resorts Whitley Bay or Parkdean Resorts Sandy Bay.

British holidaymakers in Tenerife admit they have “booked early flights home” recently. A specific issue seems to have impacted their holidays over the past few weeks

UK holidaymakers visiting a beloved travel hotspot say they’ve been “booking early flights home” after their breaks were disrupted by an unexpected issue. While many jet off abroad hoping to bask in the sunshine, unwind and enjoy some well-deserved rest, things don’t always go according to plan – no matter how much we’d like them to.

Brits in Tenerife recently discovered this first-hand, with some suggesting their holidays were “ruined” due to an unlikely problem. A string of videos have gone viral on TikTok, with visitors expressing their frustration after trips to the destination over recent weeks, catching many completely off guard.

This follows yet another Tenerife-related announcement made earlier this month, when it was confirmed the island had been added to a warning list.

A man, known online as Gazza, posted a video of his recent getaway, stating: “Come here every year and this is the first bad downpour experience.” He also described the weather as “brutal” for four days due to the relentless rainfall.

The clip has since racked up thousands of views, sparking hundreds of responses. It appears many fellow travellers have encountered similar situations.

One commented: “Had wind, clouds and cold one year for four days out of the seven. Never went back.” Another added: “I was there last week and got an early flight home.”

Gazza responded to this remark, saying: “Was debating it too.” While a third chimed in: “I just got back. It was mental.”

A further user wrote: “It’s been almost a week!!! Everywhere/everything closed!!!” While another remarked: “That’s pretty unlucky. I would feel gutted.”

Others, however, claimed to have had a wonderful time during their visit, with some reporting an entirely different experience.

One holidaymaker shared: “It’s heaven. Chill.” Another added: “Here at the moment and not that bad. People need to chill out.”

Someone else also weighed in with: “Still rather be there than here. It’s the getting away that matters.”

What’s actually been going on?

While heavy rainfall is uncommon in Tenerife during March, a powerful storm has recently battered the Canary Islands. Storm Therese is reported to have wreaked havoc on the Canary Islands, particularly Tenerife and La Palma, with an unexpected mix of heavy rain, 100 km/h (62 mph) winds and even snowfall at high altitudes.

Authorities confirmed it was amongst the most devastating storms to strike the archipelago in over 10 years, which may well explain why so many visitors encountered such dreadful weather during their stays.

The silver lining, however, is that conditions appear to be on the mend. Current forecasts predict sunny spells over the coming days, with temperatures potentially reaching highs of up to 26 degrees, which could explain why some travellers have recently reported a marked improvement in the weather.

One visitor said: “It’s sunny now.” Another wrote: “I’m just back yesterday. Was there for a week. We had a ball even with the storm and rain.”

Imagine cutting the cost of accommodation on your next holiday to about £5 a day. You can have a whole house, rather than just a bedroom. And you can go almost anywhere in the world and stay as long as you like, within reason. Welcome to house swapping.

You’re sceptical, I know. I was, too. Our terrace house was too small. Too overflowing with stuff. The 1980s kitchen was too old (and battered). We aren’t in a nice enough neighbourhood. Who would want to stay here? Lots of people, it turned out.

Our first swap was with a pair of retired Australian judges who had lived in the UK decades before. They came to our house first and, over a cup of tea and cake in our living room, we talked about where to find a good pint and the best fish and chips locally, as well as mastering the idiosyncrasies of how to run our dishwasher. They told us about their favourite local parks (warned us about snakes) and when to put out the bins, before we headed for our month-long stay at their house in Perth. It’s these conversations and connections that really make house swapping special.

Yes, we have stayed in some truly extraordinary homes. There was a house in Florida where we watched rocket launches while lounging in the pool; a clapboard cottage with a hot tub in the Stockholm suburbs; and a swanky five-bedroom villa in the south of France that we shared with friends. We couldn’t have afforded any of these if it were not for house swapping. In fact, the swaps themselves are free, but I pay $235 (£177) a year to use Home Exchange, a house swap booking platform, which works out at about £5 a night for the 35 or so nights I used it last year.

The greatest pleasure, however, is in the genuine relationships forged. Through the messages exchanged before and during the swap, friendships are created. You become, however briefly, part of each other’s lives. We have swapped pets and cars, and watered plants along the way. For a week, we became passionately involved in helping pick a summer school for our Basque guests’ kids. Warm welcomes are universal. We’ve had olive oil from the garden grove of a house in Greece and marmalade from Seville. In return, guests at our house can expect to find sparkling wine from Kent, Essex jam and a pile of Cadbury chocolate bars to try – French guests are big fans of the Crunchie.

Even in challenging moments we found friendship, such as when our shower sprang a leak and rained all over the dining table. We had to arrange an emergency repair via video call with our Spanish guests, an Albanian plumber and a UK insurer, all while frantically looking for a reliable phone signal in the countryside. The babel of languages resulted in a tube of silicone being applied and both parties leaving five-star reviews.

I won’t go back to hotels. I have saved tens of thousands of pounds over the past five years, but what has really hooked me is the interactions with hosts and guests that make my holidays more fulfilling. It’s like having a friend everywhere you go.

