White

I visited the UK island that’s the real life Neverland with no cars and white sand beaches

PLODDING down the steep cobbled ramp, I was already starting to believe that I was stepping into a fairytale.

The boat, bobbing on the water, was the start of my journey to another world.

Two people hiking on the Scottish island of Eilean Shona.
The Scottish island of Eilean Shona was the inspiration behind Peter Pan’s NeverlandCredit: @goodcompany.group/@konrad.j.borkowsk
Two people canoeing on Eilean Shona, the Scottish island that inspired Neverland.
Eilean Shona is a rugged tidal island in Scotland’s Inner Hebrides which is only accessible by boatCredit: @goodcompany.group/@konrad.j.borkowsk

And, as I drew closer to my destination — a small, mist-shrouded island that was the inspiration for Neverland in JM Barrie’s Peter Pan stories — the storybook setting felt even more real.

Eilean Shona is a rugged tidal island in Scotland’s Inner Hebrides.

“Hidden gem” is an apt description of the place, with visitors having to drive down a long and winding road on the mainland before they even reach the boat taxi that will ferry them to the island.

Boats aren’t on a regular schedule either — the island, and its manor house, Eilean Shona House, is privately owned by Sir Richard Branson’s sister Vanessa, who transformed the destination into a luxury eco-friendly retreat in the 1990s.

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I really did feel like Wendy when I spotted Neverland for the first time, hidden beneath the clouds.

Just like JM Barrie’s mythical land, the island is covered in thick green woodland.

But this is far from your typical island retreat. Don’t expect speedy wifi, shops and roads, because Eilean Shona is completely car-free, has no shops and only nine people live here.

Instead, you can expect whimsical walks, white sand beaches and a cosy Scottish atmosphere.

The best way to get your bearings is with a refreshing walk to the summit of the island, 265 metres above sea level, which boasts spectacular views over Loch Moidart and the small isles of Rum and Eigg, as well as the Isle of Skye.

You can reward your hiking efforts with a slurp of vodka, because while whisky is the spirit more typically associated with Scotland, this island is where the premium spirits brand Sapling began.

Sat on a bench near the water’s edge in 2018, the brand’s founders, Ed Faulkner and Ivo Devereux, came up with the idea for a climate-positive spirit.

Sapling vodka and gin was formed — spirits that didn’t mess with the environment. In fact the firm gives back to it, by planting a tree each time a bottle is sold.

It was the perfect tipple to accompany me as I sat back and took in the calm of the starlit sky overhead, after retreating back to the manor house where I was staying.

Roaring fireplaces

There are a number of smaller cabins and cottages for those who are travelling solo or in a smaller group, but the manor house offers a more grand experience.

It’s a bit like a miniature version of The Traitors castle, with roaring fireplaces, ornate bathtubs, high ceilings and a grand staircase.

The 19th-century property was originally owned by Captain Swinburne, a Royal Navy seafarer, and it started out as a hunting lodge.

Swinburne went on to develop a great love for the pine trees that he saw on his travels and ended up transforming the landscape of Eilean Shona into one of the most diverse pine collections in Europe.

However these spectacular trees are only part of what makes the island’s surrounding so breathtaking.

My mornings consisted of refreshing plunges off the manor’s pontoon into chilly water, followed by dashes into the sauna afterwards.

You can follow it up with a hike or kayaking, or head to the other end of the island to see a gorgeous beach, which is like nowhere else in the UK, where soft, sugar-like sand meets serenely calm waters.

Eilean Shona House is the island’s main accommodation, sleeping up to 18 people, with a dining room that can host up to 20.

There is a library as well, with a full-sized billiards table, dartboard and a large collection of board games, while in the drawing room sits a grand piano, a cosy seated alcove and views of the loch.

The house can be booked either self-catering or fully catered, with a minimum stay of three nights.

Other options include the Shepherd’s Cottage, which sleeps two people, and the Old Schoolhouse, which sleeps four.

On Eilean Shona I could exchange the real world for Captain Hook’s imaginary version — and for a short time, I didn’t need to worry about growing up.

GO: Eilean Shona

GETTING THERE: The closest airport is Inverness, which is around three hours from the island.

Flights cost from £23.99 each way from London Gatwick. See easyjet.com.

