reveals

THE SUN’S £9.50 Hols Agony Aunt, Tracey Kennedy has tried and tested holiday parks across the UK for over 30 years.

Over her decades of staycations, Tracy’s ticked off popular holiday spots from the Isle of Wight, to North Wales, down to Land’s End in Cornwall.

It’s fair to say that Tracy knows her stuff when it comes to UK holiday parks – whether it’s how to bag a bargain break, or find the best free and cheap family attractions whilst you’re away.

Over three decades of staying at holiday parks up and down the UK, Tracy has ranked her top five holiday parks based on accommodation, entertainment and location.

Plus she’s sharing all of the hacks she uses to save while she’s away.

We’ve paired each park with the cheapest deal available online, including three-night breaks for two for under £50.

5. Haven Burnham-on-Sea Holiday Village

“This holiday park is in a lovely seaside town in Somerset, and I like it so much that I’ve been back several times.

“My tip for booking a Haven holiday would be to book a Haven Hideaway package.

“These are the cheapest breaks possible, and can cost just £49pp. I paid just £120 for a full week away on a Haven Hideaway.

“However it’s worth noting that Hideaway holidays don’t come with a Play Pass as the standard breaks do, so make sure to check which activities are included at each Haven park, and which you would have to pay extra for”.

Entertainment and activities

“There’s plenty to do here without paying extra for the add-on activities. This site has a lovely arcade, which is cashless apart from the classic 2p machines.

“I wasn’t too keen on it being cashless at first, but once you’ve got your card and have topped it up with as much or little as you want, it’s easy to use.

“As for the evening entertainment, I went last year and it was really quite good. The comedy is especially great.

“With Haven parks, if you make sure to download the app, about 2 weeks before it’ll tell you which activities you can book if you have the Play Passes.

“But you dont need passes for the arcade or evening entertainment, it’s just for swimming and paid activities. They can be nice to have, but you don’t have to get them”.

Accommodation

“I stayed in a saver caravan, which is the lowest grade, but it still has heating and everything you need.

“I always go for the cheapest I can but that is still nice, and the saver option here is great if you’re looking to stay on a budget“.

Local area

“Burnham is a quiet town, so it can be quite a peaceful place to stay. There’s also a lovely beach and lighthouse in walking distance from the park, as well as a cinema. But mainly this is a great base for exploring.

“Brean is about a 10-minute drive away, and there’s loads to do there. Brean Beach is gorgeous, plus there’s a splash park, Brean Theme Park and an animal farm, so there’s loads to do.

“You’ve also got Cheddar Gorge a half-hour drive away. You can of course try loads of cheese, but there’s really fascinating caves and clifftop walks there, too.

“If you’re willing to drive a bit further, about 40 minutes, you can also visit Wells. There’s loads of medieval historic sites there, like Wells Cathedral as well as the Palace and gardens”.

Bag a cheap stay

You can book a four-night stay in a saver caravan with a Haven Hideaways deal from £49, based on two adults sharing. This deal also comes with a low-deposit option from £30.

4. Riverside Holiday Village, Bleadon, Weston-super-Mare

“I went to this holiday park last year for my 50th, and had such a fantastic time. I have lots of memories coming here with parents, and now I get to bring my kids!

“One of the best things about this park is where it’s located. It’s less than 10 minutes from Weston-super-Mare‘s seafront”.

Entertainment and activities

“This is quite a small site, but it does have a good arcade, restaurant, and entertainment performances.

“There’s no costume characters for the kids, but if you visit in peak season, there’s a pretty packed activity schedule that keeps them busy.

“It’s a very relaxing site if you prefer a peaceful holiday. There’s a beautiful lake to walk around, and you can pop out into Weston whenever you’d like”.

Accommodation

“We stayed in a large Gold caravan, which doesn’t work out to be too expensive once you split the cost between a group of people.

“We paid £650 total, and the Gold caravans can sleep up to six people, so that works out at around £109pp – which isn’t bad at all for a full seven days during the summer holidays.

“We had wrap-around decking which is lovely to sit on and enjoy your coffee in the morning or a drink in the evening.

“I recommend going as a large group and splitting costs so you can try out the nicer accommodation. This is one of the parks where I’d say it’s worth it”.

Local area

“The surrounding area, Bleadon, is very quiet. There’s just a couple of cosy pubs.

“But if you want a proper day out, then you should drive or catch the bus into Weston-super-Mare itself.

“There’s loads of things to do in Weston. If you want to stick to free things to do, Weston Museum is a great one and has activities for kids.

“Visiting the Grand Pier is a full day out itself – there is a small charge of £2, which is the same for both adults and kids.

“There’s lots of cost-friendly places to eat on the pier, like chip shops, a Costa and a Tiffany’s.

“My favourite though is Revo Kitchen. It’s inside the old Sea Life centre and it has 360-degree views of the sea. It’s dog-friendly, and does amazing, family-friendly food.

“It’s easy to spend the whole day at just the pier. There’s a ball pit, arcade games, fun house, ghost train – loads to do.

“Obviously it can be costly, but there are great-value wristbands available for kids to go on unlimited rides.”

“The Little Kids wristband, with unlimited rides suitable for younger children, costs £15 and lasts all day. The Big Kids wristband costs £20.

“There is also an Ultimate wristband available for £30, which includes unlimited rounds of golf and go-kart races.

“You don’t have to pay the entry fee cost of £2 for those with wristbands. You can buy the wristbands for the Grand Pier ahead of time online“.

Bag a cheap stay

You can book a three-night stay at Riverside Holiday Village in a Purn Gold WF caravan from £169, based on two adults sharing. This deal also offers a low deposit option of £25.

3. Martin Mere Holiday Village, Blackpool

“This park is around 10 minutes’ drive into Blackpool, and there is so much to do there for families.

“They have also just had a major upgrade, with a brand-new restaurant, a refreshed Show Bar, and an expanded arcade added”.

Entertainment and activities

“It’s all about the entertainment with Haven. And the best part is that most of it is free.

“There’s an outdoor pool and lazy river, and you can book inflatables for your little ones to use.

“They’ve got plenty of fun things for families with kids like a climbing wall and a giant football dartboard.

“You’ve also got Linked Bingo at 5:15pm every evening, which sometimes has massive cash prizes.

“They’re also adding four new kids shows ready for summer this year”.

Accommodation

“The caravans are spacious, clean and have everything you need. Even the saver caravans are tremendous value for what you get.

“What I like about the accommodation here is that most caravans are only a short walk to the entertainment, which is great if you stay up late”.

Local area

“There is absolutely loads to do in Blackpool. You can even see the tower flashing its lights at night from the park.

“Blackpool can be as cheap or expensive as you like, but I’ve been going for years and found some good ways to save money.

“One of the best-value places to go is Coral Island Arcade, which has a restaurant where kids eat free.

“Once you’re at Coral Island, make sure to pick up any free leaflets that are there. They often have vouchers inside for discounted attractions.

“We picked one up and got a free go on the camel derby – so always look out for leaflets before you book something!

“Some of my other favourite things to do are going up into the tower, where there’s an arcade, the dungeons and a circus inside the tower itself.

“Then of course you’ve got Pleasure Beach – but if you know you want to go, book ahead of time online.

“That way you can pay £30 for entry rather than £60 on the day.

“If you’re wanting to save money on ticking off the paid attractions, there’s a new card where you can do them all for a fixed price called The Blackpool Pass.”

“The Blackpool Pass starts from £35 and includes unlimited entry to eight Blackpool attractions: Madame Tussauds, SEA LIFE, Blackpool Tower Ballroom, Blackpool Tower Eye, Blackpool Tower Dungeon, Blackpool Tower Circus, Gruffalo and Friends Clubhouse and Peter Rabbit: Explore and Play.

“You can expect to save up to 70 per cent on attractions compared to booking individually.”

Bag a cheap stay

You can book a four-night stay in a saver caravan with a Haven Hideaways deal from £49, based on two adults sharing.

This deal also comes with a low-deposit option of £30.

2. Lyons Robin Hood, Rhyl, North Wales

“This site is really up-to-date. It’s recently undergone a £1.5m makeover, with all the new developments set to be fully done in May 2026, ready for your summer holiday!

“Some of my favourite things about this park are the enthusiastic entertainment staff, as well as the food – I always really look forward to the food when holidaying here!”

Entertainment and activities

“The pool here is so good that my youngest went swimming every single day. It has a brand-new splash zone, three super slides and even a spa for the adults.

“It’s just had activities like go-karting added to the list of things to do, and there’s new sports courts and trampolines.

“I last went at Halloween and it was just absolutely fantastic, but the entertainment is great year-round too.

“The costume characters come out to meet the kids – all the info on who is coming out when is listed on the wall, so you can meet the characters, comedians and singers.”

Accommodation

“The standard caravans here are slightly different to other holiday parks, for example like at a Haven resort.

“Their highest-ranking option is a platinum. We’ve stayed in platinum and it’s lovely. We had a little bit of a balcony that we had our coffee and drinks on.

“I’ve stayed in three levels of accommodation here, and I liked all of them. Each caravan was clean and spacious, with multiple big bedrooms, so you can’t go wrong here no matter what your budget is.

“I usually like to bring my own food to save money, however the food here is just lovely and definitely worth the money!

“We had cod and chips (£6.95) from the on-site chip shop here and really enjoyed it – in fact, we had it twice because it was that good! Food here is also really good value for money”.

Local area

“There’s a beautiful beach just across the road from the park, just remember to bring some snacks, as there’s no cafe or shop to buy food.

“You might see seals here – we saw some on my last visit and I was so excited.

“You can see them bobbing around in the sea, it’s nice to see them out in the open compared to an aquarium.

“Rhyl is just 5 minutes away, and there’s loads to do there. Shops, a massive marine lake, and my favourite – a little train that takes you around.

“Lots of people go crabbing, too…we caught some massive ones!

“A trip into Rhyl could be a free day out if you planned for it. Pack a picnic, wander through its streets, plus there’s even a free attraction: Rhyl Museum and Arts Centre.

