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BRITAIN’s oldest performing drag queen has passed away aged 91.

David Raven, better known by the stage name Maisie Trollette, was a feature of the Brighton Pride parade since it started in 1973.

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Britain’s oldest performing drag queen has passed away aged 91[/caption]

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David Raven died in the early hours of the morning in Brighton[/caption]

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Maisie Trollette was a feature of the Brighton Pride parade since it started in 1973[/caption]

He died in the early hours of the morning in Brighton, according to The Argus.

The LGBT+ trailblazer dazzled audiences for over half a century.

Born in St Ives, Cornwall in 1933, he grew up in Suffolk training as a grocer, publican and waiter.

David came out in 1959, aged 26 – when being gay was still illegal – and moved to London a year later.

His career began as one half of the drag duo The Trollettes with Jimmy Court.

The entertainer was a regular at venues including The Black Cap and the RVT.

Her performances were also a “staple” at Two Brewers, who released a touching tribute to the late star.

It read: “We are heartbroken to hear of the passing of Maisie Trollette.

“David Raven, known by his stage name Maisie Trollette, was a pioneering figure in British drag performance.

“Born in 1933, he began his fabulous career in the 1960s, forming the duo The Trollettes with James Court.

“They captivated audiences at renowned venues such as The Black Cap and the RVT.

“Maisie Trollette’s performances were a staple at Two Brewers, where she entertained countless patrons over the years to a packed house.

“David was deeply committed to philanthropy, raising thousands of pounds for charities nationwide.

“His enduring legacy and contributions to the LGBTQ+ community were celebrated in the 2022 documentary ‘Maisie’.

“David passed away this morning at the age of 91, leaving behind a legacy of joy, resilience, and unwavering dedication to his craft.

“He will be deeply missed.”

The 2022 documentary Maisie captured Raven in the run-up to his 85th birthday celebrations.

Asked why she kept on performing into her eighties, she replied: “She said: “I’m working because I love what I do.

“Besides, have you seen the prices of bread and coffee?”

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The LGBT+ trailblazer dazzled audiences for over half a century[/caption]

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Born in 1933, David’s career began as one half of the drag duo The Trollettes[/caption]

Facebook

Her performances were also a ‘staple’ at Two Brewers[/caption]

Hand me the… uh, whatchamacallit?

We’ve all been there – struggling to find the right word.

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Slow speech could be a key indicator of dementia[/caption]

This common lapse, known as “lethologica,” tends to happen more often as we age.

Having word-finding difficulties isn’t just frustrating – it can also be an early sign of brain changes linked to the preclinical stage of Alzheimer’s – the most common form of dementia – long before other symptoms appear.

However, a recent University of Toronto study suggests that speech speed, not just trouble finding words, could be a better indicator of brain health in older adults.

Their study involved using artificial intelligence software to analyse the language abilities of 125 health volunteers aged 18 to 90.

Each participant was asked to describe pictures of everyday objects while listening to an audio clip

The clip repeated a word related to the object’s meaning, making it harder to recall the name or find a similar-sounding word.

Participants also took standard tests measuring focus, thinking speed, and problem-solving.

They found that word-finding abilities got worse naturally with age, but were not linked to cognitive decline, a precursor for dementia.

But talking slowly was associated with weaker brain functions, finding, published in Aging Neuropsychology and Cognition, showed.

“Our results indicate that changes in general talking speed may reflect changes in the brain,” study co-author Dr Jed Meltzer said.

“This suggests that talking speed should be tested as part of standard cognitive assessments to help clinicians detect cognitive decline faster and help older adults support their brain health as they age,” he added.

A seperate study, published earlier this month, suggested that people who love a lie-in are at greater risk of dementia.

Dangerous sleep habit

Clocking in enough hours of shut-eye is important for long-term health, scientists at the University of Warwick said.

They cited recent research which urged adults to aim for roughly seven hours of sleep each night.

But going above or below this sleep sweet spot could put people at risk of worrying health issues, researchers warned.

People who sleep longer than seven hours may be more likely to suffer cognitive decline and diseases such as Alzheimer’s, they found.

The study comes after researchers warned that your weekend sleep patterns could be hampering your immune system – making it harder to shift that spring bug.

The NHS recommends that adults aim to get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night.

'Please do your time in silence'.

Virgil van Dijk insists a decision still hasn’t been made on his Liverpool future as he enters the final few months of his contract.

