4 weeks agoNew York StateComments Off on I’m a football WAG – here’s the protein-fuelled snack I make for my SPFL boyfriend, it’s so yummy
A FOOTBALLER’S girlfriend has revealed the healthy snack she whips up for him that still satisfies a sweet tooth.
So if you’re trying to up your protein or watch what you eat, then you’ve come to the right place.
Instagram/Jack MackenzieNicola Claassen lives in Aberdeen with her footballer boyfriend Jack Mackenzie[/caption]
TikTok @nicci_claassenShe enjoys being his ‘private chef’ making healthy meals[/caption]
TikTok @nicci_claassenNicola used these ingredients to make high protein cheesecakes[/caption]
Kenny RamsayJack Mackenzie plays with Aberdeen[/caption]
Nicola Claassen lives in Aberdeen with her boyfriend Jack Mackenzie who plays for the Dons.
When she’s not working her corporate job, she enjoys cheering on her beau at matches and coming up with new recipes for him to enjoy.
In a TikTok video, she said: My boyfriend is a professional footballer but there is no private chef around here. It’s me, I am the private chef.
“So I love playing around with recipes to create something that exactly suits his needs and his taste.”
She added: “Eating healthy and meeting protein goals does not mean boring and it also doesn’t mean tasteless.
“I love meal prepping different snacks and different meals so that when he gets home from training he does not have to worry about cooking at all.
“Being a supportive girlfriend means that I do what I can to make his life easier when he gets home and he looks after me.”
And the footie WAG has hailed one of her recent creations as the “yummiest, healthy snack”.
Nicola made her high protein cheesecakes using Graham’s yogurt as the topping and crushed Weetabix mixed with oat milk for the base.
She made three flavours – vanilla cookie, raspberry and lemon cheesecake – and melted some biscoff spread on top as well as fresh raspberries and blueberries.
She added: “These are so easy to make and honestly you just pop them in the fridge and they’re ready to go whenever.
“You have to try these if you’re looking for something sweet without the guilt.”
Social media users were in full agreement about how yummy the snack looked, as one gushed: “This looks gorge!!”
Meanwhile, a second echoed: “Yum that looks so tasty, hope Jack’s getting on well at Aberdeen.”
Jack Mackenzie, 24, is a left-back with Aberdeen and won his first senior Scotland call-up last year after his impressive form.
His contract is set to end this summer, with him already being linked to Championship clubs Preston, Sheffield United and Stoke City.
4 weeks agoNew York StateComments Off on Labour doesn’t care about UK becoming a cesspit… if I was in charge I’d have snipers picking off all litter louts
ONE of the things you notice if you travel round the world’s off-the-beaten-track backwaters is that some cultures see nothing wrong with throwing anything they don’t want out of the front door, and on to the pavement.
Vegetable peelings. Broken cookers. Dead pets. The street is where you put the lot.
AlamyA boy picks through rubbish in Manila, home to one of the world’s most disgusting litter problems[/caption]
SWNS:South West News ServiceSimilar rotten mounds have appeared in Handsworth, Birmingham[/caption]
Getty‘I don’t believe in the death penalty,’ says Jeremy, ‘but for littering, I’d make an exception’[/caption]
GettyLabour are more worried about Fulmar sea birds getting tummy ache for all the biro tops they’ve eaten than Britain being turned into a rat-infested cesspit[/caption]
Some say that Manila in the Philippines has the world’s most disgusting litter problem, but I’d have to say Bolivia is up there too. And India.
But having seen a news report this week, it’s possible that Handsworth in Birmingham now trumps the lot.
It’s not just the occasional empty Coke can or burger wrapper, the pavements look like they’ve hosted an all-comers fly-tipping competition.
I’m sure there are those who’ll blame the immigrant community, saying that if you come from a country where such behaviour is normal, then you’re going to do it here too.
But you find the same problem here in the Cotswolds, where most locals can trace their ancestors back to the Piltdown Man.
Every hedgerow round my farm is full of crap and it makes me so angry as I drive along, my hair starts to steam.
If I were in charge, there would be snipers up every pylon and in every tree, with orders to blow the head off anyone who chucks even so much as a Bounty bar wrapper out of their car window.
