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Daily Mirror
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Alison Hammond cut two foods to lose 11 stone after gastric band 'didn't work'
This Morning star Alison Hammond managed to lose a seriously impressive 11 stone - which she puts down to managing to remove two foods in particular from her diet TV personality Alison Hammond, 50, is a firm favourite of This Morning fans thanks to her candid and down-to-earth approach and now she's back with her own series, Alison's Big Weekend. The new show will see the popular host spend an entire 48 hours with a celebrity, with the BBC describing it by saying: "Buckle up, babes - Alison's coming for a sleepover! Expect laughs, juicy secrets, surprises and a few tears as she hangs out with celebs in the places that made them who they are." The first episode will see Alison spend the weekend with Perrie Edwards, which will see the Little Mix pop icon delve into her relationship with fame and her struggles with anxiety. The host, who has also presented Great British Bake Off, rarely shies away from chatting about her own personal life and has even opened up about her journey to losing a seriously impressive 11 stone. At one point, Alison revealed - per Birmingham Mai l - that she weighed 28 stone, which led her to have a gastric band fitted, though, unfortunately, the procedure didn't work out for the Birmingham native. "It's actually quite a difficult thing. It just didn't work for me. I didn't like the feeling of it. You still feel hungry but you can't eat," she explained. However, because her mother had suffered from Type 2 Diabetes, Alison was determined to shed some weight when she learned that she had become pre-diabetic herself, particularly after a conversation the mother and daughter had before her mum passed away back in 2020. "Mum said to me: 'If you can, sort out your weight, Alison,' and that really set it in my head. My mum had type 2 diabetes and she was worried for me, so when I then found out that I was pre-diabetic, that was frightening," she told Good Housekeeping. There were two food types in particular that Alison cut out that she found had some serious results when it came to her weight loss journey: fatty food and sweets. "I thought, I have to be an adult about this," she added. After dropping an incredible 11 stone, she has revealed that she no longer is pre-diabetic, and along with managing her diet well she managed the impressive feat with the help of a personal trainer that she sees twice every week and by incorporating home workouts into her regular routine - including walking, stretching, and weight training. The presenter has been clear that it was health concerns that were at the top of her agenda when it came to her weight loss journey. However, she has also revealed on This Morning there was one particularly "embarrassing" moment that occurred on a flight when she was at her heaviest, adding it is a situation that she no longer has to deal with since she lost the weight. "I was nearly 28 stone I'll be honest with you and that is morbidly obese. And I used to buy an extra seat because I didn't want to put anyone in a situation where I was touching them...I was made to feel uncomfortable on one occasion when I was so close to someone's seat and they asked to move but they ended up moving me into first class," she explained. "It was embarrassing the whole thing and from that moment I just started buying two seats. I don't do it anymore because I've lost a bit of timber but not everyone can afford to do that." Despite sharing the candid story and how it affected her emotionally, Alison made it clear during the chat with co-host Dermot O'Leary, and guests Tom Swarbrick and Gyles Brandreth, that her motivation was always to ensure better health when it came to losing weight. "I was in a situation where I was morbidly obese. I had to lose weight because I was dying, I really was dying," she explained, adding: "People will still say I'm big but now I'm 17 stone rather than 28 stone and I'm comfortable with telling you my weight." Alison also revealed to Good Housekeeping that she hasn't tried any of the weight loss jabs that have become more popular recently as a route to dropping some pounds, explaining, "I think that, for people who need to use them, they're a good thing. But for me, as soon as I hear any scare story, I get frightened. So I haven't wanted to use them, but that's not to say I wouldn't in the future, and I certainly wouldn't look down on anyone who did.'
