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Cancer Research’s obesity campaign isn’t just misguided – it’s dangerous

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Cancer Research's latest campaign on obesit
If our ultimate aim is to encourage the nation to adopt healthier habits, then the emphasis should be on facilitating and enabling them (Picture: Cancer Research UK)

You’ve probably already seen Cancer Research UK’s new campaign.

Virtually every bus stop, train station and magazine seems to feature the ubiquitous simulated cigarette-style packet which reads ‘OBESITY IS A CAUSE OF CANCER TOO’.

The campaign, which is presumably intended to remind people to avoid becoming or remaining obese, is as clumsy as it is unhelpful.

It implies that people are as in control of their weight as they are of whether or not they light a cigarette. In fact, body shape and size is around 70 per cent heritable – largely governed by genetics and hormones.

As a mental health campaigner, I believe the omnipresent fat-is-a-choice-and-it’s-bad rhetoric which has been absorbed and regurgitated by much of the population does monumental amounts of damage. 

Not only does it add more gravitas to a burgeoning multi-billion pound diet industry with a 95 per cent failure rate, it fuels eating disorders and encourages the public to consider themselves ‘visual doctors’, firing casual micro-aggressions in the direction of fat people under the guise of ‘concern’ for their ‘health’.

Numerous studies, including a 2017 paper from East Tennessee State University, show feeling ashamed of our bodies decreases the chance we will exercise and make healthy food choices, so these billboards designed to shame obese people into compliance are demonstrably counter-productive.

I saw this first-hand while working on Channel 4’s Naked Beach. The show took ‘guests’ with critically low body image and sent them to live with body-positive ‘hosts’ with a diverse range of body shapes. 

One guest, 21-year-old Darrell, had been very into sport but had gained a significant amount of weight after injuring his knee. The knee had healed, but the psychological scars hadn’t: Darrell was avoiding not only exercise, but social activities because of anxiety about the way he looked.

After spending time with the hosts, Darrell said he ‘accepted his body totally’. As a result, he began to engage in exercise again, no longer crippled with worry about other people’s judgment. He did lose some weight, but that wasn’t the point. Weight loss was a side-effect of his improved mental and physical fitness. This was not a one-off.

If our ultimate aim is to encourage the nation to adopt healthier habits, then the emphasis should be on facilitating and enabling them, using what we know about psychology and the role positive body image plays. 

There is a misconception that anyone who is overweight is automatically unhealthy.

Around 60 per cent of the British public are ‘overweight or obese’ according to the rather arbitrary measures of BMI, while only 15-20 per cent are obese

As Anthony Warner (aka the Angry Chef) details in his book The Truth About Fat, if you’re in the overweight category your chances of developing disease are about the same as for someone with a ‘normal’ BMI, but your chances of recovering are actually better, making the overall mortality rate for overweight people lower.  

Meanwhile, statistics about increased vulnerability to disease which in fact apply only to the 2.9 per cent of the population who are morbidly obese are often mistakenly applied to the ‘overweight or obese’ (60 per cent).

Many people viewing these billboards will not necessarily internalise this difference.

Further, the viewer is being invited to make comparisons with the widely-known damage caused by smoking, yet there isn’t a direct causal link between fatness and disease: just because more obese people are diagnosed with a certain type of cancer, it doesn’t mean that the cancer is inherently caused by the obesity. Both conditions may be caused by an underlying genetic factor, for instance.

As Megan Jayne Crabbe (aka Bodyposipanda) points out in her book Body Positive Power, it’s the equivalent of saying ‘yellow teeth cause cancer’ – It misses the behavioural element of the story.

Not even the most vociferous fat-positive activist would ever deny that being sedentary and eating large amounts of highly processed food is terrible for your health. What is being disputed is that a) this inevitably leads to excess weight; and b) all fat people lead this lifestyle. 

The type of visceral fat which envelopes the organs and is harmful to health cannot be seen. Many thin people have it, lots of fat people don’t. Of course, that’s a message that’s hard to encapsulate in a poster. 

Even if every single case of cancer were caused by obesity, this campaign would still be flawed. If the endgame is to help obese people to lose weight, this is entirely the wrong tactic.

These billboards – based on questionable assumptions – will serve only to make people ashamed of their bodies, which does nothing to improve their ability to change them.

MORE: The body positivity movement is not for slim bodies already accepted by society

MORE: It’s time to stop fat shaming Donald Trump

MORE: Why I don’t want to see plus-size contestants on Love Island


Ice cream seller charges double for every ‘influencer’ who asks for a freebie

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Ice cream seller holding up his poster saying 'influencers pay double'
‘It’s only $4’ (Picture: Instagram/cvtsoftserve)

We know that influencers – those with large followings or thereabouts – like to ask for free stuff.

Ice cream seller Joe Nicchi is having none of it.

The 38-year-old from Los Angeles, U.S, who sells his famous Chocolate Vanilla Twist ice creams from a van, has introduced an influencer tax.

Joe said he’s inundated with requests from bloggers asking for free treats in exchange for posts on Instagram and Facebook about his business.

Now, the next person to fall foul of his rule will have to pay double for the treat.

Ironically, his new rule has gone viral on social media.

Joe Nicch at his ice cream van in Los Angeles
Kind of ironic that his social media tirade made him go viral on social media (Picture: Joe Nicchi / SWNS)

‘I finally burned out,’ explained Joe who said the irony of virality is not lost on him.

‘I made a sign to charge anyone that mentions they’re an “influencer” double.

‘I posted about it on Sunday. Yesterday, one of my customers posted about it on Reddit and it was up-voted to the front page.

‘Yes, it’s great to have free press for my business, but I’m truly thrilled to expose the fact that anyone can buy followers, comments, and likes, and that these so-called “influencers” hold no actual weight.

‘It’s all smoke and mirrors.’

Ice cream from Joe's ice cream truck in Los Angeles
This is what you get for $4 (Picture: Instagram/cvtsoftserve)

Joe added that his ice creams are only $4 (£3.18) so most people should be able to afford a cone anyway.

‘There’s no reason they can’t support us. I don’t know what they actually do,’ he continued.

‘I’m honestly embarrassed for them when they say they’re an influencer or tell me how many followers they have.

‘This whole episode shows that I’m not alone in my thinking of how ridiculous they are.’

Joe from New York has run the family-owned business for three years.

Announcing his new rules on Instagram he wrote: ‘We’ve decided to make this thing official with signage.

‘We truly don’t care if you’re an Influencer, or how many followers you have. We will never give you free ice cream in exchange for a post on your social media page.

‘It’s literally a $4 item … well now it’s $8 for you. #InfluencersAreGross.’

Tough crowd.

MORE: Fashion blogger calls out brands for not inviting black influencers on trips

MORE: Influencer calls photographer ‘abusive and unprofessional’ for refusing to work for free

MORE: Your vagina is the easiest target for influencers to sell you self-hate

Vets warn how dangerous Himalayan salt lamps can be for cats

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Salt lamps can be deadly for your pets
Salt lamps can be deadly for your pets (Picture: RoseAvenueVet)

If a load of Himalayan salt lamps next to your cacti and cat is part of your Instagram aesthetic, it’s time to rethink.

Vets have issued a warning to all cat owners about the dangers of Himalayan salt lamps – those trendy bits of pink rock people put candles and lightbulbs inside – for our feline pals.

Those large lumps of rock are incredibly tempting for cats to lick, which can lead to sodium poisoning, which can cause pain, vomiting, seizures, and even death.

Maddie Smith, from New Zealand, experienced the awful consequences.

She woke up last Wednesday to find her cat, Ruby ‘walking really strangely’ and holding her head in an odd position.

The family assumed Ruby might just be cold, so got her nice and toasty and left for work as usual. When they returned home, Ruby’s condition had deteriorated drastically.