Q&A – Everything you need to know

Will I be comfortable house swapping?
If you’re precious about the things in your home or anxious about someone sleeping in your bed, a swap is not for you. Likewise, if spending the last day of your holiday cleaning is a deal-breaker.

How do I house swap?
For some sites, you pay a flat annual membership fee (£100-£200) to use a booking platform with thousands of homes. I use Home Exchange because it verifies member identities and offers some guarantees such as damage, theft and cancellation protection. Kindred is a smaller and generally more expensive rival, focused on upmarket homes. Instead of locking you into membership, it charges variable service and cleaning fees.

How does it work?
Classic swaps are simultaneous; you exchange houses on the same dates. But non-direct swaps are also allowed via a points system: you are awarded credits for stays at your house, which you can then spend to stay somewhere else.

What about scams and safety?
Everyone on Home Exchange is a host and a guest, so there is a high degree of trust. Most swaps don’t involve money, so scams are rare. The only exception is a cleaning fee, payable when the stay is at an end. If you’re asked for money in advance, it’s a scam.

How do I pick my accommodation?
This is time-consuming. The website looks similar to Airbnb, where you filter by availability, destination and the type of property you want, but you need to match with a host, too. Hosts and guests both have ratings from previous stays, but some people still like to phone or video call before agreeing to an exchange. Then once the exchange is agreed, there are messages to organise the swap and answer questions such as how to use the cooker or where the bedding is. Many hosts prepare a house manual. Cancellations are rare but do happen, usually due to illness in our experience. The one time it happened to us, Home Exchange helped us find a new host in the same city, and it will pay for a hotel in a true last-minute emergency.

Do I need to own a luxury house?
No. If you have a pool, hot tub or luxurious mansion, you will certainly get more offers, but flats and smaller houses near popular UK destinations (whether that’s Edinburgh, or the Dorset coast) do just as well. Most houses, like ours, are completely ordinary.

Do I need to put my stuff in storage?
Clear a few drawers, perhaps a wardrobe, for guests, and that’s it. Most of the houses on Home Exchange are family homes.

What about cleaning?
You do need to scrub that oven and clean that grout. Cleanliness expectations are high (and should be agreed upfront). We usually spend much of the last day of our holiday cleaning, and return to find our own house absolutely sparkling. Some hosts give you the option of paying a cleaner.

And DIY?
One of the fringe benefits of house swapping is that it has made us look after our house a little better. Sticky door handles and dripping taps need to be dealt with.

What if I break something?
We have broken small things, as have our guests; usually this is simply forgiven. Put more precious items away. For more expensive items, such as a TV or screen door, house swap platforms usually offer a level of cover, but you should make sure you have home insurance.

Will my home insurance cover my house swap?
Ask. Some insurers offer no cover, others offer it for a certain number of exchanges, or you may need to buy a bolt-on. House swapping is still relatively unusual, so persevere to get a clear answer. Insurers that cover holiday lets, such as Pikl, are also useful.

Are there legal restrictions?
Because no money is exchanged, house swapping is not restricted in the same way as Airbnb and similar services – except in Amsterdam, where only reciprocal swaps are allowed (so no paying with points). You do need to check visa rules if looking after someone’s pet – some countries (such as the US) may view this as providing a service and in breach of a visitor visa.

Other house swap sites
Keybento, Kindred, HomeLink

Rory Boland is the editor of Which? Travel

The framed photo of César Chávez and Dolores Huerta sits in my personal office on a bookshelf crammed with volumes about California and the American West.

The two are at a 1973 United Farm Workers convention, presiding over the union they co-founded. After years of victories in the name of campesinos, the group and its charismatic leaders seem ready for what’s next.

A UFW banner emblazoned with the group’s famous black Aztec eagle logo hangs in the center of the picture, making Chávez and Huerta look like equals.

But they’re not.

He’s speaking from a podium, looking down and appearing cast in darkness due to Chávez blue vest melding into his black hair and brown skin. She’s by his side clasping her hands, wearing a colorful blouse that pales in radiance to Huerta’s hopeful face as she looks at the crowd before them.

It’s the only picture of historical figures that I display at home, and it’s in a place where I’m guaranteed to look at it. It has long served as my secular version of a prayer card, a daily reminder to fight for the good in the world and a reminder that giants before me faced challenges far more daunting than mine. It was also a testament to teamwork — when I acquired the photo a few years ago, it called to me in a way a solo Chávez never would have because I always knew el movimento was more than just one man.

Their portrait can never mean just those things ever again after the New York Times reported last week Chávez sexually assaulted two teenage girls in the 1970s and Huerta in the 1960s.

Places left and right — colleges, cities, classrooms, even states that mark Chávez’s birthday as a holiday — are now deleting his name and image from the public sphere. It’s not going to be a quick, easy task even if the cancellation is starting to take place with startling speed: Chávez’s presence is as ubiquitous in Mexican American life as the Virgin of Guadalupe.

Just this weekend, a friend acknowledged that he and his wife had just started reading a book about him to their 5-year-old daughter, a book they now plan to trash.