Or the Caledonian Sleeper from London Euston Station costs from £59 each way, then it is just over an hour’s drive to Eilean Shona.

See sleeper.scot.

STAYING THERE: Accommodation on the island costs from £143 per night. See eileanshona.com.

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Gwen Stefani, 56, flashes her lace underwear in tiny white dress as she performs at Disneyland for Christmas special

Collage of Gwen Stefani performing on stage wearing a white feathered dress with fluffy sleeves, next to other performers.

FASHIONISTA Gwen Stefani has shown her fans how to slay Christmas style. 

Gwen, 56, performed in front of a Disneyland castle in a sneak peek of her Christmas Day TV special in a tiny dress and fur.

Gwen Stefani, 56, in tiny white dress as she performs at Disneyland for Christmas special.Credit: Instagram/gwenstefani
Gwen Stefani performing a cheeky twirl in a tiny winter white dress at Disneyland.Credit: Instagram/gwenstefani

She was dressed in head-to-toe winter white, including a cropped fur jacket and sky-high platform boots. 

The chic outfit also included a tiny tiered white skirt which exposed itty bitty lace shorts underneath. 

In the post, the crooner told fans to “tune in Christmas morning,” for the Sleeping Beauty’s Castle for Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade.

Fans expressed their excitement for the Christmas concert in the comments on Instagram. 

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Gwen Stefani, 56, looks half her age as she shows off long legs in music video


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Gwen Stefani, 56, wears TINY dress at NYC tree lighting shocking fans

“I absolutely can’t wait to watch your performance, Gwen! Also you look like a gorgeous Disney princess,” one commenter wrote. 

“Yay, cannot wait for your performance of my all-time favorite version of “White Christmas!” another fan commented. 

A third fan stated, “You are stunning. How don’t you age!?”

The concert, which will play on ABC, Disney+, and Hulu, is slated for performances by Coco Jones, Bebe Rexha, and Nicole Scherzinger. 

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The parade will be hosted by Dancing with the Stars alum Alfonso Ribeiro and Ginnifer Goodwin, with Maia Kealoha serving as parade correspondent. 

HAPPY MARRIAGE?

Gwen fans recently suspected relationship challenges with her 49-year-old husband, Blake Shelton.

Their marriage was called into question ever since Blake released a cryptic breakup song entitled Hang On earlier this year.

Rumors ran rampant when they didn’t attend the CMA Awards in 2025, even though Blake received a nomination.

Days later, Gwen posted a photo on her Instagram Story where she received a sweet kiss from Blake – indicating all was well.

A source close to the couple told The U.S. Sun: “They’ve gone through real challenges, nothing manufactured.”  

“There were times when the tension was high enough that people close to them quietly wondered if the relationship could take the strain.

But the source insisted that Gwen and Blake are committed to making their marriage work: “They showed up for each other instead of checking out.”

Gwen Stefani singing at Disneyland for Christmas special.Credit: Instagram/gwenstefani
Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani attending the 27th Annual Keep Memory Alive Power of Love Gala benefit.Credit: Getty
Power couple Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani backstage at the 59th Academy of Country Music Awards.Credit: Getty

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White House Rifts Laid Bare as Trump Aide Wiles Details Internal Clashes

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles offered an unusually candid look inside President Donald Trump’s second-term administration in comments published by Vanity Fair, drawn from 11 interviews conducted over Trump’s first year back in office. Wiles, a key architect of Trump’s 2024 comeback and the first woman to hold the chief of staff role, spoke about internal disagreements over tariffs, immigration enforcement, government downsizing and the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. The article prompted an immediate backlash from Wiles and senior officials, who accused the magazine of selectively quoting her remarks.

Why It Matters

The comments highlight the limits of internal restraint in Trump’s White House. While Wiles described herself as a facilitator rather than a check on presidential power, her inability to alter decisions on tariffs, pardons and political retribution underscores how heavily policymaking still rests on Trump’s instincts. The revelations also revive politically sensitive issues, including Epstein-related disclosures and tensions over Elon Musk’s role in dismantling USAID, complicating efforts to project unity and stability.