“The only thing you would have to pay extra for if you wanted to would be the train, which costs £4 per adult and £3 per child.”

Bag a cheap stay

You can book a three-night stay at Lyons Robin Hood in a Bronze three-bedroom caravan from £111.30, based on two adults sharing.

Lyons Robin Hood is also available at Sun Hols from £9.50, where a break for four people can cost as little as £38.

1. Lower Hyde, Isle of Wight

“The best holiday park I’ve ever been to is Lower Hyde on the Isle of Wight – that is my firm favourite.

“I’ve returned several times because my family and I really liked it. I like everything about the park.

“There’s loads to do on site itself, it’s actually one of the only sites where we didn’t mind spending the entire day there.

“There’s plenty of nature trails around the park, and there’s also an adventure park on site.

“Lower Hyde also have a restaurant with really good pub-style food called The Barnhouse, plus they also have little food huts such as the Thunderbird Chicken shack and an ice cream parlour.

“They’ve just had a new outdoor bar open up, too.”

Entertainment and activities

“The entertainment teams are top-quality at Lower Hyde and plenty is free compared to other parks.

“I like the archery in the daytime, plus there’s a great pool to make use of, too.

“I watched some brilliant entertainment there last year.

“In the evenings, the entertainment starts off with discos and character meet and greets for the younger kids, with their own show.

“Then there’s some great bingo, followed by an adult game show.

“Later in the evening there’s more acts from visiting acts such as comedians or magicians, or a performance from the entertainment team.

“There’s then a disco until midnight, so you can stay there all night, if you fancy it.”

Accommodation

“I’ve stayed in both chalets and caravans, and the caravans are top-notch, very cosy and warm.

“The accommodation is in a really nice quiet area. There is a little bit of a hill walking down, so do let the site know if that’s an issue if you plan to visit”.

Local area

“The must-visit spot nearby is Shanklin. There’s lots of little artisan shops, and it’s not a far walk, about a 10-minute walk into the centre.

“If you walk further, it takes you into Shanklin Old Village. There’s a lovely little restaurant there called The Crab, with beautiful seafood.

“There is also the famous old thatched cottage from all the postcards. Not only is it lovely to look at, but it does afternoon tea inside (from £7.95).

“There’s also Shanklin Chine, a wooded coastal ravine that is the oldest attraction on the island.

“If you wanted to visit, then you can loop right down to the beach afterwards and make your way back up – that’s the perfect day out.

“Some of my favourite things to do in the area are keep an eye out for red squirrels on nature walks, and go stargazing at night – the Isle of Wight has clear skies where you can see the stars”.

Bag a cheap stay

You can book a three-night stay at Parkdean Lower Hyde in a Bronze three-bedroom caravan from £99, based on two adults sharing.

Parkdean Lower Hyde is also available at Sun Hols from £9.50, where a break for four people can cost as little as £38.

How Tracy saves extra on her holidays

As ouur Hols From £9.50 Agony Aunt, Tracy Kennedy has several tips and tricks up her sleeve when it comes to saving money on your staycations.

Here is exactly what Tracy does to prepare ahead of time and save on her holidays, as well as her top tips for saving whilst you’re away.

She told us: “One of the most cost effective things you can do is cook your own meals.

“I’d make a note of some easy, cost-effective meals that are quick to make so you can get it done and get out and enjoy your holiday.

“I like to pack an essentials box of non-perishable food bits with me, like packets of rice, pasta, and tinned food – just make sure you don’t forget to bring a tin opener, too.

“I also bring a small amount of washing up liquid and cleaning products in little travel bottles so we don’t have to buy full-sized ones. This really helps with the shopping, especially if you’re on a budget.

“Then when you do go shopping, all you have to do is buy the fresh stuff like bread, milk and butter.

“I like to slowly buy bits to add to my box in the months before my holiday, as it spreads the cost out and saves you spending too much in the expensive on-site supermarkets when you arrive.

“Once you’re prepared with food and cleaning supplies, it’s time to start thinking ahead on how to save on attractions.

“Before I go anywhere, I make sure to Google everything there is to do nearby. Especially for days out. See if there are any two for one ticket offers at local attractions, or even places that are free to visit.

“Especially during holidays like Easter, as nearby attractions will often have free events for kids like Easter egg hunts.

“When I visited Prestatyn in North Wales, I did my research ahead of time and found free pottery classes for kids, so we spent an afternoon doing that.

“Also check the National Trust website as well as English Heritage, because sometimes they offer free days out, too. Also check Sun Superdays and Sun Club offers, too!

“If you’re staying at a seaside resort, you can easily spend an entire day out on the coast for free. Check which dates you are there have good weather, and plan to pack a picnic, walk along the promenade, go for a swim.

“Sometimes there will be free children’s Punch and Judy shows, or local festivals – always Google the area and search on local Facebook groups in case there are events whilst you’re there.

“If you’re going as a couple or friends, it can be nice to explore local towns with cheap public transport.

My friend and I visited Lyons Robin Hood last year, and planned to go to Llandudno.

“We bought a £6.50 day saver ticket, jumped on a bus with Llandudno as the final stop and sat on the top deck at the front, and the views we had were absolutely amazing.”

“You can get family saver tickets too if there are more of you, then you can go out for the day, get a great view of the local towns and all you have to buy is the bus ticket. It’s a nice, cheap day out for all of the family.

“Similarly, I planned a cheap day out at the coast a few years ago in Newquay, Cornwall.

“We visited all the local beaches, walked to Lands End, and I planned a walk past the hotel where the Roald Dahl film The Witches was made.

“We also drove out to Port Isaac, and walked around where Doc Martin was filmed. All you have to do in these places is pay for is parking and bring your own food.

Then you can just walk around and see all of these really cool filming locations, and that costs you nothing!

“Definitely research the area before you go to see if any movies or TV shows were filmed there”.

STEPS singer Lee Latchford-Evans has confirmed his wife has given birth to their second child.

The couple first revealed they were expecting another baby on Christmas Day last year but Lee has now confirmed their bundle of joy is here.

Taking to Instagram, Lee, 51, tagged his wife, Kerry Lucy, as he shared a snap of himself walking out of the hospital and carrying the newborn in a baby travel seat.

Lee captioned the snap: “Here we go again!”

He added both a blue and purple love heart as to keep his fans guessing over the gender of the newborn.

Kerry later re-shared the post to her own Instagram story.

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The couple were immediately met with well-wishes from fans as one penned: “Oh this is wonderful news!! Congratulations!! X.”

With another writing: “Congratulations on your baby news.”

Lee’s Steps bandmate, Faye Tozer, also commented to say: “Bursting with joy for you all! Can’t wait to meet little one.”

It is the second baby for married couple Lee and Kerry.

Lee and Kerry-Lucy welcomed their first son Leo in July 2021.

The couple, who have been together since 2007, had previously suffered a devastating miscarriage.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Lee opened up on how he and Kerry went through a period of time where they felt “resentment” towards their friends who were expecting or already had babies.

“We’ve wanted a baby for so long. We did start thinking, “Why isn’t this working for us? What’s wrong with us?”

“You doubt each other slightly, but luckily we have a very strong relationship.

“We went through a time where all of our friends were pregnant and people were always walking past us with prams and I guess we hated that and had a bit of resentment towards them, which I know we shouldn’t have.

“It was difficult and frustrating.”

DELTA Goodrem’s first album in half a decade is just around the corner.

The Australian singer, 41, has opened up to The Sun about the project – admitting fans won’t have long to wait.

Chatting ahead of a surprise pop set in Camden, London with Australian chocolatey biscuit Tim Tam, Delta said: “I have finished the new album.

“When Eurovision came up I was in the studio already as it was naturally time to create the new album.

“I am doing a new video next week when I am back in Aus again for the next song.

“That will be straight out the gate and the new album will be there straight away.”

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The record, her eighth, will be Delta’s first since 2021’s Bridge over Troubled Dreams.

During her north London set, Delta performed her Eurovision track Eclipse for the first time in the UK.

The Born To Try singer will represent Australia next month at this year’s contest in Vienna, Austria.

Previously speaking to The Sun, Delta admitted while she’s toyed with the idea of doing Eurovision for a few years, it wasn’t until she opened up about her dreams to Bizarre last May that things really started taking shape.

Delta said: “This is, literally verbatim, all your fault. It is all on you — Bizarre started this.

“Your article went back to the Aussies who were like, ‘Do you want to do this?’ So thank you. I have a big job to do.”

Delta will head to Vienna this May to compete with her song Eclipse and it ticks every box, with an infectiously camp chorus and a complex piano bridge.

A beaming Delta explained: “From your article, people started reaching out.

“Then one of the songwriters, Jonas Myrin, who I wrote the song with, took a screengrab of the article and sent it to me saying, ‘Delta, if you ever go to Eurovision, I want to write the song with you’.

“He’s in Sweden. Sure enough he flew to Australia when I said I was doing it.

“Even the first question I got asked when doing my first Australian interview was, ‘We heard it all started from an article from the UK,’ and yes, it did.”

It’s been three years since Australia last qualified for the live final, which adds to the pressure on Delta, who has sold eight million records worldwide.

Delta added: “Of course I am nervous, but it’s so joyous and I am so excited to be a part of it.”

ARLO PARKS’ third album is a reset, inspired by the nightlife, freedom and spontaneity she missed out on when she broke through as a teenager. 

For Ambiguous Desire, the London-born singer-songwriter wanted to escape from way she had created songs in the past.  

Arlo, 25, says: “I wanted this to be from ground zero and exactly how I feel now, while I’m really living. 

“When I got to the end of the cycle for my second record, My Soft Machine, I was like, ‘OK, I want to see what it’s like when I DECIDE the path of my days’.  

“I wanted to spend more time in nocturnal spaces, making friends with DJs, club organisers and people in different collectives, and getting inspired by exploring the subcultures and the history and the architecture of those spaces. That’s what was fascinating.” 

Using voicenotes, journal entries and memories from nights out, the Mercury Prize winner’s intimate album is rooted in storytelling.  

