SINNERS star Delroy Lindo said he appreciates the “love and support” he has received after the N-word was shouted while he was on stage at last week’s Baftas.
Delroy Lindo said he appreciates the ‘love and support’ he has received after the N-word was shouted while he was on stage at last week’s BaftasCredit: ReutersMichael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo at the film awards in LondonCredit: Stuart Wilson / Getty Images for BAFTATourettes campaigner John Davidson at the 79th BaftasCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
Lindo addressed the controversy while on stage at the NAACP Image Awards in California on Saturday.
The British-born actor said: “We appreciate – I appreciate – all of the support and love we have been shown in the aftermath of what happened last weekend, it means a lot to us.
“It is an honour to be here amongst our people this evening, amongst so many people who have shown us such incredible support.
“And it’s a classic case of something that could’ve been very negative becoming very positive.
Lindo praised the ceremony as “a room where being fully seen is not rare, but it is expected”.
Campaigner John said he was “deeply mortified” by what happened.
Jordan and Lindo were acknowledged by actress Regina Hall as she presented the first award of the night.
Hall, best known for appearing in the Scary Movie franchise, said: “I just want to take a moment to the two kings who are in this audience and just send you so much love for your class.”
The 57th NAACP Image Awards were held in Pasadena and hosted by actor and comedian Deon Cole.
Cole took aim at the Bafta incident, joking: “If there are any white men out here in the audience with Tourette’s, I advise you to tell them they can read the room tonight.”
Robert Aramayo posed up with his two Baftas – Best Actor and Rising Star after his performance in I Swear
As part of Colombia’s peace process, former National Army soldiers confess to taking part in extrajudicial killings to the victims’ families.
Colombia continues to navigate the fragile aftermath of more than five decades of armed conflict. Although the 2016 peace agreement formally ended hostilities between the state and the FARC-EP rebels, sustaining peace has proven far more complex than signing it.
This episode follows former members of the national army accused of carrying out the so-called “falsos positivos” (false positives) — extrajudicial executions in which innocent civilians were executed, then falsely presented as combat casualties by the government as a way to bolster the numbers of enemies killed. Soldiers testified to their involvement in the assassinations to the families of the victims as part of the peace process. We also explore the suffering and anguish of those who have had their families devastated by these killings.
Their testimonies unfold within the framework of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), the justice mechanism established under the peace agreement between the Colombian state and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC-EP).
The JEP applies a model of transitional and restorative justice centred on victims and with full guarantees of due process. Its mandate is to investigate, prosecute and sanction those most responsible for serious human rights violations. The system provides two pathways: a restorative process for those who acknowledge responsibility, provide full truth, and contribute to reparation and guarantees of non-repetition; and an adversarial process for those who do not.
Currently, more than 17,000 individuals are appearing before the JEP, including former FARC-EP members, members of the armed forces, and civilian third parties. The jurisdiction has issued indictments for maximum responsibility, delivered restorative and adversarial sentences, and conditionally waived criminal prosecution for non-most-responsible participants.
TOURETTES campaigner John Davidson said he was mortified after sparking a race row by shouting out the N-word at the Baftas.
John later voluntarily left the ceremony amid shock at his swearing as Delroy Lindo and Michael B. Jordan were on stage presenting an award.
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The incident happened at the 79th annual British Academy Film Awards, which took place at the Royal Festival Hall on Sunday nightCredit: BBC/UNPIXSJohn Davidson said he was ‘deeply mortified’Credit: BBC/UNPIXSThe campaigner made the decision to leave the awards half way through after several involuntary ticsCredit: Getty
In statement the organisation said: “Early in the ceremony a loud tic in the form of a profoundly offensive term was heard by many people.
“Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage at the time, and we apologise unreservedly to them, and to all those impacted.
“We would like to thank Michael and Delroy for their incredible dignity and professionalism.
“John chose to leave the auditorium and watch the rest of the ceremony from a screen and we would like to thank him for his consideration of others on what should have been a night of celebration for him.”
I Swear saw Robert Aramayo, 33, pick up Best Actor. It also won Best Casting.