I thought of doing the same to my photo of Chávez and Huerta. But I’ve decided not to.

I don’t fault folks for wanting to scrub any hint of Chávez from their daily lives and neither does the Cesar Chavez Foundation, the nonprofit headed by his descendants that recently announced in a statement, “We support and respect whatever decision[s]” may come in the weeks and months to come. Communities are entitled to decide whom they should and shouldn’t publicly honor.

But to eradicate Chávez’s civic presence so fast — to tear down his statues, relabel streets and parks named in his honor, paint over his image on old and new murals, to throw away artwork that has adorned homes and offices for decades — doesn’t remove the fact that millions largely saw him as a champion of the downtrodden until last week. It can’t rescind the positive influence Chávez had on generations of Latinos and non-Latinos who saw in him the hopes of a people and now must reconcile their memories with his horrible deeds.

Historians, educators, activists and politicians for far too long elevated Chávez above Huerta in the name of a simplistic narrative that should’ve never been constructed. The public at large bought into those efforts with little skepticism in the understandable desire to have Latinos star in the American story. It’s a culpability we should all interrogate, not immediately purge.

That’s why not only am I keeping up my photo of Chávez and Huerta, I’m going to put it in a more prominent place from where I can’t look away.

Workers for the city of San Fernando cover the statue at Cesar E. Chavez Memorial Park on Thursday.

(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)

It will serve as a memory of a tragic, tremendous moment in the history of Latinos in the United States, where we should be focusing our attention on a presidential administration that wants most of us gone but instead must deal with the fallout from the downfall of one of our own. It will challenge me anew to look past the big names of the past and highlight those whose stories aren’t nearly as known by the mainstream.

Seeing Huerta next to her abuser will forever remind me about how the now-95-year-old sacrificed her own mental health and safety in the name of something bigger than the two of them — a choice no one should ever have to make but one that she nevertheless did.

The photo will stand as the manifestation of the old newspaper adage that if your mom tells you she loves you, go check it out. No one should ever be above skepticism no matter how sanctified and righteous they may seem — that’s why the New York Times investigation crashed into the Chicano collective sense of self like a meteor. No one could’ve imagined that Chávez could’ve possibly done things so monstrous, but maybe we shouldn’t have built him up so much while he was alive and after his death in the first place.

My framed Chávez-Huerta memento will make me think of how the stories of sexual abuse survivors are still not heard enough or even believed. Even now, some Chávez defenders are casting doubt on the claims of Huerta and the three other women named in the New York Times story, questioning their motivations to come forward after decades of silence and decrying how their decision to do so has permanently tarnished the reputation of one the few nationally known Chicano heroes. In Huerta’s case, critics just don’t buy how someone who carried Chávez’s torch decades after his death could all of a sudden supposedly turn on him.

But as a Catholic who has long covered the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal, I know that every sexual assault survivor has their own journey of recovery. I also know that we must always seek the truth instead of living a lie.

And turning Chávez into a historical footnote is a lie. He long served as a moral exemplar; he should now serve as a cautionary tale known to all.

Erasing historic figures from the public sphere is an exercise in power going back to the pharaohs, a way rulers ensured future generations couldn’t learn about their enemies. The push to nix Chávez comes from the trend in recent years by progressive activists to remove monuments that hail problematic figures under the pretense that someone’s sins trump any good they might have done no matter how influential they were.

Again, all communities have that right to reexamine the past. But we can’t and shouldn’t disappear the full story of Chávez, as painful as it is. It’s the easy way out — and remedying wrongs is never easy.

If the photo in my book shelf was only of Chávez, I’d still keep it up. The good he did was really good — the bad he committed was as terrible as it gets.

Somewhere in between stands the story of us.

They’re so darn cute together, these two. Neal Allen, father of four, newspaper reporter turned corporate executive turned spiritual coach turned author of two spiritual guidebooks, stands a full head of hair taller than his dread-headed wife, who calls him her “current husband.” He calls her his “remarkable and beautiful partner” and himself “Mr. Anne Lamott.”

And no wonder. Author Anne Lamott has published 21 books, with worldwide sales in the millions. “Bird by Bird,” her 1994 writing handbook, which has sold more than 1 million copies and continues to sell approximately 40,000 copies each year, became a meme before there were memes. Thirty-two years later, the titular phrase has made appearances everywhere from “Ted Lasso” (Coach Beard: “I hate losing.” Coach Lasso: “Bird by bird, Coach.”) to a Gloria Steinem interview in Cosmopolitan (“Every writer, truth-seeker, parent, and activist I know is in love with one or more books by Anne Lamott”).

Ask a famous writer how they do what they do, and “Bird by Bird” will likely get honorable mention. Harlan Coben, whose 35 novels have sold roughly 90 million copies, calls “Bird by Bird” his “favorite writing manual.” “I use it like a coach’s halftime speech to get me fired up to write.”

In a 2007 interview, “Eat Pray Love” author Elizabeth Gilbert called herself Lamott’s “literary offspring.” Paula McLain, who wrote the 2011 blockbuster “The Paris Wife,” told me: “I return to ‘Bird by Bird’ again and again because Anne Lamott tells the truth about how hard this work is — and then somehow makes you laugh about it.”