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She says: “For this record, my mantra was to write it exactly how it felt.  

“In the past, I was focused on making things as beautiful and poetic as possible, but this time I stripped it right back to the lean truth of it, and that felt more authentic.  

“I also wanted to bring in those references exactly as I heard them, without softening the edges or maybe adding guitars to bring it into the indie world. 

“I wanted it to be inspired by house and garage, the music I’ve been loving. It was just about being true to myself.” 

This raw approach to songwriting runs through 12-track Ambiguous Desire. 

Arlo, real name Anais Marinho, says: “I wanted to make the music feel exciting and dynamic, so the song Jetta is just a voicenote in an Uber with my friends from one of those nights. 

“It’s the sound and the stories of people. Even the vinyl cover and the inserts are photos I took of my friends on nights out.” 

I chat to Arlo at her London record label office the day before she flies back to LA, which has been her home for the past four years. 

Arlo, who won the Brit Breakthrough Artist Award in 2021, following the success of her debut album Collapsed In Sunbeams, says: “LA does feel like home, but London will always BE home.  

“When I moved to LA, I was coming into myself as an artist, so I see it as the place where I built my community and grew into my confidence. But London is where I grew up, where my roots are, where I wrote my first word and heard my first song.”  

While London holds emotional ties — Arlo has been staying with friends and family while in the capital — LA has provided the creative community and space to push her sound. 

She says: “It’s the place where I met a lot of the people that I make music with. And there’s something about the pace of life there, the nature and the sunshine that gives me this sense of peace, where I can just sit and write.  

“My main collaborator, Baird, lives there and we made the whole record in the space he shares with his brother. 

“It’s like a living-room studio with pianos, acrylic paints, sewing machines — it’s an amazing creative hub. The place has been really inspiring for me and given me the peace to experiment.” 

Club culture became both creative research and a release from everyday worries.  

She says: “In New York, we were going to clubs like Nowadays and Basement, which is more in the techno world, and then in LA there are nights like Midnight Lovers. 

“The scene there feels much more DIY, more warehouses than big institutions like London’s Fabric.  

“It was nice to have that as part of our week, like knowing on a Saturday we’d go out and experience it. 

“And I love living in LA because so many artists pass through, so you can catch shows all the time. People like Jamie xx in those spaces were amazing.” 

The euphoric dancefloor-inspired Heaven was the first song that Parks wrote and knew she was on to something special.  

She recalls: “I’d been out with my friend Kelly [DJ Kelly Lee Owens], who was supporting Caribou and, the night after, I’d written all of these little fragments in my journal, like my friend wearing pink Adidas shoes. That’s in the song, which came together exactly like the night had felt.  

“I was able to distil that experience into a song. It felt very cinematic.” 

Clubbing helped Arlo reconsider how songwriting can be a collective experience rather than just a personal one.  

That instinct carries into the brilliant 2Sided, the first track released from the album, which describes the heat and chaos of a night out with friends at a club. 

She says: “It felt like the right song to start this era, and it came about really naturally.  

“I felt it when I made it, and also a lot of my friends — my partner, everyone in my life — were like, ‘That’s the one’.” 

Her other standout tracks explore different themes.  

The dreamy Beams includes the line “I know it’s not a way to treat people you love”, and Parks says: “I think that sentiment is really simple.  

“There’s a moment where you’re in a situation or a relationship and you’ve become used to being treated a certain way and then you realise, ‘Wait, that’s not actually how you treat people. You should be softer, kinder’.  

“It’s about that realisation of what you actually deserve.” 

Luck Of Life is another brilliant track, which explores grief. Arlo says: “That started just me on my computer at the kitch­en table.  

“It’s about loss, something we’ve all experienced whether it’s someone passing away or a break-up, but the impact those people had on our lives and, hopefully, bringing comfort to people who are hurting.” 

On Senses, a collaboration with Sampha, she says: “It’s soothing. I think a lot of that comes from Sampha, as he’s just such a soulful person. 

“He’s always tried out lots of different genres in his career, which is really inspiring to me.” 

For her forthcoming live shows in the UK, US and Europe, Arlo has made some changes. 

She says: “It makes sense to shift the set-up as well for these shows. For a long time, it’s been kind of indie — I had a guitar band — but I want to bring the samplers and the drum machines in.  

“I’ve been inspired by how Massive Attack are touring now and bringing those Nineties sounds into more contemporary spaces. 

“With the smaller shows we did at the end of last year, I had this idea of a light box above with a blue wash, and the stage being in the round with all my samplers and equipment in the middle.  

“I wanted to feel like those nights. Even the imagery came from that.  

“We went back to some of those clubs and did this kind of guerilla-style photography with my friends.  

“It was about staying true to what really happened and trying to recapture that.”  

In 2022, Arlo cancelled some US tour dates due to “debilitating” mental health issues. She has since learned to slow down to avoid another burnout. 

She says: “Music is what I love most in the world, so if I ever feel anything negative, I know it’s because I’m feeling overworked, not because of the music itself.  

“It’s my passion, it’s very much at the centre of who I am.” It is why she also took her time making Ambiguous Desire.  

She says: “I didn’t really want it to be this sprint where I would then have a crash, I want to do this for the rest of my life.”  

Arlo, who became a Unicef UK Ambassador in 2024, to advocate for child mental health, adds: “I’ve always wanted to be a career artist and be making music forever. I knew that I had to pace myself a bit. And, looking back, I’ve had some amazing times. 

“Thinking back to Glastonbury and winning the Mercury Album Of The Year [for Collapsed In Sunbeams] as well, I couldn’t believe it.  

“There’s something really specific about the Mercury because it’s just one winner and it was at the Hammersmith Apollo, which I used to cycle past on the way to school, which made it surreal.” 

Parks has previously been hailed a “voice of her generation”, but that must come with pressure.

She says: “I felt like I was speaking to collective experiences we were going through, rather than being some kind of spokesperson. I never really saw myself as that, so I didn’t feel pressure to be a certain way.  

“I was just telling stories about what I was seeing and living, and that happened to connect with teenagers at that time. 

“But, anyway, my fan base is broad — I love it when I see whole families at a gig and I’ve seen grandparents with grandkids as well as groups of friends. It really is a bit of everything. And I love that. That makes me feel really happy.” 

Ambiguous Desire concludes with track Floette, which she describes as “a note of hope”. 

Arlo says: “I wanted to embrace the fact that change is inevitable and part of life, and we’re all growing and trying our best.  

“ ‘We’re blossoming’ as it says in that song.  

“Looking at myself, I’m more confident and I feel happier than ever.  

“I’ve made something I’m really proud of, which colours the lens that I’m looking at things through.  

“It’s the start of something new, and in the future, I’d love to write a book and a screenplay and be part of a soundtrack for a film.  

“It’s like I’m coming of age. Maybe it’s just growing up. 

“While I’m proud of the music that I made before, this feels a little bit more different.  

“I feel like I’ve finally arrived, after years of making music. I’ve found the confidence to step away and do things my way, take a risk and witness it pay off. 

“I trust myself and my intuition more than ever.” 

• Ambiguous Desire is out today. 

ARLO PARKS
Ambiguous Desire

★★★★☆

HOLIDAYMAKERS could get stuck abroad this summer as up to 10 per cent of flights face cancellation if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary warned.

And the budget airline kingpin said that holidaymakers should book as soon as possible to avoid paying far higher prices.

The price of jet fuel has skyrocketed since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war with Iran, which has left the vital shipping route of the Strait of Hormuz blocked.

Speaking to ITV News, the airline chief revealed that between five and 10 per cent of flights in May, June and July could be cancelled if the Strait remains closed.

The Ryanair chief explained: “We have aircraft that are based at 95 airports across Europe.

“And we’ll have to cancel routes at whichever airport where the fuel company advises us they’re short of jet fuel at, say, Malaga Airport or Athens Airport.

“It’ll be those kind of decisions. And we’ll get very little notice – we’ll be told, I think, within five or seven days.

“So we will then be looking around and we will be trying to ground one or two aircraft and minimise inconvenience for customers. But it’s going to be difficult, it’s going to be challenging.”

O’Leary admitted that some holidaymakers may get stuck abroad due to flight cancellations, but noted that airlines have a responsibility to get you home.

He said: “Now, you won’t get compensation because it’s clearly beyond the airline’s control, but we will – and in Ryanair’s case we have lots of flights on a daily basis – we will re-accommodate you and get you back.

“You might be stuck for a day or two, but if you’re staying within Europe, you should be reasonably confident.”

Asked if it would be a “gamble” to book a summer holiday, O’Leary admitted “life is a gamble”.

He continued: “I think we’re looking at the risk of five or 10 per cent of cancellations in June or July, but 90 to 95 percent of flights will still operate.

“So, I think you’re really not taking much of a gamble. I would be much more concerned if you delay your booking, that actually you and your family will be paying much higher prices if you get to May, June, or July.”

The blame for any cancellations should be laid at the feet of the US President, not the airlines, the Irish airline boss added.

He added: “There doesn’t seem to be any exit plan at all. But we are where we are, blaming Trump is not going to get us anywhere.”

O’Leary said that this would be an “unknown scenario” for the airline industry and that “the sooner this war is over, the better”.

The new comments from the airline boss come after he said yesterday that jet fuel supplies could be disrupted as soon as May due to the new crisis in the Middle East.

Speaking to Sky News, the airline chief revealed that while Ryanair is “reasonably well hedged” on 80 per cent of its fuel, the company is being forced to shell out nearly double for the remaining 20 per cent.

O’Leary confirmed the airline is paying around $150 (€130) a barrel for the unhedged portion of its supplies.

A MAJOR capital city in Africa has revealed its huge new terminal that is about to open – and you can even fly there with Ryanair.

The expansion or Rabat-Sale Airport comes in time for the 2030 FIFA World Cup which will have games hosted in Morocco.

Rabat, a coastal city, is close to finishing the expansion of its terminal that will quadruple the amount of passengers.

