Coronation Street actress Nicola Thorp has revealed that she has been in tens of thousands of debt for 17 years after struggling to pay off her drama school fees
Nicola Thorp reveals that she amassed a £30,000 debt due to drama school fees(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
It’s perhaps every drama student’s dream to become an acclaimed actor in film or TV. But former Coronation Street star Nicola Thorp has revealed the downside to following her passion to work in the arts, as she racked up a £30,000 debt accrued from drama school fees.
The 36 year old ITV former soap star, who landed the role of Nicola Rubinstein, on the iconic TV show back in 2017, admitted to being in debt for 17 years. While on This Morning the actress claimed that students were missing their lectures as they were too tired from working to support their schooling.
Nicola studied at the Arts Educational School in London between 2007 and 2010. When asked by host Ben Shepherd about her school fees, she replied: “Yes I did. I had to pay. I am still in about £30,000 of debt now.” She added: “Even 17 years later.” Left in shock by her answer, Ben said: “And that’s the reality for a lot of these students. They don’t have a choice.”
Nicola played Nicola on the ITV soap for two years and left in 2019. Leaving the acting world behind, she has now become a journalist and presenter.
With regular spots on This Morning over the past six years, she has also co-hosted TalkTV’s Talk Today for four years, ending in 2024.
She has also delved into the world of reality TV as she appeared on Celebrity Hunted alongside her husband Nikesh Patel in 2023. The couple became parents to a baby girl the following year.
Speaking of her daughter she took to social media and wrote: “We are delighted to say that we recently welcomed our beautiful baby daughter into the world.” She added: “Everything they say about birth being a rollercoaster of emotions is true. We’re shattered and smitten and everything in between.”
KATIE Price has dropped a huge hint that she’s already forgiven husband Lee Andrews after their recent public row sparked split speculation.
The former glamour model shared a gushing loved-up post on Instagram just hours after ditching her wedding ring in a new photo.
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Katie Price has dropped a huge clue that she’s still in love with LeeCredit: GettyKatie Price has hinted she’s forgiven Lee following their rowCredit: Instagram
Katie Price had earlier shared a photo where she appeared to ditch the huge diamond wedding ring husband Lee Andrews gave her when they married earlier this year.
However, just hours later, Katie shared a post posing the hypothetical question: “What’s he like?” before responding with what appeared to be a gushing tribute to her husband, who was also tagged.
She wrote: “He’s like all the love I’ve ever poured out into the world finally found its way back to me, wrapped in human form.”
Katie has shared a sweet post which appears to be about Lee AndrewsCredit: Backgrid/InstagramKatie’s husband Lee failed to turn up for an appearance on Good Morning BritainCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
After claiming he missed the flight due to business commitments, Katie defended him, while Lee later shared a social media clip hitting back at claims he had been detained.
However, speaking on her Katie Price Show podcast with sister Sophie Price, Katie admitted: “I have said to him, ‘You’ve made me look like a d**k, you’ve made yourself look like a massive d**k.
“He hasn’t made it to the UK and I’ve said to him he needs to make it to the UK, because if he doesn’t, then there’s obviously something not right going on.”
She added: “And if he does make it to England, it will shut all the rumours up.”
There is ongoing speculation thatKatie‘s husband Lee, 43, is unable to leave the United Arab Emirates cityafter allegedly forging his ex-girlfriend Dina Taji’s signature to secure a £200,000 loan – something he’s strongly denied.
Singer Delta Goodrem is hoping to turn Australia’s Eurovision fortunes aroundCredit: GettyDelta will compete in the second Eurovision Semi-Final live in ViennaCredit: EPA
The reality star is representing Cyprus with her song Jalla.
Australia, who have competed in the contest since 2015, has failed to make it past the semi-finals since 2023, when Voyager’s track Promise saw them finish in ninth place in Liverpool.
Speaking to Bizarre, Delta revealed she has put just as much effort into the production of her performance as she has the song itself.
Delta said: “I have definitely been learning on the job.
“This is my first ever Eurovision. The staging is just as important as the song.
“When I was working on the track, I wanted to make sure there was a lyric that lends itself to a journey in the production.
