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Another series of Love Island has sadly come to an end as millions watched Toni and Cach take the crown last night – but one raunchy secret was kept on the downlow – until now…

Last night, millions watched on as Toni and Cach took home the crown in what has been named as the raunchiest Love Island series yet.

The 12th series of the iconic ITV2 reality show had more arguments than we can count, but there was reportedly a lot more going on behind closed doors as producers

OG fans who watched the show back from 2015 will remember ITV showing some NSF work scenes, most memorably the explicit ‘over the covers’ scene with Terry and Emma in season 2. Now, things are much more reserved, but it doesn’t mean things don’t happen off camera. It comes after Maya Jama shared her true feelings over Harry and Shakira’s reunion.

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Spilling all the tea to Christine Lampard on Tuesday morning’s Lorraine the day after the final, Aftersun panellist Joe Baggs revealed this had been the ‘raunchiest’ season in history – with producers having to make one huge change to cater to the contestants.

Speaking to Christine asked whether it was true that it had been the raunchiest series to date.

Letting ITV viewers in on some behind the scenes raunchy secrets, Joe said: “Yes. There’s been a lot going on in that bedroom. I actually went in to the bedroom.

“They had a night where the camera was off and it was quite a mess,” he laughed. “Apparently they had to bring in extra condoms, extra protection for this series of Love Island and they used them all up.

“I actually saw quite a few packets on the floor, so…” he said as Christine expressed her shock.

This series, fans were left shocked during one particular scene between Harrison, Lauren, Harry and Helena. As the Islanders got cosy in bed, Harrison and Lauren decided it wasn’t time for lights out just yet – as he reached over to ask Harry and Helena if he could borrow a condom.

Harrison could be seen reaching over to Helena and Harry’s bed via the night cam, as he asked: “Do you have a condom?”

Harry and Helena could be seen in hysterics as Helena quickly pulled one out the drawer, with Harry passing it over. The couple then got under the covers, as the cameras panned to them kissing – but not much more was shown.

And just days before the final, fans were left “horrified” during some very raunchy bedroom scenes between Meg and Dejon.

After kissing and making up following their huge spat after date night, Meg and Dejon were filmed getting hot and steamy under the blankets, but viewers were less than impressed as they called the scenes ‘disgusting’.

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One writer went kayaking down a world-famous river only to be warned not to fall in after realising it was full of shark-infested waters

“Don’t worry”, she said, “You’ll be fine,” she said… Well I wasn’t just worried, I was heart-poundingly, leg-shakingly, ready to run a mile terrified, as we prepared to take to the Brisbane River in Queensland on Australia’s east coast.

“If you fall in just pull yourself back up and turn over,” my guide told me reassuringly, elegantly getting back into the kayak she’d just pretended to fall out of. I knew one thing for sure, if I fell in the water I would be looking much more like a cross between a beached whale and a flailing seagull when I tried that manoeuvre. But falling in the water was not on my agenda (no thank you) as I’d just made the mistake of looking up what was in the water; sharks!

Ok, they were bull sharks and while aggressive were unlikely to take an interest in me unless I unwisely decided to go for a leisurely swim, but still… sharks. I didn’t want to be like the unsuspecting paddleboarder in Cornwall who caught the attention of one of the sea creatures.

READ MORE: Tourists issued travel warning amid soaring 40C temperaturesREAD MORE: UK beach that rivals Maldives with white sands also boasts swim-friendly waters

But, I was here now and my brilliant guide from the Riverlife Adventure Centre calmed my nerves enough to at least climb into the kayak and push off from the pontoon. At which point I sped backwards down the river in the very strong current as I frantically paddled to get back to the rest of the group. Somehow I could tell I was going to be far from a natural at this.

I’m not one of life’s thrill-seekers and add in the fact that I really can’t swim well and this was all something of a challenge all round.

I was determined to give it a good go though and at least I was doing this on one of the daytime tours, costing from just over £35. Kayaking at sunrise or twilight, which they also offer, seemed a little beyond my capabilities.

So, we set off along the river, paddling madly against the tide and soon I was feeling a lot more comfortable and even a smidge cocky.

Then it happened. A boat went past. Suddenly the wake hit us, rocking the kayak like I’d just jumped on a rollercoaster. Of course our guide had prepared us for this too “turn into the waves so you go over them and it doesn’t rock you side to side”.