I reached out to best-selling memoirist and novelist Dani Shapiro to ask if she had her own experience with the book. “A writer is always a beginner,” she said. “And there is no better companion than ‘Bird by Bird.’”

Lamott and Allen partnered to write “Good Writing.”

(Christie Hemm Klok / For The Times)

Lamott, 71, and Allen, 69, met in 2016 on the 50-plus dating site OurTime.com. Nine months later, they bought a woodsy Marin County home with room for Lamott’s son and grandson. Sam, when he was 1 year old, was the subject of his mom’s first bestseller, the 1993 memoir “Operating Instructions.” His son Jax was the subject, at age 1, of his grandmother’s 2012 memoir, “Some Assembly Required.”

“We were watching U.S. Open tennis one night and Neal said, ‘Can I ask you something?’” Lamott told me via email. “I barely looked away from the TV, and he asked me to marry him. I said, ‘Yes, if we can get a cat.’”

After a decade of marriage, Lamott and Allen have undertaken a professional collaboration whose outcome, like their union, is greater than the sum of its parts. “Good Writing: 36 Ways to Improve Your Sentences” is as sharply specific as “Bird by Bird” is wanderingly wonderful: as winning a companion piece as two winning companions could create. The table of contents is itself a mini-manual of writerly tips: “Use Strong Verbs.” “Sound Natural.” “Keep it Active.” “Stick with Said.” “Don’t Show Off.”

Lamott and Allen.

(Christie Hemm Klok / For The Times)

I spoke to the late-life lovebirds about their process of marital manuscript-making: the good, the not so good and the blackmailing.

Meredith Maran: How did writing “Bird by Bird” compare to co-authoring “Good Writing”?

Anne Lamott: “Bird by Bird” was literally everything I knew about writing, everything I had been teaching my students for years. It was definitely my book. “Good Writing” was definitely Neal’s book. I just foisted my attention on him and threatened to undermine the marriage if he did not let me contribute.

MM: Neal, what on earth convinced you that you could add something to one of the world’s most popular writing books —written by your wife, no less?

Neal Allen: Oh, I’m not adding anything to “Bird by Bird,” which is a complete classic. It’s everything you need to know about becoming a writer. “Good Writing” is about what comes next: a second draft. And while it’s not fair to call “Bird by Bird” a craft book — it’s much more — it’s fine to define “Good Writing” that way.

“Helping each other with our work is one of the richest aspects of our life as a married couple,” Lamott said.

(Christie Hemm Klok / For The Times)

MM: In producing this joint project, how did you two negotiate the differences between your writing styles and personalities?

AL: We didn’t need to negotiate. Neal somehow manages to be both elegant and welcoming, whereas I think I am more like the class den mother, with a plate of cupcakes, exhorting people not to give up, trying to convince them that they can only share their truth in their own voice, that their voice is plenty good, and that when they get stuck, as we all do, I know some tricks that will help them get back to work.

NA: I once asked AI to describe the difference between my writing and Annie’s. AI answered that I explain things to readers; Annie helps readers reach catharsis. I think that’s absolutely right.

MM: How did you come up with the book’s fab format, whereby each of you writes your own introduction, and then each chapter starts with Neal’s thoughts about one of the 36 rules and ends with Annie’s?

NA: Annie first asked if she could annotate what I had written. That scared the bejesus out of me. When she started writing her own essays in her own voice, I was quite relieved. One of the format’s surprising strengths is that Annie always gets the last word. I explain the rule; then she helps the reader find their way and resolve their issues with the rule. There’s a downside: I don’t get to respond when she tells the reader to ignore me.

“I’m not adding anything to ‘Bird by Bird,’” Allen said. “It’s everything you need to know about becoming a writer. ‘Good Writing’ is about what comes next: a second draft.”

(Christie Hemm Klok / For The Times)

MM: In your intro, Anne, you recall Neal telling you he was working on a writing book. “Well. Hmmmph,” you replied. “I had written a book on writing once …” How did professional jealousy, competitiveness, possessiveness, or, on the brighter side, tenderness, collaborative spirit and generosity play out as you wrote a writing book together?

AL: We have no competitiveness or jealousy when it comes to each other’s writing. We just want the other person to write the most beautiful work they can. We are each other’s first reader, and editor, and while of course I feel attacked if Neal suggests even the tiniest change to my deathless prose, I have come to understand that his suggested cuts and additions save me from myself. Helping each other with our work is one of the richest aspects of our life as a married couple.

NA: There’s no way around “Bird by Bird,” and I just have to deal with that. My worry was whether Annie really wanted to be associated with my little book. I’m envious of Annie’s brilliance, of course, but we speak the same writing language and we love it equally.

MM: What are each of you proudest of, “Good Writing”-wise?

AL: We just recorded the audio version, and I was surprised by how much practical help the book offers. Also, I love the tone, which is so conversational and sometimes, I hope, pretty funny.

