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From low-slung jeans to loud singing and even 10kg boobs, passengers have been kicked off flights for the most bizarre reasons. Here are some of the wildest stories from the skies

Flying can test everyone’s patience, but sometimes the reasons people get booted off flights just don’t make sense. One particular flying tale probably takes the cake.

A model claimed that her 10kg breasts got her kicked off a flight. Mary Magdalene, 25, says she was removed from a plane because of her “explicit” look wearing leggings and a sports bra, but the airline claimed it was because she hadn’t listened to instructions while wearing headphones.

The model, who’s had over £120,000 worth of cosmetic surgery, including breast enhancements, hit back on Instagram, saying: “I was kicked off the flight for how I look… Obviously, [my outfit] is why she kicked me off because I look too explicit. But that’s not legal, so she had to say it’s because I was sleeping and wouldn’t hear her.”

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Mary added that smaller-chested women wouldn’t face the same treatment, calling the incident “discrimination,” adding: “It’s not right to pick and choose who the rules apply to based on appearance/body type.”

From giant boobs to baggy jeans, and mid-air singalongs to notes in Arabic, here are some of the most ridiculous stories of travellers getting kicked off planes.

Billie Joe Armstrong kicked off for wearing low trousers

Not even rock stars are safe. Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong was banned from a Southwest Airlines flight in 2011 for wearing his trousers too low. When told to pull them up, the singer reportedly quipped, “Don’t you have better things to do?” He was promptly escorted off and later tweeted, “Just got kicked off a Southwest flight because my pants sagged too low!” The airline later apologised and offered a new booking.

Alec Baldwin ejected for playing Words With Friends

Actor Alec Baldwin was famously removed from an American Airlines flight after refusing to stop playing the smartphone game Words With Friends during take-off preparations.

Baldwin vented on Twitter: “Flight attendant on American [Airlines] reamed me out 4 playing WORDS W FRIENDS while we sat at the gate, not moving.” His spokesperson added: “He loves WWF so much that he was willing to leave the plane for it.”

Maybe he should have switched his phone off, but regardless, it’s ridiculous all around.

Passenger steals megaphone mid-flight

During a WestJet flight from Toronto to Saskatoon, police were called after a cabin megaphone mysteriously disappeared. It turned out passenger Jake Michael Piasentini, 29, had stolen it, reportedly influenced by alcohol. The theft delayed the flight, and Jake faced a CAD $5,000 fine.

‘Queen of the aeroplane’ comment gets mum removed

American traveller Nicki Gazley was removed from a Frontier Airlines flight after sarcastically calling a flight attendant “the Queen of this aeroplane” during a disagreement over her baby carrier.

Despite complying with requests to remove her son from an Ergo Baby Carrier, the flight attendant took offence and booted Nicki. Frontier Airlines stated that the FAA does not approve Ergo carriers for takeoff or landing.

Tweet about ‘drunk pilot’ leads to ban

Lisa Carter Knight was banned from a JetBlue flight after tweeting photos and comments suggesting the pilot was undergoing a sobriety test following a passenger’s ill-judged joke about a “drunk pilot.”

Though the pilot passed the test, Lisa says she was still not allowed to board. JetBlue denied it was due to the tweets, explaining that passengers exhibiting disruptive behaviour can be removed.

Whitney Houston fan forces emergency landing

A passenger belting out Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You aboard a Los Angeles to New York flight was so disruptive that the pilot diverted to Kansas City to remove her mid-performance.

Man kicked off flight for bad body odour

A 27-year-old French passenger flying from Paris to Dallas was removed after the crew complained about his smell. Despite dousing himself in Dior perfume, the crew said his stench was too much.

Police were called, and the passenger filed a complaint. American Airlines denied the odour claims, citing an issue with his US visa.

‘Merry Christmas?’ Not for this passenger

A man travelling from Dallas to New York on American Airlines went into a rage after being wished “Merry Christmas” at the gate and again on board.

After reprimanding staff for the greeting, he reportedly caused a scene and was removed, much to the relief and cheers of fellow passengers.

Confused economist mistaken for a threat

Most recently, Guido Menzio boarded a flight from Philadelphia to Syracuse only to be asked to leave after a passenger reported him for writing notes in what she thought was Arabic and found “threatening.”

Police kept the flight grounded for two hours before realising Guido was an Ivy League economist jotting down math equations for a talk.

Teen removed after coughing fit delays flight

On a Continental Airlines flight from Newark to Honolulu, a 16-year-old on a school trip was asked to leave after waking up with a coughing fit before takeoff. Although given water and cleared by the onboard doctor, the pilot refused to allow her and her teacher to fly. They had to find overnight accommodation and buy clothes and toiletries.

Flying can be a rollercoaster ride, and it’s always best to follow instructions and safety guidelines too. But as these wild tales show, sometimes even that’s not enough to keep you in your seat. Whether it’s baggy jeans or belting out a power ballad, you never quite know what might get you grounded.