Trump remains the central figure, with Wiles emerging as both a stabilising force and a focal point of controversy. Vice President JD Vance, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Elon Musk are drawn into the spotlight, reflecting competing centres of influence within the administration. Beyond the White House, trade partners, immigrant communities, congressional leaders and Trump’s political base all have stakes in the policies and internal divisions exposed by the interviews.

What’s Next

The administration is likely to move quickly to contain political fallout and reinforce discipline, but the substance of Wiles’ remarks may continue to resonate. Policy direction appears unchanged, with tariffs, immigration enforcement and confrontational political strategies set to continue. The episode raises fresh questions about whether Trump’s more structured second-term White House can prevent internal tensions from spilling into public view again.

With information from Reuters.

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White House defends chief of staff Wiles after tell-all profile

President Trump’s chief of staff is defending herself after granting an extraordinarily candid series of interviews with Vanity Fair in which she offers stinging judgments of the president himself and blunt assessments about his administration’s shortcomings.

The profile of Susie Wiles, Trump’s reserved, influential top aide since he resumed office, caused scandal in Washington and prompted a crisis response from the White House that involved nearly every single figure in Trump’s orbit issuing a public defense.

In 11 interviews conducted over lunches and meetings in the West Wing, Wiles described early failures and drug use by Elon Musk during his time in government, mistakes by Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi in her public handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, and acknowledged that Trump had launched a retribution campaign against his perceived political enemies.

“I don’t think he wakes up thinking about retribution,” Wiles told Chris Whipple, the Vanity Fair writer who has written extensively on past chiefs of staff, “but when there’s an opportunity, he will go for it.”

Wiles also cited missteps in the administration’s immigration crackdown, contradicted a claim Trump makes about Epstein and former President Clinton and described Vice President JD Vance as a “conspiracy theorist.”

Within hours of the Vanity Fair tell-all publishing on Tuesday, Wiles and key members of Trump’s inner circle mounted a robust defense of her tenure, calling the story a “hit piece” that left out exculpatory context.

“The article published early this morning is a disingenuously framed hit piece on me and the finest President, White House staff, and Cabinet in history,” Wiles said in a post on X, her first in more than a year. “Significant context was disregarded and much of what I, and others, said about the team and the President was left out of the story.”

The profile was reported with the knowledge and participation of other senior staff, and illustrated with a photograph of Wiles and some of Trump’s closest aides, including Vance, Bondi and advisor Stephen Miller.

The profile revealed much about a chief of staff who has kept a discreet profile in the West Wing, continuing her management philosophy carried through the 2024 election when she served as Trump’s last campaign manager: She let Trump be Trump. “Sir, remember that I am the chief of staff, not the chief of you,” she recalled telling the president.

Trump has publicly emphasized how much he values Wiles as a trusted aide. He did so at a rally last week where he referred to her as “Susie Trump.” In an interview with Whipple, she talked about having difficult conversations with Trump on a daily basis, but that she picks her battles.

“So no, I’m not an enabler. I’m also not a bitch. I try to be thoughtful about what I even engage in,” Wiles said. “I guess time will tell whether I’ve been effective.”

Despite her passive style, Wiles shared concern over Trump’s initial approach to tariff policy, calling the levies “more painful than I had expected.” She had urged him, unsuccessfully, to get his retribution campaign out of the way within his first 90 days in office, in order to enable the administration to move on to more important matters. And she had opposed Trump’s blanket pardon of Jan. 6 defendants, including those convicted of violent crimes.

Wiles also conceded the administration needs to “look harder at our process for deportation,” adding that in at least one instance mistakes were made when Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested and deported two mothers and their American children to Honduras. One of children was being treated for Stage 4 cancer.

“I can’t understand how you make that mistake, but somebody did,” she said.

In foreign policy, Wiles defended the administration’s attack on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and said the president “wants to keep on blowing up boats up until [Venezuelan President Nicolás] Maduro cries uncle,” suggesting the end goal is to seek a regime change.

As Trump has talked about potential land strikes in Venezuela, Wiles acknowledged that such a move would require congressional authorization.

“If he were to authorize some activity on land, then it’s war, then [we’d need] Congress,” she said.

In one exchange with Whipple, she characterized Trump, who abstains from liquor, as having an “alcoholic’s personality,” explaining that “high-functioning alcoholics, or alcoholics in general, their personalities are exaggerated when they drink.”

