A few weeks after lifestyle influencer Nara Smith revealed her daughter’s private cancer battle, the mom of four is sharing that Whimsy is in remission.
The content creator, well known for making elaborate meals from scratch while wearing glamorous ensembles, told her following of 12.6 million on TikTok and 4.9 million on Instagram on Friday that she and her husband, model Lucky Blue Smith, have spent the last eight months processing their 2-year-old daughter’s health battle.
The parents debated whether they should share such a private part of their lives and decided to wait until Whimsy had finished her treatments and doctors had a better grasp on the likely outcome.
“Now that she’s finally in remission, it felt like I could find the words to share,” Nara Smith said. “The whole point of me sharing our experience was to shed light on what so many families go through and battle privately. Going through chemo treatments opened my eyes to how expensive medical care is, and what a toll it takes on families specifically.”
“Lucky and I have been trying to return to everyday life and taking it day by day,” she continued. “I don’t know whether life will ever feel normal again, but we’re trying to navigate this next chapter the best that we can.”
Smith, 24, said in an Instagram video earlier this month that Whimsy was diagnosed with cancer late last year.
“When we saw something suspicious on her, we took her to the ER, and they didn’t quite know what to make of it,” she said in the video. “So when we took her into our pediatrician, I just remember him going really quiet and calm and my heart dropped in that moment. I don’t know whether it was my gut telling me something or just a mom’s intuition, but the first thing that I felt was she has cancer.”
The content creator said her daughter underwent numerous X-rays, ultrasounds and a biopsy before the hospital team confirmed the cancer diagnosis. Smith did not specify the type of cancer but said that the illness had spread and that Whimsy needed chemotherapy.
In recent weeks, Smith has shared heartwrenching glimpses into the family’s battle, including photos of Whimsy’s curls being shaved and her bald head bedazzled with gems.
“Cancer has a way of taking things you never realized you’d grieve,” she wrote alongside a video of the parents shaving Whimsy’s head. “The day I ran my fingers through her hair, strands coating them, I realized I wouldn’t be brushing Whimsy’s hair much longer. It’s such a small thing, until it isn’t.
“It wasn’t just hair. It was the little curls I tucked behind her ears, the wispy strands that caught the sunlight, and all the ordinary moments I never imagined I’d miss.
“If sharing these pieces of our story helps even one family feel less alone, or encourages one person to learn more about childhood cancer, then this vulnerable part of our lives is worth opening,” Smith wrote. “Today her curls are returning.”
In Friday’s video, Smith said that she’s been researching charities and foundations to support and included links to GoFundMe pages for children who are battling cancer.
Nara and Lucky Blue Smith, 28, married in 2020 and share four children: Whimsy Lou, eldest daughter Rumble Honey, son Slim Easy, and infant Fawnie Golden. Lucky Blue also shares a daughter with his ex-girlfriend, social media star Stormi Bree.
Times staff writer Alexandra Del Rosario contributed to this report.
Melanie Sykes has showed off her completely bald head after opening up on her alopecia battleCredit: instagram/msmelaniesykesMel showed off her bald patches and hair loss just days agoCredit: instagram/msmelaniesykes
But taking to Instagramthis morning, Mel showed that she had no hair left at all.
The telly star flashed a smile in the selfie that she simply captioned as: “Loss + Gain = Life.”
Her brave new post comes amid Mel’s honesty about her recent health issues and the impact to has taken on her.
She previously explained how the autoimmune condition has progressed over time and had left her with noticeable bald patches across her head.
The star has been open about her dealing with hair loss for the past yearCredit: instagram/msmelaniesykesThe condition previously left Mel in ‘so much pain’Credit: GettyMel had previously been wearing head scarves in her recent postsCredit: instagram/msmelaniesykesShe has been open with her followers about her recent battleCredit: Not known clear with picture desk
Mel first opened up about facing life with alopecia last year.
She said: “I’ve got an autoimmune condition, I am losing my hair, I keep having crazy inflammation all over and I am working on healing.
“In the last three months, I’ve done a meditation teacher training course.