Advice I thoroughly failed to follow on the first wave, wobbled frantically with a small shriek and almost plunged into the water. Suffice to say I faced every wave after that head on.

Once I got used to the river traffic I relaxed into the experience, even managing to wave at tourists along the riverbank, admire the 80ft (25m) high Kangaroo Point Cliffs, which you can also abseil from Riverlife Adventure Centre, and look at the water dragons – large lizards sunning themselves on the rocks.

Despite my fears and not a small number of large wobbles, I managed not to fall in and the sense of achievement (and yes, relief) was palpable when I returned to the pontoon 90 minutes later.

Another one for the bucket list ticked off – shark-infested river survived. Ok, the sharks are also probably further up the river and not swimming round the city centre but I’m counting it.

Kayaking tours can be booked at riverlife.com.au with prices from AUS$75 (approximately £36). You can find out more about Brisbane at visitbrisbane.com.au and queensland.com.

Do you have a travel story to tell us? Email us at [email protected].

Ridgemont High, give way to a suburban school near Fort Worth. That’s where the fast times will be this year.

Cooper Lutkenhaus, an incoming junior at Northwest High School in Justin, Texas, was so impressive in setting an age-group world record at the U.S. Track & Field Championships on Sunday that a respected distance running coach and author declared it was “the most impressive athletic feat in history.”

In a social media post, Steve Magness, who wrote “The Science of Running,” said Lutkenhaus’ performance that included passing three of the nation’s fastest men in an electrifying stretch run “makes high school LeBron look like nobody.

“Cooper Lutkenhaus, take a bow.”

Current Lakers star LeBron James, of course, was a prodigy on the basketball court at St. Vincent–St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio, and went straight to the NBA upon graduating in 2003.

Lutkenhaus, 16, won’t be in school for long, either. He will become the youngest American to compete in the World Athletics Championships when he travels to Tokyo on Sept. 13-21. This time he’ll have no age-group restriction, not after posting the fourth-best time in U.S. history (1:42.27) and nearly catching 800-meter champion Donavan Brazier (1:42.16).

In the waning seconds, Lutkenhaus turned on the jets, going from seventh to second place while passing reigning indoor 800 meter world champion Josh Hoey as well as Olympians Brandon Miller and Bryce Hoppel, all of whom were clustered with Brazier at the front.

Lutkenhaus’ time was the fastest ever for a runner under 18.

“I saw someone coming up and I was like, ‘Dang, this could be the high schooler,’ ” Brazier told reporters. “This kid’s phenomenal. I’m glad that I’m 28 and maybe have a few more years left in me, hopefully won’t have to deal with him in his prime because that dude is definitely special.”

Does wunderkind describe Lutkenhaus? He’s only been running track for three years, and he said his strategy of accelerating over the last quarter of the race was crafted in middle school.

“I’ve always kind of had a natural spot with 200 [meters] to go,” Lutkenhaus told reporters. “Ever since middle school that’s kind of been the spot I’ve really pushed from. Kind of just decided to go back to middle school tactics with 200 to go and really just give everything I had left.”

Less surprising was a late surge by Noah Lyles in the 200 meters that enabled him to pass Kenny Bednarek en route to a world-leading time of 19.63. Lyles might have challenged his personal best American record of 19.31, but as he passed Bednarek with five meters remaining he turned his head and stared down his competitor.

Bednarek retaliated, giving Lyles a shove before they shook hands. Afterward, Bednarek shrugged and chalked up the incident to “Noah is gonna be Noah.”

“If he wants to stare me down, that’s fine,” Bednarek said. “I’m very confident I can beat him. What he said doesn’t matter. It’s just what he did. It’s unsportsmanlike [crap] and I don’t deal with that.”

More drama occurred before championships when Sha’Carri Richardson was arrested and charged with fourth-degree domestic violence a week ago at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, according to a police report.

The reigning 100-meter world champion was charged with assaulting her boyfriend, sprinter Christian Coleman, as the couple were going through security. A police officer reviewed camera footage and observed Richardson grab Coleman’s backpack and yank it away, the report said.

Coleman tried to step around Richardson and she pushed him into a wall. Later she appeared to throw headphones at him.

In the report, however, the officer indicated that Colemen “did not want to participate any further in the investigation and declined to be a victim.”

Coleman defended Richardson when asked about the incident at the championships.