He “operates [with] a view that there’s nothing he can’t do. Nothing, zero, nothing,” she said.

But Trump, in an interview with the New York Post, defended Wiles and her comments, saying that he would indeed be an alcoholic if he drank alcohol.

“She’s done a fantastic job,” Trump said. “I think from what I hear, the facts were wrong, and it was a very misguided interviewer — purposely misguided.”

Wiles also blamed the persistence of the Epstein saga on members of Trump’s own Cabinet, noting that the president’s chosen FBI director, Kash Patel, had advocated for the release of all Justice Department files related to the investigation for many years. Despite Trump’s claims that Clinton visited the disgraced financier and convicted sex abuser’s private island, Wiles acknowledged, Trump is “wrong about that.”

Wiles added that Bondi had “completely whiffed” on how she handled the Epstein files, an issue that has created a rift within MAGA.

“First she gave them binders full of nothingness. And then she said that the witness list, or the client list, was on her desk. There is no client list, and it sure as hell wasn’t on her desk,” Wiles said.

Wiles added that she has read the investigate files about Epstein, and acknowledged that Trump is mentioned in them, but said “he’s not in the file doing anything awful.”

Vance, who she said had been a “conspiracy theorist for a decade,” said he had joked with Wiles about conspiracies in private before offering her praise.

“I’ve never seen Susie Wiles say something to the president and then go and counteract him or subvert his will behind the scenes. And that’s what you want in a staffer,” Vance told reporters. “I’ve never see her be disloyal to the president of the United States and that makes her the best White House chief of staff that the president could ask for.”

Russell Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget who Wiles described to Whipple as a “right-wing absolute zealot,” said in a social media post that she is an “exceptional chief of staff.” Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said the “entire administration is grateful for her steady leadership and united fully behind her.”

Wiles told Vanity Fair that she would be happy to stay in the role for as long as the president wanted her to stay, noting that she has time to devote to the job, being divorced and with her kids out of the house.

Trump had a troubled relationship with his chiefs of staff in his first term, cycling through four in four years. His longest-serving chief of staff, former Gen. John Kelly, served a year and a half.

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Susie Wiles, White House chief of staff, criticizes Bondi and opines on Trump in Vanity Fair

Susie Wiles, President Trump’s understated but influential chief of staff, criticized Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case and broadly defended the president’s aggressive second administration in a series of interviews published Tuesday in Vanity Fair.

Wiles told the magazine in a wide-ranging, revealing series of conversations that she underestimated the scandal involving Epstein, the disgraced financier, but sharply criticized how Bondi managed the case and the public’s expectations.

After the story was published, Wiles disparaged it as a “disingenuously framed hit piece on me and the finest President, White House staff, and Cabinet in history.”

“Significant context was disregarded and much of what I, and others, said about the team and the President was left out of the story,” she wrote in a social media post. “I assume, after reading it, that this was done to paint an overwhelmingly chaotic and negative narrative about the President and our team.”

Wiles did not deny the comments that were attributed to her.

In her rebuttal, Wiles argued that Trump had accomplished more in 11 months than any president had in eight years because of his “unmatched leadership and vision.”

“None of this will stop our relentless pursuit of Making America Great Again!” she said.

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt also rose to Wiles’ defense, writing on the X platform that, “President Trump has no greater or more loyal advisor than Susie. The entire Administration is grateful for her steady leadership and united fully behind her.”

In the interview, Wiles said Trump wants to keep bombing alleged drug boats in the waters off the coast of Venezuela until that country’s leader, Nicolas Maduro, “cries uncle.”

And at one point said she and Trump had a “loose agreement” that his retribution campaign would end before the first 90 days of his second term — but it continues well beyond the three-month mark.

Trump tapped Wiles after she managed his winning 2024 campaign. She is the first woman to ever serve as White House chief of staff and is known for shunning the spotlight. It is rare for her to speak as extensively and openly as she did about the president to the magazine, which published its lengthy interview with her — and other members of the White House staff and the Cabinet. Wiles has been speaking to Vanity Fair since just before Trump took office last January.