I don’t believe in the death penalty but for littering, I’d make an exception.
Sadly, however, I’m not in charge. The Labour Party is.
Labour councils, like Handsworth, would far rather spend their money on plant-based diets for people in the transgender community than emptying bins or cleaning streets.
And the Labour government in Westminster isn’t that bothered either.
In fact, while it spends exactly no pounds, no shillings and no pence on snipers in trees, the last time I looked, it was spending half a billion on the Blue Planet Fund which helps developing countries protect their marine ecosystems from the plastic thrown into the sea by Far right extremists.
Yup, they are more worried about the wrong sort of barnacle floating in a Flora margarine tub boat on to a pristine beach in Svalbard, and Fulmar sea birds getting tummy ache for all the biro tops they’ve eaten, than they are about this country being turned into a rat-infested cesspit.
MONEY WASTE A CRIME
There’s so much money swilling around in the Government coffers that we could buy the Albanian prison service 15 brand new electric Porsches
YOU might think that if there’s a shortage of prison space in the UK, it’d make sense to maybe build some more.
It’s not like we don’t have the cash.
This week, we learned that there’s so much money swilling around in the Government coffers, they have to spend it on studies into TikTok dance lessons, AI robots that make a company more trans-friendly, and even a quarter of a million quid on research into “queer animals”.
Prison reformists, however, say new prisons are not necessary and that it would be better if judges handed out more lenient sentences.
They say that in the early 90s, the average sentence was 16 months and that today, it’s 22.5 months.
But the rate of reoffending is still at nearly 40 per cent. So the crims may as well be let out earlier.
Why? So they can do their reoffending more quickly.
TRUMP WORLD WORRY
AFPDonald Trump seems to think America should become an isolationist state, concerned only with itself[/caption]
I’VE got to be honest; when Trump first entered the White House this time round I was pretty impressed.
Removing the ban on plastic straws, for instance, made me very happy because while he’s incorrect to say paper straws “explode”, they definitely can’t get a tasty beverage from the glass to your mouth.
However, his recent foreign policy announcements suggest he’s a bit weak on world affairs. He seems to think that America should become an isolationist state, concerned only with itself.
Forgetting perhaps that the countries it’s supported in the past will simply turn to China for help.
And then there’s this Ukrainebusiness. All we can do is be thankful Donald wasn’t in the White House in 1939.
“Look, the French started this bigly war and de Gaulle’s a big-nosed idiot, so I say we let Hitler keep what he’s conquered so far and move on.”
GLARE STORY
Modern-day headlamps automatically dip when they detect startled animals – but not oncoming headlights
MOTORISTS are complaining in increasing numbers about the brightness of modern-day LED car headlamps.
They say that even on dipped beam, they often blind drivers going in the other direction. And they’re right. They do.
To make matters worse, many new cars have a feature that automatically dips the headlights when a car’s going the other way. And it rarely works.
They dip when you’re approaching a reflective sign warning of dangerous bends ahead, or if they detect the glint from the eyes of a startled animal in the road.
But they don’t dip when they detect oncoming headlights. And modern Range Rovers are the worst offenders.
LABOUR'S NHS JOY
LABOURITES have been rejoicing all week at the news that in the last five months, there have been an extra two million NHS appointments.
But before you pass round the quinoa sandwiches and hoist a red flag, it’s probably worth pointing out that actually, there have been two million more appointments than there were in the same period the year before.
When the junior doctors were on strike.
And also that the NHS is bound to run more smoothly if you cut the OAP heating allowance, so all the arthritic old people freeze to death, long before they need a hospital appointment.
LONG ROAD AHEAD ON GREEN LORRIES, ED
GettyDemand for zero-emission electric lorries has slumped[/caption]
Ed Miliband needs to put down the bacon sandwich and get to workGetty
THERE was alarm in the sustainable Net Zero community this week when new figures showed that demand for zero-emission electric lorries has slumped.
In 2024, very nearly 50,000 new lorries were registered but only 217 were zero emission. That’s a market penetration of just 0.5 per cent.
Naturally, people who think green energy is simple and should be adopted by everyone are baffled by this.
They reckon that as a truck driver has to take a break every few hours, he could use the time to charge up his batteries before moving on. Simples.
