Viral

A frequent traveller has shared an airport hack that has people stunned – and wondering why they’ve never thought of it before as she claims it works “90 percent of the time”

A seasoned traveller has revealed their secret airport trick, leaving people baffled they hadn’t thought of it themselves. Airports can be incredibly stressful environments, packed with lengthy queues, rigorous security procedures and inevitable delays. However, most travellers associate airport arrivals with anticipation for their upcoming adventure.

Whilst countless people discuss strategies for smooth departures, fewer address the frustrations that arise when landing at your destination. Travel influencer Lindsay Mukaddam, known as @onegirlwandering, posted footage of herself positioned outside the terminal following her arrival in a clip that has since received over a million views.

READ MORE: British tourists urged to ‘never wear’ one type of shoes on plane for ‘vital reason’

Lindsay explained: “Come to the departures level if the arrivals level is completely slammed with cars, because then the person whose picking you up can get up here with no issues and they don’t have to wait in line.” She noted in the caption: “I may look like crud after a 20 plus hour travel day, but at least I don’t have to wait a moment longer to get home.”

Following the video’s viral success, the travel influencer revealed to Insider that “this tactic works about 90 per cent of the time” in her experience. “When I have had a hard time using it, it has usually been during a very busy travel period, like a holiday weekend,” Lindsay explained. In most instances and at most airports, passengers can actually be collected from the departures area rather than arrivals.

While travellers are typically encouraged to head to the designated pick-up zone, there are no regulations preventing them from doing the opposite.

Nevertheless, if you’re planning to collect a loved one at departures, they can likely forget about a lengthy reunion beside the vehicle. Typically, passenger drop-off zones at departures are fast-moving, and motors aren’t allowed to park, or if they are, not for extended periods.

Airport officials may hand the driver a ticket for loitering. On Reddit, one user highlighted this, commenting, “If you do this, make sure they’re waiting for you and not vice versa. In Nashville, if you attempt to pick someone up at departures, the airport police will probably give you a ticket, so make it as quick as possible.”

Some airports do offer brief parking facilities at departures. In these situations, there’s no reason passengers can’t be collected from this spot. One user joked: “Don’t be sharing secrets like this, you’re going to ruin it for us.”

@gwaipor wrote: “Sydney, Australia here. Doesn’t work at Sydney airport. Get a fine for doing so.” A Chicagoan added: “This does not work well at O’Hare.”

READ MORE: Boots cut price of ‘super gentle’ Inkey List cleanser in £10 sale

The ‘game-changing’ hack is popular with travel fans because it helps prevent creases

A woman has revealed a “game-changing” packing trick that prevents wrinkles so you can look fabulous on holiday. The popular technique was showcased in a TikTok video shared by womenswear brand Sophie Cameron Davies.

Taking to social media, @sophiecamerondavies revealed why it’s worth investing a bit more time when packing your case to save hassle during your break. The caption read: “If your suitcase is full of floaty dresses, silk pieces or anything remotely crease-prone, try this.

“No more steaming out wrinkles for half your holiday. It’s simple, space-saving, and actually works.

“Save this one – your future self will thank you.” As shown in the clip, the trick requires holidaymakers to fold their garments, ensuring they stay flat within the suitcase.

Sophie explained: “Lay your clothes completely flat, don’t roll or overfold. Fill the full width of your suitcase right into the corners, and fold only once or twice max to avoid deep creases.

“Then just lay each piece on top of the other like a stack. It keeps everything smooth and compact, so simple but game-changing.” The clip has garnered more than 600,000 views, along with thousands of likes.

It also inspired commenters to share their preferred approach, and it appears many people swear by Sophie’s method. One enthusiast of the packing technique wrote: “I have packed like this for years and it’s honestly a game changer!

“Less folds = more space.” Another commenter shared their positive experience, writing: “I’ve been doing this more recently!

“So much better!” A third person revealed: “I always pack like this – never have to iron.”

Adding to the praise, someone mentioned: “I’ve always done this and left them on hangers too. So once I arrive, hang straight up.”

A social media user replied: “I do this too ….makes unpacking at hotel sooooo much easier.” Some people offered their own twist on the idea, like one who said: “I use the other side for clothes as it’s flat and the side you have put the clothes in I use for toiletries and shoes, swimwear etc .. it works no creases.”

Another viewer added: “I do this but I lay each piece flat hanging from the sides. Lay items on top then flip the sides inwards and secure it.”

However, not everyone was convinced by the packing hack. In response to a sceptic who said: “Then when you stand the case up everything will fall down,” someone defended the method but highlighted a different criticism, saying: “No, it doesn’t.

“I’ve packed like this – just a pain looking for things when arriving at destination.” Others expressed a preference for using packing cubes instead, reports the Express.

One such response read: “I swear by packing cubes, makes everything so much easier.” A fan agreed: “Same, family of 6, everyone has a set of their own colour cubes – makes life so much easier.”

The commenter replied: “Aren’t they just brilliant. I wouldn’t ever not use them now.”

However, someone else wrote: “They take up way more space though. I always lay clothes flat (or as flat as I can) and get more space out of the case.”

The ‘beautiful’ cove has been described as a ‘hidden gem’ and the ‘perfect escape’ from tourist traps

A “hidden gem” beach has been hailed as the “perfect escape”. The “magical little cove” in West Cornwall is loved for its “beautiful turquoise water and white sand.” Reviewers have described Nanjizal Beach as “very scenic,” praising the “breathtaking” views and the “unusually clear” water.

For locals, the beauty of this spot is no secret, but for those living further inland, the beach could offer a welcome respite from the usual tourist hotspots. The remote location means it’s only accessible on foot, with rocks and boulders to navigate along the way.

It’s also crucial to check the tide times before setting off, reports Cornwall Live. However, at the end of your journey, you’re greeted with “postcard” scenery, while at low tide, it’s often possible to take a dip in the tidal pool – if you’re brave enough to face the chilly water.

Blogger Lizzy Parkin, who posts on TikTok under the handle @flossys_wonderland, shared a video showcasing the “beautiful” beach. She told her followers: “I’m on a mission to find places across the UK that make people say, ‘I can’t believe this is the UK.’

“This is episode 2, and I’m sharing a stunning swimming spot, cove and natural rock pool.” Lizzy added: “The water here is a crystal turquoise colour, and these clips are completely unedited.

“The colour really is that bright. This spot is inaccessible by car, making it even more special and uncrowded. We parked at Lands End car park and walked the coastal path for around 30 minutes, which was absolutely beautiful.

“It has cliff and ocean views all the way along. If you do decide to swim in the rock pool, please be careful when making your way over to it. You’ll need to climb over rocks which are extremely slippery, and it may be wise to bring wet shoes to make the walk over easier.

“This place is called Nanjizal Bay.” Replying to the video, one commenter said: “My favourite beach.” Another wrote: “I’ll never forget that tight little walk which nearly made me turn back but it was sooooo worth it.”

Nanjizal Beach also receives rave reviews on TrustPilot. For instance, one visitor wrote: “Hidden Gem. This beach has the most beautiful turquoise water and white sand, and is the perfect escape from the tourist traps like Land’s End. The walk around the Coast Path is incredible when the sun is shining, and you can see Nanjizal Beach glistening in the distance as you come around the headland.

“This recent visit was the first time I’d been with our dog, and my only piece of advice would be just to be wary of the steps down to the beach with your 4 legged friend. My Cocker Spaniel is not the most delicate or agile so struggled a bit with the steps and the scramble to the sand, but once we were on the beach he had a lovely time!”

Someone else wrote: “Lovely beach. Very scenic.” They explained: “A lovely beach with beautiful blue water, clear pools to splash around in and a fresh water stream dropping down off the cliff. Very scenic. Large boulders scattered across the beach make it a little hard to access parts of the beach.”

Another review said: “A 2-3 hour walk from Sennen Cove along a breathtaking coastal stretch, which passes a shipwreck, OR you can take a diagonal path from Land’s End across the cliffs (faster but not as breathtaking). You will pass a patch of stinging nettles, and a narrow stretch with a steep drop so keep dogs on leashes, and keep hold of kids.

“Once you get to the cove, it is literally paradise. Crystal clear water, caves, turquoise ocean, soft white sand and not many people. We were lucky enough to see Seals bathing, too! There are no kiosks, toilets or anything there so go prepared.”

According to the Cornwall Beach Guide, there is only a small strip of sand at the beach this summer. A notice on the website reads: “Usually there is plenty of sand but at times, especially after stormy weather the sand can be stripped from the beach to leave a beach consisting mainly of boulders.

READ MORE: ‘Beautiful’ wild swimming spot with ‘scenic’ waterfalls feels ‘like hidden world’READ MORE: Tiny European island less than 4 hours from the UK boasts 300 days of sunshine

“There are no facilities or parking at Nanjizal and the beach is only accessible by walking. Update summer 2025 – this summer the beach is mainly boulders with only a small strip of sand.”