“I wrote it thinking about what the staging looks like and what exactly we are saying in the song.”
Delta revealed she has put just as much effort into the production of her performance as she has the song itselfCredit: EPAThe Sun’s Jack pictured alongside Delta
Admitting she was like a kid in a candy store when choosing her stage effects, Delta added: “You can do all sorts of things.
“They give you a long list.. honestly, what an amazing opportunity.
“You can have fire, wind, you name it. I felt like I was going shopping.”
Last year’s 2025 contest in Basel, Switzerland, was watched by a staggering 166 million people.
However, Delta insists she isn’t fazed by the massive global audience set to watch her tonight.
She said: “It doesn’t matter if it’s Hackney, the Commonwealth Games, Eurovision, or my outdoor pop-up in Camden earlier this year, I care just as much about every single performance.
“My game plan is simple, stay true to myself and bring it.”
While Delta is determined to make her country proud, she isn’t taking things too seriously.
In fact, she says bonding with fellow contestants has been a highlight.
Delta said: “Eurovision is completely its own world. I met a lot of artists in Oslo earlier this year and you naturally find your friends. Denmark’s Soren Torpegaar came up to me and told me how he went to one of my shows the last time I was in Denmark. It was really sweet.
Katie Price has arrived back in the UK after visiting husband Lee Andrews in DubaiCredit: BackGridShe was accompanied by an assistant who wheeled her bags around Gatwick AirportCredit: BackGrid
The Sun exclusively revealed she hasn’t settled her debts – despite hubby Lee claiming to be a billionaire.
The mum of five flashed a smile as she arrived in the UK’s Gatwick Airport, wearing a tight-fit grey crop top which clung to her curves and black joggers.
She pulled on a trendy pair of sunglasses and styled her hair poker straight, looking fresh from the long-haul trip.
Katie – who flashed her huge wedding ring in the Arrivals terminal – was accompanied by an assistant who wheeled three bags of luggage alongside her.
She arrived back on home turf after her husband Lee Andrews was accused of not paying their surgery billsCredit: Instagram / @wesleeeandrewsKatie cut a striking figure in a tight fit top and shadesCredit: BackGridKatie recently appeared to confirm husband Lee’s travel banCredit: BackGridShe flashed her ring as she strolled through the airportCredit: BackGrid
As such, she is the one doing the graft with the long haul flights.
Though this time around, Katie’s spouse has been slammed by a popular UAE-based aesthetic clinician for failing to cough up the money for the cosmetic work they’ve had in recent months.
Katie Price surgery boxout
KATIE Price’s love for surgery is no secret – here’s the details
1998 – Katie underwent her first breast augmentation taking her from a natural B cup to a C cup. She also had her first liposuction
1999 – Katie had two more boob jobs in the same year, one taking her from a C cup to a D cup, and then up to an F cup
2006 – Katie went under the knife to take her breasts up to a G cup
2007 – Katie had a rhinoplasty and veneers on her teeth
2008 – Katie stunned fans by reducing her breasts from an F cup to a C cup
2011 – Going back to an F cup, Katie also underwent body-contouring treatment and cheek and lip fillers
2014/5 – Following a nasty infection, Katie had her breast implants removed
2016 – Opting for bigger breasts yet again, Katie had another set of implants, along with implants, Botox and lip fillers
2017 – After a disastrous ‘threading’ facelift, Katie also had her veneers replaced. She also had her eighth boob job taking her to a GG cup
2018 – Katie went under the knife yet again for a facelift
2019 – After jetting to Turkey, Katie had a face, eye and eyelid lift, Brazilian bum lift and a tummy tuck
2020 – Katie has her 12th boob job in Belgium to correct botched surgery and a new set of veneers
2021 – In a complete body overhaul, she opts for eye and lip lifts, liposuction under her chin, fat injected into her bum and full body liposuction
2022 – Katie undergoes another brow and eye lift-and undergoes ‘biggest ever’ boob job in Belgium, her 16th in total
2023 – Opting for a second rhinoplasty, Katie also gets a lip lift at the same time as well as new lip filler throughout the year
2024 – Katie has her 17th boob job in Brussels after revealing she wanted to downsize. She performed at Dublin Pride just days later and surgeons warned the lack of recovery posed a risk of infection
Lee allegedly refused to pay the bill, however he insists the work was ‘complementary’.