Yes, but there’s only one electric charging station for lorries in the whole country. And as it’s on the M61 between Preston and Bolton, it’s not much use if you’re in, say, Kent.
There’s another issue too. Lorries are heavy so it takes a lot of power to make them move.
So much in fact that the average weight of the battery pack in an electric lorry is four tons. Which doesn’t leave that much spare room for, you know, stuff.
Still, with Ed Miliband, in charge, I’m sure all these problems will be ironed out by the time diesel-engined lorries are banned in 11 years’ time. Clock’s ticking Ed.
You’d better put down that bacon sandwich mate and get to work.
FARMERS' FURY
FARMERS were told by Treasury officials this week that the Government would not budge on its plans to make agricultural land subject to inheritance tax.
So I have a simple message for our friends in the checked shirts and sturdy boots. Between April 2026, when the new law comes into force, and 2029 when Starmer and Reeves are ejected from office, do not die.
And if you do, instruct your children put you in the freezer and keep schtum until the coast is clear.
4 weeks agoNew York StateComments Off on Legendary 90s boyband announce HUGE new residency as they reveal cheeky reason they know they’ve still got it on stage
THEIR pop classics and slick dance moves were a feature of the Nineties and Noughties, and now Backstreet Boys are back – in Las Vegas at least.
Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson will play a 15-show residency at the city’s futuristic 17,600-seat Sphere venue, starting in July, when the Everybody hitmakers will become its first pop residency, following in the footsteps of rockers U2 and the Eagles.
The Backstreet Boys are back with a new residency in Las Vegas, set to open in July
And sitting down with Bizarre’s Jack, band members Brian and Kevin told how they realised they’ve still got it — as women are still chucking their lingerie at them during gigs.
Brian said: “We still get hit with bras or panties sometimes on stage, which is kind of crazy.”
Kev added: “It’s good to have some knickers thrown at you, no doubt about it.
“We have some really cool stuff from fans too, like artwork and hand-made pieces of art as well.
“Sometimes you put a gift to the side but then you open it and see how they put so much time into it.”
But not all gifts are welcome. Brian recalled with a laugh: “I got hit with a box of macaroni cheese. It is my favourite food.
“This girl threw a box of it at me and hit me right on my side. It hurt like hell but it was kind of funny.”
Steamy shower
The new residency, opening on July 11, is called Into The Millennium, after their 1999 album Millennium.
The band are now thinking of how to use the sci-fi-esque venue to transport fans into other worlds, and Brian said: “Of course you have to analyse it and rethink what we do on stage.
“I think a lot of our fans know we put on an energy-packed show with our dancing routines — that’s what we are known for.
“But when you are dealing with a giant screen that’s over 300ft tall and 450ft wide, you have to take that into consideration.
“How does it complement the show? How can we change our staging and do something that nobody has ever seen?
“The visuals are going to be breathtaking but we have to match that energy on stage, so that is what we are focused on.”
While gambling capital Vegas lives up to its Sin City nickname for many visitors, for performers it is often a different story, with most stars who play there shunning hedonism for a more clean-living approach.
The popular Nineties band say the energy they receive from the fans inspire them to continueGetty - Contributor
Fellow Vegas regular Shania Twain previously told Bizarre she swears by not eating solids on show days, while Sir Rod Stewart has a treadmill in his dressing room.
Kevin also keeps things simple. He summed up his requirements: “A hot steamy shower an hour to an hour and a half before the show is needed.
“Then when I get out, I stretch. We have foam rollers and those hand- held massage guns as well as a chiropractor to do adjustments.”
After Bizarre’s Jack told the lads it sounded like a very healthy lifestyle for Vegas, Brian replied with a laugh: “Kevin stopped before we got the sip of Reposado (tequila) or a Grey Goose (vodka) before we hit the stage, but we don’t have to mention that.”
He continued: “You have to be aware of your health though. We have been doing it for 32 years — that’s a long time.
“Our bodies don’t react to things as they did in their twenties. Now it’s constantly trying to eat right and be up mentally.
“This business is an emotional rollercoaster. There are highs and lows but being ready physically and mentally for a show is what it’s about.