The guide adds: “Access is via the coast path from either Porthgwarra, Lands End or Sennen Cove. It takes about 30 minutes to walk from Porthgwarra to Nanjizal Beach, about 45 minutes from Lands End to Nanjizal. Final access to Nanjizal Beach is via steep steps.”

Moreover, the guide cautions that the boulders can be slippery when wet, there are reports of rip currents, and the path from Land’s End to Nanjizal has unprotected cliff edges. Visitors should always exercise caution, check the forecast, and adhere to safety guidelines when walking and swimming.

Nanjizal Beach is located near Porthgwarra, Cornwall. The beach is not accessible by car. The postcode for Porthgwarra Car Park is TR19 6JP.

Love Island stars Lauren and Harrison have broken their silence following their emotional double exit during last night’s episode – as they open up on their future plans

It was an emotional night in Love Island last night as both Lauren and Harrison made their way out of the villa. The drama began when Lauren was booted out due to a new bombshell, Angel choosing her partner Ty, with an emotional Harrison deciding to leave with her the next night.

Despite recently rekindling things with Toni, the pair had gone their separate ways in prior episodes, as Harrison told the rest of the Islanders he had found a girlfriend in Lauren as he made an emotional exit.

Now, the pair have broken their silence ever since leaving, as they discuss their plans for the future. When asked what was next for himself and Lauren on the outside, Harrison said: “We’ll make the distance work! It will be no issue. We left on good terms, but the two days prior to leaving, we weren’t talking properly, so it would be good to have a conversation, get everything out in the open and hopefully move forward from there.”

“I feel very strongly about the girl, I wouldn’t have left if I didn’t. I have no doubt in my mind that she’ll be my girlfriend one day. I’m buzzing to see her and reunite! She’s such a great girl.”

During their time in the villa, Lauren and Harrison left viewers in shock after Harry and Helena were seen passing a condom over to Harrison in the middle of the night. Asked on how he feels about his parents having witnessed him “have sex” on TV, the footballer said: “I hope they didn’t see!

“But listen, it was a natural thing. I don’t think I intended to have sex in the Villa but in there all the Islanders could tell we were so attracted to each other, naturally it was going to happen. The spark between us was crazy! I probably wasn’t thinking about my parents and them watching it but it naturally happened and I don’t regret it.”

Elsewhere, Harrison said he hopes to be friends with Toni on the outside, but understands if she doesn’t feel the same way. “I’d like to think we could be friends. I did her wrong a few times in there so I understand if she doesn’t want to reciprocate that. The conversation prior to me leaving was a big moment for me and her,” he said.

“You could tell by me getting emotional, I was upset about how I’ve acted and upset about Toni being upset as well. Similarly, if someone treated my sister like I’d treated Toni in there obviously I’d be mortified. I wanted to apologise to her and I think she could see I was being genuine. I’m happy with how things were left.”

As for Lauren, she said she “100%” sees a future on the outside with Harrison. “I’d love to see where it could go,” she said before he left.

“I’m hoping that he comes out so that we can be together. I see myself being with him long term as I haven’t had a connection like that with someone in such a long time. I know what we had was real despite what everyone else thinks. He has done wrong and made stupid mistakes, but he knows that and believes it was the wrong thing to do.”

The pair seem loved up for now, but if there’s one thing Harrison would change – it’d be who he went to for advice. In the villa we saw him close to Harry and Dejon, but he now regrets going to Harry for advice.

“I went to Harry a few times asking for advice. On reflection, he was probably the worst person to go to for advice! He does have a serious side but if I was ever to get into the situation again, I probably wouldn’t go to him again, his advice was horrendous!” he exclaimed. “The trio was something special, the banter was flying, we were so close in there. I’m sad to leave them.”

Love Island continues tomorrow night at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

Katharina Bost tested the so-called ‘airport theory’ London Stansted Airport, where she got to the airport just 45 minutes before her flight was due to take off to see if it was enough time

Going to the airport can be a stressful experience for some people, but others find it a breeze. You’re either a last-minute dasher, trusting in the cosmos that you’ll whizz through security without a hitch. Or, alternatively, you’re the type who prefers to arrive well ahead of the recommended two hours (or three during peak times like school holidays). If your travel companion wouldn’t object, you might even fancy arriving four hours early, indulging in a manicure, treating yourself to a matcha (or something stronger), and perusing the bookshop.

However, thanks to the ‘airport theory’ circulating on TikTok, which many experts advise against trying, more individuals are attempting to emulate the former category, aiming to reach the airport with just enough time to spare.

Katharina Bost tested this theory at London Stansted Airport, claiming she arrived at 6.45 pm for a flight scheduled to depart at 7.30 pm. This gave her a mere 45 minutes to complete all necessary tasks, including navigating the dreaded security queue.

By 6:48pm, Katharina found herself in the bustling airport security line. However, passengers must have been swift as by 6:50pm, she was ready to explore the fragrances and cosmetics in duty-free.

She took full advantage of the perfume testers available, spritzing herself generously before boarding her flight.

At 7.04pm, she expressed her craving for a “needed a matcha,” leading her to pop into Joe and the Juice for her favourite brew.

By 7.09pm, she had her matcha in hand, sipping it as she strolled towards the airport gate.

She reached the gate at 7.14pm, and by 7.22pm, she was strapped in and ready for take-off, looking quite chuffed with herself.

However, some commenters questioned the authenticity of the timestamps provided in her video, wondering how she managed such a seamless airport experience, something they’d never encountered before.

One person commented: “There’s no way security took 15 minutes unless you got fast-track”. A fast-track pass allows you to bypass most of the queue and rejoin further down the line.

A woman retorted: “The longest time I’ve ever spent in an airport security queue is about 15 minutes tbh”.

“You went through fast-track security, and then your plane was delayed,” another accused her.

A TikTok user confessed: “I’d be having a panic attack cutting it this fine,” while another admitted: “I’d literally be running”.

“It took me an hour to get through security at Stansted a few weeks ago, on a random Saturday afternoon,” someone grumbled.

Stansted Airport advises: “Always follow your airline’s guidance on how early you need to be at the airport before your flight.

“As a general guide, you will need to have checked in and be ready to go through security at least 2 hours before your flight departure time.”

A new viral airport hack is now making some passengers miss their flights because they’re showing up to the gate too late, and this is all coming from a misunderstanding

Holidaymakers are advised to avoid taking part in the popular ‘airport theory’ trend, after dozens of travellers miss their flights for showing up to the gate too late. A new TikTok trend has taken social media by storm, where travellers ignore the airport advice of showing up to the airport hours before their flight.

Instead, passengers are showing up 15 to 20 minutes before their scheduled boarding or departure time. If you’re carrying a cabin bag, you can save yourself some time by having to go to the airport two to three hours before and avoid the long queues.

READ MORE: Airport worker shares tip to make your suitcase the first off the plane

As long as you have a digital boarding pass and your suitcase has the permitted measurements and weight, you shouldn’t have any problems. But there’s one thing you should know.

Social media users have posted videos of their attempts to make it to their flights on a short timeframe, but this has led to some missing their flights, the Daily Mail reported.

TikToker @momlifewithtiff, whose name is Tiffany, documented the moment that she and her husband almost missed their flight by trying out the challenge. She wrote: “Definitely do not recommend trying the airport theory. Will certainly be getting to the airport 2 hours early from now on.”

Posting different time frames of this stressful situation, she filmed from the moment they got stuck in security whilst boarding had already begun, to begging people to cut in line, and finally, being the last two passengers to board the plane before the doors closed.

In a similar situation, another TikTok user @jenny_kurtzz, known as Jenny, said that she found out the plane had left without her showing up at the gate at the time of departure.

READ MORE: ‘I worked at Heathrow Airport and this overweight baggage hack fails every time’

As a former check-in agent, I’ve had situations where passengers would be at the gate as soon as the doors had closed, or even when the plane was about to take off. Unfortunately, in these circumstances, there isn’t anything that the airline can do.

When this happens, passengers have to book another flight at their own expense. However, this can change depending on the circumstances and their status with the airline.

It’s important for passengers to understand they must arrive at the gate at least one hour prior to departure time. During this hour, passengers board the plane. The departure time is the slot planes should take off, not when boarding begins.

Another tip for holidaymakers is to expect agents checking the number of bags you’re bringing on board. Planes have a capacity and weight allowance, reflected in their strict rules of one cabin bag and one personal item per passenger.

Although the ‘airport theory’ trend might work on some occasions, it’s best to be on the safe side and avoid the situation of having to spend hundreds of pounds for a new ticket. No one wants to start their holidays on the wrong foot!

