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BORROWERS hoping to get their hands on a sub 4% from a major lender need to move fast.

Santander is withdrawing its five-year 3.99% fixed rate mortgage at the end of tomorrow (10pm, Friday February 21).

PA

Sub 4% mortgage rates are at risk after higher than expected inflation[/caption]

The lender said it would stop offering the deal after an increase in market rates.

However, the lender’s two-year equivalent 3.99% fix will remain in place for the time being.

The deals were only launched by Santander on Thursday last week.

Co-operative Bank has also announced that it will withdraw some of its fixed rates from close of play tomorrow. 

It comes after markets were this week surprised by a jump in inflation to a 10-month high of 3%.

Mortgage experts suggested that deals below 4% may now be short-lived.

Smaller lender Danske Bank currently has a two-year fix at 3.97% for home movers.

Stronger inflation has dampened hopes for rate cuts from the Bank of England.

The Bank recently dropped the base rate from 4.75% to 4.5% earlier this month and had been expected to cut rates a further three times this year.

The Bank’s base rate impacts the pricing of borrowing offered by lenders such as mortgages.

However, a number of lenders have cut rates offering some good news for anyone looking to fix into a mortgage.

Major lender Nationwide Building Society will reduce rates by up to 0.33 percentage points tomorrow, with its rates now starting from 4.09%.

The new rates include a five-year, fixed-rate at 60% LTV with a £1,499 fee with a rate of 4.09%, having been reduced by 0.05% percentage points.

Halifax will also be cutting rates tomorrow while Barclays has also trimmed existing customer products. Skipton Building Society has also revealed it is lowering rates.

Borrowers have been urged to act fast if they are looking to secure a deal.

David Hollingworth, associate director at broker L&C Mortgages said: “Although the movement in swap rates, which are a key indicator for fixed mortgage rates, has not been enormous it does look to be enough to put some of the very lowest rates in peril. 

“It’s not a need for panic but borrowers that have been considering a new deal may want to reach a decision sooner rather than later in case of more movement in rates.

“The constant shift in mortgage rates can be frustrating but the good news is that the longer-term expectation for Bank of England base rate is that it will continue downwards as the year progresses.  What we don’t know is when it will next fall and how far.”

MASH ’em, boil ’em, put ’em in a stew – there are so many ways of enjoying the humble spud that there’s now a whole cookbook devoted to potatoes.

Poppy O’Toole, AKA online sensation Poppy Cooks, is releasing The Potato Book on Thursday, and we’ve got some of our fave recipes to try.

Blow the kids’ minds with her scooped-out potato-skin pizzas, or add a pile of delicious honey and mustard hasselbacks to your Sunday roast – they are one of Poppy’s most viral recipes, with more than 20 million people watching the video on TikTok.

There’s a reason Poppy was crowned “The Potato Queen” by none other than Nigella Lawson!

Ellis Parrinder

There are 101 recipes to pore over, plus tips on perfecting your potato techniques and new flavours to try.

And of you’re fresh back from a ski trip, or you just love those apres-ski vibes, the tartiflette is a must – gooey, cheesy carbs with that je ne sais quoi – bon appetit!

Ellis Parrinder

Tartiflette

Serves: 4
Prep time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 1 hr

Ingredients:
*90g smoked bacon lardons
*500g charlotte potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes
*1 onion, diced
*3 cloves garlic, chopped
*500ml vegetable or chicken stock
*200ml double cream        
*200g reblochon, or something similar to camembert or brie

Method:
1. Tip the lardons into a medium, oven-safe frying pan and get them over a medium-high heat. Fry for about 8-10 minutes, until crispy and caramelised. Remove from the pan (but leave the fat behind).
2. Add the potatoes and onion to the pan and fry for 10 minutes, until there is a little colour on them. Add your garlic, season with salt and pepper, and return the bacon to the pan.
3. Pour in your stock to just cover the potatoes, bring to the boil and leave to boil until all the liquid has gone. Test the tenderness of the tatties – if they need longer, add in a splash of water and repeat the process.
4. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6.
5. Once the potatoes are tender, turn the heat down a little and pour over your cream. Cook the cream until it has thickened and is almost coating the tats. Take the pan off the heat and slice up your cheese.
6. Layer the gooey cheese over the potato mixture and place it in the oven for 10 minutes, until completely melted. Turn the oven to the grill setting and leave it on high to get some colour on top.
7. Once the cheese is golden and bubbling, carefully remove the pan from the grill. Remember – the handle will be hot. Serve the tartiflette straight away with crusty bread.