“It is easier to maintain your health versus getting in and out of health all the time. That is harder on your body at this stage.”
As well as celebrating 25 years since Millennium, the residency will be a celebration of the band’s greatest hits.
The boys admit that singing some of their most famous songs can get repetitive at times, but then the fans make it all worthwhile.
Kevin said: “Sometimes you can maybe get a little tired of some of the hits but it’s when you feel the energy and you see the reaction it reignites it in you.
“Look, if I didn’t get to hear Prince’s When Doves Cry I would be really upset. Fans want to hear the favourites.
“We will keep that in mind for the setlist and the shows.”
Brian added: “I used to hate singing Quit Playing Games but when you see the reaction and people singing back to you, you feel you’re 25 years old again.
“Like, is it still 1998? You find new joy and it makes you happy.”
Backstreet’s Back — and with the Sphere as their new home, you can bet it will be larger than life.
4 weeks agoNew York StateComments Off on Hollyoaks star Lucy-Jo Hudson lands new acting job after ‘taking out loan to feed children during summer holidays’
HOLLYOAKS star Lucy Jo-Hudson has landed a new acting job – after addressing ‘ the pinch’ in summer holidays while her kids are off school.
The actress, 41, said she was “absolutely buzzing” to have landed a part in an unspecified production.
InstagramHollyoaks’ Lucy-Jo Hudson revealed she’s landed a brand new acting role[/caption]
Lime PicturesShe portrayed Donna-Marie Quinn from 2018 to 2023[/caption]
The actress was formerly married to Corrie’s Alan Halsall – aka Tyrone DobbsRex Features
Viewers best know Lucy-Jo for her roles as Katy Harris in Coronation Street and Donna-Marie Quinn in Hollyoaks.
She wrote on Instagram: “Oh have I been dying to tell you this….
“Remember that face to face casting I had a couple of weeks ago? Well I only went and got the job.
“Ahhhhhhhhh I can’t believe it!!!! I am absolutely buzzing!!!! I honestly can’t believe it…. I am still in shock….. but so blumming happy I can’t tell you…. I am so grateful that I still get to do what I love to do.
“Thankyou for all the gorgeous messages from the last post I did about this “face to face casting” it meant the world to me.
“So I just wanted to share this news with you, not sure if can tell you what it is yet, but as soon as I can I will.”
Lucy-Jo could be seen in her car as she captioned the video “mums bank balance during the summer holidays”.
The mother-of-two shares daughter Sienna with Coronation Street ex Alan Halsall.
She then told her followers: “Anyone else feeling the pinch? and it’s only half way through the 6 week holidays.
“Honestly if the weather was more consistent it would be “Park and Picnics” most of the time…. That simple, that easy and more importantly… affordable!
“I have to take a loan out just to feed my 2.”
However, the soap star made clear to fans through emojis that she was joking.
Elsewhere, the former Coronation Street cast member revealed how a recent audition process marked a major milestone.
She wrote on Instagram that the acting industry “has changed massively” since Covid – with in person meetings now very rare.
Lucy-Jo Hudson's career so far
Lucy-Jo Hudson has played a few TV roles throughout her acting career. Here is a look at some of her past work:
Coronation Street (2002-2005): Lucy-Jo’s first big role was as Katy Harris in Coronation Street. The character was first introduced as Katy Nelson, due to a witness protection storyline for the whole family. Katy’s storylines included her family’s victimisation by agang and herdiabetic diagnosis. She also notably had a relationship with much-older Martin Platt (Sean Wilson). In real-life, Lucy-Jo married Alan Halsall (aka Tyrone Dobbs) in 2009 and they welcomed a daughter, Sienna. The couple separated in 2016 and began divorcing in 2018.
Wild at Heart (2006–2009, 2012–2013): Next, she had a starring role in this ITV drama, which followed a vet and his family who move from Bristol to South Africa. Once there, they aim to rehabilitate wild animals and establish a veterinary surgery and animal hospital. Lucy-Jo portrayed Rosie Trevanion, the vet’s daughter.
Hollyoaks(2018–2023): In her second regular soap role, Lucy-Jo starred as Donna-Marie Quinn in Hollyoaks. The character was introduced with her teenage son Romeo (Owen Warner). Despite initially departing in 2019, the actress went on to reprise this role. The character left the village in 2023 upon entering rehab.
