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Comedians’ wildest onstage meltdowns…punch-ups, evicting a baby & star who shoved heckler’s phone up his BUM
STAND up comedy is no easy task – and dealing with unruly hecklers is a part-and-parcel challenge of putting on live shows.
But sometimes that line between comedy comeback and genuine anger is crossed, leading to some serious onstage meltdowns and even security having to intervene.
They’re moments that leave the audience in stitches – or plunged into an awkward atmosphere that only a true pro would be able to salvage.
Only this weekend, legend Peter Kay lost it at a couple of audience members who were interrupting the Manchester leg of his Better Later Than Never…Again! Tour.
The Bolton-born legend was repeatedly interrupted by a heckler who kept shouting out his “garlic bread?” catchphrase.
But it soon got too much for Kay, who responded: “Garlic bread? Kick him in the f***ing face, will ya? Everyone around you is thinking, ‘pr**ck’”.
The comic then gets a light pointed at the disruptive fan, before saying “Give us a wave, k***head.”
“Look at him, he doesn’t know where he is,” he said, before leading a chant of “You’re going out.”
“He’s not laughing now is he?” he said, before a woman in the audience starts shouting prompting Kay to instruct security to boot her out too.
“Go on Lisa Riley, f*** off,” he shouted after her.
The surprisingly angry outburst left many in the audience uncomfortable – and both the people kicked out have criticised Kay, though the comic defended his actions.
So join us as we take a look at some of the other wild meltdowns comedians have had on stage…
Jimmy Carr
Funnyman Jimmy Carr is known for leaving his audiences in stitches with his dark humour, edgy jokes and savage put-downs to hecklers.
But things turned serious back in 2021 when the 8 Out of 10 Cats star lost it at an audience member while on his Terribly Funny tour in Poole, Dorset.
According to a source at the show, a heckler made a bunch of loud remarks throughout, shouting out that Carr’s jokes weren’t funny and that he’d heard them before.
Carr had to be interrupted three or four times, getting him “visibly frustrated” according to the source, before he eventually snapped back at the audience member.
“You’ve got to f***ing go,” Carr can be heard saying in a recording of the incident.
“If it’s any consolation, I’ll keep the money”, he added, before the apologising to the audience after the man was removed by security.
Stewart Lee
Comedians are known for getting annoyed at audience members secretly filming their shows – not only due to copyright issues, but because of the risk their material might be posted online out of context.
And Stewart Lee is no exception – teaching one audience member a very unsanitary lesson after warning them to put their phone away during a performance in Oxford in 2022.
He jiggled around with the phone shoved in his bum
Audience member
Though the fan insisted they weren’t recording, Lee leapt from the stage and stanched the device away, shouting, “I f***ing warned you.”
He then smashed it down on the stage before dropping his trousers and shoving it between his cheeks.
Another horrified audience member said: “He jiggled around with the phone shoved in his bum.”
Stewart ended the outburst by calling the fan an idiot and telling him that the phone was now in a jiffy bag with sanitiser.
Kevin Bridges
Scottish comic Kevin Bridges lost his cool on stage back in 2015 after a fan kept pestering him for a selfie during a show in Glasgow.
Bridges initially agreed to a photo, but the audience member was sent back to his seat after asking to get up on the stage.
The man then told the comedian to “remember his roots,” prompting a fierce snap-back.
“Remember my roots? F*** off,” he said.
“Do you think this is my roots? Pictures and people asking for selfies, that’s all I hear every day: ‘Kev, can I get a picture, give us a picture Kev’.
“People are not here to see you. The deal is you buy a ticket for the show, you don’t buy me. What do you know about my roots?” he angrily continued, before later apologising to the rest of the audience for the outburst.
Pete Davidson
US comic Pete Davidson launched into an expletive-filled rant back in 2019 after audience members at a Florida university wouldn’t stop going on their phones.