Ruby couldn’t hear, see, or walk properly. She was unable to eat or drink as she couldn’t control her tongue.

Why himalayan salt lamps are dangerous for cats
Poor Ruby experienced neurological issues after licking a salt lamp caused her brain to swell (Picture: @RoseAvenueVet/Facebook)

Vets at Rose Avenue Vet Hospital ran tests and discovered that Ruby had extremely high sodium levels in her blood. She was experiencing salt poisoning, which had caused her brain to swell and led to neurological problems.

It turned out that Ruby had been licking her owners’ salt lamp. If she hadn’t been taken into the vets in time, she would have likely died.

Thankfully, vets were able to treat Ruby with an IV to get her blood back to normal levels of sodium and chloride. After a few days her neurological signs recovered and she was ready to return home.

The vets have shared Ruby’s story as a warning to all pet owners to keep Himalayan salt lamps far out of their animals’ reach.

First Vets said: ‘In general, salt poisoning in dogs and cats is usually accidental, with the most common scenario involving dogs ingesting homemade playdough!

himalayan salt lamps
They may look lovely, but they can be dangerous (Picture: Getty)

‘The neurological signs seen in salt poisoning cases occur due to swelling in the brain that results from disruption in the body’s electrolyte levels.’

Maddie added: ‘Salt poisoning is EXTREMELY deadly to animals and she is basically a miracle to still be here now.

‘These salt lamps are addictive to animals, and if they get a taste it becomes just like potato chips are to us!

‘So please please keep these out of reach from your fur babies. Ruby still has a long road to recovery but we are so glad she’s still here with us, with the right nutrition and hydration we should have her back to normal.

‘Ruby wouldn’t be here today without the help of First Vets who have helped her with every hurdle we have faced with our Ruby the past 11 months we have had her. She’s a fighter that’s for sure!

‘Hopefully sharing this might help educate others on just how deadly these lamps can be if the salt is ingested. I know mine’s not staying in our house that’s for sure.’

Let this be a warning to us all about just how dangerous a seemingly innocent household possession can be.

If you have a Himalayan salt lamp, keep it on a high shelf out of your pet’s reach, and don’t leave it unattended.

Make sure you don’t leave any other sources of salt out and available for your pet to consume, and avoid giving them salty snacks – no matter how cute they may look when they ask for some of your chips.

MORE: Why do cats love boxes?

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The ultimate guide to getting through a hen do

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Five women on a hen do
You are truly not obliged to attend any or all of these festivities (Picture: Getty)

So you’ve been invited to a hen do. A friend of yours is getting married and they want you by their side on the day they drape themselves in a ‘Bride To Be’ sash, down a few champagnes and do a burlesque dance class, make DIY lingerie or see a strip troupe with every woman they know.

Your classic hen do can be quite an ordeal, but you genuinely want your mate to be happy so you’ve got to be on your best behaviour.

Let’s go through exactly what’s required of you throughout this potentially trying time. Here are some guidelines to help you navigate the hen do invitation, right from the very first WhatsApp message.

You do not owe this person money you cannot spend

I’ve heard frightening stories of brides-to-be inviting their friends on an all expenses expected trip to Ibiza for the weekend, flying business, having a spa day, staying in a swish hotel.

They expect their mates to drop a couple thousand on their celebrations before they even get to the wedding day or think about a present – and frankly, it’s too much.

If you are invited to a pre-wedding festival, including lush but expensive activities and possibly international travel, you are truly not obliged to attend any or all of these festivities.

If it is out of your budget or you cannot get time off work or you just don’t want to go, find a way of calmly telling your soon to be betrothed friend.

You do not owe her financial compensation and frankly, she shouldn’t expect it from you.

Your contribution to her wedding day bliss is your attendance at the wedding – if you have to bow out of fancy pre-wedding activities, then do.

If your friend is staging an elaborate but local hen do, say, an afternoon tea followed by a Beyonce dance class followed by a musical followed by a night out on the town, simply choose which activity you’re willing and able to attend and let her know you can make that part of the day.

You are entitled to do this on your terms a little bit here; a wedding does not bestow upon your friend the right to tell you what to do with your time and money. Friendship should not be measured in the amount of dosh you’re willing to spend on a trip or a party. She might be disappointed you won’t be there – she likes you! – but she should understand.

If she doesn’t, then have a little think about what you’ve built your friendship on.

You probably should contribute to the WhatsApp group a bit – but then you’re allowed to leave

So you’ve been added to the WhatsApp group ‘Karen’s hen do 2019’ by a bridesmaid. You put your phone down for half an hour to get on with your life and by the time you pick it up again, there are 67 messages in the thread.

You do not have to be constantly present in this group and you do not have to keep up with all correspondence, but a dancing lady emoji here or there just to signal your general existence and willingness to engage is probably sensible for the sake of harmony.

Stay in the group until the hen do is over, then you may send a message saying how lovely it was to meet and gracefully exit. Hit that ‘leave group’ button as soon as your obligations have been met and you’ve had a delightful time with the women in your friend’s life.

You are not obliged to stay in there indefinitely and accumulate messages from people you don’t know very well (if it’s literally just a group of people you actually adore, stay in there as long as you like; I’m still part of a bridesmaids group from 2015 because it’s just my actual mates).

Nobody wants a hen do thread lingering in their WhatsApp for years because they’re too awkward to leave it.

Join, engage politely and as often as you can manage, wait until the appropriate time and then leave.

Enjoy! Yourself!

So you’ve made it to the actual hen do. Maybe you’ll have to sit next to your friend’s mother-in-law while a man takes off his clothes in front of you all.

Maybe you’ll have to do shots off a topless waiter’s stomach. Maybe you’ll have to fence with enormous inflatable penises.

Whatever it is your friend has decided she needs to do, try and get through it as gracefully as possible.

Obviously, don’t participate in anything that makes you uncomfortable, but do try and enjoy yourself.

If you acknowledge the ridiculousness of bonding over male nudity, penis straws and quizzes where the couple prove how well they know each other, then maybe you can get into the spirit of it a bit.

A hen do can actually be a lot of fun, if you just forget how you would have styled the event differently, have a couple of drinks and get into it.

It could even be a cute place to make new friends or get closer to the people who matter to one of yours.

You get bonus friendship points if you spend time talking to your friend’s new family members, the groom’s sister, your friend’s cousin or the outlier friends she felt she had to include but doesn’t really have much in common with anymore.

By the time you get to the wedding, you might actually be glad you went to the hen do because it gives you a little starter pack of people to talk to on the day.

You’ll recognise the mother of the groom, you’ll know what to say to the maid of honour and you’ll know a few more names than you would have otherwise.

Think of it as a cute, if potentially crude and expensive, bonding opportunity. Then, obviously, say your goodbyes and resume your normal life – until the next hen do.

MORE: Lean On Me: How do I make meaningful friendships?

MORE: I turned down being my best friend’s bridesmaid – and I’m glad I did

Be careful feeding children hot dogs

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girl holding three hot dogs with ketchup and onions
Hot dogs pose a choking risk (Picture: Getty)

A word of warning for anyone planning to load of on hot dogs for the 4th of July (that’s Independence Day for Americans) or for a weekend BBQ: you may want to prepare a different meal option for any kids in attendance.

That’s because hot dogs can be a choking hazard for children says Dr Tanya Altmann, the author of Baby & Toddler Basics.

Dr Altmann told USA Today that hot dogs top the list of foods to avoid giving young children, as when bitten into they’re the sort of large, round and solid food item that makes it really easy for children to choke.

Think about it. Hot dogs are long, skinny sausages. A child bites into one and creates a small, round shape just like a coin. If your kid is excited for the festivities and rushes their hot dog, they’re at risk of the hot dog chunk getting lodged in their throat.