Wales Online
27-04-2025
- Wales Online
The area of Wales you'd never expect where an invisible crime is leaving women terrified and suicidal
The area of Wales you'd never expect where an invisible crime is leaving women terrified and suicidal Two women have spoken about how stalking has changed their lives forever A Welsh force receives three reports each day regarding stalking (Image: Birmingham Mail ) A Welsh police force recorded nearly 1000 incidents of stalking in the past year, and now two women have spoken about the devastating impact a stalker had on their lives. Dyfed Powys Police has shared the experiences of two women regarding the harmful impact stalking has had on their lives., with one describing her experience like 'coming out of a warzone." Another victim said "being stalked has left me feeling like a prisoner in my own home." With their names changed for their protection, these women have decided to share their stories so that people in similar situations can recognise the signs, and act fast when they spot those signs. Lara Lara's life has been invariably changed after being stalked for 12 years, by a man that she met only by chance and who seemed completely harmless. Don't miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here Article continues below Lara met David when she came across his work and though he appeared to be friendly – his obsessive personality was soon made evident to Lara. David began making daily contact with Lara while making his intentions clear with a note and flowers. David's actions soon made Lara feel uneasy, and when he asked her move in together with him after only a short while, Lara was able to persuade him not to do so. At least that is what she thought. She said: 'I thought that was it. However, over the following years I regularly saw his car in my town. He began to infiltrate every part of my community – shops, workplaces, schools, events, businesses. Through his work he cemented his position in my community.' Though Lara saw David in her town regularly, the manipulation was so strong that she couldn't report it. She explained: 'I saw him at least once a week in town, school, or wherever I seemed to be, and while it scared and angered me because I couldn't understand it or work out what he was doing, I couldn't report it. It was so manipulative and clever.' Lara says that once David managed to gain trust with the people that she knew, his behaviour progressed to what she calls 'visible stalking'. She started noticing that David was driving to her street repeatedly after which he started to park his car a few doors down from her house. Lara would soon see David sitting outside of her house regularly while he watched her from his car. Once when Lara decided travel 13 miles away from her home to get coffee, her moments of peace soon disappeared when she spotted David at her home through her security camera. Even though she saw David engaging in such behaviour, Lara still could not understand how grave the issue was. She explained: 'Looking back, I fully believe those long term, slow burn actions were stalking, but it took the blatant act of him repeatedly watching me in my home, outside my front drive and windows, for me to realise how serious it was.' Speaking about the impact of this continuous stalking, Lara said: 'My whole life changed. I closed my social media down for a year which totally isolated me from any friends and online contact and connections. I could not leave the house without my phone in my hand recording ready to gather evidence. 'I had to install a camera and extra security and could no longer do simple tasks such as open the back door to put the rubbish out, let the cat in and out, or go out to my garden safely.' Lara recounted that the fear was 'all consuming', and how she and her child had to resort to keeping a hammer for their safety. She said: 'I had to close off my front window with different curtains, I could no longer answer the phone safely, go to my local town safely, or talk to people as I was terrified they would pass information back to him or his associates or business. I couldn't do anything. 'I was completely held prisoner by managing my safety, fear, and paranoia. I was scared of every car that came near my house, scared of every voice I heard outside, scared of the police, scared of associates who didn't all believe or support me. My child and I kept a hammer upstairs. It was all consuming.' It was at this point that Lara decided she was going to report the incidents to police. She gathered the evidence of David's stalking behaviour and handed it over to the police including dates, times, photos, and videos. Officers from Dyfed Powys police applied for a stalking protection order, twice but it was refused both times as the evidence threshold for such an order was too high at that time. Eventually, a third application was successful as even more evidence was accumulated to solidify the case. The threshold for such an application has now been lowered by the home office. What is a Stalking Protection Order? A stalking protection order is a civil measure designed to manage a suspect with the primary goal of safeguarding the victim and formally acknowledging their concerns. The police apply for this order, and any violation of it constitutes a criminal offence. The order can impose certain restrictions on the suspect, such as prohibiting contact or approach towards the victim, limiting online activity, or barring access to specific locations like the victim's home, workplace, or other frequently visited areas. Under a stalking protection order, the offender may also be required to participate in an intervention programme, undergo a mental health assessment, surrender their electronic devices, or report at a police station. Even with police and legal intervention, David's behaviour has left a significant impact on Lara's life forever. Lara said: 'I could never imagine what a man's fixation could cause and do to my life. It was psychological terror, and it pushed me to feeling suicidal. 'It took up all my time – constant days and hours taken up by police contact that left me hyper vigilant, with extreme anxiety.' She recounted how she had accepted that she could be killed: 'I had to accept my stalker was an unknown quantity, had an interest in weapons and militaria, that I did not know any history, mental health, or behaviours enough, so my life genuinely felt at risk. 