In footage of the outburst that since went viral on Youtube, the Saturday Night Live star tears into the students, calling them “privileged little assholes” and “embarrassing.”
You should f***ing grow up
Pete Davidson
“If you film everything and not enjoy the show for f***ing an hour, then, like, I don’t gotta be here,” he said, adding “I could just give them their money back because I don’t give a f***.”
Some of the audience then started to applaud, but Davidson wasn’t done.
“Don’t clap, that’s the problem…that’s why the world is gonna end in 25 years, because you’re all f***ing r*tarded.
“You should f***ing grow up,” he shouted amid boos from the crowd, before continuing with the set that was later condemned by the university.
Russel Howard
Bristolian funnyman Russell Howard lost his cool during a small show in his hometown back in 2020 – and ended up cutting the set short.
After noticing a woman trying to secretly film him, he vented “that’s literally the worst thing you can do.”
He then told her to “live in the moment”, and asked her how she would like it if someone started filming her at her workplace and mimicking taking his phone out and aiming it at her.
“I was really looking forward to this gig,” he added, before giving his apologies to the stunned crowd, picking up his backpack and heading for the exit.
Alex Williamson
Aussie comedian Alex “Shooter” Williamson is no stranger to getting into fights with his audience – and was almost glassed during a set in Adelaide in 2020.
Williamson stopped his show after he noticed a man “talking about his Jameson” instead of paying attention to the set.
Get the f*** out, c***
Alex Williamson
“You were raised like a c***. I am glad [your parents] are f***ing dead so they didn’t have to see their son evolve into such a f***ing useless sack of sh*t,” he lashed out.
And when the man retaliated saying he hadn’t laughed once, Williamson, who calls himself “Australia’s loosest bloke,” walked over and repeatedly kicked his table while shouting “Get the f*** out, c***.”
After his drink was kicked over, the heckler tried to hit Williamson over the head with a chair before other audience members stepped in.
The man then lobbed three glasses at the comedian, though fortunately missed.
It followed a similar incident during a set in March that year, at a pub in Sydney.
Who are the world's richest comics?
PETER Kay may have lost a couple of fans last Saturday, but he's laughing all the way to the bank as 2024's fourth biggest comedy earner thanks to a £27million paycheck from his arena tours - but who else is making the big bucks?
1. Nate Bargatze – £56.2m
2. Sebastian Maniscalco – £38m
3. Jerry Seinfeld – £31.16m.
4. Peter Kay – £27m
5. Bert Kreischer – £21.4m
6. Trevor Noah – £20.8m
7. Jo Koy – £20.7m
8. Kevin Hart – £17.2m
9. Jeff Dunham – £15.2m
10. Andrew Schultz – £13.4m
11. Tina Fey & Amy Poehler – £11.9m
12. Leanne Morgan – £10.9m
13. Bill Burr – £11.3m
14. Jim Gaffigan – £10.8m
15. Michael McIntyre – £10.3m
Footage shows the comic knock a heckler’s hat off, before the audience member smashed his beer into Williamson’s head.
Williamson then stormed off, downed the beer, before chucking it onto the stage and downing another beer amid chants of “Shooter” from the crowd.
And in March 2021, Williamson got into yet another scrap when he threw beer over a man who had been repeatedly heckling him.
Despite holding out his mic as an olive branch, the man then punched Williamson in the head before being dragged off by security.
Arj Barker
Flight of the Conchords star Arj Barker got caught up in a row that went international after kicking out a mother and a baby from a show in Melbourne last year.
The stand up asked mum Trish to leave after accusing her seven-month old of “disrupting” the show with a variety of noises.
The incident sparked severe backlash, with the mum claiming she was reduced to tears.
She said: “He was like, ‘Oh no, it’s really disruptive, you’re interrupting my rhythm’…then he threw back to the crowd and was basically trying to get their support to say ‘Get out’.”
I’ve nothing against babies, in fact I was one once, for almost two years
Arj Barker
Barker has since made peace with the mum and apologised for the embarrassment caused, though stood by his decision pointing out that the show was advertised for over-15s only.
