booze

A SOAP star died the day after her 35th birthday party from drinking a deadly amount of alcohol, her post-mortem has revealed.

Ece İrtem, best known for playing Işıl in the popular Turkish TV series Cranberry Sorbet, died of ethyl alcohol poisoning.

She died at her home in Istanbul, Turkey, after collapsing in front of her devastated mother.

Initial findings suggested Ece had died of a heart attack, but The Institute of Forensic Medicine ruled that the star died from alcohol poisoning after an extensive investigation.

395 milligrams of alcohol per decilitre (mg/dl) of blood was found in her system, nearly eight times Turkey’s legal drink-driving limit.

This blood alcohol level is deemed medically critical and can be fatal.

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Experts concluded the exceptionally high blood alcohol level mixing with prescribed antidepressant and anti-anxiety medication caused the actress’ death.

The findings put to bed widespread rumours that Ece had died from an illness contracted from a monkey bite.

She had been bitten by a monkey on May 27, during a trip to Thailand, Ece’s lawyer Uğur Gökkoyun confirmed.

Macaques in Thailand can carry infectious diseases including rabies and herpes.

But Uğur explained that she had taken a 21-day course of preventative medication before safely stopping it after 11 days.

And the autopsy found no evidence suggesting that the monkey bite was at all linked to her death.

Ece had posted on social media just a day before her death thanking fans for their sweet birthday wishes.

Heartbreaking tributes have poured in for the young actress, saying she was full of love and happiness.

Caglar Kuru, her friend from university, wrote: “I cannot find the words. She was a person whose heart was full of love, energy and happiness.

“Living through this pain is truly very sad.”

Ece studied at Yasar University’s Opera and Vocal Studies Department before going on to train as an actress.

The soap star kicked off her television career in 2014 before going on to appear in series including Runaway Brides, That’s My Life and New Bride.

She also starred in shows including Payitaht Abdulhamid and Mr Wrong.

Ece was buried at Yenikoy Cemetery in Kusadasi, on Turkey’s Aegean coast.

But the funeral sparked a furious row after several people were spotted filming and taking photos of the coffin.

Footage of the moment went viral on social media and the fans were slammed for their disrespect towards the grieving family.

From this week, there will be strict rules on the consumption of alcohol in two popular UK seaside towns, and anyone not careful could face a fine of up to a staggering £1,000

Two popular UK seaside towns have introduced a ‘booze ban’, with the risk of £1,000 fines for anyone caught flouting the rules.

In a bid to help manage anti-social behaviour in Kent, a new Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) has been approved for three years. Under this order, which will be in force from Wednesday, 1 July, there will be a year-round blanket ban on the consumption of alcohol in Margate and Ramsgate high streets.

Anyone caught breaking a PSPO, which is a criminal offence, could be fined up to around £100. This can be reduced if it’s paid within 10 to 14 days; however, if anyone avoids paying the fine, they could face prosecution and be fined up to a staggering £1,000.

Margate has long been a popular destination in Kent, thanks to its traditional Victorian charm, stretches of golden beach and close link to London, often earning the nickname of ‘Shoreditch-on-Sea’. Ramsgate is just as popular with its sprawling beaches, Royal Harbour and thriving independent food scene.

But it’s not just these seaside towns taking the brunt of the new order.

The PSPO also sets out that in areas across Broadstairs, Cliftonville West, Margate and Ramsgate, there will be bans on anti-social behaviour related to the consumption of alcohol and not handing over alcohol when asked by authorities. It comes after Kent Police said fights had erupted on Broadstairs and Margate beach last week, while people were also assaulted at Margate Railway Station.

Some businesses in Thanet told BBC Radio Kent that they had been forced to close early on occasions due to anti-social behaviour in the area. One even said they were planning to move out of the area as it had become intimidating.

The aim of the order is to “introduce targeted restrictions to curb alcohol-related disorder, public urination, and defecation for a period of three years”, the Thanet District Council website noted. According to the BBC, East Thanet MP Polly Billington said following approval on Thursday: “It’s vital for our economy that people feel confident about keeping their doors open to their shop, and actually, [it’s vital] for the wellbeing of our residents and our visitors that everybody feels safe.”

Meanwhile, before the order was approved, Councillor Heather Keen, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, highlighted: “We are incredibly grateful to everyone who took the time to share their views. Our communities deserve safe, clean, and welcoming public spaces, and this overwhelming support shows how passionate local people are about protecting their environment.