Scottish-born John, 54, is a campaigner for Tourette sufferers and aged 16 was the subject of a BBC documentary, John’s Not Mad, about living with the condition, which leads some to shout swear words.
The Sun understands that Sunday night’s audience was not told a person with Tourette Syndrome was present.
Previously, at the Bafta TV awards, people have been warned in similar situations.
A source said: “Neither host Alan Cumming nor any of the Bafta team warned people — the apology and comments came after the outbursts.”
Cumming had said: “Tourette Syndrome is a disability. We apologise if you’re offended tonight.”
Hannah Beachler, the production designer on movie Sinners, said: “What made the situation worse was the throwaway apology of, ‘if you were offended’. Of course we were.”
It was reported BBC production staff did not hear the N-word — which meant it was left in the coverage.
However, a source added: “It was as loud and as clear as day.”
The corporation said: “Some may have heard strong and offensive language.
“This arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette’s and, as explained during the ceremony, it was not intentional.
“We apologise that this was not edited out prior to broadcast.”
Campaigner John is the inspiration behind the movie I SwearCredit: Shutterstock EditorialRobert Aramayo posed up with his two BAFTAs – Best Actor and Rising Star after his performance in I SwearThe pair backstage during the EE BAFTA Film Awards 2026Credit: Getty
The reality of living with Tourette syndrome
TOURETTE syndrome is a condition that causes a person to make involuntary sounds and movements called tics.
It usually starts during childhood, but the tics and other symptoms often improve after several years, and sometimes go away completely.
There’s no cure for Tourettes, but treatment can help manage symptoms.
The most common physical tics include:
Blinking
Eye rolling
Grimacing
Shoulder shrugging
Jerking of the head or limbs
Jumping
Twirling
Touching objects and other people
Examples of vocal tics include:
Grunting
Throat clearing
Whistling
Coughing
Tongue clicking
Animal sounds
Saying random words and phrases
Repeating a sound, word or phrase
Swearing
Swearing is rare and only affects about 1 in 10 people with Tourettes.
Some people can control their tics for a short time in certain social situations, like in a classroom.
But this can be tiring, and someone may have a sudden release of tics when they return home.
Aidy Smith, who was diagnosed with Tourettes aged nine, said these are the most common misconceptions about the condition:
It is a ‘swearing disease’ characterised by repeated bad language
People with Tourette’s can’t succeed in the workplace
It’s impossible to control your tics
‘Tourettes’ is a ‘dirty’ word
It’s OK to make jokes about the condition because it isn’t serious
ERIC Dane’s girlfriend Janell Shirtcliff has broken her silence after his death.
The Grey’s Anatomy and Euphoria actor, 53, passed away after a courageous battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
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Eric’s girlfriend Janell has broken her silence after his deathCredit: AlamyShe shared a selection of sweet memories over on her Instagram storyCredit: AFP
Janell, 42, took to her Instagram story to share a sweet tribute to the late actor, posting several of their fond memories together.
The first photo she posted was one of Eric sitting under the shade of a palm tree, smiling down at her.
The next was a selfie of the couple outside posing by a set of stairs. In the snap, Eric dropped a kiss on Janell’s head.
Others showed Eric generally happy and enjoying spending time with Janell as well as friends and family.
Then the final memory is a reel showing Eric with Janell’s daughter, whose name has not been publicly revealed.
She’s attempting to direct the actor while taking photos of him.
She says: “I want you to look over there at Mom,” to which he happily agreed.
When Eric noticed Janell pointing her phone at them both he said: “Are you taking videos?”
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“It’s cute,” Janell replied back, and then they both laughed.
When Eric passed, he was reportedly surrounded by loved ones including his daughters Billie and Georgia and his wife Rebecca Gayheart.
Eric and Rebecca were set to get divorced but Rebecca withdrew her divorce filing upon discovering Eric’s ALS diagnosis, and he continued dating Janell.
Eric and Rebecca tied the know in 2004 and stayed married until 2018 when Rebecca filed for divorce.