So, next time you board a flight, maybe leave the megaphone at home and smile extra brightly at the flight attendants.

Mexican corrido singer Gabito Ballesteros has always been a hopeless romantic. His newest album, “Ya No Se Llevan Serenatas,” or “They No Longer Perform Serenades,” tugs at those delicate heartstrings.

Released Thursday, the album pays tribute to romance in the digital era of smartphones and social media. Invoking modern-day references, like sending Instagram DMs and going to Disneyland, he puts his own spin on the traditional serenade, a ballad one typically sings below the windowsill of their lover. It’s the kind of profound romance that regional Mexican acts such as Joan Sebastian, Vicente Fernandez and Juan Gabriel honed for decades.

“I like to sing to women, bring them roses, be romantic, and I want to convey this to my audience,” said Ballesteros in a statement to The Times.

Sprinkled across the 21 tracks is a roster of star-studded Mexican homegrown talents, including longtime collaborator Natanael Cano, Tito Doble P, Christian Nodal, Neton Vega, Carín León, Oscar Maydon and Luis R Conriquez.

Colombian reggaeton superstar J Balvin is also featured in the Latin-EDM fusion track, “La Troka.”

Ahead of its release, the rising star teased his sophomore album on Instagram with a clip of him driving a classic Ford Mustang filled with dozens of red roses. Once parked, Ballesteros pulls out his guitar from the trunk as his joint song with Carín León, “Regalo de Dios,” begins to unfold in the background — a sign that Ballesteros is ready to pour his heart out to whoever that fortunate soul might be.

The song is one of the few pre-released tracks of the album, alongside poetic singles like “Cleopatra,” which compares a woman’s beauty to that of the famed Egyptian queen, and the agonizing track “Perdido,” which looks to fill the void of true love lost with vice.

The already popular, anxiety-riddled “7 Diás,” featuring Tito Double P, is also included in the track list; Ballesteros also performs an acoustic rendition of this heartbreak song on YouTube.

“This is a very important album because it tells a very different story than what [I] have been doing],” said Ballesteros. “The audience will get to learn more about my love and heartbreak.”

Ballesteros, who is originally from Sonora, Mexico, first gained recognition in 2020 with his breakthrough conjunto song “El Rompecabezas.” After obtaining his degree in industrial engineering in 2023, he joined his longtime friend Natanael Cano and Peso Pluma on the chart-topping hit “AMG,” which debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 92, marking the trio’s first appearance on the chart. Ballesteros later appeared on the chart that same year with the megahit “Lady Gaga” with Peso Pluma and Junior H,” which remained on the Billboard Hot 100 for 20 weeks, peaking at No. 35.

The release of “Ya No Se Llevan Serenatas” comes a year after Ballesteros launched his critically-acclaimed debut album, “The GB,” which landed at No. 65 on the Billboard 200. The 25-year-old singer— who is under Natanael Cano’s record label Los CT and Peso Pluma’s Double P Management— has quickly become a force in the new wave of corridos tumbados, amassing more than 50 million monthly Spotify listeners.

“If you’re in love, I would like for you to dedicate a song to your lover [from this album]. If you’re going through a breakup, listen to it and heal with the music,” Ballesteros said. “Everything is guided by love.”

CANNES, France — You see and hear the films of Scottish-born Lynne Ramsay long after you first take them in. They have a way of burning into your brain. Sometimes it’s a question of immersive soundscapes or settings, as with her brutal 1999 debut “Ratcatcher” or the euphoric post-boyfriend girls’ trip “Morvern Callar.” Elsewhere Ramsay makes violence grippingly personal, as with 2011’s “We Need to Talk About Kevin,” about the dissociating mother of a school shooter, or 2017’s “You Were Never Really Here,” a coiled revenge tale spurred by a kidnapping.

It’s good that we remember these movies so well because Ramsay’s output has never been steady. She’s had some bad luck with turnarounds and fickle producers (notoriously on the projects “The Lovely Bones” and “Jane Got a Gun,” which swallowed up years).

But today, sitting in the sunlight garden of a quiet Cannes hotel blocks from the action, Ramsay smokes and sips coffee contentedly. Her latest movie, “Die, My Love,” a marital psychodrama starring an impressively unhinged Jennifer Lawrence, has just hours earlier been acquired by Mubi, the upstart distributor that released last year’s “The Substance,” in a deal reported at $24 million.

It’s a cheering turn of events for a director who inspires devotion not only from critics and A-listers such as Tilda Swinton and Joaquin Phoenix, but from a generation of young filmmakers who see in her work a defiant, punkish way forward, especially for women in artistic control. We spoke to the 55-year-old Ramsay about her process and making “Die, My Love.”

I was very happy to hear you had a film at Cannes. It’s such a rare thing.

Hopefully less rare now.

So let me ask you directly about that and I hope you take this in the right spirit: Do you wish you’d made more films by now?

