There are very few abilities that can one-shot in Marvel Rivals, but a specific combination of ults creates a combo that does the job.
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Marvel Rivals player discovers insane one-shot combo that counters support ults
One Piece Chapter 1140: Release date & major spoilers
Full details for One Piece Chapter 1140, which pits Luffy against the left-hand man of the former Pirate King.
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Logan Paul wants to sell record-breaking Pikachu Illustrator Pokemon card worth $5M
Logan Paul say’s he’s considering selling his record-breaking Pikachu Illustrator card that he purchased for over $5,000,000 back in 2021.
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Hollyoaks star launches new career selling dog poo bags with famous husband after he’s axed from soap in time jump
EX-HOLLYOAKS star Ariana Fraval has launched an innovative new dog poo bag business after leaving the Channel 4 soap.
The pooch-loving actress, who is married to soap star Gregory Finnegan, 44, spent more than 12 months creating the perfect environmentally-friendly poo bags, and the result is Hot Pink Poo.
Announcing the product on Instagram, Ariana wrote: “I’m SO delighted to announce that after a year of designing the perfect nappy and dog poo waste bag, which is 100% environmentally friendly, compostable, plastic free, non toxic naturally scented, large, thick and durable with handles @hot.pink.poo pink bags making a nasty job just a little bit better and brighter.”
The bags are now available to buy on Amazon and Ariana has declared them the “most eco-friendly and best looking poo bag on the market”.
It’s all a big departure from her time as DI Naomi Cohen, who appeared sporadically in Hollyoaks between 2019 and 2023.
Among the crimes she was tasked with investigating were Harry Thompson’s murder, Mercedes McQueen’s shooting and Stuart Sumner’s death.
While viewers enjoyed her character on the show, they also poked fun at the amount of arrests she made.
One person wrote on Facebook: “She literally just arrests everyone any chance she get surely the amount of non convictions and releases now her job would be on the line…”
Another said: “You’d think she would learn by now.. how many mistakes has she made.”
Ariana’s husband Gregory played James Nightingale in the soap for nearly a decade but was axed last year in a big shake-up.
His exit played out in a big time jump plot line that saw the show leap forward a year into the future after a devastating car bomb explosion.
In an exclusive interview with The Sun, the dad-of-three, revealed how he initially held it together and even thanked bosses for his time on the show after he was told of their decision.
But when the reality set in that he was a “dead man walking” on set, emotion got the better of him and he burst into tears.
He said: “News did go round relatively quickly. Someone put it on a group that they were going, so I did too.
“People seemed shocked which was nice in it’s own way but at the same time quite depressing when people are coming up to you saying ‘I can’t believe it, that’s ridiculous’ you’re like, okay, I’ve dealt with it.
“Everyone was very kind in both the cast and crew. It wasn’t much fun going in when you know you’re a dead man walking.”
It was a conversation with co-star Alex Fletcher that really made him bawl.
“Lovely Alex Fletcher just stared at me, then she started crying and I started crying,” he said. “I was like, ‘Fletch you’ve got to stop, because I haven’t cried at all, and this was weeks after it had happened but she just completely broke me, and then I was bawling.
“But it’s good to get it out. People dealt with it in different ways, a lot of people didn’t say anything for a while because they didn’t know what to say, they keep their jobs.
“There’s no ill feeling, it’s no-ones fault, the more upfront people were the easier I found to deal with it.”
My family was facing homelessness when we were threatened with eviction, now I own a £500k home for less than a takeaway
WITH her hands trembling, Ramona put down her phone and took a deep breath.
The Instagram video she had just watched confirmed that the single mum’s life had been changed forever.
After years of money worries and living in a cramped flat, she would finally be moving into the house of her dreams all for the price of a takeaway.
Ramona was left trembling with joy after she was announced the winner of a £500,000 property raffle through Tramway Path.
The 45-year-old and her two young kids have since seen their lives turned around, using the prize money to purchase a house – with no mortgage required.
The teaching assistant is currently in the process of securing her cosy three-bed home in Kingston-Upon-Thames with a huge garden for her children.