'I got used to the fact I could be killed. I instructed my parents what to do if I was – I expected it. Being alive, not being physically harmed felt a bonus. Like I was one of the lucky ones.' She added: 'My stalking was mostly purely psychological and that was his MO. It wasn't about gifts, or following me, online contact or notes, threats or physical harm – it was all power and control.' Lara added how a stalker's actions are often 'minimalised' and she hopes that her story can help others facing stalking. She said: 'Stalking is entirely misunderstood as an act of passion, attraction and flattering. It is murder in slow motion, a pre-cursor to most murders of women. I was made to feel that I should be flattered. "It was minimalised as the actions of a weird man just acting overly interested, and what a 'strange thing' to happen to me, but it needs to be seen as the act of psychological terror that it is. 'My message to anyone who knows of a survivor of stalking is to listen, show loyalty and support and most of all, believe them because if society as a whole, the police and all agencies pull together on making sure stalking is completely unacceptable, by empowering the victim and disempowering the offender, positive change can happen.' Megan Megan was the victim of stalking at the hands of her former partner, Dean for months on end. In this time Dean followed her, insisted on night-long video calls, and even listened in on her through an Alexa. Megan met Dean in 2021 when she was in a vulnerable place herself, with her previous long-term relationship having broken down, and was having to figure out life as a new single mother. Dean won over Megan by making the right promises to Megan and convincing her that he would support her and her children. As they quickly formed an intense relationship, Megan was pregnant within months, and found herself 'trapped'. She said: 'I now know he targets vulnerable women. He was very charming, he wanted to give me the world. Looking back, I can see he was love bombing me, it wasn't real.' Megan recounted how Dean would ask her to stay with her on video call all night while claiming that he was concerned about her and their unborn child. In hindsight, she realised that this was just a controlling mechanism. Though Megan ended the relationship shortly after the birth of their child, due to Dean's drinking, drug use, and cheating — she still made efforts to co-parent and encouraged Dean to spend time with the baby. This, Megan said, was where the mental abuse began. She explained: 'I was so tired. I was up most of the night feeding her, I was looking after my other children, it was exhausting. "He would have the baby for an hour at a time. He would pick her up in the morning, take her on the school run and then drop her back off with me. At the school gate he looked like this hero dad who had the baby while I was sleeping.' When Megan would try to confront dean, she says he would using threats of suicide to make her stop. She said: 'He would tell me he was always looking after her, when in reality he fed and bathed her once in three months – he made me feel as if I was going crazy. "But I had to try. If I called him out, the tears would start and he would threaten to kill himself. He knew that would make me stop.' Megan went on to explain that the Dean's controlling behaviour soon escalated and that he would use any means necessary to make his presence known in her life. Dean resorted to listening to Megan through her Alexa, making multiple video calls a day so he could monitor where she was, who she was with, and sent music to her via YouTube at all hours of the day and night. He also went past Megan's home several times a day, when she once went out without her phone, Dean followed her in a car to check where she was. Megan said: 'One night he said he couldn't get hold of me. He was ringing and ringing and ringing, so eventually I said I'd fallen asleep. He threatened to take the baby from me, so I called the police. 'When they arrived, I could see him walking up the street towards my house. He was phoning me, and claimed he was worried because I wasn't answering his calls – again, he was saying the right things to look like a good dad. 'He was arrested, but I didn't want to press charges at that point. I wanted it to be a warning, that I wasn't going to stand for his behaviour.' When the pair met on the next planned date for Dean to meet their child, he assaulted Megan by intentional strangulation and was then immediately arrested. Even though Dean was under bail conditions not to contact Megan, he continued stalking Megan. She ended up making a total of 57 calls to Dfyed Powys Police within a year irrespective of how minor they might seem. Megan was then put in touch with the force's domestic abuse and stalking perpetrator schemes coordinator so her case could be assessed. Megan said: 'He walked past my house several times a day, he was phoning my sibling, and I was getting calls from a private number. He would stare into my house, and he would follow me into shops.' She explained how the stalking was planned in order to make her aware that he was there. She said: 'I reported it all, but he was very clever about it. Before he walked past my house he would cough. I couldn't report him to the police for coughing, but he was making it clear to me that he was there. 'When he followed me into the shop, he would stare at me and then leave. He would only be in the shop long enough for me to see him, so I couldn't say he had done anything wrong. These aren't crimes on their own, but all together it was textbook stalking behaviour.' This left Megan fearing for her life, as she said: 'I was in constant fear of where he might turn up next. I was asked if I was fearful for my life, and yes, I was. He was taking drugs, he had strangled me, he couldn't see his child, he could have done anything.' Megan had to resort to fitting cameras in her home, changing her WiFi passwords, installing extra smoke alarms in her home, and putting a firebox on the letterbox. She even fit in the camera doorbell and added chains to her door. Just within three days of the stalking coordinator assessing the case, Dean had been arrested again. He was subsequently charged with intentional strangulation and assault by beating, but police officers were told there was insufficient evidence to meet the threshold for stalking. The CPS too, dropped the charges against Dean before a trial could take place. Megan said: 'I was asked if I wanted to move to a women's refuge, but I turned the offer down. This is my children's home, I've made it comfortable for them, and didn't want to disrupt their lives by moving. I had to make the decision to leave our home or take what felt like a risk in staying. 