The Reds’ skipper was understandably emotional as he took in the scenes that followed his side’s Champions League demise last night.

With the Premier League title all but sealed and a Carabao Cup final to look forward to against Newcastle on Sunday, Liverpool were well fancied to reach the latter stages of Europe’s elite club competition.

Paris Saint-Germain hadn’t read the script at Anfield last night, however, and delivered a superb performance that yielded a 1-0 win and a subsequent place in the quarter finals following a penalty shootout victory.

Van Dijk was later filmed in the Anfield tunnel deep in conversation with PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and sporting director Luis Campos.

The Ligue 1 giants are one of the clubs who will be carefully monitoring Van Dijk’s situation in the coming weeks and eyeing up a possible free transfer.

Van Dijk, however, remains adamant that nothing has been determined yet and the prospect of remaining at Liverpool cannot be ruled out.

‘No idea at the moment, still no idea,’ he said after the game. ‘You can keep trying (to ask me), I don’t know. Is a contract pending?

‘There’s nothing pending, I don’t even know myself, I keep saying the same thing.’

He added: ‘Look, I think there are still 10 games to go, that’s what I’m focusing on. If there’s anything new, you’ll know, of course, but I don’t know myself.

‘Everyone knows there are conversations behind the scenes, but that’s about it.

‘Right now, I don’t know what’s going on next year, so if anyone tells you they know, they’re lying to you.’

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot, meanwhile, admitted there was a sense of shock after his side’s surprise exit.

Slot said it was difficult to separate the two teams after 90 minutes and while he accepted the Ligue 1 champions edged extra time the 4-1 defeat on penalties, with Gianluigi Donnarumma saving from Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones, still felt harsh.

‘Of course it is shock,’ he said. ‘It is maybe not the moment to tell them now but two seasons ago we went out to Real (Madrid) after losing 5-2 at home so if you have to go out, go out the way we did against one of the best teams in Europe and making such a fight.

‘I hope every fan around the world was hoping this game wouldn’t stop because it was incredible.

‘Two teams had an incredible level and intensity in the first 25 minutes. I also remember the first 25 against Manchester City and Real Madrid but this was unbelievable what we showed in the first 25.’

‘Over 90 minutes I don’t think we deserved to lose, over 180 maybe it was deserved we went to extra time. In extra time I thought maybe PSG was better than us. Then it comes down to penalties and they scored four.’

Cheltenham Festival 2025 continues this afternoon after a dramatic first day of action at Prestbury Park.

On a remarkable opening day, 25/1 runner Golden Ace stormed to victory in the Champion Hurdle after both Constitution Hill and State Man fell.

And Style Wednesday promises more thrills with the Queen Mother Champion Chase taking centre stage as the Nicky Henderson trained Jonbon chases glory.

Metro’s live blog will have race results, winners and updates throughout the day across all seven races with all the latest betting tips and odds to help you bag a few winners.

She dubbed him a 'privately educated nepo baby'.

Brooks Koepka remained noncommittal about his future with LIV Golf when asked about rumours surrounding a potential return to the PGA Tour.

Koepka has in the past been honest that his struggles with injuries played a major role in his decision to sign for the Saudi-backed circuit three years ago.

It was a move that banked the five-time major champion a signing bonus of around $100million, but speculation has long swirled that the American would be keen on a return to his former stomping ground.

Such claims gained momentum earlier in the month when major champion Fred Couples spoke out on Koepka’s uncertain future.

‘I talked to Brooks Koepka all the time,’ Couples told US radio station KJR 93.3 FM. ‘He wants to come back. I will say that I believe he really wants to come back and play the Tour.’

While the length of Koepka’s contract with LIV is unknown, the American suggested he has made no firm committments about where he will ply his trade when his deal runs out.

‘Fred texted me after, I guess, the comments came out,’ Koepka told reporters ahead of LIV’s latest event in Singapore.

‘I don’t know when it was. Sometime last week. Yeah, everybody seems to have their own opinion and no one asks me.

‘I talked to Fred quite a bit, but we don’t go too much into detail about what’s going on. Like I’ve said before, I’m not in those rooms. I’ve got a contract obligation out here to fulfill, and then we’ll see what happens.’

Koepka continued: ‘I don’t know where I’m going, so I don’t know how everybody else does.