“I was too ill to finish it like. The last two days of it I couldn’t do.
“It’s meditation teacher training, I don’t necessarily want to teach, but I can do…
What is alopecia and what causes it?
About two per cent of the population will experience alopecia at some point in their lifetime, with around one in every 4,000 developing the condition each year.
It can start at any age but is most common in early adulthood and can lead to a lack of all hair including eyelashes and eyebrows, nasal hair and public hair.
Alopecia areata causes patches of baldness about the size of a large coin.
“Alopecia” is the medical term for hair loss and “areata” means that it occurs in small, random areas. There are various classifications, including:
Alopecia areata totalis: Total hair loss on the scalp
Alopecia areata universalis: Total hair loss on your scalp and all body hair
The causes of alopecia areata are not fully understood but the loss of hair is because of inflammation around the hair follicles.
The cause of the inflammation is unknown but it is believed that the immune system, which normally protects the body from infections and other diseases, misfires and attacks the hair follicles.
Therefore, it is understood to be an autoimmune condition, says Alopecia UK.
Genetics may be behind the condition, but there are other things thought to trigger it, including a virus, iron deficiency or stress. Studies are not conclusive.
For women, sometimes birth can trigger postpartum alopecia.
In most cases of alopecia areata, hair will grow back in a few months to a year. At first, hair may grow back fine and white, but over time it should thicken and regain its normal colour.
There is no cure for the condition, only treatments that are not guaranteed to work.
People with alopecia may need to take extra precautions, including protecting their skin and eyes when outside and preventing stress.
“Mostly I’ve been living a very, very very spiritual existence.
“I’m two-thirds bald, really. Every time I say I’m bald I laugh, I don’t know why… Thank god I can laugh.”
Last month, Melanie revealed that her hair had been coming out “really quickly”, after losing hair for more than a year.
She explained to fans how she has been trying on wigs, with her now ditching head scarves because she is keen to “get some hair”.
Guests on Channel 4 programme Four in a Bed were horrified by what they found.
The guests were less than impressed (Image: Channel 4)
Welsh Four in a Bed contestants have voiced their frustration after receiving less than the full amount on the Channel 4 show after their guests were left horrified.
The married pair had hoped to offer their guests a taste of vintage Americana at their distinctive property, but faced criticism over cleanliness concerns.
Shortly after settling in for the night, Newquay hotel owners Oleg and Emma, Devon glampsite owners Mandy and Elly, and Devon country pub owners Steve and Mandy raised their objections.
They uncovered what appeared to be mould in the fridge, “minging” dirt, dead flies behind the sink, and even “dog hair in the fridge”. Guests also found dust and water along the windowsills, while the toilets had been left uncleaned, reports Wales Online.
Consequently, Stuart and Amy received poor scores for the cleanliness of Tin Can Retreat, prompting him to remark: “Dagger to the heart, that is.”
On payment day, Stuart and Amy faced their critics, and discovered they had been underpaid by all three other teams.
They first heard from Mandy and Elly, who complained about a smell from the diesel heater, leaving them “complaining of a headache and feeling nauseous”.
Stuart insisted the accommodation had been fitted with a carbon monoxide detector, defending: “I just have to disagree with you… I’m not wrong.”
They then heard from Steve and Mandy, after receiving a “massively disappointing” score of four for cleanliness from them.
“We did find a lot of uncleanliness, we opened up the fridge and there was lots of mould in the seal, and the window sills had a lot of dirt and mould in them,” Mandy explained. “In our bedroom, there was water, the whole place felt quite grubby.”
Emma stepped in to add: “Mandy said grubby but to me it was a little bit beyond that, it was not of a standard that I would be comfortable to ever charge people.”
She went on: “I lifted the lid on the toilet seat and there was lots of crusty residue, it’s not something that’s just been missed. There was actual dirt in lots and lots of places.”
Mother-daughter duo Mandy and Elly added: “For us unfortunately, much the same. There was quite a lot of dog hair left around, our fridge was mouldy in the seals and the side.”