Experts advise that children under four years old aren’t given hot dogs, but that all young children should have their hot dogs sliced before they’re handed over.

The key thing is to get rid of the hot dog’s roundness, so you can either slice a sausage lengthways in half, or cut it into small half-moon shapes.

Parents should also teach their children to take small bites and chew before swallowing, and should stay close when children are eating in case of an emergency.

Stay safe out there – but don’t get rid of the joy of a hot dog entirely.

What to do if a child is choking:

If your child suddenly starts coughing, isn’t ill and has a habit of putting small objects in their mouth, there’s a good chance that they’re choking.

If you can see the object, try to remove it. Don’t poke blindly or repeatedly with your fingers. You could make things worse by pushing the object further in and making it harder to remove.

If your child’s coughing loudly, encourage them to carry on coughing to bring up what they’re choking on and don’t leave them.

If your child’s coughing isn’t effective (it’s silent or they can’t breathe in properly), shout for help immediately and decide whether they’re still conscious.

If your child’s still conscious, but they’re either not coughing or their coughing isn’t effective, use back blows.

Back blows for babies under one year

Sit down and lay your baby face down along your thighs, supporting their head with your hand.
Give up to 5 sharp back blows with the heel of 1 hand in the middle of the back between the shoulder blades.

Back blows for children over one year

Lay a small child face down on your lap as you would a baby.

If this isn’t possible, support your child in a forward-leaning position and give five back blows from behind.

If back blows don’t relieve the choking and your baby or child is still conscious, give chest thrusts to infants under 1 year or abdominal thrusts to children over one year.

This will create an artificial cough, increasing pressure in the chest and helping to dislodge the object.

Chest thrusts for children under one year

Lay your baby face up along the length of your thighs.

Find the breastbone and place 2 fingers in the middle.

Give 5 sharp chest thrusts (pushes), compressing the chest by about a third.

Abdominal thrusts for children over one year

Stand or kneel behind your child. Place your arms under the child’s arms and around their upper abdomen.

Clench your fist and place it between the navel and ribs.

Grasp this hand with your other hand and pull sharply inwards and upwards.

Repeat up to five times. Make sure you don’t apply pressure to the lower ribcage, as this may cause damage.

Following chest or abdominal thrusts, reassess your child as follows:

If the object still isn’t dislodged and your child’s still conscious, continue the sequence of back blows and either chest or abdominal thrusts.

Call out or send for help, if you’re still on your own.

Don’t leave the child.

Call 999 if the blockage doesn’t come out after trying back blows and either chest or abdominal thrusts. Keep trying this cycle until help arrives.

Even if the object has come out, get medical help. Part of the object might have been left behind, or your child might have been hurt by the procedure.

Unconscious child with choking

If a choking child is, or becomes, unconscious, put them on a firm, flat surface and shout for help.

Call 999, putting the phone on speakerphone so your hands are free. Don’t leave the child at any stage.

Open the child’s mouth. If the object’s clearly visible and you can grasp it easily, remove it.

NHS

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My Label and Me: I never imagined I’d still be a self-harmer at 40

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Content warning: This piece discusses self-harm.

I’ve always used physical pain as a way to deal with mental distress.

As a young child, I would dig my fingernails into my palms when things got too much or hit myself with my hairbrush.

By my mid-teens, I’d been diagnosed with depression and had begun to cut myself.

I hadn’t heard the term ‘self-harm’. This was in the days before the internet.

The realisation that this was something that other people did too came around the time of my GCSEs, when a friend confessed that she’d been hurting herself, too.

There followed a series of notes between us as we shared our experiences. It all reached a climax when her parents found one of my letters in her bedroom and contacted the school in a panic.

My Label and Me Self-harmer Lucy
Being a 40-year-old self-harmer is an entirely different experience from self-harming as a teenage (Picture: FORDTOGRAPHY for Metro.co.uk)

I clearly remember the fallout: the sense of shame, the scrutiny that accompanied every PE lesson. I’d always been labelled in a positive way: grade-A student, violinist, teacher’s daughter. Now, I was something else: a basket case, a problem to be solved. A self-harmer.

As the years passed and I got to the end of my teenage years, I was mostly ‘clean’ from self-harm. I was pretty stable with occasional setbacks – such as when I had postnatal depression after the birth of my first child – and I no longer felt the urge to self-harm.

I thought it was a part of my distant past that I’d never go back to. But around the age of 34, I entered a season of severe mental ill health, and self-harm became a serious problem that I’m still doing battle with every day.

Being a 40-year-old self-harmer is an entirely different experience from self-harming as a teenager.

With mental health problems at an all-time high amongst young people, mild self-harm has lost a lot of its shock value and has almost become a rite of passage (although don’t get me wrong; I’d be devastated if my children felt the need to self-harm).

But when you’re a married mum of two with a decent freelance writing career, a mortgage and a sensible pair of boots, there’s something particularly shameful about admitting that you still struggle with self-harm.

My Label and Me Self-harmer Lucy
Once, when I needed hospital treatment, I even had a nurse tell me that she was surprised my husband was still with me (Picture: FORDTOGRAPHY for Metro.co.uk)

The repercussions of being an adult self-harmer have touched every part of my life.

I’ve made the choice not to conceal my scars – a decision driven mostly by last summer’s heatwave – but I feel self-conscious every time I stand in the school playground with my arms on display.

I worry that the other mums judge me as if I’m somehow a less responsible parent than them. I was reported to social services by one parent – whose identity I still don’t know – over concerns for my children’s welfare. Thankfully, the case against me was dropped, but only after an intrusive and distressing investigation.

I was forced to step back from my voluntary work with children as a safeguarding risk, despite the fact that I’ve never, ever had any desire to hurt anyone other than myself.

Once, when I needed hospital treatment, I even had a nurse tell me that she was surprised my husband was still with me.

The fact is that when people think of self-harmers, they think of morose, hormonal teenagers wearing head-to-toe black and carving messages into their arms using safety pins. I’m guilty of this myself.

My Label and Me Self-harmer
I was reported to social services by one parent – whose identity I still don’t know – over concerns for my children’s welfare (Picture: FORDTOGRAPHY for Metro.co.uk)

But that stereotype makes me feel not just misunderstood, but also immature, as I should have grown out of self-harming long ago.

In truth, my self-harm is a symptom of a serious mental illness that has seen me admitted to hospital under the section on more than one occasion. I should no more feel ashamed of the scars that I would of a scar resulting from an appendectomy or caesarean. And yet I do, because of the way society looks at people like me.

I’ll admit I have a love-hate relationship with my scars. They are noticeable and unsightly, and it’s blindingly obvious what they are, especially when I put on a swimming costume and take my kids to the pool. If I could somehow erase them, I wouldn’t think twice.

But in other ways, I value them, because they’re visible evidence of an invisible illness that has ravaged my life. They’re my battle scars.

My mental health continues to be poor, and it defines me in many ways. But there’s more to me than just being a self-harmer. I’m a wife, a mother, a friend, a writer, a Christian (and yes, I do know how incompatible self-harm and Christianity are). I love to write, read and play with my kids.

I understand the irony here: in writing this piece, I’m making that ‘self-harmer’ label stick even harder. But being open about adult self-harm is important to me because so few people are.

There are many of us fighting this battle – some who’ve been struggling since adolescence, and some who didn’t fall into the trap until adulthood – and I speak for every one of us who has been judged, stared at and shamed.

We are all more than our scars – and we all deserve more than being labelled and stigmatised by them.

Need support? Contact the Samaritans

For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.

Labels

Labels is an exclusive series that hears from individuals who have been labelled – whether that be by society, a job title, or a diagnosis. Throughout the project, writers will share how having these words ascribed to them shaped their identity  positively or negatively  and what the label means to them.