Asked about Epstein, Wiles said hadn’t really paid attention to “whether all these rich, important men went to that nasty island and did unforgivable things to young girls.”

She said she has read the Epstein file and that Trump is “not in the file doing anything awful.” He and Epstein were friends before they had a falling out.

The Justice Department is facing a Friday deadline to release everything it has on Epstein after Trump, after objecting to the release, signed legislation requiring that the papers be made public.

Wiles criticized Bondi’s handling of the case, going back to earlier in the year when she distributed binders to a group of social media influencers that included no new information about Epstein. That led to even more calls from Trump’s base for the files to be released.

“I think she completely whiffed on appreciating that that was the very targeted group that cared about this,” Wiles said of Bondi. “First she gave them binders full of nothingness. And then she said that the witness list, or the client list, was on her desk. There is no client list, and it sure as hell wasn’t on her desk.”

Wiles, over the series of interviews, described the president behind the scenes very much as he presents himself in public: an intense figure who thinks in broad strokes yet is often not concerned with the details of process and policy. She added, though, that he has not been as angry or temperamental as is often suggested, even as she affirmed his ruthlessness and determination to achieve retribution against those he considers his political enemies.

Trump, she said, has “an alcoholic’s personality,” even though the president does not drink. But the personality trait is something she recognizes from her father, the famous sports broadcaster Pat Summerall.

“High-functioning alcoholics or alcoholics in general, their personalities are exaggerated when they drink. And so I’m a little bit of an expert in big personalities,” she said, adding that Trump has “a view that there’s nothing he can’t do. Nothing, zero, nothing.”

On Venezuela, Wiles said Trump wants to keep the pressure on Maduro.

“He wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle. And people way smarter than me on that say that he will.” Her comment, though, seemed to contradict the administration’s position that the strikes are about stopping drugs and saving American lives, not regime change.

She said the administration is “very sure we know who we’re blowing up.”

The continued strikes and mounting death toll have drawn scrutiny from Congress, which has pushed back and opened investigations.

Wiles described much of her job as channeling Trump’s energy, whims and desired policy outcomes — including managing his desire for vengeance against his political opponents, anyone he blames for his 2020 electoral defeat and those who pursued criminal cases against him after his first term.

“We have a loose agreement that the score settling will end before the first 90 days are over,” Wiles said early in his administration, telling Vanity Fair that she does try to tamp down Trump’s penchant for retribution.

Later in 2025, she pushed back. “I don’t think he’s on a retribution tour,” she said, arguing he was operating on a different principle: ”‘I don’t want what happened to me to happen to somebody else.’ And so people that have done bad things need to get out of the government. In some cases, it may look like retribution. And there may be an element of that from time to time. Who would blame him? Not me.”

Asked about the prosecution of New York Attorney General Letitia James for mortgage fraud, Wiles allowed: “Well, that might be the one retribution.”

Superville and Barrow write for the Associated Press. Barrow reported from Atlanta.

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Mike White, former California and Oakland Raiders coach, dies at 89

Mike White, who had a successful career as a college coach with California and Illinois and later coached the NFL’s Oakland Raiders, has died. He was 89.

Cal said White’s family confirmed that he died Sunday in Newport Beach.

White helped the Golden Bears win a share of the Pac-8 title in 1975, led the Illini to their first Rose Bowl in 20 years in the 1983 season and coached the Raiders in their first two seasons back in Oakland in 1995-96 after leaving Los Angeles.

He also worked as an assistant for the San Francisco 49ers and was on Dick Vermeil’s staff with the St. Louis Rams when they won the Super Bowl following the 1999 season.

“Mike was special,” said Burl Toler Jr., a linebacker who played at Cal under White from 1974-77. “He treated us like men and with a lot of respect. Mike was a very gifted and smart coach who loved Cal and loved being a coach, and he surrounded himself with a lot of like minds who instilled in us a will to succeed.”

White was a four-sport student-athlete at Cal in the 1950s and spent time as an assistant with the Bears and at rival Stanford before getting the head coaching job at his alma mater in 1972.

White had a 35-30-1 record in six seasons at Cal, with his biggest success coming in 1975 when he was named coach of the year after the Bears finished tied with UCLA for first place in the conference. Cal finished 14th in the nation with an offense that featured Chuck Muncie and quarterback Joe Roth.