After years had passed the divorce proceedings hadn’t moved forward, and seven years later upon hearing Eric’s diagnosis Rebecca dismissed the paperwork.
Eric played the role of Cal Jacobs in the popular program Euphoria.
Cal is the father of Nate Jacobs, played by actor Jacob Elordi.
He played Dr. Mark Sloan during his time on Grey’s Anatomy.
They became red carpet official only three months after his wife Rebecca withdrew her divorce papersCredit: Getty
Now, two months after the tragedy, the comedian has broken his silence about the death of his good friends.
“To have that experience of saying good night to somebody and having them leave and then find out the next day that they’re gone … I think I was in shock for quite a while afterward,” O’Brien said in an interview for “The New Yorker Radio Hour” podcast. “I mean, there’s no other word for it. It’s just very — it’s so awful. It’s just so awful.”
As host of the Dec. 13 party, O’Brien was among the last people to see the Reiners alive. Their 32-year-old son, Nick, was arrested the following night and charged with murdering his parents. Two sources who attended the party described witnessing a loud verbal exchange between Nick Reiner and his parents.
In an interview published Friday, O’Brien said he and his wife were very close with the couple, describing them as “just such lovely people.”
O’Brien praised Rob Reiner’s talent as a director and his tireless advocacy efforts. The “When Harry Met Sally …” director was a prominent Democratic donor, noted critic of President Trump and a champion for causes such as early childhood education and gay marriage.
“I think about how Rob felt about things that are happening in the country, how involved he was, how much he put himself out there — and to have that voice go quiet in an instant is still hard for me to comprehend,” O’Brien told The New Yorker.
O’Brien said he considers Reiner “one of the greats” given his impressive track record of directing a series of blockbuster movies.
“To make seven — in, like, a nine-year, 10-year, 11-year period — is insanity,” O’Brien said. “With ‘Spinal Tap’ alone, if that’d been the only thing he ever did, he influenced my generation enormously.”
O’Brien fondly recalled first watching the rock mockumentary “This is Spinal Tap” in college, calling it a “splitting-the-atom moment.”
The pair were not only friends, but also collaborators. Reiner was a guest on a 1999 episode of “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” and also appeared on episodes of O’Brien’s podcast, “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend,” in 2023 and 2025.
Authorities allege Nick Reiner fatally stabbed his 78-year-old father and 70-year-old mother at their Brentwood home sometime in the early morning hours of Dec. 14. The couple’s bodies were discovered in the master bedroom by their daughter around 12 hours later, and Nick Reiner was arrested that night in South L.A. by Los Angeles police.
Nick Reiner was charged with two counts of first-degree murder on Dec. 16 and has yet to enter a plea. In January, his arraignment was postponed to Monday after his lawyer, famed defense attorney Alan Jackson, stepped down and was replaced by a public defender.
Nick Reiner has a history of struggles with mental health and substance use. It is unclear how prominently those struggles will feature in criminal proceedings.
Times staff writers James Queally and Richard Winton contributed to this report.
Reiner, 78, and Michele allegedly had their throats slit while they were in bedCredit: SplashConan O’Brien has broken his silence after his friend Rob Reiner was killedCredit: ReutersNick Reiner has been charged with murdering his parentsCredit: Getty
The couple arrived at that party with Nick because they were reportedly afraid to leave him alone.
Conan O’Brien told The New Yorker: “I knew Rob and Michele, and then increasingly got closer and closer to them, and I was seeing them a lot.
“My wife and I were seeing them a lot, and they were so — they were just such lovely people.
“And to have that experience of saying goodnight to somebody and having them leave and then find out the next day that they’re gone. … I think I was in shock for quite a while afterward. I mean, there’s no other word for it. It’s just very — it’s so awful. It’s just so awful.”
O’Brien admitted it is still “hard for me to comprehend” the tragedy.
Reiner’s son Nick faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole if he’s convicted.
The death penalty has not been ruled out.
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This comes after Reiner told friends he was terrified of his own son and feared he could hurt him just hours before the Hollywood legend and his wife were found dead.