It’s part of Morocco’s investment of $2.8 billion (£2.1billion) in its airports to double capacity from 38million to 80million passengers each year by 2030.

Rabat-Sale Airport’s annual capacity alone will go from around 1.5million passengers to 5million.

The whole terminal will be 69,000 square metres and have state-of-the-art facilities – like six telescopic boarding bridges.

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It will have upgraded shops and eating areas, additional aircraft parking positions, and a two-level parking with 1,300 spaces.

The terminal was expected to open years ago, but was subject to delays.

Brits will get to see the upgraded terminal if they fly there with Ryanair as the airline is opening a new base in Rabat in April 2026 and will station two aircraft there.

The service will include a total of 20 routes for the 2026 summer season.

There are direct flights from both London Stansted and Manchester with Ryanair to Rabat from as little as £16.

The expansion has been put in place to take additional passengers in time for the World Cup in four years’ time.

The airport is are five miles outside of Rabat 56 miles away from Casablanca – which city’s airport is also getting an upgrade.

The Mohammed V Airport in Casablanca, Morocco is expanding its airport with a new terminal which will be able to handle up to 20million passengers a year.

The new terminal will be in the shape of an ‘H’ and is scheduled to be operational by 2029.

It will have three levels with shops, green spaces, an airport hotel, and a 3,700 metre runway.

Other airports around the country getting expansions and upgrades are in Marrakech, Agadir, Tangier and Fez.

Rabat is the capital of Morocco and sits on the northwestern coast – National Geographic even called it one of its best place to visit in 2026. 

The publication added it to its must-visit spots for this year, calling it the country’s “relaxed Atlantic-coast capital”.

While it’s the capital, Rabat is lesser-known than other places like Marrakech and Agadir.

Rabat still has all the charm of the other spots, just much quieter, so you can stroll around the traditional medina souks without it being so busy.

When it comes to the top things to do, one is visiting Kasbah des Oudaias – a fortress looking over the Atlantic Ocean and Bouregreg River.

Another airport has revealed plans for first long-haul flights in 15 years – with massive £500million investment.

And this mega £27billion airport set to open in 2032 as ‘Heathrow and Dubai rival’ reveals new name.

EXCLUSIVE: I Love LA has landed in the UK with the launch of HBO Max and it features the daughter of a Hollywood star.

An I Love LA actress has shared the unexpected familial link her father has with one of her co-stars.

HBO Max has finally made its way to the UK, dropping an abundance of hit shows, including I Love LA, a sitcom about Maia (played by Rachel Sennott) whose life becomes chaotic with the return of her influencer friend Tallulah (Odessa A’zion).

They are joined by other stars such as Jordan Firstman, Gossip Girl’s Leighton Meester, as well as actress True Whitaker as Maia and Tullulah’s close friend Alani Marcus.

Film buffs may best recognise Whitaker though as the youngest daughter of actor Forest Whitaker, famed for movies such as The Last King of Scotland, The Butler and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

But it wasn’t until True got to the set of I Love LA that she discovered that her dad was already very well acquainted with one of her co-stars.

Speaking to Reach Plc, Whitaker explained: “My dad in the show, Keith David, is a friend of my dad’s.

“When I was on set shooting the last episode, I Facetimed my dad being like ‘Hey, do you know this guy? This is my dad.’

“And he [Forest Whitaker] was like ‘Keith?!’ and Keith was like ‘Forest!’

“And apparently my dad is the reason Keith moved to LA. They did Platoon together when they were in their 20s so it was kind of cute to see them reminisce.”

Also starring actors William Dafoe and Charlie Sheen, 1980s film Platoon followed the story of a young American volunteer as he deals with the horrors of warfare in Vietnam.

While Whitaker was behind the role of supporting character Big Harold, actor Keither David played veteran soldier King.

True also shared her famous father’s pride at her landing a major role in I Love LA after first featuring in his drama Godfather of Harlem.

She explained: “He’s extremely proud of me. Even his assistant pulled me aside and was talking to me and got emotional and was like ‘you have no idea.’

“My dad apparently had just been gloating to everybody and was stoked to see me in this light.

“And for me to be able to use my comedic skills, because obviously in the house I’m annoying and loud and funny but now I can actually utilise it.”

I Love LA is available to watch on HBO Max.

As you begin to book seats on flights for the trips ahead of you this summer, there’s something you may want to consider when it comes to the most fuss-free flight

Ahead of your big holidays this year you may be starting to look at your flights, or maybe you’re checking in and choosing your seats last minute; either way, you might want to hear this.

Most planes have a handful of seats that tend be located in the same place. Some with extra leg room, others with less, some in between windows, and some even on their own. Those boarding these flights and helping to keep everything streamlined know no more about those inside of those planes than anyone else.

That’s why it would be smart to consider this key piece of seat advice from Andrea Platania, operations manager at the airport transfer platform Transfeero. According to the firm’s onboard knowledge, there are a handful of seats that passengers continuously regret going for, and it may not be the ones that have even crossed your mind.

Seat 30F is a clear seat to avoid booking on a standard aircraft, along with 30E, as these tend to be located close to the toilets. In turn, the area tends to see a lot more disruption as people queue in the aisle or pass the seat to go in and out of the toilet.

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He explained: “It’s not just about proximity, it’s about the constant movement around you.” He further claimed that these areas can quickly become gathering points during flights.

The expert shared: “The toilet doors opening and closing, people chatting as they wait, and general foot traffic all add up. If you’re hoping for a quiet, relaxed journey, these seats make that much harder.”

While these are notoriously standout bad seats, the specifics don’t quite stop there, especially in the 30 zone. Typically, seats 30A and 30F can’t be reclined as much as others.

This is worth noting for those particularly long journeys of yours, such as longer-haul flights. Andra suggested: “If you’re on a flight where you’re hoping to rest or even just sit comfortably, not being able to recline makes a big difference.” You end up feeling much more tired by the time you land.”

Adding to the already growing list of reasons as to why you might want to avoid these seats is time. If you’re a quick traveller, you have a short transfer time, you’ve got another flight to catch, or you just like to be efficient, you will not be cutting time by sitting in these seats.

These seats typically are some of the very last to leave the aircraft, according to the expert. Passengers in these rows often are left waiting longer as they have to allow time for almost everyone to disembark.

“It might not sound like a big deal, but when you’re eager to get off or have a connection to catch, it can feel like a long delay,” Andra said.

SCOTT Mills was first investigated over sex offences against a teenage boy seven years ago – but only now the BBC has acted.

In a sensational move the BBC pulled Mills off air last Tuesday – with it emerging days later that the axing was linked to a complaint about the 2018 probe into the 53-year-old.

Mills was questioned over allegations of “serious sexual offences” against a boy who police confirmed was under 16 at the time of the allegations.

The case – said to have taken place between 1997 and 2000 – was later dropped in full due to a lack of evidence.

Last night we revealed that BBC bosses had known Mills was being investigated in 2018, Mills informed the corporation but denied the allegations.

And, in March that year The Sun on Sunday revealed how a probe was being carried out into an unnamed radio presenter.

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Officials decided to keep Mills on air for seven years after he informed them of the investigation before suddenly dismissing him on Monday.

It was only after a complaint was made regarding the police probe that Beeb bosses gave Mills the boot.

Mills’ £360,000 a year contract was terminated within five days of the complaint being made.

But the BBC has since apologised for not taking action on an allegation against Scott Mills raised last year. So, as the scandal unfolds, here is what was known and when.

1997 – 2000

The alleged “serious sexual offences” against a boy under 16 take place with Scott Mills joining the BBC in 1988.

Mills initially joined the corporation as a presenter on BBC Radio 1, presenting the early morning slot before earning his own namesake programme The Scott Mills Show.

December 2016

The Metropolitan Police launch a probe into allegations regarding Scott Mills.

The investigation, which related to allegations of serious sexual offences, followed a referral from another police force.

July 2018

Mills is questioned by police under caution about historical sexual offences against a teenage boy.

The former BBC Radio 2 star told the corporation about the investigation and denied the allegations.

May 2019

After it was decided there wasn’t enough evidence to bring charges against Mills the investigation is closed.

The case was dropped in full.

October 2022

Mills moved from BBC Radio 1 and joined BBC Radio 2, taking over the coveted afternoon slot from Steve Wright.

January 2025

Mills then moves on to take over the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, where he would stay until he was dismissed.

The former presenter took over after Zoe Ball stepped down — calling the role his “dream job”.

March 24, 2026

Mills signs off his show with “see you tomorrow” with his slot taken over the next day by Gary Davies.

Davies would continue to fill in for Scott after being named as the interim breakfast show host.

March 25, 2026

A BBC investigation is launched following a complaint regarding Scott Mills and the historic police probe.

March 30, 2026

In a sensational story, it is announced Mills had been sacked by the Beeb.

BBC Director of Music Lorna Clarke circulates an internal letter to staff informing them of the sacking.

March 31, 2026

The Metropolitan Police confirm that the teen boy at the centre of the allegations was under 16 years old at the time of the alleged offences.

April 1, 2026

The Sun reveals that the BBC was aware of the investigation as far back as 2018.

We revealed how Mills told the corporation in 2018 but was kept on air for another 7 years before suddenly being fired.

There are some overlooked UK seaside destinations that offer a serene escape with golden sand beaches and dramatic scenery that are set to rival those in Cornwall

A travel expert has outlined some underrated UK seaside escapes that are a far cry from the crowds in Cornwall.

Cornwall is one of the most popular UK seaside destinations, with its sprawling golden-sand beaches, surfing waves, culinary scene, and charming towns like St Ives and Falmouth. Every year, it’s thought to welcome around 4million overnight visitors and a whopping 14million day trippers.

Its busiest time is notoriously during the school holidays and summer months, as thousands of Brits flock down to the coast to soak up the rays on the picturesque coastline. According to ONS figures, a staggering 710,860 short-time holiday let nights were recorded in August alone.