The Travel Twins have visited many European cities and have named six of their favourites that are not as popular as others – but are still well worth visiting

Many Brits are no strangers to a European jaunt, whether they’re chasing the sun or immersing themselves in rich history, stunning architecture and diverse cultures. While Paris, Madrid and Barcelona are often on the itinerary, there are plenty of lesser-known treasures waiting to be discovered.

Two globetrotting TikTokers have unveiled their top picks for Europe’s best kept secrets, having explored 70 cities across the continent. After immersing themselves in plenty of different locations, they listed six gems they’d recommend to others.

These destinations may not draw the same crowds as their more famous counterparts, but they promise an equally enriching experience without the tourist throngs.

In a video, which has amassed nearly half a million views, they said that Stavanger in Norway was their ultimate recommendation.

Situated on the southwestern coast of Norway, a roughly seven-hour drive from the capital, Oslo, is the city of Stavanger.

This gem may not be familiar to many Brits, but it boasts an array of attractions including its picturesque old town and stunning hiking trails that offer breathtaking views of the Norwegian landscape.

Historical sites abound in the city, with highlights including Stavanger Cathedral, the Norwegian Petroleum Museum, and numerous Bronze Age Rock Carvings.

The TikTok users also spotlight Hameln, Germany as an under-appreciated European destination. Nestled near the larger city of Hanover, Hameln is famed as the mythical home of the Pied Piper.

The duo’s recommendations continue with Bern, Switzerland’s capital. This destination is ideal as a city break for history buffs and architecture enthusiasts, boasting landmarks such as the Cathedral of Bern, Marktgasse, and Barenplatz.

Alternatively, they recommend Riga in Latvia or Poznan in Poland. Both are great for anyone with a passion for history and culture.

Seville in Spain was the final location to make the list. It offers a wealth of cultural experiences and is also a fantastic choice for a sun-soaked getaway.

While it may not be beachside, the city is dotted with hotels and resorts featuring pools, alongside a plethora of restaurants serving up traditional local cuisine.

Fans of the venue said it is “nice to stroll around on a warm day” and dubbed it “cute and wholesome”

Award-winning rose gardens have been praised online as a place to add to your “weekend list.” The venue, tucked away in Norwich, Norfolk, has drawn attention online due to its picturesque views.

Peter Beales Roses, in Norwich, has been dubbed a “hidden gem” by fans on TikTok, who praised the rose gardens specifically. That will come as no surprise to many as Peter Beales is renowned for being home to the largest variety of roses in the UK and having 29 RHS Chelsea Flower Show Gold Medals to its name.

TikTok user Shauna (@ilyxshaun) shared a clip showcasing the venue on a recent trip. Her caption read: “One for your weekend list.”

In the video, Shauna walks through the venue and shows viewers the entrance, the indoor shop selling produce, meets, handmade jewellery, the cafe, and the garden shop. She then moves on to the rose gardens, which she claims are “nice to stroll around on a warm day.”

In her voiceover, Shauna said: “This award-winning spot in Attleborough might just be Norfolk’s best kept summer day out. It’s known for its beautiful rose gardens, but there’s a lot more you can do here.

“Inside. They’ve got a shop with lots of local produce like jams, chutneys, fresh meats, even handmade jewellery. They also have a cafe for brunch and afternoon tea.

“Plus you can sit outside when the weather’s warm, which is a bonus. There’s a garden section with indoor plants, tools and just all the little bits that you didn’t know you even needed.

“But the best part, without a doubt, is the rose gardens. There were rose bushes everywhere, little archways to wander through and so many pretty corners. It’s so nice to stroll around on a warm day. Peter Bales is ideal for when you don’t have plans but want something cute and wholesome to do.”

Beneath the video, others praised the venue and shared their favourite things about it too. One viewer said: “such a lovely day out” and a second wrote: “looks lovely.”

A third added: “When I last went there was a little hidden play park too for children we had to follow signs and it was very hidden but very cute.”

A different person said: “Yep there’s a children’s play area right at the back and a little nature walk.” The praise continued, with one viewer writing: “I love visiting here solely for the rose gardens!” and another adding: “Love it here. The rose festival is fab!”

According to Peter Beales, the rose gardens allow visitors to “escape to a world of beauty and tranquillity”, where “nature’s artistry meets timeless elegance.” The venue’s website adds that the gardens are the perfect place to “lose yourself in a sensory paradise.”

The rose gardens feature rose-covered archways and walkways draped in vibrant blooms, a “stunning” observation turret offering panoramic garden views, a “serene” wildlife garden buzzing with biodiversity, and display gardens with “intoxicating perfumes and seasonal colour.”

Peter Beales Roses is based around half a mile off the A11 in Attleborough, Norfolk. The venue features free parking, wheelchair access, toilets, and baby-changing facilities. Entrance to the rose gardens, which is open seven days a week, year-round, is free.

As stomach-turning clips of the 2013 ‘poop cruise’ make the rounds on social media, cruise travel experts reassure holidaymakers why the horrors of the past are unlikely to be repeated

If you’ve been scrolling through social media lately, you’ve likely been subjected (unwillingly) to videos of fluffy brown sewage exploding out of a cruise ship’s windows. Clips from Netflix’s documentary, Trainwreck: Poop Cruise, are going massively viral – and its left audiences quite literally gagging.

The documentary was released on June 24 and follows the events of the Carnival Triumph: a 2013 cruise liner bound from Texas to Cozumel, Mexico. It was smooth sailing until the ship’s engine room caught fire, leaving over 4000 passengers stranded in the Gulf of Mexico. The fire destroyed the ship’s power system, causing a WiFi outage and the toilets to stop flushing.

What resulted was, unsurprisingly, pandemonium. Passengers were instructed to pee down shower drains and handed red biohazard bags to defecate in. There were reports of backed-up waste from the drains running down the walls and through the hallways.

READ MORE: ‘I was on vile “Poop Cruise” where sewage seeped into cabins – the smell still haunts me’

A passenger, Devin, who was featured in the documentary, said: “You walked down a hallway and all of a sudden, squish-squish-squish-squish…we were in excrement.” They were stranded for four days until tug boats finally arrived to pull the ship to safety.

The story has, unsurprisingly, left social media users horrified. But, if you’ve booked a cruise, or are planning to, there’s no need to worry. Cruise experts from Riviera Travel dispel five common cruise safety myths:

Myth: Cruises are unsafe

Riviera Travel reassures passengers that while it’s normal to feel apprehensive when going on a cruise for the first time, there are thorough safety regulations put in place to ensure travellers are safe on board. They add: “Many passengers who were anxious about going on their first cruise later stated that it became easy to forget they were on a boat!”

They explain: “Strict regulations are followed, and the ship’s state-of-the-art safety features, such as lifeboats, life preservers, and thoroughly trained crew members, make it a secure vessel.”

Myth:

Fortunately, cruise ships are equipped with plenty of resources to prevent this from happening. Riviera Travel says: “These ships also have onboard and offshore staff trained and prepared for these instances if they were ever to happen.”

Myth:

According to Riviera Travel, hygiene is taken “very seriously” on cruise ships. They say: “The catering team ensures food is of the highest quality before being dished out and takes necessary precautions to prevent contamination.

Plus, they add that cruise meals aren’t always buffet-style, and that you can opt for ships that have onboard restaurants and traditional table-service.

Myth:

This is actually a misconception. Riviera Travel emphasises that strict hygiene protocols are followed on cruise ships, with passengers’ health and safety “a top priority” for cruise lines. They explain that cruise lines take all necessary measures to prevent outbreaks like norovirus, as well as following strict guidelines to make sure ships adhere to high hygiene standards.

Although, they add: “Viruses can spread anywhere, so while strict hygiene measures are in place, passengers should still take precautions to reduce their own risk.”

Myth: There’s no medical help if something goes wrong

Riviera Travel reassures passengers that cruise ships have trained medical professionals on board and “are equipped with top-notch facilities for anyone who needs medical attention.” There are also protocols are also in place for more serious medical emergencies, and cruise ships will stop at nearby ports if they need to.

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A woman has been left fuming after her partner did something ‘inexcusable’ while they were waiting to board a plane – and thousands of people said she should’ve left him to fly alone

Many find the airport experience nerve-wracking, with a several potential mishaps standing between them and their much-anticipated getaway. From the horror of a travel companion forgetting to pack their passport to the frustration of endless flight delays, the journey to your holiday can be fraught with tension.

However, amid the chaos and stress, there’s an unspoken rule that insists on keeping your travel party together, unless you’ve agreed otherwise beforehand. Sticking together not only ensures everyone is accounted for in case of issues like boarding denials but also makes the long and often tedious wait at the airport more enjoyable for everyone involved.

