wave

DECADES on from when ‘Ladette’ culture dominated the 1990s, the trend appears to be making a comeback – with popular TV stars at the forefront.

Olivia Attwood and Helen Flanagan are leading the charge as they rally against a polished media profile in favour of authenticity… just like original ladettes Sara Cox, Zoe Ball and Denise Van Outen.

From Olivia’s raucous holiday with Pete Wicks instead of her husband, to Helen starring in steamy dating shows with three kids at home, the girls are proving they won’t apologise for doing what they want – despite facing backlash over their part in the era’s resurgence.

It follows a spell of female stars in the spotlight – like Holly Willoughby – who took on the “good girl” image – with any suggestion of naughtiness carefully constructed for dramatic effect.

PR and Entertainment expert Lynn Carratt said: “The ladette era was famous in the late 90s, early 00s as an era in which women ruled supreme.

“And now it appears the boozy and unfiltered 90s trend is enjoying a second wave.

READ MORE ON OLIVIA ATTWOOD

CAUGHT BLUSHING

Olivia Attwood giggles as Katherine Ryan confronts her about Pete romance

LIV’S LIMIT

Olivia Attwood says she’s close to a ‘proper meltdown’ after ex’s cheating

“TV stars Olivia Attwood and Helen Flanagan appear to be leading the revival with the same throwback energy – loud, emotional, unpredictable, and unapologetically visible – like Sara Cox and Zoe Ball, back in the day.”

While Holly Willoughby was famous for juggling being the nation’s sweetheart on This Morning, alongside her role as a doting wife and mother of three, younger female celebrities don’t feel the need to pretend they have it all figured out.

The 45-year-old would feign shock and giggle behind her hand at any filthy humour on her ITV2 show Celebrity Juice, which aired after 9pm, but her hangovers after the National Television Awards became a well known skit.

In 2016, dressed in her ballgown from the night before, Holly hosted This Morning alongside Phillip Schofield in a tux, telling viewers: “I haven’t been home yet. I came straight here.”

It became a running joke every year about Holly’s “wild” night out – but those behind the scenes suggest it was all carefully curated.

Then, along came former Love Island star Olivia who has become ITV‘s newest darling – presenting a host of shows including Bad Boyfriends and Getting Filthy Rich.

The 34-year-old has recently separated from her husband of three years, footballer Bradley Dack.

She says the split has made her feel “incredibly passionate” about being self-sufficient.

“Navigating what I’ve been going through, the fact I have my own place and car, I can’t even imagine not being able to look after myself,” she says.

Last summer, she ended up in the doghouse with her then-husband Brad when she was pictured cuddled up to close pal Pete on a yacht in Ibiza.

The pair have since struck up a secret romance following her marriage split in January. Pals insist “there was no overlap”.

Soon after her wild week with pals in Ibiza where she was spotted dancing on a boat in a thong bikini, downing shots and posting hungover pics, Olivia was back on This Morning presenting.

Lynn added: “You have to hand it to Olivia Attwood, she has managed to do what few reality stars achieve to do and turn notoriety into a high-profile media career.

“She is a permanent fixture on ITV with presenting roles and prime-time appearances, she has built a success podcast brand, as well as appearing on Kiss.

“She one of reality TV’s most in-demand personalities and has developed a polished media profile. But sitting alongside that something far more chaotic behind the scenes: headline-making holidays, relationship drama and brutally honest social media posts that regularly ignite debate and she likes to party.

“One minute she’s fronting glossy TV projects, the next she’s dominating tabloid headlines with candid revelations about love, life and everything in between.

“It seems like controlled chaos, but it’s working for her.”

Meanwhile mum of three Helen has recently come under fire for being on Celebs Go Dating and Celebrity Ex on the Beach.

She has been outspoken about the criticism she’s faced for taking part, particularly as a mother.

‘I find it empowering,” Helen said previously.

“There have been comments on social media suggesting I shouldn’t be doing a show like that as a mum of three, but no one would say that about a dad.

“Women should be allowed to have fun and enjoy themselves too.”

Lynn added: “Helen has stepped firmly back into the reality TV spotlight and is currently appearing on Celebrity Ex on the Beach, enjoying herself in a villa under 24/7 filming, sun-soaked conditions and constant emotional scrutiny.

