
Faye Winter tells of ‘terrifying' weeks before Love Island due to botched Botox
Winter, 30, who appeared on the ITV dating show in 2021, said the Government is taking 'a massive step in the right direction' and added that the NHS should not be covering the cost of corrective treatment for botched surgeries.
Speaking about the weeks leading up to her Love Island appearance, she told ITV's Good Morning Britain (GMB): 'It was pretty terrifying. I wanted to look a certain way. I wanted to look the best version of myself, knowing that I was going on national television.
'I went to somebody to do my Botox that I hadn't been to before, and he told me that he was medically trained. I believed him, as so many of us do.
'I later found out that he was a property developer, and he had put too much Botox into my forehead, meaning my full forehead just had nothing in it. I couldn't move it and it was fully relaxed.
'It was paralysed, and I literally had to wait it out, not knowing if it (the feeling) was or wasn't going to come back.'
Winter explained that her forehead 'had relaxed' and that her eyelids and eyebrows had 'drooped'.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has said that steps will be taken to protect people from 'rogue operators' with no medical training who often provide 'invasive' procedures in homes, hotels and pop-up clinics.
The DHSC also said the move to introduce new restrictions will reduce the cost imposed on the NHS to fix botched procedures.
Winter added: 'I think obviously it's a massive step in the right direction. This is only for four years I've been speaking about (it).
'So for the Government to even acknowledge it is amazing. But there's also parts of it that I do think, where they say, you know licences… what are they going to look like?
'Does somebody just need a passport number at a UK address and they still get a licence? We don't know what that quite looks like yet, and I think it's really important that we know those finer details.'
Speaking on whether the NHS should pay for corrective treatments, she said: 'I don't think that we as taxpayers should be paying for that. I never asked anybody to pay for my correction work, and that was on me, and I had to learn the hard way.'
Winter was on series seven of the ITV dating show Love Island and was seen coupling up with Teddy Soares.
Before the proposed regulations come into force, the Government has urged people seeking cosmetic procedures to ask for the provider's qualifications and insurance, and to be wary of 'suspiciously cheap' offers.
It comes after health officials launched an investigation after a number of people had reactions to Botox injections earlier this year.

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Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
I was so fat I ended up in a wheelchair with just 4 weeks to live – then I lost 20st without pricey jabs
After a brutal wake-up call which could have left her two sons without a mum, Suzanne shed two thirds of her body weight - without resorting to £150-a-month Ozempic or Mounjaro SHAPESHIFTER I was so fat I ended up in a wheelchair with just 4 weeks to live – then I lost 20st without pricey jabs 'SUGAR addict' mum-of-two Suzanne Evans was a chronic overeater who couldn't resist sweets and chocolate. She quickly soared to 31st and was forced to use a wheelchair just to move around. Then, she got the brutal wake-up call she needed; if she didn't slim down, and fast, she would be dead in four weeks. Suzanne eventually shed two thirds of her body weight - but it wasn't jabs like Ozempic that saw her do it. 13 Suzanne Evans before losing 20st without using jabs like Ozempic Credit: Jam Press/Suzanne Evans 13 The mum-of-two after her incredible transformation, sparked by doctors giving her four weeks to live Credit: Jam Press/Suzanne Evans Suzanne was always larger than her friends. But six years ago, unable to walk more than a few steps, she had to start using a wheelchair due to her size. After a trip to the doctor, the 40-year-old was told that her kidneys and liver were shutting down. Her heart was also under near-unbearable strain, and medics estimated that she had just four weeks to live due to imminent organ failure. Suzanne, from Hereford, Herefordshire, knew something had to change - and quickly. READ MORE ON WEIGHT LOSS JABS UP Can you get free fat jabs on the NHS? The 4 key criteria plus exact weight revealed 'I was terrified,' she tells Sun Health. 'When you look in the doctor's eyes and see they're scared, you know you're in trouble. 'It was the worst feeling and I was in the worst place. I didn't want to be 31st. 'Doctors said I was so ill because of my weight, but they didn't have faith in me that I would fight so hard to lose it. They thought the damage had been done.' Suzanne's health was in serious decline in 2018, with her being 'rushed into hospital every other week' for a year. 