The clinic specialises in facial contouring and liquid rhinoplasty among other surgical and non-surgical treatments.
In response to a recent Sun post about Lee using fake money to scam women, the clinician has shared his own experience with the couple.
Just days ago, the beauty clinic owner claimed that he had not received any money and was still chasing the couple.
But in a surprise move, he alleged that he had been blocked, without any explanation for their failure to pay.
He said: “This is expected as they both left without paying for their treatment and after multiple sent invoices, I was blocked.
“Although no mention of being unhappy with the results was ever brou- ght to my attention.
“What Katie is experiencing with her treatment is perfectly normal.”
But Lee has denied these claims when the The Sun reached out to him.
He has insisted that Katie was left “unable to move her mouth” following the procedure and disputes the charges.
KATIE Price has revealed she’s back in hospital for more surgery after sharing a topless snap and asking fans to guess what procedure she’s having.
The former glamour model, 47, recently travelled to Belgium for more work on her ‘biggest ever boobs’.
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Katie revealed she’s back in hospital for more surgery and asked fans to guess what she’s havingCredit: Facebook/BackgridIt comes just weeks after the former glamour model travelled to Belgium for more work on her ‘biggest ever’ boobsCredit: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire
And it seems Katie’s not done yet as she shared a new snap showing her topless in a hospital bed while medical staff worked on her.
She wrote: “Quick Little Procedure, Any Guesses?”
Katie underwent her 17th boob job in 2024 in Belgium where she had work done to refine the biggest chest she has ever had.
MAYA Jama has shared a health update after being told by doctors she had to receive more tests following a smear test.
The Love Island presenter sent a warning out to fans to get checked, as she admitting to feeling “very nervous” over the trip.
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Maya Jama has revealed that she has had to undergo tests after having a smear test scareCredit: InstagramThe Love Island presenter admitted she was feeling nervous as she headed to get checked after an abnormal test resultCredit: Instagram
Taking to her Instagram Stories on Thursday, Maya shared a snap of her feet as she sat in the waiting room at the doctors.
She explained: “At the drs now as a follow up from my smear test the other day.
“I have to get those cells burned off, feeling nervous but this is why smears are so important!”
In the next picture, she explained that the cells actually didn’t have to be burned off in the end, but she did have to undergo more tests.
Maya headed straight to the doctors upon landing home from a quick trip to IbizaCredit: InstagramThe star hopped over to the White Isle after a romantic few days in Rome with her boyfriend Ruben DiasCredit: Instagram
Sharing a mirror selfie from the bathroom following the appointment, Maya said: “So turns out I didn’t need the cells burned off but a mini biopsy to monitor the cells further.
“Again reminder to go in if you are putting it off.”
Cells are removed or “burned off” to stop them from developing into cervical cancer in the future.
Smear tests can determine whether any abnormal cells are present and whether this needs to be done.
The medical trip came as Maya had just touched down back home after a quick trip to Ibiza, with the star sharing that it was a “fun 24h” before returning home.
Before that, she spent a romantic few days in Italy with boyfriend Ruben Dias.
Maya shared an Instagram photo dump of the break to Rome, which included visits to the Sistine Chapel and the classical Vatican Gardens with with her Man City star boyfriend.
And she gushed about the trip to her three million fans, writing: “Can you tell I love it here?”
CORONATION Street legend Tracy Shaw has revealed she’s been diagnosed with breast cancer.
The actress, who is best known for playing Maxine Peacock in the soap, took to Instagram tonight to share the news and told fans she is due to start five months of chemotherapy before potentially having surgery.
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Coronation Street legend Tracy Shaw revealed she has breast cancerCredit: Instagram
Tracy, 52, wrote alongside a video: “My diagnosis of breast cancer. So the journey begins …..
“Love to everyone who is also going through this journey, looking forward to hearing from you all, especially you amazing survivors.”