So, when Elizabeth Anne Schon discovered her partner had abandoned her in the boarding queue to scramble onto the plane first, her irritation was palpable.

“Men constantly walking five steps ahead is bad… but this made me not want to even board the plane,” she expressed in her TikTok video, which has now racked up over 7.9 million views.

Elizabeth captured the moment her other half darted off towards the gate, leaving her to navigate the snaking queue alone, in the viral clip.

“I almost turned around,” she added in the video’s caption.

In a follow-up video, Elizabeth recalled how her partner had pushed to join the boarding queue before their zone was called, despite her objections.

She then went on use the bathroom before their flight, only to find her partner no where to be seen when she returned.

Upon returning to the gate, she discovered her partner had joined the queue despite what she said, leaving her to face the long line alone as she watched him get the okay to board their flight ahead of her.

The video quickly amassed thousands of comments, with many siding with Elizabeth, confessing they would have been tempted to leave the airport altogether if faced with the same situation.

“I bet he wouldn’t do that to any of his friends,” commented one viewer, while another remarked: “I would have let him get on and went home… what kind of vacation would it be with him anyways.”

Someone else recommended: “Ask if you can upgrade that ticket. Wave to him from first class and tell him the stewardess upgraded you because she felt bad you were traveling alone.

“Hey so flying somewhere with your partner is meant to be exciting and full of inside jokes and talking about what food you’re gonna eat,” pointed out another. “Him being 30 people ahead on purpose you need to book separate accommodation and file for divorce before you waste even more of your time.”

Yet, there was also a voice of dissent, with one person suggesting: “I’d like to hear both sides of the story. Zero context and roasting online? Red flag.”

Dale Smith is planning to move his family to Thailand with ‘nothing but a bag of clothes’ to seek a better quality of life – and he’s urged others not to live ‘in regret’

A father-of-two is ready to uproot his family from the UK and move to Thailand with “nothing but a bag of clothes”, as he seeks an enhanced life quality and urges others not to live “in regret”. Dale Smith, 37, along with his wife, Kim, 36, and their children Noah, 10, and Molly, eight, has grown tired of feeling “trapped” and dissatisfied with life in Britain, where his earnings are consumed by escalating expenses and his kids are unhappy with their schooling.

The frustrated HGV driver shared that he and his brood are itching to shake off the monotony of counting down to weekends – and they’ve set their sights on Thailand’s “beautiful scenery” and “incredible food” for a fresh start. The family’s plan involves selling their three-bedroom house, a 2015 Ford Focus, and almost all their gadgets and belongings to fund their relocation, dreaming of touching down in Bangkok armed with merely “a bag of clothes” and a nest egg.

Opting for homeschooling over traditional education, Dale intends to integrate the children with fellow expatriate communities abroad, hoping that Noah and Molly will embrace “learn new languages and learn about new cultures”. Dale’s been documenting his venture on TikTok, with his most viewed video, explaining his motives for leaving, like the soaring cost of living and dismal weather, amassing over one million views.

Feeling “terrified” yet “excited” the family has eyed November to kickstart the plan, with ambitions to list their Nottinghamshire house on the market come August.

“Don’t live your life in regret,” Dale urged. “If you want to do something like this, don’t be afraid, don’t give up. It scares me to death to think we’re just chasing this dream of ‘one day this will happen’ or ‘when we’re retired it will be nice’. We need to embrace this and enjoy our lives, we’ve got nothing to lose.”

Seeking an escape, Dale said that his family feel “trapped” and “fed up” with life in Britain. He said: “We just want to break out of this routine, I feel like life is just flying by. You wake up on a Monday, you’re fed up and you can’t wait for the weekend – you’re wishing the days away.”

Dale has also grown disenchanted due to increasing crime rates and living costs, declaring the UK “not a nice place to live any more”. He added: “The prices of everything are going up and the streets are a state.”

He discussed a career shift to HGV driving which initially “doubled” his income a few years ago, but it didn’t lead to financial freedom. He said: “That extra money is just going on bills, the bills have now doubled – you’re banging your head against a brick wall.”

Dale and his family are set to shake things up by moving to Thailand, with his two children reportedly keen on the idea “straight away”. “I think this is the right time for them, they don’t enjoy school here and they find it a bit pointless,” he said.

Dale and Kim plan to homeschool their kids in Thailand, focusing on English, basic maths, and subjects they’re passionate about, like history, video editing, and photography.

“Kids are sponges, so hopefully they will start learning the Thai language,” he said. “Noah and Molly will still have the opportunity to do their GCSEs if they want to, we’re not holding them back on anything in relation to their education.”

To cover the travel expenses, Dale revealed that the family intends to land in Thailand with minimal possessions. They’re looking to sell their house, car, electronics, and most belongings – keeping only sentimental items stored with relatives in the UK.

“We plan to go to Thailand with nothing but a bag of clothes, because what else would we need?” he said. Although the family’s travel plans aren’t set in stone, they aim to depart the UK by November, contingent on selling their house, which they hope to list in August.

Dale revealed they’ve been knee-deep in “loads” of research for their visa applications, flights, and desired destinations, anticipating a one-week stint in Bangkok before settling down the coast in Hua Hin for several months.

“We need to base ourselves somewhere cheap for a month or two to try and figure out our spending costs – from there, we’ll work out where we’ll go next,” he said. The thrill of “adventure” is what Dale is looking forward to most during their explorations.

“I don’t like having things planned, every day we’ll be waking up wondering what we are going to do today,” he admitted. Dale also spoke about his hope to rent a furnished property abroad, easing one potential worry: “one thing (they) don’t have to worry about”.

With close family back in the UK, Dale hinted at a possible return, “it depends” leaving their plans open-ended. “That’s the joy of doing what we are doing, we can come back if we need to and spend quality time with our relatives,” he said.

Although Dale chose not to disclose the amount saved for the journey, he remains confident they have sufficient funds for a couple of years. He’s also chronicling their adventurous leap on TikTok and YouTube via @4go.traveling, which might bolster their budget with “a little bit of extra income”.

His TikTok has gone viral, racking up a staggering 1.5 million views, featuring Dale in his car, sharing his reasons to move abroad – and it’s struck a chord with viewers who’ve also left the UK.

“I think it’ll be fun,” he said. “It’s scary and I’m terrified, but I think it’ll be amazing – especially for the children. We’ll have a better quality of life, we’ll be more present with the kids, the weather will be nicer and the scenery will be prettier – it’s a no-brainer.”

A mum has been praised as a ‘genius’ after sharing the main activity she packed to keep her baby occupied during their three-hour flight from Germany to Spain – and it’s not what you might expect

If you’re going on a family holiday anytime soon, you’ll probably know parents or guardians often face the added challenge that come with travelling with babies. This will become extra nerve-wracking if it’s their first flight so you don’t know how they’ll react.

While parents are often armed with a selection of toys and activities to entertain their kids in the cabin, it’s a whole different experience when it comes to keeping babies entertained. While popular tips usually include packing their favourite things to play with or timing flights to coincide with nap time for keeping infants happy mid-flight, sometimes it pays to have an extra trick up your sleeve.

One creative mum known as Lala, took to TikTok, where she has over 6.1 million followers, to share her unique life hack for keeping her seven-month-old daughter amused on their recent three-hour flight from Germany to Spain.

“If you don’t pack a head of lettuce for your next flight with your baby, what are you even doing?” Lala said in her video while packing a head of sweet gem lettuce into a zip lock bag.

The video then cut to Lala and her partner getting onto the plane with their sleeping baby snuggled up in her arms. She went on to explain the little one slept through take-off, only to wake later on as they soared high above the ground, which is when they introduced the lettuce.

“Whenever we want to eat in peace at home, we always give her a piece of lettuce, and it always keeps her occupied for so long. And I thought, if it works at home, why would it not work on a plane?” Lala said as she showed their baby the lettuce before letting her tear off a leaf.

Lala added: “She loves tearing things, like anything really. Like, bread, paper, tissue, anything. But bread is way too messy, like there are crumbs everywhere. And with paper or tissue, we always have to keep an eye on her that she doesn’t eat it. But lettuce, lettuce is genius.”

Continuing, she expressed how the lettuce provided a fun and unique texture for the infant to explore, as well as being a healthy, hydrating snack if wanted to taste it.

“This kept her occupied almost the entire flight,” Lala revealed. “She had so much fun, and the best part when it’s time to clean up, you can just eat it. This way, I’m not only entertaining my baby but I’m also getting my greens in.”

Lala then shared: “We were so nervous about her first flight at first, but this was such an amazing experience for us. She did so well, she was just having fun the entire flight and we’re so proud of her.”

The comment section of the video soon filled with comments from viewers sharing their take on the clever hack for in-flight entertainment.

One person joked: “I have a 14 hour flight with my baby next month. I’ll just bring a whole field,” while another added: “Plus points cause it helps her develop her fine motor skills.”