Ellis Parrinder

Pizza-loaded Skins

Makes: 6
Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 1 hr 10 mins

Ingredients:
*3 Maris Piper potatoes
*Olive oil
*1 shallot, diced
*2 cloves garlic, finely grated
*50ml balsamic vinegar
*400g tin chopped tomatoes
*160g ready-mixed grated mozzarella and cheddar

For the toppings:
*Pepperoni slices
*Sliced mushrooms
*Sliced pickled jalapeños
*Pitted olives
*Hot honey
*Whatever you like on your pizza!

Method:
1. Heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas mark 7.
2. Rub your potatoes with oil and a good amount of salt, and pierce them all over with a fork. Place them on a rack in the middle of the oven and bake for about 50-60 minutes, until tender on the inside and crisp on the outside.
3. While the potatoes are baking, get a saucepan over a medium heat and add in plenty of olive oil. Add the shallot and fry for 3-4 minutes, until light golden and soft. Add the garlic and fry for a few minutes to soften, then deglaze the pan with the balsamic vinegar and add the chopped tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and leave to reduce and bubble away until thickened – about 15-20 minutes.
4. Once the potatoes are ready, remove them from the oven (but leave the oven on), cut them in half and scoop out the flesh, so you are left with an even-ish layer of potato and skin (you can make this as thick or as thin as you like). You won’t need the flesh for this recipe, but keep it and use it for fishcakes, hash browns and so on.
5. Increase the oven to 240°C/220°C fan/gas mark 9. Spoon the tomato sauce into the skins and top with pepperoni, mushrooms or whichever toppings you like to use. Sprinkle with the cheese and place the skins back in the baking tray. Bake for a further 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbling and golden.

Ellis Parrinder

Honey, Mustard & Garlic Hasselbacks

Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 1 hr

Ingredients:
*6 Maris Piper potatoes
*Neutral oil
*1-2tbsp room-temperature butter
*3-4tbsp runny honey
*1tsp Dijon mustard
*3 cloves garlic, finely grated

Method:
1. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6.
2. One potato at a time, lay the handles of two wooden spoons either side of the potato, then make vertical cuts all along the length so that you cut almost through, but the spoon handles stop you going through completely. Chopsticks will do a good job of this, too, if you have them.
3. Get the potatoes into a baking tray and drizzle oil all over, rubbing it into those cuts. Heavily sprinkle the potatoes with salt and pepper, then place the baking tray on the middle shelf and bake the potatoes for 30–40 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven, brush the potatoes with the butter (gently open the cuts with a knife, just to help get all that buttery goodness inside), and return them to the oven for a further 15 minutes, until golden and cooked all the way through.
4. Towards the end of the cooking time, grab a small saucepan and add the honey, mustard and garlic. Cook over a low–medium heat for 5 minutes, until bubbling.
5. Once the potatoes are ready, evenly pour the honey, mustard and garlic glaze over the top, making sure they all get a good helping. Get them back in the oven for a final 10 minutes, until bubbling, sticky and completely caramelised.
6. Serve up the sticky potatoes with a nice pinch of flaky salt, just like the chefs do on the telly.

A MUM tragically died just days after doctors found her ‘food poisoning’ was actually one of the UK’s deadliest cancers.

Sian Ashcroft passed away last year aged 35 just 18 days after she was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a form of bile duct cancer.

AMMF

For the 6,000 people in the UK who are newly diagnosed with the disease every year the prognosis is uniquely grim.

According to data from Cancer Research UK, up to 70 per cent of all these patients will die within just 12 months.

This is quite a stark figure, especially when all cancers are considered.

The one-year survival rate for all cancers is now over 70 per cent – making CCA one of the UK’s most deadly forms of the disease.

The mum-of-three from Ormskirk, in Lancashire, first noticed something was wrong in spring 2023 when she tried to donate blood and was told she was anaemic.

She started taking iron tablets, but by August, she began experiencing abdominal pain, which she initially dismissed as food poisoning.

When the pain continued, her GP referred her for hospital tests.

