Tourism experts are predicting a bumper year for “staycations” with more of us choosing to holiday in the UK due to continuing uncertainty around jet fuel prices and possible flight cancellations. Holidaymakers are spoilt for choice with more than 350,000 UK self-catering listings on booking platforms, from rustic barn conversions to seaside villas with all mod cons for large family gatherings.
We’ve done some of the leg work and whittled down a selection of cottages which all offer something special, whether it’s a stunning location, a breathtaking view or a level of comfort and style that wouldn’t be out of place in a boutique hotel.
As the Instagrammification of interiors makes holiday cottages increasingly difficult to tell apart, one place stands out: Riverbank in Hunworth. Opened last year by the family behind pocket-sized sister cottage Spinks Nest, this brick-and-flint workers’ cottage in the village of Hunworth, near Holt, deftly weaves together richly textured fabrics, pretty wallpapers, earthy heritage paints and carefully chosen vintage finds. Beneath its rustic cosiness, an exacting attention to detail extends to high-spec mattresses and some seriously whizzy kitchen appliances. Sit and read beside the chalk stream that winds through the garden, or head out for a stroll around North Norfolk’s bird-rich marshes and unspoilt beaches (Holkham is 30 minutes’ drive away).
Sleeps four adults (three beds can be added for children), from £1,940 a week, riverbanknorfolk.com
If you were looking for filming locations for Hansel and Gretel, Keeper’s Cottage would be a shoo-in as the gingerbread cottage. Deep within the Shuttleworth estate and surrounded by Scots pines, this former gamekeeper’s cottage was built in 1878 as part of a project to create a model estate. Rescued from dereliction and opened as a holiday cottage with refreshed interiors in 2007, it makes a romantic secluded base for exploring the estate’s vintage aircraft and Regency gardens. Alternatively, walk over to neighbouring Old Warden to peer at more model houses before stopping for a pint or a steak and stout pie at the Hare & Hounds.
Sleeps four, from £1,694 a week, landmarktrust.org.uk
Tucked amid the steep cobbled lanes and red-roofed cottages that totter down to the sea at Robin Hood’s Bay, Burnharbour is a two-bedroom hideaway painted in moody blue-green and ruby. With textile and design lecturers as owners, it’s like a live-in treasure chest, with shell-barnacled lampshades, a Zellige-tiled bathroom and a little library of carefully chosen books. Go rockpooling down at the shore, dillydally over coffee or lunch with a view at neighbouring cafe the Cove, follow one of the footpaths along the coast, or take a day trip to Whitby to explore the abbey, and eat chocolate “japs” at Botham’s or lemon-top ice-creams at the Sandside Bar.
Sleeps four, from £560 a week, baytownholidaycottages.co.uk
Among a hamlet of holiday cottages and shepherds’ huts a few miles inland from the beaches, rockpools and fish restaurants of Looe, Gamekeeper’s Cottage is a colourful and cosy two-bedroom retreat that has been artfully upcycled from a more dated predecessor. Kitchen cupboards have been painted apple green, a rainforest shower has been installed (along with glossy tiles) over the bath, and a wood burner now sits in the sitting room’s stone fireplace, surrounded by pretty floral wallpaper. That’s only half the story, though; as with all Cottage Orné’s properties, guests get access to an outdoor pool, sauna, meditation and yoga studio, and a crafting workshop.
Sleeps four, from £2,325 a week, cottageorne.com
In the centre of Deal, steps from the beach and handy for Sunday roasts at the Rose, or ramen at the Blue Pelican, Rogue’s Cottage stands out from a glut of pretty holiday properties in this cool Kent town. A dainty Georgian townhouse, it has been transformed by interior designer Ashley Ferry with a winning pairing of seaweed, saltwater and coral paintwork with furnishings that would please even the most grizzled of sea dogs – among them a deep copper bathtub, antique headboards and a dinky wood-burning stove. Better still, there’s a tiny courtyard terrace for dining away from the surrounding hubbub.
Sleeps four, from £1,055 a week, keeperscottages.co.uk
Overlooking Lake Semerwater in Raydale, a quiet dale off Wensleydale, the 18th-century Silk Mill is one of three self-catering properties threaded across the Wood End estate (the other two are contemporary one-bedroom timber cottages). Elegantly refurbished by its owner, interior designer Jonathan Reed, the mill is well placed for hay meadow picnics, swims in the lake or hikes over to Hawes and beyond (go an extra mile or so for lunch at Simonstone Hall). Sit on the terrace listening for curlews, or enjoy some in-house art appreciation, admiring co-owner Graeme Black’s paintings of the surrounding trees. You can see more of them, plus works by other artists, at Thorns Gallery, also on the estate.