White also coached quarterback Steve Bartkowski earlier at Cal and helped develop him into the No. 1 overall pick in the 1975 NFL draft.

He then left for the NFL, spending two seasons as an offensive line coach for the 49ers, before returning to college in 1980 with Illinois. He led the Illini to a 47-41-3 record with three bowl trips, including a loss in the 1984 Rose Bowl to UCLA.

That 1983 Illinois team went 9-0 in the Big Ten and is the only team in conference history to beat every other conference opponent in the same season.

White then returned to the NFL in 1990, spending five seasons as an assistant with the Raiders before taking over as head coach. He had a 15-17 record before getting fired after the 1996 season.

Dubow writes for the Associated Press.

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Pregnant The Saturdays singer Vanessa White weds fiance in stylish London ceremony

An image collage containing 1 images, Image 1 shows Vanessa White and Emmanuel Lawal enjoying the tennis at the cinch Championships

PREGNANT The Saturdays singer Vanessa White has wed her fiancé in a stylish London ceremony.

Vanessa looked stunning as she posed with her husband hunky model and musician Emmanuel Lawal.

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Pregnant The Saturdays singer Vanessa White has wed her fiancé in a stylish London ceremony.Credit: Instagram

The Saturdays singer confirmed the news on social media alongside some gorgeous snaps of her wedding.

Vanessa looked stunning in a white gown with lace insets as she showed off her baby bump, as Emmanuel looked stylish in a dark suit and white shirt.

The series of snaps showed the couple signing the wedding register, smiling in their car and holding hands together.

A sweet snap of Vanessa feeding her new husband as they sat in the restaurant was particularly beautiful.

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After the ceremony, the loved up couple headed to Alex Dilling at Hotel Cafe Royal for dinner.

Vanessa said: “We wanted it to feel like a long date.”

The couple travelled all day in a flying spur from Bentley Motors which saved Emmanuel from having to find a parking space near Regent Street.

The Chef closed the restaurant for them to use exclusively with endless courses arriving.

“We were there for hours,” the couple said. “We didn’t get home until 11pm.”

Vanessa captioned the images: “The Lawal’s such an honour for us to share our special day with @britishvogue.

“A few thank you’s. @bentleymotors, what a dream family you have been to us over the many years. @mytheresa.com@mytheresa.men you made us feel GREAT!

“My husband designed my engagement ring and surprised me with bespoke bands from @sholabranson… yeah.

“@christianlouboutin they will NEVER leave our wardrobes. @alexdillingcaferoyal@adills1 you my friend are a legend. Mind blown. Delicious. Hospitality we will never forget.

“15+ years with my darling talented friend @kom_makeup. adore you.

“And to the magician @georgewilliamvicary who you actually never notice taking any photo’s until you see them. Thank you for capturing life long memories in the moment.”

As one fifth of the band The Saturdays, Vanessa shot to fame in 2008 with her fellow girl pals Mollie King, Frankie Bridge, Una Healy and Rochelle Humes.

After the group split in 2014, Vanessa appeared on I’m A Celebrity in Australia and was the fourth celeb to be evicted from the jungle.

She’s now a model and influencer and regularly shows off her stunning stylish looks online.

Vanessa revealed only last month that she was pregnant and engaged.

The singer showed off her large bare bump in a series of stunning snaps on Instagram.

She wore a white vest top rolled up to show off her tum and blue jogging bottoms, and there was a noticeable sparkling ring on her engagement finger.

Vanessa wrote: “there’s a V and E in love.”

Vanessa keeps her personal life largely private on social media, but last year she rekindled her romance with her new husband, Emmanuel.

He is one half of production duo AUDIOCOMINGSOON with fellow fashionista Ashton Gohil.

The talented twosome have performed at prestigious events including Samuel L. Jackson’s One For The Boys Fundraiser and a Louboutin collection launch.

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Trump White House announces $12B farm aid package

Dec. 8 (UPI) — U.S. President Donald Trump announced Monday a $12 billion dollar aid package to help American farmers hit hard by inflation, tariffs and China’s trade war to “provide much needed certainty” for next year’s crops.