“I’m sorry that was a difficult situation and I would like to make peace”, he later said.
“To the beautiful baby who I have nothing against, I want to offer that little child a ticket to my show post-dated 2039.
“I’ve nothing against babies, in fact I was one once, for almost two years,” Barker also joked in a separate interview.
Adam Kay
Doctor-turned-comedian Adam Kay booted out an audience member during a show last year in Sydney – once again because they wouldn’t come off their phone.
The Brit was wrapping up the show with a moving anecdote about the importance of the NHS when he turned his anger on the disruptive fan sitting on the front row, who had been asked multiple times to put their phone away.
Seriously, don’t go to the theatre
Adam Kay
“Put. Your. F***ing. Phone. Away!” shouted the author of best-selling book This is Going To Hurt.
Kay then cut short his show, saying “You’ve been a wonderful audience – except for one person who’s really f***ed me off.”
“Seriously, don’t go to the theatre,” he added in a final jab against the audience member.
Bill Burr
Bill Burr is one of the all-time greats of the American comedy circuit and is no stranger to handling difficult crowds.
Back in 2006, Burr faced a tough Philadelphia audience who had been jeering and heckling previous acts all night.
But when they tried to boo Burr off the stage, instead of leaving, he launched into a 12-minute roast of just about everything the US city holds dear, from its food to its sporting icons – and he didn’t hold back.
“F***ing Rocky is your hero. The whole pride of your city is built around a f***ing guy who doesn’t exist,” Burr says at one point.
“Let’s talk about heart disease, something you’re all gonna f***ing die of. And I’m gonna laugh at you’re f***ing funerals which is gonna be great.
“F*** the Liberty Bell, and shove it up Ben Franklin’s ass,” he added in an attack on one of the city’s most famous pieces of heritage.
The performance was so legendary it had since been dubbed the “Philadelphia incident” – and ended up winning a standing ovation from the unruly crowd.
Popular breakfast could slash risk of bowel cancer if eaten twice or more a week
EATING yoghurt for breakfast could lower your risk of bowel cancer, new research suggests.
Scientists found two or more servings a week was linked to lower rates of some types of the disease in adults.
It’s likely due to how it affects the balance of bacteria in the gut, also known as the gut microbiome, they said.
Dr Shuji Ogino, from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, added: “Our study provides unique evidence about the potential benefit of yoghurt.
“My lab’s approach is to try to link long-term diets and other exposures to a possible key difference in tissue, such as the presence or absence of a particular species of bacteria.
“This kind of detective work can increase the strength of evidence connecting diet to health outcomes.”
Researchers used data from two studies that followed more than 100,000 female registered nurses and 51,000 male healthcare professionals aged 30 to 75 since 1976.
Each answered questions about their lifestyles, diets and medical conditions over several decades.
This included how much plain or flavoured yoghurt they ate, as well as other dairy products like milk, cheese and ice cream.
Scientists also assessed tissue samples for all participants diagnosed with bowel cancer, measuring the amount of Bifidobacterium – a type of beneficial bacteria.
There were 3,079 confirmed cases of bowel cancer, and information on Bifidobacterium content was available in 1,121 of them.
Among those, 346 (31 per cent) were Bifidobacterium-positive, and 775 (69 per cent) were negative.
The researchers did not find a significant association between long-term yoghurt intake and overall bowel cancer rates.
But they did see a link with Bifidobacterium-positive tumours, with a 20 per cent lower rate in those who ate two or more portions of yoghurt a week.
This was driven by lower incidence of Bifidobacterium-positive proximal bowel cancer, which occurs in the upper right side of the bowel, the team, whose work was published in Gut Microbes, said.
Dr Tomotaka Ugai, from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said: “It has long been believed that yoghurt and other fermented milk products are beneficial for gastrointestinal health.
“Our new findings suggest that this protective effect may be specific for Bifidobacterium-positive tumours.”