Stuart replied: “That’s obviously very difficult for us to hear and we are quite shocked by it. We’re not a new business, we’ve been operating for over two years and this is new news coming to light. We need to go back and work out where it’s going wrong. We needed that reality check on the cleanliness.”
He later added to the camera: “This afternoon for us was hard to take but we’re going to go away now, collate all those comments and we’ll absolutely be implementing fixes for everything that was found.”
The couple discovered they had been underpaid a total of £74 by the three teams, due to the issues raised on payment day.
And though they accepted all three payments, they admitted the money they received from Steve and Mandy was “harsh”.
“We thought the £50 underpayment from Mandy and Steve was harsh,” Stuart admitted. “We offer great value for money, although there were some cleanliness issues, I don’t think they found anything major.”
Mandy meanwhile admitted she knew the result would come as a “shock” but insisted it was “justified”.
After the feedback, and a result which saw Stuart and Amy’s Tin Can Retreat come in last place, Stuart shared: “We’re gutted we came in fourth position, I think we knew it was coming.
“We’ve obviously got some issues we need to immediately address which we will do, and then let’s see what the future holds, maybe some more sites.”
Lee added: “It seems to be a bit on the pineapple side, but I don’t mind. It seems to do the job. I’ll play around with it a bit, making take it back or forward.
“Good job, isn’t it? Looking like an Abercrombie model.”
Lee’s hair stole attention when he returned to social media for the first time since leaving prison.
Many were convinced it was AI or a filter had been used to create a fuller head of hair.
Since then, a Dubai-based trichologist from Hair Repair Club claimed to The Sun that Lee had visited his salon on Monday to enquire about a permanent wig.
He declined their services when he was told he would require a patch test and “colour matching” before being able to purchase.
Premier League referees will change the way they judge hair pulling next season after three players were sent off for the offence in 2025-26.
Officials will also be asked to place a greater emphasis on grappling and holding inside the area after it became commonplace on corners and set-pieces.
A solution to stop the goalkeeper “tactical timeout” is also set to be introduced.
The measures were agreed at the Premier League AGM earlier this month after consultation with the game improvement advisory board.
They form part of the “football principles” and “refereeing points of emphasis” for 2026-27.
All three red cards for hair pulling came through a video assistant referee review, and led to criticism from the managers of the players involved.
Everton‘s Michael Keane, Manchester United‘s Lisandro Martinez and Sunderland‘s Dan Ballard were all sent off for hair pulling after a VAR intervention.
Rachel Nickell’s horrific death sent shockwaves across the UK, but it took the police more than 15 years to solve her murder. As the case is explored in a new Netflix documentary, we speak to the expert who found a breakthrough clue after years of investigation failures
The Murder of Rachel Nickell teased in Netflix trailer
Rachel Nickell had her whole life ahead of her when it was cruelly stolen in a sickening attack – leaving her toddler son as the sole witness.
In July 1992, the 23-year-old mum was strolling through Wimbledon Common with her two-year-old son Alex Hanscombe, and their dog Molly. In a quiet, wooded area, she was ambushed, sexually assaulted and stabbed dozens of times.
Alex was later found by a passerby, desperately clinging to his mother’s body. In a heartbreaking attempt to help, the toddler had placed a piece of paper on her forehead as a makeshift bandage after pleading with her to wake up. Even at that tender age, Alex later revealed, he knew instantly that his mother was never coming back.
The brutal murder shattered the life of Alex and his father André Hanscombe. Yet, it would be 16 years for anyone to face justice. The haunting case is now the subject of a new three-part series for Netflix dramatisation, The Witness, alongside an accompanying documentary featuring never before seen archive footage, and deeply personal accounts from those who lived through the tragedy.
Among those interviewed is legendary forensic scientist Angela Gallop, whose work has helped solve many of the UK’s most high-profile murders, including the killings of Stephen Lawrence and Damilola Taylor.