'Every single part of my body radiated pain,' she adds. 'I could hardly breathe or move without excruciating pain.' I was sick of trying fad diets and not losing weight but now I've shed FIVE STONE without fat jabs or silly eating plans The mum was terrified by the prospect of dying – with her sons just 10 and 13 at the time. 'I recorded videos for them to watch if I wasn't there any more,' Suzanne says. 'It was emotional. But I was determined to slim down and improve my health for them.' After her dad, Tony, died in hospital, she was hell-bent on not having the same outcome, and signed herself out in February 2019. Upon coming home, Suzanne vowed to turn things around for sons Gethin, now 19, and 16-year-old Evan. The mum had tried diets in the past but had always reverted to binge eating. I'd eat all day and all night. There was always something in my hand. I had drawers by my bedside full of sweets and crisps and chocolates Suzanne Evans 'My weight gain started after my father died unexpectedly when I was pregnant in 2008,' Suzanne says. 'I comfort ate and then suffered postnatal depression after giving birth. 'I became addicted to sugar – I would just eat anything sweet. 'My mum eventually became my carer when I became wheelchair-bound in 2014. 'I'd eat all day and all night. There was always something in my hand. 'I would have whatever I could get my hands on. I had drawers by my bedside full of sweets and crisps and chocolates. 'If I woke up in the night, I would gorge on them.' 13 After hitting 31st, Suzanne was forced to use a wheelchair to get around Credit: Jam Press/Suzanne Evans 13 She says she was addicted to sugar and couldn't resist sweets and chocolate Credit: Jam Press/Suzanne Evans 13 Doctors telling her she was on the brink of organ failure was the wake-up call she needed Credit: Jam Press/Suzanne Evans 13 Suzanne joined Simming World and the weight soon started to drop off Credit: Jam Press/Suzanne Evans But the stark warning from doctors proved to be the push she needed to, once and for all, drop the weight. Suzanne followed the Slimming World plan, which puts an emphasis on whole foods without counting calories. It costs £5.95 per week (or £23.80 per mont) - far less than injections which start at around £150 a month. Just one week into her weight loss journey, she had dropped 1st, and by the end of her first month she was 2st 7lbs lighter. But it wasn't all easy. 'I had the shakes from the sugar withdrawal,' she says. 'I'd had 11 years of overeating, but I had hope at last. I really was fighting for my life and I felt so proud. 'I started incorporating walking into my daily routine - just a few steps at first until I could do more. 'Eventually I was able to take the dog for a walk and it felt great. 'My doctor cried a year later when I walked into the surgery; it was the first time they'd seen me walk in a long time.' 'It saved my life' Suzanne has now lost an incredible 20st and weighs 11st 4lbs. She is careful to maintain her svelte size, having two healthy meals a day - including overnight oats with fruit for breakfast and a chicken or beef stir fry for dinner. Suzanne adds: 'People have noticed my weight loss and ask me what I have done to lose so much. 'I tell them it is all down to determination, willpower and Slimming World. 'They ask me what else I did and the answer is nothing. I just made the decision to change my life and live. 'I am so grateful to Slimming World because their food plan saved my life. 'And I am so proud of myself for making it happen.' 13 The 40-year-old lost a staggering 20st in total - two thirds of her body weight Credit: Jam Press/Suzanne Evans 13 She overhauled her diet and started exercising Credit: Jam Press/Suzanne Evans 13 Suzanne with her dad Tony, who died in 2008, when she was a child Credit: Jam Press/Suzanne Evans 13 When people ask how she slimmed down, she tells them it was 'determination, willpower and Slimming World' Credit: Jam Press/Suzanne Evans As well as spicy stir fries and oats, the mum is a big fan of tuna pasta salad, ham and mushroom omelettes and Italian pork with beans and greens. Suzanne says: 'These are my weekly must-haves - I always have to have all the ingredients to create these meals at home. 'Every week I go out on a Sunday to shop for the week ahead. 'For me, preparation is key - whether it's quick and easy tuna pasta, which has serious filling power, leaving you fuller for longer, or my favourite gluten-free vegetable and beef stir fry. 'I love that I can have unlimited amounts and stay slim. 'These meals are also so tasty that I never get bored - and best of all, I can eat them guilt-free. 'When you optimise your food, you are guaranteed to lose weight. I just wish I knew that, and how important having a slimming group can be, earlier. 