NA: I had the opposite reaction to recording the audio version. I saw all the opportunities for readers to mock me. In the 18 months between writing a final draft and the book showing up in stores, we’ve both flipped from believing it reflects well on us to thinking it’s a disaster. Luckily, both of us haven’t ever thought it sucks at the same time.

MM: That is fortunate. Also, Neal, I’m not sure you answered my question.

NA: What am I proudest of? That the book exists. I carried around these rules for improving sentences for years. I think a lot of writers do a book because they notice it’s not out there, and why isn’t it? And then they shrug, ‘Well, I guess it’s up to me.’ That’s how I came into all three of my books.

AL: May I just add that I’m proud to introduce my seriously charming and breathtakingly wise husband to a wider audience.

EASYJET has warned holidaymakers to book their summer break as soon as possible amid fears of huge price hikes.

The airline chief has said the cost of holidays during peak months is expected to surge due to the ongoing Iran conflict.

Kenton Jarvis, the chief executive of easyJet, has advised anyone wanting to go on a summer holiday to book one now before they get too expensive.

He told The Telegraph: “I think the message would be to book as soon as possible, because that will start feeding in at some stage.

“My expectation is that prices go up. The industry has no choice. We make about £7 a seat and if fuel goes up by £10 then you do something about that.

“You’re not going to take an extra £10 of costs and just sit there and do nothing.”

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At the moment, most UK airlines won’t be affected because of hedging – essentially a fixed price for oil – which is keeping prices stable.

Depending on the length of time that the Iran conflict continues and if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, there could be price hikes in the coming months.

This in turn will see airlines having to put up their fares for passengers.

Mr Jarvis said that he expects easyJet to be “good for three weeks.”

Meanwhile, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary said that he doesn’t expect disruption as long as the ongoing conflict ends “in the next month or two.”

Unlike these airlines, US carriers aren’t hedged which has resulted in the rise in fare prices already.

Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association (IAG) who owns British Airways, explained that fares across the North Atlantic are set to jump up.

Talking more on the issue, he said that due to the price increase of US airlines, “competitors at the other end will match the price increase. It’s the nature of the industry.”

Some airlines have already put the price of their fares up, or are preparing to.

AirAsia said it would temporarily raise ticket prices but said it would be revising fares at a later date.

Thai Airways said it expects tickets to go up by 10 – 15 per cent, while Qantas also said it would increase prices depending on the route.

And Scandinavian airline SAS has introduced a “temporary price adjustment”.

Air New Zealand has increased prices of its flights in response to rising fuel costs as well.

Domestic flights were going up by $10 (£4.37) one way, short haul by $20 (£8.74), and long haul $90 (£39.35).

For more on booking a summer holiday, here’s why you should head to Spain and Greece.

And here are six of the best holiday destinations to book for some quick Vitamin D including 28C Spanish islands.

Billy Porter says a poorly treated urinary infection nearly killed him.

On Wednesday, the 56-year-old Broadway icon appeared on “Today” to promote his new children’s book, “Songbird in the Light,” and discussed a recent health scare that’s given the actor a new outlook on life.

“I am on the road to complete recovery,” he said, tearing up. “It is a gift to be alive. It’s still emotional to talk about it.”

Last year, Porter crossed the pond and made his West End debut starring as the Emcee in the musical “Cabaret,” which ran Jan. 28 through May 24 at London’s Playhouse Theatre. The Tony-winning actor said he was having a ball and living his purpose, but then he got a urinary infection.

“The medicine in the U.K. is trash,” he told “Outlaws” podcast host TS Madison earlier this month. “Four rounds of antibiotics and 10 to 12 weeks later, it’s a kidney infection with kidney stones.”

Porter eventually thought the infection had cleared up and returned to New York, where last fall he was gearing up for a Broadway revival of the musical starring as the production’s first Black Emcee, but his history-making run was cut short.

“I go into rehearsals for ‘Cabaret’ on Broadway … and everything seems fine, and a month in, the kidney stone pain comes back,” he told Madison.

On a Tuesday in September, Porter checked himself into the hospital due to debilitating pain, and then the “Pose” star subsequently fell into a coma and woke up days later on a Saturday evening.

“They went in to do a routine check. They saw that the kidney stone was trapped in my urethra, and they went in to put a stent in, redirect the urine, blast me with real antibiotics — not U.K. antibiotics — and blow up the kidney stones. When they got in there, there was so much pus and bile and infection behind the stone, it bubbled up and I went uroseptic in minutes.”

“I was dead for three days,” Porter said.

Porter said he was placed on an ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) machine, which, according to Mayo Clinic, pumps blood outside of the body to a heart-lung machine, removes carbon dioxide from the blood and sends oxygen-rich blood back to the body. It’s essentially a life-support system.

While Porter was in a coma, he said, one of his legs went into compartment syndrome, which happens when there’s too much pressure around your muscles, causing reduced blood and oxygen flow and possibly leading to necrosis. “They had to cut me open on either side of my leg while I was in a coma, from my knee to my hip, and leave it open for two days so they could save my leg,” he told Madison, visibly choked up over the ordeal.