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Not only can a break to the Cornish coast become overrun by tourists, but it can also come with a hefty price tag for the privilege, as demand soars. But all is not lost for that desirable escape to the British coast, as there are some underrated UK destinations that are just as beautiful, and far quieter.

“Cornwall is magnificent, and the popularity is completely understandable,” Mark Hutchins, founder of Beach Stays, said. “But there are stretches of coastline in this country that are just as stunning, far less crowded, and meaningfully cheaper. Most people never consider them simply because they’re less familiar. That’s their loss, and the gain of anyone willing to look a little further.”

Mark argues that some lesser-known locations are not a compromise and still offer picturesque coastal vistas alongside stunning beaches. The travel expert recommends West Wales and Northumberland for a seaside escape, and they’ll be a fraction of the price you’d pay for the same time in Cornwall.

West Wales is characterised by its dramatic cliffs, stretches of pristine beaches, secluded coves, and charming seaside towns, such as Cardigan and Aberaeron. Some of the most well-known beaches in the area include Barafundle Bay, Pendine Sands, and Whitesands Bay, which have miles of golden sand shores against the blue waters.

One visitor to Pendine Sands shared on TripAdvisor: “What a beautiful beach, miles of beach, beautiful views, plenty of parking, loads of shops to visit, there is also a museum of speed there, lots of food options to choose from, I would highly recommend.”

Following a trip to their favourite spot in West Wales, another holidaymaker said: “We have been coming to Whitsand Bay for our holiday almost every year. Beautiful, gorgeous, sandy beaches, still unspoiled, hardly anyone around. So peaceful.”

The region of Wales is also home to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, the only one of its kind in the UK, which stretches 186 miles along the scenic coastline. It offers ample hiking opportunities and some of the most breathtaking views of winding estuaries, enormous beaches, and rugged cliffs.

Northumberland is also home to some of the most spectacular scenery, with unspoilt sand beaches lined by dunes, rolling hills, and heather moorlands. One of its most famous beaches is the dramatic Bamburgh, with golden sand that stretches for around three miles, backed by the majestic Bamburgh Castle, and offering panoramic views of the Farne Islands.

It’s an uncrowded paradise and a haven for dog walkers, much like the beaches in Northumberland, which are often open to dogs year-round. Following a visit to Bamburgh beach this year, one holidaymaker noted: “A fantastic beach with breathtaking views of the Farne Islands and Holy Island with Lindisfarne castle.

“It was a lovely walk where you could easily spend hours with family, and it’s great to tire the dogs out! Overlooked by Bamburgh castle, it also offers great photo opportunities, and is near a few local cafes for after your walk.”

Other notable beaches in Northumberland include the sweeping coast of Budle Bay, the horseshoe-shaped Beadnell Bay, and Embleton Bay, which is overlooked by the ancient ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle. Known as the ‘castle county’, there’s also the famed Alnwick Castle that has been used as a filming location for Harry Potter and Downton Abbey.

There are also plenty of charming towns to explore, including the historic Alnwick and Hexham, which has been named as one of the happiest places to live in the UK. There’s also the village of Corbridge, offering scenic riverside walks, along with the coastal towns of Bamburgh and Berwick-upon-Tweed, with their mix of English and Scottish heritage.

With West Wales and Northumberland offering a catalogue of pristine beaches, delightful towns and picture-postcard coastal vistas, it might just be the time to switch it up from the Cornish coast.

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

ONE of the UK’s most popular seaside towns is undergoing a £750,000 revamp to its historic promenade.

Brighton has long been a popular destination for holidaymakers but its famous Victorian promenade has been partially closed to the public since 2012 following safety concerns.

Now, the promenade is expected to reopen this winter after an extensive restoration project.

Known as the Madeira Terrace, the historic promenade structure stretches 865metres-long with 151 large arches and was built between 1890 and 1897.

Parts of the cast iron railing decorations depict Poseidon – the Greek god of the sea – and Aphrodite – the goddess of love – as well.

The structure is also Grade II listed and thought to be the longest continuous cast-iron structure in the UK.

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The first phase of the project includes restoring 28 of the arches between the Royal Crescent steps and Concorde 2, as well as installing a new lift.

The new lift will create step-free access to and from Madeira Drive.

Work on the lift has already begun with the next stage involving 20,000 bricks being placed around a frame that has been built.

Parts of the cast iron structure of Madeira Terrace have already been returned to the promenade after being sent to a specialist foundry for repairs.

The structure was originally built to create a sheltered promenade for Victorian tourists and was designed by Philip Lockwood – the same man behind the Bandstand, also known as the Birdcage, on Brighton seafront.

As wealthy visitors arrived by train, the terrace would allow them to promenade along the beach no matter the weather.

Over the decades it has become a key part of Brighton’s image as well as appearing in a number of productions such as films Wimbledon (2004) and TV series Dr Who.

Councillor Julie Cattell said: “We’re moving forward with very visible and eye-catching elements of the restoration, and I know residents and visitors are enjoying seeing the structure take shape.

“There has been huge interest in the work being done to create the lift and residents will continue to see real progress being made over the coming months.

“It is great that so many people are really captivated and engaged in this project – and have such goodwill towards the work being done.

“We know Madeira Terrace is a vital part of our city’s architectural heritage and is something people really care about.

“That is partly why we are taking a firm, heritage-led approach.

“Restoring the existing structure does take more time than simply replacing it – particularly with the testing required – but it is the correct approach.

“We’re determined to get this restoration right – and see Madeira Terrace once again become a thriving and important part of our iconic seafront.”

The renovations to the terrace are also part of a wider multi-million-pound project that will develop the area around the Brighton Centre – a conference and exhibition space where previously The Who, Queen and Bob Marley have performed.

Dubbed the Waterfront Project, work will expand Churchill Square shopping centre as well as establish a new conference centre and entertainment venue.

In 2024, plans were also submitted to widen the beach in Brighton’s neighbour – Hove.

The plans were later approved for the coastal defense works, which includes widening and adding new pebbles and groynes to the beach.

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OUR Queen of the £9.50 Holiday is back to answer your burning questions – ahead of the launch of THOUSANDS more cheap breaks going on sale.

This time, she’s giving her tips for holidaying with teenagers, top things to do, and how to go away for cheap during the school holidays.

Tracy Kennedy is an expert on Hols from £9.50, having taken Sun holidays for the past 30 years.

This week, Sun reader Julie Dale has been awarded best question of the week, which means she’s been selected to win a £100 Amazon voucher. Congratulations, Julie!

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

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

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

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

What are some great UK parks that can even keep teenagers entertained?

Glenn Jones

Going away with teenagers, you’ll want something with plenty of activities to keep them entertained.

I’d say Billing Aquadrome is perfect for families of all ages, there’s especially loads to do for the older kids, too.

There’s outside entertainment in the evenings, and they have outdoor cinema screenings.

There’s also a giant inflatable course on the water that teens love to jump off to burn off some energy, and pool and snooker tables to hang out around.

Plus you can take the younger ones to the ball pit or slime making when the teenagers are busy exploring.

Seal Bay is another great choice, there’s loads there for the older teenagers.

They’ve got a really cool machine called a Wave Rider, which is like a surf simulator. It looks like a big bouncy slide with water gushing down it, very good for teenagers!

But if your teenagers are anything like mine, they won’t always want loads of sporty things to do.

My teenage daughter has had enough of arcades these days, she really likes going out on walks and exploring – she’s getting a bit like me now!

We love visiting castles and cathedrals, Hastings is great for that.

Teenagers do like dining out, though! So make sure to research the food options.

Parkdean have a good selection of foods, like Papa John’s pizza and fried chicken shacks.

And Seal Bay has a lovely outdoor seating area where you can have Greek gyros, burritos and ice cream. Teenagers love takeaways!

Would you opt for a £9.50 holiday over booking through the company direct?

Jamie Tebboth

You are often going to get your holiday for a cheaper price booking through £9.50 holidays.

Especially if you’re visiting as a family of four, as you can get a family holiday for only £38.

Looking at direct company sites on the same dates, it can be almost twice the price.

If you book through £9.50 holidays, that same holiday can be miles cheaper – even if you add on entertainment passes.

I always check on the actual company website to see how much I’m saving. I’ve saved £51 on a stay at Unity Beach, £112 at Solway and £211 on a trip to Bognor Regis.

For a family of four, the cheapest break you can get is a £38 holiday out of season (£9.50 each). If you add passes on, for say £10 a person, that’s still under £100!

My stay at Riverside in Bognor Regis and Parkdean Ty Mawr were both only £38. We’re not bothered about the extra entertainment passes, and its free linen there as well. If you’re not fussed in adding on the extras, it’s not going to get cheaper than that.

What are your top tips to get the best deals in the school holidays?

Julie Dale

The Midnight Service – be online as soon as that code comes! Just make sure you’ve joined Sun Club to get instant access after midnight. They go like wildfire!

There’s going to be new availability with this holiday restock, so if you haven’t booked yet, you can still get a holiday this year booked.

It can also definitely be cheaper to go away during school holidays and half term breaks that aren’t in the six-week summer holiday.

I’ve been away in the October holidays and it was much cheaper than the prices in the hotter months.

And if you want a really good deal, you should check if the school half term dates are different in the places you want to go to.

Quite a few people I know plan their holidays around the kids breaking up earlier in the destination they want to go to.

You then get a holiday that’s technically in the school holidays, for a really cheap price. I know someone who got a holiday for £14.50 per person during her children’s half term dates, and she had a great time.

What is a town in the UK you think that everybody should visit?

Elisabete Fortes

I’d say Glastonbury. It’s more than just the music festival. In fact, they have lots of other mini festivals and events throughout the year. We visited during the Medieval Fayre.

When I first went to Glastonbury, I was wowed. The streets are like a real life Diagon Alley from Harry Potter.

There’s Glastonbury Tor, Chalice Well and loads of other things to do. And Glastonbury has plenty of history, too, with Glastonbury Abbey and the links to King Arthur.

The nearest £9.50 holiday site will be Unity in Brean. It’s actually one of the most popular holiday parks I know of.