Sleeps four, from £2,392 a week, thorns.gallery/accommodation
Sea views don’t get more full-frontal than those at Brandy Head Observation Post near Budleigh Salterton. It was built in 1940 for the RAF’s top-secret Gunnery Research Unit and restored from dereliction six years ago. On the South West Coast Path and accessible only on foot, its terrace makes a perfect vantage point for hikers and birders. With one double bed, two twin bunks, a shower room and an open-plan living, dining and kitchen area, it’s a practical little base camp for forays to local beaches, along the paths that loop through the River Otter Estuary nature reserve, or to Otterton Mill for farm shop foraging and live folk music.
Sleeps six, £900 a week, stantyway.com
In the former lead-mining village of Bonsall, Bert’s Cottage is a model of pale-rendered restraint on the outside, but inside it’s awash with colour, texture and pattern. Refurbished by antique jewellery expert Matt Gerrish and his ballerina wife, Lauren Cuthbertson, this four-bedroom hideaway is exactly the marriage of heritage, theatre and grace you might expect. Antique chests rest against walls busy with paintings, prints and botanical wallpapers, the traditional elements loosened up by bright pops of colour. The location is hard to beat, too; it’s handy for rugged Peak District walks, the historic mills and bookish pleasures of Cromford, days out at Chatsworth and Haddon Hall, and the kiss-me-quick pleasures of Matlock.
Sleeps eight, from £1,473 for five nights, bertscottage.co.uk
It’s all about the view at this studio apartment on the shores of Coniston Water. The Coachman’s Quarters is the smallest of three self-catering cottages at Brantwood, John Ruskin’s final home. If the accommodation is rather minibus in scale, the prospect that unfurls through its picture window is more doubledecker. Sit and watch the light fade over the Old Man of Coniston, or steal outside to explore Brantwood’s 100 hectares (250 acres) of gardens and woodland in peace after the day visitors have left. Run by a charitable trust, the site is now home to a museum dedicated to the Victorian polymath, and its grounds are a popular RHS partner garden.
Sleeps two, from £955 a week, brantwood.org.uk
In Somerset’s quieter western reaches, East Quay is quietly stealing a march on the county’s better-known artistic enclaves. Overlooking Watchet’s pretty harbour, this cafe, gallery and community arts space looks like it’s been beamed down from Bilbao or Hamburg, with the ambition to match. Run as a social enterprise, it’s a buzzy place for brunch, cocktails, a gig, a craft workshop or an exhibition. But those in the know book one of its five basic self-catering pods and explore the wider region while they’re there. Walk the spectacular Quantocks, visit Greencombe Gardens, or head to Dunster to tour its castle and have pizza or drinks with the best view for miles in the Luttrell Arms’ secret garden.
Pods sleep between two and six, from £810 a week, eastquaywatchet.co.uk
More tumbleup than tumbledown, Croft Lodge Studio is a real one-off. Within a new, fully insulated corrugated iron shell sit the ruins of a listed 18th-century home, including ancient oak beams, ivy and birds’ nests (hence its no under-10s rule). This radical preservation project near Croft won a Royal Institute of British Architects award. Modern amenities include a wet room, underfloor heating and an EV charger. There’s a bluebell wood on the doorstep, and the surrounding parkland leads to the National Trust’s Croft Castle estate. Wander over to Aymestrey for damson negronis and plates of rhubarb-cured trout at the Riverside inn.
Sleeps four, from £817 a week, cottages.com
Outside the village of Misterton, the Pump House Art Studio, a cathedral-like holiday let, was originally built in 1828 to drain excess water from the fens into the River Idle. It’s one of two identical houses separated by a glass walkway (the owner lives in the other half) and blends industrial high ceilings, vast windows and steel beams with a restful natural setting. Beyond the property’s private garden lies a site of special scientific interest inhabited by kingfishers, owls and herons. There’s a mid-century vibe to the interiors, which stretch to a kitchen, mezzanine lounge, library nook and two double bedrooms, and walls decorated with local art. Walk along quiet river and canalside paths, or drive 15 minutes to explore the 15th-century mansion Gainsborough Old Hall.
Sleeps four, from £1,052 a week, handpickedcottages.co.uk
Restaries may be a collection of six holiday rentals set on a farm, but the vibe is more Guy Ritchie than Old MacDonald. With backgrounds at Soho House and in fashion consulting, owners Gem and Thom Bon-Scherdel have brought exacting style and a nous for hospitality to their 16th-century farmhouse and outbuildings near Westhall. The three-bed Cider Store is decorated with local art, bespoke furniture and a pink, peach and ochre colour palette designed to reflect local sunsets. It’s near the coast, but there’s plenty to do in situ, with a playground, a swimming pool and add-on activities for adults from massages and cooking classes to horse riding.