“She just has a lot of things going on, a lot of emotions and forces going on inside of her that not only I can’t understand, but nobody can,” he said. “Because she’s one of one.… I know that it’s been a tough journey for her this year. But she’s going to bounce back.

“Like I said, I see it every day. She’s the best female athlete in the world, and she’s going to be just fine. She’s going to be good. I’m going to be good, too.”

Once the racing took place, attention turned to Lutkenhaus. His time bettered the the U18 world record — set by Timothy Kitum of Kenya at the 2012 London Olympics — by 1.1 seconds.

“It is the most mind blowing HS performance in history,” Magness wrote on X. “Any high school phenom in history you can think of? This kid is better. I never thought we’d supplant Jim Ryun as the HS runner GOAT, but a sophomore in HS just did.”

The latest episode featured a subtle scene that could hint at Belly’s endgame

*Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3*

The Summer I Turned Pretty’s latest episode featured an Easter Egg that could be good news for Team Conrad.

Based on the much-loved YA novels by showrunner Jenny Han, the latest season follows Belly (portrayed by Lola Tung) as she navigates life at university. In addition to her education, she’s also wrapped up in a long-term relationship with Jeremiah Fisher (played by Gavin Casalegno).

However, when Belly’s ex-boyfriend and Jeremiah’s elder brother, Conrad (played by Christopher Briney), re-enters their lives, she is forced to reconsider her feelings for the older Fisher boy.

Episode three, released on Prime Video on July 23, sees the trio reunited for Susannah Fisher’s memorial. Viewers see the Conklins and Fishers at lunch, where Belly’s mother Laurel (played Jackie Chung) announces she is footing the bill.

Upon hearing this, Adam Fisher (Tom Everett Scott) orders the most expensive entrée on the menu, the Surf n Turf. Jeremiah follows suit, echoing his father’s $75 request.

However, Conrad takes note that Belly had ordered an affordable starter for her main, and opts for the cheapest item on the menu, the Seared Salmon Fillet.

The scene is significant because the Fishers are portrayed as far wealthier than Belly’s family. Therefore, they could have ordered inexpensive items out of consideration for Belly’s single mother.

Although the scene is fleeting, viewers have noted that it signifies that Conrad is a better partner for Belly because he is more attentive to her family dynamic. This has left supporters of ‘Bonrad’ theorising that this scene is yet another Easter Egg teasing the pair’s eventual reunion.

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Taking to Reddit, one viewer voiced: “Not Conrad choosing the cheapest entrée. I can’t. I let out a squeak and cry. Oh my goodness this boy. I love him too much.”

Others were quick to praise the Fisher brother, with a second writing: “He knows Laurel and is so considerate. I love this man.” A third viewer, who completely missed the Easter Egg, penned: “Oh. That’s what that was about.”

“It’s the little things like attentiveness and thoughtful consideration that make Conrad so amazing. He is so in-tune with her needs,” said a fourth.

But others defended Jeremiah, with one arguing: “Don’t offer to pay at an expensive restaurant like that with a table full of young men who will eat you out of house and home if you cannot afford it. It was a silly gesture that Adam won’t even appreciate. Let him pick up the tab, it’s the least he can do.”

While the lunch exchange may have scored points for Conrad, Jeremiah and Belly later revealed to their families that they are engaged. And, as of episode three, the pair intend to go through with their marriage.

The Summer I Turned Pretty streams Wednesdays on Prime Video

“The Summer I Turned Pretty” is the second series in as many months to directly warn its audience about cyberbullying. Posting on its official social media accounts, the Prime Video series issued a “PSA for the Summer community”: “We have a ZERO tolerance policy for bullying and hate speech. If you engage in any of the following you will be banned.” Fans were cautioned against “hate speech or bullying,” “targeting our cast or crew” and “harassing or doxxing members of the community.”

This comes on the heels of “Love Island USA” releasing similar warnings. Last month, host Ariana Madix called out “fan” behavior on the series’ recap show, “Aftersun.” “Don’t be contacting people’s families. Don’t be doxxing people. Don’t be going on Islanders’ pages and saying rude things,” she said. The show’s social accounts subsequently followed up with the message: “Please just remember they’re real people — so let’s be kind and spread the love!”

So this is where we are. Online discourse has become so toxic that television series are forced to address it in their publicity campaigns. It’s difficult to know whether to applaud or weep. Maybe both.