Nick, 32, had been living in the guesthouse of his parents’ $13.5 million Brentwood estate.
He had struggled with drug addiction since his teens, undergone at least 18 stints in rehab and experienced periods of homelessness.
Sources say Nick behaved erratically at the holiday party and unsettled guests.
According to MailOnline, Reiner told friends: “I’m petrified of him”.
“I can’t believe I’m going to say this but I’m afraid of my own son. I think my own son can hurt me.”
Michele Singer Reiner and Rob Reiner were found murdered on December 14 last yearCredit: Instagram/michelereinerNick Reiner was arrested near a Los Angeles gas station the same dayCredit: LAPD Gang and Narcotics DivisionCCTV captured him shopping before he was detainedCredit: KABC
At one point, Reiner introduced Nick to Bill Hader.
Nick then interrupted Hader mid-conversation, according to accounts.
Hader reportedly told him he was “in the middle of a private conversation.”
Nick reacted angrily, stood still, stared at Hader and stormed off.
It was moments later that Reiner approached friends and voiced his fear.
Hours after the gathering, prosecutors allege Nick returned home and killed both his parents in the early hours of Sunday, December 14.
On the Sunday afternoon, a masseuse contacted the Reiners’ 27-year-old daughter Romy after being unable to gain entry to the home.
Romy rushed to the house and found her father’s body before fleeing in distress.
She later learned her mother had also been killed.
Billy Crystal was seen outside the home with his wife Janice, wiping away tears as police arrived.
Crystal later joined Albert Brooks, Larry David, Martin Short and Barry Levinson in a statement praising Reiner as “a great comic actor” and “a master storyteller.”
Police said both victims were found in the master bedroom and no other suspects were located.
Nick was arrested around 9pm on Sunday near the Expo/Vermont Metro station.
Earlier that morning, he had checked into a Santa Monica hotel.
About an hour before his arrest, he was seen acting nervously while buying a Gatorade at a gas station.
Nick has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and is being held without bail.
The legendary career of iconic director Rob Reiner
FAMED actor, director and producer Rob Reiner, 78, died on December 14 alongside his wife Michele Singer, 68, in an apparent homicide.
Here is a look at the prodigious list of achievements the Hollywood powerhouse earned before his tragic and sudden death.
Director’s Beginnings
Reiner was born in New York City on March 6, 1947, to legendary comedy writer Carl Reiner and singer Estelle Reiner
He studied at the University of California, Los Angeles film school before breaking into the entertainment industry
Hollywood Career
Reiner first found fame as an actor playing Michael “Meathead” Stivic on the iconic sitcom All in the Family from 1971 to 1979
In 1984, he directed his first film This Is Spinal Tap – a mockumentary following a fictional heavy metal band
Reiner went on to direct cult classic films like The Princess Bride in 1987 and When Harry Met Sally… in 1989
Other notable movies made by the director include Misery, The American President, and A Few Good Men, which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture
The production company he co-founded, Castle Rock Entertainment, has also produced hits like Seinfeld and The Shawshank Redemption
Reiner didn’t halt his acting career either, recently starring in The Wolf of Wall Street in 2013 and The Bear in 2025
Personal Life
Reiner married actress Penny Marshall in 1971 and adopted her daughter, Tracy, from a previous marriage. The couple divorced in 1981
He met photographer Michele Singer while shooting When Harry Met Sally
They married in 1989 and had three children: Jake, born 1991, Nick born 1993, and Romy born 1997)
Nick opened up about his struggle with drug addiction in 2016. The movie Becoming Charlie, directed by Reiner, was based on Nick’s story
Reiner was an outspoken Democratic activist and a fierce critic of Donald Trump
Rob Reiner’s home in Los Angeles, California where he and his wife were found deadCredit: EPA
Dozens of actors and directors, including Javier Bardem and Tilda Swinton, have condemned the Berlin International Film Festival for its “anti-Palestinian racism” and urged organisers to clearly state their opposition to “Israel’s genocide” in Gaza.