The authors think that eating yoghurt long-term could reduce a person’s risk of proximal bowel cancer by changing the gut microbiome, including Bifidobacterium, but say more research is needed.
“This paper adds to the growing evidence that illustrates the connection between diet, the gut microbiome, and risk of bowel cancer,” Dr Andrew T Chan, from Massachusetts General Hospital, said.
“It provides an additional avenue for us to investigate the specific role of these factors in the risk of bowel cancer among young people.”
Bowel cancer is one of the most common types in the UK.
Around 44,000 people are diagnosed each year, and about 17,000 people lose their lives to the disease.
Cancer Research UK says half of cases could be prevented by healthier living.
The earliest symptoms include: changes in your normal bowel habits, blood in your poo, weight loss and a pain or lump in your stomach.
Other foods that could lower your risk of bowel cancer
SO yoghurt might have protective benefits, but what else can you try?
Charities like Bowel Cancer UK and Cancer Research UK recommend the following:
- Eat at least five portions of vegetables and fruit every day
- Choose wholegrain varieties of bread, rice and pasta
- Eat more pulses, such as beans and lentils
- Eat some fish, chicken, eggs and tofu, but limit red meat and avoid processed meat
- Drink some milk and eat other dairy foods, but choose low sugar and fat options
- Choose unsaturated oils and spreads instead of butter, and use in small amounts
- Avoid food and drinks high in fat or sugar, such as sweets, cakes, crisps and fizzy drinks
- Eat at least 30g of fibre a day
- Stay hydrated – aim for six to eight glasses of fluid daily
- Lower your alcohol intake
Ozempic-like weight loss jabs ‘slash booze cravings and curb binge drinking by 40%’
WEIGHT loss jabs slash alcohol cravings and can curb dangerous binge drinking, new research suggests.
The active drug semaglutide, found in Ozempic and Wegovy, cuts the amount people drink in one day by around 40 per cent, the first study of its kind found.
The ‘wonder’ injectables also dramatically reduced a person’s desire for booze – and smokers taking part puffed less.
It adds to a growing body of evidence that so-called ‘skinny jabs’ may have benefits beyond slimming down or controlling diabetes.
Previous studies have suggested they lower the risk of heart attack or stroke in overweight adults, as well as help to treat snoring, reverse heart failure symptoms, boost fertility and ward off Alzheimer’s.
Senior author Klara Klein said: “These data suggest the potential of semaglutide and similar drugs to fill an unmet need for the treatment of alcohol use disorder.
“Larger and longer studies in broader populations are needed to fully understand the safety and efficacy in people with alcohol use disorder, but these initial findings are promising.”
Scientists at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine followed 48 people with problem drinking who had not been actively seeking treatment.
They all had alcohol use disorder, which can include the inability to stop or control drinking despite negative consequences.
On day one, participants were asked to enjoy their preferred alcoholic drinks over two hours, with instructions to delay drinking if they wished.
They were then randomly assigned to receive weekly, low-dose injections of semaglutide or a placebo for nine weeks, during which time their weekly boozing patterns were measured.
The semaglutide dose was 0.25mg per week for four weeks, 0.5mg per week for four weeks, and 1mg for one week, all given during clinic visits.
Researchers found that semaglutide injections reduced the number of drinks participants consumed on each of their drinking days by 41 per cent, and weekly cravings dropped by 40 per cent.
Nearly 40 per cent of people in the semaglutide group reported no heavy drinking days in the last month of treatment, compared to 20 per cent in the placebo group.
Among those who also smoked cigarettes, patients treated with semaglutide reported smoking less than the placebo group.
Dr Riccardo De Giorgi, clinical lecturer at the University of Oxford, who was not involved in the study, said: “There has been much sensation (and even more noise) about drugs such as semaglutide in the medical field, especially regarding mental health.
“However, their potential use as a mechanistically novel treatment for addiction is perhaps one of the most promising research avenues.”
