Dame Helen Mirren wants people to 'embrace rather than fear' ageing
Dame Helen Mirren has urged people in midlife not to "fear" ageing. The 79-year-old star - who has joined forces with charity Age UK to improve people's health as they grow older - has encouraged people in aged 50 to 65 to make "little changes now to help them later in life", and insisted that could be something as simple as yoga or short walks. The Age UK ambassador said in a statement: "Whatever you may think about ageing, it's something we must all try to embrace rather than fear. "It's no secret that for many, getting older will come with its complications - specifically there will likely be aches and pains along the way, getting out and about and living as independently as we're used to in our younger years may not be as easy to do. "This is why I'm supporting Age UK's Act Now, Age Better campaign, they're encouraging everyone in their 50s to make little changes now to help them later on in life. "It doesn't have to be joining a gym; it can just be small changes like taking a short walk or yoga, which I still enjoy. "It's never too late to start doing something, so why not give something a go while you're younger?" A new study by Kantar - which surveyed 2,100 UK adults aged 50 to 65 - has found that 45 percent of people don't think they do enough exercise. Although almost a quarter blame health issues on their lack of exercise, 19 percent have been put off by feeling unfit, with 18 percent blaming a lack of time. The charity's chief executive Paul Farmer said: "Age UK's first major campaign aimed at people aged between 50 and 65 is driven by a major concern for the country's physical and mental wellbeing as we age. "Yet evidence shows that being more physically active, in whatever way works for us, and within our own capabilities, is great for our physical and mental health. "Even a small amount of movement can make a big difference. "Making regular physical activity a key part of our routine is one of the best ways to stay well and therefore sustain our health, wellbeing and independence in later life."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Yahoo
Helen Mirren Was Told to Get a Nose Job in Her 20s, But Decided Not to Because She 'Didn't Want to Be a Pretty Actress'
Helen Mirren talked to Kathy Bates, Niecy Nash-Betts, Parker Posey, Cristin Milioti and Keri Russell during the Hollywood Reporter's Drama Actress Roundtable The MobLand actress recalled being told to get a nose job or else she would "never get work" Mirren recently said there are "many, many different kinds of beauty in the world"As a young actress, Helen Mirren says she was told she would never work if she didn't get a nose job. The MobLand star, 79, reflected on beauty standards in Hollywood during a recent sit-down with Kathy Bates, Niecy Nash-Betts, Parker Posey, Cristin Milioti and Keri Russell for the Hollywood Reporter's Drama Actress Roundtable — and shared how she went on to ignore the unsolicited advice. 'I was told to have a nose job in my 20s,' Mirren told the group. 'You're kidding me," a surprised Russell, 49, said. 'Someone said, 'You'll never get work if you don't have a nose job,'" Mirren replied, adding, "I said no. I didn't want to be a pretty actress anyway. I elected to be not so pretty.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Last November, Mirren opened up about her perception of the word beauty and how she believes it has more to do with what's inside a person, during an appearance at the 2024 L'Oréal Paris Women of Worth Honoree celebration in West Hollywood, Calif. 'I've always had this issue with the word beauty because it assumes that you're looking to be beautiful in an exterior way,' she told PEOPLE exclusively. 'Of course, there are many, many different kinds of beauty in the world; it's a very broad term," Mirren continued. "Being an ambassador for a beauty products company, I always wanted to say, 'We're not trying to be beautiful, we're trying to be authentically and genuinely and happily and positively ourselves, whether that's beautiful or not.' ' Related: Helen Mirren Reveals Her Top Cannes Film Festival Tip to Make Red Carpets 'Bearable' — and It's Not About the Dress (Exclusive) The Oscar-winning actress says she appreciates the 'world of makeup and of costume and of fashion, because it's all transformative.' But there are other times when she feels like her best self. 'I think probably in a bath with a candle and a book,' she shared, adding, 'Or having a cocktail with my husband in the evening, just one!' 'Those simple moments — being out on a beautiful hillside in Scotland or in Poland or wherever I am and at one with nature,' Mirren told PEOPLE. 'I think it's when you feel yourself at ease within the natural world and simply another part of the natural world. I think that's when one feels the most authentic and at ease with yourself.' Mirren stars in Paramount+'s MobLand, which is now streaming. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Yahoo
Helen Mirren, 79, Recalls Being Told To Have Plastic Surgery
Helen Mirren, 79, Recalls Being Told To Have Plastic Surgery originally appeared on Parade. Helen Mirren may be an icon of Hollywood, but the legendary actress has dealt with the same ridiculous requests as the rest of the women in her industry. Mirren, 79, sat down with several other heavy hitters like Keri Russell, Parker Posey, and Kathy Bates for The Hollywood Reporter's Drama Actress Roundtable, and recalled being told that she should go under the knife for plastic surgery when she was younger. "I was told to have a nose job in my 20s," Mirren told her fellow actresses. "Someone said, 'You'll never get work if you don't have a nose job.' I said no. I didn't want to be a pretty actress anyway. I elected to be not so pretty." 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 The other stars, including Cristin Milioti and Niecy Nash-Betts, jumped in to tell Mirren how stunning she is. "First of all, too late. Because you are," Nash-Betts replied. Bates also joined in the conversation about terrible advice, noting that she was once advised to hide her cancer diagnosis. "I had ovarian cancer in 2003, and my agent said, 'Don't tell anybody. You don't want to be the poster child for ovarian cancer.' I think if I had come out at that point, maybe it would have helped some people. Because when I had breast cancer in 2012, speaking up helped people. I regret not doing that 'the first time.' Because I went underground," she recalled. "I was on the board at the Academy, and I called them and said, 'I can't come to any of the meetings.' I just hid for a whole year. So it was bad advice, career and personal."Helen Mirren, 79, Recalls Being Told To Have Plastic Surgery first appeared on Parade on May 30, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on May 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Yahoo
Will 700,000 pensioners lose out on PIP changes this year?