If you would like to get involved please email jess.austin@metro.co.uk

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What does ‘dead ting’ mean? Amber’s Love Island insult explained

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Love Island’s constantly enriching us with knowledge. Thanks to Curtis, we learned about the eagle sex position and picked up various other phrases along the way.

Though sadly for Lucie, bev isn’t going to happen. But it is what it is.

In the last explosive episode of the reality TV show, Amber was heard calling Joanna, who has coupled up with her ex Michael, a ‘dead ting’.

The beautician also referred to her former beau in the villa as a dead ting – so for those who don’t know, what exactly does it mean? (If you do know, please don’t cringe at our explainer).

Though users on Twitter think it’s a thinly veiled threat on Joanna (judging by those saying Amber’s going to commit murder), it’s just a way to say someone is boring.

In certain vernaculars, the term ‘dead’ is used to describe someone who doesn’t have a personality to match their looks or someone who is plain uninteresting.

Love Island contestant Amber Gill looking angry
Amber gave the most Amber response to Michael coupling up with Joanna (Picture: Rex Features)

According to Urban Dictionary, dead ting is defined as: ‘A person who is boring and is extremely dull.

‘For example, John: The girl was trying to link me yesterday…she’s a proper dead ting.’

But Amber’s use of the phrase was not taken kindly by viewers who called her ‘childish’ and ‘disgusting’ for her attitude towards Joanna.

In the episode, she told best mate and all-around support system Anna: ‘I can physically say I’m better than her in every way.

‘It really hurts my heart that this has happened to me. But I’m not worried about me at all. I can handle myself.’

Joanna who was made aware of the comment later confided in Anton saying: ‘She called me a dead ting. That’s not nice.’

Viewers, like the villa,  are now divided, with some claiming that Amber is childish for acting out while others say Joanna has called Amber worse.

Others, who may be less familiar with slang, think that Amber is a ‘psycho’ that may ‘murder’ Michael and/or Joanna.

But please folks, brush up on your slang, it’s just a harmless phrase.

Be careful of the tropes that add to stereotypes of an angry black woman (a lot of the language used to describe black contestants may be adding to them). Queen Beyoncé isn’t having any of it.

So, now you can go forth into the world and identify all the dead tings you know.

MORE: Love Island explained – what are the rules?

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MORE: Love Island fans crash sex website as Curtis Pritchard reveals his favourite position

Great-grandma, 100, who thanks sausage rolls for her long life has a Greggs-themed birthday party

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Mary Emerson marked her 100th birthday with plenty of sausage rolls
Mary Emerson marked her 100th birthday with plenty of sausage rolls (Picture: Greggs/Triangle News)

Fans of sausage rolls, – vegan or otherwise – meet your new life inspiration.

Mary Emerson has just turned 100, and credits sausage rolls for her long and happy life.

An icon, we stan.

Mary has been making her own sausage rolls for most of her life, but as she’s got older she does occasionally pop into her local Greggs for a pastry fix.

When she celebrated her 100th birthday on Sunday, there was really only one way to mark the occasion.

Greggs threw the great-grandmother a surprise birthday party, complete with plenty of sausage rolls to share with friends and family.

‘I’ve enjoyed baking for as long as I can remember and everyone has always enjoyed my sausage rolls,’ says Mary.

‘I still enjoy making them, with a little help.

Mary likes to make her own sausage rolls, but will nip to Greggs when she's in urgent need of some pastry
Mary likes to make her own sausage rolls, but will nip to Greggs when she’s in urgent need of some pastry (Picture: Greggs/Triangle News)

‘One of my favourite times to make them is around Christmas time with my granddaughter Naomi.’

How funny, our favourite time to eat sausage rolls is around Christmas, too. By which we mean within six months before or after 25 December.

Mary says the key to a great sausage roll is using good quality meat and cutting them up nice and small.

She still makes sausage rolls that receive praise from all those who sample them.

Mary says: ‘Although my eyesight is poor and I have the odd niggle, I still try to make sausage rolls as they go down so well.

‘That and staying positive has definitely been the secret to a long life.’

We’re sold.

greggs 100 sausage rolls for birthday party
Greggs sent her plenty of their stash to mark her 100th birthday (Picture: Greggs/Triangle News)

Mary was born prematurely with her twin sister Jean in 1919. They were both christened immediately as neither were expected to survive.

Sadly, Jean died in 1981, but Mary continues to surprise everyone by leading a healthy, happy life well into old age. She has lived alone since the death of her husband Tom in 1976.

‘I have lived a good life,’ she says.

Along with enjoying a sausage roll feast for her birthday, Mary also received a telegram from the chief executive of Greggs, Roger Whiteside.

The telegram read: ‘I am so pleased to know that you are celebrating your 100th Birthday on June 30, 2019.

‘We would like to commemorate this landmark occasion with your years of dedicated service to the glorious sausage roll.’

We can only hope to receive a similar message on our 100th birthdays.

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MORE: The ultimate guide to getting through a hen do

MORE: Be careful feeding children hot dogs


When I tell you I have HIV, please don’t unmatch me

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Becky taking selfie
What is it going to take? When are the three letters ‘HIV’ not going to stop the conversation? Every. Single. Time (Picture: Becky)

Shame, shame, shame.

We all know the reference, Cersei taking her walk of shame in Game of Thrones. That’s where my head goes when I face a dating rejection because of my HIV. Like I’m doing a walk of shame.

The stigma runs deep, particularly with straight men and I go on a shame spiral. Agonising over every detail of the conversations, analysing, should I have told him then? Should I have worded it differently? Should I have waited until we met in person? It just goes around and around.

A new survey by Terrence Higgins Trust shows I’m not alone. HIV stigma continues to be shockingly high and it’s people like me who are having to face the consequences. 38 per cent of people would feel uncomfortable going on a date with someone living with HIV.

While nearly half would feel uncomfortable kissing someone living with HIV. HIV never has or ever will be passed on by kissing or across the dinner table during an awkward date.

But this is the reality I have to deal with when it comes to dating and I am fed up with it.

Shame, shame, shame.

A new guy super liked me on Tinder and commented he was very glad he did. I’ve put a link to an HIV article in my bio and I ask people to read it.

It includes the information – which is backed up by evidence and two major studies, as well as endorsed by Terrence Higgins Trust – that because I’m on effective treatment I can’t pass on HIV, with or without a condom.

So if a guy’s at the point of messaging me I assume they’ve looked at it.

New guy was a nurse in an area of women’s health. New guy messaged me at 07.20 saying he had woken up thinking about me.

New guy messaged me as soon as he was on a break at work with a smiling picture.

We had planned to meet at the weekend, new guy said he was so excited to meet me.

Sex and dating illos
I cannot pass on HIV to anyone else, and neither can any other person on effective HIV treatment (Metro Illustrations: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

New guy liked big curvy girls. New guy was a fan of kink.

During the conversation, the new guy told me he had worked at a women’s HIV treatment and assessment unit in Uganda. I was so happy, could this new guy be any more of a fit for me? I asked new guy if he’d read the article, he said no.

My stomach flipped, he doesn’t know.

I’d assumed he had. I assumed that as he worked in health care he was just more educated on the matter and it didn’t concern him. Maybe I was being naïve, how could someone possibly know and not ask me about it?

New guy asked for the link again, said his phone wouldn’t let him copy and paste it.

No turning back.

I sent new guy the link at 11.16. he said he’d read it on his lunch and message me then. By 20.00 new guy had not read the two (casual, light and agonised over) messages I’d sent. One at lunch, one after work.

What is it going to take? When are three letters not going to stop the conversation? Every. Single. Time.

My friend said to me ‘he might still reply’.

New guy didn’t. New guys never do.

I want to be able to say ‘I’m HIV+ undetectable’ and they just go ‘okay’ and we move on.