Everything you need to know about fat jabs
Weight loss jabs are a hot media topic at the moment, with hundreds of success stories from people who shed the pounds.
In March 2023, the NHS announced it would make Wegovy, a drug made by Danish firm Novo Nordisk, available on prescription to thousands of obese Brits.
It contains the drug semaglutide, which is said to have helped reality star Kim Kardashian and Twitter boss Elon Musk lose weight.
Wegovy, which helped a third of people reduce their weight by 20 per cent in trials, is now available from pharmacies like Boots.
How do they work?
The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less and therefore lose weight.
To do this, semaglutide mimics the role of a natural hormone, called GLP-1.
GLP-1 is part of the signalling pathway that tells your body you have eaten, and prepares it to use the energy that comes from your food.
London GP and founder of wellgoodwellbeing.com, Dr Zoe Watson, said: “Your body naturally produces an appetite regulating hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1.
“These jabs work by regulating your appetite, which can lead to eating fewer calories and losing weight.”
Aren’t they diabetes drugs?
Semaglutide, the active drug in Wegovy, was originally sold under the name Ozempic specifically for diabetes patients.
But people started noticing it helped suppress their appetites, stopping them eating as much and helping them shed the pounds.
Novo Nordisk then developed Wegovy, which contains the same chemical but at higher doses specifically to aid weight loss.
Wegovy is not prescribed for diabetes patients.
Can I get them?
Wegovy is offered on prescription to obese adults given specialist weight loss treatment.
The NHS currently also offers a similar drug called Saxenda, or liraglutide.
Both are only available throught specialist weight management services, which means you have to be referred to clinics led by experts.
GPs can’t prescribe them on their own, Dr Watson said.
The jabs have to be taken as part of an overall programme to help with lifestyle changes and psychological support to get the best effect from the medication prescribed.
Are there any risks?
Like all medicines, the jabs do not come without side effects.
Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea.
Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at patient.info, said: “One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.”
Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia.
What other options are there?
Mounjaro (brand name for tirzepatide) also came onto the market in early 2024.
Like Wegovy, tirzepatide stems from a drug originally designed to treat diabetes.
The weekly injection helped overweight people drop more than two stone in 18 months.
It is available with to order with a prescription online from pharmacies including Superdrug and LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor.
It works in a similar way to Wegovy and Saxenda, but is more effective.
Dr Mitra Dutt from LloydsPharmacy says: “Based on clinical trials, 96 per cent of people were able to lose more than five per cent of their body fat using Mounjaro. In similar trials, 84 per cent of people lost more than five per cent of their body weight on Wegovy, and 60 per cent on Saxenda.
“Mounjaro works by activating two hormonal receptors (GIP and GLP-1), which enhance insulin production, improve insulin sensitivity, and work to decrease food intake.”
The new study, published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, comes after UK figures last week showed deaths from alcohol have reached a record high.
Some 10,473 were registered in the UK in 2023 which were the direct consequence of alcohol, such as alcoholic liver disease.
This was four per cent higher than the year before.
Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, chairman of the Alcohol Health Alliance UK, said: “We welcome any new research developments to help people with alcohol use disorders.
“While the evidence on the efficacy of these new drugs remains limited, we have decades of robust research showing how to help people with alcohol problems and prevent alcohol harm more broadly by tackling the affordability, availability and marketing of alcohol.
“We continue to urge the Government to fulfil their promise to focus on prevention, which will always be better, and cheaper, than a cure.
“Further research on the drug’s mechanism of action might also help to grow our understanding of the cause of alcohol dependence, which blights the lives of so many people, their families and their communities.”
One of the world’s best airports has a swimming pool you can visit between flights and day tickets cost £17
AIRPORTS can be very stressful places but luckily one of the world’s best is home to a hotel with its very own pool.
Changi Airport, in Singapore, is often lauded as one of the best airports in the world.
