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Jo Wood reveals she wanted to prove she wasn't a victim after 'letting herself go' following divorce from ex-husband Ronnie

Jo Wood reveals she wanted to prove she wasn't a victim after 'letting herself go' following divorce from ex-husband Ronnie

Daily Mail​2 days ago
Jo Wood has revealed she wanted to prove she wasn't a victim after 'letting herself go' following her split from Ronnie Wood.
The 70-year-old was married to Rolling Stones rocker Ronnie, 78, for 24 years between 1985-2011.
In a new interview with The Times, Jo opened up on the heartbreak and how she picked herself back up.
She explained: 'After Ronnie I found it's important to say to myself, "I'm not a victim, I can still enjoy a good life."'
She added: 'When I was really brokenhearted I totally let myself go. I didn't shave my legs, I didn't shave anything. I was just miserable.'
Jo recently bumped into Ronnie in a Barbados hotel. He was with his wife Sally, 47, and their twin daughters.
When asked about the run-in, Jo laughed and said: 'Like my Mum used to say about my Dad, seeing him was like putting on a comfy pair of old slippers.
'The editor of my novel wanted more anger but I refused. The story is not about Ronnie but I do want to send out that message: you have to forgive. It sets you free. I didn't want to be bitter and angry. You realise that chapter of your life is over and the universe has something else for you. I forgave Ronnie years ago.''
She previously told the Daily Mail's Richard Eden: 'I'd only been there a day and I walked into the hotel restaurant and there was Ronnie with his wife and kids.
'You should have seen his face when he saw me.'
Ronnie is now married to theatre producer Sally, 31 years his junior, with whom he has twin daughters. Jo added: 'I'm no stalker.'
Jo and Ronnie share children Leah, 46, and Tyrone. She also became stepmother to Ronnie's son Jesse, 48, from his first marriage.
She is also mum to another son, Jamie, 50, from her first marriage to clothing entrepreneur Peter Greene.
Jo previously shared the secret to her close relationship with her ex-husband Ronnie, whom she has remained on good terms with since their 2009 divorce.
She said: 'I'd only been there a day and I walked into the hotel restaurant and there was Ronnie with his wife and kids' (Ronnie pictured with wife Sally last week)
She said: 'I know that I can pick up the phone and ring him if there's anything, like, trouble or anything like that.
'But I could do that with Keith [Richards] as well. I saw Keith recently, with Patti [Hansen, his wife]. I'm fine with them all. I didn't do anything wrong!
'When you have children and grandchildren, I think it's important… I like to know that I can say, 'The kids have been, you know, even though they're grown up. Have a word with them!''
In recent years, Jo has ditched the rock-and-roll lifestyle from her marriage to Ronnie for an eco-friendly countryside cottage.
Aside from WiFi, Jo said she more or less lives self-sufficiently and has traded in her days of drinking and joints for homegrown veg and is even creating a capsule supplement called Longevity to boost her health.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Jo admitted that she didn't have an addictive personality which made it easier for her to walk away from the party lifestyle after it suddenly dawned on her one day that way of living wasn't what she wanted.
Jo recently revealed the hilarious nickname given to her by her grandchildren as she admitted they know all about her wild drug-taking rock and roll past.
The former wife of The Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood was known for embracing the party lifestyle in her younger days.
And the star admitted her grandchildren are now calling her 'Gangsta Granny' after she revealed some of her past antics to them.
Speaking on Good Housekeeping UK's podcast My Life in A Biscuit Tin , Jo said: 'I know I shouldn't say this, but I was in the car with them and they were giggling, two of them [grandchildren, Maggie and Kobe].
'They went, "Gran, have you done any drugs?" I said, "Of course I have, but I don't recommend it".
'I said, "Because it didn't get me anywhere except lots of sleepless nights".
Explaining how she believes it is important to be honest with your family she added: 'You can't be dishonest, because they'll find out.
'So, I tried to warn them it was a waste of time, but I was in a very special situation. So then they said, "We're going to call you Gangster Gran from now on."'
She has 10 grandchildren in total, four from Jamie, two from Leah and four from Jesse.
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'Why I celebrate the true meaning of carnival'
'Why I celebrate the true meaning of carnival'

BBC News

time2 hours ago

  • BBC News

'Why I celebrate the true meaning of carnival'

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It's not just music - what a festival with a twist can bring to Arran
It's not just music - what a festival with a twist can bring to Arran