When I got the call to say that we’d won, I couldn’t believe it – I thought it was a scam
Ramona
Owning bricks and mortar is a relief for Ramona, who was constantly fearful that her landlord would sell her rented flat, which could have left the family homeless.
“As a single mother, the last few years have been very tough,” she admits.
“Our landlord wanted to sell our flat and if we had been asked to move out, we might have been homeless.”
Ramona admits that not having a secure income often made her worry about her family’s future.
“I was studying at the time and didn’t have a permanent job,” she explains.
“At one point, the landlord gave me a Section 21 notice but then thankfully backtracked.
“But I was still spending my days constantly worrying about our living situation changing and the pressure of securing work was hanging over my head.
“When I got the call to say that we’d won, I couldn’t believe it – I thought it was a scam caller at first.”
After reading about Tramway Path in the news – a London-based business run by brothers Daniel, Jay and Will Twenefour, with the aim to help people get on the property ladder – the single-mother began fantasising about one day winning the prize.
She spent a total of £40 on the £5 tickets to enter the competition.
But when the draw finally came around, life got in the way and Ramona missed the official announcement.
HOW YOU COULD WIN A HOUSE FOR A FIVER
For just £5, a lucky punter could scoop themselves their dream home anywhere they want in the UK this October.
The future raffle winner won’t have to fork out for legal fees or stamp duty charges either.
Property brothers, Jason, Will and Daniel Twenefour are offering the life-changing opportunity through their company Tramway Path.
Daniel told JamPrime.com: “We want to give individuals the freedom to select an area that suits their preferences.
“We introduced the new model as a result of feedback from our community.
“We understand that proximity to friends, family, or work can be important to people, and we don’t want to impose any limitations that could get in the way of these connections.”
The draw is open until October 27 with ticket bundles starting at just £5 – and you get three entries. Enter here.
Her son noticed the missed calls on her phone.
She said: “I almost missed it – with the hectic schedule of life, the raffle just completely slipped my mind.
“After dinner, my son noticed the missed calls on my phone, I had no idea who they could be from.
“I was very sceptical at first – you read a lot about scams online so you never know what to believe.
“But then I saw the announcement video on Instagram and the emotion just flooded out of me.
“I was left trembling with tears of joy, I’m so grateful for this opportunity to give my kids a better life.”
One of Ramona’s main goals whilst house hunting was to find an area for her kids to get a better education, quality of life and safer environment.
She adds: “The area we are moving to gives my kids the chance to have a better future and grow up in a safer environment.
“I’m forever grateful to God for this, my prayers have been answered.
“To get on the property ladder was my first dream so being mortgage free is just a miracle.”
The family will be moving into their new home next month.
Pope Francis could RESIGN over health battle with ‘double pneumonia’… becoming second Pontiff in a row to quit job
THE Pope could resign if his health gets any worse, according to a cardinal, to become the second in a row to shrug the papal robes.
Pope Francis, 88, remains in hospital battling double-lung pneumonia for a seventh day, and has reportedly expressed in private fears he may not survive.
Now, Gianfranco Ravasi, the Vatican’s former Minister of Culture, has said Francis could abdicate if he felt unable to carry out his role.
The cardinal told Italian radio station RTL: “There is no doubt that the Pope could decide to resign if he found himself in a situation in which his ability to have direct contact with people and to communicate in an immediate, incisive and decisive manner was compromised.”
Historically, it has been custom for the Pontiff to serve until his death.
However, Pope Benedict XVI, Francis’s immediate predecessor, resigned in 2013 – almost nine years before his eventual death in December 2022.
Other Popes known to have resigned include Gregory XII in 1415, Celestine V in 1294 and Gregory VI in 1046.
Ravasi continued: “Until now, the Pope has chosen to continue his activity even when he has had knee problems, for example.
“On that occasion, he said the famous phrase that one governs with the mind and not with the knee. The Pope has always had a tendency to fight and react.”
If Francis did relinquish his duties, the Church would enter a period called “sede vancante”, where the papal post is empty.