'I didn't sleep. I stayed awake in case he turned up – I needed to be constantly ready to react. I was so exhausted. Even now, I'm hyper vigilant and constantly on edge. I feel like I've come out of a warzone.' Megan was granted a non-molestation order against Dean when the proceedings were dropped. This order prohibits Dean from using or threatening physical violence, intimidating, harassing, pestering, or communicating with her. Even though the criminal proceedings are still active, Megan said she felt supported by the police. She advised people suffering from stalking to keep reporting incidents to the police, and hopes her story can help others. She said: 'My advice for anyone going through anything similar would be to keep reporting incidents to the police. Don't wait until things have escalated to reach out – no matter how small it might seem, every phone call is a part of a picture. 'Without the history, the perpetrator will just say they haven't done anything wrong. I'm passionate about this. I want to use what I've been through to make a change for my children and for theirs.' Stalking in Wales As it takes part in the Stalking Awareness Week , a national campaign raising awareness of the devastating impact of stalking, Dyfed Powys Police have released fresh figures about stalking. In addition to revealing that it recorded 1000 incidents of stalking last year, the force said that it receives around three calls each day that report incidents of stalking behaviour. Since the Stalking Awareness Week 2024 started the force has recorded 990 instances of stalking, and has 186 live stalking investigations currently running. Additionally, it also has six Stalking Protection Orders in place against offenders. You can find more information on the signs of stalking at the force's website by clicking here . The force added that several of these reports could relate to the same perpetrators, as stalking behaviour is defined as fixated, obsessive, unwanted and repeated against a victim. Article continues below Detective Inspector Katie Cuthbertson said: 'It is incredibly important that we as a force support Stalking Awareness Week, as not only is working towards the elimination of stalking one of our force priorities, but we know the overwhelming effect it can have on victims. 'Anyone can become a victim of stalking, and while a significant proportion of victims are stalked by former partners, perpetrators can be acquaintances or even strangers with no connection at all to their victims. "It is still a very misunderstood crime type, and we are using this week to educate our communities about just how serious it can be.'
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
BirminghamLive audience grows after winning major national awards
BirminghamLive has rounded off a month to remember by reporting rising audience numbers. No fewer than 8.4 million people visited our website in a month, according to latest Ipsos Iris data - which means more than one in six adults in the UK enjoyed our stories. Industry-respected data showed BirminghamLive was again one of the three biggest regional news brands in the UK. This comes amid celebrations over a raft of award wins. READ MORE: Massive Birmingham bin strike update as council tells binmen 'you're fired' READ MORE: Man shot in street in shocking school run time gun attack News like strking binmen holding the city to ransom fed into the month-on-month rise BirminghamLive saw in February. Of course, that remained news well into March. It also came as our journalism was recognised as industry-leading in a national awards ceremony. BirminghamLive won two of the eight team honours at the 2025 Regional Press Awards. Editor Graeme Brown said: "It is always pleasing when the data shows we are serving our audience well. "Our aim is to grow and to inform and delight the people of the people of the West Midlands and this latest Ipsos Iris data shows we are succeeding." BirminghamLive, and print sister title the Birmingham Mail, won in the communities category for the third time in five years at the Regional Press Awards. Judges praised the focus and care given to local communities, including through our Brummie Muslims and UKSikhs brands. BirminghamLive was also awarded for the top digital initiative for its Child Poverty Emergency campaign, calling for seismic change to address soaring levels which have left nearly half of the city's children in poverty. The initiative included coding a special "letter to your MP" tool enabling people to raise the issue and a chatbot supported by AI. BirminghamLive was also highly commended in the biggest category of the night - large title of the year.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
BirminghamLive wins raft of honours at Regional Press Awards
BirminghamLive was one of the biggest winners at the 2025 Regional Press Awards. The awards ceremony, held in London on March 12, is the Oscars of the regional media industry and pits hundreds of local and regional news titles against each other. BirminghamLive came away with two of the eight team awards, and was lavished with praise for its reporting for and about local communities. READ MORE: New bin rules in England scrapped in major u-turn for thousands of households READ MORE: Birmingham Labour under fire over garden waste 'fiasco' as update issued on £61.80 service BirminghamLive, and print sister title the Birmingham Mail, won in the communities category for the third time in five years. Judges praised the focus and care given to local communities, including through our Brummie Muslims and UKSikhs brands. BirminghamLive was also awarded for the top digital initiative for its Child Poverty Emergency campaign, calling for seismic change to address soaring levels which have left nearly half of the city's children in poverty. The initiative included coding a special "letter to your MP" tool enabling people to raise the issue and a chatbot supported by AI. BirminghamLive was also highly commended in the biggest category of the night - large title of the year. Editor Graeme Brown said it was another proud day for the title, which is consistently one of the largest in the UK for audience. He said: "We take local communities very seriously at BirminghamLive and the Birmingham Mail and I was thrilled to see this once again recognised at the Regional Press Awards. "Projects like Brummie Muslims and UKSikhs are a labour of love for people in our newsroom. "They are about more than just audience but experiencing, commiserating and celebrating with our readership. "In recent years, we have also been recognised for our focus on the LGBT+ community as well." BirminghamLive was second only to the Liverpool Echo in the large title category.