Sleeps six, from £3,000 a week, restaries.com
Right on the water’s edge at Priddy’s Hard, a former naval ammunition facility in Gosport, Adventure Prospect is a two-bedroom cottage built in 1899 as a place for the workers to change. Renovated by the Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust a few years ago, it’s now a smart holiday rental. Decorated in soothing seaweed shades, with a walk-in shower and a lofty open-plan kitchen and sitting room, it also has a private landscaped terrace with wide-angle views across Portsmouth harbour. The Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower sits on one side; on the other, the Powder Monkey taphouse serves pub classics such as sausage and mash alongside its own craft beers.
Sleeps four, from £1,272 a week, airbnb.co.uk
You’ll need to spend a bit more than a penny to visit Berwick-upon-Tweed’s former ladies’ toilets these days, but so you should given the upgrade to facilities. They have been converted into a studio apartment by the property’s current owner, and the renovation puts the Victorian building’s original glazed bricks and match boarding centre stage, while adding such modern comforts as a double bed, kitchenette and wet room. In a quiet corner of the town, just beside its ancient walls and within easy reach of cafes, shops, galleries and coastal paths, the Loovre also has a private courtyard for drinks or dinner outside, and high-level windows for light. Berwick’s railway station is less than 10 minutes’ walk away for day trips.
Sleeps two, from £716.50 a week, crabtreeandcrabtree.com
Off-grid cottages are rarely as elegant as the 19th-century Gatehouse, one of five rental options dotted across the Monzie estate. Powered by the estate’s own 1950s hydro plant, this turreted gothic bolthole has a spiral staircase and a gorse-coloured slipper bath. Spot red squirrels, owls, hares and deer from the windows, roam across 1,600 hectares of rolling Perthshire countryside, or sign up for a free private tour of Monzie Castle – one of the guest perks. Three miles away is Crieff, with its distillery tours, gardens and adventure parks, as well as bakeries, galleries and a gorgeous old whisky shop.
Sleeps four, from £1,768 a week, monzieestate.com
Look away if you like your rentals with the hum of traffic, coffee shops on every corner and the reassuring roll of an Ocado van over asphalt. On an island in Loch Sunart, Carna House is more suited to castaways. One of only three houses on Carna, two of which are available to rent, the property’s rates include a return boat crossing from Laga Bay, an hour’s drive from Fort William. Cars are left in a private car park and, with limited wifi, screens might as well be, too. No one’s going to be Instagramming the interiors here, but who cares about mismatched fabrics when you have your binoculars fixed on the seals, otters or sea eagles? Scale the island’s 170-metre summit or head out on the water in the boat provided.
Sleeps eight, from £2,500 a week, isleofcarna.co.uk
In a quiet glen near Penicuik in the Pentland Hills south-west of Edinburgh, Eastside is a collection of cottages on a working farm. One is more traditional, but four are an ode to clean-lined, light-soaked Scandinavian design. The Wash House is one of these, a serene, one-bedroom hideaway with a wood-burner and sculptural slatted ash screening. Rental comes with access to Eastside’s woodland spa, a fern-dappled dell with a steam-sauna yurt and spring-water plunge pool. Don’t miss a trip to Little Sparta, Ian Hamilton Finlay’s sculpture garden 30 minutes’ drive away.
Sleeps two, from £1,260 a week, thisiseastside.com
Steps from the water in the cute coastal village of Kippford, this affordable three-bedroom retreat is all about the reflective views. Simple but stylish, with a butter-coloured bathroom, wood-burning stove, vintage furniture and a small terrace, 1 Ford View has one double bedroom and two singles. Stroll to the beach, listen to the jingling of yacht masts or sit in the window seat upstairs and watch the sun set over the estuary. It’s a 1.5-mile ramble over to pretty Rockcliffe for homemade cake at the Garden Room cafe. Or drive 20 minutes to Castle Douglas to browse the shops and visit Threave Garden.
Sleeps four, from £708 a week, gonetothebeach.co.uk
Overlooking the river on the Glen Dye estate near Banchory, Gamekeeper’s Cottage is a model of modern country style. Its traditional sash windows, wooden floorboards and Highland stonework form a homely backdrop to bright artworks, colourful textiles and vintage finds. Cosy as it is, stays here are all about exploring the estate. With 15,000 acres of moorland, woods and riverbanks on hand, there are endless possibilities for hiking, forest bathing and wild swimming, plus food and crafts events. Guests can choose add-on experiences, from sessions in a wood-fired hot tub or woodland sauna to game-cooking masterclasses and natural ink workshops.
Sleeps six, from £1,315 a week, glendyecabinsandcottages.com
You know you’re on the right lines when the website for a property, like this waterside hideaway near Gairloch, has a tab for “adventures” rather than just “things to do”. When you’re done visiting Inverewe Gardens, taking an otter safari or coasteering, Arrowdale makes a luxurious base to retreat to, with its wood-burning stove, high-spec kitchen and panoramic windows. Shieldaig Lodge is less than a mile away for decadent dining or a dram with a view, or you can enjoy scenic picnics in the extensive grounds. One option is a deserted beach that’s just a 30-minute paddle away – two tandem kayaks come with the house.
