In need of more trauma, addiction, and dread before The Bear Season 4? We’ve got just the TV show for you.
Read More »
The Bear fans should check out this underrated TV show before Season 4
Black Ops 6 SMG is perfect Jackal repaclement in “dead” Warzone meta
The Jackal meta in Warzone is “dead” according to one expert, but there’s a rising star from Black Ops 6 that is set to replace it.
Read More »
Secret UK party island loved by Rihanna, Olly Murs & Stormzy launches family holidays with Center Parcs-style activities
A TINY island in the UK is often visited by huge A-Lister celebs, rather than families.
But Osea Island has revealed plans for a new Family Easter Holiday Package, with Center Parcs like activities.
Running from April 11-13, it includes Beach Safari sessions, where kids can learn about nature with tide-pooling and beachcombing.
Art projects and scavenger hunts are also part of the beach day.
Not only that, but on arrival guests get pizza delivered to their door, and can head to the Woodfired BBQ at The Shack which has everything from burgers, chicken and sausages to veggie options of aubergine and potatoes.
Other activities include films at the Shack cinema, as well as a games room, bike riding trails with blackberry picking along the way.
And kids can roam the island to explore the local wildlife, which includes owls, peacocks and foxes.
While the heated pool isn’t open until May, there are other activities including rounders, croquet, football and water spots such as boating and fishing on offer too.
Adults can enjoy a drink at the Puffin pub too.
And there are a number of different properties to choose from which the public can book.
The largest is the Manor House that sleeps 20 people, or there is the Captains House that sleeps 16.
Otherwise there are options for one-bedroom properties as well as smaller cottages for four people.
You will need to start saving though – prices start from £300 a night for the two bedroom properties, or £2,990 a night for the 10 bedroom properties (working out to £150 each a night).
And the Easter family package costs £65 for adults and £95 for kids, on top of the usual stay.
However, the package includes 25 per cent off the stay.
This means a family of four could expect to pay around £825 for the whole weekend – but it does come with the exclusive access to the private island.
The Essex island can only be accessed twice a day via an ancient causeway.
You can even rent out The Bomb Factory, used in WWI as a torpedo store for larger parties and events.
The island has even been dubbed the “English Necker Island” due to its popularity with celebs.
In 2019, Rihanna rented the island for a huge £20,000 a night to record a new album.
Other celebs have included musicians Stormzy, Charlie XCX, The Weeknd and Sean Paul.
Actors Jude Law and Daniel Radcliffe visited while filming (for movies The Third Day and The Woman In Black, respectively).
And celebs visiting to party in private have included Poppy Delevingne, Sienna Miller and Jaime Winstone.
Olly Murs even had his wedding there in 2023, with guests including Mark Wright.
Another island in Essex is Canvey Island, which was once a popular seaside resort.
I fly Britain’s first revolutionary ‘air taxi’ – it can slash an hour-long journey to just 11 minutes
SIMON Davis strapped in his seatbelt, pushed forward the joystick in front of him, and blasted his ‘flying taxi’ straight up into the air.
It might sound like a scene from futuristic cartoon The Jetsons, but The Sun watched it happen live at Cotswolds Airport – paving the way for Uber-style airborne trips across Britain’s skies.
The Sun visited Kemble, Gloucestershire, where elite pilot Simon – who is used to flying Royal Air Force Tornadoes – is now making flights in the VX4 – a new type of ‘taxi’ aircraft.
Cruising at speeds of 150 miles per hour, it’s set to slash hour-long car journey times to just 11 minutes, by soaring straight over buildings, roads and traffic.
During a trial flight, The Sun saw how the VX4, made by British firm Vertical Aerospace, could transform commutes without even needing a runway.
The aircraft – which has cheaper upkeep than a helicopter and is much quieter – hops straight up into the air, whizzing up to four passengers to their destination in minutes.
Taxi ‘Top Gun’
The Sun spoke the pioneering British firm’s “Top Gun” Simon Davis, who is piloting these early trial flights for the “flying taxi” – set to be mostly used for shorter, regional journeys.
Simon is chief test pilot at Vertical Aerospace, and has been at the helm of more than 80 types of aircraft throughout his career.
“It’s a bit like a helicopter when it takes off and lands, in that it can take off and land vertically,” he told The Sun from the cockpit of a XV4 prototype. “But the flight controls are completely different.”
He added: “We’ve taken miniaturised digital flight controls and completely automated the flying experience of the pilot.