Oh, yeah. There was one I was just about to shoot called “Stone Mattress,” based on Margaret Atwood’s novel, a little short story in a novella. We were just about to do that. But the producers were pushing for Iceland as a location — it’s meant to be in the Arctic. I wanted Greenland. It just felt like we were cutting the lines down. The actor, Julianne Moore, would do a couple of lines in one location, fly four hours and do the rest of the scene.

And I just don’t work like that. I can’t do it all broken up in pieces and it’s not good for the actors either. So I was like, I don’t think this is the right thing. And then I was like, maybe I should have just done it. But I’ve written a lot. I’ve got three scripts, one that’s totally ready, one that’s almost ready and then another that’s in development.

I think people really want to know from your point of view: Are you just uncompromising or especially picky?

I don’t know. I was speaking to my friend Jonathan Glazer about that. Everyone says to him, “Why don’t you make many films?”

It was basically 10 years between “Under the Skin” and “The Zone of Interest.” He’s going to disappear now for another 10 years.

I don’t know if he will. We were both talking, like, We’re not getting any younger. We’ve got to hurry up. [Laughs.] But yeah, no, it’s not by design. It’s just life takes over. I have a daughter, there was COVID, stuff nearly gets there and falls through. It’s just a tough industry. I am picky in the sense that if you’re going to stick with a project for two or three years, then you want to know that you’re doing the right one. You don’t want to be down the line with it and think, God, I wish I hadn’t started this.

Jennifer Lawrence in the movie “Die, My Love.”

(Festival de Cannes)

Meanwhile, it must be exciting when a star like Jennifer Lawrence reaches out to you about a film you made 25 years ago, as she did about “Ratcatcher.”

Well, it was funny. She said she wanted to work with me. That was nice. She was talking about this particular book [“Die My Love” by Ariana Harwicz] and I was like: Look, I’ve just done “Kevin.” I don’t want to do more postpartum things and I won’t do that. And then I think I was doing “Stone Mattress” for a while and I probably was just being terrible and didn’t get back for ages.

But then I was like, OK, I have an idea. If it’s a love story — a bonkers, crazy love story — if it’s got many layers to it, I’ll do it as an experiment. We’ll see how it goes. And then it kind of worked.

A postpartum story isn’t the whole picture. Neither is a love story.

Right. I suppose it’s a bit of a lot of things.

I know that you like mashing up genres. Do you still want to make a horror film, like you’ve said in the past?

I’m making a vampire movie.

Really?

Yeah. I can’t tell you much. It’s with Ezra Miller who was in “Kevin.” He’s the main character. That’s in development.

I feel like I may be waiting a while to see that one.

[Laughs] You won’t wait for 10 years. I don’t have 10 years. I’ve got to do it quicker than that. That’s what Jon [Glazer] said. We need to speed up. He’s one of my favorite filmmakers. And PTA as well.

How does it feel being at Cannes again?

Actually, this time I feel quite relaxed. I think the first time I came, I got quite nervous. You get really wound up. My husband was a musician and I remember squeezing his hand so hard at “Kevin,” he said, “You’re going to break my guitar hand.” People were coughing. It was a real Cannes audience — they’re pretty hardcore.

But now I feel quite relaxed because I like the film myself. Sometimes you’re super self-critical. I was watching it in that big theater and I’m going: Change that, change that. We’ve only been editing for four or five months and that’s not long. So we’re still tweaking it. I did a mix in five days.

When you’re working with actors such as Robert Pattinson and Jennifer Lawrence, they bring so much iconography. How do you strip that away and be like, I’ve got this piece of work that I want to do here?

I think they were very willing participants. There was a lot of trust. I try and create an atmosphere of trust and I just threw them into the fire. I did the sex scene on the first day. I thought it’s a risk. It’s either going to work or it’s going to be a disaster. But I could see there was chemistry. And when they arrived, I was getting them dancing. They were dancing together, synchronized. And it was fun. And then I think Robert was a little nervous, but then something just kind of broke the ice.

Doing a sex scene on the first day will break the ice, I imagine.

The first day I was scared. I was like, oh, my God, was this a good idea? But it actually was a good idea. Sometimes I’ve left those scenes for later and then it builds up so everyone’s gotten all nervous. You start this scene and they’re all thinking about it and overthinking it. So I just chucked them in the deep end.

Then there was a different scene, a longer one, and there was loads of dialogue and we only had a few hours — the light was going, maybe an hour-and-a-half left. And I saw the DP lying in the grass, Seamus McGarvey. And we both looked at each other and were like: There’s no way we’re going to finish this scene. There’s no way we can do it.

And we’re both lying in the grass and we look down at the grass and I look at him and I go, “Well, what if they’re like cats in the grass? Why don’t we just do it here?” So I’m running back to the bloody actors and I’m going, “Right, OK, we’re changing the whole scene, taking all the dialogue out. And you’re both cats. You’re both like cats.” And they’re both like, what the f—?

You just discovered that in the moment?

Yeah. Because we didn’t have the time and I’m really glad I did. And they were so trusting. Robert was like, “That was a good scene.” Then Jen went, “Yeah, I can see it.” It was all at breakneck speed. We shot it in an hour or something.