Sleeps six, from £2,350 a week, sawdays.co.uk
There’s magic at every turn at the dinky Blue Cabin by the Sea, perched above Cove harbour like an outcrop of lazurite. Run as a fundraising enterprise to help pay for the harbour’s upkeep, it’s approached on foot via a tunnel. Owned by architect Ben Tindall and sculptor Jill Watson, it has a cornflower-blue sitting room with Orkney chairs, two pea-green bedrooms, one with bunks, and a kitchen with cupboard handles shaped like fronds of seaweed. Swim in the harbour, keeping an eye out for seals, buy crab from local fishers, walk along the coast to the ruins of Fast Castle or visit Dunbar, a 15-minute drive north, to visit conservationist John Muir’s Birthplace.
Sleeps four, from £1,250 a week, bluecabinbythesea.co.uk
Character seeps from every stone at this seven-bedroom manor house near Porthmadog on the north Wales coast. It’s just the place if you’re dreaming of an Enid Blyton-style group gathering. Though Carregfelen dates from the 14th century, it was extended in the 1920s by the owner’s uncle, Clough Williams-Ellis, and has many of the Portmeirion architect’s signature traits, from the turquoise paintwork to gardens designed to frame spectacular views (in this case, of Moel y Gest mountain). Inglenook fireplaces, a show-stopping dining room and walls lavishly hung with art complete the scene. Book a private session in the estate’s woodland sauna after a day hiking the hills or the craggy ruins of Criccieth Castle.
Sleeps 11, from £3,034 a week, wernholidaycottages.co.uk
Steps from the beach in pretty Beaumaris, Porth Hir has been looking out over the Menai strait to Eryri (Snowdonia) for 400 years. Pairing beams, antique furniture and decorative plasterwork with a modern range cooker, king-size beds and luxury bedlinen, it’s comfortable as well as characterful. A covered veranda means you can sit outside even on rain-soaked evenings, or gather in the first-floor lounge to watch the light fade over the sea. Visit Beaumaris Castle, go crabbing off the pier or walk along the coast path to the hamlet of Moel y Don, stopping off at Plas Cadnant Hidden Gardens or Grade I-listed Plas Newydd house.
Sleeps six, from £1,500 a week, porthhiranglesey.co.uk
Wake to birdsong and fall asleep to the gentle rush of the river at 300-year-old Glan Yr Afon in Cardigan Bay. Set along what was once a drovers’ road (rumour has it that Owain Glyndŵr and his men once marched along it), this thatched hideaway near Llangrannog balances modern plumbing, electrics and insulation with carefully preserved architectural details. There’s space for four, with a king-size bedroom on the ground floor and a twin upstairs, and if the garden looks pretty as a picture that’s because it’s tended by an artist. Wander through woods to the coast; the Plwmp Tart cafe, above Penbryn beach, makes an excellent end goal.
Sleeps four, from £1,350 a week, thatchedin.wales
Perched in the hills outside Aberdyfi, with its four-mile ribbon of sand, Glygyrog Wen makes a comfortable lookout on this mesmerising coastline, with its big skies, shifting tides and string of cafes, pubs and shops. It’s also a great base for walks through the moors, woodland and dunes of the Dyfi Biosphere. It’s not just about location, however. A high-spec kitchen, gleaming dining room, light-soaked lounge and four bedrooms provide plenty of space for groups or families to unwind, while a games barn ensures rain needn’t stop play. Downstairs is table tennis and table football, while upstairs is a mezzanine bar.
Sleeps eight, from £1,955 a week, cottage-holiday-wales.co.uk
If Highbrook Cottage was a wine it would be crisp and biscuity, with a hint of zest. This pretty hideaway is set on a low-intervention vineyard near Presteigne, and its sorbet-coloured paintwork, tapestry blankets and a welcome pack plump with homemade welshcakes give traditional Welsh hospitality a fresh modern update. For zero-miles sipping, you can order the owners’ wine to be waiting for you on arrival. Head off on walks in the Radnor Forest or drive 15 minutes across the border into Herefordshire to visit the market in Kington, or stroll around the leafy idyll that is Hergest Croft Gardens.
Sleeps four, from £765 a week, whinyardrocks.com
A 17th-century coaching inn near Meidrim, painstakingly restored by a former Landmark Trust and National Trust conservation specialist, Maenllwyd pairs cosy fires and antique Welsh dressers with a smart walk-in shower and modern range cooker. It’s dog-friendly, and canine guests also have the run of an enclosed three-acre field. Human visitors seeking exercise are catered for too, with a full-size pickleball court and outdoor play equipment for younger children. By car, the Carmarthenshire coast is 30 minutes away for beach days. Laugharne, with its medieval castle and Dylan Thomas’s boathouse, is even closer.
