I spent a day visiting London's top influencer hotspots - here's how long I queued for (and the eye-watering bill)
It's one of a growing number of unlikely landmarks social-media users just have to be snapped at. Search #London on Instagram ot TikTok and you'll find thousands of near-identical shots of Gen Zers posing in the same few spots that over-30s have never heard of. And there's a specific shot you have to get at each: just ask YOU's deputy editor, who recently hosted a 15-year-old with an entire Instagram album to recreate during her London trip.
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The Sun
6 minutes ago
- The Sun
EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick returns to soap just three months after ban for shocking disability slur video
EASTENDERS star Jamie Borthwick is returning to the soap just three months after being suspended for a shocking disability slur — sparking concern from campaigners. The actor, who plays Jay Brown in the show, got an Albert Square ban in June after The Sun on Sunday revealed a video of him using a severely derogatory term. The clip saw him describe the people of Blackpool as 'absolute m********s' while there for last year's Strictly live show. Now, amid news of his return to EastEnders next month, disability charity Scope has called for Borthwick, 31, to undergo 'awareness training.' The charity's Dr Shani Dhanda, an EastEnders fan, said: 'What shocked me most about this story is the character Jamie plays in the show often appears alongside another character called Janet who has Down syndrome. 'His character was even her stepdad at one point. 'He didn't say the word directly to a disabled person, but even still language is so important.' Meanwhile, the quick return also sparked outrage in Blackpool. Paul Galley, leader of Blackpool Council's Tories, said 'I am today publicly inviting Jamie to return to Blackpool with me — to meet members of our community, hear first-hand how his words caused hurt, and apologise in person. 'The BBC lifting his suspension without any visible act of contrition beyond a statement sends a worrying message celebrities can offend, apologise, and carry on without real consequence.' A BBC spokesperson said: 'Whilst we do not comment on any individual matter, each case is always considered on its own facts. 'We are very clear on our expectations that inappropriate behaviour and language will not be tolerated.' EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick sensationally SUSPENDED by BBC for using sick disabled slur on Strictly set Borthwick's Enders return comes just two weeks after was seen out ready to head to an Oasis gig with his co-star Natalie Cassidy, above. He apologised over the incident in June, claiming he did 'not fully understand' the term he had used. 4 4
Daily Mail
6 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Welcome to the Championship, Wrexham! Ambitious new boys show they belong before Southampton's late double offers brutal introduction to the second tier
The men in yellow shirts dropped to their haunches or stood with their hands on their knees, none of them quite sure how they had just let it all slip through their fingers. Their 3,000 supporters who left Wales before sunrise, and who spent the previous few hours singing of marching armies, fighting foes and the land of their fathers suddenly found their throats empty and unable to make a sound. Wrexham are used to drama these days, this being the club of Hollywood owners and Netflix docuseries, but they are also in the habit of those twists and turns falling in their favour after back-to-back-to-back promotions. Not this time. First the sucker punch, then the knockout blow. A 25-yard free-kick in the 90th minute by Ryan Manning, then Jack Stephens off the crossbar at the back post in the 95th. One-nil up, two-one down. Welcome to the Championship. It was 14 years ago to the day that Wrexham fans raised £100,000 to keep their club alive and here they were competing in the second tier for the first time in 43 years, about to take on a Southampton side who last season faced the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal. So when the players ran out for their warm-up before the game, Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson took a moment to reflect on how far this club has come in only four years since their journey under Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, previously McElhenney, began. They may not have been seen here today but, as Daily Mail Sport revealed earlier this week, they have a two-year plan to get Wrexham into the Premier League. It was no wonder the hordes of supporters who filtered their way off the row of Pat's Coaches parked up on Melbourne Street to make the short walk to St Mary's were in such strong voice despite how early their days had begun. The buses left Wrexham's Racecourse Ground around 4.30am, with some of those who spoke to Daily Mail Sport saying they had set their alarms for half past two. One fan named Lucy described it as like waking up on Christmas morning. She, like many, remembered the days of trips to Northampton on a Tuesday night to watch Wrexham play in front of few more than 200 supporters. Here they were playing in front nearly 31,000. However the day may have ended, they are still ones to savour. And how well they did play for such long periods. For the most part, you would have been unable to tell which of the sides spent last season in League One and which in the Premier League. This result might not have gone their way but they showed they already look right at home. 'Hugely disappointed not to get anything from the game but a lot to build on,' reflected a proud Parkinson afterwards. 'It is a very proud day for the club playing at this level. I thought we were really good. That gives us great heart for the season ahead.' Conor Coady put an early chance over from close range, Josh Windass hit the bar from distance. Kieffer Moore, a £2million arrival from Sheffield United, was shoved to the ground by Southampton defender Ronnie Edwards for a penalty that Windass, son of former striker Dean, tucked away. Edwards was lucky not to see red and Parkinson later revealed he'd spoken to referee James Bell about the decision. The opener sparked bedlam in the away end. One young lad stood halfway up the stadium steps swinging his shirt above his head. 'We are top of the league,' they sang before another chorus of Land of our Fathers. It was breathless stuff. Jay Robinson hit the post, Coady cleared another off the line, Southampton were enraged that a couple of penalty shouts didn't go their way and Moore later went off with a concerning ankle injury. The opening chapter of Wrexham's latest one provided one hell of a thrilling start MATCH FACTS AND RATINGS Southampton (3-4-2-1): Bazunu 7; Edwards 6.5 (Stewart 80), STEPHENS 8.5, Quarshie 6.5; Sugawara 6 (Fernandes 60, 6.5), Downes 6.5 (Archer 72, 6), Charles 7.5, Wellington 6.5 (Manning 72, 8) ; Fraser 7, Robinson 7; Armstrong 6.5 (Downs 60, 6) Goals: Manning 90, Stephens 90+5 Booked: Downes, Archer Manager: Will Still 7 Wrexham (3-5-2): Ward 7.5; Cleworth 6, Coady 7, Brunt 6.5; Barnet 7 (Longman 73, 6), Dobson 6, James 6.5, O'Brien 6.5, Cacace 7 (McClean 85); Moore 7 (Smith 54, 5.5), Windass 8 (Hardie 72, 6) Goals: Windass pen 22 Booked: Cleworth, McClean Manager: Phil Parkinson 6.5 Ref: James Bell 5 Att: 30,970 And yet, as is so often the case when teams move up the divisions, taking your chances becomes even more important. Three minutes from time, Ryan Hardie raced clear and thought he'd slotted his effort into the bottom corner only for Saints keeper Gavin Bazunu to tip his effort around the post. So it proved. Manning curled in his stunner before Stephens arrived late to give Southampton fans under young new manager Will Still a rush they have not felt in a long time. 'A new beginning,' our shuttle bus driver had declared to a group of Saints fans when he dropped us off outside St Mary's earlier in the day. 'We need a new beginning,' one replied. 'We need something,' added another. They got one all right. After a season in which they only narrowly escaped finishing with the fewest points in Premier League history, they now have as many home wins this term as they claimed in the whole of the last campaign. 'Fair play to the players for sticking at it,' said Still. 'It's good to show a bit of grit and determination and to bring the energy and the place alive.'