In an open letter published in Variety on Tuesday, the 81 film workers also denounced comments by this year’s president of the awards jury, Wim Winders who – when asked about Gaza – said, “We should stay out of politics”.
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They noted that the festival’s stance stands in direct contrast to its policy on Russia’s war on Ukraine and on the situation in Iran.
All of the signatories are alumni of the festival, which is also known as the Berlinale, and include actors Cherien Dabis and Brian Cox, as well as directors Adam McKay, Mike Leigh, Lukas Dhont, Nan Goldin, and Avi Mograbi.
In their letter, the film workers expressed dismay at the Berlinale’s “involvement in censoring artists who oppose Israel’s ongoing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza” and the German government’s key role in enabling the atrocities.
They said the festival has been policing filmmakers, and listed several examples from last year’s Berlinale.
“Last year, filmmakers who spoke out for Palestinian life and liberty from the Berlinale stage reported being aggressively reprimanded by senior festival programmers. One filmmaker was reported to have been investigated by police, and Berlinale leadership falsely implied that the filmmaker’s moving speech – rooted in international law and solidarity – was ‘discriminatory’,’ they wrote.
“We stand with our colleagues in rejecting this institutional repression and anti-Palestinian racism,” they added.
The film workers said they “fervently disagree” with Wenders’s statement that filmmaking is the “opposite of politics”, saying, “You cannot separate one from the other.”
Their letter comes days after Indian author Arundhati Roy said she was withdrawing from this year’s festival after what she called “unconscionable statements” by jury members, including Wenders.
This year’s festival runs from February 12 to 22.
The film workers noted that the Berlinale’s actions come at a time when the world is learning “horrifying new details about the 2,842 Palestinians ‘evaporated’ by Israeli forces” in Gaza through thermobaric weapons made by the United States.
An Al Jazeera investigation, published last week, documented how these weapons – which are capable of generating temperatures exceeding 3,500 degrees Celsius (6,332 degrees Fahrenheit) – leave behind no remains other than blood or small fragments of flesh.
Germany, too, has been one of the biggest exporters of weapons to Israel despite the evidence of Israel’s atrocities. It has also introduced repressive measures to discourage people from speaking out in solidarity with Palestinians, including in the arts.
In their letter, the Berlinale alumni noted that the international film world is increasingly taking a stance against Israel’s genocidal actions.
Last year, major international film festivals – including the world’s largest documentary festival in Amsterdam – endorsed a cultural boycott of Israel, while more than 5,000 film workers have pledged to refuse work with Israeli film companies and institutions.
Yet, the film works said, the Berlinale “has so far not even met the demands of its community to issue a statement that affirms the Palestinian right to life, dignity, and freedom”.
This is the least it can and should do, they said.
“Just as the festival has made clear statements in the past about atrocities carried out against people in Iran and Ukraine, we call on the Berlinale to fulfil its moral duty and clearly state its opposition to Israel’s genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes against Palestinians, and completely end its involvement in shielding Israel from criticism and calls for accountability,” they added.
“Real Housewives of Potomac” personality Karen Huger says she has turned over a new leaf nearly two years after crashing her Maserati in a drunk-driving accident.
The reality TV star, 62, on Thursday opened up about her 2024 DUI arrest and the six-month county jail sentence that followed in a conversation with Sherri Shepherd. Huger, dubbed the Grand Dame by fans, told the “Sherri” host that she is “so happy and so at peace right now to be on the other side.”
In March 2024, Maryland police arrested Huger for driving under the influence after she crashed her car into a street divider and a tree in Potomac. In addition to the DUI, Huger was also found guilty on negligent driving charges and sentenced in February 2025 to one year in jail. After serving six months in Maryland’s Montgomery County Detention Center, she was released in September.
For her sit-down with Shepherd, Huger was styled in a formfitting burnt orange dress, metallic cuffs and a chic bob. While the daytime host complimented her look, Huger said her exterior is “not a reflection of what God has done for me.”
“I healed myself, so thank you,” she continued, “but the inside is what matters.”