It’s got its own fair, a massive swimming pool, indoor and outdoor entertainment, plus a fantastic beach. And it’s close to Brean Down, with nature walks and a historical fort.

Can you pay extra to upgrade your accommodation?

Emma Wright

Yes you can! Sometimes when you book, you can upgrade and choose the grade of your caravan.

The upgrade options tend to have really good amenities. When we stayed at The Lakes in Rookley, we stayed in a three-bedroom cottage with its own back garden and washing line. It was absolutely stunning.

It makes for a really luxurious experience, especially if you’re going as a big group or for a special occassion.

But I’ve never had a bad experience in any of the caravans, even staying in the cheap ones.

BRISTOL Airport has submitted plans to expand with thousands more flights and long-haul journeys.

Along with more passengers the terminal will be larger, there will be new shops, restaurants as well as an extended runway at the cost of £500million.

New plans have been submitted to North Somerset Council for Bristol Airport to extend its runway which will allow for long-haul flights.

The proposal revealed the airport had plans to reach “world cities within Europe and beyond”.

This includes a limited number of new flights to North America, the Middle East and Asia.

By the late 2030s, the expansion is hoping to increase passenger numbers too from 12million to 15million.

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The amount of travellers that pass through Bristol Airport is currently 10.8million.

The increased take-offs and landings mean that there could be up to 100,000 flight movements a year- up from 85,990.

On the busiest days, there could be as many as 35 aircraft movements.

Bristol Airport added: “The plans would see around £500 million invested in improvements at the airport and local infrastructure.

“These include extending the runway to accommodate larger aircraft and increasing capacity of the terminal that includes a number of improvements to enhance the customer experience, including more space, a wider choice of retail and restaurants and the ability to walk onto aircraft without getting on a bus.”

Along with the extended runway are plans for a larger terminal with more space for a bigger immigration hall, baggage handling facilities, shops and restaurants. 

Other improvements detailed in the plans include travelators, better public transport and the expansion of car hire facilities.

Chief executive Dave Lees said: “Our proposals deliver what customers have told us they want to see at their local airport. 

“We will open up opportunities to visit places further afield and for businesses to expand into new international markets.”

Bristol Airport originally revealed its masterplan to expand last year with the ambitious plans taking it up to 2040.

There are currently 14 airlines operating from Bristol Airport which go to 115 destinations including Alicante, Majorca, Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Tenerife and Barcelona.

In 2024, Amsterdam was the most popular destination, followed by Alicante and Majorca.

Bristol Airport once offered flights as far as New York, operated by now-closed Continental Airlines.

However, these were scrapped back in 2010, with the longest route from the airport now just under six hours to Cape Verde.

Plus, another major UK airport launches 12 new routes to popular destinations with eight new airlines.

And this affordable African city to get massive new £960million airport expansion with space for 20million passengers.

KATIE Price has revealed plans for a second wedding to husband Lee Andrews in the UK while hitting back at trolls – despite claims he’s travel-banned. 

There is ongoing speculation that Lee, 43, is unable to leave Dubai after allegedly forging his ex-girlfriend Dina Taji’s signature to secure a £200,000 loan.

But Katie, 47, appeared to deny the claims as she responded to a follower on Instagram who mocked her romance with the businessman. 

After the former glamour model posted a loved-up snap of her and Lee, one troll was quick to reply: “Till the next.”

But Katie soon fired back: “Thank you for the follow. I’ll pass on your follow back request but please look forward to our wedding in the UK. 

“You clearly can’t get d*** and I can see why.”

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But some concerned fans suggested it was actually Lee commenting back on Katie’s account. 

When Lee suddenly appeared in the comments to have a pop at the troll, someone replied: “That was you responding wasn’t it on Katie’s page LOL. Katie doesn’t engage with people like that.”

It’s not the first time Lee has been accused of hijacking Katie’s social media. 

In February the couple sent fans and Katie’s family into a spin when they appeared to confirm she was pregnant just weeks after their wedding. 

While Katie later confirmed she was not carrying their child, sources close to her family to The Sun at the time said there were concerns she’d not written the apparent pregnancy announcement. 

An insider said: “That post doesn’t appear to have been written by Katie.

“She often makes spelling errors and this is word-perfect.“She also doesn’t know how to use Instagram Stories so we think Lee has done this.”

Last month Lee took to Instagram to deny ongoing speculation he is unable to leave Dubai – despite having never met his wife’s family or her five children.

Instagram to address the rumours, sharing a grab allegedly from an app which shows if someone has any travel bans in Dubai. 

He said: “Oh guys, I’ve never really been one to explain myself but there’s a lot of fake news going around so I better say something. 

“I’m going to share on the next story, after this one, that there is no travel ban, directly from the police UAE application. 

“It’s my profile. You can check those statuses, you can check any fines you’ve got, relating to traffic, and also if you’re allowed to travel.

“Allow me to share that. It’s not fabricated, I’m going on my honeymoon in a few days guys so definitely not on a travel ban.”

JANE Fallon has revealed she has undergone surgery following her shock breast cancer diagnosis.

The author, who is the partner of Ricky Gervais, told fans earlier this month that she was suffering with breast cancer, despite having no symptoms before the diagnosis.

Now, Jane has confirmed that her operation is over and assured fans she is feeling in high spirits after the procedure.

Sharing some snaps of herself from hospital, Jane wrote to X: “So… I had my op today.

“I’m feeling remarkably fine, which is possibly the drugs & that might also explain why I’m cross eyed in pic 4).

“I had quite a lovely couple of hours drinking tea & reading the brilliant @CatSteadman ‘s new one (more on that later).”

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Jane also shared an update on when she will get the all clear, explaining that it will be at least a further week.

She said: “The popsox have to stay on for 48 hours so that’s nice.

“Then 8-10 days wait for confirmation that they’ve got it all & the margins are clear (small % chance of more surgery if not).”

She is now resting up at home with the support of cat Pickles.

Jane has been with comedian Ricky for over 40 years, with the couple meeting back in 1982.

She is known for career as an author, having penned books such as Getting Rid of Matthew, Got You Back, Queen Bee, Worst Idea Ever, and Faking Friends. 

Revealing her breast cancer diagnosis earlier this month, Jane assured fans not to “panic” and said her prognosis was “excellent”.

She said on Instagram: “About a month ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer – very early stage thankfully & the prognosis is excellent.

“I had a routine mammogram a week before Christmas. I had no symptoms but the brilliant radiographer spotted something iffy & sent me for further tests & eventually a biopsy.

“Since then I’ve had more mammograms, more biopsies and an MRI so they can pinpoint the problem area precisely. It’s been a lot, I’m not going to lie.”

The star added that she has been under “incredible” care.

PREGNANT Sophie Kasaei revealed every day feels like a living nightmare as boyfriend Jordan Brook battles viral meningitis.

The Towie star, 31, has been in hospital for two weeks and has swelling on the brain after falling ill with the serious condition.

Worried Sophie, 36, was only able to see Jordan for the first time two days ago following his admission and admits she’s never felt so much fear as he goes through treatment.

Alongside loved-up photos of them together, she wrote on Instagram: “Life can come at you really fast. Literally in the blink of an eye.

“One minute you’re dreaming about your future together… and the next, you’re sitting in a hospital room, holding onto hope with everything you have.

“Watching the person I love in pain and fear, something I can’t fight for them is the hardest thing I’ve ever known. And through all this I’m carrying the tiniest piece of us, a reminder that even in the darkest moments, life is still growing, still holding on.”

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Sophie continued: “I never imagined I’d feel this much fear and this much love all at once. Life really can change in the blink of an eye. Please don’t take a single moment, a single person, for granted.

“Everyday I fall in love with you more and more @jordanbrook11 this whole thing feels like I’m living in a nightmare waiting to be woke up by you next to me in bed but I’m just grateful your here and fighting for your family.

“Our little baby boy is what is keeping this family going. I love you @jordanbrook11.”

Jordan replied in the comments and vowed he would give everything to recover.

“My darling girl,” he wrote. “I can’t thank you enough for the strength to help me battle this. I will not give up on us.

“I love you more and more every single day.

“‘This too Shal pass’ – we will smile again with our special boy and family.”

The devastating diagnosis came months after the couple revealed they were expecting their first baby after two years of IVF treatment.

They were supported by friends and fans in the comments, who were moved by their situation.

Love Island‘s Shaughna Phillips said: “So beautifully written Soph, thinking of you both and wishing Jordan a super speedy recovery xxxx.”

Geordie Shore‘s Chloe Ferry left loveheart emojis, while Scarlett Moffatt said: “Sending love and strength.”

Jordan was rushed to hospital earlier this month after falling seriously ill with a mystery illness now known to be viral meningitis and encephalitis.

The conditions are potentially life threatening, causing inflammation of the brain and spinal cord lining.

In a video posted from his hospital bed, Jordan said: “This is the first time I’ve really been able to speak strong enough about what’s going on.

“I’ve been diagnosed with not one but two joining viruses that are attacking a similar part of my body. I have got viral meningitis and encephalitis together.

“That’s the inflammation of the brain and the lining around it. So this isn’t something small or minor.”

He has had CT scans, MRI lumbar scans, and lumbar punctures — the extraction of cerebrospinal fluid from the lower vertebrae — to find out what is wrong.

Jordan continued: “I’m on IV drips, everything antiviral, pain management, physio, seizure monitoring, to minimise seizure risk at the minute.”

The star added: “But unfortunately the swelling on my brain is getting worse. Really, really tough, even with the simple day-to-day activities and normal things that aren’t easy right now. 

“So this is what I’m dealing with day-today.”

If you’re looking for destinations for a May half-term break that are perfect for families and not too far away, then this island often compared to the Caribbean could be one for your shortlist

Finding the perfect family holiday destination can be tricky. You want somewhere with amazing beaches and natural beauty, but at the same time, you need to be practical and ensure you pick somewhere easy to travel to and in your budget.

Recently, easyJet released a new Family Holiday Index, its way of ranking the top holiday destinations for people travelling with children based on a number of factors. These include the logistics of travelling to the destination, beach and water access, cost, and the number of family activities on offer.