Daily Mail
6 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
The Traitors winner Meryl Williams breaks silence on feud with co-star Maddy Smedley
The Traitors champ Meryl Williams has revealed she has finally buried the hatchet with her former on-screen rival, Maddy Smedley. The reality star, 28, who shot to fame in the hit BBC show's first series in 2022, walked away with a share of the huge cash prize alongside fellow winners Aaron Evans and Hannah Byczkowski. But during her time in the castle, it was her fiery bust-ups with Maddy that stole the headlines. The pair repeatedly clashed over their clashing strategies and opinions, with tensions boiling over in several explosive episodes. Meryl even admitted their spats kicked off as early as episode six, telling Hayley Palmer on her talk show Saturday Night with Hayley Palmer: 'I thought I wouldn't come across as intimidating but then obviously me and Maddy started having our own tiffs… that started in episode six so [my plan] didn't work.' But the TV star has now confirmed the drama is firmly in the past, revealing the pair are on good terms again. 'We are friends now,' Meryl insisted, making it clear there's no lingering bad blood. She also gave fans a peek behind the scenes, praising the BBC for its inclusive casting process. 'The one thing I'll take my hats off to The Traitors for is the casting. They are incredible, they ticked all the boxes, with contestants aged 21 to 75, disabled and non-disabled, visually impaired and non-visually impaired'. It comes after Meryl shared the results of her forehead surgery in before and after snaps as she made a heartbreaking admission about it being 'one of my biggest insecurities'. Back in May, Meryl - who was born with dwarfism - took to her Instagram to tell her followers that she had wanted it done for years and that not many people knew she went under the knife. The reality star - who hails from Edinburgh - posted pre-surgery photos in a reel, showing off her forehead from the side, before later unveiling her new look. After the first snap, she added a mirror selfie, explaining how she was having hairline lowering surgery. Meryl shared a snap of the mapped out lines on her forehead, where the surgeon would operate. Meryl even admitted their spats kicked off as early as episode six, telling Hayley Palmer on her talk show Saturday Night with Hayley Palmer: 'I thought I wouldn't come across as intimidating but then obviously me and Maddy started having our own tiffs… that started in episode six so [my plan] didn't work' The video, which had a narrator filter as the voiceover, explained she has a 'new lease of confidence' after finally getting the op done. The video explained how Doctor Greg Bran - who is one of London's leading plastic surgery specialists - from the GBA London clinic, cut along Meryl's hairline, then pulled her skin up to remove extra skin, before stitching it all back together. Meryl confessed that to her, it has been worth it. Alongside the emotional transformation, she penned: 'Sharing my forehead reduction / hairline lowering surgery journey [sparkle emoji]. 'Not a lot of people know I under went the surgery it was something I have wanted for years & dealt with one of my biggest insecurities my forehead #surgery.' She was greeted with overwhelming support from fans in the comments, who shared how they admire her confidence and that she is looking 'radiant'. Meryl has a form of dwarfism called achondroplasia which affects the growth of cartilage and can lead to a larger forehead. Meryl's new-found confidence comes some months after she was forced to hide in a toilet after being targeted by feral teenagers on a London-bound train. The TV star won a share of the BBC show's £101,050 cash prize after appearing on its first series in 2022. And she admitted to being an 'easy target' for a gang of four youths during a January trip to London - after admitting she has only just gained the confidence to travel by train. Addressing TikTok followers, she admitted she had retreated to a nearby toilet in a bid to escape their verbal abuse. 'Living with this condition is something that you can't hide,' she explained. 'People see you straight away; they notice you straight away, you're just an easy target. 'I got on the train, they sat opposite me because I'm sitting on the seats with tables, and so far they've said that I need a stepladder to get on the train, I'm a midget, they've watched dwarf throwing, they've taken videos of me, they've taken photos of me, they said I've got sausage fingers, and they've laughed at me.' The Scottish influencer admitted she was staying in the toilet until they left the train, and condemned fellow passengers for not stepping in. She added: 'This is all in the space of 10 minutes. I'm on my own right now. Everyone around me has witnessed this, heard this, and no one's said anything. I don't know what to do. 'So I thought, I know they're getting off at Durham, and they got on at Newcastle, so if you know these people, let me know, four teenagers… so I'm gonna wait in the toilet until the Durham stop, then I'll go out.'