Her team was handed the case in 2002, a decade after the murder, when the investigation had gone completely cold. They had agonisingly little to work with: a microscopic trace of male DNA recovered from the crime scene. To make matters even more difficult, forensic technology at the time was ill-equipped to handle such a minute sample. In order to find the killer, they had to pioneer an entirely new methodology to examine the sample.
Reinvestigating the decade-old DNA required immense precision. Describing the pressure and the patience required to manipulate the tiny shred of evidence, Angela said: “The technique that had been used at the time was a very new, sensitive method, but we had never particularly liked it in my laboratory.
“For Rachel’s case, we got hints of male DNA using our standard test, but we wanted to see if we could squeeze out some more information. By concentrating and purifying the DNA, we managed to achieve it, but it took two years to develop the technique properly.”
After a painstaking process, the team eventually got a strong enough DNA profile to add to their database – and it matched with a man named Robert Napper, a paranoid schizophrenic and serial rapist.
To ensure the case was ironclad, they raced back to the crime scene and analysed all the sample items that had been collected. Angela and her colleagues then went on to uncover footwear marks and forensic paint evidence linking Napper directly to Wimbledon Common.
His footwear was matched directly to the mud profiles taken from the area, and microscopic paint flakes matching Napper’s toolbox were discovered trapped in the hair of two-year-old Alex. The box, found in Napper’s flat, contained knives and other weapons.
The new DNA breakthrough was enough to convict Napper and exonerate Colin Stagg, the innocent man wrongfully targeted by a flawed police honey-trap operation. A new Netflix documentary will examine the botched investigation, which led to Stagg – a local resident who walked his dog on the common – spending 13 months behind bars in custody, and facing rampant speculation that he killed Rachel.
He was freed by an Old Bailey judge in 1994, who criticised officers for using a ‘honeytrap’ undercover policewoman to try to make him confess to the murder, branding the entrapment evidence as “reprehensible”
Mr Justice Ognall, who halted the trial, described officers actions as “deceptive conduct of the grossest kind” after undercover officer “Lizzie James” tried to seduce Stagg, promising a relationship in the hope of getting a confession. Stagg later received £700,000 compensation from the Home Office.
In 2008, Napper admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and was detained indefinitely at Broadmoor. He was already incarcerated at the psychiatric unit, having been convicted in 1995 for the equally depraved double killing of single mother Samantha Bisset, 27, and her four-year-old daughter Jazmine.
Discovering the match provided a profound sense of justice for Angela’s team, particularly regarding the human toll of the investigation. “We had a DNA result that hit a match on the National DNA database, so the police have got something to investigate,” she said.
“There was an added level of satisfaction because Colin Stagg had been professing his innocence for all those years. We were able to show that he was telling the truth,” she said.
The new documentary about the 1992 murder features Alex describing the moment that he knew his mother had died after being stabbed 49 times.
A home video video captures him describing the moment his mother was killed on Wimbledon Common to his dad André, who gently discusses what his son saw on the day.
Now 36, Alex describes seeing Napper, telling his dad: “I saw him first,” he says, telling Andre that the man was carrying a bag which he opened. Asked what he took out, he replies simply: “A knife.”
He then tells his dad that the man “knocked me over” and that he witnessed his mum being stabbed. “There’s his knife,” the little boy tells his dad, indicating the picture he is drawing of his mother. “I saw the knife. I saw it, Yeah, I saw it all.”
Speaking in the trailer for the film, André explains: “My son saw his mother’s murder but nobody could have possibly known how long it was gonna take to find the person who did this.”
Ahead of the Netflix show, Angela is keen to emphasise that DNA evidence is rarely a simple “magic bullet.” Television would make people think that experts can simply swab a crime scene and receive a clear-cut result just 30 minutes later, Angela said, adding: “If it was going to be really straightforward, the original scientists would have discovered the truth a long time ago.
“You have to be much more clever. Sometimes you have to look for one type of evidence to find another. In the Stephen Lawrence and the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path murders, it was analysing textile fibres that led us to finding blood traces and therefore DNA.”
As well as the archive footage, the documentary will explore how Angela’s work led to justice for Stagg after her breakthrough solved the case.