“So I’ve got what look like conventional controls, but really I’m just telling the aircraft where I want to go, and then the flight control computers work out how to get there.
“This aircraft is really, really easy to fly. We’ve made it as simple as possible. The aircraft hovers itself. It flies like a big drone, effectively.”
Uber-easy flight controls
The battery-powered aircraft leaves the ground vertically, then flies along like an aeroplane with a wing and tilting front propellers.
“My background’s in aerospace engineering, but then I joined the Air Force as a pilot. I flew fighters and Tornados for 16 years in the Air Force,” said Davis.
“I trained as a test pilot with the US Navy. I’ve been out with the Air Force in civil aerospace for 10 years. I’ve flown helicopters, airships, gliders, aeroplanes, big and small.”
Yet, the VX4 is so easy to fly, novice pilots and even kids can master the flight simulator controls within five to 10 minutes, according to Davis.
The flight control computers fly the aircraft for you, just tell it where you want to go. That makes it really safe because it’s so simple.
Simon Davis, chief test pilot at Vertical Aerospace
He added: “Our flight controls in the VX4 make the aircraft really, really simple to fly.
“So the flight control computers fly the aircraft for you, just tell it where you want to go. That makes it really safe because it’s so simple.
“You’ve got time and capacity to think about other things, to manage the mission, weather and air traffic.”
An exciting time in aviation
While the VX4 may be easier to fly than traditional aircraft, pilots still require a commercial licence, as well as extra flight training inside the air taxi itself, before being able to take on passengers.
Davis is currently flying a prototype of the VX4, which is expected to largely resemble the final product, except its taxi cab-style cabin has been omitted.
As chief test pilot, Davis has flown the VX4 throughout Vertical’s second phase of testing – a total of 20 flights and ground tests so far.
Unlike the final product, the prototype is fitted with an ejector seat for safety, which Davis has fortunately never had to use.
He is currently flying the second VX4 prototype, while the third is being built.
[The] electrification of aviation is so exciting… So to be involved at this early stage in making this technology a reality is a real privilege.
Simon Davis, chief test pilot at Vertical Aerospace
Though Vertical anticipates there will be six test models in total.
The prototype’s battery charges in just 30 minutes, but the team aims to halve this by the time orders for the XV4 start going out in 2028.
“I’m an engineer at heart and a real nerd for anything that flies,” Davis continued.
“But [the] electrification of aviation is so exciting… So to be involved at this early stage in making this technology a reality is a real privilege.”
Four tiers of testing
Vertical is currently in the second phase of four tiers of testing.
The VX4 has already completed the first phase, proving it can perform a stabilised hover while loosely tethered to the ground.
It is currently progressing through the second ‘thrustborne’ phase, which has the VX4 taking off and landing vertically, as well as moving forward slowly with height granted by the propellers.
The next phase will be ‘wingborne’, where the VX4 will take-off, fly and land like a conventional aircraft, with a lift generated by the wing.
It will also fly higher and further – finally putting its 100mile battery capacity to the test, without exhausting it.
We expect that the first application will be to and from the airports, and this is going to be a huge time saver.
David King, chief engineer at Vertical Aerospace
The fourth and final phase will master the transition between thrustborne and wingborne flight – propeller-assisted and wing-assisted flight.
The air taxi is expected to complete the remaining three phases and receive the green light from the UK’s aerospace regulator within the next three years, according to David King, Vertical’s chief engineer.
“The VX4 will be certified by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in 2028, and initial deliveries will take place right here in the UK,” he said.
“We expect that the first application will be to and from the airports, and this is going to be a huge time saver.”
A ‘mind-blowing’ experience
Vertical has already mapped out thousands of routes that its air taxis could revolutionise.
Like Battersea in London to Heathrow Airport – a journey that would usually take at least an hour with mild traffic.
In the VX4, with three pals and eight suitcases, you could travel from Battersea to Heathrow in only 12 minutes.
Likewise, Cambridge to Heathrow in under 30 minutes – a quarter of the time you’d spend in a car, wedged between traffic.
“It’s going to be a bit more expensive than a taxi,” said King. “But a lot cheaper than a helicopter. So it’s something people can really use.”
Vertical haven’t revealed any starting prices, but says flight costs may start at a premium in the beginning before eventually coming down.
A one-way helicopter trip can cost anywhere between £2,500 and £4,000 for what would be an hour’s drive.
The VX4 air taxi can come to any UK city or town with a helipad or airport – like London, Manchester, Sheffield, or even Penzance from the local Land’s End Airport.