Sleeps seven, from £1,669 a week, underthethatch.co.uk
Taking his great-great-uncle Barney’s derelict cottage near Maghera as a starting point, local architect Patrick Bradley added a cantilevered shipping container to create a rural retreat that honours new and old alike. Inside is a plywood-lined kitchen and dining space, bathroom and double bedroom, with sliding doors opening on to a balcony. Outside is a firepit seating area and twin outdoor bathtubs, looking out over the adjacent meadow. The An Croí Coffee House and Bistro, a social enterprise cafe, is three minutes’ drive away for homemade soups or pancakes, and Seamus Heaney HomePlace, an arts centre celebrating the life and work of the great Irish poet, is a 20-minute drive.
Sleeps two, from £810 a week, barneysruins.com
Stable One is the fourth cottage to open at Camus House, a listed Georgian estate outside Coleraine. It’s a stylishly restored outbuilding with an open-plan kitchen, dining room and living room, its restful buttermilk and caramel paintwork brought to life by vintage furniture and fresh flowers. Great for forays to the Causeway Coast beaches, it’s a 20-minutes drive from Portstewart Strand, Whiterocks or Downhill. The fact the owners previously ran a cafe means the welcome pack is a step above the norm. Fuel up on homemade jam, local bread and granola before hitting the leafy riverside walk that starts directly opposite the house.
Sleeps four, from £1,148 a week, airbnb.co.uk
All prices are for late May and June, and were correct at the time of going to press
AN X Factor star has mysteriously pulled out of a major festival gig for “unforeseen” reasons.
The 30-year-old shot to fame on The X Factor in 2012 and went on to enjoy huge success as a musician.
The In It Together festival, which takes place this month in Wales, has announced that X Factor star Ella Henderson will not be appearing this year.
Taking to social media they said: “We’re very sorry to share that Ella Henderson has unfortunately been forced to cancel some of her upcoming appearances due to unforeseen circumstances, and as a result will no longer be appearing at In It Together Festival this year.
“We completely understand and support Ella’s decision, and we want to send our love and very best wishes to Ella and her entire team at this time.
“We sincerely hope to welcome Ella to In It Together in the near future.”
The statement continued: “While we know many of you will be disappointed, we’ve worked tirelessly behind the scenes at the last minute to secure a huge replacement artist and someone you absolutely do not want to miss.
“Join us on Sunday at 2PM on the Together Stage for the official reveal. Trust us… this is BIG.”
Ella found fame on the ITV talent show in 2012 aged 16 where she wowed judges with her rendition of Cher’s Believe before reaching the live finals.
But she finished in sixth place behind winner James Arthur.
Following her stint on the show, Ella went on to sign with Simon Cowell’s label Syco Music and released her first studio album, Chapter One, with the music mogul in 2014.
During her time with label, Ella scored several hits with her single Ghost, which she wrote with the American writer producer Ryan Tedder, and emotional ballad Yours.
She went on a four-year hiatus in 2015, and released her second studio album, Everything I Didn’t Say, in 2022. It became her second top 10 album in the UK.
Ella has received the Brit Billion Award, and nominations for four Brit Awards and an Ivor Novello Award.
Felipe Gustavo S Borges/iStock Editorial via Getty Images
Copa Holdings (CPA) demonstrated robust growth in its preliminary passenger traffic for April 2026; it reported a 16.7% Y/Y increase in available seat miles (ASMs) to 2,971.9M, which was precisely matched by a 16.7% surge in revenue passenger miles (RPMs) to 2,579.8M.
It’s been years since Los Angeles County voters met a sales tax they didn’t like.
They agreed to pay half a cent more at the cash register to fund buses, trains and pothole fillings in 2016. The next year, they gave a quarter-cent more to fund homeless services. In 2024, voters bumped it up to a half–cent.
But with the electorate in a dour mood and reeling from rocketing gas prices, some speculate voters’ willingness to tax themselves may be dwindling as ballots arrive for the June 2 primary election.
“This is going to be a tougher year for taxes than prior years,” said former supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, who pushed through a property tax ballot measure in 2002 to fund the county’s trauma care network. “There’s a limit to the tolerance people have for increasing their own taxes.”
Los Angeles County voters will soon decide whether they want to pay a temporary half-cent sales tax to shore up the region’s public healthcare system, which is facing dramatic federal funding cuts. Officials estimate the county will lose more than $2 billion in healthcare funding over the next three years.
The county currently has a base sales tax rate of 9.75%, and cities impose additional local taxes on top of that. If approved, the tax would take effect Oct. 1 and last for five years. The exact tax rate would vary depending on the city.
Voters haven’t said no to a sales tax hike since 2012, when a transportation measure fell just short with 66.1% support. It needed 66.7% to pass.
The healthcare sales tax has a lower bar to clear. The supervisors voted to put the measure on the ballot as a general tax, which gives them more leeway with how the money is spent and only requires a simple majority to pass.