At first, she was told she probably had gallstones, small stones, usually made of cholesterol, that form in the gallbladder

But, as the pain worsened, she was admitted to hospital for surgery to insert a stent in her bile duct.

In early November 2023, at a follow-up appointment, Sian was told that she had a 2cm lesion on her liver and several smaller lesions that were concerning.

Although chemotherapy was discussed, Sian did not receive a CCA diagnosis for another two months, the BBC reported.

The Sun has contacted the Department of Health and Social Care for comment.

In January 2024, she was diagnosed with terminal CCA at Aintree University Hospital and told she had months to live. She died 18 days later.

CCA is a rare cancer that develops in the bile ducts, which connect the liver and gall bladder.

These small tubes begin in the liver and end in the small intestine.

They are essential for the digestive system, helping transport bile to break down fats.

The disease often hides until it’s advanced by which point it’s often inoperable – and therefore terminal. 

Alamy

Cholangiocarcinoma is a rare cancer that develops in the bile ducts, which connect the liver and gall bladder[/caption]

“Sian’s prognosis was an incredible shock for everyone,” explained Sian’s mum, Sue Dowling, who also lives in Ormskirk.

“She had become increasingly poorly, with frequent visits to her GP and time spent in hospital, but her diagnosis came too late to save her.

“Despite this, she remained incredibly positive, she never lost her sense of humour, she was exceptionally brave and above all, she never stopped thinking about her family.”

‘People are often misdiagnosed with other conditions’

More awareness of this cancer and the diversity of people – and ages – at risk of developing it is urgently needed, explained Helen Morement, from the UK’s only Cholangiocarcinoma Charity, AMMF.

“Cholangiocarcinoma is no longer rare in many parts of the UK and cases in adults under the age of 65 are much more common than previously though,” she said.

“People often don’t act on symptoms immediately, or are misdiagnosed with other conditions when they do, because they don’t fit the profile of what many assume a ‘liver cancer patient’ should look like.

“But unlike the other more well-known type of primary liver cancer – Hepatocellular carcinoma – there isn’t an established link to liver cirrhosis, viral hepatitis, alcohol or other lifestyle factors.

“The cause of rising cases in otherwise healthy adults is not known”

Royal Liver Building being lit up purple in Sian’s memory this evening (February 20).

Sian’s sister, Lauren Dowling, and her son, Arthur, have launched a GoFundMe page to raise money for the AMMF charity in her memory.

To support the cause, they’re taking on a sponsored cold-water dip at Traeth Bychan beach in Anglesey – a place Sian loved visiting with her family.

“We have many happy memories from holidays to Anglesey. Sian loved to visit the beach with all the kids, and she would always spur others on to take a dip in the cold sea,” Lauren said.

“Arthur is struggling to understand the loss of his Auntie and we hope that doing this positive challenge will help his grieving process. All donations, however small, will be very gratefully received.”

BOARDROOM bust-ups, secret hook-ups, and Lord Sugar at his most ruthless – The Apprentice is even more cut-throat than it looks on TV.

With millions of people tuning in to watch this year’s hopefuls battle it out for a life-changing £250,000 investment, what really happens behind the scenes is even more explosive.

BBC - Check copyright

Joseph Valente was on The Apprentice in 2015 and won the show’s £250,000 prize[/caption]

Supplied

He is now a multi-millionaire and mentors thousands of people[/caption]

PA

The show is now in its 19th season and features a much more glam cast[/caption]

In a chat with The Sun, plumber turned multi-millionaire Joseph Valente spills the beans on the show’s biggest secrets – from intense business plan grillings to task ‘sabotage’.

Joseph won season 11 in 2015 and has mentored thousands of small business owners, builders, electricians and plumbers under the umbrella of his £10million Trade Mastermind empire.

In its 19th season this year, Joseph reckons times have changed since he was the ‘designated survivor’ under the stern gaze of Chairman Sugar.  

He spoke out after The Sun revealed two of the latest contestants, Keir Shave and Amber-Rose Badrudin, were caught allegedly breaking a sex ban imposed by the show’s producers.

But Valente recalls: “Back in 2015 the production team made it crystal clear that there was to be no ‘goings on’ and everybody had to stay in their own beds away from the opposite sex. 

“‘You’re here to do a serious business show’, they insisted.

“The ban remains, but I think it’s an open secret now that things happen. When I was on The Apprentice it was still a relatively serious business show. 