“The former soap star and mum of three was filmed constantly in bikinis, drinking, flirting and kissing on screen, embracing a level of unfiltered reality television that feels ripped straight from the early 2000s.

“Helen’s comments strike at the heart of the debate surrounding modern ladette culture: who gets to be seen as ‘wild’, and who gets judged for it.”

So why now is there a resurgence of the 90s ladette era?

Lynn continues: “In an era of heavily curated Instagram perfection and tightly managed celebrity branding, audiences are increasingly drawn to the opposite – unpredictability, imperfection and personalities who don’t play it safe.

“Olivia Attwood and Helen Flanagan sit at the centre of this shift.

“One balancing mainstream ITV success with headline-grabbing personal drama, the other embracing high-emotion reality television where nothing is off-limits.

“And right now, they are doing anything but staying quiet.”

Anyone who thinks Coachella’s biggest surprises are reserved for Weekend 1 was proven wrong Friday night as Sabrina Carpenter welcomed Madonna on stage during her Weekend 2 headlining set. The crowd exploded with waves of cheers as the iconic pop star came on stage.

Madge joined Carpenter as a surprise guest during “Juno,” in which Carpenter reemerged in a gown that was a nod to Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus” for a torch-passing duet of Madonna’s 1990 pop-house gauntlet “Vogue.”

The classic was followed by the debut of the gloriously upbeat “I Feel Free,” the first track from the pop icon’s forthcoming new album “Confessions II,” due out July 3.

The singer announced the record, a sequel to 2005’s “Confessions On A Dancefloor,” on April 15, alongside a 60-second teaser video for “I Feel Free.”

The Coachella performance, however, marks the first time the song has been heard in full — a fitting full circle moment 20 after Madonna played the Sahara Tent in 2006, complete with the same boots and costuming from that gig. “Confessions II” will be Madonna’s first full-length album since 2019’s “Madame X.”

• Share via Close extra sharing options

“Let’s try to be together. Let’s try to avoid disagreements,” Madonna said as she spoke about the moon and planets aligning.

Before the pair ended with “Like a Prayer,” accompanied by a choir, Madonna had another reason to be grateful.

“This is probably the first time I’ve ever performed with someone shorter than me,” Madonna said to Carpenter as the crowd laughed. “Thank you for giving me that experience.”

Senior Audience Editor Vanessa Franko contributed to this report.

It turns out Raven Johnson’s “revenge tour” wasn’t completely over.

The South Carolina guard was selected as the 10th overall pick by the Indiana Fever at the 2026 WNBA draft Monday, setting her up to be reunited with a former college teammate as well as a notable rival.

Described as “one of the most WNBA-ready players” in the mock draft by The Times, the two-time national champion was famously waved off by then-Iowa phenom Caitlin Clark during their Final Four matchup in the 2023 NCAA women’s basketball tournament.

During the first quarter, Clark declined to guard Johnson, who had the ball outside of the three-point line, with wave of her arm while turned away from her. Not only did Clark’s team go on to win, the taunt — much like a number of other moments involving the sharpshooting former Hawkeye — went viral.

Johnson has been open about how that moment and the online response took a toll on her mental health.

“I was all over the internet,” Johnson said while discussing some of the adversity she’s faced in her basketball career on a recent episode of the “I Am Next” podcast. “I got bashed, I got bullied, I got called all these things that I wasn’t … like a monkey [and] just things like that. I wanted to quit basketball at that time and I wanted to just go in this little bubble of isolation and just be by myself.”

She credited her faith and the support of her teammates and loved ones for being able to turn it around and use the moment to fuel her “revenge tour” the next year. South Carolina beat Clark’s Hawkeyes in the 2024 national championship to cap off an undefeated season.

Caitlin Clark and Raven Johnson at the 2024 NCAA women’s basketball tournament.

(Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press)

At least in part because of this history, the online response to Johnson being drafted by the Fever has been divided among the team’s fans as well as the supporters of each of the individual players. But the Fever staff were clearly elated to be able to nab Johnson off the board.

“Let’s go,” Fever coach Stephanie White said in a video call with Johnson posted on social media on Monday. “We are so excited.”

Johnson isn’t the only one who is set to join forces with a rival in the next chapter of their career. Following her trade from the Sparks, Rickea Jackson will be teammates with Chicago Sky center Kamilla Cardoso, whose game-winning buzzer beater for the Gamecocks took down the former’s Tennessee team at the 2024 Southeastern Conference tournament.