A fellow mum wrote: “You Lala have just unlocked a whole new toy for all of us mums out there thank you.”

“That’s effing genius! I’m trying this on the next flight!” another viewer wrote.

Beach lovers looking for a ‘peaceful’ spot that’s ideal for a day out or watching beautiful summer sunsets

Blackpool is one of the UK’s most beloved holiday resorts, home to a gorgeous sandy beach and other attractions. However, beachgoers looking for a seaside getaway might also love a lesser-known beach found nearby.

St Annes Beach is well worth a visit for holidaymakers or day-trippers who find themselves near Lytham St Annes. The smaller resort is a short drive from Blackpool and less than 90 minutes by car from central Manchester. Visitors love the “peaceful” beach, recommending it as the perfect spot to watch the sun go down in the summer.

Posting online as @hannxhml, a Manchester-based blogger shared a video praising the beach. Her video said: “You found the most peaceful beach one hour away from Manchester.” Her caption continued: “This beach was so clean and quiet, definitely recommend for a day trip and for amazing sunset views!”

She added: “It is a bit of a walk to the water so it’s worth noting if you want to swim, but it made for a nice walk.” Elsewhere, a blogger who posts on TikTok as @zahidrahman also praised the beach. He wrote: “St anne’s beach – only 1hr from manchester – must visit this summer to watch the sunset.”

Both videos impressed viewers, who agreed the beach makes for a great day out. Someone replied: “What a beautiful beach.” Another response read: “One of my favourite places.”

Someone shared: “Love it there. My friend lives in Lytham St Annes I’m honestly jealous,” and a commenter joked: “Takes 4 days to reach the water. Amazing beach though.”

Visit St Annes says the beach is lovely year-round, though it shines brightest during the summer months. The website says: “Huge, open acres of golden sand front against a traditional Victorian seaside seafront at St Annes.

“It’s a lovely place to enjoy a stroll, look around the gardens, and take in the seaside vibe. Listen to children playing and soak up the fresh air and weather. Lovely at any time of the year, it really comes into its own when the sun shines!”

The beach has an average rating of 4.5 out of five stars on TripAdvisor, and it’s also ranked as the number one thing to do in the area. One recent review said: “St Annes’s beach is gem of place. We had booked 2 huts.

“Majority time spent on beach. Kids enjoyed. Well equipped and maintained facilities. Clean toilets. Only missed is the sea water was too far away. Did try to walk towards but were unsure about tide time so came back. Must visit.”

Someone else wrote: “A lovely spacious beach. We have also rented the beach huts in the past. Check the tide times as the sea is rarely seen here but it’s because it’s in an estuary.

“Parking is accessible, they have lovely cafes all around and you will have fun here for sure. Very compact sand just a little bit in. Pillowy closer to the edges.”

Jo and Martin were given a stern warning by their resort hotel

A holidaying couple were left furious at a hotel’s ‘unfair rules’ when it comes to sunbeds. Jo and Martin travelled to the resort town of Salou, near Barcelona, Spain, for one week.

But while staying at the four-star, £140-per-night H10 Salauris Palace, the couple were hit with ‘stern warning cards’. After leaving their sunbeds for 30 minutes, they came back to find a warning card left on their towels.

Jo said, “When you leave your sunbed for 30 minutes, yet others leave theirs for two plus hours and nothing gets done to them.”

She added: “Two-tier sunbed policing at the H10 Salauris Palace, Salou.”

The clip went viral on TikTok with 235,000 views and dozens of comments. One local said, “Thirty minutes? Hardly time to go for lunch before you need to come back.”

“At least somewhere with rules with sunbeds though, but probably should be after one hour,” added another. Jess joked: “I would place it on someone else’s.”

Jo, who jetted from Belfast International Airport, near where they live, also shared a video of the hotel’s sunbeds appearing to be fully reserved early in the morning.

She advised others: “Unless you get down to the pool at 6 am, you won’t get a good location for your lounger.” One follower said: “We are in a five-star in Lanzarote and despite rules saying no allocating sun loungers, most have towels on by 8 am.”

Pete suggested: “Just move them.” Regina added: “Go somewhere a bit nicer than Salou, then problem solved.”

Jo, known as ‘Grump’ online, also complained about holidaymakers using large pegs to pin down their towel on a windy day. She fumed: “What is it with these giant pegs on sunbeds that annoyed me so much?

“We survived without these for years before!”

However, many of her followers disagreed. One follower said: “Nahhh, they’re amazing. Best fiver I ever spent. Mine are watermelons.”

Camille added: “They are actually quite handy, loved mine, didn’t have to keep fixing the towel!” Andie remarked, “I have watermelon and flamingo ones, which makes your sunbed look quite pretty.”

The H10 Salauris Palace has been approached for comment.

AN expert has analysed the awkward moment Brigitte Macron “refuses” her husband.

It comes several months after she appeared to slap Emmanuel as they prepared to disembark a plane in Vietnam.

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Emmanuel and his wife Brigitte have arrived in the UK ahead of tonight’s state banquet at Windsor Castle.

However, footage of the pair arriving suggests there could be tension between them according to body language expert Judi James.

After Emmanuel is safely on solid ground, he turns around to offer his arm to his wife as she descends the stairs from the plane.

Yet Brigitte refuses Emmanuel’s gesture, leaving him awkwardly holding his arm in mid-air.

The pair then begin to greet members of the Royal Family who have been awaiting their arrival.

Judi said: “Macron appeared determined to take a joyfully tactile approach to everyone he met today, with exception of his wife.

She added that Brigitte looked “less charmed by her husband’s attempts at a more tactile approach, refusing his offer of a hand to help as she stepped down from the plane”.

While Brigitte does smile at her husband once she’s by his side, the couple quickly begin greeting their hosts.

Emmanuel leads, greeting Prince William first.

Judi said: “His greeting ritual for William was almost intimate enough to suggest he was family.

“He clasped William’s hand for several long seconds, using his left hand to perform a volley of add-on pats and clasps as he did so, each one suggesting close bonding and familiarity.”

After placing his hand over William’s, he then moves it to the prince’s lower arm.

This “intensified the familiarity signals” according to Judi, as Emmanuel moves his hand above William’s elbow before moving it back down to the lower arm.

Emmanuel then moves on to greet Kate, while Brigitte in turn greets William.

In a “creakingly out of date ritual” according to Judi, Emmanuel leans down to kiss the back of Kate’s hand.

Judi said: “This gesture looks gallant but it leaves the woman being kissed with little option but to giggle prettily.”

While Emmanuel leaned down to kiss Kate’s hand, Charles instead raises Brigitte’s hand to his lips, as he “gazes adoringly” Judi said.

Calling back to the rumoured Vietnam slap, Judi said: “Was this the hand she shoved her husband with back in Vietnam?

“If so, Charles was clearly busy charming it into submission.”

In a similarly familial gesture, Emmanuel went on to pat Charles’ upper arm “in a gesture of macho unity”.

The procession precedes tonight’s state banquet in which 160 guests will dine at Windsor Castle to celebrate the relationship between France and Britain.

Princess Kate and Prince William will both be in attendance for the fabulous event.

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There’s a reason Nate Jackson’s debut Netflix special arrives during barbecue season. Perched on a stool under the spotlight at his shows, the comedian spends most of the evening delivering hospital-worthy third-degree burns to crowd members who want the smoke. If you lock eyes with him in the first five rows, chances are you even paid extra to be his next victim by sitting in “the roast zone.”

During a recent pair of packed, back-to-back gigs at the Wiltern last month, the Tacoma-bred comic made full use of his flame-throwing abilities to torch his highest-paying L.A. fans over their questionable fashion choices, weird haircuts and bad teeth. As the evening progresses he dives deeper, extracting more information and grilling them about their personal lives and romantic relationships with a camera zoomed in on them, broadcasting their faces on a jumbo screen if they were at a Dodger game. When everything works right, Jackson finds a way to weave the stories of his random burn victims together in a way that makes the whole show feel pre-planned. Meanwhile, even as Jackson is busy making fans the butt of his comedic freestyle, the person laughing the hardest is usually the roastee. It’s the mark of good crowd work that’s not simply well done but more importantly done well.

This ride of the unpredictable twists and turns is given the same spotlight and attention in his special as his pre-written jokes in a way that keeps the pace engaging while making his audience the stars of the show. It makes his debut “Nate Jackson: Super Funny” a testament to the style and the brand of comedy he’s grown from a weekly comedy night to a brick-and-mortar comedy club and now a Netflix special that bears the same name.

Speaking of names … no, he didn’t interview himself for this story. But a journalist and the comedian swapping professions for a day or two could be funny. Whaddaya think, Nate?