The actress explained she was due to have surgery in two weeks but doctors at the Royal Berkshire Hospital told her she needs to undergo chemo after tests revealed she has HER2 in her cells.
HER2 is a protein that promotes cancer cell growth and is found in more aggressive types of the disease.
She said after the course of chemo she hopes to have surgery to remove lumps and lymph glands so more tests can be done, which could lead to further surgery before radiotherapy.
Samia Longchambon commented: “Sending love to you Tracy.”
Sally Ann Matthews wrote: “Love you baby girl x.”
A fan said: “What a brave and brilliant post. Sending positive vibes and love to you.”
Tracy said she is currently in a daily 12 step programme and told fans she’s recovered from “many addictions” including anorexia, bulimia, alcoholism and drugs.
She thanked her friends in fellowships around the world for supporting.
Tracy, who played Maxine Peacock, pictured in 1995Credit: News UK Ltd
The star said she has struggled with losing some of her hair as a result of the cancer but added: “I am truly grateful that I have this opportunity to hopefulyl be free from cancer as well.”
She also thanked fans for sending messages asking if she was OK after taking time away from social media for Lent to be more present.
Tracy’s soap character Maxine arrived on the cobbles in 1995 as a friend of Fiona Middleton (Angela Griffin).
However, she betrayed her pal by having a one-night stand with Fiona’s boyfriend – Steve MacDonald.
A year after making her Weatherfield debut, she was awarded the Rear of the Year title.
In the soap, Maxine married butcher Ashley Peacock (Steven Arnold) and they welcomed a son named Joshua.
She also ended up having a baby with the local doctor – despite being married to Ashley.
Maxine has overcome numerous addiction battles in her lifeCredit: instagram/@tracy.k.shaw
How to check your breasts
IT is important to regularly check your breasts for any changes.
Breast tissue reaches all the way up to your collarbone and across to your armpit, so it’s vital to check these areas too.
If you feel or see any changes in your breast, you should always consult your GP.
Charity CoppaFeel! recommends checking your breasts monthly, so you can pick up on any changes quickly.
Breasts do change naturally as part of your monthly menstrual cycle, so you should get to know your breasts, how they feel and what changes they usually go through to know if anything is out of the ordinary.
Five-step check
There is a five-step self exam you can do at home to check for any changes.
Step one: Begin by looking in a mirror, facing it with your arms on your hips and your shoulders straight. You should be looking for any dimpling, puckering, bulging skin, redness, soreness, a rash or changes to the nipple.
Step two: Still looking in the mirror, raise both arms above your head and check for the same changes.
Step three: With your arms still above your head, check for any fluid coming from the nipples. This can include milky, yellow or watery fluid, or blood.
Step four: While lying down, use your opposite hand to check each breast. Using a few fingers, keeping them flat and together, go in a small circular motion around your breasts. Make sure you feel the entire breast by going top to bottom in these small circles. It helps to develop a system or pattern to make sure every inch is covered. Use light pressure for the skin and tissue just beneath, medium pressure for the tissue in the middle of your breasts, and firm pressure to feel the tissue at the back, feeling down to your ribcage.
Step five: Feel your breasts while either standing or sitting, using the same small circular motions.
JERSEY Shore star Snooki has confessed that she’s putting off life-saving surgery because she’s scared.
At the start of the year, Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi revealed her stage 1 cervical cancer diagnosis to the world.
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Jersey Shore’s Snooki has confessed that she is putting off life-saving surgeryCredit: ABCShe sat down with Lara Spencer to chat about her cervical cancer battleCredit: ABCSnooki is a doting mom to three childrenCredit: Instagram / snooki
The MTV reality star, 38, believes she could have avoided the diagnosis had she gone to her recommended follow up visits to the doctor.
But despite saying she had regrets over “just keep putting it off” about her prior appointments, she is now putting off life-saving surgery.
Her doctor recommends that Nicole should undergo a hysterectomy to avoid the possibility of the cancer’s return.
“No, we’re not putting off any more appointments,” Nicole said.
But she later added: “They’re already yelling at me to schedule the hysterectomy, which I didn’t. I’m traveling.”