And that’s not to mention the Washington Mystics following their selection of UCLA center Lauren Betts as the fourth overall pick Monday by later drafting Texas standout Rori Harmon in the third round. Betts’ viral block is what sealed UCLA’s win over Texas at the Final Four en route to the Bruins’ championship win earlier this month. (The Mystics also selected UCLA forward Angela Dugalic in the first round.)

Despite the naysayers, Johnson appears excited to be joining a championship contender with the Fever. During a Monday news conference, Johnson mentioned Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell among the team’s vets she’s looking forward to learning from.

“She has taught me so much through my college experience,” Johnson said of Boston, her former college teammate. “She taught me what pro habits were. She taught me you have to bring those habits every day to practice. … She is a phenomenal person. She instills so much in young people and there’s no way you don’t want to play with somebody like that [and] look up to somebody like that.”

North America’s small- and mid-cap industrial sector is entering a new phase of recalibration, as investors weigh resilient demand against uneven near-term upside, according to a March 26 report from J.P. Morgan.

In a sweeping review of 26 companies across

Iranian missiles have caused widespread damage across Israel in the latest wave of attacks, as President Donald Trump says US-Israeli strikes have destroyed the majority of Iran’s missile launchers.

A POPULAR water attraction that’s the largest of its kind in the UK is getting upgrades in time for the Easter holidays.

Sandcastle Waterpark in Blackpool is the largest indoor waterpark in the country and it is getting a £500,000 refresh.

The water attraction that sits on Blackpool’s promenade has a tropical climate and 18 slides inside.

It’s set to undergo a the huge refurbishment to coincide with it’s 40th birthday, having first opened back in 1986.

The improvements will be to the waterpark’s changing village rooms.

The slides will be refreshed too with a lick of paint, and a new audio system being installed.

HOP TO IT

The best UK family days out from £10 to completely FREE in the Easter holidays

FUN FREEBIES

Huge list of 100 free family days out this spring – from concerts to festivals

The upgrades are due to be finished before Easter and will be completed in time for the school holidays.

General manager Kyle Woodcock said: “This is a landmark year for us, and we wanted to mark our 40th birthday with improvements that our guests will really feel.”

One of the most popular slides is the Master Blaster which is the UK’s longest indoor water rollercoaster.

Another is Sidewinder – the world’s first indoor half-pipe water slide which has been called a “white knuckle” experience.

Another thrilling slide is the very fast Montazooma which has tight hairpin bends.

There’s also the Treetops Water Chutes racing slides, the slower moving Ushi Gushi River Creek lazy river and Typhoon Lagoon is the waterpark’s huge wave pool.

Even if the weather isn’t playing ball outside, the attraction is always warm as it sits around 30C.

On the outskirts of the pool, visitors can enjoy the warmth in their own private Tiki Cabanas which can be hired out for the day.

Here, visitors can enjoy beer, wine, lunch, and even watch TV while lounging in a hot tub for £60 per person.

It’s not all thrilling slides and splashing about in swimming pools either – there’s also a quieter spa area for adults only.

The Sea Breeze Spa is for those 18 and over to ‘renew, re-energise and feel refreshed’.

It has a sauna, steam room, heated loungers, foot spas, aromatherapy and even a salt inhalation room.

Access to the spa is an additional £7 alongside an admission ticket.

There’s food available on-site too at the Waterfalls Cafe and Waters Edge kitchen where you can pick up drinks, sandwiches and even hot food.

There’s an option for dessert too at the Cool Waves stand, which serves ice cream and sweet treats.

On Tripadvisor, the attraction has a rating of 4.0 out of 5 with over five thousand reviews.

One visitor wrote: “Great family day out at one of Blackpool’s best attractions.”

And another said: “The kids absolutely loved it here with lots to keep them entertained.”

The waterpark is currently open during the weekends – and will reopen on weekdays in the Easter holidays.

General admission tickets into Sandcastle Waterpark start from £24.95 for those age eight and over.

Those between three and seven can get in for £15.95 and under twos go free.

Plus, here are all of the waterparks in the UK mapped – with lazy rivers and wave pools to cool off during the hot weather.

And here’s a massive waterpark hotel that is still warm in winter with 26 slides and even its own theme park.