Paul Harrington on being a later life dad
'There isn't a love like it,' Eurovision winner Paul Harrington says of the joy his daughter Molly has brought to his life. Born when he was 60, being a later life dad comes with different challenges and rewards.
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Irish Examiner
15 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Film Reviews: How to Train Your Dragon makes superb use of Northern Irish scenery
You don't have to be mad to live on the remote northern island of Berk, but it helps if you're the kind of deranged Viking who enjoys nothing more than a good old dust-up with a fire-breathing beastie. The live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon (PG), which is slavishly faithful to the 2010 animation, opens with the teenaged Hiccup (Mason Thames) a frustrated apprentice in the village armoury and barred — despite being the son of the chief, Stoick the Vast (Gerald Butler, reprising his role in the original) — from playing a part in defending the island from the dragons that regularly descend on Berk to pillage its livestock and barbecue its humans. Until, that is, Hiccup manages to snare the most fearsome of all the dragon species, a Night Fury ('the unholy offspring of lightning and death'), at which point a previously unthinkable proposition arises: could human and dragon somehow learn to work together? Written and directed by Dean DeBlois, this version of How to Train… is a lively blend of live action and animation that makes superb use of a variety of Northern Ireland settings (Dunseverick Castle and the Giant's Causeway both feature). Its central message, that of bitter foes learning to co-operate to their mutual benefit, remains intact and as timely as ever, and the action sequences are neatly executed, particularly when Hiccup and his new pal Toothless go swooping through the sea stacks off the Northern Ireland coast. Mason Thames isn't especially dynamic in the lead role, but there's strong support: Gerald Butler gnawing great chunks out the scenery as the Viking chief Stoick, Nick Frost providing comic relief as Hiccup's mentor Gobber, and Nico Parker as Astrid, the fiery warrior-in-training who brings a blowtorch intensity to pretty much everything she does, romance included. Lollipop. Lollipop ★★★★★ Theatrical release Kafka meets Catch 22 in Lollipop (15A), which opens with Londoner Molly Brown (Posy Sterling) leaving prison after serving a four-month sentence. Now living in a tent, and desperate to get her kids out of foster care, Molly discovers that she can't have her kids if she can't provide them with a home, and she can't get a home if she doesn't have any kids to house. An ostensibly straightforward dilemma, but one fiendishly difficult to unravel as Molly grows increasingly frustrated with the various social services, who argue, very reasonably, that her children's welfare is their primary concern. Written and directed by Daisy-May Hudson, Lollipop is a brilliant, stress-inducing slice of social realism featuring terrific performances from TerriAnn Cousins as Molly's alcoholic mother, and Idil Ahmed as Molly's former schoolfriend and a woman who finds herself in a similar plight. That said, the whole film revolves around the superb chemistry between Posy Sterling, who is in blistering form here, and the wonderfully natural Tegan-Mia Stanley Roads and Luke Howitt, playing her daughter and son. Tornado ★★★☆☆ Theatrical release Set in 1790, on the wintry Scottish moors, Tornado (15A) stars Kôki as the eponymous heroine, a Japanese girl who has stolen a sack of gold from a gang of outlaws led by Sugarman (Tim Roth) and Little (Jack Lowden), and is now fleeing for her life. But as the outlaws stride across the lawless moors killing and burning with impunity, they fail to consider one crucial question: what happens when Tornado, the daughter of a samurai warrior, stops running and turns to fight? Writer-director John Maclean (Slow West) recreates the Wild West in the Scottish Highlands, an amoral world where life plays out on a barren, windswept landscape devoid of civilisation and pity. Kôki's performance is a touch stiff at times — to be fair, her young character, recently orphaned, spends much of the film semi-paralysed with mortal terror — but Tim Roth and Jack Lowden have a whale of a time as the dead-eyed sociopathic killers.
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Irish Independent
Paul Harrington on being a later life dad
'There isn't a love like it,' Eurovision winner Paul Harrington says of the joy his daughter Molly has brought to his life. Born when he was 60, being a later life dad comes with different challenges and rewards.