Using this information, it was able to compile a top ten ranking of family holiday destinations, and unsurprisingly, Spanish destinations took six out of the ten spots. However, ranking at number six was an Italian island that has been dubbed the ‘Caribbean of Europe’ thanks to its spectacular beaches and unspoilt scenery.

Sardinia scored highly as a family destination thanks to its huge selection of beaches, family activities, and easy accessibility from the UK. The island has two main air hubs: Cagliari Elmas Airport in the south which is the largest and Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport in the north which is popular in the summer. EasyJet offers seasonal services to Olbia from Bristol, Edinburgh, London-Gatwick, and London-Luton. If you’re planning to fly to Cagliari from the UK, there are routes available on Ryanair and British Airways.

Sardinia flights on easyJet start from just £35.60 one way in May, and flights to the island take from two-and-a-half to three hours, making them bearable for most kids. You can also book Sardinia holidays with easyJet Holidays, with a package for four staying in a quadruple room in Borgo di Campagna, departing May 8, coming in at £340 per person. You can also save another £100 off the total package cost by using code SPRINGSALE at checkout.

Spiaggia La Pelosa is considered one of the island’s best beaches and it’s perfect for families. Its shores are covered in soft white sand, although some of the scenery is a little rocky, and the sea is a vibrant shade of turquoise and usually has only gentle waves. You can walk far from shore and still only be up to your knees in the clear blue waters, so it’s perfect for kids who like to paddle and splash around.

Unlike many overcrowded beaches, access to La Pelosa is tightly controlled during the summer from June 1 and October 1. Visitors need to book a spot in advance, and there’s an entry fee of €3.50 per person for over 12s (just over £3). However, this ensures you aren’t fighting the crowds to find a spot.

The Costa Smeralda offers a choice of beaches along a 35-mile stretch of coast in the north-east of the island. It’s a glamorous spot where you’ll often see superyachts coming into dock, and here you’ll find lots of upscale resorts with fine dining and designer shops.

Kids who love to swim will enjoy a boat trip to La Maddalena Archipelago, a National Park made up of seven tiny islands that can only be reached via boat. Many tour operators offer full-day boat tours where you can visit multiple islands, as well as stopping in the middle of the turquoise Med so you can dive straight into the ocean for a swim or snorkel.

If you have a kid who’s a budding history buff then Sardinia is full of interesting ancient sites to explore. Su Nuraxi di Barumini is the remains of a Bronze Age defensive complex, and has structures dating back thousands of years. Cagliari’s Castello sits on top of a hill and is full of ancient buildings, museums, and historic sites.

Kids who are studying the Roman Empire in school will particularly love a tour of the Roman Amphitheatre of Cagliari, where they can hear gory tales of fights to the death between gladiators or men vs wild beasts. It was also where many public executions were carried out and became the most important buildings in ancient Cagliari.

Sardinian food is also generally kid-friendly and even picky eaters are likely to find something they like. During the day, look out for street food vendors selling Spianadina, traditional flatbreads often filled with cheese and ham for a simple lunch. In the evening, there are plenty of cosy, authentic restaurants to choose from where kids can enjoy wood-fired pizza and fresh pasta.

EasyJet and easyJet Holidays Family Holiday Index – Full rankings

1. Palma de Mallorca, Spain
2. Algarve (Faro), Portugal
3. Costa del Sol (Málaga), Spain
4. Costa Blanca (Alicante), Spain
5. Lanzarote, Spain
6. Sardinia, Italy
7. Crete, Greece
8. Ibiza, Spain
9. Barcelona Coast, Spain
10. Dubrovnik Coast, Croatia

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

ALFIE Boe – one of the nation’s favourite tenors – will be unleashing his inner rock god on new album Face Myself.

The record, out on April 10, is inspired by his love of the Madchester era and was produced by Myriot, who previously worked with Primal Scream.

In an exclusive chat, Alfie revealed the album’s title track pays tribute to late Stone Roses bass player Gary “Mani” Mounfield.

The classical singer said he spent his weekends travelling up to Manchester as a teenager to immerse himself in the music scene, where the Stone Roses launched hits such as I Wanna Be Adored. Alfie said: “At the time I was writing that song, Mani passed away.

“So I had to put a tribute in the song. I changed the lyrics to say, ‘For good old Mani, he played it right’.”

The high-energy track, which is released today, also name checks Liam and Noel Gallagher’s childhood home on Cranwell Drive and celebrates the Madchester spirit.

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On the track he sings: “Dreams are grown in Burnage sky, a golden past that made us cry.

“The prom is glorified with lights, for good old Mani, he played it right. Those Cranwell boys, they sang along.”

As a teen, Alfie, who has clocked up 12 Top Ten albums including four No1s, joined an indie band and later found himself exploring classical music.

“I was in an indie band called The English Roses,” Alfie said with a laugh. We were going to go on tour and I was going to be the drummer. But there was school to attend, which was fine, but then I joined lots of other little bands.”

Alfie’s new album is made up of mostly original material and he was inspired to start writing by his pal, The Who’s Pete Townshend.

And the Les Miserables stage fave says the record is all about facing his past, adding: “I thought, what is it about me I have to face?

“It was my childhood, my teenage years, and what got me to where I am today. It’s been a wonderful journey.”

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Dua Lipa has a hefty cheque coming her way, plus a lifetime’s supply of coffee I imagine.

She’s signed up to be global ambassador for Nespresso and posed in blue co-ords to promote the new tie-in. Dua also had a snap with George Clooney, long-time face of the brand.

Greg heading to £2m…but pleads for Wills’ help again

Greg James continues his mammoth 1,000km cycle ride for Comic Relief after getting the royal seal of approval from Prince William.

He was given a boost on Tuesday, when the Prince of Wales hopped on the back of the Radio 1 DJ’s tandem.

As I caught up with Greg yesterday from the Yorkshire Moors, he said he wished William had stuck around.

Greg, resting up on a wall, below, said with a laugh: “I could’ve done with his legs today. Wills, if you’re reading this, help.”

He has remained incredibly upbeat despite the physical and mental toll the challenge is taking.

And he has been buoyed by the incredible donations from the public, which last night was creeping towards the £2million mark. Greg, who set off from Dorset last Friday and is pedalling all the way to Edinburgh, said: “The hills are very, very difficult today.

“But there was a really nice crowd of people shouting at me at the top.

“The good news is we’ve raised over £1.5million, which is an absurd amount. I’d be happy with that if it was the final total but we’ve got three days left.”

He starts his ride from Sunderland this morning with two full days to go.

Tomorrow he will begin his final push, cycling from Galashiels in the Borders to Edinburgh, where he is set to arrive in time for Comic Relief to start on BBC One at 7pm. You can do this, Greg!

Go to comicrelief.com/ride to make a donation.

Placebo are making a comeback for the 30th anniversary of their debut album, which they have reworked into a new version.

Placebo re:created will be out on June 19.

They will then kick off a European tour this September playing songs from their first two albums, with dates in Nottingham, Glasgow, Dublin, Manchester, London and Cardiff in November and December.

Big cat in Africa

Doja Cat showed her wild side in clashing animal prints while on stage in Rwanda.

The Say So rapper, who wore a blue wig with a tiger-striped bodysuit, was performing at Global Citizen’s Move Afrika concert.

She sounded great, despite her carefree lifestyle.

In a new interview with Vogue yesterday, Doja admitted she’s had to curb bad habits for the sake of her live shows.

She said: “I love trash – I’m Oscar the Grouch. I love to eat garbage, and I love to drink, and I love to party.

“Not too hard, obviously. I don’t do any drugs.”

Doja, who had a romance with actor Joseph Quinn in 2024, went on to reveal she is a serial dater, adding: “I’m 30, so I’m ovulating and horny.”

At least she tells it how it is.

Mosh-pit memories with trust

The Teenage Cancer Trust is staging a photo exhibition at the Royal Albert Hall to mark the joys of mosh pits.

Musicians including Yungblud, Wolf Alice, Fontaines DC and The Sex Pistols ft Frank Carter are featured in the show, called Good Energy.

It highlights “good energy”, which is the code used by fans to look after each other in the crowd. Frank said of his pic: “It was taken in the Royal Albert Hall.

“To play there with the Sex Pistols was a dream come true. Seeing a mosh pit inside such a venue felt like the definition of Good Punk Energy.

The exhibition runs until April 9. Buy signed copies of the prints at teenagecancer trust.org/good.

One direction’s Louis Tomlinson confessed the band’s debut No1 single, What Makes You Beautiful, was his least favourite track. He told Scott Mills’s Radio 2 show: “Performing it was always really eggy.”

Louis also took aim at the handling of 1D’s split, adding: “Hiatus, what a horrible word. It’s cringey, screams management.”

Princess is really made up

Harper Beckham has competition from another nepo baby when it comes to her upcoming beauty brand – Katie Price and Peter Andre’s daughter Princess.

The Sun told last week that Harper had taken part in a photoshoot for beauty brand Hiku by Harper, which is expected to launch in the coming months. Now Princess is following suit.

She said on the Not My Bagg podcast: “I’ve been working on it for ages. I was in Liverpool three days ago.

“I went up for a photoshoot for my beauty brand, which is so good. It’s being released this year.

I’m so excited. I’ve always wanted to be involved in some sort of business. Make-up, I love, so it had to be that.”

ABSOLUTE Radio DJ Andy Bush has revealed heartless scammers have stolen his elderly parents’ life savings.

In total, the devastated couple, both 78, were swindled out of £16,000 in an elaborate scheme that used Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis‘s trusted name to entice them.

A ‘broker’ going by the name of ‘John’ gained Andy’s dad’s trust after he clicked into an online link promising to maximise his savings. In reality, Good Morning Britain star Martin had no affiliation with the advert at all.

Andy, who hosts Hometime with Bush & Richie, told The Sun: “They’re really humiliated.