Recently Nate Jackson spoke to Nate Jackson about his career coming up in the Tacoma comedy scene, refining his ability to improv on shows like MTV’s “Wild ‘N Out” and using his crowd work skills to go viral on TikTok.

This conversation was edited for length and clarity.

Well, well … Nate Jackson.

Nate Jackson.

I heard about you, man.

When I Google me … we come up. What is the likelihood of that?

It’s been my whole career — searching “our name.”

Then there’s a random guy [another Nate Jackson] playing a guitar and then all of the sudden, a third-string Denver Bronco [also named Nate Jackson] wants to write a book about playing football while high, and then he takes over the front three pages of our name.

No worries, us doing this interview together will definitely help us both surge in Google rankings.

So you’re Nate Jackson. I’m Nate Jackson Jr., and my dad is [also named] Nate Jackson. So this is a lot of Nate Jackson.

Some Nate-ception going on!

[Laughs] Bars!

Congrats on your latest special, “Nate Jackson: Super Funny.”

What’d you think?

I thought that it was a great balance of what everyone’s seeing on you on their phones [via TikTok] recently, and it also shows people what you spent your entire career doing in comedy before social media. You’re able to convey the level of crowd work you do in a live setting really well. I know a lot of people say, “Oh, crowd work is so easy to do,” but is it actually really hard?

Oh no, it’s easy to do. It’s hard to do right.

“Organic [humor] wins almost every single time when you’re writing material. One of the main challenges is making it so that it’s consumable by the masses,” Jackson said. “You want to write about things that people can relate to.”

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

How did it start for you with the crowd work becoming a central part of your act?

It never was a thing I wanted to go to as a central part of my act. I fought against that concept. If you work on a joke for three months, you want that to work more than the thing you just walked out [on stage] and said, “Look at that light flickering.” But you can’t control what is going to hit harder. Organic [humor] wins almost every single time when you’re writing material. One of the main challenges is making it so that it’s consumable by the masses. You want to write about things that people can relate to. You want to be relatable, right? Well, what’s more relatable than, “It’s hot in here, and we can all feel it.”

How did you get started in the Tacoma comedy scene?

I started because I had a room in Tacoma, Washington. I had a lot of rooms in Washington, and I consolidated them into a Thursday night, and it was the “Super Funny Comedy Show,” which is now the “Super Funny Comedy Club.” But it was every Thursday, and I was young enough in my career that I was like, I need to produce a show that would pack this place out, and I don’t have the skill set to be the [driving force] yet. But I can host; I can add a live band. I need my headliners coming from somewhere else. So that’s why we had [big names like] Lil Rel, Tiffany Haddish, Leslie Jones, Deon Cole. So Tacoma was spoiled by the lineups that came and did [my] Thursday night.

In doing that, every week I could write, but I could not keep up with the pacing of having a monologue every Thursday. [I was] a new comic without my voice. So I abandoned that. Sometimes I would make a joke and then say, “Now I’m just gonna mess with who’s in front of me.” And that [crowd work] muscle started to pulsate. Then I added a little improv to it. Then it I said, “All right, this next [set] I’m gonna go up with [no material]. I’m gonna go up naked and I’m coming off with a ‘W.’” It got to where people are like, “Yo, I kind of like it when you just freestyle.”

So doing improv on stage led to you freestyle roasting people?

It didn’t necessarily need to be a roast. I could be [a joke on] something I saw on the news that day. They just want to see me create — to just pick up the newspaper and then go off that. I’m like, “Guys, that’s a slap in the face to when I’m putting three, four hours in at Starbucks, working on the writing and making sure the punch lines are all there.” But it’s the same thing I’m doing with the crowd work content. I don’t just mess with people for the sake of messing with them. I am getting information to then plug into a setup. Now we’re in a comedy structure where it’s act out and mix up a set up, a punch line, etc. I want to make it worth slowing down the pacing that I would have if I was the only one talking and dictating the energy.

When I go to somebody, it is now at their pacing. They can take four minutes on the answer, and people are now fidgeting in the crowd. I’m like, “Come on now, hey, come on.” You got to keep it moving; that’s the rule to what’s happening onstage. It can go slow, but we need to feel like we’re going from point A in a story or an interaction to point B. Sometimes maybe I’m going from point A to point C, and I hit you with some misdirection in there, then, wham to point C and all connects. People are like, “Wait, so the last 10 minutes was a setup?!” That’s what I pride myself on. So you, how do just say, “Oh, that’s crowd work” — is it?

“I think that what I’m doing it is the evolution of stand-up,” Jackson said. “You [can’t] go on stage and just do your set the same way — the way you practice it in your mirror — in front of a blinding light, where you can’t even see [the crowd].”

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

It’s definitely more than what people ascribe to it as a part of a show. It turns the fans into the show in a way that they can walk away feeling good about — even if they’ve been roasted.

And that’s on me, because I could just be malicious and leave it bad. But I always, I try to uplift. I’m a “Que,” a member of Omega Psi Phi [fraternity]. It’s one of our principles, “to uplift.” I don’t want you to leave the show being like, “Man, I’ll never watch a show again.” No, it should be like, “Okay, [he roasted me], but we had fun.” I’m not trying to beat up on people.

I wanted to talk about the role TikTok played in your recent glow-up in comedy over the last few years. How did it help you develop as a comedian?

I just started showing [my skills]. Once you start showing it, you’re not a secret anymore. Comics would come to Tacoma — which is off the beaten path — and then be like, “There’s a guy up there that even as a host you need to have, you need to be ready to follow, because he’s just — he’s literally just up there winging it, and he’s on fire.” Everyone in comedy knows the guy or the girl, and that was kind of what the stigma became. I was one of comedy’s best-kept secrets. People would come up [to my comedy shows], they would see my razzle-dazzle, they would take little bits of my recipe and add it to their stuff. And so I would watch people years later and be like, “Really … really?!” Don’t come up here and take my sauce and then, because you got more shine than me, use it. It takes a lot to just be the person that can handle that and not develop a chip on the shoulder. But if I’m the creator, if I’m their origin and I’m the source of [my style of comedy], then I have no issue continuing to create.

People were just like, “You need to get online!” I was like, “I am! I have every app and I’m tired now. How many things I gotta manage?” And it just got to the point where I was like, “Alright, let me get on. Let me do TikTok. That’s the app where people are following.” I saw friends that were having wild success on there, and I was like, alright, I’ll try it. And sure enough, within six or seven clips — the seventh [clip] hit. It wasn’t mega viral or anything, but it did more than my average video was doing over on on Instagram. I said, there’s something to this. And I stayed on it. And then things kept it [growing]. And so I was watching, and the needle was moving. And so here we are.

How often would you post clips on TikTok when you started using it?

I was posting at least once a day. That is not easy, because you got to get your sound right, your video needs to be quality, and then you got to pull it, edit it, and caption the words that are on the screen. There’s AI now, but all of us who were doing this [before AI] would laugh about it and be like,“When do you caption?” We’ll watch a movie and literally just be captioning. For a five-minute video, a four-minute video, I’m talking about exhaustion … Now, you plug that thing in [with AI] and the whole thing is done. Thank God, or thank computer. I don’t know who [I] was supposed to thank in that scenario, but it streamlined the process so much more content can come out now. What took me all night long to get one clip out — now we do three a day. Or two a day now, at the very least.

We talk about how AI can be a threat to original entertainment, including comedy. But are there ways AI and social media have changed the art form for the better?

Yes, and we can do so much more. We can now edit a whole podcast in two minutes. You would think it’s getting rid of jobs, and in theory it should be, but it should make one person be able to do so much more. Instead of someone losing the job, we have the capacity to put out way more content. So let’s keep all of our employees, but let’s now do 180% times more work. Also as far as AI goes, I’m okay if we stop right now for two years. Let’s just stop right now … before we legitimately are in a plot of “Terminator.”

With the type of show you’re doing now, where do you see the future of comedy going?

“Live your life to the fullest. Love hard, play hard,” Jackson said. “We only got one shot at this. I left it all out on the stage. That’s exactly how we should live every day.”

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

I think that what I’m doing it is the evolution of stand-up. You [can’t] go on stage and just do your set the same way — the way you practice it in your mirror — in front of a blinding light, where you can’t even see [the crowd]. What’s the difference between being in front of seven people or 70,000 people? It feels exactly the same. I think there’s a detachment between the person and the people. We’ve seen the guys that are such glitzy superstars — that just being there to watch it, that’s the presence you want to be in. But with human interaction, every show is different. You have to be malleable and loose. You can’t do your set, 1-2-3-4-5 — you gotta be able to go 5-3-2-1-4, with different segues on the fly.