The Herald Scotland

time2 hours ago

  • The Herald Scotland

It's not just music - what a festival with a twist can bring to Arran

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Other festivals are more Indie music and that is great as well, but this is what it is all about, having something different. If everybody did the same thing it wouldn't work. 'They're going to have stunning settings so folk might want to extend their stay. They might go do something in the morning before the music kicks off so I think it will be good. It's also a good time of year, we're trying to expand the season and it's the beginning of September and people are thinking it might not be so busy the island so it gives people the opportunity to access other things if they want to. 'They might come on the Friday and go out and do activities on the Saturday, go do activities or climb Goatfell or whatever. There's no end of things they could want to do. There are options for everyone to enjoy our island.' The festival takes place on Arran in September (Image: Handout) For Daniel himself, also known by his DJ name Sharkey's Machine – who has also curated and created the Dance Tent at Back Doune The Rabbit Hole Festival next weekend from August 1 to 3 - he is keen to inspire festival goers to help promote the island and connect with music and nature during the weekend. He said: 'To encourage people to enjoy both music and outdoor exploration. Our goal is to inspire individuals from diverse backgrounds to connect music with nature in promoting access to natural spaces and advocating for responsible outdoor recreation. 'We do this by integrating music, art, and culture into the outdoor experience, aiming to ignite a sense of adventure and appreciation for the world around us, all in the name of inclusivity and diversity and through the value of music. 'In our quest to leave no trace we will do our own site and beach clean-up, have a no plastics use policy and a re-usable policy alongside health and wellness activities and are fully ready to onboard any interested sustainability and green brand partnerships. 'Our other goal is to put Arran, a recently included Unesco Global Geopark firmly on the global tourism map due to the introduction of the Glen Sannox vessel, we see Arran as the perfect fit and dare I say an almost tropical destination for this event.' The festival will take place near Brodick Bay and is easily accessed via ferry from Troon, Ardrossan or Claonaig. Passenger launched as a micro-clubbing concept to try and take it back to the days of intimate parties with friends, and had a successful first year with Adventures in Aviemore in 2024. The move to the islands is focused on music, mindfulness and wellness and is a family-friendly event although children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. He added: 'What makes this different is the sense of journey and adventure associated with this event – we are asking people to take a leap into the unknown with mindfulness and grace, recognising the intrinsic value of nature and the natural world and our own inter-connectedness with it. 'These are some of Passenger's core values and we are asking people to live these values and join us on the island for an unforgettable moment in time. Various ticket options are available, including early bird weekend tickets for £70, as well as individual day tickets, tickets for locals and a wellness pass. They can be bought here. FULL LINE-UP LINE UP FUNK D'VOID YOU WILL NEVER SEE MY EYES AGAIN LANCE DESARDI - live DOMENIC CAPPELLO RED PIG FLOWER UGLY PEOPLE DANCE CLUB CO-ACCUSED AMK WRONG PARTY SOUND SISTRENZ PASSENGER DJ'S CLAIRE MARSHALL JFUNC LIVE KAIROGEN MOTUS SUPER AFRICAINE

Why I forgave the fraudster who scammed me out of £300 for fake festival tickets - after finding her by accident on TikTok
Why I forgave the fraudster who scammed me out of £300 for fake festival tickets - after finding her by accident on TikTok

Daily Mail​

time7 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

Why I forgave the fraudster who scammed me out of £300 for fake festival tickets - after finding her by accident on TikTok