Certainly having television creators, and their social media teams, address a decades-long problem directly and proactively is far preferable to the more traditional entertainment industry approach. You know, waiting until some unfortunate actor or contestant is buried under an avalanche of hate speech before appearing shocked and horrified that such a thing could happen among (fill in the blank) fan base. (We will never forget, Kelly Marie Tran!)

Whether these warnings will be duplicated or prove effective remains to be seen. Studies suggest that cyberbullies who have their posts removed are less likely to repost and perhaps being called out by shows they watch will give some “fans” pause before they vent their spleen online.

It is still maddening that after years of research on the prevalence and dangers of cyberbullying, we are apparently relying on “Love Island” and “The Summer I Turned Pretty” as a first line of defense against behavior that has been proved to cause suicide, self-harm and a host of mental illnesses.

Obviously, something is very wrong. With the medium and its message.

When the internet became widely available, it promised to be an endless library of art and information. Instead, its most popular feature was easy (and often quite unintentional) access to porn.

So should we have been surprised when fan sites and social media platforms, built to allow free, unfettered and quite often anonymous discourse, became equally at risk for humanity’s less sterling qualities? Should it have been a revelation that certain film and television fans would behave badly when something occurred in their beloved universe that they did not like?

Have you ever been to Dodger Stadium?

Nothing about the impulses or language of cyberbullying is new. Hate mail has existed since writing was invented —poison pen letters caused a criminal crisis in the early 20th century — and celebrities have always been in danger of the “build ‘em up and tear ‘em down” fan flex.

What’s new (or new-ish) are the platforms that encourage such things. Poison pen letters are illegal. Poisonous posts are part of the social media business plan.

Yes, those who hate-post should take personal responsibility and our culture, like our politics, has grown more divisive and, frankly, mean. Social media at best allows and at worst encourages us to post things we might never say to a person standing in front of us. Commentary as blood sport.

Looking back, there was such heartbreaking optimism about the role social media would play in art, particularly television. Creators could actively engage with fans in real time and deepen audience commitment. A viral video or a clever Twitter campaign could save marketing departments millions. And celebrities could post their own “in real life” pictures, potentially thwarting the paparazzi, as well as stories, statements and confessionals, thereby avoiding the need for interviews over which they had far less control.

DIY publicity and deeply personal fan engagement — what could go wrong?

DIY publicity and deeply personal fan engagement, that’s what.

Say what you will about the old days when artists had to rely on legacy media for publicity — if readers had something bad to say, they shared it with the publication, which had standards about what letters would be made public. Direct contact with public figures was quite difficult — even fan mail was read and sorted by publicity departments and secretaries.

Now most everyone is accessible on one platform or another and there are very few standards.

Having leveraged the unpaid labor of millions to create profitable platforms, social media owners are not interested in providing basic consumer protection. Using the most facile definition of free speech — which is the right to voice opinions without government interference or punishment, not the right to post any hateful or incendiary thought you have — Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and other platform owners have consistently refused or pushed back against any demands of meaningful regulation.

Instead they rely on other users. The self-policing of social media is real and often effective, but it is far too arbitrary to act as a substitute for media regulation and mob rule is not something we should embrace.

The simple answer is “don’t look” — avoid the comments section or get off social media altogether. Which would be great advice if it were not so patently ridiculous. Intentionally or not, we have made social media a powerful force in this country. Particularly in the entertainment industry, where careers are made on YouTube, TikTok influencers are cultural arbiters and the number of one’s Instagram followers can determine whether they get the job or not.

It’s easy to say “ignore the haters” and virtually impossible for most of us to do. More importantly, it puts the responsibility on the wrong people, like telling a woman to just ignore a boss or colleague who makes crude comments about her appearance.

It’s been decades since Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok and all the other platforms could be viewed as simply fun forums on which to share vacation snaps. They deliver the news, shape our politics, market our businesses and create our culture. They are not public spaces; they belong to media companies that are owned and controlled by individuals just like any other media company.

So yeah, it’s great that “Love Island” and “The Summer I Turned Pretty” have taken steps to try to prevent online hate. But their warnings only illuminate the elephant in the room. A billion-dollar industry is failing to protect the very people who built it in the first place.

This summer in Western Europe, there is constant talk of “unprecedented heatwaves”. According to the media, authorities are working hard to help people cope with and protect themselves from the adverse effects of sweltering temperatures.