“Now, it’s ‘Love Island In Suits. In 2015, we weren’t allowed to use social media either while involved with the show. Now it’s a self-promotion free-for-all all.

“The more drama and attention, the more eyeballs. We live in a clickbait world, so scandals boost the ratings.

“What hasn’t changed is the stresses and strains on the contestants, which are carefully orchestrated and are even worse than you assume from the TV footage.”

Business of love

PA

We revealed that Amber-Rose Badrudin and Keir Shave were allegedly caught breaking the show’s hook-up ban[/caption]

Nothing happened in my series. But I have heard of things going down since then, despite the show’s ‘no sex, no relationships, stay away from each other’ ruling. 

But The Apprentice is all about relentless pressure and putting nine guys and nine girls together in a house for three months is just another pressure point.

You’re bound to create some chemistry, and stuff will happen. 

It all depends on how good people are at hiding it, but maybe they want to be found out, because they haven’t really gone to win the show as it was originally intended. 

Their ‘winning’ is more about getting a media splash on them sleeping with or at least cosying up to somebody else.

But the producers and the contestants must love how the pseudo Love Island situation has developed, because The Apprentice is up against more ‘fly on the wall’ rivals and, as a business show, might otherwise struggle to be as sexy.

It’s a tried and tested format, but the producers must find ways to keep the buzz and get younger people watching in this world of Love Island, Big Brother and other reality TV shows.

What does Lord Sugar think about it? You can be sure he knows exactly what game is being played: the format needs to evolve. 

He didn’t get where he is in business and a seat in the House of Lords by being blind to the winds of change and new opportunities.

House proud

BBC

Joseph says the house descends into mayhem when the phone rings at 4am[/caption]

BBC

He made sure never to let the cameras catch him in his pants[/caption]

The phone rings super early, usually 4am, and suddenly it’s mayhem, particularly at the start of the run, when there is the full set of candidates milling around and maybe 15 members of the TV crew getting under their feet as they film the chaos.

It’s usually an hour before everyone’s out the door – not 20 minutes.

Yes, the ladies take the most time, but even the guys can fuss about getting ready. Breakfast is about cramming food in before flying out the door.

Half of us managed to eat – the rest didn’t.

The battle for the showers could turn into a fight at times – particularly for the guys’ bathrooms – and those who wanted 20-minute showers got stick.

Sometimes, people didn’t even bother showering when time was tight.

My hack was to set an early alarm 30 minutes early, jump back into bed, and be ready and dressed in my suit before the crew arrived to try to catch tousled heads struggling out of bed, probably in their underwear. 

I got stick from the production team for ‘spoiling the fun’ but my argument was ‘I’m here to do business, not be filmed running around in my pants’.

They did it the first morning – but after that I said to myself: never again.

After a tough day you were allowed a drink, but only one. I think they worried that things might get out of hand if people started celebrating or drowning their sorrows.

There were always house rows about who messed up and who said what. Two of the girls on my season absolutely hated each other and had to be kept apart by the production team because they constantly made each other cry.

Taken to task

BBC

The show’s bosses have deliberately made tasks difficult to complete, says Joseph[/caption]

The show’s ten-page rule book deliberately makes it tough to complete some tasks.

For example, if you were producing a wellness brand, you’d probably want to create a logo and packaging in green and yellow, but they’d only allow you to choose from black and brown – not very calming.

And it’s hard work, usually around 16 hours a day out in the field and up to four days per project.

You can’t talk to each other during the day either. When travelling by car, you must stay silent and a producer in every car polices that.

When you do see footage of talking in the car, it’s been allowed only for filming and you are then told to stop afterwards.

It’s all about building pressure so that you arrive onsite for filming, having had no real chance to work out what you’re all doing.

They’re just stitching you up and there’s a TV crew to record every little cock-up.

One team task had us setting up cereal bar production, but somehow the glucose to bind everything together was missed out.

So, when I went out for consumer testing it was like opening a bag of seeds and pouring them into people’s hands – it was horrendous.

Another time they sent us to France to return with a list of typically French items including champagne flutes and snails, but the only aid given to us was a Yellow Pages – in French.

Luckily, one guy on our team could speak French, otherwise, we would have been screwed.