Lara then pressed: “I know but this is your life,” adding how she is a mom to three beautiful kids.
“Well, I’m not going to lie, I’m scared,” the reality star added.
“I know, and I understand that. But you know what’s going to be more scary? If you don’t do it,” Lara urged.
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“If you get this hysterectomy, do the doctors feel like you will be way ahead of the curve?” Lara asked.
Snooki replied: “Yes.”
Nicole recently underwent a PET scan where the results thankfully showed the cancer has not spread, though the surgery is highly encouraged to ensure the cancer does not return.
Elsewhere in the interview, Snooki opened up about the moment she found out about her devastating diagnosis.
“I was terrified. I was terribly crying in my car. Like, what am I going to do?” she recalled.
“I have three kids. I got to do my will. I haven’t done my will yet.”
Snooki first told fans about her health scare in an emotional video posted online in January.
At the time, she urged her followers to take their gynecological health seriously, and get all the necessary appointments done.
She noted that she was trying to get caught up on all hers, adding that several recent pap smears came back irregular in recent years.
Nicole said this raised concern with her doctors, who urged her to undergo a colposcopy to retrieve samples from her cervix for biopsy.
“That hurt. It wasn’t a great experience,” she said.
She then shared that the results of the colposcopy were “not great,” adding that her doctor “found cancerous cells on the top of my cervix.”
He urged her to get a biopsy to see if the cancerous cells spread, telling her the results of that would determine the next steps.
Nicole admitted at the time that she had avoided visiting the doctor because she did not want to deal with “pain” or “stress” caused by different procedures.
She admitted, however, that doctors visits are necessary, and encouraged her followers to take it seriously.
Snooki got emotional in the clip as the reality hit her.
“Obviously, I’m done having kids,” Nicole said through tears.
“But like as a woman, the thought of getting a hysterectomy is just sad, and it’s scary…the thought of getting the hysterectomy and then not being able to have kids, I think that’s what’s killing me,” she confessed.
She is married to Jionni LaValle and they share kids Lorenzo, Giovanna and AngeloCredit: Instagram/snooki
Madonna revealed Monday on social media that the purple jacket, corset and dress she wore Friday during a surprise performance with Sabrina Carpenter at Coachella are missing.
“Bringing Confessions II back to where it began was such a thrill,” she wrote. “This full circle moment hit different until I discovered that the vintage pieces that I wore went missing. … These aren’t just clothes, they are part of my history.”
The clothes are archival items that she wore in the early aughts during her “Confessions on a Dance Floor” era. Her upcoming “Confessions on a Dance Floor: Part II,” set to be released July 3, is a sequel to the 2005 album. Madonna played Coachella’s Sahara Tent 20 years ago in a similar purple getup.
Madonna appeared midway through Carpenter’s headlining performance at Weekend 2 of Coachella. The 67-year-old singer rose from beneath the stage as Carpenter sang “Juno.” The pair then transitioned into a rendition of her 1990 hit “Vogue.” Madonna also performed an unreleased song — “Bring Your Love” — followed by 2005’s “Get Together” and 1989’s “Like a Prayer.”
“I’m hoping and praying that some kind soul, will find these items and reach out to my team,” she continued, offering a reward to anyone who could recover the items and providing an email for her representatives.
A spokesperson for the Indio Police Department said in a statement Tuesday that “at this time, there is no evidence to suggest the bags were intentionally stolen.”
A representative for the singer filed a missing property report for items including clothing and jewelry Saturday shortly after 7 p.m., according to the statement. The items were last seen on a golf cart at the Empire Polo Grounds Saturday around 1:30 a.m.
“Preliminary investigation indicates the two bags containing the items may have fallen off a golf cart operated by staff who were on their way to load the bags onto a bus,” the statement read. “Upon arriving at the hotel shortly thereafter, the staff realized the bags were missing.”
If you have seen the bags, contact Indio Police at (760) 391-4057 or Crime Stoppers at (760) 341-STOP to share information anonymously.
The first stop on Sabine Phillips’ three-hour inspection of her neighborhood was at Fountain Avenue and St. Andrew’s Place, where detached pieces of a sofa had been plopped onto the sidewalk as if this were an outdoor living room.