It crunches the distance by flying at 150mph – albeit a fraction of the speed a commercial carrier flies.
Fortunately, it doesn’t share the same airspace as the big dogs, flying underneath larger passenger planes instead.
King foresees ‘highways in the sky’ with air taxis zooming above cities and islands, leaving traffic jams behind like a bad dream.
You’ll be flying at low level over urban environments around towns and cities. I think it’s going to blow people’s minds.
Simon Davis, chief test pilot at Vertical Aerospace
Passengers will also have a rare, low-level, birds-eye view of cities, added Davis.
Plus, everyone will have their own window.
“I think we’ll be able to give a much more personal experience to people that fly,” he said.
“People will see more of the mechanisms of what it takes to actually go flying. You’re much closer to the action.
“You’ll be flying at low level over urban environments around towns and cities. I think it’s going to blow people’s minds.
“It’s going to be so much fun. And a practical way of moving around as well.”
FLYING TAXI VS CAR – THE JOURNEYS COMPARED
Here's how much time Vertical Aerospace reckons you'll save in a VX4...
Battersea to London Heathrow
Distance: 16 miles
- VX4: 12 minutes
- Road: 60 minutes
- Rail: 65 minutes
Miami airport to Fort Lauderdale
Distance: 30 miles
- VX4: 11 minutes
- Road: 60 minutes
- Rail: 65 minutes
Yumeshima Port to Osaka International Airport
Distance: 12 miles
- VX4: 9 minutes
- Road: 40 minutes
The quiet life
The disruptions to people living in cities, or quiet islands where there are few routes to the mainland, will be limited, according to Vertical.
While the company will contribute towards busier skies, it says its air taxis will produce zero emissions – and about as much noise as a refrigerator.
The VX4, when it cruises over top of you, you will not hear it… It will fly right over your head and part your hair, and you will not hear it coming.
David King, chief engineer at Vertical Aerospace
“The VX4, when it cruises over top of you, you will not hear it,” said King. “It will fly right over your head and part your hair, and you will not hear it coming.”
Vertical’s air taxis are set to rely on existing infrastructure – all the helipads that are currently active – as well as future vertiports like the Bicester Aerodome that is currently being built.
Although sightings of the VX4 may be isolated to affluent areas of London and Fort Lauderdale in the early days, King and the team have stressed they don’t want it to become a “plaything for rich people”.
“We’re working with the government agencies right now to find the areas where [the VX4 is] best suited for the infrastructure to be able to get people in and around the congested areas,” added King.
“What we expect is that the infrastructure will continue to grow. We’re seeing across the world investments that are coming in. Some of these investments are private, some are public.”
Several UK infrastructure projects, like Bicester’s vertiport, have been sponsored by the government-backed scheme Innovate UK Future Flight Challenge.
Once Bicester’s vertiport is complete, which is expected to be early this year, it’ll be over to Davis to take the VX4 out for a spin in the ‘real world’.
Mikel Arteta’s gamble not to sign new striker was a DISASTROUS decision that leaves Arsenal’s season on edge of collapse
HOURS after the January transfer window closed, Mikel Arteta staunchly defended Arsenal’s policy NOT to bring in attacking reinforcements in a press conference on February 4.
First, the Gunners boss claimed the decision was NO gamble, despite seeing Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka struck down with long-term injuries and Kai Havertz his only fit centre forward.
Pushed on whether Havertz could now play every game for the rest of the season without a rest, Arteta said yes, gushing over the German’s robustness and labelling him a ‘genetic powerhouse’.
On the failed recruitment push, Arteta added: “We are disappointed, but we have to move on. Nobody knows whether it is better to have done it or not. We’ll know at the end of the season.”
Eight days later, and Arteta already has his answer: It was an unmitigated, disastrous decision – one that sees the rest of their campaign teetering on the edge of collapse. Costly is an understatement.
Havertz – that physical specimen of a man who looks after himself properly – tore his hamstring during a training session on the club’s mid-season warm-weather retreat to Dubai this week.
It is very unlikely we will see Havertz again in an Arsenal shirt until the 2025/26 season begin.
The Middle East has often been a venue to trigger an upturn in form, a trip there in January 2024 almost spurring Arsenal to the Prem title only to be pipped on the final day by Manchester City.
Now, it must be the place of nightmares for Arteta, his charge to catch Prem leaders Liverpool and progress in the Champions League resting at the feet of his THREE remaining fit options: Leandro Trossard, 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri and disappointing summer loan signing Raheem Sterling.