The three part drama, The Witness, will follow Alex and André as they deal with the devastating impact of losing Rachel. Jordan Bolger plays André, while Max Fincham is the teenage Alex. Both men acted as consultants on the series.
The story aims to show how a father and son “moved through the aftermath of unimaginable tragedy, from darkness into light.”
The other cast include Kevin Eldon as DCI Mick Wickerson, Neil Maskell as DI Keith Pedder, Mark Stanley as DS Ivan Agnew, Jon Pointing as DC Nick Sparshatt, James Dryden as DC Paul Miller, Kerry Godliman as André’s mother June, James Bradshaw as DCI Tony Nash and Claire Rushbrook as Dr. Jean Harris-Hendriks.
In a joint statement released last month, André and Alex Hanscombe said: “Our life has been a battle. We can never express how indebted we are to everyone that’s been a part of this, for the kindness and generosity they’ve extended to us, for the chance they took with us in bringing our story to the screen, and for the care they have taken.
“Our journey has all been by the grace of God and a promise to go on together, and we feel incredibly blessed to be able to share our story in this way.
“We hope that audiences will be left with a testament to the tough battle of life we all face and to the power of faith, hope, love – and never giving up.”
Documentary The Murder of Rachel Nickell has been made to accompany the new drama about what happened that day, called The Witness. Both will be released on Netflix on June 4.
Baseball players like to feel comfortable wearing their hats but also look good when taking them off. That’s where sophomore JV baseball player Noah Nolasco from Birmingham High comes into play.
He’s been cutting hair for players in the East Valley, from Birmingham to Poly to Sylmar to Bishop Alemany. He’s been busy because the playoffs are taking place, and players are apparently following the philosophy “look good, feel good, play good.”
One of his customers is Birmingham sophomore pitcher Carlos Acuna, who’s 11-0 and plays in Saturday’s City Section Open Division championship game against El Camino Real at Dodger Stadium.
Nolasco said a taper is the favorite haircut these days and there’s also players bleaching their hair blond for the playoffs. He normally charges $25.
Love Island’s Ty Isherwood has revealed he has had a hair transplantCredit: Instagram / tyishi98The reality star revealed that his hairline had bee receding for several years, admitting he masked it with his fringe but often felt insecure over the lossCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
Filming himself the day after undergoing the procedure, Ty admitted that despite covering it well, hair loss is something that has impacted his confidence for years.
Dressed in a grey hoodie and bandaged up, Ty told the camera: “For me, this has been something that has played in the back of my mind for a long time now.
“I’ve managed to keep it under wraps pretty well, I’ve always had a fringe since I was younger and It has always hidden it.
“I noticed it started slowly receding when I was about 19/20 and it has slowly gone back ever since.”
Detailing the procedure, Ty said it was painless, but is left with some swellingCredit: Instagram / tyishi98His girlfriend, Angel, was on hand to provide moral support as she drove him to the clinic for the transplantThe couple have been going strong since meeting on the show last yearCredit: InstagramAngel said she was ‘so proud’ of Ty for opening up about his confidence struggles due to his hairCredit: tyishi98/Instagram
But in search of a long term solution, he opted to undergo the transplant for his hairline.
Admitting it all went fairly smooth, Ty continued: “The transplant itself took about 6 and a half hours, it was completely pain free.
“The only thing I didn’t like was the local anesthetic in the donor at the back. I’m not gonna sugarcoat that, it wasn’t very nice. But, once you’re over that, the rest of it was fine.
“For men, I think that losing your hair is a tough pill to swallow. For me, it was, I think it has affected my confidence for a couple of years. I’ve not been able to go about my day without actually thinking what my hair looks like.”
Urging his male followers to take the plunge if they are considering a transplant, Ty then said: “I wish I’d had it done sooner, I think it’d have put my mind at ease. I just feel so much more relieved now it’s done.”
Posting the clip to his 159K followers, Ty thanked Manchester-based clinic KSL for carrying out the transplant on him.