Boardroom doom

BBC

Facing Lord Sugar in the boardroom is an intense experience, says Joseph[/caption]

BBC

Contestants must ask when they even want to use the toilet while in the boardroom[/caption]

The boardroom is a pressure cooker. You sit in silence, first stewing in reception for about four hours.

The heat is turned up by another five hours in the pre-boardroom area and, by then, you’re s**ting yourself about whether you’re going to make it or not. Brutal.

You must ask permission to use the toilet and only go one at a time, so there’s no talking. It’s like being back at school.

The projects are structured to ensure there’s a fall guy for the boardroom sequence and while the project manager selects who does what, people are going to find themselves operating way outside their comfort zone – as a tour guide or a clown at a kids’ party maybe.

It’s great TV though, and really tests your character and how adaptable you are to certain situations – that’s what business is like, after all.

And there’s the TV crew recording every wrong step you make, though that can work in your favour too.

When you’re doing sales in the street, people see the cameras, get curious and come over so I used to leverage that to make more sales.

But everybody feels uncomfortable and some people panic and make themselves look stupid. Others just try not to mess up too badly, and avoid being the one in the firing line.

The savage thing though is that everyone else loves it when someone really screws up, looks likely to crash their team’s chances and be the one fired that week.

The grillings

BBC

Candidates are tirelessly grilled about their business plans[/caption]

A defining moment for any contestant who reaches the semi-finals is being grilled on a business plan you submitted with your show application – nine months ago.

You get just half a day to refresh your memory. And then they pull it apart.

I’d had mine checked over professionally, so it was pretty robust, but one guy simply submitted a load of logos and they really piled into him.

As always on The Apprentice, they add pressure by long waits during what will be a 12-hour day. It’s at least two hours between every interview, sitting in silence just building the suspense.

And those interviewers are savage, trying to catch you out and make you look stupid. And they do a very good job.

They absolutely destroyed one guy, because he bullshitted so much in his plan, but it’s a fine balance.

You must make bold statements to get on the show and progress but eventually, you’ve got to be able to back it. Most contestants can’t, get found out and get destroyed.

The process continues after a task and before you are ushered in for a showdown with Lord Sugar.

You’ll have had your actions pulled apart and dissected and you don’t know how other teams are doing. You’re walking into the unknown – the chairman awaits. 

I quite enjoyed being in front of Lord Sugar though, because you got more time to showcase your strengths. My ratio for winning team v. losing team was about 70 per cent against per cent.

Sugar and spice

PA:Press Association

Outside the boardroom, candidates never meet Lord Sugar[/caption]

Contestants never meet Lord Sugar outside the boardroom and the build-up is designed to terrify contestants in advance of their confrontation with him. 

At that point, some contestants are in meltdown, sometimes shaking and bursting into tears – they just want to run out of the room.

And it doesn’t wear off fast. I remember one guy in my series laying on a sofa after an interview just hugging himself, because he got absolutely annihilated.

Having won the show and been his business partner for a while, I know how tough Sugar is in a real boardroom – he can be brutal.

I once sent him an email and he responded: ‘Joseph, I only read bullet points. Send me anything that long again, and it’s going straight in the bin.’

If anything, he’s even more fearsome. He just isn’t a people person. When I was pronounced the winner, there were no hugs or anything like that.

I was pictured with him, he spoke to me for about 30 seconds, and then he was gone. Karren was nicer. She spoke to me for maybe five minutes behind the scenes on the show.

When I worked with him, there were no hellos and goodbyes.

It’s ‘Don’t talk to me about anything other than business. I’m not your friend. I’m not going to communicate. I don’t care about what you’re doing outside of this company’. 

The opportunity was phenomenal, but it wasn’t about me and Lord Sugar fighting side by side on the front line.

PA:Press Association

While working with Lord Sugar, Joseph never had casual conversations with him[/caption]

SIR JIM RATCLIFFE has overseen a ruthless cost-cutting campaign since buying a minority stake in Manchester United one year ago.

Ratcliffe’s Ineos completed their £1.03bn purchase on February 20, 2024, with supporters initially cautiously optimistic that fortunes would begin to improve under the self-proclaimed boyhood fan.

PA

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has implemented several big changes across Man Utd[/caption]

Alongside Ineos pal Sir Dave Brailsford, the British billionaire has since risked the wrath of supporters by making brutal cuts across the club.

Last summer, 250 staff members were made redundant, saving an estimated £35million.