Porter told “Today” that the experience was mind-altering yet also inspiring. “My work here on this earth is not done, and that gives me hope.”

His new children’s book, “Songbird in the Light,” which follows a young boy who grapples with bullying while learning to embrace his talent and love himself, hit bookshop shelves this week.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander enjoyed another 40-point night as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Orlando Magic 113-108 to become the first NBA team to secure a play-off berth.

The 27-year-old Canadian went 14 from 27 from the field as he extended his record of most 20-point games in a row to 129.

Chet Holmgren added 20 points and 12 rebounds as the Western Conference leaders claimed a ninth straight win to improve to 54-15 for the season.

“We got off to a good start but then the car kind of came off the road for a little bit,” reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Gilgeous-Alexander said.

“But that’s what great teams do – they figure out a way to get the car back on the road, they figure out a way to go into a building and win a game when the chips are stacked against you, and we did that tonight.”

San Antonio Spurs remain second in the West after a comfortable 132-104 win over the Sacramento Kings, while the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Phoenix Suns 116-104.

In the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Pistons handed the Washington Wizards a 13th straight loss to strengthen their position at the top.

But the 130-117 triumph was marred by an injury to star point guard Cade Cunningham, who had to leave the game in the first quarter with a back issue.

The New York Knicks stay third in the East after a thumping 136-110 win over the Indiana Pacers, a 14th consecutive loss leaving last year’s NBA Finals runners-up 15-54 this term.

There are few greater muses than one’s own childhood. In recent months, this idea has taken visual form across fashion runways, with brands from Chanel to Acne Studios showcasing childlike sketches, often referred to as ‘naive design’. The aesthetic favors deliberate roughness and mistakes over a sterile, polished sheen.

Book covers are the latest medium to embrace the trend. Scribbles, doodles, crayon marks and stickers — evoking Lisa Frank and anime cartoons — have begun appearing on prominent Gen Z contemporary fiction covers. The more childish and unrefined, the better.

The covers, which often accompany literary fiction written by women, signal a particular emotional register of naive, sticky chaos that youth promises. The visual language recalls a simpler time — a reclamation of an innocence lost. For millennials and Gen Z readers who worship collectibles like Labubus, friendship bracelets and butterfly hair clips, it’s natural that art direction would follow suit — sometimes with an ironic twist. Often, the design’s playfulness obscures the protagonist’s malaise.

The book cover trend, imbued with nostalgia for childhood, promises fiction that grapples with the pangs of adulthood in an age of precarity. In her Substack, cultural critic and novelist Natasha Stagg commented on the trend, noting, “Reverse-image searching these images turn up books on early childhood education, dealing with anxiety or migraines, or teaching a kid to color outside the lines as an artistic parent.” The book trend cover suggests collective angst about adulthood, highlighted by a cultural fixation on “girlhood” that sparked a spate of online think pieces in recent years.

It’s fitting, then, that the aesthetic has been adopted by Gen Z fiction writers like Honor Levy, whose paperback edition of “My First Book” includes girlish heart stickers on a hot pink background. The Y2K aesthetic elicits a young girl’s diary. Meanwhile, the 2025 novel “Unfit” by Ariana Harwicz, about a mother losing her children in a custody battle, uses erratic crayon scribbles on its cover. In the fall, McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern was contained in a binder with a Lisa Frank-style aquatic wonderland on the cover. This month, Cazzie David released a book of essays about early adulthood titled “Delusions: Of Grandeur, of Romance, of Process” with a cover resembling a child’s birthday cake.

(New Directions Publishing, Penguin Books)

Writer and culture critic Drew Zeiba noted the trend in his June 2025 Substack post. “I wonder if it represents a fed-up-ness with prior or concurrent trends in book design,” writes Zeiba over email. “A move away from the layered, the blobby, the clean — to something with more illusion of or allusion to an id.”

“Not for nothing, I assume adult coloring books sell better than literary fiction,” says Zeiba. “I’m struck by that in a way the crayon or marker drawing is provisional — there’s no final form to it.”

This January, novelist and Forever Magazine co-founder Madeline Cash released her highly anticipated debut novel, “Lost Lambs.” The story follows a family unraveling amid open marriages, conspiracy and emotional turmoil. Designed by Na Song, the cover features drooping blue crayon text and a small illustration of a girl.

The cover was heavily influenced by Henry Darger’s Vivian Girls. “I was attached to this Henry Darger painting when I was writing the book. I felt like that was a really accurate visual representation of little girls running away from utter chaos,” says Cash.

“The childish scribbling handwriting is also a red herring for some of the more serious and sinister themes in the book, “ says Cash.

(St. Martin’s Publishing Group, Farrar, Straus & Giroux)

“Having read Cash’s, I’m struck by the fact that the children in the book — and children are central to the book — are really insightful and transformative, and ‘lost lambs’ actually refers in the text to a specific group of adults,” adds Zeiba.