“If Cabinet agrees to implement these proposals, our safety teams and the police will have an effective tool to address persistent issues impacting our towns. We have listened closely to feedback, and while enforcement would always be a last resort, these measures could significantly improve the quality of life across Thanet.”

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DISNEYLAND is a place where everyone can enjoy a bit of magic, but hidden behind its world famous rides and queues of exhausted families is a top secret club that most guests have no idea exists.

Club 33 originally opened in Disneyland California, although can also be found in Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland and Shanghai Disneyland now too.

But don’t get too excited – the club is incredibly exclusive and the only way to join is if you receive an invite.

It’s even suggested that there is a waiting list of up to 10 years, which was reportedly closed in 2007 after it became so long, before reopening in 2012.

So it’s no wonder why the sought-after club is loved by celebs like Tom Hanks, Michael Jackson and Elton John.

Found on 33 Orleans Street, the speakeasy style club can be found behind a blue door with a discreet 33 address plate at the entrance, for those in the know.

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The members-only club was founded by Walt Disney, who based the club on his travel adventures with his wife Lillian, although he died a year before the club opened in 1967.

Inside is just as lush as you’d expect, with wood-panelled private dining lounges, swanky baroque wallpaper and various Victorian curios that Walt personally collected from antique shops.

In fact, the restaurant is one of the only places visitors can bag some booze in the park.

And for film fanatics, props from classics like Mary Poppins  are inside, including original drawings on the wall.

But all of this will cost you.

Initiation fees are believed to range between $25,000 (£19,200) and $50,000 (£38,000).

Then there is the annual fee, which can be as much as $30,000 (£23,000).

The membership, however, gets you some extra perks such as day passes for guests, private VIP tours, exclusive merchandise and free hotel room upgrades.

You also can’t go to more than one of the Club 33s around the world, as each membership is exclusive to each club.

There is one place in the club you can visit without your own membership, although you do need to know someone who does have one to take you.

The Salon Nouveau Lounge is known for it’s posh caviar appetizers as well as burgers and champagne, so if you know someone lucky enough to have access the club 33, you could try it out.

Meanwhile, for members only, there is Le Grande Salon which has set menu costing upwards of £100, but can reportedly include options such as scallops and steak tartare.

And for those wanting to spend the night, there’s the Disneyland Dream Suite, which sits above the next-door Pirates of the Caribbean ride.

Walt had his own apartment on Main Street in the park, but it was decided there needed to be a bigger spot to host Disney’s VIP guests, away from the hustle and bustle of the crowds.

The more specific details of the elusive club are scarce, mostly because members are told not to ever share the club’s secrets.

Florida-based Disney travel experts Simon and Susan Veness previously told the Telegraph: “The level of secrecy around Club 33 is quite startling, but it has been there since the club’s earliest days, and it continues to be a Disney parks anomaly today.

“For somewhere that is never slow to promote its rides and attractions, this ultra-expensive ‘insiders’ club’ is distinctly incongruous and out of step with the general pixie dust nature of the theme parks.”

However, some guests have shared a sneak peak inside the club.

This week former Playboy star Holly Madison took to Instagram to post some snaps from the balcony of the club.

“Club 33 Alice in Wonderland tea was divine,” she captioned the alluring snaps which showed her sat a linen-covered table with Mad Hatter plates, Alice in Wonderland-themed snacks and over huge floral displays.

Bragging about having club 33 membership comes with it’s risks though as one couple even ended up taking Disney to court after losing their membership.

The couple, from the US, said they had paid as much as $124,000 (£94,000) a year to visit the theme parks, sometimes visiting as much as 80 times a year.

However, they were taken off the membership list after the park claimed they had both behaved badly, being both intoxicated and swearing – something they both refute.

Back in 2015 Joseph Cosgrove allegedly lost his membership when he allowed a friend to auction off his passes.

According to Disneyland spokeswoman Suzi Brown, Joseph had “repeatedly transferred and sold their membership privileges,” which meant the park was “left with no other choice in order to preserve the integrity of membership.”

Celebrities aren’t immune to having their membership revoked either; a Pitch Perfect actress claimed she was suspended from the club for taking a secret picture in the club’s bathroom, she revealed on The Daily Show in 2023.

But all the mystery around the club has only made it more intriguing for Disney fans over the years, with thousands of social media posts on the topic of the secret spot popping up every week.