'When I was on my own, I was too embarrassed and ashamed to be around anyone. I needed a community of people who understood me, and now I have that. 'I never miss a week; we're all there for each other, supporting one another all the way to our targets and beyond. 'It's essential to have that beautiful support, especially on days when you're struggling.' How to lose weight safely Losing weight should be a long-term commitment to healthier living, rather than any drastic measures. The NHS tips - which can be adopted slowly - include: Get active for 150 minutes a week – you can break this up into shorter sessions Aim to get your 5 A Day – 80g of fresh, canned or frozen fruit or vegetables count as 1 portion Aim to lose 1 to 2lbs, or 0.5 to 1kg, a week Read food labels – products with more green colour coding than amber and red are often a healthier option Swap sugary drinks for water – if you do not like the taste, add slices of lemon or lime for flavour Cut down on food that's high in sugar and fat – start by swapping sugary cereal for wholegrain alternatives Share your weight loss plan with someone you trust – they can help motivate you when you have a bad day Read about: The five fat loss foundations The calorie formula for weight loss The perfect portion sizes for meals to lose weight Sun Health's 8-week weight loss kick start plan Suzanne is particularly conscious to emphasise that losing weight is a marathon, not a sprint. She says: 'Quick fix diets are not the answer as they don't help with the underlying problem. 'I've tried most diets but they didn't work because I needed help changing my mindset to help me overcome my overeating. 'I couldn't do that alone; I needed a consultant to guide me. 'It has taken me seven years to overcome all of my obstacles. 'But now, because of all my hard work, I'm more than confident I can stay at my target weight for the rest of my days.' 13 The mum-of-two with her sons, who inspired her weight loss journey Credit: Jam Press/Suzanne Evans 13 'Slimming World saved my life,' Suzanne says Credit: Jam Press/Suzanne Evans


The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
Struggling doctors left in ‘recurring cycle of debt'
Newly qualified doctors and medical students are taking on part-time jobs, such as driving Ubers or working in bars, to cope with financial difficulties. The British Medical Association (BMA) reports an average £3,674 drop in funding for final-year undergraduates and post-graduate medical students due to reduced student loans and NHS bursaries. This funding gap is forcing students into a 'recurring cycle of debt,' with many maxing out overdrafts and credit cards to complete their medical degrees. Students from poorer backgrounds and those on longer, six-year programmes or post-graduate degrees are disproportionately affected, facing up to three years of reduced funding. The BMA is calling on the government to provide full student finance maintenance for the entire duration of medical courses, estimating the cost at £24 million.


Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
British medic's heartbreaking two words to dead Gaza child, 9, while zipping up their body bag
NHS paramedic Sam Sears recently returned from a three-week stint in the stricken Gaza enclave working at a charity's field hospitals, and now shares his harrowing tale For British medic Sam Sears, the episode is one he will never forget. Only days into working in Gaza, he was tasked with an act underlining war's grim reality — putting children into body bags. Though, of course, he bore no blame, Sam poignantly told one lifeless lad as he zipped up the bag: 'I'm sorry.' The brave NHS paramedic, 44, recently returned from a three-week stint in the stricken enclave for charity UK-Med. The British non-profit runs two field hospitals there where Sam, from Northamptonshire, split his time. After haunting pictures of emaciated children have emerged from the strip, he has offered a harrowing account of the experience. Drones and gunfire provided a chilling soundtrack for his days – and the flow of horrific injuries was constant. International pressure has been building on Israel to end the conflict, with PM Keir Starmer highlighting the 'terrible suffering' Palestinians have endured. But fighting has yet to stop; nor has the hunger. Famine, experts say, is underway. And just this week, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to take control of all of Gaza. More bloodshed will inevitably follow. Just a few days into Sam's deployment, he had to contend with a 'mass casualty incident'. Two boys, one aged nine, the other 10 or 11, were killed – and a third, about only eight, was in a dire state with shrapnel injuries. 'I was tasked with going into the resus area to support in there,' Sam, who back in the UK works for East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust, recalled. 