I’ve seen it before, I’ve walked this path before and it’s like I’m in last night’s dress, smeared makeup, hungover and everyone can see.

And if my love life (and its challenges) has got you to read this, then please click off knowing what I really, really want you to know: people living with HIV and on effective treatment can’t pass it on to sexual partners.

That’s because treatment reduces the amount of virus in my blood to undetectable levels to protect my immune system from damage. That also means it can’t be passed on.

Only 19 per cent of people across the country know this and that needs to change. Because it has a real and devastating impact.

Most men still don’t know about HIV. They won’t take the time to read information about it. If they think their dick is in danger they disengage, no matter how much they liked you in the first place.

I cannot pass on HIV to anyone else, and neither can any other person on effective HIV treatment. In the UK that’s 97 per cent of all of us diagnosed and on treatment.

But until more people know this me and countless other women will face rejection after rejection when we choose to share our HIV status.

That’s what needs to change. I want to be able to say ‘I’m HIV+ undetectable’ and they just go ‘okay’ and we move on.

Terrence Higgins Trust has launched its Can’t Pass It On campaign to champion the message that people living with HIV and on effective treatment can’t pass the virus on. 

MORE: People living with HIV forced to explain how they got it for insurance

MORE: End to Aids is near as huge study finds anti-HIV drugs stop transmission

Woman snorts fake tan to get a bronzed glow

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Jamie claims her bronzed glow is down to nasal spray to increase the production of melanin
Jamie claims her bronzed glow is down to nasal spray to increase the production of melanin (Picture: PA Real Life)

A woman who absolutely loves to be bronzed doesn’t just slather herself in tanning cream and hit the sunbed – she snorts fake tan, too.

Not regular fake tan or bronzing powder racked up in a line, to be clear.

Jamie McBride, 28, uses a special nasal spray to snort up a product that claims to deepen tans, choosing this method because a fear of needles stopped her trying tanning injections.

The spray is banned and unlicensed in the UK, and there hasn’t been research into the risks it could pose – or even whether it works. But that won’t stop Jamie from sniffing up the stuff.

The stay-at-home mum says she hasn’t experienced any side-effects of snorting fake tan, and says her bronzed glow is worth the worry.

She said: ‘I first found out about nasal tanners when a few friends tried them. They recommended them, since they know I don’t like needles and would never inject myself.

Jamie also uses sunbeds
She also uses sunbeds once a week (Picture: PA Real Life)

‘Like using anything you don’t know much about, putting it into my body does worry me, but everyone else I know who has used them has been okay, so I’ll be fine.

‘I feel more beautiful and glowing with a tan, but I hate false tan, the smell of it, and how patchy it goes. With a nice tan, you always feel better – I think everyone can agree on that.’

Before discovering nasal tanners, Jamie began hitting the sunbeds. She started out going to tanning salons twice a week, then three or four times. Now she’s cut back to one session a week as she claims the nasal spray does the job for her.

She’s tried artificial tan before but hated the smell… so started sniffing up a tan deepener instead.

Jamie's nasal tanners and tan cream (PA Real Life/Collect)
The spray is unlicensed and not medically approved (Picture: PA Real Life)

‘Between buying nasal sprays and block minutes on the sunbeds, I must have spent a fortune on tanning over the years,’ says Jamie. ‘I wouldn’t even be able to guess how much.

‘It’s not that I feel bad when I’m pale – it’s more I’ll see someone with a lovely tan and think, “Oh my god I need to go for a sunbed,” and think I’m pale when I’m not.’

The spray claims to function in the same way as a lot of the tanning pills you’ll find online, containing a chemical they claim stimulates melanin production.

‘They come in a small bottle with a nasal spray top,’ Jamie explains. ‘I keep them in the fridge and take one spray up each nostril once a day for a few days to let it build up in my system.

Jamie sunbathing
The stay-at-home mum loves to have a bronzed glow (Picture: PA Real Life)

‘Then, if I’m having sunbeds too, I’ll up it to two sprays a day – once in the morning, and once before bed.

‘At first, I thought they were giving me headaches, so I stopped using them, but the migraines continued. In the end, it turned out I needed stronger glasses, so I wouldn’t say I have personally had any side effects.

‘In this day and age, everyone has, at some point, used a sunbed or tried a spray or injection, just to see what all the fuss is about.

‘If anybody did try to criticise me, I wouldn’t listen anyway, because at the end of the day, it’s my body.

‘People are quick to judge, but everyone I know who has tried them loves them, and has had great results. Plus, I haven’t had any side effects that would make me think otherwise.

Jamie's tan lines (PA Real Life/Collect)
She has no plans to stop using the spray (Picture: PA Real Life)

‘As with everything, there is always a risk, so if you feel it isn’t right, then fine – don’t do it.

‘But don’t judge others for wanting a tan to feel better about themselves. Everyone has their own opinion, and this is mine.’

Like tanning injections and pills, nasal tanning sprays are available online, which is how Jamie gets hers for £20 a bottle.

A spokesperson for the Government’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) warned against the use of tanning injections and related products containing melanotan.

They said: ‘Melanotan is not a licensed medicine and therefore its quality and safety has not been tested; no information is held on where or how it is made nor what it contains.

‘The fact that it is injected also raises serious questions. Anyone injecting themselves with an unlicensed product is risking their health. It may cause serious and long-term side effects.

‘Our advice is not to use it and if you have used it and suffered side effects, speak to your doctor and report it to us through our Yellow Card Scheme.’

MORE: Makeup artist’s fake tan fail made friends think she’d been kidnapped

MORE: Mum captures the moment her baby cries seeing her fake tan gone wrong

MORE: Woman shares hilarious photos of her unfortunate fake tan fail

Happy 4th of July: Images, memes and quotes to celebrate American Independence Day

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U.S. President Donald Trump hugs an American flag
Ah, patriotism (Picture: Tasos Katopodis/Pool via Bloomberg / Getty Images)

On this day every year – 4 July – Americans celebrate their Independence Day.

This national holiday marks the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which declared that the then 13 American colonies were no longer accepting the rule of Great Britain.

Sorry ’bout it Britain!

To help you celebrate the day – or if you just want to support your friendly neighbourhood American – here’s a collection of quotes, memes and images to mark the 4th of July.

4th of July quotes

‘May we think of freedom not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right.’ – Peter Marshall

‘Liberty is the breath of life to nations.’ – George Bernard Shaw

president john f kennedy
John F Kennedy, 35th president of the USA (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)

‘Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.’ – John F. Kennedy

‘America, to me, is freedom.’ – Willie Nelson

‘In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved.’ – Franklin D. Roosevelt

‘This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.’ – Elmer Davis

american founding father benjamin franklin
American politician, scientist, and philosopher Benjamin Franklin (Picture Stock Montage/Getty Images)

‘They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.’
– Benjamin Franklin

‘If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.’ –
George Washington

4th of July memes

MORE: Megan Rapinoe dismisses Donald Trump criticism: ‘He should have better things to do’

Airbnb puts up £1,000 a night bench in ‘fashionable Shoreditch’ to raise awareness of homelessness

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Pictures of bench being sold on airbnb for £1,000 which is not really for sale but to raise money for homelessness
Airbnb offers ‘resplendent bench in fashionable Shoreditch’ (Picture: Airbnb/Martin)

If you walk around London, you’ll realise the dire situation of homelessness, though we like to pretend it doesn’t exist.

To shed light on the problem, Airbnb is offering a bench on a Shoreditch high street for £1,000 a night.

The ‘spot in the heart of London’ boasts an ‘open-air environment’ and is close to shops, trains and local nightlife.

The bench isn’t really for rent. Airbnb is raising awareness of the plight of homeless people who are fined a grand for sleeping on the streets, as stipulated by the 1824 Vagrancy Act.