As someone in Gaza, it is hard not to be grimly amused by this panic.

After all, as temperatures began to rise, my homeland – at least what remains of it – has been transformed into an open-air furnace.

Now, in the middle of another hot, humid Mediterranean summer, we don’t even have the bare minimum to shield ourselves from the heat. I read report after report advising Europeans to stay indoors, stay hydrated, use sun cream and avoid strenuous outdoor activity. Meanwhile, we in Gaza have no homes, no water, no shade and no escape.

We cannot “limit outdoor activity” because everything we need to survive is outside: water trucks that may come twice a week if we’re lucky, food distributions, firewood to scavenge. We cannot “stay hydrated” because water is scarce, rationed and often polluted. And sunscreen? We would sooner find medicine on Mars.

Summer in Gaza used to be a season of joy with beach days, courtyard gardens, a breeze under the trees. But the ongoing Israeli onslaught has turned it into a season of torment. The beaches are blockaded. The courtyards are rubble. The trees are ash. Israel has flattened most of Gaza, turning soil into dust, parks into deserts and cities into graveyards. Gaza is now a shadeless city.

The heat itself has become a silent killer. But Gaza’s deadly summer is not natural. It is not just another consequence of climate change either. It is Israel’s making. The endless bombing has created greenhouse gas emissions and thick layers of dust and pollutants. Fires burn unchecked. Garbage piles rot in the sun. Farmland is razed. What was once a climate crisis is now climate cruelty, engineered by military force.

The irony is bitter: Europe blames its heatwaves on a meteorological “heat dome”, a bubble of trapped hot air. But Israel has trapped us in another kind of dome: overcrowded nylon tents that act like ovens in the sun. These camps are not shelters – they are slow-cooking chambers. They trap heat, stink, fear and grief. And we, the displaced, have nowhere else to go.

Summer is no longer a season I look forward to. It is a dilemma I endure. The sun hangs overhead like a sentence. It scorches the ground beneath my feet so that even my slippers burn. I cannot stay inside the tent during the day. It is too hot to breathe. But I cannot be outside for long either. I must go. I must wait in long lines for water, then again for food – under a sun so punishing I fear sunstroke as much as starvation.

We are told to queue with discipline, but how can you queue when your body is faint and your child is hungry? I push forward through crowds, not out of greed, but desperation. I scavenge for fuel – wood, plastic, anything to burn. I return to my tent only to collapse into more heat.

The nights offer no mercy. With most of Gaza’s population now crammed near the coastline, the tents radiate heat back at each other. Unlike the earth, they do not cool after sunset. They store the suffering. I feel my neighbours’ breath, their sweat, their sorrow as if the heat itself is contagious. Insects swarm us in waves, drawn to the warmth. My mother and sister swat them away as if they were the bombs we can still hear in the distance.

Living in a tent for a second summer should make it easier. It doesn’t. It makes it worse.

Last summer, after being displaced from our home in eastern Khan Younis, we at least had some food variety. There were still deliveries of aid. We could still cook. But since March 2 when Israel blocked humanitarian aid again, we have descended into engineered starvation.

The United States and Israel now stage a grotesque theatre called the “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation” to distribute flour. They place sacks of flour inside metal cages as if we are livestock. People are forced to queue for hours under an open sky, stripped of shade and dignity. Soldiers scream at them to take off their hats, lie face down on blazing asphalt, crawl for food. After all that, you might still leave empty-handed – if you’re not shot first.

They have lowered the bar of our existence. We no longer ask for safety or shelter. We ask only: Do we have enough food to last the day?

Israel has combined every tool of deprivation: heat without shade, thirst without water, hunger without hope. There is no electricity to run desalination or pumping stations. No fuel to chill the little water that comes. No flour, no fish, no markets. For many of us, this summer could be our last.

This is not a climate crisis. This is weather used as a weapon – a war waged not only with bombs and bullets but also with heat, thirst and slow death. Gaza is not just burning – it is being suffocated under a man-made sun. And the world watches, calls it a “conflict” and checks the forecast.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

Passport rules for British travellers have changed in recent years, with more factors to consider to ensure a passport remains valid, particularly since the UK left the European Union

Holidaymakers are being urged to ensure their passports are valid for travel to avoid potential delays or being denied boarding at the airport.