Trump unveiled the aid package with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins at a White House roundtable, where they were joined by farmers in soybean, corn, rice, cattle, potatoes, sorghum and the cotton industry.

“I’m delighted to announce this afternoon that the United States will be taking a small portion of the hundreds of billions of dollars we receive in tariffs … We’re going to use that money to provide $12 billion in economic assistance to American Farmers,” Trump said.

“This relief will provide much needed certainty to farmers as they get this year’s harvest to market and look ahead to next year’s crops, and it’ll help them continue their efforts to lower food prices for American families,” Trump added.

Rollins said farmers can begin applying for the one-time funding within the next few weeks. The money will be distributed before Feb. 28.

A White House spokesperson said Monday’s rollout reflected Trump’s “commitment to helping our farmers, who will have the support they need.”

“We are going to create this bridge because, again, agriculture is all about the future, you’ve got to start financing for planting next year, when things will be very good,” Bessent said Sunday.

Monday’s aid announcement is the latest effort to help U.S. farmers negatively affected by the president’s tariff policies and other factors, such as a drop in crop prices. Farmers lost billions of dollars in sales after China stopped buying U.S. soybeans in May to retaliate against Trump’s tariffs.

The White House said last month that China plans to buy at least 12 million metric tons of soybeans, sorghum and “other farm products” before the end of the year, after Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping reached a preliminary trade agreement in October.

“Since my successful meeting in South Korea with President Xi, purchases have been made, and soybeans are being exported out of the United States to China as we speak,” Trump told Monday’s roundtable.

The Agriculture Department confirmed last week a half million more metric tons of soybeans, sorghum and wheat were being shipped to Chinese shores.

Last month, the American Farm Bureau Federation issued a warning that aid was “urgently needed” as the money needed to grow crops exceeded farming revenues and farm bankruptcies were starting to rise.

Monday’s package sets aside $11 billion in one-off checks for crop producers under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farmer Bridge Assistance initiative, while another $1 billion is reserved for commodities that fall outside that program’s coverage.

“President Trump is helping our agriculture industry by negotiating new trade deals to open new export markets for our farmers and boosting the farm safety net for the first time in a decade,” stated White House spokesperson Anna Kelly.

Rollins revealed last week that the federal government was planning to issue the bridge payments to farmers.

“What you’ve been able to do is open those markets up and again, move toward an era where our farmers are not so reliant on government checks, but have the markets to sell their product,” Rollins said. “Having said that, we do have a bridge payment we’ll be announcing with you next week, as we’re still trying to recover from the Biden years.”

On Monday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, accused Trump of taking credit for fixing his own mess.

“Trump’s tariffs are hammering our farmers, making it more expensive to grow food and pushing farmers into bankruptcy,” Schumer said. “Farmers need markets to sell to — not a consolation prize for the ones he wrecked.”

On Monday, Iowa cattle and soybean farmer Cordt Holub told Trump he appreciated the bridge payments, saying, “it’s Christmas early for farmers.”

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Judge orders the release of an immigrant with family ties to White House press secretary

A Brazilian woman with family ties to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will be released from ICE custody while she fights potential deportation, an immigration judge ruled Monday.

Bruna Ferreira, 33, a longtime Massachusetts resident, was previously engaged to Leavitt’s brother, Michael. She was driving to pick up their 11-year-old son in New Hampshire when she was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Revere, Mass., on Nov. 12.

Ferreira later was moved to a detention facility in Louisiana, where an immigration judge ordered that she be released on $1,500 bond, her attorney Todd Pomerleau said.

“We argued that she wasn’t a danger or a flight risk,” he said in a text message. “The government stipulated to our argument and never once argued that she was criminal illegal alien and waived appeal.”

The Department of Homeland Security previously called Ferreira a “criminal illegal alien” and said she had been arrested for battery, an allegation her attorney denied. Neither the department nor the White House press secretary responded to requests for comment Monday.

Pomerleau said his client came to the U.S. as a toddler and later enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, the Obama-era policy that shields immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children. He said she was in the process of applying for a green card.

Karoline Leavitt grew up in New Hampshire, and made an unsuccessful run for Congress from the state in 2022 before becoming Trump’s spokesperson for his 2024 campaign and later joining him at the White House.

Ramer writes for the Associated Press.

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