Lynne Ramsay on the set of “Die, My Love.”

(Kimberly French)

And you’re giving them an experience they will never have with a director who follows a plan to the letter.

Yeah. A film’s a film but a script is a script. I mean, it’s a different beast. You’ve got be able to throw things out if they don’t work or you don’t have time. So you go to think of something and often that’s better. But after that first day, I knew they thought, oh, God, what are we in for?

I’ve heard that Jennifer Lawrence was pregnant in real life at the time.

Yeah. I didn’t know that until about four weeks before [the shoot]. I think she was a bit nervous about telling me. I was like, “You OK about this?” I was worried. But she was glowing and was so happy to play crazy. And she was excited by the ideas. She was like, “Yeah, let’s do it.” She’s a punk, man.

Your vision of America is very interesting to me. It’s never super realistic so much as an amplified America from the point of view of someone outside it. What do you think about America these days?

Well, I wouldn’t want to live there right now, but I always loved America. I lived in New York for quite a long time when I was making “You Were Never Really Here,” when I was making “Kevin.” I’ve always loved New York. It’s got a crazy, wild energy. L.A. I find a bit more difficult. I feel it’s like “Mulholland Drive.” But there’s a beauty to it as well. The light is amazing.

Your Montana of “Die, My Love” is also unique, filled with local color but almost an abstract place where a marital unraveling can take center stage. What was important to you to emphasize, setting-wise?

We actually shot in Calgary but Montana’s just down. My backstory was that they lived in New York — he was trying to get in a band, it didn’t really happen for him, he was kind of a slacker. And she’s written a couple of things that got published. Now there’s this idea that they’ll have a new life, because the house is free and a lot of young couples, if they get something like that, they’re like: I moved because New York’s expensive. And then the house becomes its own entity, in a way. We shot the beginning already inside the house, not from the outside [going in], and for a reason: The house is looking at them. There were elements of “The Shining.”

I picked up on those. And when you have actors like Sissy Spacek and Nick Nolte as parents, they create a kind of gravity of their own. Were they familiar with your films like Jennifer Lawrence was?

No, I went to them because they both meant a lot to me growing up. My dad loved Nick. Since “Badlands,” I’ve loved Sissy Spacek, In the book, the mother-in-law’s kind of gone crazy, but she played it much more that she saw exactly what was happening.

When we first meet the main characters, we hear them telling each other the lies they’ve probably been saying for a while: I could really record my album here. You can write your Great American Novel. Do you think that they end up in a place that’s more truthful by the end of the film?

I had writer’s block as well for a while and I was like Jack Torrance in “The Shining” writing the same sentence again. Recutting it. You get stuck in things and then when you’ve got a baby as well, it’s much harder to do anything. Your life completely is turned upside down. So I think they’ve got all these aspirations: It’s going to be great and wow. And then she just feels really isolated and she’s stuck with a baby. And she’s bored and she’s just gone nuts. I suppose I did think about “Repulsion” and, of course “A Women Under the Influence” — that sort of tragedy where they love each other but don’t understand each other.

Do you ever feel trapped by the massive reputation of your early films?

I love when I rewatch them, like, 25 years later. I saw “Morvern Callar” with a young audience a year ago or something. A couple years ago, because the film was 20 years old, and it was really nice. It still played and they were all laughing and they really got it. I think that film was kind of dumped at the time because I think I pissed off the financiers. I wanted a different poster and I made a big deal about it — and I love the poster still. And they wanted something much more conventional.

The poster for that is so perfect, though. I still remember it. It’s flush with a kind of heat, an intimacy.

I kind of fought for that. They wanted something that looked like a Mexican western or something. It was nice. But I’ve still got that poster in my place in Scotland against a black wall, where it really pops. And these kids were really getting it — even though she’s got a Walkman, which is completely, I mean, a million years ago.

It’s a little dated, but it works. You captured something essential about Samantha Morton and now with Jennifer Lawrence too. Do you ever find yourself thinking in terms of awards or Oscars?

No, I gave that up a long time ago. In fact, my mom had all my BAFTAs, so I hadn’t seen those BAFTAs for ages. We were cleaning out her house. I gave all them away.

Were they in her closet or something?

No, she had a little cupboard that she just put them in, but I just kind of forgot about them.

She was proud of you.

Yeah, they were in a little glass cabinet and I forgot all about them. Then I got them back and it was weird.

Where is home? Is it still Scotland?

London, actually. And Scotland. I have a place in Scotland too, but my mom passed away quite recently — it was only a couple of weeks ago. So I had the funeral as well as filming and then it’s been quite a challenge.

Is she the one the film is dedicated to?

Yeah.

“Die, My Love” is very explicitly about motherhood. What do remember about your mother? What did she teach you, in terms of being an artist?