But even that threshold may prove difficult. Polling from March suggested the measure was losing among L.A. city voters, who are often more generous than county voters at large. Angelenos will also find their ballot crowded with other tax hike proposals, which may leave some voters feeling picky.
“People have a very discerning instinct,” said Yaroslavsky. “They will pick and choose what they think is important.”
Despite no organized opposition, a flurry of cities, as well as the editorial board of the Los Angeles Daily News, have loudly spurned the idea, arguing it will make the region even less affordable.
“It’s just terrible timing,” said Paul Little, the head of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce. “Costs are going through the roof for everything.”
With weeks to go until election day, healthcare workers and advocates supporting the measure have gone full steam ahead with mailers, marches and a social media campaign depicting a wallowing penny finding its lost sense of purpose with the measure. The campaign’s top funders are St. John’s Community Health and SEIU, who frame the measure as life or death for thousands of uninsured residents.
“Think about that person you know in your family who is asthmatic and relies on that inhaler, who has rheumatoid arthritis, who is diabetic,” said Supervisor Holly Mitchell at a recent town hall held in support of the measure. “And think about whether or not you’re willing to spend a half a penny — 50 cents on every hundred dollars — to make sure that that family, friend or neighbor gets what they need to be healthy.”
The supervisors voted 4-1 to put the sales tax on the ballot. Supervisor Kathryn Barger was the lone no vote.
Supporters say the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed by President Trump last July, is an existential threat to the public health system, leaving the county without reimbursement for the medical care of many Californians who are losing Medi-Cal coverage. The looming multibillion-dollar hole in the budget raises the prospect of hospital cutbacks, staff layoffs and possible emergency room closures, they say.
SIMON Cowell has revealed he is thinking of bringing back The X Factor, nearly eight years after the ITV talent contest was axed.
Over its 14-year run the show discovered huge acts including One Direction, Little Mix, Leona Lewis and Olly Murs.
And now the music mogul is considering a revival for the Gen Z years, following the success of his Netflix show The Next Act, which spawned rising pop stars December 10.
Simon told TV presenter Jamie East on his new podcast Tales From The Celebrity Trenches: “Do you bring it back as X Factor or do you bring it back as the Z Factor? We talk about it a lot.
“There’s still no question — the power of TV in terms of getting people to know an artist.
“It is so important if you are not writing your own material.
“There is something about being on a big screen.
“You do hear about these artists who break online, but so rarely.
“We could have made [The Next Act] online.
“I just don’t think it would have had the same effect.
“The truth is, thank God, people like being on TV.”
Running such a huge talent show is not always plain sailing, but Simon had a distinctly New Age solution when the stresses got just too much while filming The Next Act.
He turned to crystals.
Simon recalled: “We were running out of money so I did have a little mini meltdown.
“And then I just sat with my crystals and they just comforted me.
“I can feel the energy.
“I thought it was kind of comforting having the crystals rather than everyone in my ear driving me crazy.”
He added: “I definitely believe in the powers of the universe.
“I feel that if you can harness the power of the universe to try and make your mind just calm down for a moment . . . ”
I don’t think I’ll be swapping a medicinal glass of rosé for rose quartz any time soon, but each to their own . . .
Kylie Minogue will pay tribute to late boyfriend Michael Hutchence in her new self-titled Netflix documentary.
She confirmed yesterday that the Inxs frontman will be included.
In a first-look trailer, Kylie shared photographs of them together while they dated between 1989 and 1991.
Despite splitting, Kylie stayed close to fellow Aussie Michael until his death aged 37 in 1997,
She said previously: “He was a dark bad boy and I was the pure good girl.
“He opened up a whole new world for me.”
The three-parter will also feature Kylie’s friends and family talking about highs and lows she has faced, including her breast cancer diagnosis in 2005.
Kylie is heard saying off camera: “I felt removed from my body.
“I was so scared of what was ahead.”
Her sister Dannii can then be seen welling up as she says: “We didn’t know if she was ever going to well again.
“I just wanted to be with my sister.
“Music kept us going.”
Fans will have to wait until May 20 to watch the series in full.
Caity Baser was hostess with the mostess as she opened a beach club in the back garden of her seaside home.
She squeezed into a tight blue dress and posed with bunting and flowers at the party to mark the release of new single Holiday Song this Friday.
The singer’s pal Joel Corry was drafted in as DJ for the bash in Brighton.
She ordered a tonne of sand to turn her garden into a beach – but revealed to TikTok followers that she ordered builders’ sand by mistake.
She referred to her makeshift club as Ibiza Crops – a reference to Ibiza Rocks on the White Isle – but was dreading the prospect of clearing it all up afterwards.
If the release of the single goes as well as her party, she’ll have a very fun summer.
Jack Cullen began his first headline European solo tour in Bristol last night, and has a long slog in front of him.