With Gabriel Martinelli also expected to be out for at least a month with a hamstring strain, Arteta must survive for three months with NO recognised centre forward.
Martinelli and Saka will be pushing for a March return, but to throw them straight back in would be a huge risk – yet what choice does Arteta now have? A pit of despair he helped dig.
The blame does not solely lay at Arteta’s door – interim sporting director Jason Ayto will be taking some heat for his negotiation struggles in a poor first audition to take over from Edu, the Brazilian shocking Arsenal by resigning from his position back in November.
Arsenal's injury crisis
Stars who are currently injured:
- Kai Havertz (hamstring)
- Bukayo Saka (hamstring)
- Gabriel Jesus (ACL)
- Gabriel Martinelli (hamstring)
- Ben White (knee)
- Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee)
Regardless, it is now on Arteta to fix. He is known for problem-solving during his five-year tenure in charge of Arsenal, willing to adapt and change styles to fit his needs, as well as being open to some outside-the-box thinking to get through the stickiest of sticky patches.
Of the three remaining fit forwards at his disposal, Trossard and Sterling have deputised as a false nine before – meaning Arteta can stick with his usual 4-3-3.
Nwaneri could also be tossed into that role having scored three goals in all competitions in 2025, with Arteta previously suggesting it is a position the youngster could end up in later in his career.
Arteta said in December: “There is a position I think he can develop into – No9.
“He has got the goal in front of him and he looks at the goal and he has a tremendous ability to put the ball in the back of the net.”
Arteta will need to rotate that three for the next month at least, having pushed the likes of Saka, Martinelli and now Havertz to limits that have seen their bodies crumble.
Left-back Kieran Tierney could be a left-wing introduction if required – the Scot has featured there a few times already this calendar year as a late substitute.
There is talk of 6ft2 midfielder Mikel Merino using his physique and stature as a makeshift central figure – a risk that even Arteta would have second thoughts over.
And in the academy, striker Nathan Butler-Oyedeji and winger Ismeal Kabia would be the most likely options.
Butler-Oyedeji, 21, made his first team debut as an added-time substitute against Dinamo Zagreb last month, while 19-year-old Kabia made his debut in September against Bolton Wanderers.
Arsenal play seven games before March’s international break, with three of those coming in midweeks. Between them, Trossard, Nwaneri and Sterling have seven Prem goals.
This is going to be a bumpy, painful ride for Arteta.
My ex abused me so badly I was left in a coma & hid my face for 12 YEARS, I see his torture each time I look in a mirror
WHEN SAUNDRA Crockett, a mum from California, caught her husband of, two years, getting cosy with another woman she reacted like most people would. She was disgusted.
But instead of starting a row in her local bar, she said ‘I don’t want to deal with it,’ to the man who she thought would love her for life and walked away.
Little did she know that was the moment that’d change her life forever and haunt her every time she looked in the mirror.
It was her 28th birthday and deciding it was time to go home, Saundra went to meet her husband to take him back but instead found him with his arms around another woman.
“I said, ‘I just didn’t want to deal with it’ I walked out of the bar, he followed me and he was so angry and I don’t know why he was so angry I’m not the one that had my arm around some guy,” The mum-of-three told Unfiltered Stories.
Saundra recalled her husband, who was an ex-marine, screaming in her face while she was backed into a wall.
But his reign of terror didn’t end there – he began punching Saundra in the face multiple times before she fell unconscious.
“I don’t know how long I was knocked out,” she explained. “When I woke up again I was on the side of the street near the gutter.
“I woke up, I didn’t know what happened and I was just so shocked that he would just leave me, I’m the mother of his son we’ve had horrible things but he’s never left me unconscious somewhere.
“That was just a total shock for me more so than the violence.”
Saundra met her ex-husband, a single mum-of-one, in a nightclub, and the pair dated for three years before getting married.
The pair eloped to Vegas to get hitched, but Saundra was never keen to go through with it.
She revealed the abuse began before they got married – with her being left black and blue from his punches and fingerprint marks along her arms from him holding her down.
He would be so apologetic, he would hit himself with the frying pan or do crazy things to show how remorseful he was.
Saundra Crockett
“We had gone to Vegas and I thought I could talk him out of it,” she explained.
“However he went out one day and he said ‘Oh I got the papers, I got the limo, we’re going to go do this’ and I felt trapped.”
Saundra revealed he would often leave her for days at a time and get aggressive before apologising for his sick behaviour.