She taught me how to be a filmmaker, to be honest. She taught me to sit. I watched the best films when I was a kid and they thought I was deaf for a long time because I just ignored everybody else. It was a big noisy family. And I think she just showed me these cool films. Her big one was — I mean it sounds so random for me — but she loved “Imitation of Life.” She watched that a million times. “Mildred Pierce.” And “Vertigo.”

She taught you how to give yourself over to a film?

Yeah, she just loved movies and so did my dad. But my dad would be a bit more annoying because he’d tell you the end. He’d be like, “This is going to happen.” You know what I mean? And I’d be like, Dad! I wouldn’t watch it. But I think she was a really interesting smart woman. Not from a film background. They were working-class people, blue-collar people. But they loved images, they loved cinema.

Glasgow is a place of blue-collar intelligentsia. It’s a really good education system there. So my dad was so bright — my mom as well. They used to say, “Let’s go to the movies, the pictures.” Really cute. And my mom had a photographic memory, so she would be like, “This film is from 1940,” blah blah blah. And then this actor’s in it. She’d know all these obscure actors. And it was great. They were excited and it made me excited. She just was a very kind person. Everyone was devastated.

I’m sure you’re still feeling it. I hope you don’t mind me asking about her.

I am. But I’m feeling a bit more at peace. It was quick and it wasn’t expected. And funnily enough, the music supervisor’s mom died one week later. I didn’t know it was coming. So we’re all a bit in shock. My mom, she was 88. She had a life.

When will be the appropriate age for you to show your daughter your movies?

[Laughs] I don’t know, 18?

How old is she now?

She’s 10. Maybe “Ratcatcher.” Maybe about 16 or 15. I don’t know. They’re all kind of hardcore.

You probably made it when you were 25.

I did, somewhere about that or 26. My daughter’s a really bright child. The one thing I’ve shown her that she came in for — I was watching it late at night and she woke up — was “The Shining” and she was glued it. And I said, “I don’t think you should watch this — you’re too young.” But there’s only one killing in “The Shining.” You know what I mean? And there’s not a lot of horror. She loved it. I mean, it was like the best. She said, “I might watch ‘The Shining’ again.” She’s super artistic.

Do I have a promise from you that I’m not going to have to wait 10 years for the next film?

Nah, definitely not. I’m on it. Jon Glazer too. We’re both like, we need to rock and roll, man.

Rams running back Kyren Williams is waiting patiently.

During the offseason, the team solidified its offense by re-signing left tackle Alaric Jackson and receiver Tutu Atwell, adding free-agent receiver Davante Adams and offensive lineman Coleman Shelton and adjusting the contract of quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Williams, who rushed for more than 1,100 yards in each of the last two seasons, is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is eligible for an extension.

In April, the Rams and Williams’ agent exchanged proposed contract terms. But with organized team activities scheduled to begin next week, a deal has not been done.

Still, Williams said he was “feeling good” about the situation.

“I know with time it’s going to happen,” Williams said last week in Pasadena, where he helped distribute new shoes to kids affected by the Eaton Fire.

And if Williams and the Rams do not reach a deal before the season?

“I would love for it to get done so I can take care of my family and the loved ones that helped me get here,” he said. “I’ve always got trust in God. Whether it happens now or I play out the season, I know it’s going to happen eventually.

“And so, time will tell. I just know I’ve got to do what I need to do each and every single day to make sure that it does happen in my favor.”

Rams running back Kyren Williams, second from right, helped distribute new shoes to kids affected by Eaton fire last week in a joint effort between the Seattle Seahawks and Rams.

(Gary Klein / Los Angeles Times)

Williams, a 2022 fifth-round draft pick from Notre Dame, was slowed by injuries much of his rookie season. But in 12 games in 2023, he rushed for 1,144 yards, scored 15 touchdowns and was voted to the Pro Bowl. In 16 games last season, he rushed for 1,299 yards and scored 16 touchdowns and helped the Rams advance to the NFC divisional round.

Williams, 24, leads a Rams running back corps that includes second-year pro Blake Corum, Ronnie Rivers, Cody Schrader and rookie Jarquez Hunter, a fourth-round draft pick from Auburn.

Williams is scheduled to earn about $5.4 million this season, according to Overthecap.com. The Rams have not given a running back a top-level extension since they awarded Todd Gurley a then-record deal before the 2018 season.

General manager Les Snead has said that Rams would “definitely like to engineer a long-term partnership,” with Williams. Coach Sean McVay said in April that “bridging that gap” financially was the challenge.

“We’ll see how far that we have to go with that but he is a very important part of what we want to be moving forward,” McVay said, adding, “He knows how much I love him, and so we’ll see if we can get something done.”

In the meantime, Williams is preparing for the season — and continuing to contribute off the field with actions consistent with those that made him the Rams’ nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award last season.

Williams directed his $25,000 from the NFL Foundation to the LAFD Foundation to help with fire relief efforts, said Molly Higgins, the Rams’ executive vice president of community impact and engagement.

“He’s been very vocal in saying, ‘However I can help with the fire-impacted families, let me know,’” Higgins said.