Ridiculous, right?

Bench on Airbnb to raise awareness of homelessness
‘In the heart of a vibrant area’ (Picture: Airbnb/Martin)

Airbnb has pictures of the public bench, in its usual listing format, including checking in and out dates.

Also part of the listing is a description of the property described as an ‘entire flat – one guest, one bedroom, one bed, toilet with sink’.

The description reads: ‘All this can be yours for £1000 a night.

‘And if you think this is ridiculous, you’re bang on.

‘The 1824 Vagrancy Act means that homeless people are being fined up to £1000 a night, and slapped with a criminal record for sleeping rough.

‘Please help put a stop to this injustice. Sign the petition to repeal this cruel and heartless act.’

Under ‘other things to note’, it says: ‘There were 1,320 prosecutions under the Vagrancy Act in England and Wales in 2018 – a rise of 6%.

‘In the same year, laws like this lead to 73% of homeless people being criminalised.’

Bench on Airbnb to raise awareness of homelessness , 'next to Old Street station'
‘Entire flat. Just a two-minute walk from Old Street Station’ (Picture: Airbnb/Martin)

The hotel company also included a link to a petition which people can sign to repeal the act.

With Scotland and Ireland already having gotten rid of that law, petitioners are hoping that England too can follow suit.

So far it has 20 signatures but needs 100,000 before it can be taken to parliament.

The deadline to sign it is January 2020 and you can do so here.

But it’s not the first time Airbnb has put up public spaces to draw people to the issue of homelessness.

Benches and dumpsters have been advertised in the U.S for some time for the same reason.

And MP Caroline Lucas has also said Airbnbs must be controlled in areas with high numbers of homeless people.

MORE: Airbnbs must be controlled in areas of homelessness

MORE: Child homelessness increases by ‘shameful’ 80% within decade

MORE: Hardworking teen beats homelessness to receive offers from 17 colleges

How I Save: The 32-year-old freelancer earning £15k a year with £1,400 saved

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How I Save: Faye, the freelancer earning £15k a year
In this week’s How I Save we look at the budget of Faye, a freelance writer living in Birmingham (Picture: Metro.co.uk)

Saving money is tough enough when you have a regular salary.

It gets even trickier when you’re a freelancer, with uncertain circumstances meaning you can have a month where you’re paid loads followed by weeks of nothing.

Throw in delayed payments and having to do your own taxes, and trying to tuck away money for later down the line can be impossible.

In this week’s How I Save, our weekly series in which we look at someone’s spending and saving then get expert advice on how they (and we) can improve, we chat to Faye (not her real name).

Faye, 32, is a freelance writer living in Birmingham. Her income varies month to month, and her priority is earning enough to cover living costs in a city then saving plenty to cover taxes when she has to file them each year.

Let’s have a look at her personal finances.

How Faye Saves:

I’m a 32 year-old freelance writer living in Birmingham. I earn between £12,000 and £15,000 a year.

In my savings account right now I have £1,400. I’m saving for my tax bill.

The main way I save is try and put away a third of every invoice, but I struggle with saving because I don’t earn much, living costs in the city are high, and cash flow is an issue with freelancing.

Flying cash
Faye struggles to save as her income varies (Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

How Faye spends:

Monthly expenses:

  • Council tax £135
  • Phone insurance £15.99
  • Cinema pass £17.90
  • Phone contract £53.00
  • Gym £19.99
  • Loan repayments £180
  • TV license £12.83
  • House insurance £9.35
  • Food £200

My husband earns much more than me so he pays the rent, while I pick up other bills like council tax, etc.

A week of spending:

Monday: Flowers for mothers day, £18. Groceries, £23.

Tuesday: Coffee, £3. Coffee and cake, £6. Groceries, £4. Train to Cardiff and back for work, £59

Wednesday: I buy nothing.

Thursday: A £3 coffee, a glass of wine for £6.40, and £5.50 on groceries.

Friday: £21.45 on groceries.

Saturday: A Boots meal deal for £3.

Sunday: Coffee and cake, £6.50.

How Faye could save:

We spoke to the experts over at money tracking app Cleo to find out how Noah could save better.

Note: the advice featured is specific to one individual and doesn’t constitute financial advice.

Main vice

Your budget is tight. Like £4 a day tight.

Basically any splurge above a meal deal tips you into financial crisis.

‘Saving for tax’ is a forlornly bleak goal. Props for motivating yourself through it!

Where you’re going wrong

Setting aside one third of your freelance pay check is a great shout. But on a bad month this means the maths falls apart and you’ll be £110 short of even meeting your bills.

This means dipping into your savings is inevitable – remember not to be hard on yourself when you do it.

Instead turn your rage onto your network provider (at nearly £70 a month I hope your handset SHOOTS LASERS)

Phone bills are easier to haggle than you think. Pick up that gloriously overpriced phone and negotiate like there’s no tomorrow.

Forgetting that £59 train fare (that you can hopefully expense), you’re only hitting £5.27 a day. That’s saintly behaviour. You’re also not tempted in by take-outs, nights out, Ubers or online shopping splurges. Coffee’s a thing. But it’s a well-in-your-budget-thing so carry on.

It’s tight but you’ve got this. Smash the tax. Up your day rate.

Budget shakedown

You’ve got high bills. Like 80% of your income in a bad month. But you’ve factored things like movies, fitness and groceries into your monthly expenses which keeps your spending consistent. If you wanted more flexibility, look at trimming these back.

I’ve factored them into your ’safe to spend’ budget so you can see what your fun budget actually looks like. This is for an average month:

Bills and necessities: £10 a day/ £70 a week/ £588 a month

Safe to save: £11 a day/ £80 a week/ £350 a month

Safe to spend: £7.50 a day/ £52 a week/ £210 a month

Keep going, pal.

How I Save is a weekly series about how people spend and save, out every Thursday. If you’d like to anonymously share how you spend and save – and get some expert advice on how to sort out your finances – get in touch by emailing ellen.scott@metro.co.uk.

Oh, and do check back next week, when we’re looking at the finances of someone who has £143,000 saved.

MORE: How I Save: The 21-year-old marketing manager in Nottingham earning £22k with £4,500 saved

MORE: How I Save: The manager who earns £35K and has £1,000 saved towards a deposit on a house

MORE: How I Save: The 27-year-old PR in Leeds earning £32k a year with £5,000 saved

The private island used in all the Fyre Festival promo is up for sale

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METRO GRAB - The Fyre Fest island is for sale From @Fyre Festival/Youtube
(Picture: @Fyre Festival/Youtubefyre)

Hey, remember all those dreamy videos promoting Fyre Festival?

You know, the ones that showed a private island packed with models, when our hopes were not yet dashed by an abysmal cheese sandwich.

While Fyre Festival may not have delivered the reality it promised, it turns out you can actually live out that island dream… if you have a spare $11.8million (£9.3million).

Yep, the private Caribbean island from the Fyre Festival promo, called Saddleback Cay, is now officially on sale through Bahamas realtor HG Christie.

To be clear, this isn’t the island that actually hosted Fyre Festival – that was Great Exuma. This is the island that was in all the promotional videos to get people to buy tickets.

It’s also not an island formerly owned by Pablo Escobar, despite what Billy McFarland and Ja Rule may have claimed.

It is a lovely place, though, spanning 35 acres and including seven beaches.

The press surrounding the festival has brought a lot of attention to the cay, so it might actually get a buyer pretty speedily.

But whoever ends up buying the island will need to be prepared to do quite a lot of development work – there’s currently just one home and some cottages included in the offer.

If you do fancy living out the secluded private island dream, though, this might be a good shout.

It’s within easy access by boat or by air from New Providence, and is near Normans’ Cay, which has an airport.