The musician, who released single Face To Face on Friday, will play across the UK in the next few days then head to Brussels, Cologne, Amsterdam and Berlin.
He’ll then Run 22 marathons in 22 days – back from the German capital to London for the tour’s final night, headlining Oslo in Hackney on June 12.
Pussycat Dolls, Post Malone and Zayn Malik have all cancelled North American tours in the past week – and it’s the clearest sign yet the live music economy is about to turn.
Last summer was one of the best-ever for gigs, with Oasis, Dua Lipa and Coldplay selling out stadiums, while Radiohead, Lewis Capaldi and Tate McRae played to packed arenas.
But ticket prices have only continued to rise since live shows returned after Covid, and now it’s clear punters have had enough of greedy artists taking advantage.
Shows are already hugely expensive in the UK, but over in the US, the prices are even higher.
Suki Waterhouse, Ella Mai and Logic and G-Eazy’s tours there later this year are also struggling to shift tickets, with fears they could be axed too. It’s only a matter of time before we see a similar knock-on effect in the UK.
Even some major tours here this summer are yet to sell out, after insatiable promoters added strings of dates and pushed artists into bigger and bigger venues.
As you know from this column, I love a good concert.
But at a time when everyone is strapped for cash, paying through the nose for a couple of hours of singing is just not an option for many.
So if the music industry keeps moving like it is at the moment, it’s only going to turn people off altogether.
It’s a three-horse race to the No1 album spot this Friday, with Mel C, Michael Jackson and Kneecap all battling it out for the prime position.
Just under 3,000 chart units separate third place from the top spot, so it’s all to play for.
Kneecap are currently at No1 with Fenian, closely followed by Mel’s Sweat and MJ’s 2005 compilation album The Essential, which is back in demand after the Michael biopic.
Pete Doherty is recruiting The View’s frontman Kyle Falconer to collaborate on songs for his next solo album.
They previously worked together on Pete’s track Midas Touch, on Kyle’s recent LP Lovely Night Of Terror.
Now Kyle has revealed he visited Pete’s home in the South of France and will return soon to work with the Libertines rocker, right, again.
He said: “I was just over in France to see him, we’re talking about loads of stuff.
“It was all very arty. We were painting together, and talking about films.”
Pete’s last solo effort was 2025 album Felt Better Alive, while the last Libertines record was 2024’s All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade.
Two years ago Kyle moved to Alicante in Spain with his wife Laura and their four kids.
He now runs songwriting camps from his La Sierra Casa studio, and said: “The camp is getting bigger and better every year, and we’ve just moved to a new place.”
War Child is back with its Spring Clean auction – packed with some of the most random and brilliant celebrity treasures going.
Fans can get their hands on Alan Carr’s Isabell Kristensen blazer from RuPaul’s Drag Race, and even a signed Devil Wears Prada 2 script donated by Stanley Tucci.
There’s a Fantastic Four script signed by Vanessa Kirby, plus one of the strangest items on offer – the infamous radish prop from Netflix’s Beef, signed by the cast.
You can also win a private film screening and lunch with Simon Pegg.
Meanwhile, sci-fi lovers can snap up a personalised photo signed by X-Files co-stars Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny.
Music lovers are also in for a treat, with signed setlists and memorabilia from Robbie Williams, The 1975 and Coldplay all among items up for grabs.
It runs until May 27, and will raise money to support children in war zones. See springclean.charitystars.com to get involved. Prize draw entries start at £10.
Lizzo is lapping up as much sun as she can before she kicks off the promo for her new album, Bitch.
The Truth Hurts singer shared this snap with her 11million Instagram followers with the caption: “Best Birthday Ever”.
Lizzo turned 38 last week and used her special day to announce the record, which is the follow-up to her 2022 album, Special.
Teasing what Bitch has in store, Lizzo said: “I think it’s always going to be the Lizzo sound.
“I posted a snippet of one of my new songs that’s coming out very, very soon and somebody was like, ‘The Nineties are back’.
“I love constructing and producing and creating just well-crafted music and songs.
“I hope everyone likes it.”
As a massive Lizzo fan myself, I am sure I’m going to love it.
They are one of the most in-demand couples in Hollywood, so what do Gen Z heartthrobs Zendaya and Tom Holland do in their spare time?
The British actor, above with his other half, said: “So we have been crocheting at home. I absolutely love it.”
“I just find it turns my brain off. I can’t do anything else and do it. I have to be lasered in.”
I’m sure he still has Zendaya in stitches . . .
FORMER X Factor winner Matt Cardle is set to come face to face with Simon Cowell on live TV again – 16 years after winning the ITV talent show.
I can reveal that Matt is being lined up to perform at one of the Britain’s Got Talent live finals in the coming weeks.
Rather than performing new solo music, Matt will take to the stage as part of a special performance of West End hit Kinky Boots.