Huger spoke candidly about how the 2024 accident pushed her to confront her struggles with alcohol addiction. At the time of the crash, Huger attributed her drinking to the grief of losing her mother and urged drivers to “understand your emotional state” before driving a car. She said Thursday that the drunk-driving incident was her running away from the reality of grief and addiction and her choice to not listen to God.
Huger told Shepherd that, prior to the accident, she was a “functional addict” who would drink off-screen during her time on “RHOP” — a habit she said she’s now ashamed of.
“I was dead wrong,” she said Thursday of her accident. “I’m so grateful no one was killed, no other person was hurt. I’m so grateful to be alive. I could’ve died.”
The reality TV star said six months in county jail — without cameras and her creature comforts — proved to be a period of self-improvement and empowerment. Huger said she began treatment to address her alcohol addiction and carried that on in prison. She said she led Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings while behind bars.
“I have a responsibility to tell my truth and share it with the world if they’re willing to listen,” she told Shepherd.
Huger previously spoke about the scandal with Andy Cohen, telling the Bravo host earlier this month that she had been in denial about her grief and addiction. She also told Cohen that she was taking her sobriety one day at a time, a sentiment she echoed on “Sherri.” Her two adult children are also major motivators to stay sober, she said.
The “RHOP” star, eager to put her DUI behind her, recalled seeing her two adult children “through a glass window” in jail and recognizing “the pain that put them through.”
“I didn’t think about how they would feel,” she said, underscoring she intends for that to be a onetime experience.
Huger said Thursday that it remains to be seen whether she will return to “RHOP” for future seasons. Huger was absent from the season amid her sentence but appeared in the Season 10 finale. The “RHOP” cast, including Huger, reunited for the series’ three-part reunion, which begins airing on Sunday.
In the fallout of the scandal, Huger told Shepherd she feels like the same “Karen Huger, just clean.” She also isn’t resisting fans’ “Grand Dame” nickname, despite her scandal.
“If they want me to be their Grand Dame, no one else could do it anyway.”
The scene is entirely black, white, grey and silver. It is cold, unusually dark and a film of ice is forming on the lake. I’m sitting in an unlit wooden sauna, alone, in immense silence. The only noise is the soft ticking of the stove as the heat rises. Across the water are ghostly silver birches and dark pines. Above them, Orion’s Belt shines bright. This vivid experience feels like midwinter in Canada, Finland or anywhere else about 60 degrees north. So it’s bizarre to know I’m a few miles south-west of Great Yarmouth.
Fritton Lake is an anomaly. Like the Broads to the north, this deceptively big, sinuous lake was largely created by medieval peat-digging, but it’s nothing like its Norfolk cousins. Set in a sandy, hilly landscape of heaths and pines, the northernmost outpost of the wildlife-rich strip of sandy heathlands running up the Suffolk coast, the lake is deep and two miles long but so hidden by trees that many people don’t know of its existence.
Over the past five years, Fritton Lake has been transformed by a rewilding programme. Landowner Hugh Somerleyton is the co-founder of WildEast, a now-national movement encouraging people to pledge to “wild” at least 20% of their garden, park, playground or farm. Fritton and its surrounds represent Somerleyton’s 25% rewilding contribution, while he farms the rest of his 2,020-hectare (5,000-acre) estate regeneratively.
Fritton Lake’s heated swimming pool
I’ve brought my family for a winter weekend seeking wildness in far-eastern England. Arriving after nightfall, my first impression is simply darkness. Anything as suburban as a lit walkway or illuminated sign is not found here. But we locate our self-catering cottage, one of a range of accommodation options that includes chic wooden cabins (some with hot tubs) and B&B rooms in the cosy pub turned clubhouse that is now is both a holiday destination and a high-end members’ club.
The highlight of our first night is a (very) quiet private 30-minute session in the lake’s magical floating sauna. Between pub and sauna are courts and pitches for tennis, basketball, football, cricket, croquet, pétanque and pickleball. Down by the lake are canoes, kayaks, rowing boats and paddleboards. Passing the heated outdoor 22-metre swimming pool with fire pits at either end is like stepping through a set for a film about a 1960s Cliveden pool party featuring Christine Keeler, except there is a solitary swimmer doing laps as the pool steams alluringly in the chill night air.