Travel insurance experts at Tiger.co.uk have named seven essential passport checks jet-setting Brits should carry out before heading on holiday this summer.

Passport rules for British travellers have changed in recent years, with more factors to consider to ensure a passport remains valid, particularly since the UK left the European Union.

When travelling to Europe, Brits need to make sure their passport was issued less than 10 years before the date of entry, and that it’s valid for at least three months after the planned date of departure from the EU.

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This is crucial to remember because previously, UK passports could be issued with up to 10 years and nine months’ validity. EU rules now only recognise the 10-year limit from the issue date.

While UK travellers don’t need a visa for a short stay of up to 90 days in Europe, those looking to go on longer trips need to check the entry requirements for the country they’re visiting and obtain an appropriate travel permit.

Avid travellers collecting stamps in their passports need to also ensure they have at least two blank passport pages remaining, otherwise the document could be seen as invalid.

The experts also urge travellers to ensure their passports are in good physical condition, as damage to the cover, pages or the chip, could lead to delays or even refusal at the border.

Parents travelling with children should be especially mindful, as a child’s passport is only valid for five years.

Ian Wilson, travel insurance expert and Managing Director at Tiger.co.uk said: “We urge holidaymakers to carry out essential passport checks now to avoid last-minute hassle and potentially being turned away at the airport.

“Post-Brexit travel changes are still confusing for many of us, so it’s important for Brits to familiarise themselves with the validity requirements before jetting off to Europe.

“Travellers also need to ensure their passports are in good physical condition, as things like damage from water or ink, rips in pages and laminate peeling from the personal details page can mean that your passport may not be accepted as a valid travel document.

“If you’re denied access to your flight for issues such as an invalid passport, your travel insurance is unlikely to protect you. That’s why it’s so important to double-check these things well in advance of your departure date.”

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Seven passport checks to carry out before travelling this year:

Blank pages in a passport

With Brits now getting stamped every time they travel through the EU, travel enthusiasts and those who hit the road for work may potentially run out of blank pages in their passports. All passport holders must have at least two blank passport pages when they travel, otherwise the document could be seen as invalid. Those who really like to travel frequently can opt for a jumbo passport that has 54 pages instead of a normal one with 34 pages.

Expiry date

Many countries require passports to be valid for at least six months beyond the date of arrival. In Europe, passports must be valid for at least three months beyond the date of departure and must have been issued less than 10 years ago. This is an important detail to remember as previously, British passports could be valid for 10 years and nine months, however with the new EU rules, they’re only valid for 10 years from the issue date.

Water damage

If your passport has sustained water damage, you likely won’t be able to use it as a valid travel document. While minor exposure to water such as slightly crinkled page edges shouldn’t be an issue – further damage like smudged ink or discolouration can lead to delays or refusals at the border.

Tears or rips in pages

If any of your passport pages are torn or missing, your passport is considered damaged and will likely not be accepted at the border, especially if it affects the personal details page or any visa stamps.

Laminate peeling

If the laminate over the personal details page is lifting or peeling, it could raise suspicions of tampering. This is a common reason for passports being flagged or rejected so even if all the information is readable, it’s best to get your passport replaced to prevent any issues.

Visa

Holidaymakers need to familiarise themselves with the entry requirements of the country they’re travelling to, especially if it’s a non-European destination, and acquire a travel visa if needed. When travelling to Europe, you don’t need a visa if you’re going for a shorter trip of up to 90 days.

Child passport

A child’s passport is only valid for five years and often expire before parents realise. Parents should check the expiry dates early and renew them in good time to avoid delays or travel disruption.

A family of 10 were excited about their trip to Orlando, Florida, but were left stunned when they walked into their ‘luxury villa’ and were met with something that resembled ‘Satan’s guest house’

When it comes to booking accommodation for a holiday, whether that’s a villa or a hotel, it can be hard to narrow down the best option. One family thought they had found the perfect “luxury villa”, but they were stunned when they discovered what was lurking inside.

In a post on Reddit about “bad holidays”, the traveller revealed that when they arrived at their villa in Orlando, they were met with “tobacco coloured walls” and “dead cockroaches”. With the trip booked for 10 people, it quickly turned into a holiday from hell.

They shared: “My father-in-law took us to Orlando in 2015. He paid for 10 people, a luxury villa and hired cars as he’s a generous guy. We get to our villa about maybe 9pm, and I’ve already clocked that it’s not in the nicest of areas.