The Singapore airport has even been named the world’s best by Skytrax 12 times, including for eight consecutive years from 2013 to 2021.
While features like the airport’s Butterfly Garden and the Rain Vortex (the world’s tallest indoor waterfall) are often praised, Changi Airport is also home to the world’s only airport transit hotel with a swimming pool.
Located inside terminal one, Aerotel Singapore is past security so anyone waiting to connect to another flight can pop in.
The three-star hotel has an outdoor swimming pool, a hot tub and a poolside bar (just be careful not to drink too much before boarding).
Pictures show sunloungers lining the pool and beach huts where guests can eat food from the poolside bar.
Aerotel Singapore has been praised by visitors in online reviews, with one person writing: “I had an eight-hour layover in Changi airport and decided to spend my day at the pool. It turned out to be the best layover ever!”
Another person added: “We had a transit for 12 hours, and we designed to stay in this hotel for six hours twin room – it was the right decision.”
While a third person wrote: “Aerotel Singapore is a convenient transit hotel at Changi Airport, offering comfortable rooms and essential amenities for layovers.
“Its unique selling point is the outdoor pool, a rare find in an airport hotel“.
Passengers don’t need to book overnight stays to enjoy the pool because day passes can be booked.
Entry for guests aged 12 and over starts from £16.40, with children’s tickets from £7.13.
Day tickets give guests unlimited pool access during its opening hours.
Meanwhile, average overnight stays at the hotel start from £125 per night.
Other facilities at the hotel include a gym and an on-site restaurant.
Last year, Changi Airport confirmed work will start on its brand-new Terminal 5.
The mega terminal was first announced back in 2013, welcoming another 50million passengers every year.
It will also link Singapore to 200 cities, up from the current 150 today.
Not much else is known about the new terminal expansion, although it’s likely to have lounges and self-service facilities.
The new terminal will be able to operate as smaller “sub terminals” with space for testing facilities, harking back to the days of covid tests.
Terminal 5 at Changi Airport is slated to open by 2030, with the country’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong stating: “Some have announced plans for mega airports that can handle more than 100 million passengers a year – so they are narrowing the gap with Singapore.
“Increasingly, flights that would have passed through Changi may no longer be needed.”
The little-known freebies and free-to-access areas at Changi Airport
Travel writer Qin Xie revealed some of the little-known freebies and areas you can find at Changi Airport.
Terminal 1
On level three of the terminal is a viewing area where passengers can look out over the planes at the gate.
And right next to it is a play area with art facilities for kids.
And there is an outdoor cactus and garden, as well as an outdoor water lily garden.
Terminal 2
On level three is the free cinema, which shows films 24 hours a day.
There is also a gaming space with free games for an Xbox, Playstation and arcade machines.
Terminal 3
Level one has the world’s tallest slide in an airport, that goes all the way down to level -2 (although you only get a free ride for every S$10 you spend at the airport).
On level two there is ST3PS, a showcase area where you can watch films and live performances.
Head to the DFS Wines and Spirits Duplex store and you can try a free Singapore Sling.
Terminal 4
The main free attraction is the Heritage Zone, with the shore film Peranakan Love Story showcasing life in 1930s Singapore.
Here’s a first look at the £3million revamp of Heathrow’s VIP terminal that’s used by royalty and A-listers.
And we rounded up some other VIP airport services you can book even as an economy passenger.
Bombshell spy intel reveals Putin arming for ‘large-scale’ war that will trigger WW3…& it’s not long until he can strike
A DIRE warning has been issued that Vladimir Putin is looking to start a major war in Europe within five years, according to bombshell spy intel.
Intelligence from Denmark has assessed the Russian despot’s military capacity claiming he could be ready to spark wars with neighbouring regions in months ahead of a full-scale attack on NATO.
It comes amid concerns that a peace deal in Ukraine would freeze the conflict in a way that rewards the Kremlin for its aggression, according to the Danish report.