She revealed: “He would be so apologetic, he would hit himself with the frying pan or do crazy things to show how remorseful he was.
“I would fall for that, like, who does that kind of stuff unless they’re sorry? So I kept thinking ‘He’s sorry, he does care about me, he just has a little bit of an anger problem.'”
But the night of her 28th birthday would show just how unremorseful he was as he beat her to the point of unconsciousness.
When she awoke, she went to meet her friends who were horrified by what her husband had done to her.
She decided to go home with them and saw herself in the mirror for the first time.
Saundra was left black and blue and her face was completely swollen.
The mum then headed home in the early hours of the morning where her husband asked ‘What happened to you?’
Throughout the day her face continued to keep swelling and she knew she had to go to the emergency room.
HOW YOU CAN GET HELP:
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
Near Death
When she arrived, her family joined her, but Saundra was in a comatose state and couldn’t talk.
Her family was warned she would likely die from the attack as it had caused an infection on her face that was spreading rapidly.
While she lay in the hospital unable to move, her husband came up with the excuse that she was mugged by a stranger earlier that day.
She was then moved to another hospital for emergency surgery and thankfully survived, but she would stay on the ward for six months for 26 different surgeries. Her face was left disfigured for life.
“My little boy he was only three or four and it freaked him out, he just screamed and cried, he wouldn’t come near me because I was so scary to him,” she recalled.
Her husband had disappeared after the incident and Saundra moved in with family while she healed.
Knowing that things had to change, Saundra had the courage to divorce her abusive husband and never heard from again.
Saundra also didn’t press charges at the time and kept the domestic abuse a secret for years.
Saundra hid her face behind a surgical mask for 12 years as it was ‘the only way’ she could cope and didn’t want to look at the reminder of what he had done to her.
After the ordeal, Saundra had a third child with another partner but became addicted to drugs because of the trauma and lost custody of them.
New Beginnings
Saundra made her way to a Women’s home for several years as she came off the drugs and rebuilt her life.
She managed to find peace with herself deciding she would not ‘feel guilty’ for her ex-husband’s actions and took her mask off for the first time in 12 years.
“I’m not going to feel guilty for the rest of my life because of something someone did to me, I didn’t do this,” she said.
Now, Saundra lives with her mum, her son, and grandchildren and has made the best out of her trauma by helping other women living through domestic abuse.
This is a thousand times better than what I looked like when this first happened to me.
Saundra Crockett
Saundra was given free surgeries by an initiative called Face Forward, which has provided free reconstructive surgery to hundreds of people worldwide who have been physically abused.
Deborah Alessi, a former victim of domestic violence started the non-profit and said: “They have to look in the mirror and be reminded this man or this woman or this mother did this to me,” she said.
Saundra was able to get her teeth fixed so she can eat properly again as well as surgery on her eye which wouldn’t close after the abuse.
“This is a thousand times better than what I looked like when this first happened to me. I don’t think I could even describe how awful it was,” she said.
Speaking on those who might stare at her, Saundra said: “If someone has a problem with it, that’s their problem, not mine.”
Now, the mum spends her time advocating for other domestic abuse victims to show that there is a way out and a better life ahead of them.
“If I can speak to one person and give them hope that this doesn’t have to happen to you, I think that it’s my job to do that,” she said.
‘I wish I hadn’t been told’ – Luke Humphries desperate to achieve rarely-seen feat with £30k GOLD prize on the line
LUKE HUMPHRIES wants to be the Man with the Golden Darts by the time the Premier League is over.
Tournament sponsors BetMGM will reward any player who hits a nine-darter during the 17-week Prem Road Show with a custom-made set of solid gold darts.
The 18ct prize will be worth £30,000 and will honour anyone who achieves perfection in the invitational event.
Humphries – who turned 30 last Tuesday – was on the receiving end of a perfect leg when he lost the 2024 Premier League final to Luke Littler at London’s O2 Arena.
That was the 16th time the feat had been accomplished in the tournament’s 21-year history.
Cool Hand Luke said: “I wish I hadn’t been told about that – as I probably won’t hit one now!
“To receive £30,000 worth of gold. Wow. It makes you appreciate how lucky you are to play darts these days.
“Big businesses and big companies are sponsoring these events. BetMGM have been a massive, massive bonus for us as a sponsor.
“Little incentives like that are very nice. For me it’s not about the money or what they are worth.
“I want to win those darts for the fact it’d be nice to have them in my house. I’d rather have that than £30,000 in cash.”