A similar artistic logic underpins Sophie Kemp’s breakout 2025 novel, “Paradise Logic,” which gained attention for its unsettling cover. The book cover is an existing painting by Brooklyn-based artist Naruki Kukita, selected by veteran art director Martha Kennedy with Kemp’s input. Kennedy had come across “Virtual Temptation in Eden” in a weekly art newsletter called “It’s Nice That.” The image invokes a children’s coloring book with darker undertones, blending various cartoon and drawing styles to depict Adam and Eve in paradise. A cartoon snake lurks behind them.

The design mirrors the memorable prose. “This novel showcased one of the most original voices I’ve ever read. I would describe it as a psychosexual fever dream,” says Kennedy. “I recall the editor calling it ‘the first true Gen Z novel.’”

Kemp recalls sending a lengthy email about the book cover inspiration. “I want something super maximalist. I want it to be a preexisting image. And I wanted to do something that is shocking or crazy,” says Kemp. Kennedy presented Kukita’s painting, and it was love at first sight for Kemp.

(New Directions Publishing, Simon & Schuster)

“Kukita’s combination of finely crafted painterly portraiture and flat graphic anime (often in very intense sexual combination) seemed like a perfect match for the tone of this novel,” says Martha Kennedy, who served as the art director at Simon & Schuster.

Then, enter Comic Sans typeface — a perfect dash of irony. “Let’s use a typeface that feels kind of wrong,” Kemp recalls prescribing. “I used Comic Sans for the first time in my 35-year career for the rest of the type. I felt that was some sort of weird pinnacle in itself,” Kennedy explains over email.

Kemp sees a thematic alignment between her and Cash’s book designs. “Mine and Madeline’s books are about naive female characters,” Kemp says. “It makes a lot of sense with the protagonist of my novel, who’s an extremely naive young woman, for the book cover to match that tone that I created.”

While working in marketing, Cash recalls another book cover trend she calls “book blob.” The blob was earth-toned and splashed bestselling covers for years. “With any kind of viral aesthetic: one of those books did well, so they engineered every cover to emulate that, because people were drawn to them,” says Cash. “It looks like all the content was the same and ubiquitous. It is a disservice to a lot of those books.”

“I really wanted it to stand out,” says Cash about her own cover.

Connors is a writer living in Los Angeles. She hosts the literary reading event Unreliable Narrators at Nico’s Wines in Atwater Village every month.

Travelling with kids can be expensive, even if you stay within the UK, but changing your travel dates could potentially save you hundreds of pounds – according to Expedia some dates could be the key to nabbing bargains

When you have kids, it feels like the days of cheap holidays are over, especially once they hit school age. Holidays can take a lot more planning and careful budgeting.

However, travel booking site Expedia has given parents a hand, putting together data that shows the cheapest exact dates to travel as a family, as well as the peak travel dates to avoid. Melanie Fish, spokesperson for Expedia Group Brands said: “Using the right dates to dodge peak travel times is a great money‑saving hack, especially when paired with booking everything you need for your trip on Expedia for a hassle‑free holiday.”

It also revealed some up and coming destinations for spring that are seeing a surge in searches, potentially making them popular places for a spring break. These include Conwy, Tenby, and the Cotswolds, all classic family holiday staycation spots.

As you may expect, late-March and early-April are expensive times to travel as parents try to get some time away for the Easter holidays. For domestic travel, the most expensive dates are between May 23 and 31, which is half-term in most schools across the UK. The most expensive dates for international travel were revealed as April 5 and May 23, again both coinciding with school holidays.

The busiest dates for staycations were found to be March 6 and 27, while for international travel, you can expect packed airports and ferry ports on April 2 and 3. If you’re someone who prefers to avoid the crowds and traffic, it’s best to rethink booking a departure on these dates.

When it comes to the cheapest dates, for domestic travel these fall on March 1 and 2, early in the spring, as it’s before the main tourist season kicks off in most staycation spots.

For international travel, the cheapest departure dates include March 2 and April 27. Unfortunately, these do fall outside of school holiday dates, but some parents may be tempted to book a break anyway. However, it’s worth making sure you research school holiday fines before you pull the kids out of school, as a family of four could rack up a £320 bill even for a first offence.

The quietest times to travel also fall outside of school holidays: April 28 and May 31. However, if your school has a later May half-term or inset days tacked onto the holiday, then going slightly later could cut the cost of a break later in the month. Choose flexible dates when searching for flights or holidays to see how much you could save by departing a few days later.

If you’re in a particularly strict area for school holiday fines, don’t worry, shifting your dates within the school holidays can also cut costs. For example, the cheapest dates to book in the six week summer holidays tend to be closer to the end of the holiday, as most people want to go away as soon as school finishes. By opting for a late-August rather than mid-July break you could save hundreds and still be back in time for school.

Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com

“Beast Mode” started as a phrase people used to describe the running style of former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch.

“I think it was just my relentlessness and my no-back-down type of demeanor when it came to running the ball, like, ‘Boy, that boy a beast,’” Lynch said. “And it’s like, yeah, when I get the ball, that’s what type of mode I’m in — I’m in beast mode.”

Lynch played 12 seasons for the Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks and Oakland Raiders, amassing 10,413 in 2,453 carries with 85 touchdowns. Somewhere along the way, he said, the phrase “Beast Mode” evolved into “this persona bigger than myself.”