He is starring in the musical at the London Coliseum alongside Strictly Come Dancing’s Johannes Radebe.
A source said: “Simon is a huge fan of musicals and the bosses at Britain’s Got Talent are keen to push the arts as much as possible.
“With that in mind, a number of the live acts booked for the finals this year come from West End shows.
“Matt and the Kinky Boots cast are set to perform in a few weeks’ time – it really will be a full circle moment for him.”
This weekend, former BGT winner Sydnie Christmas will perform her new single – Run.
Bizarre’s Jack hung out on the set of her music video earlier this year, so we can’t wait to see that one live.
Zara Larsson has me counting down the days to my summer holiday after hopping on this float to promote her Main Rose swimwear brand.
She was living her own Lush Life as she soaked up some rays ahead of headlining Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Sunderland next month.
This Friday she will release the deluxe version of her fifth album, Midnight Sun: Girls Trip, packed with collaborations, including Tyla and Shakira.
And it’s testament to Zara trusting herself.
On writing and recording the track, which came out last year, she said: “I stopped focusing so much on what I thought other people would want from me or what I thought radio would want, and just started focusing on what I wanted to do.
“Ironically that’s when people start caring.”
Liam Payne’s loved ones made a lowkey trip to his One Direction bandmate Louis Tomlinson’s tour.
Some of Liam’s relatives including sister Nicola were in a VIP box to see Louis perform at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena last weekend.
During the show, Louis was visibly emotional when singing Dark To Light – a track he wrote about Liam’s death.
Taking to Instagram, Nicola said: “Thank you Louis Tomlinson for last night.
“It was extremely emotional, but really beautiful, and it meant a lot to be there.
“Your staging and your songs are beautiful. A truly special night.”
Louis has previously spoken warmly about Liam.
He said: “I could talk all day about how amazing he was.
“We all looked up to him, he was vastly experienced before any of us had done anything.
“If he could just for five minutes live in my head or your head and see how we perceive him, he would be so shocked.
“He was pure.”
The wait for Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter’s collaboration is almost over, as it’s being released this Friday.
The superstars recently performed Bring Your Love at Coachella and now they are putting out the official audio.
The pair made the announcement yesterday when they shared a new photo of themselves with the caption: “We’ve got something to say about it,” which is a reference to Madonna’s 1989 song Express Yourself.
It will be the first official single from the Queen of Pop’s forthcoming album Confessions On A Dancefloor: Part II, after she released a teaser track, I Feel So Free, earlier this month.
Humanize 102 words
Pink has sold out stadiums and had No1s across the globe, but as far as daughter Willow is concerned she’s top of the charts as an embarrassing mum.
At the opening night of The Lost Boys musical in New York they posed for photots on the red carpet.
But while standing in front of the snappers, Pink gestured at the slit in Willow’s skirt and said, “Show off your legs,” to which the youngster snapped: “No!”
Alan Carr once fell in the Serpentine in London’s Hyde Park after drinking “hallucinogenic tequila” on his Chatty Man TV show.
The comedian said he was still feeling the effects the next day as he walked his dogs and suffered a mishap.
He explained he’d had a tequila the night before but was given a hallucinogenic one by mistake.
He added: “I couldn’t sober up and I fell in the Serpentine, p***ed.
“My old dog Bev, bless her, she dropped the ball in the Serpentine and I went forward to pick it up. And I think all the tequila rushed to the front of my head and I just fell in.”
Speaking on his Life’s A Beach podcast, he added: “In films, the dogs are meant to jump in and save you, but they were just wagging their tails, like, ‘What’s this p***head done again?’
“So I was just soaking wet and I had to walk . . . You know, when people are pulling their kids away, ‘Come away from the strange man,’ and all that.”
Capital’s Summertime Ball is returning to London, taking over Wembley Stadium to entertain 80,000 fans on June 6.
The line-up will be revealed by Jordan North, Chris Stark and Sian Welby on Capital Breakfast this morning and tomorrow, before tickets go on sale through the Global Player app at 9am on Thursday.
Gracie Abrams is back, two years after her album The Secret Of Us topped the charts.
The American singer released a teaser on Instagram yesterday, and it appears to be a snippet from the lead single for her upcoming third album.
The record is rumoured to be all about falling for Normal People actor Paul Mescal, although it doesn’t sound like it’s been smooth sailing.
They were reported to have briefly split in early 2025, and the song will do little to shut down that speculation.
Gracie sings: “I used to see clearly but it’s bloodshot. And I want you so badly but I closed off.
“I used to think we’d get married. But I guess not.”
Last summer we revealed Paul was at Gracie’s Glastonbury set, singing along to every word.
In February, they made their red-carpet debut at the Baftas in London.
And last month I told how Gracie had moved from LA into Paul’s London home, while he films the upcoming Beatles biopics.
Her last album was all about heartbreak, but I’m expecting some sunnier moments this time around.