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Inside the celeb glow-down trend as they get filler dissolved – and Love Island's Faye warns about botched Botox
THE world of cosmetic fillers and facial injectables is facing a surprising backlash. Celebrities including 7 Molly-Mae Hague is one of many reality stars who helped make filler mainstream Credit: Mollymae/Instagram 7 Now Molly-Mae is one of many who are opting to dissolve their filler Credit: Instagram 7 Geordie Shore star Chloe Ferry has also set out to embrace her natural look by dissolving filler Credit: Instagram Speaking out about her previous filler on her documentary series, Molly-Mae admitted : "If filler had been a permanent thing, and I wasn't able to, like, reverse what I'd done. I could have genuinely, completely destroyed my face." At the time, experts estimated that and paid thousands more to have them reversed. The UK aesthetics industry is estimated to be worth approximately £3.2 billion as of 2024, with experts projecting it could reach a whopping £3.6 billion by the end of 2025. And now, filler reversals are shaking up this billion-pound industry sparking a major beauty U-turn that's sweeping through the ranks of UK celebs. As the spotlight shifts to this new trend it signals not just a change in the aesthetics industry but a redefinition of beauty itself. Love Island Star's Filler Nightmare 7 Faye Winter appeared on the seventh series of Love Island in 2021 and admitted at one point she had become 'filler blind' Credit: ITV/Instagram 7 A botched procedure left Faye having to tape up her face during her Love Island auditions Credit: Instagram For Love Island alum The 29-year-old, who appeared on the seventh series of the ITV2 dating show in 2021, admitted at one point she had become 'filler blind'. Speaking to The Sun, she said: 'I was definitely filler blind when it came to how much I had in my face. ' 'I didn't want to listen to Jan (mum) and Keith (dad), so I had to listen to the nation instead.' Before her big break, the reality beauty had trusted a practitioner who she thought was a qualified — but a botched procedure left her having to tape up her face during her Love Island auditions. 'I went to somebody that wasn't qualified medically and he had put too much Botox in and put it into the wrong area of my face,' she revealed. 'My eyebrows had completely lapsed, I had no eyebrow arch whatsoever and that was really difficult because I was actually going in for my auditions at the time. Geordie Shore's Sophie Kasaei reveals her new look face after getting her filler dissolved 'I remember having my makeup done and we put tape on either side of my face and then strapped my face up and lifted it.' 'It wasn't about enhancing what I already had, it was purely about them receiving the most money out of me possible and I think looking back, that's really sad,' she admitted. Reflecting on the pressures of being in the public eye, Faye opened up about the impact that social media criticism can have on Love Islanders' self-esteem. She said: 'I've seen it with the new cast that have come out people are already jumping on the way that people look. 'We go in thinking we're okay and people aren't accepting us for the way we look so then we want to change ourselves - we are only human. 'We're always constantly compared to one another and who's the ugliest. 'I went on (TikTok) the other day and it was like 'season seven were the least attractive cast of Love Island ever' and you just think, that does get to people, it isn't very kind,' she added. After leaving the villa, Faye admitted she had been feeling unhappy and there were many things in her life she needed to sort out besides getting her filler dissolved. When I came out of the villa, I was very unhappy. Faye Winter 'I'd done things wrong, the way I looked was far down the pecking order, I put on a lot of weight whilst I was in the villa so there were a lot of things I needed to sort out and I needed to get myself back.' Eventually she opted to have her lip filler dissolved explaining: 'I had my filler dissolved and sadly I couldn't not have any filler put back into my lips. I had to have a 0.5 ml put in because my lips were so wrinkly from where they'd been overstretched. 