So when the Seattle Seahawks reached out to the Rams offering to combine forces to distribute sneakers to needy kids affected by the fires, Williams signed on to assist team mascots and several former Seahawks players at the Boys & Girls Club of Pasadena.

“I couldn’t imagine what these young kids and their families went through when they lost their houses and things due to the fire so just being able to be here — this is a blessing,” Williams said.

As his contract situation plays out, the work on and off the field will continue, Williams said.

“My only purpose is to continue to get better,” he said, “and finding joy in each and every single day and finding something to get better at.”

May 19 (UPI) — Former President Joe Biden sent out a thank you Monday to those who have shown concern since it was announced that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

“Cancer touches us all,” Biden posted to his social media outlets Monday, “Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support.”

A Biden spokesperson confirmed Sunday that he has an aggressive form of prostate cancer that was discovered Friday after he had experienced urination issues. It was also found that the disease has metastasized to his bones and was considered to have a Gleason score of nine, which is seen as a “high-grade” level of cancer that can spread quickly.

However, the cancer appears to be a hormone-sensitive type, which allows for efficient management.

Several current and former holders of public office have since sent well wishes to Biden, from both sides of the American political landscape.

“Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis,” wrote President Donald Trump to Truth Social Sunday. “We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.”

“Michelle and I are thinking of the entire Biden family,” posted former President Barack Obama to his social media Sunday. “Nobody has done more to find breakthrough treatments for cancer in all its forms than Joe, and I am certain he will fight this challenge with his trademark resolve and grace. We pray for a fast and full recovery.”

Then-Vice President Biden was the lead advocate of the “Cancer Moonshot” cancer cure initiative launched by the White House during the Obama administration and then re-launched it in 2022 as President.

“Doug and I are saddened to learn of President Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis,” wrote former Vice President Kamala Harris Sunday. “We are keeping him, Dr. Biden, and their entire family in our hearts and prayers during this time. Joe is a fighter, and I know he will face this challenge with the same strength, resilience, and optimism that have always defined his life and leadership.”

“We are hopeful for a full and speedy recovery.”

Cancer has directly impacted the Biden family before, as the former President’s son Beau Biden died at age 46 in 2015 from an aggressive form of brain cancer.

LOVE Island fans have been sent into a spin after convincing themselves one star from the show is set to announce her engagement.

Eagle-eyed fans have spotted that the villa alumni is wearing a ring on her wedding finger after recently going public with her boyfriend.

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Sharon Gaffka only unveiled her romance with Matthew Torbitt in March, having previously kept quiet about her private life since her Love Island days.

But now, alongside a series of telling new photos, the 29-year-old is already talking about having a baby with her fella.

Sharon now works as a VAWG (Violence Against Women and Girls) activist and is an ambassador for domestic violence charity Refuge.

Matthew, meanwhile, is a Homelessness & Prison Reform Advocate.

Together, they have addressed the Oxford Union after being invited there to tell Oxford University students about their work.

Sharon has since shared several black and white photos that were taken backstage at the talk, which show her in a stunning long-sleeved dress and Matthew in a tux.

But after the law graduate posted the pictures on Instagram, fans couldn’t help but spot the ring on Sharon’s left hand.

Sharon told her followers: “I can’t wait to tell our future child that mum and dad were once guest speakers at the union they’ll one day be members of 👀.”

Replying, one follower wrote: “It’s giving engagement announcement pics tbh.”

Much to everyone’s delight, Sharon and Matthew both confirmed that an engagement is very much on the cards.

“It’s coming,” Sharon replied.

Matthew added: “Trust me, it’s coming.”

Sharon even went one stage further in response to a follower who had written: “This is so gorgeous. I’m seeing the not too distant future here.”

The former reality star replied: “Everyone get ready for the wedding content 😂.”

Sharon Gaffka’s love life

What we know about Sharon’s private life since she left Love Island…

Sharon appeared on Love Island in 2021 because she had grown tired of “being the only single one” in her group of friends.

The former beauty queen and law graduate said she was on the look out for someone intelligent.

Sharon was paired with Hugo Hammond on the show but later accused him of ‘touching her inappropriately’ outside of the villa. Hugo flatly denied her allegations.

Although it appeared Sharon was heterosexual, she also accused Love Island bosses of editing out a bisexual confession.

Sharon went off the radar in terms of her private life following her villa stint.

But in 2023, she made a rare admission about her love life – revealing she had enjoyed a celebrity romance.

Sharon confessed: “I have only ever dated one person in the public eye in the past two years, it lasted for the best part of five minutes, so it’s no even known about outside my inner circle.

“I’d want a relationship that was known of, not known about.”

In the same year, Sharon also opened up about suffering a tragic miscarriage.

Sharon, who did not reveal who the baby’s father was, cried as she told fans about her emotional and heartbreaking experience in a video.

In March 2025, Sharon revealed she had found her happy-ever-after with fellow activist Matthew Torbitt.