Phillips slid off her yellow Huffy cruiser, grabbed a pen, and entered the finding into her spiral notebook.
“This stretch is a common dumping ground,” she told me, eyes hidden behind sunglasses under a floppy sun hat.
Her part-time assistant, Keith Johnson, was wearing a “Trash Club Hollyood” T-shirt. He squeezed the handle of his garbage-grabbing tool to snare cookie and chip wrappers that floated near some empty Pacifico beer bottles and a Big Gulp container the size of a drum. When they report neighborhood problems to the city, Johnson said, “sometimes they’re helpful and many times they’re not, so we end up doing things on our own.”
Sabine Phillips, 66, and Keith Johnson, 71, right, ride their bikes documenting debris left on sidewalks of their East Hollywood neighborhood on April 15.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Much of the discarded furniture and other goods left on the streets ends up being used to build homeless encampments, Phillips said. That often leads to more trash, fires, drug activity and other nuisances that threaten public safety and set residents on edge.
Phillips doesn’t just take notes. She reports her findings into the city’s MyLA311 system on Wednesdays, so city crews can make pickups on Thursdays and Fridays. And they usually do respond, Phillips said. But the cycle immediately repeats, and she has typically reported 50 or more additional items, week after week, month after month.
In a quarter of a century of writing about the many plundered patches of paradise, I’ve been repeatedly impressed by those who step up and make a difference out of some combination of pride, frustration and the spirit of volunteerism. But I also understand the rage of taxpayers who wonder why Los Angeles City Hall is so incapable of managing the basics.
In the race for leadership of the city, even Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Nithya Raman say things have got to change, which isn’t necessarily the best commentary on their stewardship.
“Unfortunately, it’s become fairly universal across all 99 neighborhoods in this city that L.A. government isn’t working,” mayoral candidate Adam Miller said at a recent West L.A. appearance I dropped in on, and he added that he’d use his business and nonprofit experience to tackle homelessness, housing and public safety challenges, among other issues. “We pay some of the highest taxes in the country, where people feel like we’re not getting our money’s worth anymore.”
Last week, after my column about the substantial inventory of blight around City Hall — including a graffiti-scarred fountain that’s been out of operation for most of the last 60 years (no lie) — I heard from readers with their own problems.
Richard Vasquez wrote to say the Plaza de Mexico in Lincoln Heights is still a cemetery of missing statues. Richard Zaldivar wrote to say the nearby AIDS memorial was vandalized and multiple calls for help fell on deaf ears. Estela Lopez of the downtown industrial improvement district, where trash is routinely dumped illegally, wrote to say a county report warned that typhus levels downtown had reached an all-time high.
Sabine Phillips documents abandoned furniture and debris found on sidewalks of her neighborhood on Wednesday in East Hollywood.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
I also heard from Stefanie Keenan, who had a clever idea a few years ago, born of exasperation with City Hall. She hired her own housekeeper — that would be Phillips — to help patrol and clean the neighborhood they both live in, and Phillips’ work was featured by NBCLA and substacker Sam Quinones.
“It’s not getting done otherwise, and our neighborhood would have burned down,” Keenan told me.
Keenan, who has been tending to her streets for several years, has been paying Phillips $100 for Wednesday scouting forays and another $100 to fill four or five huge bags on Saturday trash patrol. Keenan, a photographer, told me she has spent tens of thousands of dollars out of her own pocket.
But Keenan doesn’t have unlimited funds, and this was Phillips’ last week on the job. Lord knows what the neighborhood will look like without her on patrol. As she pedaled along her regular route Wednesday, Phillips found several more sofas, among other things.
A freezer. A refrigerator. Rugs. Chairs. Stools. Dressers. Drawers. Bed frames. Mattresses. Box springs. A printer. Electronics. Televisions.
And heaps of trash, some of which blocked sidewalks and some of which spilled off curbs and into streets.
On Lexington Avenue she stopped to make the following entry in her log:
“3 toilets.”