‘Right now I’m just focused on how do I play better, how do I play better in the majors, how does this team win, and then we’ll figure out next year and how to play better again.

‘It’s the same thing. It’s just a revolving cycle. I’ve got nothing. Everybody else seems to know more than I do.’

Koepka’s comments come as both LIV and the PGA Tour remain seemingly at an impasse in negotiatons to reunite men’s professional golf.

A potential deal between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which bankrolls LIV, was first announced in June 2023 but no tangible agreement has been reached as of yet.

At present, LIV golfers remain unable to compete on the PGA Tour, although English golfer Laurie Canter is set to become the first player to make a PGA Tour appearance having played on LIV Golf when he tees it up at the Players this week.

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

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Frankie Bridge is known to be a proud family woman and the matriarch of her family with husband Wayne Bridge, but this week she found herself being mum-shamed for enjoying a kids-free holiday.

The former Saturdays singer, 36, treated herself to a well-earned break with a best friend last week, jetting off on holiday without husband Wayne, 44, and their two sons Parker and Carter. 

Bizarrely, internet trolls began sending hate to Frankie accusing her of being the ‘worst wife and mother’ for spending downtime on her own for a change. 

In an Instagram post, Frankie addressed the backlash and said: ‘I wrote this as a reflection to the messages I received online after going away for 4 days with a friend. 

‘@fleureast and I also discussed this recently, it seems once again as women we constantly need to be justifying our decisions for frankly doing just about anything?!

‘Quite fitting for International Women’s Day.’ 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DG8Dqj5ICgy/?img_index=1

The Loose Women presenter went on to describe herself as ‘thick-skinned’ after years in the public eye but felt compelled to speak out on behalf of other women being mum-shamed. Frankie also explained that she’s been suffering from various health issues recently and that her mental health also took a hit. 

‘I and everyone else around me could see I needed a break and I reluctantly took the holiday, squeezed in at a time that would cause minimal damage to the boys’ schedule and mine,’ she said. 

‘I fundamentally know what is good for my family and I. I have learned with age that I am more than just my looks and that I can like one part of my body and not the other.’ 

The TV star later stated: ‘I can handle being told that I’m too fat or too thin. I’m too loud or too quiet. I can even deal with people questioning how I should be coping with my depression, but my parenting? Not so much!’ 

Who is Frankie Bridge’s husband? 

Frankie Bridge is married to Wayne Bridge, 44, who was a footballer for Chelsea and Manchester City before ending his career at Reading. 

Wayne also played for England 36 times throughout his career and scored one goal against Iceland in 2004. 

In his retirement years, Wayne has turned his attention to boxing and was due to fight KSI in a professional boxing match in January 2025. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DEQeRpDu6Nz/?img_index=1

However, he pulled out after getting into a brawl with KSI over the YouTuber’s taunts about his ex-partner Vanessa Perroncel having an affair with his former Chelsea teammate John Terry. 

Since giving up football, he’s also made several TV appearances including I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here in 2016 and SAS: Who Dares Wins, which he won in 2019. 

When did they get married? 

Wayne and Frankie began dating in 2011 and he popped the question two years later in April 2013. They married in July 2014 with a private ceremony which included celebrity guests such as her Saturdays bandmates Rochelle Humes, Una Healy, Mollie King and Vanessa White. 

They appear to have built a happy marriage with Frankie previously praising Wayne for supporting her throughout her depression. 

In 2021, she told Hello!: ‘It was a lot for him to take on that early in our relationship, but he really made the effort to learn what was going on, stayed in touch with my doctors and tried to understand as best he could. I couldn’t ask for more.’ 

Frankie has also revealed how Wayne ‘parents’ her, telling her Loose Women co-hosts in 2022: ‘I would say it’s probably more around the other way, Wayne parents me. I quite like it.

‘I’m useless around the house, he always says I don’t know about the dishwasher. I don’t stack it right so I just leave it to him. I’m a put it into the sink and let Wayne deal with it.’ 

In 2024, Frankie revealed how her marriage has strengthened over the years after going through life’s challenges. 

‘My relationship with Wayne has grown stronger because we’ve been through this journey together,’ she told Grazia. 

Do they have any children? 

It’s a male-heavy household for Frankie as she shares two sons with Wayne. 

The couple welcomed their first child Parker Bridge on October 18, 2013, and his little brother Carter Bridge on August 15, 2015.

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