The College of Cardinals would then gather for conclave to elect a new Pope – the same as if Francis had died.
The Vatican shared this morning that Francis had had a “restful night” and “got out of bed and had breakfast in an armchair”.
And last night, press officers said the Pontiff’s condition was “stable” and that blood tests showed “a slight improvement”, particularly in his inflammation levels.
It was also revealed he was visited for 20 minutes by Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s Prime Minister, and attended to some work with close aides.
The country’s leader said she wanted to bring get-well wishes to the pope on behalf of the government and entire nation.
A statement from her office read: “We joked around as always. He has not lost his proverbial sense of humour.”
Yesterday, it was reported that rehearsals for the Pope’s funeral were underway.
The Swiss Guard – the force tasked with protecting the Pope – has been practising the funeral procedure and is reportedly “preparing for the pontiff’s death”, reported Swiss newspaper Blick.
But Cardinal Matteo Zupi, head of Italy’s Catholic bishops and the Archbishop of Bologna, said he was sure that Francis would pull through.
Speaking at a church event in Bologna, he said: “The fact that the Pope had breakfast, read the papers [and] met people indicates that we are heading in the right direction for a full recovery that we hope will happen soon.”
The Pope has been staying in a special ward in Rome’s Gemelli hospital since Friday, where he was admitted after a week of suffering from bronchitis.
The Vatican revealed on Monday that he was battling a “complex clinical picture” which involved a “polymicrobial infection of the respiratory tract”.
Officials clarified on Tuesday that he has been diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs.
Then, two people close to the Pontiff claimed Francis had confided to them that he “might not make it this time”, according to a report by Politico.
The sources also apparently said the Pope was suffering from intense pain and is “tying up loose ends” ahead of his successor.
There had been hope that the Pope would pull through after a Vatican update on Monday announced his condition was “stable”, and that he was “free from fever”.
But the confirmation of double-lung pneumonia and Francis’s reported pessimism over his outlook have cast a gloomy shadow on Catholics worldwide.
As his health has deteriorated, Francis has moved to appoint certain figures to key posts who – he hopes – will continue his mission for progressive reform of the Church, according to the politics website.
One source told Politico the Pope tactically extended the term of one figure – Giovanni Battista Re – as dean of the College of Cardinals before being admitted to hospital.
This is the role that will oversee conclave when the next Pope is selected.
Francis’s intervention was apparently controversial as it bypassed a scheduled vote on the position in order to ensure the voting process plays out as he wants.
Re is too old to vote, but insiders said he would be able to influence the lobbying that goes on during the secret discussions in the Sistine Chapel.
How will the next Pope be chosen?
By Patrick Harrington, foreign news reporter
If the Pope dies his passing must first be confirmed by the Chamberlain of the Catholic church – in the presence of the Papal Master of Ceremonies and other officials.
The Chamberlain then informs the cardinal vicar for Rome, who passes the news onto the city and the world.
After nine days of mourning, during which time the Pope is buried, the task of choosing a new leader arises.
All 252 cardinals will be summoned to Rome from around the world for the Papal election, called Conclave.
The new Pope is decided by a vote, which can be participated in by up to 115 cardinals.
The number is whittled down by excluding any cardinals over 80.
There are secret discussions between the cardinals about who would be a good successor.
Then voting begins in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel – and continues until a consensus is reached.
However, if there is still no consensus after 12 days, then a new Pope can be appointed with more than 50 per cent of the votes.
Locals are kept updated on the process by twice-daily plumes of smoke coming from the chapel.
Black smoke means the vote is still being deliberated, and when white smoke appears it means a decision has been reached.
Santander first bank to pull sub 4% mortgages as four other lenders cut rates
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).
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.”
How to get the best deal on your mortgage
IF you're looking for a traditional type of mortgage, getting the best rates depends entirely on what's available at any given time.
There are several ways to land the best deal.
Usually the larger the deposit you have the lower the rate you can get.
If you’re remortgaging and your loan-to-value ratio (LTV) has changed, you’ll get access to better rates than before.