The pair declared their love for each other on Instagram alongside a series of photos taken during a trip to Spain.

Sharon had hoped to find a boyfriend in the seventh series of Love Island in 2021.

She was was briefly coupled up with Hugo Hammond during her time in the villa, but later accused him of “inappropriately touching” her – which he denied.

She alleged her friendship with Hugo ended because of his behaviour following Love Island, however he described her claims as “completely false” on social media.

Sharon has since remained tight-lipped about romantic liaisons but revealed two years ago that she had suffered a heartbreaking miscarriage.

Opening up as she marked what would have been her baby’s first birthday, the women’s rights campaigner said: “Grief is not a linear process.

“I’m tired of being told that time is healer and this truth is especially evident in the aftermath of miscarriage for those who never planned to have children. Feelings of loss, confusion, guilt, and even relief can surface unexpectedly, and these emotions are all valid.”

Sharon told her fans she wasn’t sharing her story for sympathy, but as part of her healing process.

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VICTORIA Beckham has publicly sent her love to Brooklyn Beckham amid the family’s feud.

The 51-year-old Spice Girl and fashion designer has expressed her love for her eldest son despite rumours of a rift.

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She said “we love you so much” alongside a snap of the family, with Brooklyn seen front and centre in the photograph.

In the snap, Brooklyn could be seen beaming beside his two brothers, his sister, and his grandparents.

Cruz was stood next to Romeo who was standing beside their grandma Jackie and their granddad, with Harper then standing as her brother Brooklyn put his arm around her.

“We both love you all so much,” she penned alongside the snap.

Victoria then tagged her mum Jackie Adams, Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper.

This comes after Brooklyn and his wife Bates Motel actress Nicola Peltz were notable absentees from David Beckham‘s recent birthday bash – with whispers of a rift ramping up.

Brooklyn’s siblings Romeo, Cruz and Harper all turned out to party with their dad, mum, and famous names like Tom Cruise and Guy Ritchie.

Meanwhile, the eldest Beckham child and his wife were nowhere to be seen.

And since the snub, a rift between Brooklyn and his younger brother Romeo has been uncovered.

Romeo’s girlfriend is Kim Turnbull, who previously dated Brooklyn for a short while.

Romeo and his girlfriend Kim have kept things low-key since going public in November.

The Sun understands Nicola and Brooklyn had intended to be at David’s birthday bash but cancelled at short notice due to Kim being in attendance.

Brooklyn felt uncomfortable that his ex would be in attendance.

But the blame is being levelled at Nicola, which has upset Brooklyn, according to a source.

They said: “She has never told him what to do and has been nothing but supportive — she’s a loyal wife.”

Brooklyn and Nicola also missed an intimate evening earlier this month at the family’s £10million Cotswolds mansion.

The dinner was attended by Victoria, Romeo, Cruz, and his girlfriend Jackie.

Kim was absent, as were Brooklyn and Nicola.

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Aimee Lou Wood has named a critically acclaimed film that is currently available to stream for free in the UK

Aimee Lou Wood has revealed one of her top film picks that UK viewers can stream for free.

The much-admired film is presently available on Channel 4 and promises to touch your heart in just a little over an hour.

The cherished British actress, known for her roles in The White Lotus and Sex Education, recently popped into the Criterion Closet to chat about some of her most treasured films.

She highlighted Céline Sciamma’s touching work on the themes of youth and bereavement, Petite Maman, labelling it as a ‘heartbreaking’ film that’s a must-see.

With the film’s critical praise and its brief runtime of 70 minutes, available at no cost on Channel 4, it’s easy to fit into your viewing schedule before it disappears from the service, reports the Express.

While discussing her top picks, Wood acknowledged Thelma and Louise, accessible on Prime Video in the UK, and Petite Maman as two standout movies.

Speaking about the celebrated French creation from 2021, she referred to it as “the sweetest, most haunting, beautiful film and it just tears me apart.

“It’s just mums, mums. Anything about mums gets me right in the ticker. I love my mum, I’ve got her name tattooed on my arm.

“And I also love [Sciamma’s] Portrait of a Lady on Fire, so I love all of her movies, so she’s just one of my faves.”

For those needing more persuasion, cinephiles have shared glowing five-star feedback supporting Wood’s enthusiasm for Petite Maman.

One enthusiast exclaimed over the motion picture, celebrating it as “A beautiful, tender hug of a film.

“And refreshing to have a film mainly from a child’s point of view. The child actors were wonderful. As was the pace of the film. Perfection.”

Another fan commented: “Mysterious, enchanting and very unusual. It draws you into their world and makes you ask questions. Very poignant. I wanted more!”

Meanwhile, a fan on Letterboxd raved: “What Céline Sciamma achieves in a mere 72 minutes is dumbfounding.”

They added: “A moving and tender portrait of familial relationships told through a fantastical but still grounded lens of time travel. My heart is full and I wept as the credits rolled. Sciamma is truly a master of the craft.

“I hope every living soul gets a chance to watch this.”