While earlier this month, SunSport revealed that up to 200 more jobs could be at risk.

Earlier this season United also made the unusual move to raise ticket prices mid-campaign – with seats rising to a minimum £66 each with no concessions – sparking outrage as well as fears of further price hikes next season.

In a recent report by the Telegraph, several more cost-cutting measures implemented by Ineos were revealed, following pre-tax losses of £313m over the last three years.

Scrutiny is now placed on all purchases made across the business – from things as mundane as sellotape and vegetables.

This “zero-based budgeting” has seen staff members forced to count cartons of screws individually, in order to ensure they were not over-ordering.

And following a sizeable stationery order, sellotape was returned after being deemed unnecessary.

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While in the canteen, it’s claimed that portion sizes have been noticeably reduced – with even vegetable orders monitored.

All payments above £25,000 are now required to receive signs-offs from ownership, while CEO Omar Berrada is said to be able to approve payments below that sum.

Among Ratcliffe’s early moves was to scrap company credit cards.

Staff are now liable to initially have to pay for expenses such as travel out of their own pockets, before later applying for reimbursement.

Club chiefs also want to implement a largely paper-less system, with sending emails rather than letters encouraged.

It’s said that envelopes to send letters are scarce, with stamps deemed expensive.

Paper is still used for certificates, however.

That’s because the former steward of the week £50 prize is said to have been replaced with a paper certificate.

Aside from investments on the playing squad, Ratcliffe and Co have been planning for a potential £2bn new stadium with a 100,000 capacity.

Costly mistakes on the football side will need to be avoided from hereon in, with axing Dan Ashworth, for example after just five months, for example costing a staggering £4.1m in compensation.

PA

Man Utd axed Dan Ashworth after just five months[/caption]

MANCHESTER CITY and Liverpool clash in the battle of the heavyweights at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

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The world's 100 best coffee shops have been revealed.

The amount this device will lift is GRIM.

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Love the instant gleaming look that whitening strips give your teeth but hate the feeling of sensitivity you get when they’re done?

MySweetSmile, one of the nation’s (and our) favourite whitening brands, have just lowered the price of their peroxide-free whitening strips, and their enhanced technology can give you whiter teeth in just 30 minutes.

(And we can attest to that because we tried them out ourselves!)

While whitening strips are often one of the quickest and easiest ways to achieve gleaming pearly whites, peroxide formulas can leave your teeth feeling sore and sensitive after each use.

The MySweetSmile Whitening Strips have been formulated using the brand’s Advanced PAP Formula (Phthalimidoperoxycaproic Acid) instead of peroxide to deliver superior whitening performance without causing sensitivity or damaging the enamel.

This impressive ingredient specifically targets and breaks down surface stains from big, everyday stainers such as coffee, wine and tobacco, leaving you with a whiter smile in as little as 30 minutes.

Now on offer for just £0.95 per treatment (just £19.99 for 21 treatments), these dentist-approved strips give you a painless and affordable way to achieve a gorgeously white smile from wherever you are.

Ideal for those who don’t have time for gels, trays or UV lights, the MySweetSmile Whitening Strips make whitening utterly effortless, coming with a Cheek Retractor for even easier application.

Achieving a brilliantly white smile is as easy as applying to dry teeth and leaving them to work their magic for 30 minutes before peeling off and rinsing.

While the hard-working strips are perfect for ad-hoc use when you need pearly whites fast, the brand suggest using the strips daily for more impressive whitening results.

Fans of the strips also note how pairing the strips with the brand’s award-winning Dentist-Approved Teeth Whitening Powder, which works to remove staining and yellowing with every brush, makes for even greater results.

‘Saw an ad for this and gave it a go. Best decision ever.’ Wrote on impressed reviewer. ‘My teeth never looked better. Powder and strips are perfect. been using them for weeks, results amazing. Delivery was fast and customer service great. Really impressed. Teeth brighter and cleaner.’

Another added: ‘Gotta admit, MSS is the best teeth whitening brand I’ve tried. Their powder + strips are super effective and don’t bother my gums.’

But even on their own, the strips have been blowing users away, with hundreds writing how they can’t get enough of their impressive whitening power, calling them ‘the best on the market’, adding that they leave teeth ‘visibly whiter after just a few uses’.

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The British star has dropped formal charges.