Humphries received a small trophy for winning the opening night in Belfast last week.
And he heads to Prem night two in Glasgow on an eight-match winning streak, given he was dominant at the World Masters in Milton Keynes.
The Prem is without a Scottish thrower for the first time since 2010 as both Peter Wright and Gary Anderson are not in contention anymore.
Top English stars like Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis had their issues when they went over the border to Scotland and received hostile Premier League receptions.
But the World No1 – who opens up against Chris Dobey at the OVO Hydro – said: “I really like the Scottish people.
“They are always up for a laugh. They are a great craic. Always create a great atmosphere. I’m looking forward to playing there next week.
“It’s a shame there are no Scots in the Premier League. There are so many great Scots over the last ten years who have played in it. Unfortunately the standard has not been there from them.”
Willie Mullins gives unexpected Cheltenham Festival entry to eye-catching horse who ‘could be anything’
WILLIE MULLINS has entered a JP McManus-owned horse who ‘could be anything’ as part of his ten-strong team for a Cheltenham Festival race.
The Closutton boss is armed and ready to unload his team of girls in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.
Mullins has not won the Grade 2 since claiming five in a row from 2016.
THE SUN RACING MEMBERS ENCLOSURE
The only place to get Templegate’s tips first – and at the best prices – is by joining Sun Racing’s brilliant Members Enclosure (UK only).
Sign up now for just £1* to be part of racing’s best winning team and get…
- Four free racing tickets, four times a year – worth £300
- Templegate’s daily tips at the BEST prices before anyone else
- Exclusive access to Templegate’s daily NAP
- Tomorrow’s copy of The Favourite at 9pm today
- Exclusive insights from top trainer Ben Pauling
- VIP competitions from Racing Breaks each month
Become a member today for just £1*
*For the first month then £3 per month thereafter.
18+ Ts and Cs apply. First month membership £1, then £3 per month unless you cancel at least 7 days before your next billing date. UK only. For more information contact help@thesun.co.uk
Among his squad entered this year is Maughreen, who’s 5-2 favourite with some bookies for the 2m contest.
But a load of lesser-known names – one of which in particular punters think ‘could be anything’ – also made the cut yesterday.
Five-year-old Kom Tu Voudras finished third on her only racecourse start.
Trained previously by French handler Daniela Mela, Kom Tu Voudras was last off the bridle in a 1m4f Flat contest.
Full of running at the end, she finished third without ever being asked too much of a question.
Giving the impression there is way more to come, Kom Tu Voudras moved to Mullins at the start of the season.
She is yet to run for him but an entry in a Festival race suggests she could be showing plenty at home.
And bookies are taking no chances, quoting her just 20-1 despite never seeing her jump in public.
Mullins has two of the top three in the betting with his other JP-owned runner Karoline Banbou a general 8-1 chance.
The one it looks they all have to beat, though, is Gavin Cromwell’s Sixandahalf.
She was backed into favouritism for last season’s Cesarewitch at Newmarket before being pulled out on the morning of the race.
The five-year-old thrashed Mullins’ Kimi De Mai 16 lengths when last seen in a Fairyhouse maiden hurdle last month.
Willie Mullins’ Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle entries
Aurora Vega
Baby Kate
Fancy Girl
Karamoja
Karoline Banbou
Kimi De Mai
Kom Tu Voudras
Magic McColgan
Maughreen
Venusienne
FREE BETS – GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chases their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
- Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
- Gamble Aware – www.gambleaware.org
Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
How Carole Middleton went from tiny council home to £4.7m Bucklebury mansion via tower block flat in ‘UK’s ugliest town’
IT MAY not be a royal palace but Kate Middleton’s parents’ £4.7million countryside home is fit for a queen.
Carole and Michael Middleton bought the grade-II listed Georgian Bucklebury Manor in 2012 – and it boasts grand features including seven bedrooms, tennis courts and an outdoor swimming pool.
But the sprawling 18-acre estate is worlds away from the tiny council house where Carole, who recently celebrated her 70th birthday, grew up.
Inspired by the grit and determination of her working class parents, Carole has risen through the echelons of society to become the royal’s secret weapon.
And, she has graduated from modest abodes to a grand mansion befitting her new status along the way.
Here, we play Middleton Monopoly and delve into Carole’s increasingly impressive property portfolio through the years.
Scottie dog token at the ready!
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS: EALING COUNCIL HOUSE
Carole – nee Goldsmith – came from humble stock – beginning her life in a quaint pebble-dashed council terrace in Ealing, West London.