Perceived fractures across NATO with Donald Trump pulling back from European security guarantees are further pushing Putin to take advantage.
An unclassified assessment from the Danish Defence Intelligence Service [DDIS] says: “Russia perceives itself as being in conflict with the West and is preparing for a war against NATO.
“While no decision to initiate such a war has been made, Russia is building the capacity to make that choice if deemed necessary.”
It added that the threat is greater if Putin sees NATO as “militarily weakened or politically divided”.
Danish intelligence warns the West that Putin has embarked on a “major rebuilding and reform of its armed forces”.
The report says that the expansion has shifted from restoration to “an intensified military buildup aimed at waging war against NATO”.
It suggests that Russia “has already enhanced its military capacity through the modernisation of equipment and a significant increase in military production”.
The spy intel warned that if the conflict in Ukraine is paused or brought to an end, there are three different ways the Russian dictator could redirect military aggression targeting NATO.
He would be able to carry out one option in a matter of months.
In as little as six months time, Russia may be able to wage a local war with a neighbouring country if it can reallocate its military resources currently committed to the Ukraine war.
Georgia and Moldova – both ex-Soviet states – are seen as potentially at risk.
Within two years, the report claims Moscow could post a significant threat to one or more NATO countries in the Baltic states.
Nations at risk are perceived to be Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, all ex-USSR.
The threat of a large-scale war with Europe could happen within five years, presuming the U.S. does not intervene, according to the assessment.
As Trump vows to bring an end to the war in Ukraine, the outcome of the conflict is critical since “it is unlikely that Russia could sustain both the war in Ukraine and a simultaneous war with NATO”.
Denmark’s intelligence chief, Anja Dalsgaard Nielsen, told Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten that there is no concrete threat to Denmark from Russia.
However Nielsen warned that the situation is rapidly changing and that most NATO countries are failing to arm themselves to recommended levels.
Trump has suggested they should spend five per cent of GDP on defence.
He has also made clear he wants control of the vast territory of Greenland – an autonomous region of Denmark.
Such a move may be seen as a sign of division within NATO.
Nielsen said: “We see an increased willingness on the Russian side to challenge NATO, and we see an American administration that is focused on ending the fighting in Ukraine.”
As Putin continues his military build-up which could be used to target NATO, he is being bolstered by Iran, China, and North Korea, the Danish intelligence service noted.
It said: “The economic and material support from China and the support from North Korea and Iran with troops and weapons systems, respectively, are increasingly contributing to freeing up resources for Russia’s rearmament towards NATO.”
FRACTURED ALLIANCE
The despot is so convinced of NATO’s weakness that one military expert has claimed Putin believes he could scale an attack on the alliance and get away with it.
Anders Puck Nielsen, a military expert from the Danish Defense Academy, told TV2: “If NATO’s deterrence is undermined in Europe, Russia may believe they could launch an attack on NATO and achieve a good result.”
It comes as the US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said Ukraine will not be able to get NATO membership while criticising Europe for not pulling its weight.
During his speech to the Ukraine Defense Contact Group on Wednesday, Hegseth reiterated Trump’s calls to end the conflict saying: “The bloodshed must stop and this war must end.”
“We want, like you, a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine, but we must start by recognising that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective.
“Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering.”
“The United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement,” Hegseth said.
He added that “the United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement.”
“Any security guarantee must be backed by capable European and non-European troops,” he said.
“To be clear, as part of any security guarantee, there will not be US troops deployed to Ukraine.“
He also joined Trump in casting doubt over whether the US would support NATO countries in Europe that are at war against Russia.
The Defence secretary warned that in the future the US would do more to defend itself due to the “stark strategic realities” of it wanting to compete with China.
Trump’s foreign policy is increasingly unclear which is worrying NATO officials at a time when cooperation within the alliance is paramount.
The president’s interest in Greenland despite the Danish prime minister’s insistence that it is “not for sale” is playing a major role in the division.