Lucy-Jo admitted she isn’t the biggest fan of self taping, which entails recording an audition from home to send in.
Therefore, she was thrilled by the opportunity to be face-to-face with a producer, director and casting directors.
The star added: “Like most people in my industry we don’t get this privilege… not anymore….
“Infact it’s been 7 years, since I was in an actual room with a casting team!!!!”
Lucy-Jo played Katy Harris in Coronation StreetRex Features
High flying Nottingham Forest sit third in the Premier League after they were beaten by Fulham last time out and they will be looking to get back on track away to Newcastle United, who also have ambitions of securing a place in next season’s Champions League.
Beto has been in fine form for Everton since David Moyes’ arrival (AFP via Getty)
Everton v Manchester United
The form that Everton are in, with the way that David Moyes has got them playing, I would think that Everton will win this game. They’ll be right up for it and they’ll want to give Man United a tough afternoon at Goodison Park, which I think they will. Prediction: Everton win
Fulham v Crystal Palace
This game is a tough one to call. They’re two decent teams and are in form as well, but I think that Fulham will edge it just. Prediction: Fulham win
Ipswich v Tottenham
Ipswich beat them earlier in the season and I’m still not convinced that Spurs are anywhere near where they should be, so I’m going to go for a draw in this return fixture.
I think that Ipswich will have a lot of belief and confidence from the first game, but it’s still two teams that are struggling.
It was a big win for Spurs against United, but it wasn’t inspiring. From their point of view, it’s not how they won but the fact they did get the three points – but I’m still not convinced. Prediction: Draw
Leicester City v Brentford
Brentford are a really good team away from home and they will have too much in attacking positions for Leicester. Prediction: Brentford win
Southampton v Brighton
Brighton away win for me – Southampton have been dreadful and Brighton got a good win last weekend against Chelsea. Prediction: Brighton win
Arsenal v West Ham
Mikel Merino could play as a makeshift striker once again for Arsenal (Getty)
I know that they’re lacking in forward positions, but I think they should start with Mikel Merino up front. The way he scored his two goals last week, he looked a natural.
For West Ham, it was a poor result last week. They’ll want to bounce back, but I’m not sure that they will have enough about them to beat Arsenal at the Emirates this week. Prediction: Arsenal win
Bournemouth v Wolves
I think Bournemouth will have too much for Wolves – they’re having an unbelievable season and have got some really good players.
They’ve also got a manager in Andoni Iraola who is having an incredible time of it, and will be up for manager of the season if he gets Bournemouth in the top four. Prediction: Bournemouth win
Aston Villa v Chelsea
Alan Shearer is predicting more misery for Chelsea and Enzo Maresca (Getty)
It’s another big game for Aston Villa, but they’ll play a Chelsea team who were rotten in their last game against Brighton.
I have said that Chelsea could still finish anywhere between fourth and ninth, and also that when they’re out of cup competitions it would get harder for Enzo Maresca to manage. I think that’s proven to be the case.
With Villa at home they will win. Prediction: Aston Villa win
Newcastle United v Nottingham Forest
It’s a really tough one to call. I think that both teams were disappointing last weekend, with Forest beaten by Fulham.
Newcastle were battered in an awful performance, their worst of the season and maybe even their worst under Eddie Howe. They have to bounce back from that, but I’m very wary of the threat that Forest will pose.
Chris Wood scored a hat-trick last season at St James’s Park as well, but I’m still going to go for Newcastle to bounce back with a home win. Prediction: Newcastle United win
Alan Shearer is backing Liverpool to fire their way past Man City on Sunday (Getty)
Man City v Liverpool
This is a tough game to call. I think that if John Stones is injured and also Erling Haaland then I’m not convinced City can bounce back.
They battered Newcastle and rightly so, but I still think that they’ve got big issues in that team defensively, so I am going to go for an away win to Liverpool.
I know Liverpool are giving away chances as well, they are giving teams a little bit of hope, so I do think that Man City may score.
But I just think that Man City, with the way they are defensively, Liverpool will score more. Prediction: Liverpool win