“My dad’s an ex-computer programmer, systems analyst. So he feels someone like him, who’s had a job like that, shouldn’t be falling for a scam like this. So they feel very, very humiliated.

“I feel like a lot of their kind of plans and dreams have kind of gone up in smoke a little bit because that little nest egg that they had to go and do nice retirement stuff is now suddenly completely gone.”

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Andy’s dad has memory issues, which his son believes made him more susceptible to the scam. Neither Andy, nor his brother, had any idea his parents were moving around large sums of money, and he believes they were coerced by ‘John’ not to tell anyone.

Once his dad had clicked the dodgy link, a portal opened to ‘John’ who was then on the phone to them “non-stop”.

Andy likened it to a romance scam and said his parents told him they would speak to ‘John’ on the phone two or three times a day.

“Even when it all came to light that it was a scam, my mum still wouldn’t believe that John, lovely John, would do this to them. So, they really bought into him as a person,” said Andy.

‘John’ set up a Revolut account on Andy’s parents behalf and began transferring large chunks of money from their TSB savings account.

He coached them on what to say to TSB agents when they queried the transfers — though Andy is upset that the bank didn’t do more to clamp down on the out of character money movements.

“Every time they transferred a chunk of £5,000, £6,000 or whatever, TSB would phone up and go, ‘just making sure you’re not transferring this to whatever’. And they would say, ‘no, no, it’s for this, that or whatever’,” he said.

‘John’ then instructed them to put an app on each of their phones, which allowed him to have full access to all their details and to see what they were doing on their devices.

He also installed a fake crypto exchange that showed their money rising at an impressive rate when in reality it had all but disappeared.

Eventually, Andy found out something was amiss when his mum asked if she could borrow £4,000 in order to deposit it into her account to pass an ‘anti-money laundering check’.

Alarm bells immediately rang and Andy asked her to show him the email from ‘John’. Upon seeing it, he said he knew “straight away” that it was fraudulent.

In the meantime, ‘John’ had arranged a £4,000 loan with M&S Bank, which led to Andy’s parents having to cancel their cards after multiple payments began to be made on them.

Andy’s intervention didn’t immediately put an end to the scamming.

Two days later, his parents received an email from a fake cryptocurrency loss recovery company that claimed it could recover their stolen money.

The fresh scam asked for forms to be submitted and a £3,000 payment paid. Andy said he believed the original scammers were behind it.

Even though, his parents’ phones have been wiped, he said there are still concerns the scammers have access.

Andy and his parents have now instructed CEL Solicitors who specialise in recouping money lost to fraud and have contacted the police.

CEL told him that they deal with 500 such cases a month and some £500m is stolen from people each year in total.

He said: “I’ve had so many messages from people who have not just had their parents scammed like this, but a woman in her 30s was scammed out of money when her baby was seven days old because she wasn’t concentrating properly and just pressed the button. You know, young people, old people.

“My mum and dad don’t know who to trust now.

“It’s brought up some really horrible conversations. My mum and dad have always been very outgoing and doing different things, and they’ve always got plans and all that kind of stuff. Now they have to run pretty much everything past me and my brother just to double-check that they’re not being scammed again.”

JUNIOR Andre has joked that his mum Katie Price “crushed his dreams” of becoming a professional footballer, after he was scouted as a child.

The 20-year-old, whose dad is Mysterious Girl singer Peter Andre, is now carving out a career for himself as a musician and actor.

But once upon a time, Junior had high hopes of becoming a footballer.

And he was even scouted by professional club Millwall, before trialing for premiere league side Chelsea, Junior has revealed.

Appearing on the Not My Bagg podcast, Junior said that glamour model mum Katie informed him he didn’t have the skills to make it big time in the sport.

“My mum crushed my dreams,” said Junior.

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“She watched me play once and she says, ‘Junior, let’s be real, you’re not gonna be a footballer. You’re not good enough. Don’t worry, you’re gonna be an entertainer’.”

“But, also, equally, I wanted to be a musician and actor,” assured Junior.

Continuing that he would play Saturday league, he said: “I used to play every week and I loved it.

“When I was young I got scouted at Millwall, and I had a trial and Brighton and Chelsea and I was loving it.

“But I was never actually really that good, I was just above average.”

Just this month, Junior made his acting debut as he is starring in a new coming-of-age drama called Finding My Voice.

He stars alongside his dad Peter and EastEnders star Michelle Ryan in the flick.

Alongside acting, Junior has been in the studio working on new music, with the budding star seen recording in a recent episode of his sister’s reality show, The Princess Diaries.

Despite his famous parents, it’s not all been glamorous for Junior, who revealed in the TV show that he had also been working full time for TFL while his music was on hold.

Junior revealed he worked through the nights, full time, while he sorted out “differences” with his record label.

Speaking on his secret TFL job, Junior said: “It’s been a long time coming, it’s been hard, you know I’ve obviously had to do nine-to-five, Monday to Friday.

“I found a night job basically just working on the London underground, grafting, lifting heavy metals, cutting, filing, painting. I got them jobs so I could do my music career, so I could fund it.”

Princess, 18, gushed over her brother for following his dreams self- sufficiently.

The reality TV star said: “So proud of Junior, his last two singles went in at number one , but while he was sorting differences out with his label he went to work through the nights and work a full time job so he was fully self sufficient. Which I’m super proud of.”

KATIE Price’s husband Lee Andrews has shown off his plethora of birthday gifts from his wife ahead of their Dubai reunion.

Lee celebrated his special day without Katie by his side as she was in England but she has jetted off to the Middle East, despite the ongoing concerns, today to join him.

However, Lee has taken to social media to reveal that Katie did indeed send him some birthday gifts ahead of her arrival.

On social media, he showed off a custom-made card from Katie that featured pictures of them both.

The card also contained the message: “Husband, you complete me.”

Katie also appeared to have got him a matching mug.

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A Louis Vuitton gift bag could also be seen in the background as Lee added the caption: “Wife is just the best.”

It appears to be the first time that Katie has splashed out on her husband with the star previously telling The Sun that she has never paid for anything during their marriage.

She insisted Lee had always paid for everything they did, including her flights out to see him.

Lee then shared a snap of another sentimental gift from his wife.

It was a small pin which featured the design of a man and woman embracing with the names Katie and Lee emblazoned on it.

Lee said of the gift: “The smallest thoughts mean the most.”

He went on to share a look at the words Katie had written for him in his card, which said: “To my forever husband!

“Happy Birthday! I will share your whole life celebrating with you!

“I love you to infinity love from your wife Katie x.”

Katie has been spotted at the airport heading to see Lee after a few weeks back in the UK.

Her decision to travel to the UAE comes amid growing concern over troubles in the Middle East.

The ongoing Iran crisis is still causing chaos for travellers following more drone attacks in Dubai, including a missile dropping on the airport.

But Katie was spotted at Gatwick airport late last night with her luggage and passport in hand.

Katie was dressed in a polka-dot tracksuit top and leggings, which showed off her tiny legs.

Katie was seen smiling and was in good spirits, despite boarding a plane to an at-risk country.

The star was seen chatting to the airline staff as she checked in her huge suitcase for her trip.

Despite Katie flying off to Dubai, the ongoing crisis in Iran has continued to affect travel with British Airways cancelling all flights there until June.

The airline took this decision due to the “uncertainty of the situation in the Middle East”.

Other companies are running limited flights whilst the fighting continues.

While the UK has plenty of unique places for a staycation, there’s one city that people go back to again and again. With so much to do for travellers of all ages it’s easy to see why it remains at number one.

It can be great fun to explore an exotic location several hours away and experience a new culture and scenery, but many of us don’t have the time or budget to take long-haul holidays.

That’s why it’s worth considering locations closer to home. Even if they are on your doorstep, visiting them as a tourist can give you a whole new perspective on a place.

That’s why Expedia has put together a list of the top UK holiday destinations for 2026. Although the city grabbing the number one spot may not come as a great surprise, there are some interesting locations in the top ten.

London topped the list for domestic destinations, and even if you already visit the capital a lot, it’s worth considering as a city break. While many visitors stay in the centre of London, it’s a huge, sprawling city full of colourful neighbourhoods, so simply staying a little further out can completely change your perspective.

Avoid the hotels in tourist central and consider staying in an area such as Hackney Wick or Ladbroke Grove, both of which made it onto The Telegraph’s list of London’s 10 coolest neighbourhoods. Not only will you save money on hotels, but you can also live like a Londoner while still enjoying easy transport links to tourist attractions.

A trip to London also doesn’t need to mean the usual visits to Big Ben and Buckingham Palace. If you enjoy those things, that’s great, but new attractions are being opened all the time. In late 2026, the London Museum in Smithfield will open in a former Victorian market, making the most of the grand building. It’ll include underground exhibition spaces and performance venues.

V&A East opens April 18 in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, just a short walk from the popular V&A East Storehouse. It will include two free galleries showcasing “contemporary global culture” as well as temporary exhibition spaces. Its first temporary exhibition will be The Music Is Black: A British Story and the café will serve dishes inspired by East London’s diverse communities.

Even well-established landmarks such as the British Museum are always offering new exhibitions and things to do. In September, the much-anticipated Bayeux Tapestry Exhibition will arrive at the museum, allowing visitors to see the incredible 68-metre-long medieval masterpiece up close.

If you prefer attractions that are a little livelier, then the new Gameshow LIVE! might be one for you. Opening in spring, it bills itself as the “world’s first interactive gameshow”. Up to 200 players can join in, and the attraction will include all the elements you expect from a classic game show, from buzzers to dramatic lighting. It’ll certainly outshine your local pub quiz.

On Expedia’s list at second place was the classic tourist destination Edinburgh, while third and fourth place went to Manchester and Liverpool. Birmingham was perhaps a surprise addition at number five, and the West Midlands city managed to beat York and the Lake District in the rankings.

Expedia’s top ten UK destinations for 2026 – full list

1. London
2. Edinburgh
3. Manchester
4. Liverpool
5. Birmingham
6. York
7. Glasgow
8. Lake District
9. Devon
10. Cardiff

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