His girlfriend and Love Island co-star Angel took to the comment section to show her support as she wrote: “Proud of you my handsome boy”.
Other show alumni such as Wil Anderson, Giorgio Russo and Harry Cooksley also supported Ty in the comments.
Angel went along with Ty for the procedure, with the reality star revealing the couple were up at 6AM to drive to the clinic together.
First up I was impressed how small it was to fit in my suitcase, being not much bigger than a water bottle.
It is 32 per cent smaller than its standard hairdryer, being just 22cm compared to 28cm in length.
It’s also light, with a shorter 2m cord – meaning it kept my luggage weight low, as well as the added benefit of less arm ache when drying my hair.
Another tick in its favour is that it’s voltage automatically adapts to whichever country you are in, so it works in full no matter where you are.
Dyson Supersonic Travel Hair Dryer: Quickfire Q&A
How much is it? The Dyson Supersonic Travel Hair Dryer is currently £249.99.
Who’s it best for? Anyone wanting a faster hairdryer that they can still take on holiday in hand luggage.
What we loved: It was extremely fast compared to other high street hairdryers.
What we didn’t love: The price is still slightly steep.
But I was insanely impressed with how fast it dried my hair.
There are three different heats – low, medium and high – and two speed settings.
I tested it out on my just-out-the-shower hair meaning it was soaking wet.
Usually I have to let this dry for at least 20 minutes before even attempting to dry it.
I tried it on my soaking wet hair, which can easily take 20 minutes to dryIt comes with a magnetic styling concentrator too
And the Dyson on its hottest setting dried my hair almost completely in about three minutes.
Another two and it would definitely have been fully dry.
it also comes with a detachable styling concentrator which – very satisfyingly – clips on by magnet.
It made my hair feel much softer than I’d expected (often feeling pretty ratty and dry using the budget hotel hairdryers).
I wasn’t expecting to be as impressed as I was with it but it really is a gamechanger
I didn’t believe a hair dryer could actually dry hair that quickly, and while it might be a bit crazy to call it life changing, it’s something I’ve been raving about my friends to for weeks since.
BAD Bunny looked unrecognizable as an old man at the Met Gala on Monday night.
The 32-year-old star arrived at the event with gray hair, a gray beard and a walking stick – leaving fans completely baffled.
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Bad Bunny arrived at the Met Gala looking 50 years older than the age he isCredit: GettyHe rocked a full head of gray hair and a gray beard tooCredit: Getty
The Puerto Rican rapper, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, even hobbled up the steps as he posed for photos, leaning into his elderly alter-ego even more.
His skin looked aged, his hands looked older, and the way he walked and moved was that of an 80-year-old.
Fans were entirely divided by the singer’s look, with many flocking to social media to share their thoughts.
The gray hair was incredibly realistic, as was his aged skinCredit: GettyHe even leaned into his elderly alter-ego by hobbling aroundCredit: GettyFans were divided over his new lookCredit: ReutersThe singer usually sports dark brown hairCredit: PA
“Dad bunny,” joked another.
“Why is he an old man?” asked a third.
While a fourth joked: “More like Señor bad bunny lol.”
“Superbowl aged him 60 years lol,” said a fifth.
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“Turns out, Bad Bunny was Will Ferrell all along. Well played, Will,” joked a seventh.
But some fans were more complimentary.
“Aging is art,” said one person.
“For me, it was a critique showing that aging can also be beautiful,” added another.
While a third said: “He always brings it!”
And a fourth wrote: “He and Heidi Klum are so good at costumes and entertaining! Love them both!”
Heidi transformed herself into a literal sculpture and looked as though she was crafted entirely from marble.
The costume looked like a naked body draped in a fabric, but in sculpture form.
One took to X to say: “She looks a bit scary but this is gorgeous idc.”
“This isn’t Halloween honey,” slammed another.
“This looks more creepy than creative,” penned a third.
But there was much praise too, with one person writing: “Finally someone who understood the assignment Heidi didn’t just wear the theme she became the art. Living marble statue is insane commitment.”