“The way that I get approached by kids and fans, like the way that they approach me is almost as if I am like a character so to speak, and I don’t think that I was doing it justice because I’m like, ‘Well s—, I’m just only a man,” the Super Bowl XLVIII champion said.

“But I believe in their mind what they had made up as Beast Mode is this larger-than-life, kind of surreal individual.”

An early look at a page from the upcoming “Beast Mode 510” graphic novel, starring Marshawn Lynch as the title character. Text will be added closer to the Oct. 6 publishing date.

(Art by Denys Cowan / Courtesy of AWA)

Lynch is embracing that perception of himself … and Beast Mode is about to become a literal comic book hero.

On Friday, Arists Writers and Artisans announced the graphic novel “Beast Mode 510,” which is scheduled to be released Oct. 6. Written by NAACP Image Award-nominated author Sheldon Allen and illustrated by Eisner Hall of Fame artist Denys Cowan, the book was “inspired and guided by” Lynch and is a “deeply personal love letter” to his hometown Oakland, according to a news release from AWA.

“At its center is Beast Mode: the 510’s legendary fixer and freelance sleuth whose rough exterior hides a code of loyalty and willingness to deal with problems others won’t touch,” the release reads. “If you’ve got a problem the authorities won’t handle, Beast Mode will. No invoices. No contracts. Just results.”

AWA chief creative officer Axel Alonso said when he was approached by Lynch and his team about possibly working on a project together, the idea of turning Beast Mode into an almost superhuman crime fighter quickly came to mind.

“To use a football analogy, when Marshawn and his people came to me and said, ‘Can you do anything with this, Beast Mode?’ it was like they gave me the ball on the one-yard line and I had to just walk it in — and Pete Carroll wasn’t the coach, so I could just go right in,” Alonso said, referring to an infamous play at the end of Seattle’s loss to New England in Super Bowl XLIX.

“It was as easy as that. I was like, come on, ‘Beast Mode’? So automatically I talked with Marshawn and said, ‘What’s important to you?’”

Lynch’s input has been key every step of the way, Alonso said, with the five-time Pro Bowl selection getting final say on every aspect. Lynch said he appreciates having his voice heard and being able to put his stamp on the project.

“From the start, we just sat down and had a conversation about where it was that we wanted to go, what is the kind of feel, the look that we want, the kind of tone that we want to tell the story,” Lynch said.

Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch #24 of the Seattle Seahawks runs for a 67-yard touchdown against the New Orleans Saints during an NFC wild-card playoff game Jan. 8, 2011, at Qwest Field.

(Jonathan Ferrey / Getty Images)

An early look at pages from the upcoming “Beast Mode 510” graphic novel starring Super Bowl champion Marshawn Lynch as an underground crime fighter.

(Art by Denys Cowan / Courtesy of AWA)

“I can’t draw or nothing like that, but any type of update or anything Axel will get over to me and, you know what I mean, yea or nay. And then when it comes to like how certain characters would look, certain names, individuals — I would say I’m involved, but I’m not stepping on their toes.”

For Lynch, one of the top priorities was to bring attention to all the unique aspects of his beloved city.

“We kinda have Oakland being a character of its own,” he said. “The personality of what Oakland stands for is something that I would really like to highlight ‘cause I feel that my city gets overlooked. And then the amount of individuals that we have coming out of area, it’s also an opportunity to show a nod to a lot of the Bay Area cultures and icons that we have.”

Even though the book is fiction, Lynch insisted on authenticity in the depictions of the city and the people who live there, including the way they look, act and speak.

“I think the biggest thing will probably be just the way that I speak in general,” Lynch said. “Mother— from where I’m from, we talk with a certain type of a tone, a type of swag.”

An early look at a page from the upcoming “Beast Mode 510” graphic novel. Marshawn Lynch says his character was inspired by the larger-than-life persona fans sometimes associate with him.

(Art by Denys Cowan / Courtesy of AWA.)

And, judging from Lynch’s signature way of talking, a lot of profanity.

None of Lynch’s ideas has been toned down.

“This is an R-rated book,” Alonso said.

“I want this s— to be turned up to the max,” Lynch added, “so if a mother— do pick this up to read, it’s gonna be like, ‘Oh, this some real s—.’ As well as entertaining, as well as insightful and impactful.”

Lynch is used to keeping people entertained, including as the co-host of the “Get Got Pod” with former Seahawks teammate Mike Robinson and as an actor with numerous roles in TV and film (including a breakout performancein 2023’s “Bottoms”).

He said he’s proud of how the project is turning out.

“When you see work and be like, ‘Damn that s— was nice’ and you start thinking about the thought process and how they got to those points, how they got to those things that drew you in, those things that give you that warm feeling,” Lynch said, “I’m feeling like I’m living that as this s— is going.

“Which is crazy as f— because I played in Super Bowls, I walked the red carpet of f—in’ premieres, and this one feels like, out of a lot of s—, this one is capturing that feeling for me. I’m a [Black man] — you know we don’t feel too much. But when we do, we be like, ‘Oh yeah, you know this s— is special.’”