A music fan who was scammed out of £300 for fake concert tickets says she has forgiven the fraudster who conned her – after finding her by accident while browsing videos on TikTok. Bristolian music lover Laura was tricked into buying fake V Festival by one–time serial con artist Jodie Gayet, handing over £300 for two tickets worth £200 each in a deal that was too good to be true. But in an incredible stroke of fortune, she found Ms Gayet 10 years later while browsing TikTok, and reached out to say she had forgiven her after learning that the fraudster had been battling a gambling addiction. The pair met 'face–to–face' for the first time in a video call with MailOnline this week following their chance encounter via social media. Ms Gayet, from Lowestoft, tearfully admitted she had not expected forgiveness after conning Laura and others out of a total of £10,000 for non–existent tickets, for which she was given six months in prison. 'Forgiveness is not something that you ever expect to get when you did the terrible thing I did,' she said. 'I did some bad stuff, but I'm not a bad person.' For Laura, who asked us to use her first name only, it was cathartic to be able to forgive the woman who had stolen from her. She said: 'I felt really stupid and disappointed in myself back then, which passed, but to hear her story now you realise people do make mistakes.' Jodie says she turned to crime to feed a gambling addiction that began when she had a termination at 18, playing online bingo before winning a £33,000 slots jackpot. She spent £8,000 of her winnings and lost the rest chasing her next big win, which never came – so she took out loans to keep playing and cover up the loss. Working at the Chelsea Building Society in Norwich, she then pilfered the bank account of an 89–year–old man with Alzheimer's and his 95–year–old wife, believing they would not notice the money was gone. In all, she stole £19,000 from them. 'I never thought what I was doing was wrong. I wasn't stealing – I was just borrowing this money because I was going to win it back and I would pay it back, and they would never know,' she said. It wasn't long before the theft was discovered and she was sentenced to six weeks' jail time in 2011 at 21, heavily pregnant. She gave birth four days after being freed. But without proper support or counselling for her addiction she found herself craving the next big win again, setting up an account on classified ads site Gumtree with a plan to fund her gambling. She messaged someone selling real V Festival 2014 tickets – which featured the likes of the Killers and Lily Allen on its line–up – and asked for their order confirmation as proof, modifying it to add her name and an old address. Her fake ticket listing, complete with a convincing confirmation, was priced below face value to draw in victims – which is how she and Laura came to cross paths as the music fan hunted out tickets as a gift for a friend. Laura recalled: 'I think it had sold out on the official site and I was looking at eBay, Gumtree... and that's where I saw Jodie's listing.' The confirmation gave the listing an air of legitimacy, she admits. Laura also said she had been taken in by how 'engaged' Jodie was in selling the tickets – which were to be sent by post, long before the advent of the e–ticket. But after sending the cash, Laura was fobbed off with excuses that the tickets had been lost in the post. It then dawned on her that she had been scammed. 'As the event got closer the dialogue changed – her story was changing and changing and it was then that I felt a bit dim,' she admits. Half of Brits see social media as a safe place to buy tickets despite scams More than half of Brits still see social media as a 'safe space' to buy gig tickets despite the fact they offer no protection from fraudsters. A survey conducted by Get Safe Online, a UK online safety resource, found that 17 per cent of people had a negative experience buying tickets through 'unprotected' platforms. But around 54 per cent still see them as a reasonable place to buy tickets. Around 90 per cent of recent Oasis scams unfolded on social media, with fans losing an average of £346 each, according to Lloyds Bank. GSO recommends using reseller sites such as Viagogo, which is listed as a commercial partner on its website, to combat fraud. Its CEO, Tony Neate, says fans need 'safe alternatives' to social media. 'I had to phone my mum and tell her I had been scammed and I had to repurchase the tickets. But Jodie's story had been so believable.' Laura reported the scam to Action Fraud – and once again, the law caught up with Jodie, who it emerged had conned others out of £6,000 with the same trick. She was given a 12 month prison sentence, suspended for two years – but returned to court after pulling the same stunt again a year later in 2015, depriving would–be festival–goers out of another £4,000. It guaranteed her a six–month jail term, with a judge describing her as having a 'nasty dishonest streak', the Eastern Daily Press reported. Her father and brother paid victims back, the court had been told. Jodie served 12 weeks behind bars, serving the rest of her sentence on an electronic tag. It was the wake–up call she had been needing. She now admits: 'I was acting as a very selfish person. I knew what I was doing was wrong and, I'll be honest, I really didn't care what I did to get the money. 'The world could have been on fire and I wouldn't have noticed. Again, I told myself I was just borrowing this money from these people because I would win it back.' Almost a decade on, Jodie now works with anti–fraud body We Fight Fraud to help people spot potential scams, with her own story showing how easy it is to deceive people into handing over money. Among her hot tips are to avoid buying tickets on social media and not to bank transfer - instead buying from primary ticket vendors directly or from secondary resellers that have a guarantee of a refund if the ticket either doesn't arrive or isn't valid for entry. These scams have reared their heads amid the Oasis reunion tour – with mad fer it fans losing a reported £346 each buying fake tickets, according to Lloyds Bank. She shares her experiences of gambling addiction, recovery and imprisonment with 50,000 followers on TikTok – and it's there that fate saw fit to bring she and Laura together again 10 years on. Laura said: 'I was just scrolling through and she appeared on my feed telling her story of the fraud. I thought it sounded familiar... then realised that she was the person who had scammed me. The algorithm got me!' She sent Jodie a message explaining who she was, and the pair reconnected. Jodie even made reparations with a donation to the anti–knife crime charity Mikey's World, founded after teen Mikey Roynon was stabbed to death in 2023. The charity is very close to Laura's heart. And earlier this week, they spoke 'face–to–face' via a video call for the first time, joined by a MailOnline reporter. Laura said sagely: 'People make mistakes, don't they? If we were all crucified for every mistake we make there wouldn't be many of us around, would there? 'Yes, absolutely, I forgive her. It was a long time ago, and what Jodie is doing now, the fact she's working with We Fight Fraud, makes it so easy to forgive her. She only buys festival tickets from official vendors now. 'If something seems too good to be true it probably is,' she concluded. Jodie, who is now a mother to three, has also written a book, Me, Myself and My Addiction, recounting her experiences of gambling addiction and turning to crime. She hopes her story will inspire others to use their own bad experiences to do good in the world. Her voice breaking, she summed up: 'It gives a person hope that you can move on from the past and do good. 'I'm devastated by what I did, even now. I never meant to hurt Laura or any of my victims. 'But it is amazing to have her here and I'm grateful she's in my corner.'

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