Latest news with #DarrenDay
TimesLIVE
10-07-2025
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
New Bentley EXP 15 hints at the brand's luxurious electric future
Bentley has unveiled a striking ultraluxury electric concept car with three seats and an interior that artfully blends mechanical and digital elements. Revealed at Bentley's new design studio in Crewe, England, the EXP 15 is not intended for production but hints at the British brand's future styling direction. The EXP 15 takes inspiration from Bentley's early 20th century grand tourer heritage and interprets it in a modern way. The concept car has an iconic upright grille, long 'endless' bonnet and rearward cabin reminiscent of the 1930 Bentley Speed Six Gurney Nutting Sportsman coupé, often known as the 'Blue Train'. This famous Bentley was used by then-company chair Woolf Barnato to beat a luxury express train (Le Train Bleu) in a race from Cannes to Calais in France. The concept has modern exterior surfacing, hi-tech lighting and active aerodynamic elements. Its big party trick, however, is it has three seats and three doors to provide extra legroom for the special few and has in-cabin storage for pets and hand luggage. 'Twin coach doors and part of the panoramic roof open upwards on the passenger side to allow smoother entry and exit via a passenger side seat that can swivel 45° outwards. This allows passengers to disembark with dignity for that perfect Instagram shot,' according to Darren Day, Bentley's head of interior design. 'If you look at the car we built for Her Majesty the Queen, it was designed around the aperture of the door and 'the art of arrival'. It was important for us to create that feeling here, too,' said Day. Image: Supplied The three-position passenger seat can be moved forward next to the driver in Co-pilot mode, slid back to the rear seat or reclined for Relax mode. When the car is parked, the boot space can be used as upmarket picnic seating. Under the large rear hatch are two small seats that can deploy with a fridge stocked with cold drinks, which can slide back from the rear seats for luxury tailgate parties. The cabin mixes physical features with futuristic digital elements that can be brought to the fore or melt away into the background. This includes an update of Bentley's Rotating Dashboard, which can reveal an infotainment screen or rotate back to a solid dashboard surface. The boot can be transformed into a seating area. Image: Supplied The EXP 15's full-width dashboard can act as a digital interface for infotainment or switch off to reveal a veneered wood surface visible underneath the glass. Also mounted behind the screen is a clock-like device with multiple movable and illuminated fingers — which Bentley refers to as the 'Mechanical Marvel' as it can indicate the car's direction of travel, the state of its electric charge and much more — or just be a centrepiece to look upon. Robin Page, Bentley director of design, said: 'We think people are going to get fed up with a fully digital experience and are pining for physical mechanical elements. By combining the two, you can get the best of both worlds. It's almost like wearing a beautiful mechanical watch on one wrist and a digital watch on the other. Page added that the concept car positioned the brand's new design language and also tested where the market was going. 'It's clear that SUVs are a growing segment and we understand the GT market — through four generations of the Continental GT — but the trickiest segment is the sedan, because it's changing. Some customers want a classic 'three-box' sedan shape, others a 'one-box' design and others again something more elevated. So this was a chance for us to talk to people and get a feeling.' EXP 15 is conceived as having a fully electric, all-wheel drive powertrain with a long range and quick recharging speeds, but Bentley gave no further technical details.
Daily Mirror
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
I'm A Celebrity star says 'I don't think I'd want to be here' as they open up on health
Darren Day has spoken out about his mental health and addiction battle, as he revealed that he was misdiagnosed with a number of different conditions before being told he had ADHD. Darren Day has opened up about the significant difference his ADHD diagnosis and subsequent treatment have made to his life, after years of battling with misdiagnoses. The West End actor, 56, who has candidly discussed his addiction and mental health challenges, shared his experience of being diagnosed on Good Morning Britain last Friday. Discussing the matter with Rob Rinder and Kate Garraway, he said: "I talk openly about it because when I do talk about it on social media, I get so many people asking me and I can point them in the right direction now." Day explained how he had been labelled with various conditions: "I was diagnosed with a lot of different qualifications, I call them." During the interview, he disclosed past diagnoses of borderline personality disorder, bipolar type 2, high scores for Asperger's syndrome and indications of autism. Admitting the difficulty with his condition, he remarked: "All of them, my head is wonky." Kate weighed in on his comment, noting: "You say wonky, but that is what neurodiversity is." When Kate queried whether his many conditions were perhaps inaccurately diagnosed, Darren acknowledged: "Perhaps, some people think that." He went on to reveal how desperate things had become: "In November last year I was taking about 17 pills a day, and I'm going to be level with you, I thought that if it wasn't for me being a dad and having a great partner and great family, and the devastation it would cause my loved ones, I don't think I'd want to be here anymore." He shared the extent of his frustration: "It got that bad, I was thinking, 'I'm taking 17 pills a day so I shouldn't be feeling like this'." Following advice to check for ADHD, Darren found that he scored a staggering 96 out of 100. In February, Darren started on ADHD medication and claims it revolutionised his life in just five days. "It changed my life, my head was quiet for the first time in 20 years, I'm focused," he revealed. The I'm A Celebrity star also noted that it had a significant effect on his stage presence and couldn't overstate the transformation the medication brought about. "I've probably had it forever, but then things happen in our lives, traumas and stuff, that make the symptoms worse, but I promise you, I know there's people that are sceptical about it, I probably was if I'm completely honest," he continued, emphasising the positive impact of his diagnosis and treatment. "I want to try and give people what I've got - a peace and quietness in my head that I've not experienced in so long, maybe ever." Darren also opened up about his battle with addiction and a 2018 relapse that led to Robbie Williams "saving" his life. "I was in a really bad place," he recounted, recalling a moment when he broke down while driving. After reaching out to the Take That star, who assured him, "Leave it all to me," Darren emotionally acknowledged: "Here I am today. I wouldn't be here without Rob." Reflecting on his journey in a recent chat with The Express, Darren spoke about how his ADHD meds have supported his sobriety. He commented: "I'm very strong in my sobriety now, and there's quiet in my head, there's less chaos. It makes sobriety easier. I don't feel the need to self-medicate. "Everything has changed. In last three months I've been in the best place I've been in for 25 years. I thank God every day I get up. I love going to work, I love being with my kids, I love speaking spending time with my partner Sophie – we live in Brentwood, Essex, now. "I feel like a weight has lifted, I'm in a good place and I'm really happy people still want to come and see me. I put everything into what I'm doing." Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV1.