What’s a better mechanic, the one that does the same 14 diagnostic steps no matter what car comes in, or the one that opens the hood and listens and goes, “[Your car needs a] timing belt, gimme a timing belt”? Let’s say you have five jokes — your hot five. Three [jokes] are about your cat, one’s about your mom and one is about a motorcycle. And you walk out on stage and there’s a motorcycle club in the front four rows. Do you get off of your normal order and establish rapport with the audience by moving your motorcycle joke to the front, or do you set yourself up for failure by talking about your new cat for three jokes to a motorcycle gang? They’ll listen to you if they like you. So get what will establish that first — be malleable.

A lot of new fans of yours may not know, but you’ve had experience with improv years ago in the “Wild ‘N Out” days [on MTV during Season 8, circa 2016]. What’s it like taking those skills you learned on TV and moving it to your own specials, podcasts and social media in this new era?

It’s all “yes, and …” We take the current situation and go, “What else can we add?” We’re just building … the real talent, the expertise comes in when they build, and it’s also a pivot, like the segue you just did right now to get into this topic. So kudos to “Wild ‘N Out” to being able to procure and find all of us and put us together. But all of us obviously had something, otherwise how do you catch the eye of a network showrunner? Shout out to Nile Evans and everybody that’s a part of procuring the talent that ends up being the stars of tomorrow. We can be like, “Oh, it’s a little urban hip-hop show.” Or we can be real about the fact that Katt Williams and Kevin Hart and all these people have come down the halls of that show. I would argue “Wild ‘N Out’s” alumni that have hit are as decorated or more than “In Living Color.”

This special feels like just a big culmination of your career right now. What’s something you would want people to take away from it after watching?

Live your life to the fullest. Love hard, play hard. We only got one shot at this. I left it all out on the stage. That’s exactly how we should live every day. Bert Kreischer said [my new special] made him miss doing stand-up … that is so powerful. The best comics make you go, “Why didn’t I think of that?” or, “God, I gotta write!” He didn’t watch it and go, “You know who you remind me of?” I think that’s not flattering. He watched and said, “I gotta get down on my stuff.” I don’t know if it’s like, “Oh, this kid’s coming,” or if it’s just a, “I respect what you do, I appreciate it, and it made me want to get back on my stuff.” I feel like it’s more the latter, but there’s going to be some of that “OK, this kid’s coming.” There’s going to be nothing you can do because I’m coming, whether you like this special or not.

A woman was left furious when a fellow plane passenger tried to ban her from using one of the features of her seat on an overnight flight, meaning she struggled to get any sleep

Trying to keep everyone happy on a flight isn’t always easy. Planes are notoriously uncomfortable places, as you often don’t have much space to spread out and relax, and you’re surrounded by strangers for several hours. Not to mention that these strangers can often have bad manners that make the whole trip a painstaking ordeal.

But one woman was left feeling “shaken up” after a recent flight on which she was confronted by another passenger who was furious at her for attempting to use one of the features available to everyone on the aircraft. The other passenger told her she couldn’t recline her seat – despite the flight being an overnight one where almost everyone wanted to sleep.

In a post on Reddit, the woman explained she tried to recline her seat so that she could go to sleep, but her chair “popped back upright” as the other woman behind her was “shoving it forward” to prevent her from reclining.

The woman eventually got her seat to recline, but the other passenger was livid – accusing her of reclining “too far back”.

She wrote: “I tried to recline my seat, and it popped back upright. I tried again and realised the lady behind me was shoving my seat forward. I tried again, and she yelled at me that I couldn’t recline my seat.

“I was very shaken up by the interaction, so I just stayed upright for like 10 minutes until I could see a flight attendant nearby. I was able to quickly recline and have my chair click into place so she couldn’t shove it forward.

“She raised her voice at me again, and I told her everyone on the whole plane gets to recline their seat. She said I was reclining too far back, though I told her my seat was in the same position as the person sitting in front of me.”

The woman said the ordeal made her feel “so uncomfortable” and stopped her from getting much rest on the plane.

She also clarified that the woman was “petite” so shouldn’t have been affected by the reclined seat, especially as a taller man next to her was also telling her to “calm down”.

Commenters on the post were sympathetic to both sides of the situation.

Many said that it’s a “doomed situation” either way as planes often don’t have enough legroom for people to be comfortable when seats are reclined, but conceded that it’s a passenger’s choice whether to recline their own seat or not.

One person said: “It’s such a doomed situation all around. [With] some people, you are literally crushing their legs, and it’s horrifically uncomfortable to sit fully upright if you nod off. Aeroplane hell.”

Another added: “Airlines are responsible for our conflict. Either give all of us more room or remove the reclining seat option.”

While a third posted: “If the seats are able to recline, people are going to recline in them… it’s a pretty simple concept. Sorry you had to deal with that passenger, but I’m glad you kept your seat reclined.”

Celebrities and the world’s toddlers adore the long-running Aussie children’s TV entertainers, but now in it’s third reincarnation, the punishing schedule has taken its toll on the kiddie supergroup

Robert De Niro, Dolly Parton and Jessie J are fans, they’re worth millions and play sell-out concerts around the world. The Wiggles – aka The Beatles for toddlers – are a preschooler’s entertainment juggernaut that has taken over the world.

They’ve got a new country album out, Wiggle Up Giddy Up, featuring two songs with the rhinestone queen herself, Dolly Parton. And tickets to their current world tour are hotter than an Oasis reunion gig.

They have previously sold out Madison Square Garden in New York for 12 days in a row and, ahead of this week’s show in the US, Hollywood legend De Niro, 81, was granted a backstage pass with his two-year-old daughter, Gia, to meet her idol – founder member, Anthony Field (Blue Wiggle).

Like most people over the age of five, De Niro didn’t have a clue about this global phenomenon until he had Gia with professional martial artist girlfriend Tiffany Chen, 45.

The Wiggles sang their classic banger Rock-A-Bye Your Bear for the veteran actor’s family, which drew a rare smile. And De Niro admitted: “I didn’t know of them until I started seeing them and my daughter loves to watch them… but they’re great!”

With the advent of YouTube and the arrival of their shows on Netflix, a new British audience is embracing The Wiggles.

When they came to the UK recently, Jessie J met them with her son Sky and was treated to some of the Tree of Wisdom’s viral TikTok dance moves.

They’re also part of a wave of Australian children’s TV, like Bluey, that is captivating British kids, giving them Aussie accents and pushing CBeebies off the map.

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Borkowski PR’s Gregor Cubie expects his 19-month-old to join the fan club soon, and wonders if ‘Aussie-ness’ is the magic ingredient wooing international audiences.

“In the same way that Bluey is almost universally popular and accessible, The Wiggles’ sheer Aussie-ness might work in their favour when it comes to their reputation,” he says.

But, scratch the surface, according to Gregor, and you’ll find a long-running supergroup, dogged by controversy, ill health and accusations of “going woke”.

One of Australia’s most successful exports, The Wiggles take it in turns with pop sensation Kylie Minogue and Hollywood actor Russell Crowe to top the Aussie rich list.

Majority owner Anthony is estimated to be worth £25m, on top of the £10 million a year the band rakes in from tours, TV shows, new releases, merchandise and sponsorships.

They have their own TV series Ready, Steady, Wiggle, have produced 62 studio albums, sold 40 million books, CDs and DVDS, and attracted more than 5 billion views on YouTube and 3 billion streams across various music services.

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They’ve been making ear-worm sing-a-long pop since 1991, when kindergarten teaching students Anthony and Jeff Fatt, who were members of the R&B pop band the Cockroaches, and got together with two fellow students – Murray Cook and Greg Page – in Sydney, to make an album of simple, catchy songs for pre-schoolers

After Anthony’s infant niece tragically died from sudden infant death syndrome, the Cockroaches disbanded.

One of the songs Anthony wrote, Get Ready to Wiggle, inspired the new band’s name because they thought “wiggling” describes how children dance.

“We met at university doing a course in early childhood – this connection with music and teaching is what became The Wiggles,” explains Anthony.

While The Wiggles has evolved since those early days, the four original members hold a special place in people’s hearts – Anthony and Jeff Fatt (Purple Wiggle), Murray Cook (Red Wiggle) and Greg Page (Yellow Wiggle). And their hits like Hot Potato and Fruit Salad, were toddler dance floor fillers for the next two decades.

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While members have changed, the primary colours of red, yellow, blue and purple that they wear is no doubt the secret of the Wiggles’ success with the ankle biters.

In Hot Potato: The Story of the Wiggles 2023 documentary, Anthony says: “It doesn’t matter who wears the skivvies, as long as we reflect our audience and communicate with children.”

Like any band, they had to break America to go truly global – and when the Disney Channel played them four times a day to their 85 million subscribers, their success was meteoric. All of a sudden, they were playing 10,000 seater arenas.

PR, Gregor puts their success down to a “combination of their prolific output with its ceaseless ability to hypnotise toddlers”.