The next morning, I wake up to another silence so deep it might swallow me. Huge flocks of jackdaws and rooks fly overhead as we stroll through rewilded grassland to the pub for a hearty breakfast. Afterwards, my son Ted and I set out on a Fritton “safari”. Our guide, Matthew, is a fast-talking, east London-raised botanist-horticulturist-entomologist-mycologist. We jump in an old-fashioned, cream-coloured motorboat and putter slowly across the lake, which is superb for swimming and also enjoyed by pike, eels and, in winter, teals, shelducks and egrets. In summer, an osprey occasionally hunts for fish here, while “all the owls” – little, short-eared, long-eared, tawny and barn – are seen nearby alongside six endangered amphibian species.
There are deer and stags on the estate. Photograph: Max Ellis/Alamy
On the far side of the lake, the wildlife area is only open to those on guided tours (and Scout groups). We climb into an open-sided 1976 Austrian Pinzgauer 4WD and Matthew bumps us through the woods. Amid last year’s bracken, we spy an enormous shiny black shape slumped under a pine. A hippo? Creeping closer, we find that the shape is a pair of huge black pigs that Somerleyton has “retired” to the woods. They flick floppy ears out of their eyes to examine us. Their rootling mimics wild boar lost to this landscape, disturbing the ground and assisting wildflower germination; former arable fields are filled with oxeye daisies in summer. We admire the long-horned Highland cattle roaming free, while a buzzard cries in the sky above.
Ted spots a muntjac and a fallow deer, and then Matthew screeches to a halt with excitement. “King Conan’s sons!” he whispers. There, crossing our paths are two magnificent red deer stags, although apparently not quite as magnificent as King Conan himself. “They are the princes,” whispers Matthew. They observe us, seemingly unafraid, from 15 metres away.
On our return across the lake after an otherworldly three-hour experience, two kingfishers pirouette around our boat, shining iridescent orange and turquoise against the dark water.
My kids are mortified when I arrive at the pub for dinner wearing my Dryrobe, but if it is socially acceptable anywhere, it must be here. I need it for another sauna session that follows an amazing steak from a menu emphasising local/seasonal food, with good veggie options too. An owl calls on the walk back to the cottage.
The writer spotted kingfishers on his ‘safari’ around Fritton Lake. Photograph: Lisa Geoghegan/Alamy
On Sunday morning, I rise before dawn to explore Carlton Marshes, a Suffolk Wildlife Trust nature reserve that’s a 20-minute drive away. The sunrise fills the vast sky with pink, and I have the seemingly endless marshes of the Waveney to myself, silent reeds silvered by frost. A Chinese water deer watches me, its teddy bear ears twitching, as I circle round the reserve, which is a haven for rare dragonflies and the spectacular fen raft spider in spring and summer. Although this coast is dominated by the surprisingly large conurbation of Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft and surrounding villages, Gorleston-on-Sea’s sandy beach offers another great stroll with seabirds and salty air.
Later that day, while my wife, Lisa, does a yoga class, I head for a farewell sauna and find the open session is packed with a friendly crowd of regulars who say they wish Somerleyton would build another sauna or two. I pop outside and duck into the lake, cracking ice as I gasp with the delicious cold shock.
We head home much less frantically than we arrived – a sign of the nourishment provided by a weekend of painterly light, stripped-back landscapes, cold water, warm hospitality and the gorgeous avian soundtrack of this wild, wintery east.
The trip was provided by Fritton Lake. Clubhouse rooms from £130; two-bed cabins from £275.
MOLLY-MAE Hague has opened up about her second pregnancy as she revealed the “irritating” symptoms she’s experiencing.
The influencer, 26, announced that she and Tommy Fury are expecting their second child together – and she is already six months pregnant.
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Molly-Mae Hague breaks silence on pregnancy news as she admits ‘I got lazy trying to hide it’Credit: YouTubeThe influencer revealed she is six months pregnantCredit: Instagram
Molly returned to her YouTube vlogs to share an update for the first time since the big reveal, but admitted that it was the “worst kept secret”.