Your LTV will go down if your outstanding mortgage is lower and/or your home’s value is higher.
A change to your credit score or a better salary could also help you access better rates.
And if you’re nearing the end of a fixed deal soon it’s worth looking for new deals now.
You can lock in current deals sometimes up to six months before your current deal ends.
Leaving a fixed deal early will usually come with an early exit fee, so you want to avoid this extra cost.
But depending on the cost and how much you could save by switching versus sticking, it could be worth paying to leave the deal – but compare the costs first.
To find the best deal use a mortgage comparison tool to see what’s available.
You can also go to a mortgage broker who can compare a much larger range of deals for you.
Some will charge an extra fee but there are plenty who give advice for free and get paid only on commission from the lender.
You’ll also need to factor in fees for the mortgage, though some have no fees at all.
You can add the fee – sometimes more than £1,000 – to the cost of the mortgage, but be aware that means you’ll pay interest on it and so will cost more in the long term.
You can use a mortgage calculator to see how much you could borrow.
Remember you’ll have to pass the lender’s strict eligibility criteria too, which will include affordability checks and looking at your credit file.
You may also need to provide documents such as utility bills, proof of benefits, your last three month’s payslips, passports and bank statements.
TikTok’s ‘Potato Queen’ turns the humble spud into an apres-ski-style feast with these three delicious recipes
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
What do we know about Meghan Markle's new cooking show, With Love, Meghan?
MEGHAN Markle's new Netflix documentary trailer shows her cooking with Hollywood pals.
The Duchess of Sussex gave fans an insight into her show, With Love, Meghan, which airs soon.
There will be eight 33 minute episodes featuring a host of Meg’s various Hollywood friends trying her simple, yet “elevated”, food.
A montage of various clips in the nearly two-minute video showed Meghan walking through vegetable patches and fields.
She was also filmed browsing florists, hand-selecting beautiful flowers for table arrangements, showing off her creative side.
The Duchess even tried her hand at beekeeping, fully suited up, as she collected honey.
In the exciting new trailer, Meghan shared: “I’ve always loved taking something pretty ordinary and elevating it.
“Surprising people with moments that let them know I was really thinking of them.
“I’m going to share some little tips and tricks. I see what colour I gravitate to, and everything goes from there. And how you incorporate these practices every day.
“This is about connecting with friends… I love that we’re doing this together for the first time. Making new friends… and just learning.
“We’re not in the pursuit of perfection. We’re in the pursuit of joy. I have to get it totally wrong, to get it totally right.”
The trailer showcased many “candid” moments, from Meghan accidentally squeezing some lemon juice in her eye, to knocking freshly baked goodies off a plate.
Prince Harry featured at the end of the video, embracing his wife in a warm hug.
Mum, 35, died just 18 days after discovering ‘food poisoning’ was actually one of UK’s deadliest cancers
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.
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.
“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.”
Who’s at risk of bile duct cancer?
Anyone can develop bile duct cancer, but some people are at higher risk.
This includes:
- Older adults: Bile duct cancer is more common in people over 65
- Chronic liver disease patients: Conditions like cirrhosis or hepatitis B and C increase the risk
- People with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC): This is a rare liver disease that affects the bile ducts
- Smokers: Smoking is linked to a higher risk of bile duct cancer
- Those with a history of bile duct stones: Long-term inflammation from bile duct stones can raise the risk
- Family history: A family history of bile duct cancer or other cancers can increase your risk
- Those with diabetes: People with diabetes (type 1 or type 2) have been found to have a higher risk of bile duct cancer.
- Alcohol: People who drink alcohol are more likely to get intrahepatic bile duct cancer. The risk is higher in those who have liver problems from drinking alcohol
Having a risk factor, or even many risk factors, does not mean that a person will get the disease.
And many people who get the disease have few or no known risk factors
Source: American Cancer Society
I won The Apprentice & Lord Sugar is even more savage in real-life…he spoke to me for 30 seconds and ‘binned’ emails
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