The listing reads: ‘Located just north of Normans’ Cay lies the incredibly private island known locally as Saddleback Cay, named thus for the saddle shape the island assumes when viewed from the sea.

‘With over 90 feet of elevation, it has a commanding 360 degree view from one of the highest points in the Exumas. This guarantees some compelling views over one of the best seascapes in the world!

‘Saddleback Cay has seven major and minor beaches, the nicest of which faces the prevailing Southerly Winds. The physical property includes a main house, and several ancillary cottages (guests and servants quarters).

‘The island is conveniently located to some of the best bone fishing and deep water fishing spots in all of the Bahamas. Nearby you will find a wonderful sandbank that appears twice a day out of the sea with the falling of the tides, which makes a wonderful spot to for a trip.

‘Islands like this one rarely come on the market and represent a great opportunity to own an iconic private island the world-famous Exuma Cays.’

Sounds snazzy. If you’ve got enough money to make an offer, you can get in touch through the HG Christie website.

Please don’t use your new island to host a poorly thought-out festival.

MORE: As we devour every detail of the Fyre Festival fall-out, why do we love scammer stories so much?

MORE: If you want to commemorate the greatest party that never happened, Fyre Festival merch is available

You no longer need to trek to Greggs for that vegan sausage roll, it’s on Just Eat

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EDITORIAL USE ONLY A 'Sausage Roll-Mobile', featuring a sidecar in the shape of a sausage roll, is unveiled by actor Joe Swash as it hits the road in London to celebrate Greggs now being available on online food delivery service, Just Eat. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Wednesday July 3, 2019. The partnership offers delivery of Greggs baked goods, with no minimum spend, in London, Newcastle and Glasgow via the Just Eat app or online. Photo credit should read: Matt Alexander/PA Wire
Self-confessed Greggs fan Joe Swash unveiled the news in a sidecar (Picture: Matt Alexander/PA)

When we look back at 2019, we’ll realise the cultural importance that Greggs made this year with its game-changer, the vegan sausage roll.

Now, the pastry goods can be accessed from the comfort of our own homes as Greggs is, finally, available on Just Eat.

Sadly, due do its popularity, Brits can only order one sausage roll at a time. But hey, at least delivery is free.

The bakery giant, the biggest in the UK with 1,900 stores, sells around 145 million sausage rolls every year to hungry Brits.

But the delivery is sadly only available to lucky folks in London, Newcastle, and Glasgow.

The news was announced with a sausage roll sidecar, unveiled by Eastenders and I’m a Celeb king Joe Swash (random, we know).

Eastenders star Joe Swash holds bag saying Just Eat and sausage rolls on the other hand
You gonna eat all that by yourself, mate? (Picture: Matt Alexander/PA)

The sidecar is inspired by the push-bike that Greggs founder John Gregg used in the 1930s to deliver his baked goods.

A team of designers took two weeks to customise the Triumph Bonneville vehicle which features a six-foot golden pastry-look sidecar in tribute to the iconic savoury treat.

It will now go on tour around London, Newcastle and Glasgow from today, accompanied by self-confessed Greggs fan Joe Swash.

He said: ‘With Greggs now on Just Eat, breakfast and lunch just got infinitely better! Their bacon rolls are my favourite, I reckon I’ll be putting a few cheeky orders in myself!’

‘We’re thrilled to be working with Just Eat to make it even easier for our customers to enjoy their breakfast and lunch menu favourites,’ said Hannah Grills from Greggs.

‘From bacon rolls and coffees to our range of bakes, sandwiches and wraps, we’ll be able to go direct to the doorsteps of more than a million hungry households.’

Graham Corfield of Just Eat added: ‘Britain’s love affair with Greggs isn’t slowing down so what better way to celebrate than with a speedy sausage roll-inspired delivery bike!’

Who else is excited to tap the app to get the deliciousness at home?

MORE: Great-grandma, 100, who thanks sausage rolls for her long life has a Greggs-themed birthday party

MORE: Girl loves Greggs so much she had their logo tattooed on her leg

MORE: Greggs adds some spice to its menu with the new Cajun Bake


Women are sharing their stories of being ‘Michael-ed?’ Love Island style

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Michael Griffiths in Love Island
He had us all fooled (Picture: ITV, Getty)

There are two types of people in this world; those who support Love Island’s Michael, and those who absolutely detest him.

For those of you who have yet to see a man moving in the maddest way possible let me recap: Michael Griffiths was coupled up with Amber Rose Gill, and they were favourites to win the whole thing.

Despite her being wary at the start, and saying he looked like the type of guy that would ‘ruin a girl’s life’, she gradually let her guard down after he’d promised her his head wouldn’t be turned by other girls and that he’d love for Amber to meet his family.

When the girls were then sent to Casa Amor to meet a new crop of lads (and new girls were sent in to the original villa with the boys) everything seemed to change.

As Michael cracked on to Joanna Chimonides, he claimed that Amber was actually ‘childish’ and he had ‘bitten his tongue’ in a lot of situations he shouldn’t have. It was quite the turnaround.

Amber stayed loyal to Michael, but when he recoupled with Joanna, there were a whole load of fireworks both in and out of the villa.

Sex and relationships influencer Dami Olonisakin – known as Oloni – took the opportunity to see if any of her followers had been in a similar hot-and-cold situation. Turns out, they definitely had.

So what actually is being Michael-ed? What constitutes a Michael? How are you supposed to react if you’ve been the victim of a drive-by Michaeling?

To be Michael-ed is to be promised the world before having it taken away when the Michael finds something better (or easier to deal with, in this case).

The worst part of being Michael-ed, however is not the dumping. After all, we’re all adults here, and nobody has to be in a relationship with anyone they don’t want to be with. The worst part is the fact that it will then somehow be your fault that they left, despite them not having voiced any concerns before.

Perhaps you weren’t being affectionate enough. Perhaps you were being too affectionate. Whatever the Michael needs to help them assuage their guilt and put the blame on you, they’ll find something.

Any reaction you have to the whole paradigm shift that’s just occurred will be deemed ‘childish’, ‘immature’, an over-reaction, crazy, or hysterical. The real life Michael tried to claim that Amber was ‘raising her voice’ to him, despite the whole nation being able to clearly hear that he was much louder than her. We have the receipts, Michael, but will that stop you Michaeling? No.

After being Michael-ed, there’s not much you can really do but leave.

Love would be too sterile and safe if you lived your life refusing to open your heart in fear of accidentally doing so to a Michael. Let them live in their Michaelness, and hope that one day you’ll be Tommy’d instead.

MORE: How I Save: The 32-year-old freelancer earning £15k a year with £1,400 saved

MORE: Airbnb puts up £1,000 a night bench in ‘fashionable Shoreditch’ to raise awareness of homelessness

 

If you want to take your games night up a level, you can get Louis Vuitton Jenga for £2,600

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louis vuitton is selling a jenga style Monogram Tower
Fancy (Picture: Louis Vuitton)

You may have every edition of Monopoly under the sun (Lion King Monopoly, a voice-controlled version, bleak Monopoly for millennials), but your games night isn’t truly bougie until you invest in some fancy jenga.

Handily enough, you no longer need to supply your own gold bars to create a makeshift version of the game. Louis Vuitton is now selling their own version of ‘remove blocks from a stack without them all crashing down’.

Or, as they call it, a Monogram Tower.

Louis Vuitton’s version of the game is comprised of plexiglass blocks each plastered with motif’s from the label’s logo – the little LV, the monogram flower, and so on.

They’re quite aesthetically pleasing in shades of red, pink, and blue, and come with their own plexiglass box to cart them around in.

The entire set costs HK$25,700 (£2,623), which does make us worry that it’d be too posh to play with.

Louis Vuitton Jenga MONOGRAM TOWER
The tower comes with its own case (Picture: Louis Vuitton)

But we suppose that if you have enough money to spend thousands on a snazzy version of a game, you probably won’t be bothered if one of the pieces gets a bit grimy.