The bustling, multi-cultural district boasts a variety of shops and Asian restaurants, reflecting the different waves of immigrants that have settled there.
Famed for Victorian-style housing, the majority of properties sold in Ealing during the last year were flats. The average selling price was £471,725, according to Rightmove.
Carole lived with her parents Ron – a builder – and Dorothy Goldsmith – whose family were miners and labourers from County Durham.
ON THE LADDER: £5k SOUTHALL SEMI
Carole’s parents were “hardworking and ambitious”, according to royal expert Sarah Hewson, which meant they could buy their own home.
They relocated to a three bedroom house in Norwood Green, Southall in 1966, costing the family £4,950 – the equivalent of £135,000 today.
“It was a largely working class area at the time and a far cry from the life Carole has made for herself and her family now,” Sarah explains.
The West London area has been a South Asian hub since the 1950s and is often referred to as Little Punjab or Little India.
It has the largest Sikh temple outside of India, as well as a famous high-street market abundant in spices, jewellery and antiques.
Parts of the 2002 film Bend It Like Beckham were filmed in the area.
Carole and her brother Gary, who is a decade her junior, spent most of their childhood in Southall, where the average house price today is £435,909.
MEETING MICHAEL: SLOUGH FLAT
The Middletons met in the 1970s while they were both working at British Airways – Carole as a flight attendant and Michael as a flight dispatcher.
Before long they were living together in a leasehold flat in a cul-de-sac in Slough, conveniently located close to Heathrow Airport.
House prices in the street have averaged at £205,000 over the last year.
Sarah explains, “Their backgrounds were very different – where Carole’s ancestors were working class miners, Michael came from a family of wealthy Yorkshire wool merchants with links to the aristocracy.”
The Berkshire town, 20 miles west of Central London, has faced an abundance of criticism.
Ricky Gervais set The Office in Slough because of the town’s reputation for being a miserable place to live.
And, in 2025, a Rightmove survey ranked Slough as the unhappiest place to live in the UK.
The year before, it was judged the UK’s ugliest town by The Telegraph, receiving a score of just two points out of a possible 50.
But it’s not all bad – Slough brought the world the TV show Thunderbirds, the iconic Ford GT40 racing car, wheelie bins and the Mars bar.
Carole and Michael married in 1980 and welcomed daughter Kate in 1982, closely followed by her sister Pippa a year later.
LIFE OVERSEAS: JORDAN
In 1984, with two young children, Carole and Michael embarked on an international adventure, relocating to Jordan.
There, the family led a seemingly comfortable life, with Princess Kate attending nursery school.
Whilst little is known about the almost three years they spent in Amman, Kate has previously said she “remembers very fondly” their time there.
The pair made their way back to the UK while expecting their third child, James.
BACK TO BERKSHIRE: £158K ‘SWEET COTTAGE’
Carole and Michael bought West View, a two-bedroom cottage in Bradfield Southend, a small rural village in Berkshire, for £34,700.
Carole has described the house as “a very sweet semi-detached cottage”.
She added, “We stayed there until Catherine was 13, so the children spent a lot of their youth there.”
It is here, from her kitchen table, where she started the party supplies business Party Pieces in 1987.
“It proved so successful,” Sarah says. “Michael left his job to join the firm and at the time of their daughter’s marriage to Prince William it was said to be worth around £30 million.”
Located opposite the village green, the Victorian house boasted a huge garden and was eventually converted into two semi-detached homes.
The pair sold it in 1995 for £158,000.
OAK ACRE: £250K TUDOR PAD
The Middleton’s fortune meant they could buy Oak Acre, an 18 acre Tudor-style manor house in Bucklebury in 1995.
Sarah says, “They had a large garden to play in, instilling a love of the outdoors which is now at the heart of the Princess of Wales’ work on early years and also mental health.”
The £250,000 red brick house had five bedrooms and is where Kate went home to during her years at St Andrews University.
In 2008, Prince William is reported to have landed a Chinook helicopter next door to Oak Acre.
Bucklebury has a population of just 2,116, according to the 2011 census, with famous residents Kate Bush and George Clooney reportedly owning houses down the road.
The Old Boot Inn is a local favourite, plus there’s a butcher and annual duck race in the village.
Marlborough College, the co-ed independent boarding school that boasts Kate as a former pupil and charges £20k a term isn’t far, over the border in Wiltshire.