These glowing reviews make Petite Maman a must-watch for the week.

Petite Maman is available to stream on Channel 4.

Love Island will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a one-off special episode called Love Island: A Decade of Love, which will look back on the show’s most iconic moments

ITV2 is set to commemorate a decade of Love Island with a special anniversary episode, celebrating the cultural phenomenon that’s dominated reality TV over the last decade.

The one-off special, ‘Love Island: A Decade of Love’, will air on ITV2 and ITVX, revisiting some of Love Island’s most seminal moments and catching up with unforgettable Islanders who’ve become household names.

The show promises to take fans down memory lane, reliving heart-stopping recouplings, shocking bombshells, and romance for the ages which have gripped viewers nationwide. It promises exclusive interviews and a peek behind the Love Island curtain to look at how it’s shaped television and impacted its alumni.

READ MORE: Comedy legend Matt Lucas forced to quit show mid performance after falling ill

But, the question on everyone’s lips is which show legends will return for one-off 10th anniversary special? ITV has revealed exactly which Islanders will be back on screens with Dani Dyer, Curtis Pritchard and lovebirds Liam Reardon and Millie Court all set to return.

Georgia Steel will no doubt revisit her iconic ‘I’m loyal’ catchphrase as she will make a comeback alongside series two winners Cara De La Hoyde-Massey and Nathan Massey. The show’s other successful couples Kai Fagan and Sanam Harrinanan and Indiyah Polack and Dami Hope will also be back to give fans an update on their love stories.

Returning favourites include Gabby Allen, who recently split from her All Stars boyfriend Casey O’Gorman, and other iconic Islanders such as Hannah Elizabeth, Anton Danyluk, Whitney Adebayo and Catherine Agbaje. Montana Brown – who welcomed her second child with fiancé Mark O’Connor at the start of the year – will also be gracing screens again, reports the Daily Record.

Mike Spencer, Creative Director, expressed excitement about the upcoming special: “We’ve had an incredible 10 years of love, drama and unforgettable moments in the villa – now it’s time to look back and celebrate the icons who made it all happen.” He added, promising a nostalgic trip full of emotions, “Expect big laughs and plenty of heart as we revisit a decade of Love Island magic.”

Paul Mortimer, Head of Reality, has shared his enthusiasm about the show’s impact: “Love Island has become a true phenomenon over the past decade, delivering must-see TV moments every summer.” He also highlighted what fans can look forward to: “This special offers viewers a chance to relive some of the show’s most iconic moments with the Islanders who made them so memorable.”

The highly anticipated special is set to air on ITV2 and ITVX, acting as a precursor to the fresh summer series returning to Majorca this June. What do you think of the cast? let us know in the comment section below.

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Located in the Tendring district of Essex, the beach is a popular spot for both locals and visitors alike with its colourful beach huts, fresh water lido and a range of sports activities

The county of Essex boasts a plethora of beautiful beaches to revel in when the sun makes an appearance, and this one, adorned with vibrant beach huts, impresses time and time again, setting the scene for a splendid day trip.

The rainbow of beach huts at Brightlingsea never fails to pull in the crowds, yet there’s even more to this seaside gem, including a rare freshwater lido and a whole host of watersports on offer. A mere 10 miles from Colchester, you’ve got the option to windsurf, canoe, jet ski, swim and soak up the sun. And for those seeking a more tranquil experience, there are serene pleasure trips on sailing barges too.

READ MORE: Dermatologist approved skincare brand from Yorkshire that ‘clears skin in a week’

But note, dogs aren’t permitted on the sands. As Essex’s sole Cinque Port, a historical harbour once frequented by monarchs like Edward the Confessor, Brightlingsea is steeped in maritime tradition.

Journey from the harbour office to the marina steps, and you’ll discover a monument commemorating local Olympic hero Reg White, who clinched gold back in ’76.

Originally a vital hub for fishing and shipbuilding, today’s Brightlingsea is a yachting sanctuary, annually playing host to renowned international sailing competitions that draw significant crowds, reports Essex Live.

Mark Frith shared on Google reviews: “First time here and we found it to be a nice quiet place with the most amount of beach huts we have ever seen in one place. It has a Lido, which you don’t see many of these days, which looked well maintained.”

Hans Rol shared his experience online, saying: “My wife and I were pleasantly surprised by the feel, the looks and the warmth of Brightlingsea Beach. There is plenty to see and do, from the beach it is a short walk to the centre of town.”

He was particularly impressed with the beach huts, admitting: “Personally I was taken by the beach huts, beach houses. So much love has gone in to personalising and maintaining these structures. Brightlingsea Beach has it.”

Prem Anand had a similarly positive view, commenting: “Lovely beach for family, had a long walk with our dog and park and activities for kids.. had a lovely day.”

Matthew Barrett also left a rave review: “Lovely day out, nice beach, safe places to swim, couple of food / drink places, kids play area, nice walks, parking is free along in the road or there is a pay and display car park at the end, would definitely recommend.”