“We unpack and go in to meet the rest of the family. The ‘luxury’ villa was a s**thole. It was all brown and green decor with tobacco coloured walls. We then realised that it was a f**king disgrace.

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“The games room was full of dead cockroaches, the kitchen had only enough stuff for 4 people and had broken glasses in the kitchen, we couldn’t open one of the doors to the pool as it was screwed shut, all the doors were mismatched, the smoke and fire alarms were all painted over, the chandelier was holding on by a thread, two chairs collapsed and the air conditioning only put out hot air.

“My eldest son called it ‘Satan’s guest house’. After wasting half of the first day, we got a replacement, but it was such a bl**dy palaver to even stay there overnight.”

The post was met with comments from concerned travellers, with some reflecting on their own experience in Florida. One holidaymaker said: “I went to Florida when I was 10 to do the Disney thing as a family.

“I remember my mum saying she’d never felt more unsafe than downtown Orlando. Fast forward 15 years and I live in the USA and finally understand what she meant! That place is f**king sketchy.”

READ MORE: Holiday warning for Brits as easy pool mistake could mean you pay hefty fees

This is just one of the many disaster holiday stories shared online. Another detailed how when they were a teenager, they were left in “misery” after their parents surprised them with a family trip to Butlins – and it wasn’t the location or weather that ruined the getaway.

The traveller shared on Reddit: “When I was 14, my mum and stepdad packed us all into the car for a surprise holiday at Butlins (we didn’t find out until we were there).

“One small detail they also forgot to mention was that they also didn’t pay for me to actually go into the resort, so I had to get into the boot of our car at the closest petrol station, sleep on the floor of the chalet, and couldn’t use any of the facilities.”

They added: “It was just a week of misery, getting to watch my siblings have fun, whilst I couldn’t even bring a stack of books, because I didn’t know we were going away for a week in the first place.”

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Booking that anticipated holiday is always exciting, but for one traveller, they were left completely disappointed after their parents booked a surprise getaway

Being whisked away on a surprise family holiday when you’re younger couldn’t have been more exciting. But for one unfortunate teenager, their trip ended in total “misery” – and it wasn’t because of the destination or weather.

With the summer holiday season in full swing, one traveller opened up about a family trip to Butlins when they were 14, which has clearly had a lasting impact. In a Reddit post, they shared the “one small detail” their parents failed to mention for the surprise getaway, leaving it far from what they expected.

The holidaymaker shared: “When I was 14, my mum and stepdad packed us all into the car for a surprise holiday at Butlins (we didn’t find out until we were there).

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“One small detail they also forgot to mention was that they also didn’t pay for me to actually go into the resort, so I had to get into the boot of our car at the closest petrol station, sleep on the floor of the chalet, and couldn’t use any of the facilities.”

They added: “It was just a week of misery, getting to watch my siblings have fun, whilst I couldn’t even bring a stack of books, because I didn’t know we were going away for a week in the first place.”

The post was flooded with sympathetic comments as one user asked: “Did they at least apologise to you?”. The disappointed traveller replied: “They did not. They actually told me I should’ve been grateful to have been brought along at all.”

This is just one of the holiday disasters that holidaymakers have shared on the online platform. Another on Reddit recalled the time they were asked to relocate their hotel in Turkey or pay for their stay again during the midst of their vacation.

They wrote last month: “Went to Turkey years ago and bang in the middle of the holiday, our holiday company went bust.

“The hotel called a meeting and told us all to pack our bags or else pay the bill again. We paid again, thinking that anything was better than being on the streets in a strange land. Our fellow holidaymakers objected, and the staff and guests all fell out. Things were getting heated, so we decided to bail out and return later on in the evening.”

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They continued: “Fast forward four hours, we landed back to a practically deserted hotel. We were personally welcomed by the manager, who was all over us like a rash from then on. He must have thought we were millionaires, because it turned out that we were the only guests to have paid again.

“We also learned that some of the guests and staff had been arrested for throwing punches and were taken off the premises. The remaining guests were nowhere to be seen, but I read on TripAdvisor afterwards that they had left their luggage in the hotel temporarily until they managed to change their return flights.

“Apparently, when they opened their luggage back at home, they found that it was full of Mars bars, wrappers removed, that had melted in through their clothes. Fun times.”

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