MIDDLETON MANOR: £4.7 MILLION 18-ACRE HOME
In 2012, a year after Kate married Prince William, the Middletons moved into a more private home called Bucklebury Manor.
It features five reception rooms including a drawing room, a library and an open-plan kitchen – Carole’s favourite room and the “heart” of the home.
The £4.7million property served as the venue for Pippa’s wedding reception in 2017, and James has also spent time living there during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Throughout the past year, as Princess Kate faced the trials of chemotherapy, Carole’s abode reportedly became a sanctuary for the future Queen, offering her moments of pampering and solace.
Meanwhile, the Middleton matriarch has long been a strong mother figure for Prince William bringing him the grounding, nurturing and stability his own late mother, Princess Diana, did.
She also ensures her grandchildren Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine and six year old Prince Louis, have as normal upbringing as they possibly can, making their childhood as carefree and fun as possible.
Sarah explains, “It’s not easy being the mother of a future Queen and Carole must surely have been concerned that she would lose her daughter to the institution.
“But the Middletons have been central to William and Kate’s life – providing them with an escape from the formalities of royal life, a sense of balance and normality.
“For William, the taste of ordinary family life is a revelation and it has been particularly important to them that their own children, George, Charlotte and Louis get to be a part of that too.”
Carole is so adored that rumours have swirled that her son-in-law The Prince of Wales may bequeath her and Michael an official royal title when he eventually takes the throne.
While the Middletons are currently the first grandparents of a future sovereign without a title since the 11th Century, Sarah Hewson says, “It is clear they will play a crucial role in shaping our future monarchy.”
CHELSEA GIRLS: £780K LONDON FLAT
In 2002, Carole and Michael bought a three-bedroom apartment in London’s exclusive Chelsea district for £780,000.
Kate and Pippa lived there while pursuing careers in their 20s, with Kate moving out once she married William in April 2011.
The property was put up for sale for £1.95million in 2018, but it sold for under the guide price at £1.88million in September 2019.
Set across three floors, snaps from the listing show neutral interiors, traditional furniture and oriental rugs.
Serial sperm donor who ‘fathered over 180 kids worldwide’ is unmasked by judge in bid to protect potential mums-to-be
A SERIAL sperm donor who “fathered more than 180 children” has been unmasked by a judge in a bid to protect women.
Robert Albon, who goes by the name Joe Donor, boasts of being a “top sperm donor” who can produce babies “anywhere in the UK”.
The US national has also bragged about fathering children all over the world – including Argentina, Australia, China and the USA.
He has now been named by a judge as a warning to potential mums-to-be against using unauthorised donors and Albon.
Usually, it is extremely rare for a parent in a family court case to be identified but Jonathan Furness KC said it was in the public interest.
The 54-year-old had taken a couple to Cardiff Family Court as he wanted parental rights over their child.
The baby in the case was conceived by a same-sex couple using a syringe.
Albon had tried to claim he fathered the child by having sex with its biological mum in a car but this was dismissed by the judge.
He applied for parental responsibility – meaning he would be named on the birth certificate – and to change the child’s name.
Albon also wanted the child’s non-biological mother to be called “auntie” rather than mum.
He claimed wanted to “protect the welfare” of the child but was actually being “wholly self-centred”, the ruling said.
Judge Furness said in reality, used the case to support his immigration position to stay in the UK.
He added: “In reality he is a man who seeks to control.
“Women and children appear to be almost a commodity to him as he sets about increasing the number of his children around the globe – China, USA, Argentina, Australia and UK to name just some of the countries where he has fathered children.”
Both mothers told the court the case has been a “horror story” and caused their relationship to break down.
The biological mum also said she suffered from anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts.
Albon advertises his services on social media and donates through various methods including artificial insemination and more natural methods, such as sexual intercourse.
He described his services as his “special hobby” and said he is “always on call and willing to help”.
Albon told The Sun last year: “I’ve had about 180 live births and I’ve met about 60 of them.
“I might never see a lot of them, this has to do with the child’s mothers relationship… it’s my preference to have some sort of relationship.”
Judge Furness said Albon has misled women on his Facebook by claiming he would leave it up to the mum to decide if he sees a child he fathers.
He added: “The public, and vulnerable women seeking to get pregnant, should know that is the case and they risk a similar ‘horror story’.
“He is a man who intends to continue donating sperm and vulnerable women who are interested in such services should fully understand the risks of becoming involved with him.”
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority said it was “always safer to have treatment with donor sperm” at licensed clinics.