Nothing surprised her, and nothing slowed her down. At a house where a construction worker dumped lumber onto the sidewalk, Phillips strode up and asked what the thought would happen to the scrap pile. He said he had no idea; she made an entry in her log.
Phillips takes a break from documenting addresses of abandoned furniture and debris.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
I tried to recruit Phillips to run for mayor, but the native of Germany wasn’t interested. She did say, however, that she was “the first female bouncer in Berlin,” and that was “at a Hells Angel discotheque.”
The Berlin bouncer kept moving, and scribbling. She filled three pages in her notebook with more than 60 notations, including sidewalk graffiti.
“I’ve seen some weird stuff,” Phillips said. “Twice I found safes outside, just on the side of the curb.”
The studio-adjacent neighborhood she patrols has an eclectic mix of upscale houses and block-long stretches of apartment buildings, with people moving in and out and leaving possessions on the curb as they come and go.
That’s not the city’s fault. But the city could do a better job of educating residents on how to arrange for pickups, and a better job of cracking down when they don’t. I reached out to the office of Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, but we hadn’t yet connected when I hit my deadline.
At the Lexington Avenue pocket park, Phillips told me she had never seen kids on the grounds.
“I will show you why I would never have kids playing here,” she said, pointing into the sandbox. “There is glass … needles, and … you will see human waste there in the corner.”
A blue tarp covered a makeshift home next to the sandbox. Someone slept on a bench. The slide had a gang tag painted onto it, and two people hovered under the slide on the edge of the sandbox. Phillips said she has seen homeless people use the water fountain to bathe, and a 15-year-old from a nearby high school died in 2022 after buying drugs here.
Jenny Carpio and her dog, Sky, walk past debris along a sidewalk in East Hollywood.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
While Phillips and Johnson were in the park, a city rec and parks employee pulled up. He said he was there to check the condition of the park, which was slated for a new playground that would cost about $300,000. He said a body had been found in the park not long ago. He guessed about 30% to 50% of the city’s parks have similar iproblems.
I’m reminded of Kurt Vonnegut’s refrain in “Slaughterhouse-Five.”
So it goes.
The insanity of investing in a new playground when a dozen festering issues make the park unsafe should be crystal clear to one and all. Surely there’s more to the plan, one would hope — something substantive and sustainable. But that’s a risky bet.
It might be better to admit defeat for now, close the park, and do something else with that $300,000.
Use it to put Phillips, and a team trained and supervised by her, on a fleet of yellow Huffys.
BRIDGERTON star Simone Ashley has stunned in a tiny Burberry bikini poolside as she revealed she’s back in the dating game after splitting from her lawyer ex.
The actress began dating high-powered entrepreneur Tim Sykes in the summer last year after they were spotted locking lips at the US Open in New York.
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Simone Ashley looked incredible as she starred in the new Burberry High Summer campaignCredit: BurberryThe actress looked incredible as she stripped down to a tiny black bikiniCredit: BurberrySimone Ashley, who stared in Netflix hit Bridgerton, was also seen sizzling in a pink ensembleCredit: Burberry
Just a few months later, in December it was revealed they had parted ways reportedly “wanting different things.”
She was wearing the famous Burberry print triangle bikini as she laid at the edge of the pool.
Simone sizzled as she was spotted with water droplets rolling off her body.
Simone put on a leggy display as she was snapped poolsideCredit: BurberrySimone Ashley plays Kate Sharma in the hit Netflix series BridgertonCredit: LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX
Elsewhere, Netflix star Simone put on a very leggy display as she posed on a bench wearing a black bikini cover-up.
She was also seen oiled up donning a pink bikini paired with a little gingham sarong.
Following her sad split Tino, Simone picked up her life and moved to New York.
Speaking on The Louis Theroux podcast, Simone said: “I moved to New York last year. I’m having the time of my life. I love it. It’s changed my life.”
But, it seems that is not all that has changed in the stars life as she made a candid admission.
She added: “At the moment, I’m dating. The plan is always to find love and have another great year in New York.
“I feel very ready for a relationship but I think it’s about finding the right person. I don’t get into situationships because it’s just a way to keep things vague. It’s not my style and I haven’t got time for that.”