He adds: “Also, a less extreme version of the Royal Family’s ‘never complain, never explain’ approach. Instead of saying nothing, they say the bare minimum and carry on as if nothing happened.

“You rarely see naval-gazing and the consistency and popularity of their work keeps generations of kids coming back for more.”

While there aren’t many skeletons to rattle in The Wiggle cupboards, behind their happy faces and signature finger point, members have been dogged by setbacks.

Controversies include the Hot Potato incident two years ago, when a council in Western Australia played their famous song on loop to deter anti-social behaviour at a homeless shelter.

The Wiggles complained, saying their music should only be used to “spread joy and happiness” but the damage was done.

But the fact De Niro was happy to be pictured with The Wiggles is a massive endorsement.

“Robert De Niro seems increasingly like the kind of guy who considers how his every public appearance and utterance might affect his legacy, so it’s a pretty major stamp of approval that he’s happy to be publicly associated with the Wiggles. Fundamentally they are free of reputation risk,” says Gregor.

“The irony is that the Wiggles have had a few controversies which are fairly stereotypical of long-running bands – walkouts, inter-band marriages and divorces; allegations that a song is racially insensitive, accusations of going ‘woke.’ They’ve been ruthlessly parodied on 30 Rock and, of course, the Hot Potato incident was unpleasant.”

For members of The Wiggles, the squeaky clean expectations can be tricky.

“During my time in The Wiggles, I was out at a gig one night and I was having a drink, and the next day a newspaper reported: ‘The Wiggles member caught having a beer’, and that was a shock. I am an adult!” says Murray.

And doing 400 to 500 shows a year – cramming up to three gigs into a single day – took its toll on the original members, with Jeff, Murray and Greg retiring for health reasons in 2012.

A mystery illness forced Greg to leave in 2006. He was replaced by Sam Morans, but came back in 2012. Then he suffered a heart attack on stage during a 2020 reunion show. That same year, Murray had open heart surgery.

Revealing his own struggles, Anthony released a memoir Out Of The Blue last year, detailing the years of mental and physical health problems he’s suffered, including depression, undiagnosed ADHD and chronic pain.

Yet Field created a second generation of Wiggles with Simon Pryce (Red Wiggle), Lachlan Gillespie (Purple Wiggle) and the first female, Emma Watkins (Yellow Wiggle).

“We might be responsible for their first experience of music,” says Emma, speaking about their responsibility to their tiny fans

Sadly, trouble soon upended their paradise, as shortly after Yellow Wiggle Emma married Purple Wiggle Lachie, they divorced and she left the group not long after.

Another shake-up in 2021 saw 15-year-old Tsehay Hawkins becoming Yellow Wiggle.

Now 62, Anthony is the only remaining original Wiggle, in a group of eight performers – Tsehay, Lachlan, and Simon, as well as Caterina Mete, Lucia Field, Simon Pryce, Evie Ferris, John Pearce – who are as gender-diverse and racially-diverse as their millions of fans.

Costumed characters, played by the more junior Wiggles, include Dorothy the Dinosaur, Henry the Octopus, Wags the Dog, and Captain Feathersword.

While some of the newer members say their estimated £72,000 earnings are a fraction of the big bucks of the original members, they have given the group a bigger presence on social media, where the Tree of Wisdom (played by Anthony’s nephew, Dominic Field) regularly goes viral on TikTok, with his exuberant dance moves.

And, in recent years, they’ve been noticing something new – a generational crossover, as kids grow up, but remain fans.

Dorothy the Dinosaur is also now a DJ, who remixes the original Wiggles classics for the older audience. And they’ve been getting down with the cool kids – covering songs by Fatboy Slim, White Stripes and Tame Impala’s Elephant.

“We’re bringing back happy memories,” says Anthony. “And it’s a real privilege to do that.”

Altogether now, kids, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle!

Classic kids TV groups down the years:

The Monkees, 1960s – Four cute surfer boys Davy Jones, Mickey Donlenz, Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith running around in zany plots to brilliant pop tracks, in a sitcom that captured the spirit of the era.

The Banana Splits, 1970s – Four costumed animal characters who’d perform songs and comedy skits in a psychedelic world, was just as weird and fun as it sounds. The makers had clearly been on the wacky baccy.

Rainbow, 1980s – Presenter Geoffrey and his camp puppets Zippy, George and Bungle and hippy singers Rod, Jane and Freddy took us “Up above the streets and houses, Rainbow climbing high” every week. I still miss them.

Teletubbies, 1990s – Some called it the most disturbing children’s show on TV – but even now millions of babies are glued to repeats of these four tubby aliens, Tinky-Winky, Dipsy, Laa-laa, and Po, with coat hangers on their heads living on a mini golf course.

Zingzillas, 2000s – Puppet monkey band Zak, Tang, Panzee and Drum lived on a tropical island and made real music together and introduced tots to rock, soul, jazz and samba styles – along with some dodgy titles like Do You Didgeridoo?

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The twins who played Ross and Rachel’s baby on Friends have shared where they are now 22 years after the iconic show ended – and they’ve gone down very different career paths

The unforgettable episodes of Friends that took us on an emotional journey with Ross and Rachel, played by David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston. The couple who were famously ‘on a break’ and each other’s ‘lobsters’, also brought us the joy of baby Emma Geller-Green.

Twin sisters Athena Conley and Alexandra Conley were just six months old when they took on the role of the beloved baby from the end of season 8 through season 9. So what actually happened to the actresses who played the tiny tot?

Fast forward to today, and the twins are now 23 years old and thriving. And they look part on their sitcom experience very fondly.

Hailing from Long Beach, California, the sisters landed the part after their mother learned of the audition through a friend in a twins club.

In an interview with People, Athena revealed: “So she told my mom about it and she was like, ‘You should just take your daughters to L.A. just for one day.’ And it wasn’t far from us at all, so she did.”

After having their photos taken at the audition, the twins and their mother were on their way out when they received the news that they had been cast.

They went on to appear in 10 episodes, before being replaced as the show required an older actress to portray Emma as she grew.

Alexandra opened up to People, revealing: “It’s actually crazy because growing up, I always just knew I was on Friends, but I didn’t really know what that meant.

“It didn’t hit me, I think until like maybe like middle school or even like early high school, how big that was.”

The twins have since become “obsessed” with the iconic sitcom and are regular viewers.

Despite their early brush with fame, they’ve stepped back from acting to focus on their new careers as recent university graduates.

Alexandra has made Los Angeles her home, where she’s carving out a career in social media and marketing for a cosmetics company. Her Instagram is a vibrant collage of travel snapshots and snippets of social gatherings with mates.

She’s also quite the dancer, often teaming up with her sister for dance videos. Alexandra’s influence extends to a collaboration with Kim Kardashian’s Skims, which she promotes on her TikTok account.

Athena, on the other hand, has settled in Denver and seems to be thriving in her busy life.

Her professional path has led her to a role as an investment control reconciler at a financial firm. Impressively, she’s also a cheerleader for the NFL’s Denver Broncos.

Alexandra doesn’t hold back in expressing her admiration for Athena, proudly supporting her from the stands and declaring herself her sister’s number one fan.

A flight attendant has revealed the real reason they greet you as you board the plane – and it’s not just to make sure you have a pleasant experience while in the air

A flight attendant has spilled the beans on the actual reasons behind the friendly welcome passengers get as they step onto a plane. While many seasoned flyers might think cabin crew are simply setting the scene for an enjoyable experience with their beaming smiles and seat guidance, the truth could be more about safety than service.

One TUI staff member, operating out of Stuttgart airport, took to TikTok to reveal in a viral video – that’s been viewed a staggering 18.7 million times – that attendants are actually sussing out if passengers are fit to fly during the greeting.

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The user, known as MrsMiva on TikTok, shared that the warm reception isn’t just hospitality but also a quick assessment to determine whether individuals are “too drunk or sick” to take the journey.

She even goes as far as stating: “Did you know that your flight attendant greets you not only out of kindness but also to check whether you are too drunk or sick to fly?”

Prompted by her candid revelation, others chimed in to confirm this is standard procedure, with some suggesting that it’s also a way to identify who might be helpful in case of an emergency.

According to flight attendants, the greeting is more than just a friendly welcome – they’re assessing whether passengers are sober enough to fly and identifying potential helpers in an emergency.

One attendant revealed: “We are also picking out good candidates for the event of an emergency.”

Meanwhile, passengers shared their own experiences, with some joking about having “really chill” attendants who turned a blind eye to their fragile state.

One confessed: “Lol my flight attendant back from Vegas must have been really chill cause I was NOT in any condition to be on a plane.”

Another recalled: “I was once severely hungover and I threw up twice mid-flight. The flight attendants were so helpful. I felt so bad.”