The government has insisted that close to 700,000 disabled pensioners will not have their personal independence payments (PIP) taken away, despite concerns that thousands of people are at risk of missing out on vital support. PIP is a benefit that helps disabled people with their living and mobility costs. It currently requires an assessment so that the department for work and pensions (DWP) can see how much help a claimant needs. But under wide-ranging welfare reforms laid out in March, the government said the number of people claiming PIP had become "unsustainable" and that stricter eligibility rules were needed to cut down the welfare budget. It is believed approximately 800,000 of the total 3.7 million PIP claimants will either miss out on payments as a result of the new rules, which are expected to come into force in November 2026. Now, the welfare information and advice service Benefits and Work has questioned whether or not pensioners who claim PIP will have their awards withdrawn. In a post published on its website on 17 May, it claimed that the DWP is "desperately trying to hide the truth about pension age PIP claims", adding: "Pension age PIP claimants will be subject to the four point rule, no matter how hard the DWP tried to hide that fact". In a written statement last week, a DWP minister insisted pensioners would "not be affected" by the changes because their claims are not "routinely reviewed", but some campaigners remain concerned that some older people could miss out regardless. Age UK told Yahoo News that PIP makes up 38% of net income among people aged 60 to 65 and said it was "very worried about the prospect of people losing this vital money". Here's what has concerned PIP claimants and pensioners — and what the government has said in response. Generally, new PIP claims are only accepted by the DWP from individuals who are under state pension age, but some pensioners can claim PIP because of specific eligibility rules related to when their claim started. For example, if someone's claim started when they were below pension age, they can continue to receive it as a pensioner. Additionally, if someone was eligible for PIP in the year before reaching state pension age but they did not claim, they may still be able to make a new claim. Individuals over state pension age are not subject to full reassessments but may still undergo 'light touch' reviews. These reviews, typically conducted every 10 years, are less comprehensive and generally involve a short form to confirm that the claimant's condition has not significantly changed. If you report a change of circumstances, this may trigger a reassessment. Around 690,000 pensioners are eligible for PIP, according to the DWP's official statistics released in January. We know that around 12,000 pension age claimants had a "planned award review" in 2024. Planned award reviews happen when a PIP claimant's award period runs out, which is normally after anytime from nine months to 10 years. In addition, 19,238 pension age PIP claimants had a "change of circumstances" review in 2024, according to the data. What has concerned campaigners is that when pensioners come up for these reviews, they could be subjected to the new, stricter eligibility rules rolled out in the controversial reforms announced in March. These new rules can be read in full here and, crucially, include the requirement to score a minimum of four points in one single activity to qualify for support - making it much harder for many claimants to successfully claim support. Benefits and Work has already urged the government to clarify what the proposals will mean for PIP-claiming pensioners. It wrote to the DWP, asking two questions: 'Will existing PIP claimants of pension age who are subject to a planned award review from November 2026 be required to score at least four points in one daily living activity in order to maintain their award?' 'Will existing PIP claimants of pension age who request a change of circumstances review from November 2026 be required to score at least four points in one daily living activity in order to maintain or increase their award?' While disability minister Sir Stephen Timms said pensioners claiming PIP are "not routinely reviewed" and "will not be affected by the proposed changes", questions have still been raised as to whether the group will be exempt. This is because the Green Paper does not explicitly address this, and while pension age people are 'not routinely fully reviewed', many of them have undergone reviews in the past. For example, a change of circumstances application can still trigger a full reassessment, potentially putting their entitlement at risk including if they don't meet the new requirement after November 2026. Timms, in part, addressed this in a response earlier this month. 'All claimants are required to notify the department of any change to their circumstance, be that an improvement or deterioration in their needs." "Upon notification of a change, a case manager will consider what further action might be required to ensure the claimant is receiving the correct level of support.' Yahoo News approached the DWP to query the perceived ambiguity and were told: 'In keeping with existing policy, people on state pension age are not routinely fully reviewed and will not be affected by these changes." There's no doubt PIP payments are a lifeline for many older people. Age UK has warned that many people in their early- and mid-sixties - before they hit pension age - who are struggling financially can suffer a decline in health. Many of them rely on a disability benefit like PIP to get by, with the charity's own polling revealing four in 10 people aged 55-65 are worried about affording essentials like food. "For those with long-term conditions or disabilities, working up to state pension age can be difficult, leaving many in a precarious financial position," Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK, told Yahoo News. "The poverty rate for people aged between 60-64 is 22%, one of the highest among all age groups. PIP is an essential key element of income for disabled people in this age group, providing the ability to meet their basic needs. "Currently PIP makes up 38% of net income among people aged 60 to 65 so we are very worried about the prospect of people losing this vital money," Abrahams added. *The government is running a consultation to find out what the public think about some of its proposals for PIP. You can submit your thoughts here.