Before her brief romance with Tim, Simone dated lawyer Constantin “Tino” Klein in the summer of 2022.
They called it quits back in January 2025.
After moving to New York, Simone confessed she is dating and ‘looking for love’Credit: GettySimone was snapped with her lawyer ex Tino Klein at Netflix’s annual BAFTA Awards afterparty at Chiltern Firehouse in LondonCredit: Getty
ACTRESS Zendaya goes against the grain — with a bizarre sand-like outfit.
The US star, 29, dressed the part to promote upcoming flick, Dune: Part Three.
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Zendaya stood out with an unusual sand-like outfit to promote upcoming movie, Dune: Part ThreeCredit: GettyThe third part of the Dune trilogy will be released in DecemberCredit: GettyDune star Timothée Chalamet joined Zendaya at the event hosted by Warner BrosCredit: Getty
She was joined at CinemaCon by her co-star Timothée Chalamet, 30, and director Denis Villeneuve, 58, for a first look at the sci-fi sequel, which is out in December.
Last month the US actress, wore abridal-style gown at the Los Angeles premiere of her film The Drama.
The movie is about a couple unravelling on their wedding week.
Zendayahas been dating her Spider-Man co-starTom Holland, 29, since 2021.
Jason Momoa, Denis Villeneuve, Chalamet, and Zendaya were all at the eventCredit: GettyNicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock were in Vegas to to promote their new film Practical Magic 2Credit: Getty
Coronation Street icon Beverley Callard, who played Liz McDonald on the ITV soap for 30 years, has admitted she is “trying to be strong” after receiving a cancer update
Beverley Callard has shared a cancer update with her followers (Image: INSTAGRAM/beverleycallard)
Beverley underwent the initial operation in March and expected to receive her results, which will indicate whether she is cancer-free or not, around four weeks later, but received one setback at the beginning of April when she heard that there was a “backlog” in the system. On Tuesday evening, Beverley took to Instagram once again to update her followers once again on the situation.
Beginning with a sigh, she said: “Oh well, I’ve been painting all day again and I’ve nearly finished it, which is amazing. God, I’ve put some hours in that room, but I really want it finished for when Jon gets back. As you know, I’m waiting for my results, which has made me paint for England, well, for Ireland!
“Anyway, I got a text just a couple of hours ago. It says that my consultant is away at the moment, but there is someone else who I have seen before, another consultant, who wants to discuss my results on Thursday at 12 o’clock, so I’ve got a consultation then. I don’t know what that means. So I’m sort of like, ‘Okay… I just thought that the nurse was going to ring.’
“I spoke to one of the cancer nurses last week, she was great, and she said they would ring me as soon as they know anything. So I’m thinking, ‘Well, why have they not rung me then?
“Or am I mistaken? I don’t know but I will know more on Thursday at 12 o’clock so I will be glad when Jon is home. I wasn’t going to tell him but [my daughter] Rebecca said to tell him, so I have just told him. There we are. I just wondered if this has happened to anyone else. Lots of love everyone – I’m being strong.”
Beverley, who is also known for starring in the classic sitcom Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps alongside Sheridan Smith, Natalie Casey and Will Mellor, wrote in the caption: “Had a bit of a weird update and not sure how to feel about it…trying to be brave and strong.”
The soap icon was immediately supported by fans following the update, with one writing in the comments section: “I got called in Monday, 2 hour drive, for follow up results from my scan after lung surgery from recurrance after 2yrs (not breast cancer) I had health anxiety for 2 weeks waiting for the appointment day thinking it must be bad or oncologist would just phone.
“Was in office 5 mins, she said all clear, we’ll do another scan September. It’s not always bad but i think they sometimes forget the anxiety of the wait. Sending love,” (sic), whilst another said: “Stay positive Bev. Be as strong as you were in the jungle darling, You’ve got this, beautiful lady!”
Trying to reassure her, a third wrote: “This is the phone call the nurse promised. The dr has to speak to you because, whatever the outcome, there will be a treatment plan which they need to go through with you. Try not to worry – it doesn’t mean it’s bad news xxx”
If you have been affected by this story, advice and support can be found at Breast Cancer Support.