She said: “I don’t really know how we got here, but I’m pregnant, legitimately the worst kept secret.
“But that’s honestly my own fault because towards the end, I got really lazy trying to hide it. We weren’t even trying to hide it. We were at a spa over the weekend and I was openly saying to people that ‘I’m pregnant’, to the staff.
Before filming her sweet black and white pregnancy announcement clip with Tommy and daughter Bambi, Molly said she was tempted to just put out a simple statement to confirm the pregnancy news.
She continued: “We still in this current moment, we don’t have anything filmed, I felt like posting a black statement on my Instagram saying ‘Yes, I am pregnant’, we don’t even have anything to post.
“But I am pregnant, but plot twist I’m five and a half months.
“I haven’t really been documenting anything, it’s been so different this time, it’s just feels really chilled and I feel really at peace weirdly.
“I feel very content, I don’t feel like I’m trying to capture stuff for content.
“I just feel like this is happening and it’s really special and nice.”
Molly-Mae then reveled her pregnancy symptoms – including irritated skin, snoring and and shortness of breathe.
She said: “One of my symptoms is my skin, my eczema, my skin is so so irritated and flared.
“It was the same in my last pregnancy, I’m just struggling with little things to hide it.
“I’m constantly out of breathe as you guys have noticed in my videos. I’ve got quite a full on bump which you guys have seen in my last video in all the reflections.
“What I will say, I absolutely love you sticking up for me saying ‘stop talking about her body’, luckily for me I don’t get affected by stuff like that.
“I am pregnant and yeah my body is changing and there are differences visibly emotionally, mentally, physically.
“There are so many changes in me, you guys know me so well and you know that something has not been clicking.”
Molly continued: “It sounds like I’ve got a rotten cold and one of my symptoms has been congestion.
“I woke up this morning to an empty bed and Tommy wasn’t there and I came into the spare room and said I was snoring so loudly.”
Molly added: “I’m so lucky to say that I’ve had a really amazing pregnancy, I’m so beyond blessed that I’ve had a very smooth experience.
“I don’t get sick, I’ve not had symptoms that are debilitating, I can kind of pretty much crack on as usual, which is amazing for me because I’m not one of those women, you amazing women out there that have horrendous morning sickness and still get up and get your things done.
“Best believe if I felt like that, I’d be done for, the whole world would hear about it.”
Taking to Instagram on Friday, she shared a snap from her L’Oreal catwalk in late September and wrote above it: “Little baby with me in this moment…and I didn’t even know.”
She also reshared her pregnancy announcement video and wrote below it: Nearly 6 months on and it still hasn’t sunk in.”
Molly-Mae then shared a video from last weekend showing her growing bump in a black top and jogger bottoms as partner Tommy bent down to kiss her stomach.
Molly dropped various clues about her pregnancy before announcing the news, which is said to have strengthened her relationship with Tommy after they got back together early last year.
A source told The Sun: “Finding out Molly is pregnant has really helped bring them close together again.
“Tommy is determined to do things right this time he has cancelled all of his summer trips with his friends, as he wants to stand by Molly every step of the way.
“Their new home is in a better place for both of them and has more than enough space for two children.”
The couple quietly broke the news to family and close pals months ago, but shared the surprise video with their fans last week.
Molly posted a sweet black and white clip on Instagram filmed on January 23, captioning it: “Soon to be four.”
It included their three-year-old daughter Bambi together, who they welcomed in 2023, excitedly wearing a “big sister” jumper.
Molly-Mae spoke candidly about hopes to expand her family with boxer Tommy during the first instalment of her Amazon Prime documentary, Molly-Mae: Behind It All, which aired to viewers last year.
Opening up about the future, she revealed: “All I want in this life is to be with him, and to have another baby with him, and to grow old as a family. And to live in a nice house together and have a nice life together. That’s all I want.”
Molly-Mae and Tommy Fury already share three-year-old daughter BambiCredit: Instagram