'So I think a lot of the time a lot of people think oh, it's just reversible but it's not.' Speaking about her future when it comes to aesthetics, the Love Island star admitted: 'If there's still something that I'm not happy with in five years time, am I going to get surgery? Probably, but I will make sure that it's done safely.' Now Faye is helping push for tighter regulations in the UK that would clamp down on people offering procedures without extensive medical training. Currently there are no laws that prevent anyone from picking up a needle and injecting the faces of Brits with filler, leaving the aesthetics industry unregulated. Dr Rosh: Inside The Industry 7 Dr Roshan Ravindran is the world's most renowned aesthetics doctor Credit: PR Also at the forefront of the push for stricter regulations in the UK is one of the country's most renowned aesthetics doctors, Dr Roshan Ravindran. Dr Rosh has been instrumental in the modern aesthetics industry and has amassed over 500,000 followers on Instagram alone. A pioneer in natural aesthetics and the CEO of an award winning medical clinic called KLNIK. Speaking to The Sun, the cosmetic doctor revealed where the UK sits globally when it comes to it's regulation standards, he said: "Most third world countries have more regulation than us. "We're down with places like Costa Rica and Vietnam." And Dr Rosh is seeing the consequences daily in his clinic. I can do anywhere from five to 15 dissolves a day [...] in America, they average two to three dissolves a month. Dr Rosh 'People genuinely believe filler is going to make them look better – but they're not equipped for if they have filler and they look worse," he added. And correcting it isn't always straightforward — or legal. 'I'm telling you across the board, people are illegally doing dissolving because dissolving is a prescription only medication,' he said. 'So they're not seeing a prescriber first and the dissolving has been done illegal pretty much across the board in the UK. 'It's something local councils are turning a blind eye to. It's something our politicians are turning a blind eye to. It's something our mayor's turning a blind eye to and harm's happening.' And for those considering getting filler, Dr Rosh offered a stark warning. ' It is not a value industry, so if a deal looks too good to be true, it is. Most fillers at the top level are over £100 a ml. 'So if you're having filler for under £150 per ml, you are probably injecting rubbish into your face." Celebrities like the Kardashians have become powerful influencers in the world of cosmetic enhancements, with their ever-evolving looks shaping global trends and fueling the demand for fillers and injectables. Speaking candidly about the influence of celebrity culture on beauty standards, Dr Rosh protested: 'Please, please, please do not take advice from Kylie Jenner or Kim Kardashian on beauty. They are paid to promote. 'For example one of them may or may not have asked me to do that. "They would expect me to pay them despite the fact I'm one of the world's best injectors. 'That is how they work please across the board no one should be following the beauty advice of Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner. They are billboards.' Dr Rosh boasts an impressive client list which range from reality stars, to actors, models and footballers. One of his clients is Love Island star 7 Among Dr Rosh's high-profile clients is Love Island star Grace Jackson Credit: PR Speaking about the reality beauty, he said: 'Everyone wants celebrities, to be honest and she worked in my clinic for two years so why wouldn't she be honest.' 'I have been surprised at the hate online for her being honest. 'She has a middle cheek split so she gets a little bit of swelling there that comes out in the heat. That's not from cheek filler, that's not from trauma, it's just genetic. 'So I do point one ml of filler to soften this deficiency people then start talking about this swelling and going, she looks bizarre, she looks swollen, she's too filled. 'And when you tell everyone, look at the video guys I'm doing less than point one ml here - everyone then accuses you of lying. 'People like to be judgemental online, people like to attack especially when someone's pretty." When it comes to cost, shockingly the cosmetic doctor revealed some people can spend almost half their life savings on getting cheap filler and then trying to reverse it. Speaking about patients who have received botched procedures by practitioners, he said: 'They look dreadful and they come to me asking 'well what do I do now? I've spent 30% to 40% of my life savings'. 'They say: I've expected to look like I'm totally fine but now I don't, I look like an absolute terrible monster and now they've got to spend another £1,000 just to correct it. 'That's the problem with aesthetics in the UK and what can they do? They can't do anything. 'And who do you think it's down to? It's probably everyone involved, the regulators, the government. The government are turning a blind eye to it.' Dr Rosh is one of many leading experts who is pushing for tighter restrictions and industry regulations. Read more on the Irish Sun Stars like Faye Winter also reflect the growing number of reality stars and UK celebs who are choosing to ditch the fillers and be more transparent with the public. So what we're seeing isn't just a beauty trend but a full-blown industry U-turn and with the natural look making a major comeback it seems it's here to stay.