Trump has insisted that “we’re going to have it” and that the population of Greenland—57,000 people—”want to be with us.”
This move has signified to Putin that there are “big gaps in NATO cooperation,” senior researcher at the Denmark Institute for International Studies, Flemmings Splidsboel, told TV2.
He said: “We had a situation where two major NATO countries, France and Germany, are defending a third NATO country, Denmark, against a fourth, the United States.”
“And that has done great damage to the cooperation.”
Over the weekend Trump claimed he and Putin held a conversation and are “making progress” as he hopes for a future in-person meeting with the dictator to discuss an ongoing peace plan.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelensky has called for “strong actions and pressure” against Russia while calling for Europe and NATO to put on a united front.
“Right now, we need the unity and support of all our partners in the fight for a just end to this war,” he wrote on X.
Ex-Wimbledon champion’s coach BANNED for abuse of world No5 after cruel ‘you’d still be picking potatoes in Russia’ jibe
ELENA RYBAKINA’S coach has been banned for a year for mental abuse of the world No5.
The Women’s Tennis Association has suspended Stefano Vukov, 37, for a year over his alleged behaviour – but refused to disclose details of their investigation.
A leaked letter from tour chief Portia Archer sent to both player and coach, as reported by The Athletic, claims Rybakina, 25, was pushed too hard physically and mentally, to the point she became ill.
Croat Vukov is claimed to have called her “stupid”, while telling the 2022 Wimbledon champion she would “still be in Russia picking potatoes” without him.
Russian-born Kazakh ace Rybakina has previously stated she never made “any complaints” about Vukov’s conduct.
At last month’s Australian Open, she revealed: “I don’t agree with a lot of things the WTA do in the sense of my relationship with Stefano.”
Vukov was slapped with a provisional ban by the WTA last year after US legend Pam Shriver – Donna Vekic’s coach – went public with her belief he was in breach of tour rules.
Following their investigation, the WTA have imposed the 12-month ban on Rybakina’s coach.
A statement read: “Following this process, the suspension remains in place.
“To protect the confidentiality and integrity of the investigation and its findings, the WTA will not provide further details.
“We remain committed to ensuring that all matters are handled in a fair and objective manner in accordance with the WTA code of conduct.”
Rybakina and Vukov worked together for five years, before they ended their partnership – which resulted in a Wimbledon title and an Australian Open final appearance – before last year’s US Open.
During their time together, Vukov is alleged to have harassed Rybakina in a string of text messages.
The world No5 then named Vukov as part of her team earlier this year – despite his provisional ban preventing him from obtaining accreditation for the Australian Open.
Tennis legend Goran Ivanisevic, who replaced compatriot Vukov in November 2024, subsequently walked away from the Kazakh’s team.
Vukov – who is only able to coach Rybakina off-site – is able to appeal his one-year suspension.
His only hope of watching matches in person would be as a ticketed fan in the crowd under the terms of his ban.
Last year, Russian journalist Sofya Tartakova told the Tennis Bolshei YouTube channel about “psychological problems” Vukov had caused.
She said: “All these difficulties that she [currently] faces, she faces because of a lot of very heavy pressure associated with her former coach Vukov.
“They say that Stefano actually came to the US Open, that he was in New York, was ready to continue working with her, but Lena decided that they would break up because of a very difficult…
“I don’t want to say big words, not quite the correct attitude of her mentor towards her.
“That is, he ‘ate’ her all the time, as people who surrounded Lena say. Rybakina’s parents stood up for her, because she could not break this vicious circle.
“On one hand, this is the coach who worked with her since [a young age], and she herself, together with her family, chose him.
“It is clear that they were very close, she won the main achievements of her career thanks to their joint work, [but] her parents insisted that Lena change something in her tennis life, because there was pressure, and insults, and bad words said to her. They were constantly from Vukov’s lips.
“And now Elena Rybakina is suffering and trying to get rid of psychological problems, so the situation is, of course, very difficult for her, but we’ll see.”