We wouldn’t trust it with any kids, though. Think of their dirty fingers leaving marks on all that plexiglass.

Louis Vuitton says, however, that their ‘vibrant Monogram Tower is a whimsical gift to delight the entire family’. Clearly they’re unbothered by any child-induced wreckage.

If you fancy getting your paws on some Louis Vuitton Jenga, you can order online.

Feel free to continue that absurdly expensive streak with the brand’s coloured pencils and paperweight.

 

Bored of feeling meh? Here’s how to sharpen up your senses

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It can be all too easy these days to find yourself stuck in a rut.

Given the fast-paced and on-demand culture we live in, it can often feel like there is no time left in the day to rest and reassess, which can lead to burnout.

They say the time to relax is when you don’t have time for it, so here’s some top tips to get your mojo back and keep yourself feeling sharp.

Hit the hay

Everyone is aware of the importance of getting regular exercise and a healthy diet, but it’s just as important to ensure you’re getting enough quality kip.

Heading to bed to help you feel more alert may seem like an oxymoron, but getting a good night’s sleep really can help recharge those batteries.

Credited with aiding in weight loss, improving your mood boosting your brainpower, it’s undeniable that a good night’s sleep can make a world of difference.

Get back to nature

Summer is upon us, and as we’re not be blessed with excellent weather all the time, why not make the most of it?

A brisk stroll down a country lane not only helps with general fitness levels, but spending time in the great outdoors is proven to change the physical expression of stress in the body.

More of a city slicker than a countryman? Head to the local park for a nature-fix, or pay a visit to the local garden centre – even if only to check out the cafe.

Enlighten yourself

It can be hard to switch off, but meditation has been credited with reducing stress, lengthening your attention span and increasing self-awareness.

Forget what you’ve seen in the movies, you don’t have to sit cross-legged and chant (unless you want to) you just need a few minutes of quiet.

Find a quiet space to sit down, close your eyes and focus on your breathing.

Express yourself

It’s never too late to take up a new hobby, so why not try your hand at something new.

Stepping out of your comfort zone may seem a little daunting, but there’s no denying that it’s a great opportunity to meet new people while taking on a new challenge – and you may end up with a favourite new pastime.

Trying out an extracurricular not only helps the brain rest and refocus, but will leave you with a brand new skill to add to your repertoire, so what have you got to lose?

Get swept off your feet

It’s clichéd but true, a tidy house really can help with a tidy mind.

Whilst we may all be guilty of leaving the odd mug around the house or dropping yesterday’s clothes on the floor instead of the wash basket, a proper de-clutter really can help boost the senses.

Living in jumble can be distracting, as the mind struggles to focus when faced with too much visual stimuli, so pull out the hoover and slip on those rubber gloves.

Give yourself a boost with Pukka Turmeric Active

Pukka Turmeric Active is blended using the finest quality herbs including turmeric, ginger, galangal and nettle. The result is a warm, spicy and invigorating blend with sweet hints of orange. A caffeine-free blend to keep you on your toes.

Turmeric Active has been expertly blended by Pukka’s very own founder and Ayurvedic practitioner, Sebastian Pole.

Sebastian explains: ‘This tea is suitable for everyone, from active bodies and sports enthusiasts to desk dwellers and the less mobile.’

Pukka’s Turmeric Active tea is available to buy online from Amazon and in-store at Waitrose, Holland & Barrett, Tesco and health food stores for RRP of £2.99. Buy your pack today HERE.

If you want to learn more about overall wellbeing and health, tune into a brand new podcast, The Wellness Connection. Hosted by Ayurvedic follower and lifestyle influencer Jasmine Hemsley, six experts will reveal how they have connected to their own wellbeing in a bid to help you find more balance in your everyday life.

Listen today by downloading from Entale here

Belle Delphine sells ‘gamer girl bathwater’ to thirsty folks and is getting explicit requests

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Belle Delphine holding up a jar of her bath water which she's selling on her website
Belle Delphine can’t have enough baths to keep up with demand (Picture: @belle.delphine/Instagram)

Belle Delphine, an Instagram model and NSFW cosplayer is making her coin by selling ‘gamer girl bathwater’.

That’s right, the British 19-year-old has been finessing users online by selling bath residue in jars.

Belle has already shifted 500 jars of the stuff and now it’s all sold out.

There’s only so many baths a girl can take.

Jar of the bath water available on the belle delphine website
Belle constantly tries to come up with new ideas to post to her Instagram (Picture: @belle.delphine/Instagram)

Belle explained why she thought to flog the fluids which cost $30 a pop (£24).

‘So, there is a joke in the community among gamers where they will comment on a post saying “let me drink your bath water”,’ she tells Metro.co.uk.

‘And although it’s a joke I just kind of found the idea of turning it into a reality and actually letting people own my bath water funny.’

Belle continued: ‘The last two days that the website has been open, I’ve sold over 500 bottles of bathwater, as of now I’ve had to stop as I can’t actually take enough baths and it’s sold out!’

Belle's advert on Porhub recently where she pranked viewers saying she was going to be stroking two big cocks
Belle’s advert on Porhub recently where she pranked viewers saying she was going to be stroking two big cocks (Picture: Pornhub)

Belle’s popularity has even meant friends buying it for one another as gifts.

But with that virality comes some unsavoury requests.

‘I have had a bunch of odd requests, some have asked me to spit in the water, pee in it and requested the water to come off my body and drip into the bottle from.. certain areas,’ she adds.

‘Honestly with the kind of messages that I get daily these requests don’t weird me out anymore.’

The Instagrammer, who currently has 3.9 million followers, recently pulled off the biggest bait and switch when she said she’d be stroking two cocks (as in cockerels) on Pornhub.

The Pornhub team even commented on the picture of Belle advertising the new product, asking: ‘How much for toenails?’

Belle is constantly trying to keep her followers entertained and hopes to top this gimmick too.

‘I constantly am trying to come up with weird ideas to post on my Instagram, so hopefully, I’ll be able to top this one day.’

If anyone can, it’s Belle.

MORE: Who is Instagram model Belle Delphine – age, Snapchat and why was it rumoured on the internet that she had died?

MORE: Fetish model sells dirty knickers so she can pay to rescue stray cats

MORE: A cam girl makes a living by signing dirty talk for deaf people

There’s now a waterproof handbag for all your Prosecco

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There's now a waterproof handbag for all your Prosecco.
There’s now a waterproof handbag for all your Prosecco (Picture: Reserve Bar)

A transparent bag is the ultimate status symbol. Not because of the designer, the price tag, or its current trending status, but the fearlessness of the wearer.

While the thought of presenting your clouds of balled up tissues and a stray meds to the world might make you recoil and say ‘I’ll keep my opaque, X-ray proof tote, thanks’, there’s a clear bag that will make you want to show off.

Meet the Prosecco purse. Italian winemaker Ruffino has teamed up with New York label Stickybaby to create a bag that fits six mini-bottles of your sparkling whites.

'There?s now a waterproof handbag for all your Prosecco'
Put these babies on ice (Picture: Reserve Bar)

The transparent tote is waterproof, meaning your Prosecco can rest easy on ice as you flit from Wimbledon, to a picnic on the green, to a summer siesta at home.

No matter where you go, friends, family and even undesired acquaintances will be presented with an immediate visual of how stocked up you are for summer. The ultimate big drink energy.

Considering more than 30 million gallons of Prosecco was sold in the UK in 2017, the bags are obviously sold-out, but available for pre-order.

MORE: Aldi have slashed Prosecco prices to give you change from a fiver

MORE: Strong Women: ‘Having a stoma bag is no hindrance to living life to the max – I’m about to my first Ironman’

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