'There's three beds and when I went in on two of the beds there were two deceased children and on the other bed there was another child critically unwell.' His job was an unenviable one; to confirm their deaths and put them into body bags to be taken to the mortuary. 'It was me and an interpreter,' Sam said. 'It was difficult because we knew we had to be quick to get them away to make room. But we were being very dignified, the way we were handling. Even in the UK when we declare someone deceased and then we make them at peace for the family to see them, I do sometimes say something to them. 'But I definitely said to this young nine-year-old, 'I'm sorry', as I zipped up the body bag.' Asked why they were the words that came to him, Sam explained: 'I think just because his demise, his end, came because of this whole war going on and he didn't deserve it.' The incident is one he will never forget 'without a doubt', he said. Sam, a veteran of deployments to Ukraine, Rwanda, Turkey and Sierra Leone for UK-Med, is no stranger to working in tough environments. But Gaza was so much worse than he anticipated – 'the destruction and devastation is just unprecedented'. 'Malnutrition is no longer a future threat. It is a present killer,' Sam said. 'One of my patients was a 16-year-old girl named Noor. She has diabetes but was half the expected weight for her age. 'Her father told me they sometimes went two days without food or clean water. Noor was lucky to reach us in time, but many others do not. Even those who survive the hunger live in constant fear. There is no safe space. The sound of shelling and airstrikes is relentless. Children cry not just from pain or hunger, but from sheer terror. The health system in Gaza has been battered. Hospitals are under-resourced, understaffed, and overwhelmed. Supplies are critically low. Electricity is intermittent. Colleagues I worked with in Gaza – brave, committed local medics – have lost homes, family members, and friends, yet they keep working. Their resilience is extraordinary, but it is not infinite.' UK-Med's field hospitals are in Al-Mawasi, in the south, which includes an emergency department, and Deir El Balah in central Gaza. The Manchester charity has been backed with £19million of funding by the UK government for its work in the strip. The Manchester charity has been backed with £19million of funding by the UK government for its work in Gaza. UK-Med has carried out over 600,000 patient consultations since starting work in the strip in January 2024. It is approaching two years since Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel left about 1,200 dead and saw 251 hostages taken, sparking the war. Though some hostages have been released, nearly 50 are still said to be held – just over half of whom are believed to be dead. More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's retaliatory military offensive, according to Gaza's health ministry. And hunger looms over the crippled territory. Only last month, the UN said nearly one in three people in the enclave are going days without eating. Though it has yet to be officially declared, UN-backed global food security experts have warned 'the worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out'. Sam added: 'This crisis requires a sustained ceasefire, not a fragile truce. It requires a permanent end to hostilities, full protection for civilians and health workers, and unhindered humanitarian access to food, fuel, and medical supplies. The longer the world waits, the higher the cost. Hunger and despair are spreading faster than aid can reach. If the conflict doesn't kill, starvation might. As I return to my life in the UK, I carry the weight of what I saw. The people of Gaza don't get to leave. They have no escape from the hunger, the fear, the trauma. They need more than our sympathy. They need our action.' Heartbreaking images from UK-Med's Al-Mawasi hospital this week paint a continuing picture of desperation. One shows the hand of a malnourished girl, with stick-thin arms, resting on her dad's. The child, Amira, visited the charity's nutrition clinic earlier this week with dad Abdulkader, mum Mona and brother Mohammed. In another picture, anguish was written on little Mohammed's face as his mother held him. According to UK-Med, there are four children in the family in total – all are suffering malnutrition. The only way for Abdulkader to get his daughter to stop writhing was to say 'milk, milk' – despite not having any. Another desperate story in a place where hope feels in short supply. But though tragic, Sam's tale of the two dead children offers a silver lining – the third boy survived after undergoing surgery. 'The next day, I found out he was sat up in bed and expected to make a full recovery,' Sam explained. 'It shows why we have to do what we do.'